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pennygale's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
madeleinehelena's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Utspelar sig över ett par dagar och är ganska långsamt berättad till stora delar. Tempot (framförallt i antalet avslöjanden) ökar markant mot slutet och jag upplever det lite obalanserat.
Tycker om beskrivningarna av den isländska naturen liksom dess betydelse för handlingen.
Tycker om beskrivningarna av den isländska naturen liksom dess betydelse för handlingen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Child abuse
dragonmancer's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. It was an enjoyable read. Pacing at the end felt a bit rushed as the author wanted to tie all the loose ends. The ending was a surprise!
gingerellaj's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
The Darkness is the story of a older female detective inspector, Hulda Hermannsdottir, who discovers she has been earmarked for retirement by her younger, male superior. She's understandably shocked and offended but this, and doesn't wish to retire so when he seemingly offers her the chance to choose a cold case to investigate with her remaining time on the force, she chooses the 'solved' case of a young woman seeking asylum from Russia who was found dead along the coast in Iceland. This ultimately ruffles quite a few feathers and gets Hulda in fair bit of hot water!
I am very partial to Scandi and Nordic murder mysteries, hence my interest in this book and having previously read Ragnar's Snowblind, which I found a little cumbersome and slow at times, I wanted to give Ragnar another go. Sadly, whilst the story of the murdered Russian asylum seeker was sad, I don't think I ultimately cared enough for the majority of the characters so I wasn't always spurred on to read the story. In comparison to Snowblind, I enjoyed the slightly faster pace of this book and it is a well-written book with suspenseful moments, particularly at the end. That ending has left me wondering what might happen next for Hulda but I'm still not sure it's enough wondering to make me pick up the next in the series.
The Darkness is the story of a older female detective inspector, Hulda Hermannsdottir, who discovers she has been earmarked for retirement by her younger, male superior. She's understandably shocked and offended but this, and doesn't wish to retire so when he seemingly offers her the chance to choose a cold case to investigate with her remaining time on the force, she chooses the 'solved' case of a young woman seeking asylum from Russia who was found dead along the coast in Iceland. This ultimately ruffles quite a few feathers and gets Hulda in fair bit of hot water!
I am very partial to Scandi and Nordic murder mysteries, hence my interest in this book and having previously read Ragnar's Snowblind, which I found a little cumbersome and slow at times, I wanted to give Ragnar another go. Sadly, whilst the story of the murdered Russian asylum seeker was sad, I don't think I ultimately cared enough for the majority of the characters so I wasn't always spurred on to read the story. In comparison to Snowblind, I enjoyed the slightly faster pace of this book and it is a well-written book with suspenseful moments, particularly at the end. That ending has left me wondering what might happen next for Hulda but I'm still not sure it's enough wondering to make me pick up the next in the series.
ilona_rae's review against another edition
3.0
I tend to watch crime rather than read it. So I find it hard to review without much comparison. I thought Hulda, the main character, was interesting and complex. The writing style was a bit blunt for my tastes and the atmosphere was suffocating.
sslovesbooks_1's review against another edition
5.0
Have not read anything by this author before but I was gripped by this Icelandic crime novel. A great novel to end 2018
mjporterauthor's review against another edition
3.0
The Darkness is not the first book I've read by the author, and as such, it suffers from the same problems. It is very bluntly written, others might think this a reflection of the starkness of Iceland, but I think it's just the author's writing style, and while it makes for a ridiculously easy read it is not necessarily a good thing as there is a lack of description other than what the weather is doing and everything feels 'half-formed' and also, 'too easy'. The causality of the book throws up few surprises.
There are three intermingling stories told in this incredibly short tale, and while they all eventually resolve into some sort of coherence, I didn't find the resolution satisfying or indeed, that convincing.
I always want to enjoy these books set in Iceland, I am drawn to the bleakness of it all, but I am, sadly, often left disappointed, and this is the same for this book. There just needs to be 'more' to these stories, and even the unconventional ending is ultimately disappointing while also being bold, a strange this to say, but true all the same.
There are three intermingling stories told in this incredibly short tale, and while they all eventually resolve into some sort of coherence, I didn't find the resolution satisfying or indeed, that convincing.
I always want to enjoy these books set in Iceland, I am drawn to the bleakness of it all, but I am, sadly, often left disappointed, and this is the same for this book. There just needs to be 'more' to these stories, and even the unconventional ending is ultimately disappointing while also being bold, a strange this to say, but true all the same.
opplecopter's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Suicide, Deportation, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Cursing
gray5217's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75