The Quiet Mother

Retired detective Konrad returns to Reykjavik in The Quiet Mother by Arnaldur Indridason, “one of the most brilliant crime writers of his generation” —The Sunday Times (UK)

A woman is found murdered in her Reykjavík home, her apartment ransacked. On her desk lies a note with retired detective Konrad’s phone number. Days earlier, she had begged him to find the child she gave up nearly fifty years ago. But Konrad, reluctant to reopen old wounds, turned her away. Now, haunted by guilt, he vows to uncover the truth—for her and for himself.

As Konrad digs into her tragic past, he is drawn into a web of secrets, lies, and betrayal. Each revelation points to a hidden life that connects her death to a decades-old murder—and to shadows from Konrad’s own family history.

The Quiet Mother is a masterful blend of human tragedy and relentless suspense, where every discovery comes at a cost. Arnaldur Indridason once again proves why he is the voice of Nordic Noir, delivering a harrowing tale of guilt and redemption.

Author Biography

ARNALDUR INDRIÐASON has won many international prizes, including the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Silence of the Grave. He is the only author to win the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel two years in a row, for Jar City and Silence of the Grave. He is an internationally bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than forty languages, and have sold over 12 million copies. He lives with his family in Reykjavik.