THE ABSOLUTION by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Minotaur Books; 2/11/20
CBTB Rating: 5/5
The Verdict: a must-read installment in a standout series
It’s the rare author who truly gets better with each new book, but then nothing about Yrsa Sigurdardottir is typical. A director at one of Iceland’s largest engineering firms, Yrsa’s second job just happens to be as a bestselling crime novelist with a growing international readership and a fantastic movie adaptation of one of her novels, I Remember You, under her belt, too. Yrsa’s qualifications alone make her a great candidate for your next author to investigate, and that’s before we even talk about her books themselves. Yrsa is currently in the middle of releasing her Children’s House series—a stellar Nordic crime series that is one of my favorite new series launches of the 2010’s. THE ABSOLUTION, the third installment in the Children’s House series, releases in the US on February 11, 2020, and it’s the best book in the series yet. True to theme for the Children’s House books, THE ABSOLUTION explores the lasting impact of childhood trauma; in this case, our story centers around the insidious nature of bullying. As with all of her series releases thus far, Yrsa displays in THE ABSOLUTION astute emotional intelligence and crafty, masterful plotting in equal measure. A rich, layered crime novel with a dark atmosphere and darker crimes, THE ABSOLUTION is a must-read this winter.
Plot Details:
The police find out about the crime the way everyone does: on Snapchat. The video shows a terrified young woman begging for forgiveness. When her body is found, it is marked with a number “2”.
Detective Huldar joins the investigation, bringing child psychologist Freyja on board to help question the murdered teenager's friends. Soon, they uncover that Stella was far from the angel people claim, but who could have hated her enough to kill?
Then another teenager goes missing, more clips are sent to social media, and the body with a “3” is found. Freyja and Huldar can agree on two things at least: the truth is far from simple. The killer is not done yet. And is there an undiscovered body carrying the number “1” out there?
I get a little bit wary when I pick up a crime novel and discover it’s using social media as an integral part of its plot. Will it be gimmicky and far-fetched? Or will it be an effective application of modern technology to further a mystery’s plot? You’d think I would know by now not to question Yrsa’s methods—I had nothing to worry about here. In THE ABSOLUTION, a killer is using Snapchat to send disturbing documentation of his brutal crimes: he forces his victims to ask for forgiveness on the app and sends Snaps of them begging for their lives to their contacts, before brutally murdering them. The police, then, are learning of the killer’s first victim at the same time as all of her friends. A nightmare situation, to be sure, and one that’s far from over. As police dig into the brutal act of violence, they discover that this young woman’s body has been numbered… and it’s not #1. Is there another victim somewhere out there, waiting to be found? And could a third victim be next on the killer’s list? Police are now in a race against the clock to not only prevent the killer from striking again, but also to identify the first victim—and to stop the killer from broadcasting these horrific acts of violence on social media, too. Yrsa seamlessly weaves modern technology into a procedural that otherwise relies on the deductive skills of its protagonists; the balance of “new” and “old” (in this case, social media and boots-on-the-ground investigative work) is engaging and accessible, breathing new life into a familiar genre.
It takes a compelling protagonist to anchor a crime series, and in her Children’s House books, Yrsa Sigurdardottir gives readers not one, but two. The Children’s House books center around an unlikely crime-fighting duo: a police officer, Huldar, and a child psychologist, Freyja. This endearing and oddball duo provide a measure of comic relief in an otherwise heavy story. Huldar is a bit of a misfit in the Reykjavik police department; he’s known to be somewhat unreliable, and when readers meet him in THE ABSOLUTION, he’s been sidelined and given lower-priority cases. Freyja is a child psychologist employed by the Children’s House in Reykjavik - a social service institution that works with troubled youth. Freyja’s life is in upheaval in THE ABSOLUTION, too: she’s considering a change in career path, and struggling under the pressure of graduate coursework and caring for her imprisoned brother’s young daughter at the same time. Huldar is constantly trying to win Freyja’s affection, and Freyja is determined to rebuff him at every turn. But when Huldar finds himself investigating the case of the Snapchat killer, he knows there’s only one woman with the skills necessary to interview the young friends of the killer’s victim—Freyja. Freyja, in turn, feels a sense of duty to give these children a fair and safe environment in which to share what they know about their friend’s untimely death. Huldar and Freyja, then, find themselves working together once again, and their endearing chemistry and banter give THE ABSOLUTION a delightfully lighthearted edge to offset its grim subject matter.
THE ABSOLUTION exemplifies what I’ve come to love so much about this series: it delivers a story that is as much about clever plotting as it is about exploring, in dramatic effect, the all too real horrors of childhood. In THE ABSOLUTION, Yrsa puts bullying - particularly bullying among teenagers - under the microscope. In the social media age, online bullying has become a deadly phenomenon, and THE ABSOLUTION explores this horrifying reality in an effective and heartbreaking fictionalization. The first victim of our Snapchat killer is a young woman popular among her peers, but as Freyja and Huldar dig into her social circle, they uncover lingering secrets and resentment. Who was this young woman really, and how did she and her friends treat their peers? When another victim is found, this time a young man, the duo similarly uncover a trail of emotional damage left in his wake. Nothing justifies the terrible fate these two young people meet at the hands of the Snapchat killer, but it is also clear to the detectives that these victims were, in life, perpetrators of a different kind of cruelty towards their peers. Yrsa explores the ripple effect of emotional trauma as she traces the impact of bullying on the bullies, their victims, their victims’ families, and their peers—and she wraps it all up in a compelling and chilling crime drama that you won’t want to put down. Yrsa’s effortless ability to blend emotional and psychological heft with gripping, masterful plots make her Children’s House series truly engrossing reading material. These are crime novels with heart and heft, and they’re stories that stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.
If dark, layered, intricate crime novels are your cup of tea, Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s Children’s House series belongs on your to-read list. From The Legacy to The Reckoning to her forthcoming release THE ABSOLUTION, Yrsa effectively traces the impact of childhood trauma in this gripping procedural series. Each book in the series features a layered plot, endearing characters, and heartbreaking explorations of the dangers and horrors of growing up, and each of these stories is told even more astutely and masterfully than the last. THE ABSOLUTION is the best book yet in a superb crime series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. All opinions my own.
Book Details:
Series: Children's House (Book 3)
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (February 11, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 125013630X
ISBN-13: 978-1250136305
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Series Reviews:
Book 1: THE LEGACY | Book 2: THE RECKONING
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