Category Archives: Ragnar Jónasson

May 6, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson

Title: The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Historical (80s), Supernatural Elements, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From Ragnar Jónasson, the award-winning author of the international bestselling Ari Thór series, The Girl Who Died is a standalone thriller about a young woman seeking a new start in a secluded village where a small community is desperate to protect its secrets.

Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the World

Una wants nothing more than to teach, but she has been unable to secure steady employment in Reykjavík. Her savings are depleted, her love life is nonexistent, and she cannot face another winter staring at the four walls of her shabby apartment. Celebrating Christmas and ringing in 1986 in the remote fishing hamlet of Skálar seems like a small price to pay for a chance to earn some teaching credentials and get her life back on track.

But Skálar isn’t just one of Iceland’s most isolated villages, it is home to just ten people. Una’s only students are two girls aged seven and nine. Teaching them only occupies so many hours in a day and the few adults she interacts with are civil but distant. She only seems to connect with Thór, a man she shares an attraction with but who is determined to keep her at arm’s length.

As darkness descends throughout the bleak winter, Una finds herself more often than not in her rented attic space—the site of a local legendary haunting—drinking her loneliness away. She is plagued by nightmares of a little girl in a white dress singing a lullaby. And when a sudden tragedy echoes an event long buried in Skálar’s past, the villagers become even more guarded, leaving a suspicious Una seeking to uncover a shocking truth that’s been kept secret for generations.

Review:

The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson is an atmospheric mystery set in a remote Icelandic village during the mid-1980s.

Una is a teacher in Reykjavík who is barely scraping by. With one exception, most of her friends have drifted away. Nor is Una close to her mother or stepfather. When her best friend shows her an ad for a teacher in the remote fishing village of Skálar, Una is at first not overly interested in the job. Since the position includes room and board along with a salary, Una decides to apply for the position.  After she is hired,  Una has plenty of time for doubts to set in during the long drive to the Langanes Peninsula. She is greeted warmly by Salka, the woman whose attic will be her temporary home for the next several months. Despite Salka’s welcome, Una realizes the remainder of the town’s resident are not happy she will be living among them.

Una uneasily settles into her new life and begins teaching her two young pupils. She and Salka get along but Una spends a lot of time by herself. In spite of the frigid temperatures, brisk winds and darkness, she takes walks on the beach in hopes of escaping her claustrophobic attic room.  Una soon learns Skálar is quite insular and not at all eager to bring her into their midst. She is intrigued by the man she meets soon after her arrival but she is confused by the mixed signals he gives her.

Una also quickly discovers Salka has failed to mention the history of her house. But after an unsettling dream that feels all too real, Una finds out about the young girl who died there sixty years earlier. She cannot get many answers about what exactly happened to her, but Una’s discomfort continues to grow over the months.

With a very spooky setting, a ghostly presence and a shocking death, The Girl Who Died is an engrossing mystery with supernatural elements. The characters are three-dimensional and quite interesting.  The chapters alternate between the events occurring the present and another unknown narrator who is facing an uncertain fate. Skálar, the winter weather and the oppressive darkness provide an unnerving backdrop for this suspenseful mystery to unfold. Ragnar Jónasson brings this mesmerizing mystery to a very unanticipated but satisfying conclusion.  I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend to readers of Icelandic mysteries.

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Filed under Historical, Historical (80s), Minotaur Books, Mystery, Ragnar Jónasson, Rated B+, Review, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, The Girl Who Died

October 17, 2018 · 11:56 pm

Review: The Darkness by Ragnar Jónasson

Title: The Darkness by Ragnar Jónasson
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Spanning the icy streets of Reykjavik, the Icelandic highlands and cold, isolated fjords, The Darkness is an atmospheric thriller from Ragnar Jonasson, one of the most exciting names in Nordic Noir.

The body of a young Russian woman washes up on an Icelandic shore. After a cursory investigation, the death is declared a suicide and the case is quietly closed.

Over a year later Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir of the Reykjavík police is forced into early retirement at 64. She dreads the loneliness, and the memories of her dark past that threaten to come back to haunt her. But before she leaves she is given two weeks to solve a single cold case of her choice. She knows which one: the Russian woman whose hope for asylum ended on the dark, cold shore of an unfamiliar country. Soon Hulda discovers that another young woman vanished at the same time, and that no one is telling her the whole story. Even her colleagues in the police seem determined to put the brakes on her investigation. Meanwhile the clock is ticking.

Hulda will find the killer, even if it means putting her own life in danger.

Review:

The first installment in the Hidden Iceland series, The Darkness by Ragnar Jónasson is a multi-layered, spellbinding  mystery.

With Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdótti’s already dreading her upcoming retirement, she is dismayed when her boss, Magnús, informs her he has hired her replacement and she will be retiring in two weeks. To placate her, Magnús gives her permission to reopen a cold case of her choosing. Hulda decides to look into the death of Russian immigrant Elena whose case she believes was not fully investigated by her colleague. Hulda quickly re-interviews the manager of the hostel where Elena was staying, her lawyer Albert Albertsson and her interpreter Bjartur Hartmannsson. Alerted to the possibility Elena was working as a prostitute, Hulda also questions Aki Akason who denies any wrongdoing. This interview infuriates  Magnús who tells Hulda to wrap up the case within two days. Will Hulda uncover the truth about what happened to Elena before she is forced to retire?

Hulda is an experienced detective who is no stranger to tragedy. Having lost her beloved husband Jon and their daughter Dimma, she has few friends and little support from her co-workers. She has recently formed a close friendship with retired doctor Petur, but she is not certain she wants to take their relationship to the next level. Hulda remains haunted by the events that occurred in her past and she is extremely sympathetic to a suspect in another case.

Hulda is a little reckless as investigates Elena’s case. She does not cut corners but she keeps her newly discovered information to herself due to her fear that Magnús will shut down her inquiry. Hulda uncovers startling new details that cast doubt on the previous detective’s theory that Elena committed suicide but will she find enough evidence to find out who had a motive to harm her? After learning about another young Russian woman also vanished from the same hostel where Elena resided, Hulda cannot help but believe the two cases are linked. With time quickly running out, she hopes the answers lie in a document she has just received from Elena’s lawyer. Will Hulda finally uncover the truth about what happened to Elena and the other missing woman?

The Darkness by Ragnar Jónasson is a fast-paced and compelling mystery. Hulda is an engaging protagonist with a complex back story that will tug on readers’ heartstrings. The investigation is intriguing and it is impossible not to root for Hulda to solve her final case.  Ragnar Jónasson brings the novel to a jaw-dropping, twist-filled conclusion that is absolutely shocking. An outstanding first installment in the Hidden Iceland series that I highly recommend to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Ragnar Jónasson, Rated B, Review, Suspense, The Darkness

August 26, 2018 · 11:57 pm

Review: Blackout by Ragnar Jónasson

Title: Blackout by Ragnar Jónasson
Dark Iceland Series Book Three
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 272 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Hailed for combining the darkness of Nordic Noir with classic mystery writing in the tradition of Agatha Christie, author Ragnar Jonasson’s books are haunting, atmospheric, and complex. Blackout, the latest Ari Thór thriller, delivers another dark mystery that is chillingly stunning with its complexity and fluidity.

On the shores of a tranquil fjord in Northern Iceland, a man is brutally beaten to death on a bright summer’s night. As the 24-hour light of the arctic summer is transformed into darkness by an ash cloud from a recent volcanic eruption, a young reporter leaves Reykajvik to investigate on her own, unaware that an innocent person’s life hangs in the balance. Ari Thor Arason and his colleagues on the tiny police force in Siglufjordur struggle with an increasingly perplexing case, while their own serious personal problems push them to the limit. What secrets does the dead man harbour, and what is the young reporter hiding? As silent, unspoken horrors from the past threaten them all, and the darkness deepens, it’s a race against time to find the killer before someone else dies.

Review:

Blackout by Ragnar Jónasson is a perplexing mystery that takes place during the summer months in Iceland. This third installment in the Dark Iceland series is a slow-burning police procedural that takes place in between the first two novels since the translated editions are slightly out of order.

Ari Thór Arason, his boss Tómas and co-worker Hlynur Ísaksson are all distracted by their personal life during the investigation into the murder of Elías Freysson. Ari Thór continues to lament his break up with the love of his life, Kristín, who has rebuffed his efforts to reunite. Tómas is reeling in the aftermath of his wife’s decision to go to college in Reykjavík. Hlynur is wracked with guilt and shame for his actions in the past.

Tómas and Ari Thór immediately begin looking into Elías’s life and on the surface, he appears to be an unlikely victim. He is a subcontractor working on a tunnel project and renovating a house in the country. He is also involved with a charitable project but an unexpected discovery by Ari Thór raises many questions about Freysson’s activities.  The investigation also unearths shocking information about the victim, but will these findings lead to a breakthrough in the case?

Despite the twenty-four daylight, the setting is dark and oppressive due to the recent volcanic eruption. The city of Reykjavík is covered with ash clouds and psychologist turned reporter Ísrún jumps at the chance to cover the investigation into Freysson’s murder.  Trying to outwit an ambitious co-worker, she employs some rather underhanded tactics to get witnesses to talk to her about the victim. As she pursues her story, flashbacks from Ísrún’s past indicate something traumatic has occurred, but is there any connection to the ongoing investigation in the present?

Narrated by multiple points of view and switching seamlessly back and forth in time, Blackout is a fascinating, albeit slower paced, mystery. The setting is once again quite atmospheric and despite the unrelenting sunshine, the overall feeling of the novel is heavy. The investigation into Elías Freysson’s yields many shocking bits of evidence and  Ragnar Jónasson brings the novel to a twist-filled and completely unanticipated conclusion.  Old and new fans of the Dark Iceland series are sure to enjoy this latest outing starring Ari Thór Arason.

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Filed under Blackout, Contemporary, Dark Iceland Series, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Ragnar Jónasson, Rated B, Review, Suspense

December 4, 2017 · 11:56 pm

Review: Nightblind by Ragnar Jónasson

Title: Nightblind by Ragnar Jónasson
Dark Iceland Series Book Two
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 240 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Chilling and complex, Nightblind is an extraordinary thriller from an undeniable new talent.

Ari Thor Arason is a local policeman who has an uneasy relationship with the villagers in an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland—where no one locks their doors.

The peace of this close-knit community is shattered by a murder. One of Ari’s colleagues is gunned down at point-blank range in the dead of night in a deserted house. With a killer on the loose and the dark Arctic waters closing in, it falls to Ari Thor to piece together a puzzle that involves a new mayor and a psychiatric ward in Reykjavik. It becomes all too clear that tragic events from the past are weaving a sinister spell that may threaten them all.

Review:

Nightblind by Ragnar Jónasson is a gripping mystery that takes place just as winter is beginning in a small Icelandic town on the coast. This second installment in the Dark Iceland series is a fast-paced police procedural starring Ari Thór Arason and takes place five years after the first novel ends since the translated editions are slightly out of order.

Ari Thór and his girlfriend Kristín have reunited and now live together with their ten month old son.  His former boss, Tómas, has relocated to Reykjavík and he does not know the new police chief, Herjólfur, very well. While  Ari Thór is recovering from a bout of the flu, he is stunned to discover that the small police department has been rocked by a shocking murder. With Tómas temporarily reassigned to help with the investigation, they start their investigation at the deserted house where the shooting occurred.

Although five years have passed since his introduction, Ari Thór is much the same. He is quiet  with a keen intellect and sharp instincts but he is not one to talk about his problems. The encroaching winter darkness still presses in on him and leaves him feeling claustrophobic. His relationship with Kristín remains troubled and despite his concerns about her recent emotional distance, Ari Thór finds it easier to ignore their problems instead of discussing them.  He is also still troubled by events from his childhood and he is still unable to discuss these issues with Kristín.

Despite some lingering  resentment over not being chosen as Tómas’s replacement, Ari Thór does not let this interfere with  the murder investigation.  He feels a bit of  kinship with the victim’s son and he keeps a respectful distance in order to allow him to process his grief in private.  Although Ari Thór is happy to be working with Tómas again, he cannot help but bristle a bit when his old boss takes complete charge of the police department.  Ari Thór might not be as experienced as Tómas but he is an excellent investigator with an uncanny ability to solve crimes.

Interspersed with the investigation are chapters containing diary entries from a patient at a psychiatric hospital. While the person’s identity remains shrouded in mystery, the pages from the diary paint a  fairly bleak picture of somewhat dodgy treatment for an unspecified condition.  The person’s identity and the significance of these chapters are not revealed until Ari Thór has unmasks the murderer and uncovers the motive for the crime.

Nightblind is an absolutely riveting police procedural that is fast-paced and compelling.  The plot is complex and the characters are well fleshed out. The investigation into the murder unfolds at a realistic pace and Ari Thór utilizes good old fashioned detective work to solve the crime. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this latest addition to Ragnar Jónasson’s Dark Iceland series to readers who enjoy atmospheric mysteries.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dark Iceland Series, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Nightblind, Ragnar Jónasson, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

January 18, 2017 · 11:57 pm

Review: Snowblind by Ragnar Jónasson

Title: Snowblind by Ragnar Jónasson
Translated by Quentin Bates
Dark Iceland Series Book One
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Siglufjörður: an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, where no one locks their doors–accessible only via a small mountain tunnel.

Ari Thór Arason: a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavik–with a past that he’s unable to leave behind.

When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theater, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one, and secrets and lies are a way of life.

Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts, while Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness–blinded by snow, and with a killer on the loose.

Taut and terrifying, Snowblind is a startling debut from the extraordinary new talent Ragnar Jonasson.

Review:

Snowblind by Ragnar Jónasson is an atmospheric police procedural set in an isolated small town in Iceland.  This first installment in the Dark Iceland series is a bit of a slow burner, but the characters and the setting make it very easy to savor the unfolding story.

A former philosophy and theology student, twenty-four year old Ari Thór Arason has finally found his niche at the police college in Reykjavík. However, finding employment proves elusive until he is offered a position in Siglufjörður.  After impulsively accepting the job without discussing it first with his longtime girlfriend Kristín who refuses to move with him, Ari Thór sets off for his new home.  With the winter darkness, seemingly unending snow and the isolation quickly becoming claustrophobic for Ari Thór, the sleepy village is soon shocked when beloved author Hrólfur Kristjánsson is found dead at the bottom of a staircase at the local theater. While everyone else is convinced Hrólfur’s fall is a tragic accident, Ari Thór wonders if the death might be the result of foul play.  When Linda Christensen is discovered stabbed and lying in the snow, Ari Thór cannot help but speculate the two incidents might be connected, but  how?

Ari Thór is an interesting young man with a rather complicated past that continues to trouble him.  Moving to the close-knit community of Siglufjörður might prove to be a smart career move in the long run, but in the present, his decision has a detrimental effect on both his relationship and his mental health.  Depressed by Kristín’s less than enthusiastic reaction and feeling claustrophobic by the isolation, darkness and unrelenting snowfall,  Ari Thór is already second-guessing accepting the job when Hrólfur’s body is discovered.

Enthusiastic about his first “real” case,  Ari Thór views the death as suspicious but police chief Tómas is ready to label it as an accident after a cursory investigation.  While he respects his boss’s opinion, Ari Thór  cannot help probing a little deeper into the circumstances surrounding Hrólfur’s fall.  However, in a town as small as Siglufjörður, it does not take long for rumors to begin circulating that Hrólfur might have been murdered and Tómas is none too pleased that Ari Thór is asking questions without permission.  Tómas is equally vexed when someone begins leaking details of the case to a newspaper reporter.  After Linda’s body is found, Tómas,  Ari Thór and veteran investigator Hlynur are definitely under pressure to find answers.  Ari Thór might not be an experienced policeman, but he has good instincts that help him piece together the various clues.

While initially a little slow paced, Snowblind is a compelling mystery with a cast of intriguing characters. The isolation, unrelenting snow and dark winter days underscore Ari Thór’s deepening depression and feelings of oppression.  The leisurely unveiling of the two cases provides plenty of time for Ragnar Jónasson to fully flesh out the various characters which allows readers to become fully acquainted with them on a much more personal level.  An outstanding beginning to the Dark Iceland series that will leave fans of the genre impatiently awaiting the next release.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dark Iceland Series, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Ragnar Jónasson, Rated B, Review, Snowblind