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Ice Moon by
Jan Costin Wagner
Crime fiction has always been liberal with death, particularly in its most
popular modern form, the serial killer novel. But whilst it may borrow the form,
Wagner's book uses it in a much more interesting and productive way. The
killer's viewpoint for instance, introduced from the second chapter, takes us
inside the schizophrenic mind whilst the writing, finally, delivers a credible
individual, far from the usual fantasy. Most of all and rare in our genre, the
subject allows Wagner, whilst giving us a highly satisfactory thriller with some
unexpected turns of plot, to explore the tragedy of death and its corollary grief,
not only through Kimmo, but through a gallery of similarly well-drawn
characters. And not just its negative effects, but its more random effects too.
A serial killer will perhaps die, but a man movingly rediscovers his love for his
wife, Timmo slowly becomes reconciled with Sanna's death.
And, as late summer segues into harsh winter, note how the atmosphere of
the book is enhanced by Wagner's hushed, simple but beautifully written
prose (translator John Brownjohn seemingly up to every challenge), pointing
up every explosion of anger, peal of laughter or anguished cry.
Jan Costin Wagner is German, born in Frankfurt, writing in German but living
in Finland with his Finnish wife. This is the second of three highly acclaimed
novels, the first of which, Nachtfahrt (Night Trip, 2002) won him the Marlowe
award from the German Raymond Chandler Society. Early days of course, but
it'll have to be a great year for crime-writing in English if Wagner's melancholy
but ultimately life-affirming novel does not find its place on every un-
blinkered Book of the Year short-list
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