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firefly8041's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. Enjoyed reading it, would definitely read the next.
broomgrass's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
If you want to read Icelandic literature, it tends to boil down to three genres: sagas, Halldor Laxness, and thrillers/mysteries. Indriðason is the most famous thriller writer, and I can see why: he has a strong sense of pacing and engaging characters (bonus points for one of them being Canadian!). This book also felt very Icelandic, insofar as it relied a lot on history (the occupation of foreign soldiers during WWII, Icelandic politics, etc) and culture/traditions; the setting did not just feel like window-dressing, but an integral part of the novel. I can't judge the story in the context of its genre, but as a single book while in Iceland, and in concert with the other more nonfiction Icelandic texts I read, I appreciated it.
built_by_books's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
karinlib's review against another edition
4.0
I read [b:Jar City|280366|Jar City (Inspector Erlendur, #3)|Arnaldur Indriðason|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1316129835s/280366.jpg|1127182] by [a:Arnaldur Indriðason|6861265|Arnaldur Indriðason|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1480963452p2/6861265.jpg] many years ago, and enjoyed the book, particularly the Icelandic setting. When I found that he had started a new series, I had to download this book.
I found Shadow District to be as good as the Reykjavik mysteries.
I found Shadow District to be as good as the Reykjavik mysteries.
alboyer6's review against another edition
4.0
Fun quick mystery. Enjoyed the double layers of two mysteries, one contemporary and the other historical.
alboyer6's review against another edition
4.0
Fun quick mystery. Enjoyed the double layers of two mysteries, one contemporary and the other historical.
piedwarbler's review against another edition
4.0
The shadow district
A 90 year old man is found dead, suffocated in his own bed. In his bedside drawer is found a stained photograph of a young man, and a newspaper cutting from Word War 2 about a girl who was found dead outside the National Theatre in Reykjavik, Iceland.
This starts the retired detective Konrád on a journey to discover why the elderly man was murdered. Along the way, the reader is treated to lots of detail about Icelandic folklore, and what happened to the country during the war, when it was occupied by first Britain and then the US.
If you are at all interested in the huldurfolk or hidden people of Iceland (and in a recent poll, 54% of Icelanders said they believed in them), I think you’ll enjoy this absorbing crime novel.
I usually don’t enjoy crime at all, and this is the first time in a very long time I’ve made it to the end of one, AND enjoyed it.
I might even look out for The Shadow Killer which is the second book in the series!
Thanks to a book loving person on Twitter who recommended it to me when I asked for books to read on the plane to Iceland.
A 90 year old man is found dead, suffocated in his own bed. In his bedside drawer is found a stained photograph of a young man, and a newspaper cutting from Word War 2 about a girl who was found dead outside the National Theatre in Reykjavik, Iceland.
This starts the retired detective Konrád on a journey to discover why the elderly man was murdered. Along the way, the reader is treated to lots of detail about Icelandic folklore, and what happened to the country during the war, when it was occupied by first Britain and then the US.
If you are at all interested in the huldurfolk or hidden people of Iceland (and in a recent poll, 54% of Icelanders said they believed in them), I think you’ll enjoy this absorbing crime novel.
I usually don’t enjoy crime at all, and this is the first time in a very long time I’ve made it to the end of one, AND enjoyed it.
I might even look out for The Shadow Killer which is the second book in the series!
Thanks to a book loving person on Twitter who recommended it to me when I asked for books to read on the plane to Iceland.
ammbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Having lived in Reykjavik I loved the setting of the mystery.
ebokhyllami's review against another edition
4.0
God start på ny serie dette fra Indridason! Jepp - denne skal jeg lese videre.