The Shadow Killer

By: Arnaldur Indridason

Narrated by: George Guidall

Reykjavik, August 1941. When a travelling sales rep is found murdered in a Reykjavik flat, killed by a bullet from a Colt 45, the police initially suspect a member of the Allied occupation force. The British are in the process of handing over to the Americans, and the streets of Reykjavik are crawling with servicemen whose relations with the local women are a major cause for concern.

Flovent, Reykjavik's sole detective, is joined by the young military policeman Thorson, the son of Icelandic emigrants to Canada. Their investigation focuses on a family of German residents, the retired doctor Rudolf Lunden and his estranged son Felix, who is on the run, suspected of being a spy. Flovent and Thorson race to solve the case before US counterintelligence can take it out of their hands, amid rumours of a pending visit by Churchill.

But the plot thickens as evidence emerges of dubious experiments carried out on Icelandic schoolboys in the 1930s, while Thorson becomes increasingly suspicious of the role played by the murdered man's former girlfriend, Vera, and her British soldier lover.

©2018 Arnaldur Indridason (P)2018 Recorded Books

Not as good as previous in this series

I found myself wondering whether the investigators had good sense.
George Guidall was a great narrator, as usual.

Lots of Concentration Needed!

While the story line was interesting, with lots of twists and turns, there were so many characters, so many story lines, and so much jumping between them all, that listening to this book was a little taxing, and made the story a little less than enjoyable. Maybe reading the actual physical book would be easier, as the reader could flip back in chapters as needed. And the ending was very disappointing. Not one of the author's better works.

Not upto Power

I usually Love his books. and I came across this author because I buy as many Guidall books as I can. I enjoyed the read but the plot was disappointing.. it went on and on without much grounding.. and unraveled in a loose and non conformed way. It lacked the continues momentum of development and just went off on all directions. Not the best listen

Splendid

Every bit as successful as all of the other Indridason books narrated by Guidall. Engrossing.

Suggested Reading Order for Mr Indridason’s New Series

If you are looking at Mr Indridason’s new series, I’d propose the following reading order:

1st Read: The Shadow Killer, Prequel introducing Flovent & Thorson, Set in 1941 Reykjavik, Published 05-29-18

2nd Read: The Shadow District, Book #1, Flovent & Thorson meet Konrad & Marta, Set in 1944 Reykjavik with Flovent & Thorson’s original investigation of the case & 2015ish Reykjavik with Konrad & Marta investigating the cold case, Published 11-07-17

3rd Read: The Darkness Knows, Book #2, Konrad & Marta do 30-year-old cold case, Set in 2018ish Reykjavik, Published 08-17-21

I read the books in the reverse order of above & rated The Shadow Killer 4-5-4 & the other two 5-5-5.

Enjoy!!!

Tawdry, depressing, and unsatisfying

The reader made this tedious story into a monotonous, pointless melodrama. Every character from the police to the various despicable criminals and even those accidentally caught up in the story was flawed, inept, self-pitying and contemptible. While I have enjoyed other books by this author, this one is one I wish I had not spent time on.