The Shadow District
A Thriller
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4.2 • 66 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A deeply compassionate story of old crimes and their consequences, The Shadow District is the first in a thrilling new series by internationally bestselling author Arnaldur Indridason.
THE PAST
In wartime Reykjavik, Iceland, a young woman is found strangled in 'the shadow district', a rough and dangerous area of the city. An Icelandic detective and a member of the American military police are on the trail of a brutal killer.
THE PRESENT
A 90-year-old man is discovered dead on his bed, smothered with his own pillow. Konrad, a former detective now bored with retirement, finds newspaper cuttings reporting the WWII shadow district murder in the dead man’s home. It’s a crime that Konrad remembers, having grown up in the same neighborhood.
A MISSING LINK
Why, after all this time, would an old crime resurface? Did the police arrest the wrong man? Will Konrad's link to the past help him solve the case and finally lay the ghosts of WWII Reykjavik to rest?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This outstanding series launch from Indridason (the Inspector Erlendur series) opens with the police entering the Reykjav k apartment of pensioner Stef n Th rdarson, who has died in his bed, apparently of old age. The subsequent autopsy reveals that he was smothered. Only some old newspaper clippings, about a crime dating back to 1944, offer a clue, which is pursued by a retired policeman who grew up as a poor kid in the Reykjav k neighborhood that gives the book its name. Flash back to Reykjav k in 1944. The city is teeming with American soldiers, who are dating Icelandic women. One such courting couple discover the body of a young woman named R samunda; the two policemen who investigate determine that she was murdered. Another case, in the countryside, has similarities, and is connected to Icelandic folklore, notably the hulduf lk, mythological "hidden creatures." What happened to R samunda and the other woman? And what's the link to Th rdarson's murder? Indridason provides a great window into Icelandic culture as he explores his recurring themes of greed and abuse of power.
Customer Reviews
I want to visit Iceland
This was my first time reading an Indridason novel, and while a deviation from what I normally read (Flynn, Clancy, Coes, etc), I found myself engrossed in the language, idioms and mental pictures painted by the author. I also found myself using Google Images to view the areas he discussed. I was drawn into the authors ability to visually describe the beautiful landscapes and towns. I now have a desire to visit Iceland! Indridason is also a master storyteller and a wonderful suspense writer. Well worth the time!!
Not thrilled
It’s a misnomer to call this a thriller. It’s a police procedural pure and simple, and not an overly engaging one at that. Possibly the translation is what causes the wooden tone. Details of life in Iceland during two different historical periods are somewhat interesting. But I found the constant switching back and forth between past and present confusing.
Another terrific Icelandic Mystery.....
..... by an exceptional author. He paints an Icelandic landscape and fills it with rich characters involved in suspenseful mysteries. Eager to get caught up in the next mystery of this new series....