The Shadow Killer

In 1940 Britain occupied Iceland to deter Germany from invading the country. In 1941 the defence of Iceland was transferred to the Americans who at the time were not involved in the war. The Shadow Killer by Arnaldur Indridason is a sequel to The Shadow District.

In Reykjavik in August 1941 the body of a man is found in a basement flat. He had been shot, execution style, with a military firearm. Detective Flovent investigates and discovers that the murdered man is not the owner of the flat. So, who is he and why was he murdered? A military policeman, Thorson, working for the American army assists with the enquiry as it is suspected that the murderer may have connections with the armed forces.

Themes occuring in the novel include possible espionage for the Germans, an illegal experiment conducted on young boys at a school, the mistrust of many Icelanders towards the military occupiers - especially in regard to their involvement with Icelanic women - and the mistrust of the military hierarchy of the Reykjavik police investigation. Flovent and Thorson encounter danger and prejudice as they endeavour to discover the truth.

The Shadow District

When an elderly man is found dead in his flat, suspicious circumstances are not suspected until the post mortem. Retired detective, Konrad, agrees to assist in the enquiry, especially when newspaper cuttings were found in Stefan Thordanson's (Thorson) flat referring to a murder that had occurred during the war when Konrad was a young boy.

The Shadow District by Arnuldur Indridason, published originally in 2013 then translated into English to be published in 2017, is set in two time frames as the muder of Thordanson is investigated as well as the murders of two young women in the 1940s. 

Thorson and Flovent are the two officers investigating the war-time crimes until they are forced to discontinue the investigation. Their main suspect died in a car accident when he was attempting to escape police custody. However Thorson knows that something had been missed. As Konrad investigates the circumstances of Thordanson's death he becomes convinced that the death is connected to events that occurred 70 years earlier. The files relating to the murders have disappeared. Why and who has ordered the cover-up?

Much of the book is set in Reykjavik during the Second World War when Iceland was initially used as a base by British troops and then by Americans. Distrust of the American forces by much of the population is evident in the novel, especially when American soldiers fratenize with local women. Iceland is also about to become a republic, severing ties with Denmark. This historical background provides another dimension to the story.