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A review by karlou
Blackout by Ragnar Jónasson
5.0
Although the third Dark Iceland book to be published in the UK, Blackout actually takes place between the events in Snowblind and Nightblind, After reading the three books I would actually recommend reading them chronologically rather than as published here, so this one after Snowblind. However, I don't really feel it spoilt my enjoyment of either this book or Nightblind, it just seems to make more sense to read them in order.
Ari Thór Arason is settling into life in Siglufjörður, the claustrophobia that he so struggled with when he first moved to the tiny community now far more manageable and at at a time when much of Iceland has been thrust into an unseasonal darkness by thick ash clouds following a volcanic eruption, the little town in Northern Iceland, and Ari Thór himself should be enjoying the long summer days. However, a brutal murder nearby sees the officers of Siglufjörður's police force drawn into a case that crosses borders and the decades. Meanwhile Ísrún, a young reporter has made the journey from Reykjavík to investigate the case too. Is she just an ambitious journalist eager for the scoop to further her career or are have her own secrets led her to becoming personally invested in discovering the truth?
As with the previous books I've read in this series, the dark truth is gradually revealed as the truth is unravelled; once again the narrative switches between characters and flashbacks to past events that expose the grim reality of what happens behind closed doors. Everyone has their secrets, the things they can't forget or the things they can't atone for. It's not only the victims and perpetrators here whose lives have been irrevocably changed by the choices they've made, or by the actions of others. So too the lives of the police officers in Siglufjörður, each struggling in their own way to make sense of their past and the need to make decisions about their future. As the mystery to who killed the dead man is solved, not everyone can reconcile themselves to their previous lives.
Once again Ragnar Jonasson has written a superbly atmospheric thriller, Blackout combines the traditional whodunnit with a contemporary look at international crime and the all too constant themes of hidden depravity and brutality. It may be the inhabitants of Reykjavik who are struggling with the ash poisoned air but we are reminded again that all communities are tainted by horrific secrets. It's probably the most tense of the books so far, Ari Thor and his fellow officers not just vying to solve one murder but also desperately trying to stop another .As the book progressed I raced through the pages, heart in mouth never knowing what the final resolution would be. Blackout is another thoroughly enjoyable thriller and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I'm drawn back into the classy web of intrigue and mystery Ragnar Jonasson creates in his superb series.
Ari Thór Arason is settling into life in Siglufjörður, the claustrophobia that he so struggled with when he first moved to the tiny community now far more manageable and at at a time when much of Iceland has been thrust into an unseasonal darkness by thick ash clouds following a volcanic eruption, the little town in Northern Iceland, and Ari Thór himself should be enjoying the long summer days. However, a brutal murder nearby sees the officers of Siglufjörður's police force drawn into a case that crosses borders and the decades. Meanwhile Ísrún, a young reporter has made the journey from Reykjavík to investigate the case too. Is she just an ambitious journalist eager for the scoop to further her career or are have her own secrets led her to becoming personally invested in discovering the truth?
As with the previous books I've read in this series, the dark truth is gradually revealed as the truth is unravelled; once again the narrative switches between characters and flashbacks to past events that expose the grim reality of what happens behind closed doors. Everyone has their secrets, the things they can't forget or the things they can't atone for. It's not only the victims and perpetrators here whose lives have been irrevocably changed by the choices they've made, or by the actions of others. So too the lives of the police officers in Siglufjörður, each struggling in their own way to make sense of their past and the need to make decisions about their future. As the mystery to who killed the dead man is solved, not everyone can reconcile themselves to their previous lives.
Once again Ragnar Jonasson has written a superbly atmospheric thriller, Blackout combines the traditional whodunnit with a contemporary look at international crime and the all too constant themes of hidden depravity and brutality. It may be the inhabitants of Reykjavik who are struggling with the ash poisoned air but we are reminded again that all communities are tainted by horrific secrets. It's probably the most tense of the books so far, Ari Thor and his fellow officers not just vying to solve one murder but also desperately trying to stop another .As the book progressed I raced through the pages, heart in mouth never knowing what the final resolution would be. Blackout is another thoroughly enjoyable thriller and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I'm drawn back into the classy web of intrigue and mystery Ragnar Jonasson creates in his superb series.