It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
The Shadow Killer

The Shadow Killer

Summary

The crime: Reykjavík, August 1941. When a travelling salesman is found murdered in a basement flat, the police initially suspect a member of the Allied occupation force.

The suspect: Flóvent, Reykjavík’s sole detective, is joined by the young military policeman Thorson. 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.

The ex-lover: Flóvent and Thorson race to solve the case before US Counterintelligence can take it out of their hands. As evidence emerges of dubious experiments carried out on Icelandic schoolboys in the 1930s, Thorson becomes increasingly suspicious of the role played by the murdered man’s former girlfriend, Vera, and her British soldier lover.

'The undisputed King of the Icelandic Thriller.' - Guardian

'An international literary phenomenon - and it's easy to see why. His novels are gripping, authentic, haunting and lyrical.' - Harlan Coben

Reviews

  • The undisputed king of the Icelandic thriller.
    Barry Forshaw, Guardian

About the author

Arnaldur Indridason

Arnaldur Indridason worked for many years as a journalist and critic before he began writing novels. His books have since sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Outside Iceland, he is best known for his crime novels featuring Erlendur and Sigurdur Óli, which are consistent bestsellers across Europe. The series has won numerous awards, including the Nordic Glass Key and the CWA Gold Dagger.

The Shadow District – the first book in the Reykjavík Wartime Mystery series – won the Premio RBA de Novela Negra, the world’s most lucrative crime fiction prize.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more