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A review by edgwareviabank
The Darkness by Ragnar Jónasson
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There are many things I liked about Ragnar Jónasson's "The Darkness" (first in his Hidden Iceland series). His choice of an aging female detective approaching retirement promises that the voice telling the story will be one few have heard before. On top of that, Hulda comes across refreshingly human and relatable (not something I take for granted when it comes to fictional detectives). The core mystery is unravelled slowly, but with clues and suspense orchestrated so well, the book is very hard to put down and never once feels like it's dragging.
That said, I can't help making a comparison with Jónasson's other series, Dark Iceland, of which I read "Snowblind" and "Nightblind". While slower in pace, they benefit from a level of psychological insight close to Agatha Christie mysteries, and their plots never need to resort to action for action's sake (which I often find tiring in crime novels). I prefer them both to "The Darkness", which reads, at times, like an attempt to get in line with other Nordic Noir authors by ramping up the gloom and violence. Hulda's family past is way too dark and comes up at odd times throughout the novel, never quite fitting in. The only reason I won't read the rest of the series is not wanting to read any more of this backstory.
Hulda's latest case, on the other hand, has intriguing elements, but misses a few opportunities to be a much more complex mystery than it turns out to be. A thriller that combines the plight of refugees with crimes against women could be very compelling at this time if it guided the reader to understand the social and cultural factors at play, though unfortunately, these are not in the equation here.
That said, I can't help making a comparison with Jónasson's other series, Dark Iceland, of which I read "Snowblind" and "Nightblind". While slower in pace, they benefit from a level of psychological insight close to Agatha Christie mysteries, and their plots never need to resort to action for action's sake (which I often find tiring in crime novels). I prefer them both to "The Darkness", which reads, at times, like an attempt to get in line with other Nordic Noir authors by ramping up the gloom and violence. Hulda's family past is way too dark and comes up at odd times throughout the novel, never quite fitting in. The only reason I won't read the rest of the series is not wanting to read any more of this backstory.
Hulda's latest case, on the other hand, has intriguing elements, but misses a few opportunities to be a much more complex mystery than it turns out to be. A thriller that combines the plight of refugees with crimes against women could be very compelling at this time if it guided the reader to understand the social and cultural factors at play, though unfortunately, these are not in the equation here.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
Minor: Sexual assault