A review by broomgrass
The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indriðason

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.