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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
Very enjoyable murder mystery in a small town. Looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Its interesting in that I really enjoyed this book even though I ended up not being a fan of the main character for some of his actions later in the book.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Man, I wanted to like this but it fell so flat with me. The pacing was slow for the majority of the book and then rapidly picked up near the last fourth of the novel. I don't mind slow novels, but there was nothing gripping or encouraging me to read on. I never connected to Ari Thor or any of the other characters and was honestly bored with the overall plot and mystery. Conversations were lifeless and Ari Thor's personal life and inner dialogue were dry, unnecessary, and came across as tedious. I will give kudos to Jonasson's descriptions of scenery and setting, as that was the only thing that gave the story life. Very unsure if I will continue this series.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Gosh. I'm not even sure where to begin with this book... first off, I really wanted to love this book, because it was billed as an Icelandic noir take on Agatha Christie... an homage to "And Then There Were None".
What I loved...
- parts of the book were really beautifully descriptive... though it's a sad moment, the description of the body was very vividly written
- the setting of Iceland, while not unique to an Icelandic author of course, is fresh and enchanting to those of us who very far away from it's snowy vistas
What frustrated me...
- the pacing was all over... it went really, really slow for the first half or so of the book, then it jumped forward and went really fast, and suddenly chapters were maybe 2-3 pages long
- the writing that was so beautiful and colorful in some parts, was purposefuly obfuscating in others... all of a sudden entire conversations are being had, but you're not getting to find out what's being said, it's all very "ah yes, I thought as much" and you're left going... "thought WHAT!?"
- the wrapup had the exact same pacing issue... without giving spoilers there's a major interplay between a few of the characters that's rather abruptly dealt with in the last 2 pages of the book
In general, I liked this, but I'm not thinking I'll probably read it again.
**Also, on a language note, there was very nearly no language, and then all of a sudden a character has this "mask off" moment, and starts flinging around f-bombs and insulting people willy-nilly... it was incredibly jarring, and a little bizarre, but perhaps that was the intent.
What I loved...
- parts of the book were really beautifully descriptive... though it's a sad moment, the description of the body was very vividly written
- the setting of Iceland, while not unique to an Icelandic author of course, is fresh and enchanting to those of us who very far away from it's snowy vistas
What frustrated me...
- the pacing was all over... it went really, really slow for the first half or so of the book, then it jumped forward and went really fast, and suddenly chapters were maybe 2-3 pages long
- the writing that was so beautiful and colorful in some parts, was purposefuly obfuscating in others... all of a sudden entire conversations are being had, but you're not getting to find out what's being said, it's all very "ah yes, I thought as much" and you're left going... "thought WHAT!?"
- the wrapup had the exact same pacing issue... without giving spoilers there's a major interplay between a few of the characters that's rather abruptly dealt with in the last 2 pages of the book
In general, I liked this, but I'm not thinking I'll probably read it again.
**Also, on a language note, there was very nearly no language, and then all of a sudden a character has this "mask off" moment, and starts flinging around f-bombs and insulting people willy-nilly... it was incredibly jarring, and a little bizarre, but perhaps that was the intent.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It starts with a good set up and introducing the characters, I loved Ari Thor from the start. I liked how the chapters alternated between a crime and present time. All the pieces came together so well.
It's a slower pace that allows you to really feel the setting and get to know the characters and town.
It's a slower pace that allows you to really feel the setting and get to know the characters and town.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
slow-paced