Scan barcode
elizabethpero's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Was absolutely sucked into this quick, twisty murder mystery set in the remote north of Iceland. I'm a huge fan of Nordic Noir, and this was my first Icelandic story, so I'm thrilled to have found this author!
clair_82's review against another edition
5.0
Ari Thór Arason is back in the final instalment of the Dark Iceland series - whilst I’m pleased that there is another story to read, I’m very disappointed to be saying goodbye!
In Whiteout, Ari Thór is reunited with Tómas to investigate the death of a young woman in a remote area of Iceland just before Christmas. Ari Thór is preparing for Christmas with his girlfriend Kristin who is 8 months pregnant with their first child when he receives a call out of the blue from his old boss Tómas asking for his assistance. Given the time of year and the impending birth of his child, Ari Thór agrees to help as long as Kristin can join them....so off they all head to Kalfshamarsvik to commence their investigation into the death of Asta.
Whiteout is broken down into distinct parts and what I particularly enjoyed was learning about Asta from her own perspective, for the first few chapters we are privy to Asta’s thoughts and feelings about being back in the place where her mother and sister died when she was a young girl. We are also introduced to the main characters through Asta’s interactions with them. We are only then in the company of Ari Thór and Tómas once Asta has died.
As is synonymous with Ragnar Jónasson’s Dark Iceland series, this is a gentle investigation to begin with. Please don’t misunderstand me, by gentle I do not mean in anyway boring! Jónasson has a wonderful writing style that slowly draws you in bit by bit until you are completely immersed into the investigation - then, only when he is ready, do the strands start to unravel and the pace ramp up creating bags of tension to find out the reality of the circumstances, a classic whodunnit Icelandic style - just fantastic!!
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series; I’m so pleased that this final instalment reunites Ari Thór and Tómas as I really like their dynamic and how they work together - it’s like they have never been apart! I look forward to where Jónasson’s writing takes us next!
If you’ve not read any of this series then you must - I highly recommend all of the books!
Whiteout is broken down into distinct parts and what I particularly enjoyed was learning about Asta from her own perspective, for the first few chapters we are privy to Asta’s thoughts and feelings about being back in the place where her mother and sister died when she was a young girl. We are also introduced to the main characters through Asta’s interactions with them. We are only then in the company of Ari Thór and Tómas once Asta has died.
As is synonymous with Ragnar Jónasson’s Dark Iceland series, this is a gentle investigation to begin with. Please don’t misunderstand me, by gentle I do not mean in anyway boring! Jónasson has a wonderful writing style that slowly draws you in bit by bit until you are completely immersed into the investigation - then, only when he is ready, do the strands start to unravel and the pace ramp up creating bags of tension to find out the reality of the circumstances, a classic whodunnit Icelandic style - just fantastic!!
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series; I’m so pleased that this final instalment reunites Ari Thór and Tómas as I really like their dynamic and how they work together - it’s like they have never been apart! I look forward to where Jónasson’s writing takes us next!
If you’ve not read any of this series then you must - I highly recommend all of the books!
msheffer's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
pkfimblefom's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
angrygreycatreads's review against another edition
4.0
White Out is book 4 in the Dark Iceland Series. Ari Thor is back with his girlfriend and about to be a father as it closes in on Christmas. His old boss Tomas recruits him to investigate a suspicious death in a family and at a home with a tragic history. Slightly lighter feeling than some of the other books in the series, perhaps due to the holiday setting. Ari Thor finds himself working against public opinion to time the current case to the ones from the past. Great read in this series.
nadiakb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
amothersmusings1's review against another edition
5.0
What have I been missing out on!? "White Out" is my first venture into the impressive 'Dark Iceland' series by Ragnar Jonasson and I can't believe I have been missing such a fantastic set of stories. I loved it, loved it and LOVED IT some more!
Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead at the bottom of some cliffs of a deserted Icelandic village. Did she jump or did something more sinister take place? Detective Ari Thor Arason discovers that the victim's younger sister and mother also died in the same spot, 25 years earlier. As dark secrets and the sinister history of the village and lighthouse are unveiled, the detectives must race against the clock to find the killer, but will they be able stop further tragedies?
This fabulous book was like a stimulating blast of icy fresh air, dark, chilling and so atmospheric. I've never felt more connected to a setting before in a story. So beautiful, rugged and truly haunting, it feels like I've been actually living in Iceland these past few days.
I adored the characters, each one was perfect for the role they portrayed and I especially liked how the plot was not over filled with complex characters, just the perfect minimum to keep the story and the suspense flowing.
Written by Iceland's best selling crime writer and translated expertly by Quentin Bates, this is a must buy and with a definite Christmas theme to it, it's an ideal read for this time of year - cool, chilling and utterly absorbing. The storyline literally keeps you hooked from the first page, if I could give this more than 5 stars I would. It's been a long time since a book has held my attention and completely shrouded me in a superbly crafted modern crime mystery.
I HIGHLY recommend "White Out", this author and the respected publisher Orenda Books, I'm now going to raid the backlist in this fantastic series as I'm now Ragnar's number one fan!
5 stars and then some!!
Merged review:
What have I been missing out on!? "White Out" is my first venture into the impressive 'Dark Iceland' series by Ragnar Jonasson and I can't believe I have been missing such a fantastic set of stories. I loved it, loved it and LOVED IT some more!
Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead at the bottom of some cliffs of a deserted Icelandic village. Did she jump or did something more sinister take place? Detective Ari Thor Arason discovers that the victim's younger sister and mother also died in the same spot, 25 years earlier. As dark secrets and the sinister history of the village and lighthouse are unveiled, the detectives must race against the clock to find the killer, but will they be able stop further tragedies?
This fabulous book was like a stimulating blast of icy fresh air, dark, chilling and so atmospheric. I've never felt more connected to a setting before in a story. So beautiful, rugged and truly haunting, it feels like I've been actually living in Iceland these past few days.
I adored the characters, each one was perfect for the role they portrayed and I especially liked how the plot was not over filled with complex characters, just the perfect minimum to keep the story and the suspense flowing.
Written by Iceland's best selling crime writer and translated expertly by Quentin Bates, this is a must buy and with a definite Christmas theme to it, it's an ideal read for this time of year - cool, chilling and utterly absorbing. The storyline literally keeps you hooked from the first page, if I could give this more than 5 stars I would. It's been a long time since a book has held my attention and completely shrouded me in a superbly crafted modern crime mystery.
I HIGHLY recommend "White Out", this author and the respected publisher Orenda Books, I'm now going to raid the backlist in this fantastic series as I'm now Ragnar's number one fan!
5 stars and then some!!
Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead at the bottom of some cliffs of a deserted Icelandic village. Did she jump or did something more sinister take place? Detective Ari Thor Arason discovers that the victim's younger sister and mother also died in the same spot, 25 years earlier. As dark secrets and the sinister history of the village and lighthouse are unveiled, the detectives must race against the clock to find the killer, but will they be able stop further tragedies?
This fabulous book was like a stimulating blast of icy fresh air, dark, chilling and so atmospheric. I've never felt more connected to a setting before in a story. So beautiful, rugged and truly haunting, it feels like I've been actually living in Iceland these past few days.
I adored the characters, each one was perfect for the role they portrayed and I especially liked how the plot was not over filled with complex characters, just the perfect minimum to keep the story and the suspense flowing.
Written by Iceland's best selling crime writer and translated expertly by Quentin Bates, this is a must buy and with a definite Christmas theme to it, it's an ideal read for this time of year - cool, chilling and utterly absorbing. The storyline literally keeps you hooked from the first page, if I could give this more than 5 stars I would. It's been a long time since a book has held my attention and completely shrouded me in a superbly crafted modern crime mystery.
I HIGHLY recommend "White Out", this author and the respected publisher Orenda Books, I'm now going to raid the backlist in this fantastic series as I'm now Ragnar's number one fan!
5 stars and then some!!
Merged review:
What have I been missing out on!? "White Out" is my first venture into the impressive 'Dark Iceland' series by Ragnar Jonasson and I can't believe I have been missing such a fantastic set of stories. I loved it, loved it and LOVED IT some more!
Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead at the bottom of some cliffs of a deserted Icelandic village. Did she jump or did something more sinister take place? Detective Ari Thor Arason discovers that the victim's younger sister and mother also died in the same spot, 25 years earlier. As dark secrets and the sinister history of the village and lighthouse are unveiled, the detectives must race against the clock to find the killer, but will they be able stop further tragedies?
This fabulous book was like a stimulating blast of icy fresh air, dark, chilling and so atmospheric. I've never felt more connected to a setting before in a story. So beautiful, rugged and truly haunting, it feels like I've been actually living in Iceland these past few days.
I adored the characters, each one was perfect for the role they portrayed and I especially liked how the plot was not over filled with complex characters, just the perfect minimum to keep the story and the suspense flowing.
Written by Iceland's best selling crime writer and translated expertly by Quentin Bates, this is a must buy and with a definite Christmas theme to it, it's an ideal read for this time of year - cool, chilling and utterly absorbing. The storyline literally keeps you hooked from the first page, if I could give this more than 5 stars I would. It's been a long time since a book has held my attention and completely shrouded me in a superbly crafted modern crime mystery.
I HIGHLY recommend "White Out", this author and the respected publisher Orenda Books, I'm now going to raid the backlist in this fantastic series as I'm now Ragnar's number one fan!
5 stars and then some!!
lolabrigita's review against another edition
4.0
Have very much enjoyed this Nordic noir series, set in Iceland. This has been the best book of the bunch - compelling story, wonderful sense of place and a real feeling for the key characters and all involved now. Still baffled and annoyed by the fact that English translations were printed out of order, it’s taken me a few books to unravel events and resettle then into a linear trajectory in my own head.
bibliophilebookclub's review against another edition
5.0
I have been waiting (im)patiently for Whiteout ever since I finished reading Rupture. I’m pretty sure everyone knows by now how much of a big fan I am of this series. So you can imagine my absolute glee in getting to read Whiteout before publication!
In Whiteout, we are back with Ari Thór and Tómas, both of whom are tasked with investigating the circumstances in which a young woman ends up at the bottom of the cliffs at Kálfshamarvík. Only a couple of days before Christmas, the men must work quickly and effectively to try to find out what has happened and how the woman ended up dead.
Whiteout is a really well-written mystery. With a large cast of characters, it really makes the reader work hard to try to figure things out alongside Ari Thór. I love Ragnar Jónasson’s writing style. There is something almost poetic in the way he describes the Icelandic location. The stunning visual imagery is second to none in terms of creating a clear location in the reader’s mind.
The author has assembled a really interesting cast of characters for this one. There are many of them, all with their own secrets that they are holding close to their chest. I found myself suspecting everyone at one time or another, such is the unreliable nature of the narrative Jónasson has created in Whiteout.
There is a haunting element to Whiteout as well. The cliffs, the lighthouse and the old abandoned house almost seem to become characters as well due to how well the author describes them. This creates a sense of foreboding as the reader gets drawn more into the story. It is quietly chilling and there seems to be a sinister element in the background when they are investigating in and around Kálfshamarvík.
I don’t want to say any more because the joy of reading these books is often found in unravelling the mystery alongside Ari Thór. Whiteout is another superb instalment in the Dark Iceland series. It has left me wanting more, and has also made some questions arise. So Ragnar, if you’re reading this, you and I need to have a bit of a chat...
I cannot recommend this series, and this book highly enough. Always atmospheric, often chilling and with plenty to keep the reader turning the pages, Whiteout is definitely a book to add to your TBR. The whole series is though, to be honest. If you haven’t read them, then you really should get on it!
I could keep rattling on about how much I enjoyed Whiteout. And the whole series in general. But I would be here all day, and still not do justice to my fave Icelander and his awesome books.
So yeah, Whiteout is all kinds of brilliant. Great characters, a gripping plot and a hauntingly atmospheric location. Another book added to my all time favourites list.
Highly recommended.
All the stars, always.
#AriThór
In Whiteout, we are back with Ari Thór and Tómas, both of whom are tasked with investigating the circumstances in which a young woman ends up at the bottom of the cliffs at Kálfshamarvík. Only a couple of days before Christmas, the men must work quickly and effectively to try to find out what has happened and how the woman ended up dead.
Whiteout is a really well-written mystery. With a large cast of characters, it really makes the reader work hard to try to figure things out alongside Ari Thór. I love Ragnar Jónasson’s writing style. There is something almost poetic in the way he describes the Icelandic location. The stunning visual imagery is second to none in terms of creating a clear location in the reader’s mind.
The author has assembled a really interesting cast of characters for this one. There are many of them, all with their own secrets that they are holding close to their chest. I found myself suspecting everyone at one time or another, such is the unreliable nature of the narrative Jónasson has created in Whiteout.
There is a haunting element to Whiteout as well. The cliffs, the lighthouse and the old abandoned house almost seem to become characters as well due to how well the author describes them. This creates a sense of foreboding as the reader gets drawn more into the story. It is quietly chilling and there seems to be a sinister element in the background when they are investigating in and around Kálfshamarvík.
I don’t want to say any more because the joy of reading these books is often found in unravelling the mystery alongside Ari Thór. Whiteout is another superb instalment in the Dark Iceland series. It has left me wanting more, and has also made some questions arise. So Ragnar, if you’re reading this, you and I need to have a bit of a chat...
I cannot recommend this series, and this book highly enough. Always atmospheric, often chilling and with plenty to keep the reader turning the pages, Whiteout is definitely a book to add to your TBR. The whole series is though, to be honest. If you haven’t read them, then you really should get on it!
I could keep rattling on about how much I enjoyed Whiteout. And the whole series in general. But I would be here all day, and still not do justice to my fave Icelander and his awesome books.
So yeah, Whiteout is all kinds of brilliant. Great characters, a gripping plot and a hauntingly atmospheric location. Another book added to my all time favourites list.
Highly recommended.
All the stars, always.
#AriThór