The Darkness Knows tells the Story of Konrad, a retired detective, as he tries to solve a case that has plagued him his whole career. Sigurvin went missing 30 years ago and his body has just been found in the glacier. Can Konrad finally solve the case?

This book started off with lots of mystery and then it just slowed. I really lost steam in the middle of this book. The story was good and I enjoyed the ending but it just felt like t took too long to get there. I am glad I ended up listening to this because I don't know if I could read the whole thing. I loved the story but the pacing was just too bad.

Konrad is a retired, widowed ex detective. He is muddling along, trying to live his new life and doing okay. Not great, but okay.
Then he gets a call , an old suspect in a murder case of his wants to talk to him. The man is dying. He offers a statement of innocence once again, but Konrad is not believing him.
The body is found. The dying man dies. Konrad begins to question as to why a dying man would bother to lie.
I can really go into the rest as to go to far would take away the readers pleasure at how the story gets pieced together by the end.
It is a satisfying novel. I enjoyed the reading and the trying to guess the killer.

One of my favorite trips of my life so far is to Iceland. We roamed everywhere we could in the week we were there and left with another list of places to visit for the next time. (Always a sure sign that you had a good time!) I saw that The Darkness Knows by Arnaldur Indridason was set in Iceland and a body is found in a glacier! What??? So, I had to check it out and I am glad I did!

The discovery of the dead body leads Konrad, the original detective in charge when the deceased man went missing is now involved again. Konrad starts wondering if a recent hit and run accident is also linked to this previous homicide. He starts digging deeper...and I won't disclose the puzzles, clues and characters you will meet in The Darkness Knows....

I do highly recommend reading it as soon as possible as it is well written first book in the new series by Anraldur Indridason! I really enjoyed the read and everything Iceland was a beautiful bonus!!!

Thank you to Arnaldur Indridason, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this free, digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own and my review is voluntary!

Another great read by this great author set in his homeland. One can feel the cold as one reads. This one is a stunner and kept me on the edge throughout.

I am a big fan of Nordic Noir novels; especially those set in Iceland where the landscape is a main character. I cannot get enough of the barren countryside, where—depending on the time of year—you are subjected to anywhere between 4 and 24 hours of daylight. Novels where people smoke incessantly, seem depressed, and eat sheep heads. One of my favorite authors is Arnaldur Indridason; I’ve never been disappointed with any of his books (I’ve read his Detective Erlandur series), and was excited to read his newest book which introduces us to retired police detective Konrad.

Thirty years ago, Konrad was unable to close the case of the missing Sigurvin: a young, avarice businessman . A witness states they saw him and a man named Hjalatin having a heated discussion in the days previous to his disappearance. Hjalatin becomes a prime suspect; however, due to lack of evidence, he is released from police custody, and the case goes cold.

In the present, Konrad is retired and haunted by the lack of closing this case. When a walking tour group finds a body frozen in Langjokull Glacier which turns out to be the missing Sigurvin, Konrad is contacted by Hjalatin to become involved with the case and punish those who were involved. It isn’t long before he begins to investigate how the original went wrong; this brings him in contact with the people he worked with in the past as well as witnesses.

A secondary story is linked to the case: the hit-and-run killing of a man named Villi. When a boy, he witnessed men in the area where Sigurvin’s car was found. While at a bar, he recognized a man whom he thought was involved with the Sigurvin case. Was this man actually involved? Could these two cases be linked? And if so, how?

We also learn about Konrad’s childhood, and the mysterious death of his father.
With two cases to investigate, and the people from Konrad’s past, there are at least 32 different characters. I wound up writing out all of these characters so I could keep track in case they showed up later in the book. I read this as an advanced reader copy e-book. I don’t know if the final book and e-book has a list of all the people, but it would be helpful if it did.

As always with his books, it is a thrilling ride with an excellent ending. I highly recommend this book.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Minitaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was an interesting police procedural involving a cold case. The writing was very atmospheric and dark with an in depth look at the life of Konrad. I felt rather gloomy after having finished.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book, it was classic Nordic noir. It involves a (very) cold case, a body found in a glacier. Irks the first book in the Konrad series, I hope there will be more. Konrad is a retired detective who gets involved after an associate of the murder victim is rearrested and the cold case is reopened.

The character development was excellent, and the plot unfolded as a slow burn. This book is for Nordic detective fiction fans. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

‘The Darkness Knows: A Novel, Detective Konrad Book 1’ by Arnaldur Indridason (Minotaur Books, Aug. 17, 352 pages, $27.99)

Translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, “The Darkness Knows’ by Arnaldur Indridason reunits readers with Konrad Flovent, the retired detective from “The Shadow District.” Here, Konrad, the policeman who originally investigated the disappearance of a businessman 30 years earlier, is called to reopen the case when a frozen body is found in the depths of the Langjokull glacier. While this convention has been tapped many times before, Indridason’s plotting and Cribb’s translation offer a fresh series starter that is guaranteed to bring you to environs more chilling than even the most inhospitable North Carolinian High Country winter evening.

Give me a slow burn Nordic Noir mystery any day of the week! These are my favorite kind of novels and this first in a series by Arnaldur Indridason did not disappoint! I absolutely love the chilling atmosphere of this genre of crime fiction. They are comfort reading to me. Finding a body that was buried in a glacier 30 years ago which leads detectives to reopen that decades old case? Count me in! I love that the main character, Konrad, was a retired officer that worked on the case back in the day but ended up being dragged back in now that this missing man was finally found. I'm now looking forward to reading this author's other series! Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for my e-arc!

“The Darkness Knows” is the story of a cold murder case, really old and really cold, in fact, frozen in a glacier. A tour guide is escorting a group on an Iceland glacier tour. People come to Iceland for the landscape, the pure air and the peace and quiet, not for frozen corpses on glaciers. The body is so well preserved in the ice that the man could have died that day. The corpse is identified as Sigurvin, a man who vanished without a trace more than thirty years previously. Time has passed; witnesses are dead or moved, and memories are faulty, however, those events from the past are changing everything in the present; there are things that must be settled, controlled, and finished.

Konrád, now retired from the police department, had invested time and energy in the original investigation, and his unsolved case has been reopened. The narrative is told mostly from Konrád’s perspective; readers know what he sees, hears, and thinks. He never really stopped looking for answers in this case; no one ever really retires from a case like this one. Looking back, the original investigation turned out to be rather sloppy, only half-finished. The current case is still fundamentally stalled until an unexpected woman visitor changes everything. The search moves with purpose, and the pacing provides structure and atmosphere. There is no rushing through these pages.

“The Darkness Knows” is a compelling mystery, and as a bonus, it highlights Iceland’s culture and geography with everyday activities interspersed throughout the narrative. People watch the grey waters of the glacial river churning against the rocks as they had for countless millennia, drink their coffee unhurriedly, chat about road conditions, and reminisce about what it was like growing up in Reykjavík. I received a review copy of “The Darkness Knows” from Arnaldur Indridason, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books.

You can't be in a rush with Indriðason's Nordic Noir. If you've read his Erlandur books, sliding into this book featuring Konrad will feel like a warm bubble bath, comforting and familiar.

A group of German tourists and their guide find a hand sticking out of one of the glaciers that is melting thanks to climate change. The authorities are called, and the dead, frozen man is identified as a man who went missing long ago, with foul play suspected at that time, since his car was not found at the glacier, but in another location. Konrad was the original detective on the case, and the dead man's business partner Hjaltalín was arrested based on a coerced confession.

Konrad has since retired. He had taken leave from the job to care for his wife who was dying of cancer, and after she died, he simply made retirement official. He doesn't do a whole lot with his days, and the best times he has are when his son and grandkids come to visit.

Marta is in charge of the new case revolving around the dead man, and she asks Konrad to come in and consult on it. He reluctantly does, but as the investigation picks up, he finds not having a badge means people can just slam a door in his face and not answer questions they would have were he still on the force.

Then, a woman shows up at his door, asking him to look into the case of her brother, who was killed in what looked to be a hit and run. Were they connected? Konrad thinks so, even if few others do. He doggedly continues his public/private investigation, stirring up hornets' nests and finding witnesses who can remember what was happening around the time the man went missing.

Meanwhile, Hjaltalín is back in prison, protesting his innocence, and wants Konrad to come see him. Konrad does, but is very cold toward him. Hjaltalín begs him to continue the investigation, to absolve him of a crime he didn't commit. Hjaltalín has cancer and is dying, you see, and even though the two of them don't care for one another, Hjaltalín believes Konrad to be a honest man and good cop.

People looking for nonstop action as the middle carries on into the final act will be disappointed. Most police work is not gunfights and car chases. It's following the clues where they lead and evaluating evidence and suspects. That's what Konrad does.

In the end, not only do we see the resolution of the crime, if there is one, and settling some of Konrad's personal debts to his own soul.

Take a walk in the glacier field, and pick up this first book in what will hopefully be a long series.

Five out of five stars.

Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the reading copy.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Nordic Noir is one of my favorite sub-genres to read in the crime fiction genre and I don’t know how I haven’t heard about or read anything by Arnaldur Indridason before…but that is definitely going to change! I loved this book and am so glad it’s the first in a new series…you all know how I love my series!

There is just something so compelling about a thriller set in Iceland – it makes for the most atmospheric and tense of reads and that is true here. While this one is more of a slow-burn, it still grabbed me right away and I never found my attention wavering at any point. The story revolves around a retired detective revisiting a case that had gone cold but is now reopened when a body is discovered in a glacier. This is a case he had worked on back in the day and it causes a host of memories to come flooding back from that time.

I loved getting to know Konrad and I am hoping that in subsequent books, we will see more of him. He is a strong, flawed yet complicated character. It is my understanding, though, that he has appeared in Indridason’s previous books, so I definitely plan on checking into that.

I love a good puzzle and this case definitely provided that. It is definitely a well-thought out, intricately plotted mystery that kept me flipping the pages, guessing as to where it was all going. I am excited to see where this series goes next and in the meantime, I’ll definitely be checking out Indridason’s backlist!

Thank you NetGalley, author Arnaldur Indridason, and Minotaur Books publishing for giving me a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4 stars
The opening of this book begins with the discovery of a body in a glacier! As the mystery of the body found in a glacier begins to reveal new details in a cold case, Konrad finds himself following the twist and turns that the evidence leads him through. This book had its claws in me from the very beginning and did not release me until the very last page. The writing and the pacing were well done. I appreciate how much detail and character development the author put in this story. As a reader, I really felt the atmosphere of the landscapes of the Iceland. While the author did include a lot of police protocols and procedures, it never felt out of place nor information dumping. The author did a great job masking the killer until the very end. There were a few times, while I was reading, that I thought I really knew who the killer was, but then would turn out to be either a dead end or a red herring. The ending was very satisfactory. Overall, this was my first book by this author and it will not be my last. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.

After glacial melt reveals a human head, retired detective Konrad (of The Shadow District) is sucked back into a very cold case that long troubled him.

Konrad steadily follows leads and his solid police work eventually pays off. He tracks down the perps - and deals with them in his own fashion.

What makes Indridason's writing so compelling is his intricate characterization that brings his personalities to vibrant life.

Some of the reviews I read put me off a bit; they made the book seem a bit darker than I thought it was and the character not very likable in this Nordic Noir. I didn’t find the main character, Konrád that negative or disagreeable. Yes, he has had a hard life, but despite an abusive childhood, physical deformity, his anguished bereavement following the death of his wife, and his forced retirement, it seems maybe he is getting himself together. He enjoys his family and is dogged in finding out the truth about a crime he couldn’t solve years ago.

Some might think it surprising the new information that comes to light or the clear memories thirty years later. However, just watch some episodes of Dateline and it might not be so surprising.

I enjoyed this book and did not feel it was slow placed. I also found it interesting learning a bit about Icelandic history and culture.

There were a few plot lines. Some were resolved; others perhaps left open for the second book in the Detective Konrád series.

Indridason is a master story teller. In this intriguing mystery, he addresses all the players in a thirty-year old murder that has never been solved. Indridason's ability to skillfully develop the character of the main protagonist, Konrad, a retired detective, is unparalleled. His ability to analyze and examine a complex plot with all the close knit people involved is masterful. Although the story line is not fast-paced, at the same time it is difficult to put the book down because of the unwavering and moving relationships among plot, characters, and setting. The strong development of Konrad's character invariably proceeds through the book. Mystery readers will be fascinated by the connections and steady resolution of the 30-year old mystery.

Starts off with a bang as a body is discovered in a glacier. Enjoyable, and excellent example of the Nordic Noir genre. Detective Konrad is brought out of retirement to investigate. first in a series.
Received an early copy form NetGalley.
#TheDarknessKnows #NetGalley.

I have to be honest here - my usual mystery genre preference is at the opposite end of the scale. Think Agatha Christie. But I am also a fan of well crafted noir and I am picky. Scandinavian Noir can, first off, be ruined by the translator. Victoria Cribb does a wonderful job of translating with a smooth flow. Add to the quality of the mystery - a 30 year old cold case (in so many ways) and this was an enjoyable read.
Konrad is the detective, now retired and trying to figure out what to do with himself in retirement. He was the lead detective all those years ago when a local man went missing and the body was never found. When a group of German tourists visit some glaciers they didn't imagine that the retreating ice cap would leave behind a very visible corpse in the ice for them to find. As soon as the corpse is identified the cold case heats up and Konrad is brought out of his gloomy retirement to conduct a prison interview with the original prime suspect. That was all he was supposed to do but, well, one thing leads to another and he begins his own, civilian, investigation.
The pace is slow as he tracks down witnesses on his own, meets with closed doors and people who want the past to stay buried. It's a well written police procedural with a main character who carries a ton of personal baggage, full of secrets and angst. It's a perfect fit with the Icelandic setting.
My thanks to the publisher, Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Darkness Knows is my first Arnaldur Indridason book, and I'm definitely planning to check out his backlist!

From the minute the body is found on the Langjökull glacier, The Darkness Knows is full of constant twists and turns. Every time I thought I knew who the killer was, I was proven wrong, and I have to say this is one that I never would have guessed the outcome! Retired police detective Konrad is the perfect character. He's flawed, but he's also committed to solving one of his cold cases that have haunted him since his retirement. The characters in the Darkness Knows all have secrets, nobody is forthcoming with them, and I loved every minute of it.

Icelandic noir is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres, and it's always fantastic to find a new author!

The Darkness Knows
Author: Arnaldur Indriðason

When a well-presevered body is found on a glacier, a retired detective gets pulled into the case. The dead man disappeared 30 years before and the investigation stalled for lack of evidence. Konrad comes back to re-open the case. New information, the body, and sheer determination might finally solve this death.

I got sucked right into this book! I can see why this author is known as the "king'' of Icelandic suspense thrillers. The setting, the cold case, the main character -- totally hooked from the start!

I read about 2/3 of my review copy, paused, and snagged the audio book from Audible, as my local libraries (I have cards from 3) have no books by this author. I wanted to HEAR the story -- hits harder for me if I listen on audio. Just personal preference. There are several books in this series, and the author has another series, Detective Erlendur, as well. ST MARTIN'S PRESS/MACMILLAN AUDIO: Please please please please make more of this author's work available in English!!!! PLEASE! I am begging with this face:

(could not get photo to show here --- wide eyed Puss in Boots image. See my blog on 8/26/2021. Please translate more!)

You cannot resist The Face. And I can't wait for more books!

The audiobook is fantastic! Narrated by Sean Barrett, the audio is just shy of 9 hours long. Easy listening length. Barrett does a superb job of voice acting. Very entertaining listening experience!

For thriller/suspense fans & those who love icelandic detective procedurals -- I highly recommend this book! And, I have to say this would make a great movie or television show! Someone make it happen!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martin's Press (and purchased the audio book as well so this disclaimer really isn't necessary but I'm including it for more begging -- PLEASE more in English!). All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**