Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Certainly! Here's my unique and original review for **"The Girl by the Bridge: A Detective Konrad Novel"** by **Arnaldur Indridason**:

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Arnaldur Indridason's latest novel, The Girl by the Bridge, is a gripping addition to the Detective Konrad series. With a backdrop of Reykjavik's haunting landscapes, this book weaves together mystery, family secrets, and the weight of the past.

An elderly couple seeks help when their granddaughter, known for drug smuggling, disappears. They turn to Konrad, a former policeman whose reputation precedes him. Konrad, always lost in thoughts about his father's unsolved murder, agrees to investigate. Little does he know that digging into the past will reveal more than anyone anticipated. Amidst broken dreams and hidden truths, a little girl's tragic drowning in the Reykjavik city pond captures everyone's attention.

Indridason masterfully paints the Icelandic landscape, making it a character in itself. The cold, misty streets and the eerie silence contribute to the novel's haunting atmosphere.

Detective Konrad is flawed, introspective, and utterly human. His musings on his father's death add depth to his character, making him relatable.

The missing granddaughter case unravels into a web of secrets, connecting past and present. The author skillfully balances multiple storylines, keeping readers engaged.

This novel delves into grief, regret, and the impact of tragedy on families. It's not just a mystery; it's a study of human emotions.

Read this novel if you enjoy atmospheric crime fiction with a strong sense of place, and appreciate character-driven mysteries.

"The Girl by the Bridge" is a chilling tale that lingers long after you've turned the last page.

Review: The Girl by the Bridge ★ ★ ★ ☆☆
Author: Arnaldur Indridason
Publication Date: 02 May 2023
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers

I received this book from Arnaldur Indridason and St Martin’s Press, as an advanced eArc for my honest review any opinions that come from this review are my own. Thank you to both the Author and the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

It was interesting to see Iceland from the eyes of a non-tourist. The book for me was okay I just couldn’t get into it. I did finish it but it took me a while.

It was interesting to see retired policeman Konrad investigating the deaths of a young woman by drug overdose and a twelve-year-old girl by drowning, both deaths ruled accidental. That the people possibly connected to both deaths are from the same group of people came as a surprise.

And it was a good plot element to have Konrad's own deceased father involved in what was going on in the past. A crime novel with multiple facets and stories that are intertwined in a spiderweb way.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it.

Sorry to say this but I was disappointed in this book. I have enjoyed the “Nordic Noir” books that I’ve read previously and was looking forward to trying this well-known but new-to-me Icelandic author. Unfortunately, the experience wasn’t a good one. I don’t know if the translation is to blame, but the book was very slow and the plot was all over the place.

The main character is Konrad, a retired detective. He has appeared in at least two other of Indridason’s books and it looks like there are at least two additional books in this series that haven’t yet been translated into English.

Konrad gets involved in a case because the grandmother of the missing girl was friends with Konrad’s wife (he’s a widower). This part of the plot involves drug smuggling and torture. The book also covers two cold cases: the titular Girl By The Bridge, whose body was found over 50 years before, and the murder of Konrad’s father, also many years ago when Konrad was a young man. There’s a whole theme of clairvoyance along the way. At least the chapters were quite short and that enabled me to keep going, instead of DNF’ing. The timeline is nonlinear, and chapters change focus without any warning, so sometimes you are trying to figure out where you are and who is involved. This, I assume, is the author’s writing style, not the translation, but I found it disconcerting. There were a lot of side characters to try to keep track of, and this bouncing around didn’t help. The mystery of the girl does get resolved but the mystery around Konrad’s father’s murder does not. I assume that story arc will continue in the next book in the series.

I’m trying to come up with something positive to say, but I’m not finding much other than the short chapters and the character of Marta, the younger detective who Konrad works with. Sigh.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book, although I was rather late to it. All opinions are my own.

Detective Konrád (retired from the police) is still searching for those responsible for his father's murder when he is called by an elderly couple looking for help. Their granddaughter, a young woman, is missing. She is a known drug smuggler and Konrád is reluctant to take the case, but the elderly couple have a loose connection to Konrád's wife and so he agrees to look into it but gets much more than he bargained for.
Some 50 years earlier in this area where Konrád is now investigating, the body of a young girl was discovered in the water under a bridge. At the time, the case was declared an accidental drowning and subsequently closed. But upon talking with locals regarding the now-missing young drug mule, Konrád begins to suspect that there is some connection between the two cases, despite being half a century apart.

What he suspected was a simple drug-runner disappearance case turns into something much more, with the safety and welfare of children at its heart.

There is a term called "Icelandic Noir" and if it wasn't coined because of the works of Arnaldur Indridason an argument could be made that he is the leading author in the genre. His books are dark and gritty and very methodic. His leading characters, Konrád here, appear to have seen too much of the dark side of humanity and carry little to no humor.

I've seen other reviewers write that Konrád is a difficult person to like and I think that greatly takes away from who he is. While it's true that the character is not someone readers will wish was a personal friend, he is a solid and determined detective with a great moral compass. Isn't that what you really want in a detective? More than 'likeability'?

I liked how the mysteries, decades apart, slowly came together. Konrád's approach is rarely to jump in and make quick assumptions (although he does assume that the missing girl is a drug deal gone bad). His methodical approach might seem a little dull, given a rather even pace to the writing, but the revelation of information - the slow adding on of new bits - really helps to keep the reader engaged.

This is my second book in Arnaldur Indridason's Konrád series and I have read a few of his slightly more famous Erlandur series and I definitely enjoy these Konrád books more so far. These Konrád books seem to deal more with cold cases, eliminating some of the immediacy of solving the crime, allowing the detective (and the reader) to enjoy the process more

Looking for a good book? The Girl by the Bridge by Arnaldur Indridason is perfect for fans of Iclandic Noir and police procedural mysteries.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the setting of Iceland for this mystery. The writing was atmospheric and compelling.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

great book and I enjoyed the characters growth. Loved the friends and how this all worked out. I enjoyed the characters journey to finding oneself and others. I hope to read more by this author again.

This was a good quick read. Reminded me of those sitcom shows where the (grand)parents are nagging police to help them find their (grand)daughter. I enjoy cold cases as well and this plot had me intrigued. I had not realized this is book two and I do feel I’m missing some information on the characters. I enjoyed learning about Ireland. This book does include topics of drugs and psychics, which I don’t usually have interest in any paranormal type books so I wasn’t a huge fan of that personally.

I love these Icelandic mysteries. Konrad, a retired policeman, is approached by the grandparents of a missing granddaughter, Danni. They know that she has been involved with smuggling drugs. A friend also approaches him about a vision she has of a young girl. The girl drowned many years before. Before long, Konrad is using all his resources to solve these mysteries.

When I selected this book, I didn't know it was the second in a series. You absolutely do not need to have read the first one to enjoy this but I think it would have helped me connect with Konrad more since I kinda felt like I was playing catch-up with Konrad's backstory. That being said, this was a well done detective mystery novel. It takes place in Iceland and the author does an amazing job at setting the scene.

I struggled a little with the writing style at first. It feels a little jolty. Sometimes the time or characters would change and there wasn't enough of a transition and I'd have to go back and figure out where I got lost. Once I got more into the story, it wasn't a problem but those first few chapters were a bit of a struggle.

All in all, I rather enjoyed this one and would love to read more in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley for this review copy.

Thank you Arnaldur Indridason, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. This was my first book by this author but certainly will not be my last. His description of Iceland alone kept me hooked. I have never thought of going but his writing alone has me adding it to my bucket list I could completely envision everything. It was amazing , his words brought it to life. The story comes together as most typical crime novels will but this one had a darkness to it and I couldn't have imagined it better. Two similar crimes, 20 years apart and a retired officer unraveling the mystery while battling his own demons.

This is a typical Icelandic noir mystery complete with the conflicted detective, connections between older mysteries and current ones.
The writing is pretty straightforward, not lots of drama, very atmospheric.
It all comes together in the end..

This is the second novel of this author that I've read, and I'm looking forward to the third. Interesting plot, interesting characters, and one of my favorite cities in books, Reykjavík. The main character, Konrad, is a former police officer and is a complicated character

This stands alone, but I encourage you to also pick up The Darkness Knows.

Thanks St.Martin Press, for another great author.

A digital copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books. The opinions are my own and freely given.

This is the second book featuring retired detective Konrad. I have not read the first one but seemed to understand everything that needed to be understood. He is continuing to try solve the stabbing g death of his father but at the end of this book it is still unresolved so I have a feeling it will be a running theme.

There is a lot going on in this book, many storylines to follow. I did not feel lost or left with any unanswered questions once I had completed this book.

It is a perfect example of Icelandic noir. It is slightly disturbing that some of the main characters are unnamed throughout the book but again, it all makes sense by the end of the book.

I enjoyed the authors style of writing and will be adding him to my list of authors to watch and follow.

Retired Icelandic police officer Konrad is asked to look into the whereabouts of a young woman by her grandparents, and at the same time the psychic Eygló asks him to look into the drowning of a young girl in 1961 after she sees the girl’s spirit. The writing style of this Icelandic noir is a bit dry, very “matter of fact”, but the story held my interest throughout.

The Girl by the Bridge is the second Det. Konrad mystery after his debut in The Darkness Knows. Enough background information is given that it can work as a stand alone. This entry has a different translator than The Darkness Knows and as I don't speak Icelandic, I only know that I liked the flow of the writing. I am also more of a classic mystery genre reader, heavy of the lighter fare but always willing to sample other genres. I have enjoyed other books by Arnldur Indridason and I can now add this one to the list.
Konrad fits the noir genre to a T. He has retired from the police force, carries a load of baggage and is full of angst. His father was murdered decades ago and, until recently, he visited the site of the murder every day on the anniversary of his death. The case remains unsolved. He is approached by the grandparents of a 20 year old girl who hasn't been heard from recently and they want him to try and find her. Drugs and a bad crowd are her current world and she has a sketchy boyfriend as well. She let slip to her grandmother that she had acted as a drug mule. With the help of Konrad, not the police, they hope to get a chance to help her. That's one thread. Another is a cold case of a young girl found dead in the city pond and the addition of some paranormal elements (yes, it ties into his father's past) and I found this to be another excellent read. I can't say I will cast aside my love for the lighter mysteries that I devour to focus on Scandinavian Noir but I will always save a spot for Arnaldur Indridason.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A digital copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books. The opinions are my own and freely given.


This is the 2nd book in the Detective Konrad series.

Detective Konrad is retired from the police department and is asked by friends of this deceased wife to look into the disappearance of their granddaughter. Konrad finds her in a basement apartment, an apparent drug overdose. This leads to Marta, his good friend still on the force to investigate this death to determine if it was suicide, unintentional overdose or murder. Konrad's acquaintance, Eyglo, whose father was Konrad's partner doing scams, reaches out to him and says that she has seen an apparition of a young girl and that she is looking for her doll. Eyglo wants Konrad to look into this girl's death. While Konrad is investigating the granddaughter's death and the death of a 12-year-old from 1961, he is also still investigating the unsolved murder of his father.

There is a lot going on in the book, but I wasn't lost at any point. I did not like how the grandparents were not named throughout the story. It was either: the wife, the woman, the husband the man. Finally, towards the very end of the book they are named, and I understand why their identities are kept secret.

You don't have to read the first book in this series, just know that Konrad is investigating the stabbing, unsolved murder of his father, and I presume that will continue.

Like I said, there were a lot of different investigations going on, but it is all easy to follow. I recommend this book for the investigation of a 60-year-old case, that was determined an accident at the time. The drug aspect of this book was interesting to me, there were dealers and smugglers. Also, Eyglo is a medium, which is why this little girl appeared to her. Although Konrad is not a believer, he did what he could to solve whatever happened to the girl and bring her peace.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Arnaldur Indridason.

My review is already on the following websites: Bookbub, Goodreads, Librarything and StoryGraph. I will be posting to Instagram on 4/30/2023.

Author of the Detective Erlendur series, Icelandic crime writer Arnaldur Indridason now gives us The Girl by the Bridge, the second volume in his Detective Konrád series.

The book opens in 1961 as a young aspiring poet walking across a bridge notices a doll in the pond below. Opening a notebook in which he jots down ideas and drafts, he turns to a poem he has been working on about the transience of life. Hoping the young owner might come back looking for her doll, he fishes it out of the pond to place on the bridge and notices the body of a young girl he believes to have fallen into the water and drowned.

Chapter 2 is set in an upscale home with the daughter’s birthday party underway. Eygló, one of the young guests, who knows she’s there only because all the girls in the class have been invited, feels uncomfortable in such surroundings, or maybe something else is troubling her. After wandering away from the other children, she spots another young girl even more shabbily dressed and asks her name. Replying only with the words “I’ve lost her,” the mysterious girl walks out the drawing room door. Eygló will forever remember that the seemingly weightless girl left no footprints in the plush white carpet.

Chapter 3 opens as retired Detective Konrád meets with a pair of grandparents whose 20-year-old granddaughter living with them has gone missing. Knowing she has become involved with drugs, they have called upon Konrád whose deceased wife Erna had been the grandmother’s friend. Although Konrád advises them to contact the police, they explain their hope to avoid rumors and belief that his experience will lead him to the missing Danni.

The story progresses quickly in the fourth chapter with discovery of Danni’s body, Konrád’s request that a former detective colleague named Marta join him, and with a phone call from Eygló. Decades have passed since the girl lost her doll at the bridge and Eygló encountered what she believes was the girl’s ghost at the birthday party. Readers now learn that Konrád believes his father and Eygló’s father had once held séances together before Konrád’s father had been found stabbed to death.

These few pages set the scene. Eygló has never forgotten the girl who left no footprints, and Konrád finds himself with a trio of cases to solve—the dead granddaughter Dani’s, the drowned girl;s, and Konrád’s father’s.
Although Indridason quickly reveals the deaths, he keeps readers guessing, turning pages, and guessing again as the plot twists and turns and as not-so-retired Detective Konrád of Reykjavik does his job.

Readers can look forward to more Detective Konrád books when those already published in Iceland have been translated into English.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader copy of this wonderful addition to Icelandic crime fiction.

Konrad's retired from the police force and spending time trying to solve the long cold case of his father's murder when he agrees to look into the disappearance of a young woman. When she's found dead- needle in her arm- he goes looking for her boyfriend. He's also looking for answers about another cold case - the drowning of a 12 year old girl that was deemed accidental at the time but she's been haunting Konrad's friend. This is a well done Icelandic noir procedural which hits several topical issues. This reads in spots as though it's part of a series but it's not (I felt like we were missing Konrad's back story). It's not especially atmospheric specific to Iceland but rather to the situations. That said, it's a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.