Silence of the Grave

Silence of the Grave  
Author(s) Arnaldur Indriðason
Original title Grafarþögn
Translator Bernard Scudder (English), Éric Boury (French)
Country Iceland
Language Icelandic
Series Detective Erlendur, #4
Genre(s) Crime, mystery novel
Publisher Harvill Press
Publication date 2001 (orig.) & 5 May 2005 (Eng. trans.)
Media type Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages 224 pp (Eng. trans.)
ISBN ISBN 1-84343-185-8 (Eng. trans.)
OCLC Number 57574468
Preceded by Tainted Blood
Followed by Voices

Silence of the Grave (Icelandic: Grafarþögn) is a crime novel by Icelandic writer Arnaldur Indriðason. Set in Reykjavík, the novel forms part of the author's regionally popular Murder Mystery Series, which star Detective Erlendur(fr). Originally published in Icelandic in 2001, the English translation by Bernard Scudder, in 2005, won the British Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger award for best crime novel of the year. The novel has the distinction of being the last ever to do so, as the award was re-named in 2006.

Human bones are found buried in a soon-to-be construction lot. The police starts investigating only to uncover dark secrets from 70 years ago and meanwhile we hear the story of an abused woman from the same time, who is somehow connected to the bones.

Awards and nominations