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A review by brianlokker
Rupture by Ragnar Jónasson
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.