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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-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
3.5 rounded up.
This was a bit of a mixed bag for me, but overall I came out the other side enjoying the story and the characters that Jonasson created. Definitely continuing on in the series.
For a full review, see my blog: www.leviosanotleviosa.wordpress.com
This was a bit of a mixed bag for me, but overall I came out the other side enjoying the story and the characters that Jonasson created. Definitely continuing on in the series.
For a full review, see my blog: www.leviosanotleviosa.wordpress.com
book 1 in a series. interesting cast of characters, Iceland setting.
My first introduction to Icelandic crime and what a way to start! Thoroughly enjoyed this thriller by the new kid on the block.
Keeps you guessing right until the end and I thought the characters were brilliantly set out with wonderful depth.
You never get chance to forget the landscape and cold, harsh environment you are thrown into which draws you into really feeling Ari Thor's claustrophobic thoughts.
The translation was beautiful and I cannot wait to read the second instalment, Night Blind, due soon.
Keeps you guessing right until the end and I thought the characters were brilliantly set out with wonderful depth.
You never get chance to forget the landscape and cold, harsh environment you are thrown into which draws you into really feeling Ari Thor's claustrophobic thoughts.
The translation was beautiful and I cannot wait to read the second instalment, Night Blind, due soon.
Ari Thór is a rookie cop at his first station. A tiny town in Iceland called Siglufjörour. The town has only one way in, a tunnel through a mountain. He leaves his girlfriend in Reykjavik and moves to the village. At first, his new job is quite boring. When a famous author falls to his death and a local woman is found bleeding in the snow, Ari gets to put his detective skills to the test.
I loved the village setting of this book. The description was beautiful. It also turned this story into a locked room mystery. The town is already secluded, add in snow storms and, I was filled with the dress of being trapped.
The setting actually helped keep me going. I found this book to be very slow. You get a lot of character backstory, and how they all ended up in town. It’s important to the plot, but I found myself wanting more action. The real meat of the story starts about halfway through.
I really enjoyed the Agatha Christie vibes Snowblind gave. Jonasson has translated many a Christie novel, and you can see where she has influenced his work. None of the characters are completely innocent, they all have troubling pasts or secrets.
PSA: if you are claustrophobic there are scenes in this book that will make you very uncomfortable.
If you enjoy a slow burn Nordic noir, you will enjoy this book. Most Nordic noir fans love this series. I just found this first book to drag a bit. You can’t beat the setting!
I loved the village setting of this book. The description was beautiful. It also turned this story into a locked room mystery. The town is already secluded, add in snow storms and, I was filled with the dress of being trapped.
The setting actually helped keep me going. I found this book to be very slow. You get a lot of character backstory, and how they all ended up in town. It’s important to the plot, but I found myself wanting more action. The real meat of the story starts about halfway through.
I really enjoyed the Agatha Christie vibes Snowblind gave. Jonasson has translated many a Christie novel, and you can see where she has influenced his work. None of the characters are completely innocent, they all have troubling pasts or secrets.
PSA: if you are claustrophobic there are scenes in this book that will make you very uncomfortable.
If you enjoy a slow burn Nordic noir, you will enjoy this book. Most Nordic noir fans love this series. I just found this first book to drag a bit. You can’t beat the setting!
The first few chapters of this book made me groan because they read like an airport paperback thriller. Nothing against that genre, it’s just not for me. I thought about quitting the book. But I stuck with it and I’m glad I did. It ended up being sort of a Agatha Christie tribute: a series of murders and unexplained events happening in a sleepy town where everybody knows everyone, only the town is perpetually covered in snow because it’s in the northernmost point of Iceland and barely habitable.
I liked the character of Ari Thor. I know what it’s like to be in my 20s and having to make tough decisions about the future, especially with a potential spouse in tow. I was actually drawn to this because he was supposed to be a former theology student. I wished they had touched on that more but still, I could relate to his character.
The rest of the characters are hit-or-miss although all are harboring secrets so they demand your attention. This isn’t Jonasson’s strong suit: he clearly knows how to flesh out some more than others. It’s a tough thing to do for a first book and he’s not bad at it per se but there’s room for improvement.
The plotting here is kind of rocky too. I would get invested one way and get jerked in another, only to have little explained thanks to obstructionism, which is one of my least favorite writing devices. The point was to draw the story out…and perhaps it was drawn out a little too far.
Still, Jonasson gets the atmosphere of remote Iceland down pat. I felt the claustrophobia in this book. Also, it has one of the better endings to a novel I’ve read this year. That alone, combined with the compassion I have for first time novelists, earned it a 4th star.
I liked the character of Ari Thor. I know what it’s like to be in my 20s and having to make tough decisions about the future, especially with a potential spouse in tow. I was actually drawn to this because he was supposed to be a former theology student. I wished they had touched on that more but still, I could relate to his character.
The rest of the characters are hit-or-miss although all are harboring secrets so they demand your attention. This isn’t Jonasson’s strong suit: he clearly knows how to flesh out some more than others. It’s a tough thing to do for a first book and he’s not bad at it per se but there’s room for improvement.
The plotting here is kind of rocky too. I would get invested one way and get jerked in another, only to have little explained thanks to obstructionism, which is one of my least favorite writing devices. The point was to draw the story out…and perhaps it was drawn out a little too far.
Still, Jonasson gets the atmosphere of remote Iceland down pat. I felt the claustrophobia in this book. Also, it has one of the better endings to a novel I’ve read this year. That alone, combined with the compassion I have for first time novelists, earned it a 4th star.
I have to confess I did read Rupture before any of the others (GASP!), which is why I just had to go back to the beginning of this series! Snow Blind is an amazing start to a brilliant series I am sure, I still have the following two to read which I cannot wait to dive into! I love the setting of this book, a small, cute, friendly town where everyone knows each other and with a lot happening… Nothing is secret for long! I loved most of the characters BUT a few were a bit edgy for my liking haha.
This is a brilliant story! A mystery… One I did not figure out before the big revealed. Ragnar Jonasson knows how to write a story, a new favourite author of mine! Snow Blind is written well and easy to devour. In fact I purposely left the last 6 pages as I didn’t want it to end but also couldn’t wait to finish it. I loved it. I would highly recommend this series to you all so far and my reviews for the following two books will be up shortly no doubt! I am hooked by this series. Very impressed. Gorgeous cover too. A well deserved five stars. Bring on the next book! Enjoy.
This is a brilliant story! A mystery… One I did not figure out before the big revealed. Ragnar Jonasson knows how to write a story, a new favourite author of mine! Snow Blind is written well and easy to devour. In fact I purposely left the last 6 pages as I didn’t want it to end but also couldn’t wait to finish it. I loved it. I would highly recommend this series to you all so far and my reviews for the following two books will be up shortly no doubt! I am hooked by this series. Very impressed. Gorgeous cover too. A well deserved five stars. Bring on the next book! Enjoy.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes