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Quentin Bates

Cold Comfort: A chilling and atmospheric crime thriller full of twists Paperback – 20 December 2003

by Quentin Bates (Author)

165 ratings

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<font size="+1">'Superior crime fiction set in Iceland' The Times

'As chilling as an Icelandic winter' S. J. Bolton</font>

Following her promotion and working now from Reykjavik, Gunnhildur is given responsibility for two cases - the first in tracking down an escaped convict who's keen to settle old scores, and the other, the murder of a TV fitness presenter in her city centre apartment.

With the police short staffed and underfunded following the financial crash, Gunnhildur and her team set about delving into the backgrounds of both, where they uncover some unwelcome secrets and some influential friends of both who have no wish to be in the public eye.

Set in an Iceland that is coming to terms with the deepening recession, Gunnhildur has to take stock of the whirlwind changes that have taken place as she investigates criminals at opposite ends of the social scale as some uncomfortable links appear between the two cases.

The second chilling and atmospheric thriller in Quentin Bates's Icelandic crime series. A dark page-turner perfect for fans of Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell and Soren Sveistrup's The Chestnut Man.

Praise for Quentin Bates:

'A great read - leaves you craving the next installment' Yrsa Siguroardottir

'A perfect book to curl up with in front of

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Product details

Publisher : C & R Crime; 1st edition (20 December 2003)
Language: : English
Paperback : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 1849013616
ISBN-13 : 978-1849013611
Dimensions : 13 x 2.3 x 19.7 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 688,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 7,688 in Serial Killer Thrillers
- 10,688 in International Mystery & Crime (Books)
- 18,263 in Police Procedurals (Books)

Customer Reviews:
165 ratings

Product description

Review

A great read - leaves you craving the next installment -- Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

A meticulously constructed thriller, peopled with exceptionally convincing characters and shot through with black humour. Frozen Out is as chilling as an Icelandic winter -- S.J. Bolton

Superior crime fiction set in Iceland... this is a well constructed, well written and satisfying police procedural ― The Times

[A] crackling fiction debut ... palpable authenticity ― Publishers Weekly on Frozen Out

[With] an in-depth knowledge of just how Iceland works it's a perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire ... We've had quite a few books set in Iceland recently, but this one will give them a run for their money ― The Bookbag on Frozen Out

A flying start to ... a superb new series ― Eurocrime on Frozen Out

'Superior crime fiction set in Iceland... this is a well constructed, well written and satisfying police procedural' -- Marcel Berlins ― The Times

Review

'Superior crime fiction set in Iceland... this is a well constructed, well written and satisfying police procedural' - The Times

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Customer reviews

5 star		46%
4 star		35%
3 star		14%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

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Top review from Australia

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Lorraine Bowerman

Too many characters to keep track of.

Reviewed in Australia on 10 June 2018

Verified Purchase

Given that I’ve read a couple of other books in this series, I expected to enjoy this one as well. However, I just felt there were too many characters through the entirety of the story and it became confusing to mentally keep track of who they were. This also made for a number of convoluted sub-plots involving a couple of perpetrators and the whole story became quite disjointed. Basically, at the end, Gunnhilder, the main character had to summarise the different cases for her boss and the reader. I just couldn’t wait to finish reading it and won’t be in any rush to read the next one in the series.

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Top reviews from other countries

GelS

A Chilly Tale

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 September 2013

Verified Purchase

This book, set in modern Iceland, features Gunnhildur ('Gunna,' as most Icelanders seem to have diminutive nicknames), a female police detective sergeant promoted from a coastal village near Reykjavik to a posting in the city. Gunna balances being a single, widowed mum with police work that depends on thoroughness and diligent effort rather than flashes of inspiration. A small-time TV celebrity is found murdered in her apartment and the following investigation reveals a tangled web of corruption and deceit amongst politicians and businessmen, with some rather unpleasant members of the criminal fraternity involved. This new (to me) genre of Scandinavian literature expands on the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian books I've loved, with the twist of being created by an Englishman with extensive knowledge of the country. I'm not sure how I discovered the Gunnhildur series, probably an Amazon deal, but I've moved straight from finishing 'Cold Comfort' to 'Frozen Out,' which probably reflects my enjoyment of the style. So far (70%+ and loving it as well), it's an interesting and satisfying way to read a series. Although there's plenty waiting to be read in my Kindle, Mr Bates will feature in future browsing of Amazon's 'shelves'. It's interesting that this female protagonist has not been created as anything but a basic ('large, with a face to frighten horses') person with normal personality traits, rather than a glamorous vixen - almost a feminist approach; very interesting and realistic. The use of some English slang in the dialogue actually adds to the realism for me. The sombre subject of the story is lifted by the humour and banter amongst the police officers, giving a depth and realism to the characters (as it's a Scandinavian story, much coffee is consumed).

2 people found this helpful

jecadebu

A policewoman to believe in

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2014

Verified Purchase

I gave Gunna 4 stars in her first outing, but I am giving her 5 stars after the second volume in the series because I am so taken with her character. Quentin Bates has created a wonderful woman detective who is competent and respected for her skill, tough when she has to be, angry and outspoken when necessary, compassionate and empathetic when appropriate, and tired and grumpy when frustrated. In other words, a character the reader can believe in, and that includes her personal life as a widow raising a teenage daughter and finding a new partner. As in the first book of the series, background of the crimes remain tied to the financial collapse and the close interconnection of politicians, businessmen, police, and ordinary citizens in a very small country where winners expect to be protected and losers have few options. The Icelandic names are difficult to keep straight due to their frequent similarity, especially with the huge cast of characters in this book, but it's a worthy challenge in reading.

2 people found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Gunna rocks!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 July 2019

Verified Purchase

If you love whodoneits then you'll love Hunnhildur - tough but pragmatic with a caring streak - she's quickly become my favourite investigator.
Icelandic, and Icelandic names aren't easy - and everybody has at least one nickname as well - so you need to keep your wits about you, and pay attention. Mind you, you should be doing that anyway 😀
Gunna will repay your effort in spades.

Simon Clarke

Cold Comfort--Quentin Bates

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 April 2012

Verified Purchase

There is much to enjoy in this second novel featuring
the fascinating Sergeant Gunnhildur.She has been moved
from her rural post to head-up a new serious crime unit
in the capital,Reykjavik.
She and her small team are faced with both tracking down
a violent escaped prisoner,and dealing with the murder of
a female socialite TV personality.As the somewhat complex
plot develops ,figures in the political and business elite
become suspects.
Aside from an engaging plot, this novel touches on the many
ways in which the financial crash affected the whole rubric
of Iceland and its citizens,and also there is the marvellous
character of Gunnhildur-caring,sharp and witty.

5 people found this helpful

Jeff M

A leisurely but worthwhile read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 August 2013

Verified Purchase

This is a slow moving, low key and somewhat confusing story about a female detective in Iceland. I read the first Gunnhildur book which was very much like this one. Lots of characters with unpronouncable names makes for some confusion and the plot is very involved. However, I still enjoyed the book partly because it seemed very realistic with well drawn characters who are not over the top and events that unfolded in a seemingly random and uncontrived manner - much like real life. I also found the setting in a small city, in a small country oddly comforting, unlike other police / mystery novels I have read which spread their action over multiple settings. I found the ending to be a bit abrupt and not as satisfying as I would have liked, but in some ways it was in keeping with the rest of the book's low key style. I will read another Gunnhildur mystery if one appears as another Kindle Daily Deal bargain.

One person found this helpful

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Cold Comfort: A chilling and atmospheric crime thriller full of twists Paperback – 20 December 2003

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