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A review by karlou
Rupture by Ragnar Jónasson
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.