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katy_chessum_rice 's review for:
Snowblind
by Ragnar Jónasson
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I discovered this Icelandic police procedural/thriller when I bought the sixth novel in a charity shop, not realising it was the final installment. Being the sort of person I am, I had to get the first novel to start with and it's Snowblind. Set in a small town in northern Iceland in the early 2010s, Ari Thor is a fresh police graduate looking for his first posting. Nothing much happens in Siglufjörður so when he's not issuing parking tickets, Ari Thor starts piano lessons with the beautiful Ugla - carefully forgetting Kristin, the girlfriend he left behind in Reykjavík.
And that's pretty much it. There is hardly any development of the main murder plot until a good halfway through the novel. The character of Ari Thor has lots of potential, however in this his immaturity about handling a murder investigation, and his treatment of Kristin, was frustrating. I was also annoyed that key moments in the plot/storyline take place off page, so it's only when Ari Thor is reminiscing or considering a problem that we find out he went to a place or discovered a clue to solve the case. The resolution to the murder case was also underwhelming, so much so that nearly a week after finishing the novel I can't remember who did it.
And that's pretty much it. There is hardly any development of the main murder plot until a good halfway through the novel. The character of Ari Thor has lots of potential, however in this his immaturity about handling a murder investigation, and his treatment of Kristin, was frustrating. I was also annoyed that key moments in the plot/storyline take place off page, so it's only when Ari Thor is reminiscing or considering a problem that we find out he went to a place or discovered a clue to solve the case. The resolution to the murder case was also underwhelming, so much so that nearly a week after finishing the novel I can't remember who did it.