The Shadow District

Konrad, a retired Icelandic police detective, is assisting in the investigation of the suffocation of an elderly man. Looking through the victim's personal effects, Konrad finds yellowing newspaper articles regarding the murder of a young woman whose body was discovered outside Reykjavik's National Theater during World War II. Searching old police files, the intrigued detective uncovers scant information on the original case investigated by Flovent, an Icelandic cop, and Thorson, a Canadian military police officer. Early on, readers learn that the deceased gentleman is Thorson, who, having new information on the 70-year-old murder, probed these leads. As Konrad retraces Thorson's steps, readers also follow the initial case as it moves forward. The award-winning author of the "Inspector Erlendur" series (Into Oblivion) continues his modus operandi of simultaneously covering a current and cold case in this new series set during the war years. The inspectors, past and present, are formidable characters, and the blend of police procedural with Icelandic folklore is intriguing.