It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
The Draining Lake

The Draining Lake

Summary

A REYKJAVIK MURDER MYSTERY.

A skeleton is found half-buried in a dried out lake. The bones have been weighed down with an old radio transmitter: is this a clue to the victim, and the killer's identity?

Detective Erlendur is called in to investigate and discovers that there may be a connection with a group of students who were sent to study in East Germany during the Cold War, and with a young man who walked out of his family home one day, never to return.

As the mystery deepens, Erlendur and his team must unravel a story of international espionage, murder and betrayal.

Reviews

  • A haunting, compassionate work
    Observer

About the author

Arnaldur Indridason

Arnaldur Indridason worked for many years as a journalist and critic before he began writing novels. His books have since sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Outside Iceland, he is best known for his crime novels featuring Erlendur and Sigurdur Óli, which are consistent bestsellers across Europe. The series has won numerous awards, including the Nordic Glass Key and the CWA Gold Dagger.

The Shadow District – the first book in the Reykjavík Wartime Mystery series – won the Premio RBA de Novela Negra, the world’s most lucrative crime fiction prize.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more