The Shadow District – Reykjavik Wartime Mystery #1
The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indridason is book one in his new Reykjavik Wartime Mystery series.
Indridason is the author of the excellent Detective Erlender series. However, I must admit that while I have loved the series books I have read, I have fallen behind in the series. As a result, I often forget about the series. Can out say once again “too many books too little time”.
Anyway, when I saw The Shadow District in the library and discovered it was book one in a new series It was a no brainer to check it out.
The Shadow District: Plot
The story unravels in two tine periods. The first is the present. Where the police have discovered a ninety year-old man killed in his own bed, smothered by his own pillow. In the room former police Detective Konrad finds two newspaper clippings. The clippings are about a murder that occurred in wartime Reykjavik. The murder occurred in a rough part of town known as “ the shadow district” A place Konrad knows well because it’s where he grew up!
The second time period is wartime Reykjavik. In that time period, the body of a murdered young woman is stumbled upon by a young Icelandic girl and her US Army boyfriend. Soon the murder is being investigated by an American Military Police inspector and an Icelandic Detective.
In order to solve the murder of the old man in the present day Reykjavik , Konrad must solve the unsolved wartime murder.
The book’s chapters alternate between present day Reykjavik and Konrad’s investigation and wartime Reykjavik and the two detective’s investigation.
Bottom Line
Typically, I read several books at one time. However, I must say that once I started The Shadow District I didn’t want to leave Reykjavik until I knew the solutions two both murders.
As always, I thought Indridason created a great story populated with some great characters. It is however hard for me to see who will be the lead character going forward. If it is the Wartime Reykjavik series. I assume it will be either Thorson the Army military police officer or Flovent his Icelandic counterpart. If though the stories are told in flashbacks Konrad could be the lead character, supported by the current police detective Marta.
Either way, I am certain it will be a tight well-written story. A story populated by believable and interesting characters. I am looking forward to The Shadow District’s sequel!!
EKK Rating 4.00. Goodreads Rating: 3.69
Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of Arnaldur Indridason
Book # 10 for 2018
P.S. Note to self – start reading the Erlender series again!!