I found this a very disappointing sequel to The Shadow District. Even though the War-time detectives were back along with all the history about the British/US occupations it took an absolute age to get moving. It starts very well and the second half was fast-moving.

The Shadow Killer is the second book in the Reykjavik Wartime Mystery Series. I don’t generally go for books set during the 2nd World War, but I was fascinated by this series because it offers a great deal of fascinating information about Iceland during that time, when it was a focal point as the most Northern point of the allies pushback of Nazi Germany.
Iceland had been helped by the Americans during a period of harsh economic depression and at the beginning of the war had found it indebted and though Hitler’s army had been expected to invade Iceland, in fact it was the Americans and the British who took over the place as friendly troops, bringing with them all the problems that billeted troops in a town are known to cause, wherever they hail from.
It is the summer of 1941, just before Churchill’s visit to Iceland, and a travelling salesman is found dead in a basement flat, shot execution style by a Colt 45 – the gun used by American troops.
Konrad Flóvent, the only available detective in the Icelandic crime squad is partnered with the young military policeman Thorson. He is a New Icelander, stationed in Reykjavík in the US police. Because of the gun, Flóvent fears the involvement of an American soldier and Thoven interpreter can communicate both in Icelandic and in English which is essential. Theirs is a twin track approach, often following leads of their own and reporting back to each other at the end of the day.
Two lines of enquiry open up. The first leads to a family of German residents, retired doctor Rudolf Lunden his nurse companion Brunhilde and his estranged son Felix, who is on the run, suspected of being both the murderer and a Nazi spy.
The second is a more domestic scenario. The dead man’s girlfriend, Vera, had recently run off with a British soldier and was, as the neighbour said, ‘no better than she ought to be’.
As you might expect, this story unfolds with a slow, restrained pace, concentrating on the internal politics, the thought processes and the psychology of the characters highlighting the pathos of Indridason’s narrative.
As Flovent and Thorsen pursue their enquiries they find themselves blocked at every turn by an unwillingness of witnesses to talk; there are a number of interviews where no-one will tell them anything.
Against this background of reserve, diligent police work is requires to join up all the dots and Thorsen and Flovent have to work together not just to solve this crime, but also to tap dance their way through the politics of the situation.
I liked both characters and I expect to hear more of them. Indridason has laid the groundwork for more of Thorsen, a complex young man with a strong sense of morality.
The Shadow Killer is informative, interesting and enjoyable. This is not your fast paced gripping thriller, but rather an exploration of wickedness, passion, betrayal and jealousy, set against a fascinating period in Iceland’s history.

I found this to be a little confusing at the start, but as I read on I became totally involved in the story. Well recommended.

An almost excellent crime thriller that failed to totally engage me. I loved the Icelandic backdrop and the detailed descriptions of life there during the war and the polyglot variety of nations who had soldiers billeted there.

As for the murder mystery itself - that never really took off and I was far more interested in the fascinating descriptions of wartime life in Reykjavík.

I unfortunately found the story very difficult to get into, I found there was a lot of repetition which made me feel like the plot was going round in circles. Very slow and disappointing.

Interesting atmospheric thriller set in Iceland at the start of WW11. A murder investigation by two detectives,one local one Canadian with U.S forces is beautifully written with the murder of the wrong man the centrepiece of the action. Bubbles along nicely with a satisfying denouement.

In lots of ways this is a conventional police procedural but what gives it credibility is the historical setting of Iceland in WW2. The crime story is flimsy and complicated with too many sub-plots (Nazi experiments, spying, blackmail, murder) and the investigation seems to go round in circles with too many suspects simply refusing to tell the investigators what they want to know in order to keep the plot revolving. Despite some misgivings, the backdrop is fascinating, with the British and Americans effectively occupying Iceland in order to defend it from German invasion; and the interactions with local Icelanders feel more telling than the crime.
A light crime romp, then, with a setting that adds authenticity and history colour.

At least there is a twist here on the usual "blame it on the genes" Icelandic thriller plot, and it's a benefit to it to have a historical setting, which so many thrillers from that small island passes over, but this wasn't a completely satisfying read. We have a noticeably ''SS-GB'' approach, considering Iceland is being occupied, first by the Brits, then the Americans, as the Allies protect the place from Nazi invasion, and hence there's a sense of the investigating people - a local CID man, slightly inept but in a department of one, and a Canadian-Icelandic military policeman - being unwelcome wherever they tread. But that leads to the flaws - it's really quite repetitive, and too many people circle around the same few plot beats time and again. If I had a pound for everytime someone says "I really don't want to talk about that" I'd not need to download free books...

The writing also seems to jump about all over the place at times - there are weird asides such as a needless mention of a fishing destination, and the leaps from one man's narrative to the other seem just forced in to delay the revelations. This book is a lot slighter than I'd have expected from the author of ''Jar City'', and so many other books since. I found the period flavour, and the 'occupied' island setting, the only real benefit - this certainly adds a twist to the typically translated Icelandic thriller, but you'd have to be a real genre fanatic to really appreciate that change, and love this.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for an advance copy of The Shadow Killer, the second Icelandic wartime thriller to feature Detective Flóvent of the Icelandic police and Thorson of the US Military Police.

Flóvent, the only detective left on the Reykjavik force is called out to a murder. The victim has been executed with a Colt 45, implying a military angle so Thorson, a Canadian of Icelandic descent attached to the US Military Police is sent to assist. As these two inexperienced investigators stumble their way through the investigation they discover a host of motives and suspects.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Shadow Killer which is written in clear, precise prose, making it easy to follow and understand with little ambiguity. I mention this as it is very striking and fairly unusual nowadays. I cannot say if this is the author's style or if it is due to the excellent translation but whichever it is it makes the novel a joy to read.

I have not yet read the novel's predecessor, The Shadow District, but based on this I am looking forward to it immensely. The Shadow Killer does not have a dual timeline and is firmly set in 1941 as the British are withdrawing and the Americans are taking over. The period detail is extremely interesting, detailed and seems well researched, from the Allies' paranoia about Nazi spies to their troubled relationship with the natives who are unprepared for and largely dismissive of this paranoia. The whole plot smacks of amateur hour with so many of the characters floundering out of their depth and this perhaps, more than anything, sums up the period.

The plot itself is absorbing. It is a slow burner as Flóvent and Thorson try first to identify the body and then work out why he was killed. They have several avenues to explore and gradually start to narrow them down although not before some serious hard work and false starts. I like the thoughtfulness behind the consequences of some of these avenues and the cleverness of the solution, neither of which I foresaw.

I would like to get to know Flóvent and Thorson better because, in keeping with the era, their role is mainly investigative so Mr Indridason isn't giving too much away about their personal lives. There is the odd hint but nothing substantial. It has aroused my curiosity but, having said that, I also like the fact that they are a bit of a mystery as it keeps the reader's attention focused on the plot.

The Shadow Killer is an excellent read which I have no hesitation in recommending.