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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
I didn't love this one. It was way more of a slow burn than I was hoping for. Also, how did Ari Thor not realize he was the one being a jerk in his relationship? Ugh.
Crime stories are not my go-to genre; I tend to stay away from them. But this one totally hooked me in, first with the cover then with the names and finally with the story itself. (Yes! I have a few superficial tendencies).
The story drew me into the lives of all the characters, the small town community, and into the mystery of the crime. I found myself invested. I found myself filled with suspense. And, I found myself incredibly curious about Iceland, a country that I never gave much thought to.
I was fascinated by every aspect of this story—the book cover, the characters, their relationships, their names, the crime, the town, the country, the Icelandic winter.
Snowblind is a quiet mystery that kept me eagerly reading each and every page. It is well written and atmospheric in its storytelling. This book suited me well.
—————
A word about the book cover. I love it and I was crushed by it. I loved the cover that I originally laid eyes on, that was my first attraction to this story. The book I received from the library was not the same cover, it crushed me. I was overwhelmingly disappointed when I first saw it, so much so that I almost didn't check it out. I checked it out only because it was highly recommended to me, otherwise it would have stayed in the library. Yes, I'm superficial in this way. And yes, I now highly recommended this book too.
A word about the names. Ari Thor. That name rocks. The character himself made the name rock even more. If I were younger I would have a serious fictional crush. But I'm not younger so I am not going there. But wow. He's a flawed character with potential. Back to names....how about the author's first name? Ragnar. Another name that rocks, but this time I credit this fab name to a series that I am enamored by, and the narrator's way of saying the name. Every time I see this author's name, I hear the narrator. Wait! The other names in the book are fascinating too. I was quite taken by almost all of them. I suppose this is the nature of reading a book in translation, it was originally written in Icelandic.
The story drew me into the lives of all the characters, the small town community, and into the mystery of the crime. I found myself invested. I found myself filled with suspense. And, I found myself incredibly curious about Iceland, a country that I never gave much thought to.
I was fascinated by every aspect of this story—the book cover, the characters, their relationships, their names, the crime, the town, the country, the Icelandic winter.
Snowblind is a quiet mystery that kept me eagerly reading each and every page. It is well written and atmospheric in its storytelling. This book suited me well.
—————
A word about the book cover. I love it and I was crushed by it. I loved the cover that I originally laid eyes on, that was my first attraction to this story. The book I received from the library was not the same cover, it crushed me. I was overwhelmingly disappointed when I first saw it, so much so that I almost didn't check it out. I checked it out only because it was highly recommended to me, otherwise it would have stayed in the library. Yes, I'm superficial in this way. And yes, I now highly recommended this book too.
A word about the names. Ari Thor. That name rocks. The character himself made the name rock even more. If I were younger I would have a serious fictional crush. But I'm not younger so I am not going there. But wow. He's a flawed character with potential. Back to names....how about the author's first name? Ragnar. Another name that rocks, but this time I credit this fab name to a series that I am enamored by, and the narrator's way of saying the name. Every time I see this author's name, I hear the narrator. Wait! The other names in the book are fascinating too. I was quite taken by almost all of them. I suppose this is the nature of reading a book in translation, it was originally written in Icelandic.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Snowblind caught my eye because it is set in Iceland which happens to be one of my top bucket list travel destinations. I also like to make an effort to read non-English authors. Life gets boring if you only read New York Times Bestsellers. So a detective novel set in remote Iceland definitely piqued my interest.
This book is listed as Nordic Noir – a subgenre which Goodreads defines as “a genre comprising crime fiction written in Scandinavia with certain common characteristics, typically in a realistic style with a dark, morally complex mood.” And that certainly is a good starting point for describing Snowblind.
This story is very character driven. In many ways it is more about the characters than the plot. The plot ties everyone together, but the meat of the story is about their thoughts and feelings rather than crime procedures. It is a slow burning story rather than being action-packed. The languorous tone and character focus reminded me of [b:In the Woods|237209|In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)|Tana French|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348442606s/237209.jpg|3088141]. This book is not fast-paced enough to be called a Thriller even though the English version calls it that on the cover which may cause some people to go into it with false expectations. Just be patient and let the events unfold.
The story starts off with young Ari Thór takes a job as a police officer in the remote town of Siglufjörður. Ari Thór is more of a central character than a main character. His arrival is the trigger for several events and he is the character that the narrative spends the most time on, but the story also focuses on several other characters to varying degrees. The characters and small town dynamic were what made the story interesting.
I very much enjoyed the setting and the author’s descriptions. The writing was atmospheric and the imagery was striking. Most of the story takes place in Siglufjörður, Iceland - a real town on the north coast of Iceland just shy of the Arctic Circle. I was pleasantly surprised how much the descriptions reminded me of living on the Maine coast. Although there are certainly cultural differences, apparently there are a lot of commonalities between living in a small Northern coastal town in Maine and a small Northern coastal town in Iceland. So the descriptions of the blessings and curses of living in a small town rang true whether it was the annoyance of everyone knowing who you are even if you have never met them or the indisputable fact that if you weren’t born and raised there, you will always be “from away.” The descriptions of the land itself and the duality of winter being harsh yet exquisite were haunting.
If “Siglufjörður“ didn’t clue you in, the story is full Icelandic names both for the characters and the locations. The places are all real names, and yes, they are a bit of a mouthful. I did look up the pronunciation of a few of them, but I don’t think it should cause most readers too much confusion. It just shows that the setting is authentic. There were some parts where the writing seems a little choppy, but I could not tell if that was the translation or the original writing.
The story does skip around in time. Between the non-chronological parts and the multiple narrations, it was hard to tell how everything fits together at first. I did get confused a couple of times. I’ll avoid any major spoilers for the plot itself, but it did not have a nice neat bow like whodunits usually have. (I gather that is a tenant of Nordic Noir.) I appreciate the realism of loose ends and the impact of moral ambiguity more as the older I get. Sometimes I want the satisfaction of the all-inclusive neat bows, and other times I want something more realistic.
The only other thing to mention is that this is the first book in the English publication order, but apparently the original series had a different publication order. I won’t know how much of an impact that has until I read more of the series though.
Overall, I loved the atmosphere and the characters but did have some issues with the plot and pacing. I debated back and forth on whether to round my rating up or down but eventually rounded up since most of my thoughts were positive and the series shows potential. I will continue on with the series, although sadly my library does not have any of the other books yet.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars
This book is listed as Nordic Noir – a subgenre which Goodreads defines as “a genre comprising crime fiction written in Scandinavia with certain common characteristics, typically in a realistic style with a dark, morally complex mood.” And that certainly is a good starting point for describing Snowblind.
This story is very character driven. In many ways it is more about the characters than the plot. The plot ties everyone together, but the meat of the story is about their thoughts and feelings rather than crime procedures. It is a slow burning story rather than being action-packed. The languorous tone and character focus reminded me of [b:In the Woods|237209|In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1)|Tana French|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348442606s/237209.jpg|3088141]. This book is not fast-paced enough to be called a Thriller even though the English version calls it that on the cover which may cause some people to go into it with false expectations. Just be patient and let the events unfold.
The story starts off with young Ari Thór takes a job as a police officer in the remote town of Siglufjörður. Ari Thór is more of a central character than a main character. His arrival is the trigger for several events and he is the character that the narrative spends the most time on, but the story also focuses on several other characters to varying degrees. The characters and small town dynamic were what made the story interesting.
I very much enjoyed the setting and the author’s descriptions. The writing was atmospheric and the imagery was striking. Most of the story takes place in Siglufjörður, Iceland - a real town on the north coast of Iceland just shy of the Arctic Circle. I was pleasantly surprised how much the descriptions reminded me of living on the Maine coast. Although there are certainly cultural differences, apparently there are a lot of commonalities between living in a small Northern coastal town in Maine and a small Northern coastal town in Iceland. So the descriptions of the blessings and curses of living in a small town rang true whether it was the annoyance of everyone knowing who you are even if you have never met them or the indisputable fact that if you weren’t born and raised there, you will always be “from away.” The descriptions of the land itself and the duality of winter being harsh yet exquisite were haunting.
If “Siglufjörður“ didn’t clue you in, the story is full Icelandic names both for the characters and the locations. The places are all real names, and yes, they are a bit of a mouthful. I did look up the pronunciation of a few of them, but I don’t think it should cause most readers too much confusion. It just shows that the setting is authentic. There were some parts where the writing seems a little choppy, but I could not tell if that was the translation or the original writing.
The story does skip around in time. Between the non-chronological parts and the multiple narrations, it was hard to tell how everything fits together at first. I did get confused a couple of times. I’ll avoid any major spoilers for the plot itself, but it did not have a nice neat bow like whodunits usually have. (I gather that is a tenant of Nordic Noir.) I appreciate the realism of loose ends and the impact of moral ambiguity more as the older I get. Sometimes I want the satisfaction of the all-inclusive neat bows, and other times I want something more realistic.
The only other thing to mention is that this is the first book in the English publication order, but apparently the original series had a different publication order. I won’t know how much of an impact that has until I read more of the series though.
Overall, I loved the atmosphere and the characters but did have some issues with the plot and pacing. I debated back and forth on whether to round my rating up or down but eventually rounded up since most of my thoughts were positive and the series shows potential. I will continue on with the series, although sadly my library does not have any of the other books yet.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars
Hats off to Rangar Jonasson in this stellar Nordic Noir crime series. I'm already planning on a series read once I can get my hands on the translated on versions. I'm also in agreement with a few other reviewers thoughts on police officer Ari Thór Arason: as a new book boyfriend/book crush. He is a blend of complexity with simplistic tendencies that remind the reader he is normal guy when faced with the mystery of the female mind and the art of small talk.
My Reactions:
-The descriptions of Iceland were so beautiful. I was enchanted reading about the candles being put into the house windows on Christmas Eve. All I could picture was a scene of such beauty and tranquility. I am currently researching an Iceland trip. It was described so hauntingly and majestically that I need to see the landscapes for myself.
-The ferocity of winter there.. just reading about the snow made me cold. Being trapped in a small town when the only road in was blocked; highlighted the feelings of claustrophobia some of the characters were getting.
-The main character Ari. He's had a tragic beginning to life. He occasionally lapses into a disconnected observation into his loneliness and isolation. Yet, quickly assumes the facade of normalcy to continue on with life and find activities of interest. Reading and piano lessons are two past times he finds to occupy himself. I loved his tradition of buying himself a book on Christmas and it becomes more poignant when the reader learns the reason behind this tradition.
-Jonasson's devotion to character development and descriptions. The mystery evolves and we are constantly introduced with incredible detail to many players in the game. Each given a respectable amount of paragraph time pull the reader in just a little bit further. Well done.
-The ending. Ari has bungled his personal life a bit and the reader is left wondering how he's going to fix this one in the next book? Someone has some "splaining" to do.
-Ari's intellect is keen yet he doubts himself His instincts are spot on but he acknowledges he is a rookie and defers to those in experience. This causes a few rifts in the investigation and creates angles in the mystery. His rookie mistakes also cause the reader to appreciate his devotion to what is right but commiserate with him in his chastisement.
What's It About:
Police rookie, Ari Thór Arason:, is grateful to accept a position in the isolated fishing village of Siglufjörður. He neglects to consult his loving, recently roommate girlfriend of his acceptance and this leads to a rift in their relationship. Ari is puzzled over her reaction and cannot grasp at the reasoning of her displeasure. He leaves on a precarious note and begins to establish himself in a town where no one locks their doors. To occupy himself in 24 hour darkness; he takes up piano lessons with a lovely instructor that has her own reasons for escaping to Siglufjörður. Ari works to lay inroads with the suspicious locals and credibility with his coworkers. Yet, he still finds himself in a lonely existence. An avalanche closes the only road in and out of Siglufjörður. The bleakness and claustrophobic conditions begin to weigh on Ari.
An elderly writer falls to his death. A seemingly cut and dry case that involved a libation or two that may have contributed to this. But this is kept out of the paper's for posterity's sake. Ari begins to have his suspicions which are tapped down by his superior. When a woman is found bleeding in the snow, it is evident there is dark sinister presence in Siglufjörður. Ari begins to connect the puzzle pieces together that lead him to question the townspeople and the lengths people go to hide their secrets.
My Reactions:
-The descriptions of Iceland were so beautiful. I was enchanted reading about the candles being put into the house windows on Christmas Eve. All I could picture was a scene of such beauty and tranquility. I am currently researching an Iceland trip. It was described so hauntingly and majestically that I need to see the landscapes for myself.
-The ferocity of winter there.. just reading about the snow made me cold. Being trapped in a small town when the only road in was blocked; highlighted the feelings of claustrophobia some of the characters were getting.
-The main character Ari. He's had a tragic beginning to life. He occasionally lapses into a disconnected observation into his loneliness and isolation. Yet, quickly assumes the facade of normalcy to continue on with life and find activities of interest. Reading and piano lessons are two past times he finds to occupy himself. I loved his tradition of buying himself a book on Christmas and it becomes more poignant when the reader learns the reason behind this tradition.
-Jonasson's devotion to character development and descriptions. The mystery evolves and we are constantly introduced with incredible detail to many players in the game. Each given a respectable amount of paragraph time pull the reader in just a little bit further. Well done.
-The ending. Ari has bungled his personal life a bit and the reader is left wondering how he's going to fix this one in the next book? Someone has some "splaining" to do.
-Ari's intellect is keen yet he doubts himself His instincts are spot on but he acknowledges he is a rookie and defers to those in experience. This causes a few rifts in the investigation and creates angles in the mystery. His rookie mistakes also cause the reader to appreciate his devotion to what is right but commiserate with him in his chastisement.
What's It About:
Police rookie, Ari Thór Arason:, is grateful to accept a position in the isolated fishing village of Siglufjörður. He neglects to consult his loving, recently roommate girlfriend of his acceptance and this leads to a rift in their relationship. Ari is puzzled over her reaction and cannot grasp at the reasoning of her displeasure. He leaves on a precarious note and begins to establish himself in a town where no one locks their doors. To occupy himself in 24 hour darkness; he takes up piano lessons with a lovely instructor that has her own reasons for escaping to Siglufjörður. Ari works to lay inroads with the suspicious locals and credibility with his coworkers. Yet, he still finds himself in a lonely existence. An avalanche closes the only road in and out of Siglufjörður. The bleakness and claustrophobic conditions begin to weigh on Ari.
An elderly writer falls to his death. A seemingly cut and dry case that involved a libation or two that may have contributed to this. But this is kept out of the paper's for posterity's sake. Ari begins to have his suspicions which are tapped down by his superior. When a woman is found bleeding in the snow, it is evident there is dark sinister presence in Siglufjörður. Ari begins to connect the puzzle pieces together that lead him to question the townspeople and the lengths people go to hide their secrets.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I enjoyed this book a lot. I love mysteries and thrillers, but this one was quite different from what I have read before. It was slower than I expected a thriller to be, but as I read it felt myself getting more tense and sucked into the book. The setting was perfect to set up a dark crime drama in a small town. I felt even myself get claustrophobic as times (like the MC) as the snow fell, the routes out were obstructed, and it seemed dark all the time. This was due to the very skillfully constructed and described setting in northern Iceland. It comforted me that the MC was not used to the weather either and I felt like we were learning to cope with it together. The plot was interested and timed very well, but the gold stars were the characters. Each as mysterious and intricately pieced together as the next. It's been a long time since I read such interesting characters with the perfect balance of details and mystique. I just loved how this story was put together into the perfect crime novel and I cannot wait to return to this snowy dark Icelandic town for more crime drama. I can't believe this was a translated book because the prose and the flow of the story were spot on.
3.5 stars. This took a reeeeeeeeeally long time to get going for me. It's a very character-driven crime novel, with lots of little insights into the lives of a million and one characters living in a small fishing village in northern Iceland. There are occasional crimes that are largely overlooked as accidents by the police chief, so it's not until a rookie cop with the rather fabulous name of Ari Thor comes to town that these crimes get taken seriously.
I buddy read this with Joce from Squibbles Reads, and mostly I think we got incredibly hung up on the fact that one of the characters is named Ugla which is possibly the worst name I've ever seen. I'm sure it's pronounced differently in Icelandic to the way it appears in English, but good LORD that is an awful name to see on the page time and time again.
But I digress. This book feels quite claustrophobic, given that it takes place in a small town during the Icelandic winter where the sun barely rises and the populace are often snowed in or blocked off from the rest of the world thanks to avalanches closing the highway.
Ultimately, there were quite a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and I DID end up enjoying it. But up until the 80% mark, it really felt like a character study rather than a crime novel. I have the second one on my Kindle and I'll probably get to it relatively soon, because I'm intrigued to see how much of a jump there is plotwise between the first and the second books to be published in English.
I buddy read this with Joce from Squibbles Reads, and mostly I think we got incredibly hung up on the fact that one of the characters is named Ugla which is possibly the worst name I've ever seen. I'm sure it's pronounced differently in Icelandic to the way it appears in English, but good LORD that is an awful name to see on the page time and time again.
But I digress. This book feels quite claustrophobic, given that it takes place in a small town during the Icelandic winter where the sun barely rises and the populace are often snowed in or blocked off from the rest of the world thanks to avalanches closing the highway.
Ultimately, there were quite a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and I DID end up enjoying it. But up until the 80% mark, it really felt like a character study rather than a crime novel. I have the second one on my Kindle and I'll probably get to it relatively soon, because I'm intrigued to see how much of a jump there is plotwise between the first and the second books to be published in English.
I was so excited to start this series and it did not disappoint. Young Ari Thor takes his first police job in the very remote town of Siglufjordur in northern Iceland. In a town where nothing usually happens, he encounters two major crimes. This is an Agatha Christie type tale where there are lots of characters and you have no idea who did it. What makes this even better is the claustrophobic, dark setting of Iceland with unrelenting snowstorms and avalanches. I can't wait to get my hands on the next three installments of this series. I anticipate that Ari will become a really great main character as he matures.
As much as I love crime thrillers, this one wasn't for me. I struggled to get into the book, found it slow and not massively appealing. I can't say I would recommend this.
There has been a lot of talk on Twitter about the Dark Iceland series, of which Snowblind is the first instalment, and not one for missing out, I had to get stuck in to this series. Prior to starting this blog in February, I hadn’t heard of Jónasson but I am so pleased that I came across his books!
Ari Thór is a long way from home, the city of Reykjavik, and his girlfriend Kristin. Ari seems a little lost, not really knowing what he wants from life, which is in complete contrast to Kristin who has a plan and is exceptionally dedicated to her career and associated studies. Ari takes a job, it seems on a whim, in a remote village in the north of Iceland without much consideration as to what it would do to his relationship with Kristin. Siglufjörður is a quiet little fishing village where everyone knows everyone else and not particularly welcoming of newcomers – basically if you were not born in Siglufjörður then you are an outsider, regardless as to how long you have lived there!
When Ari first moves up to Siglufjörður, the detective work is scarce and it’s hard trying to uphold the law with the locals who are very set in their ways. However, the apparent suicide of a writer in the theatre changes things. The story is well woven, due to the oppressive and remote Siglufjörður, there is a definitive list of possible perpetrators who are all known to one another. Snowblind focuses on Ari’s detective skills to see past what appears to be the obvious and go against the opinion of the ‘old-school’ police who just want to tie up the loose ends and close the case as they are very wary of attracting publicity and therefore a scandal.
There is a strong cast of characters, each of them are well thought out and their backstory providing real perspective as to who they are. Iceland and it’s wintery landscape is as much of a character as the people themselves, the weather is a constant in the story and acts as a backdrop to the events as well as giving Ari a bit of cabin fever as the days never get light and the mountain pass is blocked by snow.
This is a slower pace of crime novel that I am used to however it was still had me gripped from the first pages due to it’s beautiful narrative and slow build up of tension.
A fantastic debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Jónasson. Also, Snowblind is well translated, as I was reading it I completely forgot that it wasn’t actually written in English.
Ari Thór is a long way from home, the city of Reykjavik, and his girlfriend Kristin. Ari seems a little lost, not really knowing what he wants from life, which is in complete contrast to Kristin who has a plan and is exceptionally dedicated to her career and associated studies. Ari takes a job, it seems on a whim, in a remote village in the north of Iceland without much consideration as to what it would do to his relationship with Kristin. Siglufjörður is a quiet little fishing village where everyone knows everyone else and not particularly welcoming of newcomers – basically if you were not born in Siglufjörður then you are an outsider, regardless as to how long you have lived there!
When Ari first moves up to Siglufjörður, the detective work is scarce and it’s hard trying to uphold the law with the locals who are very set in their ways. However, the apparent suicide of a writer in the theatre changes things. The story is well woven, due to the oppressive and remote Siglufjörður, there is a definitive list of possible perpetrators who are all known to one another. Snowblind focuses on Ari’s detective skills to see past what appears to be the obvious and go against the opinion of the ‘old-school’ police who just want to tie up the loose ends and close the case as they are very wary of attracting publicity and therefore a scandal.
There is a strong cast of characters, each of them are well thought out and their backstory providing real perspective as to who they are. Iceland and it’s wintery landscape is as much of a character as the people themselves, the weather is a constant in the story and acts as a backdrop to the events as well as giving Ari a bit of cabin fever as the days never get light and the mountain pass is blocked by snow.
This is a slower pace of crime novel that I am used to however it was still had me gripped from the first pages due to it’s beautiful narrative and slow build up of tension.
A fantastic debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Jónasson. Also, Snowblind is well translated, as I was reading it I completely forgot that it wasn’t actually written in English.