Murder on Board – My Cruise to Iceland by Gitta Edelmann

A cruise on the North Atlantic at the beginning of November might not be what most people are looking for, but I was thrilled to read about this opportunity to put to sea. I've always been a bit special. And, of course, this was a special cruise for special people – a German Crime Cruise.

Imagine the ferry from Hirtshals in Denmark to Iceland via the Faroe Islands swaying and heaving and surging (at least a bit) and you sitting in one of the common rooms listening to people who are specialists in murder and other gruesome crimes. How does that sound to you? I loved the idea.

That's why I joined a group of 122 passengers on the Norröna for this Crime Cruise. And I don't regret my decision.

The above-mentioned specialists were the retired Detective Superintendent Manfred Lukaschewski, the well-known profiler Axel Petermann and a bunch of crime novelists: Eva Almstädt, Anne Nordby, Arno Strobel and Elsa Dix.

There was a great programme, too, organised by the inventor of this cruise, Felix Schmidt: readings, discussions, a creative writing workshop and lectures about crime scene investigations. Moreover, the authors Karin Müller and Alice Pantermüller staged the case of Schorsch Bock, murdered by one of eight suspects in a hot tub on deck 8. As I was playing one of these suspects (wearing a wonderful black wig and a multi-coloured mini-skirt), this was even greater fun than just guessing the offender and their motive. But Who killed Schorsch Bock?

 But that was not the only brilliant entertainment. Nature itself deigned to give us the most beautiful sights.

First there was the nightly coast of Norway lighting up on our portside while we were having a feast at the Scandinavian buffet dinner. Later we could listen to live music at the Laterna Magica, the bar on top of the ship with big big windows to look out into the dark.

The next day (after a wonderful breakfast buffet) we watched the relatively calm sea, some seabirds and a lot of sunshine, most of the time I preferred to be out on deck. Deck 9 of the Norröna is open to all sides and you can walk around from bow to stern. There are places where you have to fight the wind but there are calm places, too. I, personally, love the wind to blow away all my troubles at least for a while and to clear my mind.

In the afternoon we passed the Shetlands and interrupted a lecture to go out and have a look but there was not much to see as the ship went by in quite a distance - we had changed the course because of an upcoming storm.

Early next morning we arrived in Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. What a sight! The scenery in the early hours of the day took my breath away: steep mountains that are in fact islands, narrow fjords and finally a little town that looks like a fairy-tale place with its headland of red wooden houses with grass roofs. But this part of Tórshavn is actually the government district!

As I had never been here before I joined a bus tour with a Faroe guide that brought us along mountains and fjords to the romantic village of Tjørnuvík with its old wooden houses and a spectacular view from the sandy beach.

At noon we were back to continue our voyage. The Norröna is a ferry, a working ship, not a luxury cruise liner which gives a nice purposeful atmosphere. The hold is full of vehicles and goods to transport and there are all kinds of passengers from lorry drivers to families with kids on board. We saw them in the restaurant, the shop or in the bar but we also had our own Crime Cruise Room where you could always go to read or to meet one of the group to talk. As I am a writer myself and a member of several writers' associations, I already knew the authors who were involved in the programme. But actually, there were quite a lot of others like me who had come for a holiday. I even met several Murderous Sisters – quite a surprise! And I got to know more nice people sharing my interest of crime fiction and the North Atlantic in autumn.

After leaving the Faroe Islands the sea got a little bit rougher and some passengers had to take their pills against seasickness. Fortunately, my old Viking genes made me resistant and I never lost my appetite. Which would have been too bad, anyway, given the delicacies at the buffet.

Finally, the next morning we reached Iceland. Do you know the Icelandic TV crime series Trapped? It is set in Seyðisfjörður where the Norröna moored under the low northern sun. The ship even plays a role in the series.

Again I joined a bus tour to see the beauty of eastern Iceland from a pass over the mountains to gorges, rocks and waterfalls and the bluest sky. It was so beautiful that I completely forgot to research the possible setting for a future crime story.

When I woke up in my portside cabin the following morning, snow had set in. Seyðisfjörður looked like a Christmassy fairy tale village. But the road over the pass was still open and at the beginning of our tour we could see the same landscape as the day before looking completely different. 

Newly planted woods, waterfalls, Iceland horses, sheep, old stone houses, mountains, gorges and – baths! Near Egilsstaðir you find the Vök Baths, hot springs that fill several pools with up to 41°C warm water. Of course the air was just around 0°C (very cold if you want to go from pool to pool in your bikini) and the lake you can reach from the outer pools is very very cold. Some people went in, nevertheless, but I must admit I'm a softie when it comes to cold water. It was recommended to wear a hat in the water which looked quite funny, especially with a drink in your hand, but helped with the sleet.

We were back on the ship in time for the next lecture but I was too tired to listen to more information about fingerprinting and other methods of detection. I didn't miss the dinner buffet but when the Norröna left Iceland in the evening I went to my berth and let the waves rock me to sleep. Especially because we all tried to get up again during the night to see the Northern Lights. And though my alarm woke me a little late, I was still lucky to see some.

I love to look out over the sea to the far horizon and that's what I mostly did the next day while chatting with newly-found friends or listening to Stefan Schmidt's talk – he is an old sea captain and has great things to tell. We reached Tórshavn again in the afternoon. We only stopped for about three hours but we had time for a walk through the old part of the town. And those who dared (I did!) could try a bit of whale meat, dried fish and air-dried lamb. None of it will ever be my favourite food but the Faroe beer was excellent.

One last day on the high seas – this time we passed Shetland much more closely and could take photos – and one last night. The wonder of the Atlantic. See photo right.

Yes, we solved the murder of Schorsch Bock, and another murder, too. Our detective specialists had staged a crime scene showing a beautiful dead body (Sara, the organiser's assistant) stabbed by a knife still sticking out of her side. This earned us a lot of doubtful glances from other passengers passing the glass doors to our room. But finally, Sara miraculously and happily rose from the dead again for our farewell night and we all had some drinks, exchanged email addresses and planned to meet again.

One last night in the swaying berth, one last breakfast and a very special week full of waves and impressing landscapes, crime stories, and old and new friends was over. What a voyage! Not my last one!

Gitta Edelmann is a German author who writes in any genre she might fancy – but somehow most of her books and short stories end up featuring a crime. After five mysteries set in Canterbury she is now writing a series set in Scotland: MacTavish & Scott – Die Lady Detectives von Edinburgh. Gitta is a member of several writers' associations, one of them the Mörderische Schwestern – Murderous Sisters, and the Mystery People.

 www.gitta-edelmann.de