THE DARKNESS KNOWS
Arnaldur Indridason; translated by Victoria Cribb
Minotaur Books
ISBN-13: 978-1250765468
Hardcover
Thriller/Mystery

THE DARKNESS KNOWS is not a sequel to Arnaldur Indridason’s novel THE SHADOW DISTRICT, which introduced Detective Konrad, a retired Reykjavik police detective, to fans of Icelandic noir. Konrad played an important but secondary role in that worthy title, which properly belongs in what is known as the “Reykjavik Wartime Mystery Series.” THE DARKNESS KNOWS, which has just been published in the United States (thanks to an ace translation by Victoria Cribb) is the inaugural volume of the taciturn Konrad’s very own series, of which, as of this writing, four installments have been published in Iceland to date. While THE DARKNESS KNOWS brushes up against THE SHADOW DISTRICT, it is not at all necessary to have read the latter to appreciate the former, which stands quite well on its own.

Konrad, when we encounter him in THE DARKNESS KNOWS, is abruptly awakened from a sound sleep. It is a change from an unfamiliar, uncomfortable routine for the retired detective, who is at loose ends with nothing to detect even as he continues to adjust to his status as a widower. The reason for the awakening is an unresolved case from Konrad’s past some three decades before that indirectly resulted in his retirement from the police force. It involved the disappearance of a local businessman whose body, in the story’s present, has been found, almost perfectly preserved, in a local glacier. Konrad is asked to assist the police in the investigation and though he is initially reluctant to do so he is gradually drawn in, particularly when the original prime suspect in the case on his deathbed asks Konrad to do so even while declaring his innocence to the very end. Konrad begins digging into the investigation from reverse and finds mistakes, misdirection, and outright deception. During the course of interrogating people associated with the victim, however, Konrad is able to connect a seemingly unrelated cold case involving a hit-and-run fatality to his own investigation. Konrad is able to obtain a delayed justice of sorts for the murder victim as well as for the unjustly accused suspect, though the full extent to which the scales are balanced is not clear until the end of the book.

The mystery at the core of THE DARKNESS KNOWS is compelling, all the more so because it goes from the complex to the simple rather than the other way around. Readers, for their part, may come for the crime but will stay with the book (and hopefully, for the anticipated publication of later volumes in the series) for the personalities that pepper the narrative throughout. Konrad is a quietly compelling and sympathetic though not entirely likable protagonist, a combination of qualities that paradoxically makes him all the more endearing. Arnaldur, as is his wont, fully fleshes out his protagonist using introspection and memorable secondary characters in equal measure to do so. The primary character, however, as with all of Arnaldur’s novels, is Iceland in general and Reykjavik in particular, a backdrop that most of Arnaldur’s American readers will not have the opportunity to visit but will come to know intimately through the subtlety of his descriptions, which sculpt and carve a vision of the locale with each novel he writes. Recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2021, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

As always an impressive contribution to the Nordic Noir arc by Indridason!

Climate change has revealed a body in a glacier. A case that goes back 30 years or so and that has haunted retired detective Konrad.
Called back to investigate the case he and we, start slowly but as the trajectory gains momentum Konrad uncovers twists and turns that intrigue and satisfy.

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

The Darkness Knows by Arnaldur Indriðason is the first book in the detective Konrad (Konráð #1) series. Mr. Indriðason is a well-known, award winning, author from Iceland.

The body of a businessman is discovered by tourists on Langjökull glacier. Furthermore, the man was murdered 30 years ago.

Konráð, the detective who investigated the case, has retired, but is now unofficially re-investigating the murder on behalf of the victim’s sister. Accordingly, putting a new meaning to the term “cold case”. Albeit, Konráð still has his old contacts, and lives in a small town which he has some clout to investigate.

I have enjoyed Nordic-fiction for years, although I took a bit of a break from the genre, it was nice to come back. Never being in the area, I enjoy many of the descriptions, lifestyle, culture and mood. The advantage of noir is that it tries to reflect the life as is, without the use of rose-colored lenses.

The Darkness Knows by Arnaldur Indriðason takes place in a small town in Iceland, a place I always wanted to visit. A small town where, it seemed, you are one or two connections from anyone else living there. Think Mare of Eastown, or Broadchurch set in Iceland. Thankfully, the Internet has allowed readers to view pictures of these wonderful place (such as Langjökull glacier) for a more complete picture.

I enjoyed the character of detective Konráð. The author spends much time telling us about his history, his relationships with wife, son, and childhood. Combined together with the pace of this book, a slow burn, the narrative worked very well.

The two things which bothered me about the novel was the translation, and the ending. I couldn’t figure out if the translator was an English person, or someone who had to look up words in Google translate and literally write them. It doesn’t matter though; I actually enjoyed the challenge to figure out what it means on several occasions. Nevertheless, the ending was a bit awkward, tying up loose ends in a story which loose ends are a bonus. None of these, however, impaired my enjoyment of the book.

I felt that this novel had many strengths, nuanced characters, a messy investigation, as well as Icelandic culture. The pacing worked very well for me, matching with the Icelandic bleakness which I otherwise find fascinating.

This story had so much potential! A frozen body found - a cold case to be solved - in Iceland? It’s like a thriller lovers dream. But it was so damn slow I could not read more than a chapter in each sitting. The characters were unremarkable and forgettable. I was excruciatingly bored. The story seemed to muddle together and melt into one uninteresting blob of a bland thriller. I’m so disappointed.

Imagine fulfilling a lifelong dream of a trip to Iceland to see glaciers. You are part of a tour group exploring Langjökull glacier when your tour guide discovers a body buried in the ice. This is how The Darkness Knows by Arnaldur Indridason begins. This author is new to this reader, and I will explore other books by him. We find out that the man buried in ice has been there for thirty years and his murder has never been solved. Our main character, Konrád is a retired detective who is a widower after losing his beloved wife to cancer. He is living a lonely life and really only interacts with his son and his twin grandsons. Marta, the chief inspector of Reykjavik CID calls Konrád in to see if he will interview the prime suspect thirty years ago. Konrád agrees and visits Hjaltalìn in prison.

The novel is a good character study of Konrád who will be the main character in the author’s new series. Advice to readers. Keep a character list. I found it so helpful to realize who was who with several difficult names. I liked the premise of the book but found there were so many characters and so many twists that it was sometimes difficult to follow. I like this character and do look forward to reading the next book in this series by Indridason. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own. 3.5 stars (difficulty in following at times) raised to 4 stars for the story.

I received a free electronic copy of this Icelandic mystery from Netgalley, Arnaldur Indrioason, translator Victoria Cribb, and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this mystery of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Indrioason to my list of must-read writers. He writes an Iceland noir novel that you will want to sink your teeth into, with colorful protagonists and a deep mystery to solve.

I thoroughly enjoyed retired Detective Konrad. This is the first of a series, but completely stand-alone. I am looking forward to number 2. In The Darkness Knows a thirty-year-old mystery, investigated by Konrad back in the day, is reopened when climate change melts down into the glacier Langjokull exposing the perfectly preserved body of missing fisherman Sigurvin. Konrad had not actually completed the investigation, suffering from mental angst and an enforced leave of absence.

And his focus today is to look into the hit-and-run death ten years ago of a young man named Villi, at the request of his sister Herdis. With the discovery of the body of Sigurvin, Herdis began to put together her brother's story, which fit beautifully into the disappearance of Sigurvin 30 years ago, with the idea that perhaps Villi was murdered for what he knew.

Having read the complete Inspector Erlendur series by Indriðason, I was thrilled to learn about this book which is apparently the first in a new series featuring Konrád, a retired police detective.

The body of Sigurvin, a man who went missing in 1985, is found frozen in a glacier. The police suspected Hjaltalín, a business associate with whom Sigurvin had a disagreement, as being responsible for the disappearance, but charges were not laid because of lack of evidence. Thirty years later, Hjaltalín is still claiming innocence, and Konrád, though retired, gets drawn back into the case when Hjaltalín refuses to speak to anyone but him. Hjaltalín wants his name cleared and Konrád wants to close the case which he was not able to solve. Then the detective is approached by a woman who wants him to investigate the hit-and-run death of her brother Villi six years earlier; she mentions her brother’s belief that he witnessed something relevant to the Sigurvin case. Konrád soon becomes convinced there may be a connection between the deaths of the two men.

Since this is apparently the first in a new series, there is considerable focus on describing Konrád’s background and developing his personality. What emerges is a complex character study. We learn about Konrád’s early years living with his criminal father, his relationship with his wife Erna, and his having to cope with a withered arm. We see him in various roles: detective, son, brother, husband, father, grandfather. Now widowed and retired, he is bored and feels a lack of purpose in his life. Frustrated at not having been able to solve the Sigurvin case years ago, he sets out with dogged determination to do so now. Though there is much to admire about him, so most will find him an appealing character, he is a flawed person. As a youth he was not always law-abiding, and he also feels guilt at choices he made in the past. Anger management has been a struggle on more than one occasion. Having a complex character as protagonist is key to a successful series.

Because Konrád is investigating cold cases, the pace is slower than one would find with homicide investigations in real time. He proceeds slowly and methodically; most of his time is spent
(re-)interviewing people, many of whom seem to have very tenuous connections to either Sigurvin or Villi. He does have the advantage of having connections at the police department, but herein lies a problem. Marta, the chief inspector at Reykjavík CID, behaves inconsistently. She calls on Konrád to assist by speaking to Hjaltalín, but later snaps at him for investigating: “’You can’t just start investigating the whole thing again off your own bat . . . It’s totally unacceptable. Surely you can understand that? You have to leave it to us.’” Then later, she actually helps Konrád by compiling a list of people for him to interview.

There are some awkward moments. The reference to Konrád’s weak arm is mentioned only mid-way through the book. The conversations he has about his own father’s criminal past and murder seem out of place, though undoubtedly those are foreshadowing Konrád’s preoccupation in a later installment. Then there are the coincidences, like the sudden appearance of a woman whose name Konrád has just confirmed.

With Sigurvin’s body being disinterred from the ice, the past is brought to the attention of the present. In many ways, the novel examines how the past, people’s choices and actions, haunts their present. Konrád feels guilt and remorse because of his extramarital affair. Unexplained deaths (Konrád’s father, Villi, Engilbert) haunt surviving family members. Egill and Fridný feel so guilty about a hidden treasure that they confess to the police. When those who played a role in Sigurvin and Villi’s deaths are revealed, it is obvious that they too have been haunted by their actions. As Konrád unearths long-buried secrets, the lives of many people are disturbed, but in fact their lives have been uneasy for years.

I’ve toured Iceland and reading this book was like returning for a second visit. I will certainly make another “visit” when the next book in this series is released. The nuanced characters and the complex plot kept my attention and I’m curious to see what awaits Konrád.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

Climate change and receding glaciers lead a group of German tourists to find the frozen body of a man named Sigurvin who went missing 30 years ago on Langjokull glacier. Although he is retired, Konrad, the police detective, who originally worked the case, is drawn back into the investigation when the prime suspect from 30 years ago is brought back into custody but says he will only talk to Konrad. Although he swears he is retired, Konrad is drawn further in when a woman visits him, saying her brother saw a man in the area Sigurvin's car was found abandoned 30 years ago. Her brother was killed in a hit-and-run accident several years ago, and she wants Konrad to find out if his death was connected to Sigurvin's death. Strong Nordic noir, with an ending I didn't see coming.

4.0 stars

The Darkness Knows by Arnaldur Indridason begins dramatically with the discovery of a body on Langjokull Glacier. This finding catapults retired Reykjavik police detective Konrad right back into the cold case of businessman Sigurvin, missing for 30 years but now found perfectly preserved in the glacial ice. Even though he is retired, Konrad investigates this case as would any good active detective—following police procedurals as he looks at old evidence, startling new recollections by locals, and loose ends from past interviews.
The cast of characters is interesting and Konrad is a quietly intelligent and complicated protagonist. As the story unfolds, his personal life and relationships become a subplot, making the book even more interesting. The pace of the investigation unfolds slowly, but inexorably, to its conclusion, giving the reader time to savor the complexity of this character.
I am a fan of Nordic noir but had never read books by this author, who is a well-known Icelandic mystery/crime writer. This novel is strongly atmospheric, and having toured Iceland, I especially enjoyed the strong sense of place he evokes.
This book will appeal to readers who enjoy crime fiction, strong complicated characters and Nordic/Icelandic noir. I will be seeking out Mr. Indridason’s previous writings.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

The Darkness Knows (Arnaldur Indridason) is an interesting story about a retired police officer in Iceland. Years after a case went cold because there wasn't a body, the man's body was found, pulling Konrad back into the case. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.

The Darkness Knows is a slow, methodical, rather grim police procedural set in Iceland. The main character, a retired detective, is a dour, grumpy individual with a dark past…a father who was brutal to his family, involved in nefarious business and then murdered by an unknown person.

A cold case arises when a man is found buried in an glacier, murdered 30 years earlier, and Inspector Konrad is drawn back from retirement to investigate. The previous suspect is now in question and the inspector feels compelled to find out who is responsible.

This plot is highly complex and feels very authentic, but as such, it’s also rather slow-moving and is mired in dark and dismal details. The plot is rather interesting, but the subject matter and setting are haunting especially given the ramifications of the crime committed decades ago.

If you like police procedurals and methodical Nordic Noir, you will most likely enjoy The Darkness Knows, the first in the Konrad detective series.

"'It must have been a constant reminder.' ...
'Hearing the cries in its waters at night.'"

The Darkness Knows is set in Iceland, in what is known as a Nordic Noir. This is my first book in this genre, and it did not disappoint. Konrad is a retired detective whose childhood was marred by a father who abused his mother. His father was a criminal who was killed in a stabbing that has never been solved, (I do wish all his crimes had been more exciting than conducting fake seances).

This mystery revolves around setting up Konrad as a character as well as the disappearance and reappearance of a man that went missing in 1985, and a hit and run that took place in 2009. The book starts with the missing man being found by German tourists on the Langjökull glacier, and we are immediately transported into the cold. Konrad is an enjoyable character to follow, and all the twists and turns are realistic, yet I didn't see most of them coming.

The one issue with the book is that the writing is slightly choppy with some awkwardness, which I attribute to the translation. All in all, I really enjoyed following Konrad through the roads of Iceland on his mission to solve these cases while learning about his life. I look forward to the next book in the series.

3.5 Stars - Rounded to 4

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC in return for an honest review.

*3-3.5 stars. 'There are secrets only the darkness knows...' Set in Iceland where the body of a man who disappeared 30 years earlier is found in the melting ice of a glacier. The detective who worked the original case, Konrad, is now retired but gets drawn back into the periphery of the current investigation, unofficially of course. As he talks to people, he becomes aware there may actually be two unsolved crimes here...

Dark and brooding nordic noir with the plodding pace of a police procedural. Konrad, a widower, is a bit torn apart by his mistakes, both personal and professional. Can he now at least unravel this case that's been dogging him for the past 30 years?

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to them for the opportunity.

This is a complex procedural featuring a complicated detective- Konrad- who has been bothered for 30 years by his inability to solve the unexplained disappearance of Sigurvin. Now, though, Sigurvin's body has been found in a glacier (thanks global warming) making this literal cold case hot again. He's now longer on the force but Konrad is pressed into duty because the main suspect from all those years ago has asked for him- and then dies. Konrad finds himself reinterviewing old witnesses as well as new ones and discovering that there was more to Sigurvin than he knew at the time. Mixed in is Konrad's story, that of his father, his wife, and his children. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Fans of Nordic noir know that it can be gloomy stuff and this is no exception. That said, I found myself wrapped up in the story and turning the pages.

Does anyone have a love/hate relationship with Icelandic Noir? I mean I am so depressed. Should an Icelandic detective have this level of ennui? Interesting but so depressing. I have such a hard time separating the two. And sometimes you are just in the mood to let it all take you. I was there for this one. A new series. New people to get to know-to decide if you like. Looking forward to seeing if this goes somewhere that entices me to go along.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When the body of a man who has been missing for 30 years turns up on a glacier, Konrad, the retired detective who worked the investigation brings himself back in to solve the murder. I enjoyed the aspect of the investigation. But, there were different times when Konrad would think back on his childhood, on his deceased wife and times in the police force that seemed to break up the storyline. It seemed too back and forth with no warning. Again, the investigation kept me reading but I was bored when he was reminiscing. Also, this is more of a mystery than a thriller. Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Arnaldur Indridason.

Masterfully written. Retired detective Konrad gets an opportunity to solve a cold case he worked on 30 years ago. Told from his perspective with voices from the past and in the present the author does a remarkable job of merging the two. Set in Iceland one can picture the scenes from the vivid descriptions given. It is a poignant look at the psychology of a person living with guilt from the perspective of several characters. Konrad feels guilty about his wife, not solving the case, and his father. Other characters suffer guilt associated with the case in various forms. How the case is solved will come as a little bit of a shock but will be well worth reading.

This is the first book I have read by Arnaldur Indriðason, and I look forward to reading more of his works. I picked this one up because I saw that Indriðason was considered the "undisputed King of the Icelandic thriller."

A well-preserved body is found on a glacier. It turns out to be a man who disappeared thirty years ago and was never found. Back then they had interrogated and held a business associate of the man, but were unable to charge him as they didn't have enough evidence. Now, they bring the man in again, but he denies being involved. Konrad was the policeman who handled the original investigation, and he is brought in again, even though he is retired, to assist with the case since he has all the background information. This case has weighed heavily on Konrad all these years because it was never solved. Then, some new information turns up that helps Konrad move forward in trying to figure out what happened in this cold case.

I enjoyed reading this thriller and found Konrad to be an interesting character. I see that he appeared in an earlier book called The Shadow District, and will have to check that book out to see if maybe it deals with the original 30-year-old case. The investigation kept my attention and the path through the cold case was compelling.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on August 17, 2021.

I’m drawn to crime fiction set in countries about which I otherwise know very little. I consider these books to be travelogues with a dangerous edge, and I usually end up doing some research on the country in question when I finish the book.

I thought I would experience that same effortless immersion in the world of Detective Konrad, whom readers first met in The Shadow District, but I was oddly detatched throughout the novel. Perhaps it was because the narrative was told from only one point of view (with one exception toward the end that was so jarring I was taken out of the story). Maybe it was due to the very tight plotline; with a few exceptions, the story moved back and forth on the thin thread that connected two murders occuring many years ago with present day events.

Konrad is a nicely developed character, as are some of his colleagues – namely the formidable Marta, who is Konrad’s source of information as a member of the CID from which Konrad has now retired. Readers meet Konrad’s son, daughter-in-law, and late wife as well; they are largely peripheral and not pertinent to the story.

I did not feel that I lost context, not having read The Shadow District, but I do wonder if I would have felt more connected with the story, characters, and world of The Darkness Knows if I had read the first book first. The fact that I now want to read said book speaks to my level of engagement in Konrad’s world, even if I did feel a bit of relief when the book ended – and it ended very darkly, indeed. With the exception of that ending – that gasp in the last ten minutes of the book – the edginess I have come to expect in Scandinavian and Eastern European crime fiction is not present.

The English translation is clumsy in parts, which is not a drawback for me because I find the occasional not-quite-right translated sentiment to be quite charming. I’m intrigued by a possible story arc involving Konrad’s father, which is why I want to read the first book in the Detective Konrad cycle (not sure yet if I would call it a series).

The Darkness Knows gets three stars; the story line was well thought out, I’m intrigued by a possible plot line that will cover more than one volume, and I wish I would have been more connected to the characters and world created in this book.

This was the first book by Arnaldur Indridason that I have read. The synopsis intrigued me and sounded like something I would really enjoy. Unfortunately, this book did not do anything for me. I thought it was slow paced and boring. And sadly, my favorite part of the book was the last chapter. I wish I had found this book more exciting and enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for a digital arc of this title.