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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 ❤️
lissan's review against another edition
4.0
As you, who follow me, know, I am a great fan of Icelandic author Arnaldur Indridason. Now I have made the acquaintance with another Icelandic crime writer, Ragnar Jónasson. It is a meeting that will lead to more, of this I am sure.
As with Indridason, Jónasson works on two levels. One old story that never got an ending and one contemporary murder mystery to solve. I think this is what I really love with these two authors. Their ability to totally engage the reader in an interesting, old story, which most of the time has a very tragic course. I find that these cold cases sometimes are more interesting than the contemporary story, but in the end they do complement each other.
"1955. Two young couples move to the uninhabited, isolated fjord of Hedingsfjördur. Their stay ends abruptly when one of the women meets her death in mysterious circumstances. The case is never solved. Fifty years later an old photograph comes to light, and it becomes clear that the couples may not have been alone on the fjord after all..."
That is the background story, and possible crime, that policeman Ari Thór is asked to investigate by the son of one of the couples. Thór becomes intrigued by the story and works on it when he has time. He is on duty in a city in the north of Iceland who has been put into quarantine due to an unfortunate death, caused by a dangerous virus. Nobody is out and about and there is not that much to do. A perfect time to look into something that can take away the dreary thoughts of the present time.
The contemporary mystery is told by journalist Ísrún who is covering a mysterious kidnapping of a small child. She is also reporting about the quarantine and gets in touch with Thór to get an interview. He in his turn asks her help in his ongoing investigation of the cold case.
Parallell we meet people involved in the present crime. Even so, the information you get is hidden in the dark and provides a scary and mysterious background to the events. It has repercussions high up in political circles in Iceland and it is only at the very end that you know what really happened.
It is a book which you can hardly put down. The stories engage you, as well as the characters. Maybe because I have just been on Iceland, I enjoyed it even more. I have seen the isolated countryside and fjords and I could really imagine the characters and how they felt. The unsolved old murder was quite a surprise as far as the culprit is concerned. I had my own ideas along the way, and maybe as the story evolved I at least headed in the right direction. Very exciting read.
Review from my blog thecontentreader.blogspot.com
As with Indridason, Jónasson works on two levels. One old story that never got an ending and one contemporary murder mystery to solve. I think this is what I really love with these two authors. Their ability to totally engage the reader in an interesting, old story, which most of the time has a very tragic course. I find that these cold cases sometimes are more interesting than the contemporary story, but in the end they do complement each other.
"1955. Two young couples move to the uninhabited, isolated fjord of Hedingsfjördur. Their stay ends abruptly when one of the women meets her death in mysterious circumstances. The case is never solved. Fifty years later an old photograph comes to light, and it becomes clear that the couples may not have been alone on the fjord after all..."
That is the background story, and possible crime, that policeman Ari Thór is asked to investigate by the son of one of the couples. Thór becomes intrigued by the story and works on it when he has time. He is on duty in a city in the north of Iceland who has been put into quarantine due to an unfortunate death, caused by a dangerous virus. Nobody is out and about and there is not that much to do. A perfect time to look into something that can take away the dreary thoughts of the present time.
The contemporary mystery is told by journalist Ísrún who is covering a mysterious kidnapping of a small child. She is also reporting about the quarantine and gets in touch with Thór to get an interview. He in his turn asks her help in his ongoing investigation of the cold case.
Parallell we meet people involved in the present crime. Even so, the information you get is hidden in the dark and provides a scary and mysterious background to the events. It has repercussions high up in political circles in Iceland and it is only at the very end that you know what really happened.
It is a book which you can hardly put down. The stories engage you, as well as the characters. Maybe because I have just been on Iceland, I enjoyed it even more. I have seen the isolated countryside and fjords and I could really imagine the characters and how they felt. The unsolved old murder was quite a surprise as far as the culprit is concerned. I had my own ideas along the way, and maybe as the story evolved I at least headed in the right direction. Very exciting read.
Review from my blog thecontentreader.blogspot.com
admacg's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
In the north of Iceland, Ari thor opens an old case, based on a fifty year old photograph. Who is the unknown figure and was a crime committed? Further south in Reykjavik, a man in an apartment with his wife and child hears a noise. Finding the door open but no one around, he returns to bed...and finds wet footprints on the floor.
This is is the fourth instalment in the Dark Iceland series and I'm fully immersed in it now. I've had some problems working out the order of the English translations, and had actually started #4 before realising my mistake. You could read them as stand alones but I have enjoyed the development of Ari Thor. ísrún is also an interesting character and adds another dimension to the investigations.
As usual, I found myself guessing to the end, especially with the photograph case. I kept willing Ari Thor to speed up with the reveal, excellent tension. The other case just didn't appeal to me as much, it just didn't ring through. Still, it's well paced, moody, well written and an excellent page turner. it would be three and a half stars if such a thing existed
This is is the fourth instalment in the Dark Iceland series and I'm fully immersed in it now. I've had some problems working out the order of the English translations, and had actually started #4 before realising my mistake. You could read them as stand alones but I have enjoyed the development of Ari Thor. ísrún is also an interesting character and adds another dimension to the investigations.
As usual, I found myself guessing to the end, especially with the photograph case. I kept willing Ari Thor to speed up with the reveal, excellent tension. The other case just didn't appeal to me as much, it just didn't ring through. Still, it's well paced, moody, well written and an excellent page turner. it would be three and a half stars if such a thing existed
nadiakb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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? No
3.75
kmfb87a5's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pennyriley's review against another edition
4.0
I really like this mystery series set in Iceland. Very atmospheric one gets to understand what it is like to live in a place as inhospitable as Iceland is in much of the year in various parts and how it can affect your behaviour. I have read the first and second in the series but haven't read the third which chronologically seems to fall between 1 and 2.
janp's review against another edition
It is an acclaimed thriller in the Ari Thor series from several years ago. Wanted the backstory before I read his newest one, "Snowblind". Too many characters and events.
karlou's review against another edition
5.0
I foolishly didn't start reading Ragnar Jónasson's Dark Iceland series until this spring but once I came to my senses it was love at first read. I binge read the first three books, Snowblind, Nightblind and Blackout but then realised if I read Rupture at that point I'd have a long Ari Thór drought until the publication of Whiteout this autumn. So, I waited, my Kindle mocking me with the picture of that gorgeous cover a constant temptation. The leaves have started to turn though and I could finally return to Siglufjörður, and I can say right now the delayed gratification was completely worth it!
Rupture takes some of the elements of the first two chronological stories, Snowblind and Blackout and combines them. It has the claustrophobic feel of the first novel, (this time it's a deadly haemorrhagic virus that sees the inhabitants of Siglufjörður trapped rather than the weather) and the multiple narratives of Blackout, with news reporter Ísrún making a welcome return.
Ari Thór, with nothing to do in a quarantined town, has agreed to investigate a cold case. In 1955 woman died while living with just her husband and another couple in Hedinsfjörður, a remote, uninhabited fjord. The official verdict was accidental suicide but now new evidence may have come to light and it seems the couples weren't alone there after all... Meanwhile Ísrún is now a fast rising television news reporter. Desperate for any story she contacts Ari Thor hoping for a scoop from the locked down town. She agrees to help him with his case but before long her focus is on a contemporary crime - the kidnapping of a young child, snatched from outside a cafe in broad daylight. Her nose for a story also leads her to a recent hit and run, and into the murky world of politics. Rupture acknowledges that life is often complex and messy - even when the truth is uncovered perhaps circumstances mean what is right and just aren't always possible.
Ari Thór still has a tendency to be taciturn, his history means he seems to hold something of himself back, even to his own detriment. Nevertheless he is driven to seek the truth, even if he doesn't always believe in justice. He is an honourable and likeable man whose reticent nature shouldn't be misunderstood, his understanding of human nature actually runs deep. Ísrún is fiercely ambitious, she is willing to take risks and push things but she is not an amoral journalist and retains her strong moral code. Her ability to draw stories out of people contrasts with Ari Thór's tendency to misanthropy
As with all the books in this Dark Iceland series, Rupture is compellingly atmospheric, Ragnar Jónasson's writing is so immersive I don't just read his books, I feel them. There are some scenes that are chilling in every sense of the word and I experienced that heart in mouth apprehensive feeling of dread despite though there being little actual danger in this story. It's the suggestion of violent acts that's so unsettling here, not the witnessing of them. However, it's not just these scenes that are palpable, so too are the quieter moments, particularly Ari Thór's claustrophobic frustration at being stuck in town. I love books that stimulate my senses, where I experience every emotion, Rupture does just that whilst also being an intelligent and nuanced thriller. Quentin Bates superb translation also deserves high praise, it's easy to forget the book wasn't originally written in English.
Rupture takes some of the elements of the first two chronological stories, Snowblind and Blackout and combines them. It has the claustrophobic feel of the first novel, (this time it's a deadly haemorrhagic virus that sees the inhabitants of Siglufjörður trapped rather than the weather) and the multiple narratives of Blackout, with news reporter Ísrún making a welcome return.
Ari Thór, with nothing to do in a quarantined town, has agreed to investigate a cold case. In 1955 woman died while living with just her husband and another couple in Hedinsfjörður, a remote, uninhabited fjord. The official verdict was accidental suicide but now new evidence may have come to light and it seems the couples weren't alone there after all... Meanwhile Ísrún is now a fast rising television news reporter. Desperate for any story she contacts Ari Thor hoping for a scoop from the locked down town. She agrees to help him with his case but before long her focus is on a contemporary crime - the kidnapping of a young child, snatched from outside a cafe in broad daylight. Her nose for a story also leads her to a recent hit and run, and into the murky world of politics. Rupture acknowledges that life is often complex and messy - even when the truth is uncovered perhaps circumstances mean what is right and just aren't always possible.
Ari Thór still has a tendency to be taciturn, his history means he seems to hold something of himself back, even to his own detriment. Nevertheless he is driven to seek the truth, even if he doesn't always believe in justice. He is an honourable and likeable man whose reticent nature shouldn't be misunderstood, his understanding of human nature actually runs deep. Ísrún is fiercely ambitious, she is willing to take risks and push things but she is not an amoral journalist and retains her strong moral code. Her ability to draw stories out of people contrasts with Ari Thór's tendency to misanthropy
As with all the books in this Dark Iceland series, Rupture is compellingly atmospheric, Ragnar Jónasson's writing is so immersive I don't just read his books, I feel them. There are some scenes that are chilling in every sense of the word and I experienced that heart in mouth apprehensive feeling of dread despite though there being little actual danger in this story. It's the suggestion of violent acts that's so unsettling here, not the witnessing of them. However, it's not just these scenes that are palpable, so too are the quieter moments, particularly Ari Thór's claustrophobic frustration at being stuck in town. I love books that stimulate my senses, where I experience every emotion, Rupture does just that whilst also being an intelligent and nuanced thriller. Quentin Bates superb translation also deserves high praise, it's easy to forget the book wasn't originally written in English.
chaotic_wholesome's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mitchk's review against another edition
4.0
Returning to crime fiction is my reading "comfort blanket" - sometimes I need to read knowing the author has it all held tightly and under control for me. This is Jónasson's third book in the Icelandic series and if you like crime with interesting themes and a strong attachment to the landscape this is a winner. Siglufjördur, a small town in the northernmost tip of Iceland, long past its Herring era heyday, is a central character in the book - controlling the light, the cold and the claustrophobic tensions needed to bring this drama home.