Scan barcode
sjorgie's review
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy. I've read one other book in this series and really liked it. I must admit it took me a awhile to get into the "story" of this read. There is a good mystery to be told, it is just done in a less intense manner than what I thought. There are a lot of different story lines going on at once which got a bit confusing at times. All the pieces tied up in the end. What I really liked about Rupture is that since it's a series, the main characters really have a chance to be fleshed out. The character development of both the main and secondary characters was well done.
myweereads's review against another edition
4.0
“It was an adventure that was never going to end well, and in fact it ended terribly.”
Rupture by Ragnar Jonasson is the fourth book in the Dark Iceland series based around the experience of policeman Ari Thor. In this novel during 1955, two young couples move to the uninhabited fjord of Hedinsfjordur. The stay ends suddenly when one of the women dies under strange circumstances. In nearby Siglufjordur, Ari Thor is trying to get to the bottom of the mysterious death and who was involved. With the help of a news reporter who is working on a serious case of her own, also the disappearance of a young child means that Ari Thor has a lot on his plate and must find a way to bring peace back to this town.
This much like the previous books built up to be a great thriller. From the very beginning the pace was set and the thoughts of what might have happened are dangled infront of the reader. The layout is similar in that the story moves from present day to the past during 1955. The writing very much encapsulates the cold winter and the atmosphere of claustrophobia as the town is quarantined due to a possible outbreak of a virus. There is a lot packed into this story but it all comes together well in explaining why things turned out the way they did.
Ari Thor is still a somewhat naive yet smart young policeman who is torn between his love and his career. He is trying to step up the ladder as well as respecting his girlfriend’s wishes of where they should be. Due to previous problems, the reader gets to see the progression of their relationship throughout this novel and what happened in-between the books is also explained well.
Once again I enjoyed this thrilling book and I’m also sad to see there’s just one more to go in this series and because I can’t wait I’ve decided to read it straight away. It’s a definite recommend read for me.
Rupture by Ragnar Jonasson is the fourth book in the Dark Iceland series based around the experience of policeman Ari Thor. In this novel during 1955, two young couples move to the uninhabited fjord of Hedinsfjordur. The stay ends suddenly when one of the women dies under strange circumstances. In nearby Siglufjordur, Ari Thor is trying to get to the bottom of the mysterious death and who was involved. With the help of a news reporter who is working on a serious case of her own, also the disappearance of a young child means that Ari Thor has a lot on his plate and must find a way to bring peace back to this town.
This much like the previous books built up to be a great thriller. From the very beginning the pace was set and the thoughts of what might have happened are dangled infront of the reader. The layout is similar in that the story moves from present day to the past during 1955. The writing very much encapsulates the cold winter and the atmosphere of claustrophobia as the town is quarantined due to a possible outbreak of a virus. There is a lot packed into this story but it all comes together well in explaining why things turned out the way they did.
Ari Thor is still a somewhat naive yet smart young policeman who is torn between his love and his career. He is trying to step up the ladder as well as respecting his girlfriend’s wishes of where they should be. Due to previous problems, the reader gets to see the progression of their relationship throughout this novel and what happened in-between the books is also explained well.
Once again I enjoyed this thrilling book and I’m also sad to see there’s just one more to go in this series and because I can’t wait I’ve decided to read it straight away. It’s a definite recommend read for me.
life_couch's review against another edition
3.0
Suprisingly good, decent twists. Not your average domestic thriller. Love the setting, and reading about quarantine makes any book spooky af. Looking forward to another Jonasson book! And visiting Iceland ❤️
freederik's review against another edition
dark
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? No
4.5
jemima_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bridget1989's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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
steph1rothwell's review against another edition
4.0
Rupture is the latest book in The Dark Icelandic series and takes place immediately after Blackout. This series is now firmly established as one of my favourites. Ari Thór is more settled now in Siglufjörður despite the enforced quarantine in the town due to the death of a tourist. Because it is a quiet time with everybody staying in their homes he starts to look at a case from the 50s as a favour. Not a cold case as such, more of trying to identify a young man who was in a family photograph. One of the other people in the photo committed suicide shortly after the photo was taken.Ísrún also reappears, looking into a hit and run and the disappearance of a young boy. It was good to see her back, she is like a dog with a bone and stands up to Ivor when he attempts to bully her.
What I love about this series is there is no sense of urgency. Ari is not involved in the current cases, he is just concerned with the cold case. This thread of the story is the one that appealed to me the most. I love looking at old photos and if there was one person I didn’t recognize in a group photo I would get obsessed with who they were. Ari is rebuilding his relationship with Kristin and for the first time I started to like her. She came across as a warmer person than in the earlier novels.
Hedinsfjörður sounds beautifully isolated, the type of place that would be lovely to visit but would quickly feel intimidating by its remoteness. It felt spooky and this combined with certain scenes with Robert convinced me that Ragnar would make a great ghost story writer.
As I said earlier this is a series that I enjoy very much and I’m eagerly waiting for the signed copy of this book to arrive to add to my collection of signed first editions.
With thanks to Karen Sullivan for the early copy received for review.
What I love about this series is there is no sense of urgency. Ari is not involved in the current cases, he is just concerned with the cold case. This thread of the story is the one that appealed to me the most. I love looking at old photos and if there was one person I didn’t recognize in a group photo I would get obsessed with who they were. Ari is rebuilding his relationship with Kristin and for the first time I started to like her. She came across as a warmer person than in the earlier novels.
Hedinsfjörður sounds beautifully isolated, the type of place that would be lovely to visit but would quickly feel intimidating by its remoteness. It felt spooky and this combined with certain scenes with Robert convinced me that Ragnar would make a great ghost story writer.
As I said earlier this is a series that I enjoy very much and I’m eagerly waiting for the signed copy of this book to arrive to add to my collection of signed first editions.
With thanks to Karen Sullivan for the early copy received for review.
brianlokker's review against another edition
3.0
Rupture follows a two-track narrative. The first continues the story of series protagonist Ari Thór Arason, a police officer in the small northern Iceland town of Siglufjördur. The second features Reykjavik TV news reporter Ísrún, who was introduced in Blackout, the preceding series book (in the original Icelandic publication order).
While Siglufjördur is locked down due to a (pre-Covid) virus, Ari Thór decides to investigate the death of a woman in a remote location 50 years earlier. Although the death was ruled accidental, the woman’s nephew comes to Ari Thór with questions about it. With plenty of time on his hands because of the lockdown, Ari Thór is intrigued enough to research the case.
Meanwhile, in Reykjavik, Ísrún is looking into the hit-and-run death of a well-known politician’s son as well as the kidnapping of a baby boy, which the police think may be connected. While Ísrún works on these two stories, she also reconnects with Ari Thór and helps him publicize the cold case from up north. Her news report prompts a viewer to come forward with information that could prove to be a key to the long-ago death.
I mostly enjoyed the book, but I think the cold case was much more interesting than the Reykjavik hit-and-run and kidnapping investigations. The two narratives were not connected in any meaningful sense, and the Reykjavik crimes seemed to serve primarily as filler, keeping Ísrún busy while she wasn’t helping Ari Thór with his case. I think I’d enjoy seeing them paired up more extensively on an investigation.
Jónasson has developed the Ísrún character a little more this time around, and I liked her better than I did in the earlier book. My feelings about Ari Thór himself are only lukewarm, although I did admire the investigative and reasoning skills that he displayed in pursuing the old case. I also enjoyed some of the secondary characters, especially photographer Delía, nursing home resident Nikulás, and Ari Thór’s girlfriend Kristín.
The northern Icelandic weather comes into play with respect to the old case, but it doesn’t really impact the characters in the present as it did to such great effect in the first series book, Snowblind. Still and all, Rupture is a good read for fans of Icelandic and Scandinavian noir.
While Siglufjördur is locked down due to a (pre-Covid) virus, Ari Thór decides to investigate the death of a woman in a remote location 50 years earlier. Although the death was ruled accidental, the woman’s nephew comes to Ari Thór with questions about it. With plenty of time on his hands because of the lockdown, Ari Thór is intrigued enough to research the case.
Meanwhile, in Reykjavik, Ísrún is looking into the hit-and-run death of a well-known politician’s son as well as the kidnapping of a baby boy, which the police think may be connected. While Ísrún works on these two stories, she also reconnects with Ari Thór and helps him publicize the cold case from up north. Her news report prompts a viewer to come forward with information that could prove to be a key to the long-ago death.
I mostly enjoyed the book, but I think the cold case was much more interesting than the Reykjavik hit-and-run and kidnapping investigations. The two narratives were not connected in any meaningful sense, and the Reykjavik crimes seemed to serve primarily as filler, keeping Ísrún busy while she wasn’t helping Ari Thór with his case. I think I’d enjoy seeing them paired up more extensively on an investigation.
Jónasson has developed the Ísrún character a little more this time around, and I liked her better than I did in the earlier book. My feelings about Ari Thór himself are only lukewarm, although I did admire the investigative and reasoning skills that he displayed in pursuing the old case. I also enjoyed some of the secondary characters, especially photographer Delía, nursing home resident Nikulás, and Ari Thór’s girlfriend Kristín.
The northern Icelandic weather comes into play with respect to the old case, but it doesn’t really impact the characters in the present as it did to such great effect in the first series book, Snowblind. Still and all, Rupture is a good read for fans of Icelandic and Scandinavian noir.
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
4.0
Rupture is the fourth book in the Dark Iceland series and probably best to have read the others prior to this one for full enjoyment.
It was great to catch back up with Ari Thor again and to be transported to the wonderful picturesque setting. For a small place, Ari sure is kept busy with murders and crimes. Not so good for him but it’s great for us readers.
I really enjoyed the different story lines that ran throughout the novel. I always enjoy having the mixture of the investigations as well as the main characters personal life and the author does this really well. Poor Ari though, things never seem to run to smoothly for him!
The Dark Iceland series is one that I think many crime lovers would devour quickly and enjoy. They are not your gritty fast paced crime thrillers but a wonderful atmospheric, who dunnit type of read. Having read all four books in the series I really can’t recommend them highly enough.
My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
It was great to catch back up with Ari Thor again and to be transported to the wonderful picturesque setting. For a small place, Ari sure is kept busy with murders and crimes. Not so good for him but it’s great for us readers.
I really enjoyed the different story lines that ran throughout the novel. I always enjoy having the mixture of the investigations as well as the main characters personal life and the author does this really well. Poor Ari though, things never seem to run to smoothly for him!
The Dark Iceland series is one that I think many crime lovers would devour quickly and enjoy. They are not your gritty fast paced crime thrillers but a wonderful atmospheric, who dunnit type of read. Having read all four books in the series I really can’t recommend them highly enough.
My thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
shumska's review against another edition
2.0
priča je dobra, ima sve uvjete da bi bio fantastičan krimić, čak i hororac, ali negdje nešto ne štima.
ili je ragnar jónasson izuzetno loš pisac ili ne bi trebao pisati na engleskom (rodom je islanđanin i živi u reykyaviku) ili je prijevod totalno promašen. mislim, "napuklina" se ne razlikuje bitnije od "snježnog sljepila" i "zamračenja", sve su pisane u nekom banalnom, neinspiriranom tonu, što je šteta jer priče su, same po sebi, dobro zamišljene. sjećam se da mi se ni prve dvije nisu baš dopale pa se pitam zašto sam posegnula i za ovom... znam zašto, zbog mjesta događaja (islandska zabit) koje mi djeluje obećavajuće i zbog fotografije na naslovnici koja odgovara mom fotografskom ukusu.
uglavnom... ako ti je do brzočitajućeg krimića s nespretno složenim rečenicama i ako tražiš dva-tri dana laganog čitanja, okej, da. ali ako od literature tražiš više, slobodno preskoči. ima ih i vještijih u tom žanru.
ili je ragnar jónasson izuzetno loš pisac ili ne bi trebao pisati na engleskom (rodom je islanđanin i živi u reykyaviku) ili je prijevod totalno promašen. mislim, "napuklina" se ne razlikuje bitnije od "snježnog sljepila" i "zamračenja", sve su pisane u nekom banalnom, neinspiriranom tonu, što je šteta jer priče su, same po sebi, dobro zamišljene. sjećam se da mi se ni prve dvije nisu baš dopale pa se pitam zašto sam posegnula i za ovom... znam zašto, zbog mjesta događaja (islandska zabit) koje mi djeluje obećavajuće i zbog fotografije na naslovnici koja odgovara mom fotografskom ukusu.
uglavnom... ako ti je do brzočitajućeg krimića s nespretno složenim rečenicama i ako tražiš dva-tri dana laganog čitanja, okej, da. ali ako od literature tražiš više, slobodno preskoči. ima ih i vještijih u tom žanru.