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A review by saareman
The Darkness Knows by Arnaldur Indriðason
4.0
A Cold Case for Konrad
Review of the Vintage Digital eBook (July 1, 2021) translated by [a:Victoria Cribb|2790834|Victoria Cribb|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] from the Icelandic language original [b:Myrkrið veit|36445236|Myrkrið veit (Konráð, #1)|Arnaldur Indriðason|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574179025l/36445236._SY75_.jpg|58147932] [The Darkness Knows] (November 1, 2017).
We first met retired Icelandic CID detective Konrad in [b:The Shadow District|35011768|The Shadow District|Arnaldur Indriðason|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493485145l/35011768._SY75_.jpg|26640646] (Icelandic orig. 2013/English trans. 2017) where he is retracing the steps of the Flovent & Thorson team in their final case from 1944. That book has a lot of the Konrad backstory, so you could call it Konrad #0.5 as a prequel to Indridason's complete Konrad series (2017-2020).
The Darkness Knows is yet another cold case for Konrad, as finally the body of a man missing from 30 years ago comes to light from the melting ice of the Langjökull glacier. Konrad is several years retired but is called back by his CID colleague Marta to make a last attempt to obtain a confession from the prime suspect who could not be charged at the time due to lack of evidence. A confession is not forthcoming and Konrad attempts to finally unravel the truth, even if he has no official standing.
Map of Iceland showing the location of the Langjökull glacier about 100 km north east of the capital Reykjavik. Image sourced from Wikipedia.
The investigation leads him to an incident at the old water tanks on Öskjuhlíð Hill in Reykjavik, before they were converted into a modern day tourist attraction. It also leads him to yet another unsolved crime from several years earlier, a hit-and-run on Lindargata in the Skuggahverfi (Shadow District) of Reykjavik, where Konrad himself grew up and which was once a more notorious and dangerous part of town.
Photograph of the old water tanks on Öskjuhlíð Hill in Reykjavik. Image sourced from Reykjavik Grapevine Magazine.
A map of the Skuggahverfi (Shadow District) of Reykjavik. Image from Bing Maps sourced from Twitter.
I am really enjoying these recent books by Indridason which involve much more 'normal' Scandi-noir detectives rather than the tortured souls of other Nordic Noir. Konrad has had his demons in the past but at 70+ years of age he obviously takes a much more relaxed route in his uncovering of past crimes. I look forward to the future translations of the series from the Icelandic originals. The Girl on the Bridge (Konrad #2) is expected to be published in English in 2023 (March 23 on Kindle/April 25 in Paperback) translated from the Icelandic original [b:Stúlkan hjá brúnni|42555533|Stúlkan hjá brúnni (Konráð #2)|Arnaldur Indriðason|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1540859098l/42555533._SX50_.jpg|66262904] (2018).
Trivia and Links
The old water tank complex on Öskjuhlíð Hill was converted to the modern tourist attraction known as the Perlan (The Pearl) in 1991.
Read about Nine Fascinating Facts about Geothermal Energy and Reykjavik at Iceland Magazine.
Review of the Vintage Digital eBook (July 1, 2021) translated by [a:Victoria Cribb|2790834|Victoria Cribb|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] from the Icelandic language original [b:Myrkrið veit|36445236|Myrkrið veit (Konráð, #1)|Arnaldur Indriðason|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574179025l/36445236._SY75_.jpg|58147932] [The Darkness Knows] (November 1, 2017).
We first met retired Icelandic CID detective Konrad in [b:The Shadow District|35011768|The Shadow District|Arnaldur Indriðason|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493485145l/35011768._SY75_.jpg|26640646] (Icelandic orig. 2013/English trans. 2017) where he is retracing the steps of the Flovent & Thorson team in their final case from 1944. That book has a lot of the Konrad backstory, so you could call it Konrad #0.5 as a prequel to Indridason's complete Konrad series (2017-2020).
The Darkness Knows is yet another cold case for Konrad, as finally the body of a man missing from 30 years ago comes to light from the melting ice of the Langjökull glacier. Konrad is several years retired but is called back by his CID colleague Marta to make a last attempt to obtain a confession from the prime suspect who could not be charged at the time due to lack of evidence. A confession is not forthcoming and Konrad attempts to finally unravel the truth, even if he has no official standing.
Map of Iceland showing the location of the Langjökull glacier about 100 km north east of the capital Reykjavik. Image sourced from Wikipedia.
The investigation leads him to an incident at the old water tanks on Öskjuhlíð Hill in Reykjavik, before they were converted into a modern day tourist attraction. It also leads him to yet another unsolved crime from several years earlier, a hit-and-run on Lindargata in the Skuggahverfi (Shadow District) of Reykjavik, where Konrad himself grew up and which was once a more notorious and dangerous part of town.
Photograph of the old water tanks on Öskjuhlíð Hill in Reykjavik. Image sourced from Reykjavik Grapevine Magazine.
A map of the Skuggahverfi (Shadow District) of Reykjavik. Image from Bing Maps sourced from Twitter.
I am really enjoying these recent books by Indridason which involve much more 'normal' Scandi-noir detectives rather than the tortured souls of other Nordic Noir. Konrad has had his demons in the past but at 70+ years of age he obviously takes a much more relaxed route in his uncovering of past crimes. I look forward to the future translations of the series from the Icelandic originals. The Girl on the Bridge (Konrad #2) is expected to be published in English in 2023 (March 23 on Kindle/April 25 in Paperback) translated from the Icelandic original [b:Stúlkan hjá brúnni|42555533|Stúlkan hjá brúnni (Konráð #2)|Arnaldur Indriðason|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1540859098l/42555533._SX50_.jpg|66262904] (2018).
Trivia and Links
The old water tank complex on Öskjuhlíð Hill was converted to the modern tourist attraction known as the Perlan (The Pearl) in 1991.
Read about Nine Fascinating Facts about Geothermal Energy and Reykjavik at Iceland Magazine.