First published in Iceland in 2013; first published in translation in Great Britain in 2017; published by St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books on November 7, 2017

The Shadow District is the first installment in a series of crime novels by an Icelandic author, Arnaldur Indriðason, who is best known in English for his Detective Erlundson series. The Shadow District is constructed along familiar lines. It tells two parallel stories, one involving a crime investigation in the past, the other involving a renewed interest in the investigation in the present. Indriðason uses that framework to tell an intriguing story of a murder investigation gone wrong, a tragedy that destroys lives in both the past and present.

The story beings with a death of a 90-year-old man in his home in Reykjavik. He appears to have died of old age, but a police investigator isn’t so sure. She wonders why the old man had kept newspaper clippings about a 20-year-old woman whose dead body had been hidden in a pile of rubbish during World War II.

The investigator’s retired colleague, introduced only as Konrád, knows something about the 1944 murder because his con artist father was involved in a séance connected to the death that he remembers as being “disastrous.” The details of the séance are revealed slowly as the story progresses. The killing also makes Konrád think about his father’s unsolved murder.

The World War II story is told in flashbacks that reveal an interesting bit of Icelandic history. The murder victim’s body was discovered by a teenage girl who was secretly messing around with an American soldier, a circumstance so common that shocked Icelanders called it “the Situation” and formed a committee to do something about it. They apparently didn’t want pure Icelandic girls to be tainted by foul Americans. Many older Icelanders apparently viewed the United States (to quote our president) as a “shithole” country, while the younger generation of women were happy to meet men who seemed to offer more excitement than the local farm boys could muster.

Unfortunately for the girl who found the murder victim, her American suitor turned out to have a wife back home in Illinois. Suspicion soon focuses on whether an American might have killed the girl, but the investigation leads in many directions. The two investigators are an Icelandic detective named Flóvent and a Canadian military officer (who has Icelandic roots) named Thorson.

Icelandic folklore also plays an interesting role in the story. Flóvent and Thorson learn that the murder victim had been made pregnant by rape and that her rapist told her to blame the crime on the huldufólk, elves who live in the Icelandic woods. That causes the investigators to wonder whether the victim’s death might be related to the disappearance of another girl in a different part of the country three years earlier. After that woman was raped, she blamed her attack on the huldufólk.

As is common with police officers around the world, the two investigators build a theory on circumstantial evidence and at least one of them develops tunnel vision about proving the theory is correct. Many years later, in the novel’s present, that theory is questioned for reasons that bridge the present to the past.

Indriðason carefully weaves the investigations of the past and present deaths together, letting the reader piece together the clues and decide among the various suspects who may have killed the two women — assuming the huldufólk were not to blame. The story seems to build toward a logical conclusion, then takes a twist, something that all mystery fans appreciate.

Indriðason tells the story in clear prose and gives his characters enough personality to make them believable. The story’s use of Icelandic history and folklore also adds to its interest. But it’s the mystery and the challenge it presents to readers as they piece together clues that makes The Shadow District a promising start to this veteran writer’s new crime series.

RECOMMENDED

Very atmospheric. Author keeps the suspense moving. Interesting take on a foreign country.

I don't often read detective procedural novels, especially when they are part of a series of books and honestly, if I knew this was going to be a series, I may have not chosen to read it. I decided to try it because it took place in Iceland and I love the atmospheric value of movies or books that take place there and Indridason did not disappoint.
The characters were believable and likeable. I enjoyed that the characters were interconnected over time periods. Konrad was a flawed person but unyielding as a detective. Just when it seemed there was nothing that he could glean from the case, he found another lead and it wasn't by an unbelievable plot vehicle.
Thorson and Flovert were excellent as a team of WWII era detectives when the Icelandic bureau was in its early stages. I can't wait to read other stories where they team up again.
The fact that Konrad in the present day and Thorson and Flovert in the 1940s were working to solve the same case was intriguing. It showed the differences in technique that were used in both time periods.
I found it interesting that so many of the people being questioned in the present about the crime that occurred many years ago would be so forthcoming with information regarding other people, often their own loved ones, some of whom had passed away.
The beauty of Iceland and it's people was presented better in this book than any other Icelandic material I have seen. I never expected to learn so much about the culture and the beliefs and character of the people of Iceland. And the sweeping descriptions of the buildings and monuments, mountains and forests are second to none.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

Really enjoyed this story! Well written! Looking forward to reading more by this author!

I've read all (I think) of the Erlendur mysteries in English and enjoyed them, but there was something about this one that really grabbed me. Perhaps it was that Konrad was a nice change from the moody Erlendur. But I think that the main thing was the wartime Reykjavik setting and the way Arnaldur so subtly portrays the sea change in Iceland at the time, not just in politics (it gained independence from Denmark in 1944) but in culture as well. The contrast with the modern time period was good, as was the plotting of two detectives trying to solve the same crime 70 years apart. It wasn't redundant or confusing, which it easily could have been. I'm really curious to see where this series goes, since modern detective Konrad finds out what happens to 1940s detectives Flovent and Thorson in the present, and yet it looks like the next book is also about Flovent and Thorson in the 1940s. Very interesting! This is the first time I've been excited about a new series in awhile.

"The Shadow District," ably translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, is a murder mystery that incorporates elements of Icelandic folklore, the country's unearthly beauty, and the impact of America's occupation of Iceland during the Second World War. The story opens with the police entering the flat of a ninety-year-old pensioner, Stéfan Thórdarson (formerly called Stephan Thorson), whom they discover dead in his bed, apparently of natural causes. Only after the pathologist conducts the postmortem do we learn that an unidentified perpetrator smothered the victim with a pillow. Konrád, a retired detective, lends a hand to his former colleague Marta, and becomes deeply involved in the investigation of Thorson's death. After many hours of traveling from place to place and questioning a host of witnesses, Konrád begins to suspect that Thorson had made an important discovery about a matter he had handled during World War II—a revelation that may have cost him his life.

In Reykjavík during the war, "tens of thousands of servicemen had poured into the town." A "moral panic" resulted when Icelandic women engaged in liaisons with the Tommies and Yanks. Many of the men were married, but their gullible young lovers believed the lies and promises that the soldiers fed them. In 1944, a couple stumbles upon the body of Rósamunda, a seamstress who was strangled and dumped behind the National Theatre. Flóvent, a member of Reykjavík's CID and the aforementioned Thorson, a Canadian who is assigned to the American military police, team up to find the culprit. By doggedly tracking down even the most tangential witnesses, the detectives discover a possible perpetrator who vehemently denies his guilt.

"The Shadow District" is notable for its haunting atmosphere, colorful cast, and the tenacity of investigators who will do whatever is necessary to solve their cases. Sadly, Flóvent and Stephan never forgive themselves for their inexpert handling of their inquiry, which also involved a second woman who disappeared and was never found. The author delineates his characters with care, and enriches the narrative with intriguing background information about their professions, relatives, dreams, accomplishments, losses, and failures. This is a thoughtful, solemn, and poignant novel about the ways in which the past and present intersect and collide, with catastrophic results.

This satisfying mystery gives the reader a taste of the past and present, as an investigator finds the ties between a decades old murder case and one in present day, but not in a way you would expect. It is interesting to read a book which is partly set in Iceland during World War II. I will be picking up more from this series, and hope it continues!

When I learned that Arnaldur Indridason had written a new book, I wanted it. I didn't stop to learn what the plot was or anything else.. I knew enough. It's author has never let me down. According to the publishers, The Shadow District is the first book in a new series. Since this book took place in two different eras, there are different possibilities of who will be the focus of the continuing series.

The book opens with the death of a ninety year old man. The police are alerted by his neighbor who hasn't seen him in three or four days and is worried.. Marta, the chief detective, along with her team believe that he died by natural causes and move on. Konrad, a detective bored of retirement,, takes an interest in the death and, convincing Marta that she is shorthanded, gets her blessing to investigate. His search of the apartment leads him to a book in which he finds newspaper cuttings of an old murder from WWII.. Konrad remembers the investigation as he grew up in the neighborhood. His detective instincts are aroused and he wonders what this death has to do with the murder of seven decades earlier.

The book then goes back in time to the Iceland Occupation when American soldiers were everywhere and dated Icelandic women creating what was known at the time as "The Situation". The ninety year old dead man was a young Canadian military detective teamed up with an Icelandic policeman investigating the death of a young Icelandic girl. They learn of the disappearance of another young women three years earlier whose body was never found. The two seem to be connected by Icelandic myths of "the hidden people".

The chapters seamlessly go back and forth between the present and WWII. It is detecting at it's best. We follow both investagations step by step and realize that the first murders were never solved although a culprit was arrested. Everyone from the earlier era is either dead or living in retirement homes. This does not stop Konrad who is determined to solve all the murders.

Another winner for Arnaldur Indridason.

SO happy that this is being reissued in the US. If you haven't read Indridason before, you're in for a treat that hopefully will send you to read his other thrillers. This is Icelandic noir, which is different in some ways from the broader category of Scandinavian noir, perhaps because of the (dare I say it) Celtic influence. This particular book links two procedurals, one set during WWII and the other in 2014. The chapters move back and forth in time and occasionally you'll wonder what exactly is going on. The translation is rough- not sure why it wasn't cleaned up for this edition- and the plot can be slow at times but it's still a rewarding read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Please forgive me. I bailed on this book. Was just a little too slow for me.

Arnaldur Indridason has a pretty good story to tell about WWII and does it in such a way that he brings out all the facts that are available in each case. It starts out with the case of an old man who is found to have been murdered. Next it happens that a couple are looking for privacy and stumble upon a body of a 20 year old woman. The person in charge is Marta and she has Konrad, who's retired, work on the case to ease their expanding workload. Now the death occurred of the woman during WWII and the death of the man was recent, but Konrad had worked with Flovent but not Thorson. All the facts had to be obtained by Konrad to fill in the gaps of the murders. Konrad followed all the leads to each of the characters to new names and followed them to the next in line.

It was quite a sensible story in that everyone had a piece of the puzzle to contribute to the solving of the murders. We also found out it wasn't the last WWII story to be written, we will see Flovent again. My readers will be delighted to know this.

5 stars

Marta and her team are called to the death of a ninety-plus year old man. He appears to have gone to sleep, but the autopsy shows that he was smothered with a pillow. Who would want to do such a thing? Among his things are three newspaper cuttings about a murder that was committed during WWII.

Konrad is getting used to being retired when he hears of this murder in the Shadow District. He grew up there where his n’er-do well father held séances at their home. He talks to Marta about the case and takes an interest in it. Konrad recalls hearing about the case when he was a boy living in the Shadow District. He goes to the man’s apartment to begin his investigation. There he meets a neighbor who reveals that the dead man was an immigrant from Manitoba, Canada. He was born there to Icelandic parents.

This book goes back and forth between the years of WWII and the present. During the war, many nationalities were stationed in Iceland, most notably the Americans. A mysterious death occurred in the Shadow District, (a rough crime-ridden area), Reykjavik. A young woman was strangled and left behind a theatre. Two men named Flovent, an Icelandic detective, and Thorson, the man from Canada and a member of the American military police, are tasked with investigating the case.

Thorson and Flovent take a particular interest in a young student. They question him relentlessly without result. They feel they have a very strong case, but the student won’t confess. He won’t even admit to knowing the murdered girl.

The case suddenly ends. There are no records in the police archives; no trail to the investigation carried out by Flovent and Thorson. What happened?

The reader is treated to a detailed and painstaking police procedural. The process of investigating crime is not always straightforward and it does take more than an hour.

This book is remarkably well written, plotted and translated. I’ve read Mr. Indridason’s other novels about Konrad and his team of detectives and I have delighted in all of them. I am hoping that this book ushers in a new renaissance for Konrad and his remarkable detective skills. I like Konrad very much and the book gives just the right amount of background on him to flesh him out, but not so much that it detracts from the story in any way. There are no wasted words in in book. The suspense begins immediately in the story with the discovery of the elderly man’s body. While the book moves at a relatively slow pace, there’s plenty going on in it. The tension suddenly ratchets near the end when Konrad puts the pieces together. I truly enjoyed this novel. Write on, Mr. Indridason!

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for forwarding to me a copy of this most wonderful book to read and enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

One of my new discoveries this year is Nordic/Scandinavian Noir. So I was very excited to get my hands on this book. This was my first by this author and The Shadow District is the first in a new series by Arnaldur Indriðason. It read more like a Police Procedural/Mystery than a thriller. This story is told in two dual time lines, WWII Icelandic (Reykjavik) and current day. The story on both time periods, are very slow going, slow burn if you will. And honestly, I have to admit to being some what confused at the beginning of the chapters as to what time period we were in, maybe making that more obvious would have made it better. I'm thinking something was lost in the translation, the writing seemed stilted at times and the pace did not work for me but it might for others. All that being said I will more than likely give this author another try and read more in the series. 3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
I loved this book; such a thoughtful, compassionate and poignant story. There are 2 threads, 1 in the present and 1 in WWII Reykjavik. Iceland was under US occupation at the time and the murder of a young Icelandic girl is being investigated by a local detective and a young Canadian soldier working for the US Military Police.
In the present, Konrad, a retired detective, becomes involved in the mysterious death of an octogenarian. The short staffed police department takes him on as an advisor and as he gets more and more involved he realizes the answer lies in the past. The 2 threads come together seamlessly and the atmosphere of wartime Iceland and its people is fascinating.
I was sorry to finish the book, as I was reluctant to leave that world behind.
Jar City was one of my favorite books; I love this author, he never disappoints and I obviously cannot wait for the 2nd in the new series!

Indridason is one of the best. I was sad to see his Erlendur novels presumably come to a close, so it's great news to hear that he's started a new series of Wartime Mysteries. And it is an excellent beginning. Two parallel storylines follow what seem to be unrelated police investigations. One, during World War II, looking into the murder of a young woman. The other, in the present, after a nonagenarian seems to have been murdered in his sleep. It is no spoiler to say that both stories will converge at some point, but how? And only a great writer would make them fit in so smoothly. The historical part of the novel is obviously well researched and it reads like watching a post-war movie. The stress caused to Icelanders not only by the War but by the American soldiers stationed there and who were sometimes seen as invaders has been shown in other novels, but none has made it look so good.

While this latest novel from Arnaldur Indriðason does not feature his well-known Inspecter Erlendur, The Shadow District shares strong similarities. Like many of the Erlendur novels, this one centers on a pair of linked crimes that happened decades apart. The detective here, Konrád, is a retired officer of Reykjavík’s criminal investigation division. He claims to be happily retired, but it’s clear by the way he horns his way into an investigation of the murder of a 90-year-old man that he’s very bored.

The murder of Stefán Thordárson doesn’t leave the police much to go on. He was smothered; that’s all they can figure out at first. Stefán’s apartment has so few personal items that it’s hard for anyone to get an idea of what lead to his death. The man didn’t seem to have any friends or family either. The only thing that keeps his case from being a complete dead end is a trio of newspaper articles about an unsolved murder from 1944. Konrád trades on an old friendship in CID to dig into both cases. Slowly, methodically, he begins to put together the scant clues with luck and plenty of hunches.

Konrád’s chapters alternate with chapters set in 1944 in which Stefán (who turns out to be a Canadian of Icelandic descent) and his detective partner, Flóvent, try to solve the murder of a woman found dumped behind a theater. As hard as Konrád’s job is, at least he has things like databases and CCTV to help him. In the 1940s, police had little more at their disposal than lots of good shoe leather and persistence to get to the bottom of things.

We know from the outset of The Shadow District that the two cases are connect. What we don’t know until the end is what really happened—mostly through careful editing to keep names and bits of evidence hidden for later. Some readers might hate this because it doesn’t really give us a fair shot at solving the crime before Konrád does. For Erlendur fans, The Shadow District might help tide them over until the next one. If nothing else, this novel is a competent mystery set in an interesting country.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration. It will be released 7 November 2017.

Indridason begins a new series with this story of two crimes, 70 years apart. During World War II, a woman is found strangled in a run down area of Reykjavik, the “shadow district” and a local detective and an American military cop investigate. In present day Reykjavik, an elderly man is smothered to death, and retired detective Konrad, a man with too much time on his hands begins to investigate and finds a link between the modern murder and that committed during the War. Indridason’s mysteries are always well written and tightly plotted, but to be honest, it’s his descriptions of Iceland that keep bringing me back for more.