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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I not quite sure what to make of this book, first in a series. The setting, a small, snowbound village in Iceland, was interesting, but the characters, Ari, ex-religion student, turned policeman, and others just didn't seem to have much of a spark. There's little development of his relationship others, and the investigation into an author's death wasn't enough to keep it going.
That said, there was sufficient good writing and curiosity as to what really did happen to keep me reading, so I'll probably move on to the second book in the series.
That said, there was sufficient good writing and curiosity as to what really did happen to keep me reading, so I'll probably move on to the second book in the series.
This was really not my thing. It was so incredibly slow. Extensive background was given on almost every character, and it was so unnecessary. It was hard to keep people straight. The book was only 250 pages, so having background for 12 different characters (I'm exaggerating) was absurd. The resolutions to the cases in this book were a little ridiculous to me. Probably won't try the second books.
DNF @ 50%
Really really slow literally noting is happening and it's honestly kind of boring
Really really slow literally noting is happening and it's honestly kind of boring
Let me just say that I am absolutely in love with Nordic Noir. It is one of my new discoveries. Before I never really enjoyed slow moving books, I was all for the action packed adventure. But with Nordic Noir you get that slow simmer, very slow moving, but with careful exact details. And the author gives you just that with this murder mystery, crime thriller novel. . The writing flow is so smooth that you are completely absorbed from the beginning.
Ragnar (who is just the cutest ever, seriously look him up) takes us to an isolated Icelandic village, that is completely cut off from the rest of the world during the winter months, where we learn through rookie detective Ari Thor the life of the village residents. And the description is so detailed, that the village itself becomes a dark atmospheric character in the story. When Ari first starts he is told “nothing ever happens here," but then, yep you guessed it, many things start to happen. If you enjoy an old fashion slow burn mystery then read this book.
I truly enjoyed his debut novel and will definitely continue with this series.
Ragnar (who is just the cutest ever, seriously look him up) takes us to an isolated Icelandic village, that is completely cut off from the rest of the world during the winter months, where we learn through rookie detective Ari Thor the life of the village residents. And the description is so detailed, that the village itself becomes a dark atmospheric character in the story. When Ari first starts he is told “nothing ever happens here," but then, yep you guessed it, many things start to happen. If you enjoy an old fashion slow burn mystery then read this book.
I truly enjoyed his debut novel and will definitely continue with this series.
Ari Thór takes his first assignment as a police officer in the small, quiet fjord town of Siglufjörður where everyone knows everyone's business. He leaves his girlfriend behind in Reykjavik and as soon as he arrives in town, he feels claustrophobic because of the mountains and the lack of light. Several not-so-quiet crimes happen on his watch as the book takes several twists and turns.
This is a perfect mystery to read while locked up because of cold, wintry weather.
This is a perfect mystery to read while locked up because of cold, wintry weather.
Siglufjordur is the opposite of Reykjavik. It’s a small fishing village located in Northern Iceland, where everyone knows each other and no one locks their doors. Ari Thor Arason has just applied for his first posting as a police officer and ends up being sent to Siglufjordur. He has to leave behind his girlfriend and his life in Reykjavik, but doesn’t hesitate to make the change, as this is his chance to launch his career.
Ari Thor finds that Siglufjordur might not just be as quiet as he first thought when he finds himself investigating a case where a young woman’s body has been found lying half-naked, bleeding in the snow. To complicate matters a well-known, elderly author was found to have fallen to his death just prior to this woman being discovered. As a massive snowstorm closes off the one road leading to and from the town, Ari Thor must work to discover the truth behind what happened to these two individuals. Can Ari Thor find a killer or will he be blinded by the snow?
SNOWBLIND is the first book in the Dark Iceland series, which focuses on Ari Thor Arason, a rookie cop attempting to start his career. Ari Thor is ambitious and desperately wants to do what is right by the people in the town of Siglufjordur, but he must learn how to navigate being the outsider and the new kid on the block at the same time. Ragnar Jonasson does an exceptional job of making the reader feel the weight of this case on Ari Thor’s shoulders through his atmospheric portrayal of Siglufjordur. Right from the start you get the feeling that these villagers are hiding something, but they are a tight-lipped community who would prefer to gossip about those around them, than outright accuse anyone of wrongdoing. Certainly no one can believe Ari Thor’s suggestion that foul play is at work when the body of a retired writer is found. The man simply fell down the stairs after one too many drinks and met an unfortunate end.
Jonasson’s character roster is full of interesting people with a not-so-distinct line dividing those the reader can trust and those they cannot. It is clear everyone in this village has some secret they keep closely tucked away and Jonasson plays off of this notion to confuse the reader. I can testify, this method works quite well! If you have ever read an Agatha Christie novel you can feel Jonasson using his real-life interests in her works as a basis for his own ingenuity. I’ve always loved the way Christie seamlessly flips a reader from suspect to suspect and Jonasson has captured this ability in a modern setting. Coupled with the moody, snowy town the story is set in, this becomes a book you can’t help flying through the pages of. I had no doubt I would love this series before I ever held this book in my hand. I was so confident that I bought all of the currently released titles, which means I’m dedicated myself to spending time with Ari Thor once a month! I can’t wait to see how his character evolves and what new cases and crimes Jonasson comes up with!
Ari Thor finds that Siglufjordur might not just be as quiet as he first thought when he finds himself investigating a case where a young woman’s body has been found lying half-naked, bleeding in the snow. To complicate matters a well-known, elderly author was found to have fallen to his death just prior to this woman being discovered. As a massive snowstorm closes off the one road leading to and from the town, Ari Thor must work to discover the truth behind what happened to these two individuals. Can Ari Thor find a killer or will he be blinded by the snow?
SNOWBLIND is the first book in the Dark Iceland series, which focuses on Ari Thor Arason, a rookie cop attempting to start his career. Ari Thor is ambitious and desperately wants to do what is right by the people in the town of Siglufjordur, but he must learn how to navigate being the outsider and the new kid on the block at the same time. Ragnar Jonasson does an exceptional job of making the reader feel the weight of this case on Ari Thor’s shoulders through his atmospheric portrayal of Siglufjordur. Right from the start you get the feeling that these villagers are hiding something, but they are a tight-lipped community who would prefer to gossip about those around them, than outright accuse anyone of wrongdoing. Certainly no one can believe Ari Thor’s suggestion that foul play is at work when the body of a retired writer is found. The man simply fell down the stairs after one too many drinks and met an unfortunate end.
Jonasson’s character roster is full of interesting people with a not-so-distinct line dividing those the reader can trust and those they cannot. It is clear everyone in this village has some secret they keep closely tucked away and Jonasson plays off of this notion to confuse the reader. I can testify, this method works quite well! If you have ever read an Agatha Christie novel you can feel Jonasson using his real-life interests in her works as a basis for his own ingenuity. I’ve always loved the way Christie seamlessly flips a reader from suspect to suspect and Jonasson has captured this ability in a modern setting. Coupled with the moody, snowy town the story is set in, this becomes a book you can’t help flying through the pages of. I had no doubt I would love this series before I ever held this book in my hand. I was so confident that I bought all of the currently released titles, which means I’m dedicated myself to spending time with Ari Thor once a month! I can’t wait to see how his character evolves and what new cases and crimes Jonasson comes up with!
So good! I love Ari Thór in this book! Such a relatable character in such a relatable part of his young life! It was an easy read and I appreciate that! I can’t wait to read the next one.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh boy, I officially have a major book boyfriend crush on Ari Thor (along with a large gaggle of other women no doubt). What started out as a slow burning noir suddenly turned into a twisty, fast-paced mystery around the half way point. This is technically listed as book #2 in the Dark Iceland series, but for those of us who are reading in english rather than icelandic, this is our beginning. The first third of the book does a nice job setting up our story; we get a good amount of the current state of affairs in our lead character’s life while also getting a bit of his history. We’re given just enough to keep us hooked on Ari Thor but left wanting more that will hopefully be revealed in further books.
Again, I think we all became a little obsessed with Ari Thor from the beginning. He’s so down to earth and cute in that clueless young man way. I did feel the pacing was a bit steady until we are introduced to the crimes described in the summary, but quickly picked up after that. What I had assumed would be a cozy murder mystery soon turned into so much more! I wasn’t expecting the major twists, and I think that is what catapulted this into such a great read. I love how the book is structured; we have chapters alternating from present time to a crime that has or will happen at some point, and as the reader we are left in the dark until that beautiful moment with Ragnar brings all the pieces together and connects every detail to a perfect T. I cannot express enough how fantastic it felt to be blown away by so many twists in a single book; as a reader of many mysteries and suspenseful thrillers, it’s getting harder to find stories that feel unique and fresh. I can see this being considered a classic police procedural that is talked about for many years to come.
Overall, this was a well-written crime novel that is equal parts thorough mystery and breathtaking suspense. The fact that this book is such a compelling, character driven read only adds to the appeal, and the setting itself is like another main character adding massive amounts of intrigue and darkness. This book has only fueled my desire to visit Iceland more, and I’m sure the remainder of the series will increase this passion as well. If you are a fan of nordic noir that is an excellent example of the crime fiction genre, look no further. This series needs to go on your must read list for 2017.
While I received my arc from Minotaur Books (thank you so much!), I have to also thank Karen Sullivan over at Orenda for putting this one on my radar (and also offering to send me a few others in the series to keep me appetite satiated); without her I’d be missing out on so many fantastic books that I wouldn’t be able to get my hands on otherwise!
Again, I think we all became a little obsessed with Ari Thor from the beginning. He’s so down to earth and cute in that clueless young man way. I did feel the pacing was a bit steady until we are introduced to the crimes described in the summary, but quickly picked up after that. What I had assumed would be a cozy murder mystery soon turned into so much more! I wasn’t expecting the major twists, and I think that is what catapulted this into such a great read. I love how the book is structured; we have chapters alternating from present time to a crime that has or will happen at some point, and as the reader we are left in the dark until that beautiful moment with Ragnar brings all the pieces together and connects every detail to a perfect T. I cannot express enough how fantastic it felt to be blown away by so many twists in a single book; as a reader of many mysteries and suspenseful thrillers, it’s getting harder to find stories that feel unique and fresh. I can see this being considered a classic police procedural that is talked about for many years to come.
Overall, this was a well-written crime novel that is equal parts thorough mystery and breathtaking suspense. The fact that this book is such a compelling, character driven read only adds to the appeal, and the setting itself is like another main character adding massive amounts of intrigue and darkness. This book has only fueled my desire to visit Iceland more, and I’m sure the remainder of the series will increase this passion as well. If you are a fan of nordic noir that is an excellent example of the crime fiction genre, look no further. This series needs to go on your must read list for 2017.
While I received my arc from Minotaur Books (thank you so much!), I have to also thank Karen Sullivan over at Orenda for putting this one on my radar (and also offering to send me a few others in the series to keep me appetite satiated); without her I’d be missing out on so many fantastic books that I wouldn’t be able to get my hands on otherwise!