Tuhkayö

Dark Iceland #3

by Ragnar Jónasson, Antti Saarilahti (Translator)

Ihmismielen pimeys kesäyön valossa.

Ari Thor joutuu tutkimaan epätavallista murhaa luonnonmullistuksen ja suurien henkilökohtaisten vaikeuksien keskellä.

Rauhallinen vuono Pohjois-Islannissa muuttuu raa'an murhan näyttämöksi kesäyön kirkkaassa valossa. Pikkuruisen Siglufjörðurin poliisiasemalla Ari Thor yrittää saada otteen tapauksesta, mutta tulivuorenpurkaus muuttaa yöttömän yön kaamokseksi, ja murhatun miehen salaisuudet uhkaavat jäädä pimentoon. Kun paikalle saapuu toimittaja, jolla on jotain salattavaa, tilanne kärjistyy kilpajuoksuksi kuoleman kanssa.

Ari Thor -sarjan toinen osa Tuhkayö on synkkä, tunnelmallinen ja pelottava mysteeri Islannin kärkitrilleristi Ragnar Jónassonilta.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Nordic Noir, Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

312 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Ragnar Jonasson is author of the award winning and international bestselling Dark Iceland series.

His debut Snowblind, first in the Dark Iceland series, went to number one in the Amazon Kindle charts shortly after publication. The book was also a no. 1 Amazon Kindle bestseller in Australia. Snowblind has been a paperback bestseller in France.

Nightblind won the Dead Good Reader Award 2016 for Most Captivating Crime in Translation.

Snowblind was called a "classically crafted whodunit" by THE NEW YORK TIMES, and it was selected by The Independent as one of the best crime novels of 2015 in the UK.

Rights to the Dark Iceland series have been sold to UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, Poland, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, Morocco, Portugal, Croatia, Armenia and Iceland.

Ragnar was born in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he works as a writer and a lawyer. He also teaches copyright law at Reykjavik University and has previously worked on radio and television, including as a TV-news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.

He is also the co-founder of the Reykjavik international crime writing festival Iceland Noir.

From the age of 17, Ragnar translated 14 Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic.

Ragnar has also had short stories published internationally, including in the distinguished Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine in the US, the first stories by an Icelandic author in that magazine.

He has appeared on festival panels worldwide, and lives in Reykjavik.

Reviews

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Iceland #2 or #3 depending on language list
Blackout by Ragnar Jónasson
Narrated by Will Damron, Sarah Mollo-Christensen

For English readers/listeners, this is the second book in the Dark Iceland series although there appears to be a "first" book that hasn't been translated into English (or something like that, I'm not sure of the order the books were written). We are back with young Ari Thor, a policeman on the tiny police force in Siglufjordur. Although there are three policemen, it seems that Ari Thor and his boss are having to carry the load because their colleague, who has been on the force longer than Ari Thor, is undergoing some kind of personal problem and is unable to focus on work or anything else at all

We meet Isrun, a television reporter who is constantly trying to dodge her coworker who is much too competitive and wants Isrun gone and also wants their boss's job. Isrun is tough though, she loves reporting although she doesn't enjoy the long hours and scant rewards. And now Isrun is being told by her doctor to give up her reporting job because it's too hard on a body that is failing. Isrun tells no one, not her family or her coworkers. She plans to keep on silently until she can no longer go on. For now, a man has been bludgeoned to death and in the course of covering the story, Isrun is brought back to something very bad that happened to her in the past.

As for Ari Thor, he seems to handle his job pretty well, especially since he is doing half of all the work and works very long hours because they are so short staffed. He is still pining for his ex, Kristen, thinking of her all the time, but I think she's better off without his selfish, whiny self. Ari Thor, who seems so stoic and normal usually, maybe a bit cold, blunt and rude, at times, also can be jealous, impulsive and quick to anger at the worst of times. He has a lot of maturing to do and hopefully he will do so.

One of the recurring characters who I like a lot is Ari Thor's boss, Tomas. Nearing retirement age, Tomas wants to keep going but his wife of decades has moved away to go to school, maybe find herself, enjoy other things, and who knows what else. Tomas is devastated and can't stand to think that his marriage is ending. I worry about Tomas and am sad that he's so sad.

More is going on in the story, with lots of characters to follow. The first two books in this series, Snowbound and Blackout, have been a bit hard for me to follow but now that I'm reading (rather than listening to) the third book, Rupture, I've really found my groove. I'm hooked on this series, as I've been with Ragnar's other series, and wish it would never be over. Sadly, I think I may not be able to get my hands on the last book in the series, we'll see, I'll tackle one book at a time. I do think reading is better than listening for me, overall, because of the language issue but I'm even adapting to words and names I've never seen or heard. I love learning while I'm enjoying a good book! As I've gotten to do with Ragnar's other books, I'm having fun discussing this one with Jayme, so be sure to read her review and see if she beats up on Ari Thor like I do :-)

Published January 1, 2018 by Blackstone Publishing

Thanks to my library and Libby for this audiobook

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I have yet to read Rupture, Blackout is by far my favorite in the series that I have read to date. Yes, each installment in the series features that dark, oppressing nature, but this one had something even more sinister lying between it’s pages. Even though these books are deeply atmospheric and slow burning in pace, I found I couldn’t absorb the information fast enough as I was dying to get to the big reveal in the end. Ragnar has a way with taking a seemingly normal story and twisting it into the unreal; these books are completely in the realm of the natural, but the setting is so rich that it gives the books an otherworldly feature. I had none of this book figured out and was surprised by every last turn; I couldn’t give this book anything less than 5 stars in good conscience. Those who are fans of the series will be blown away by what the author has crafted in this entry and by where he is taking the characters we have grown attached to.

*Many thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for providing my copies; it always feels like she’s doing me a favor by allowing me to review these books!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
This is book 3 in the Dark Iceland series. It is centered around 2 people, Isrun, a reporter for a tv station in Reykjavik, and Ari Thor, a policeman in Siglufjordur. A man is found brutally murdered in Skagafjordur, whose address is in Siglufjordur and the 3 man police team in Siglufjordur is asked to assist with interviews in the investigation. Isrun, ambitious to get ahead, sees this as her ticket to advancement and wangles an assignment to go and report on the death.
The other 2 officers in Siglufjordur are Hijnur and Tomas, each of whom has personal problems, causing them difficulty in performing their duties. Ari also has his own problems. How they solve this murder and unearth other crimes connected to it makes for an interesting mystery.
The book takes place during the volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull. People living in the southern half of Iceland talk about the volcanic grit in the air.
I read this book because I spent 3 nights in Siglufordur as part of a Iceland land tour last summer. It is a lovely little town that had a thriving fishing industry for hundreds of years until the herrings disappeared about forty years ago. Tourism has now replaced the fishing industry. There is a herring museum in town. Our guide said that life was very difficult during the eruption. Everyone wore face masks.
I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Icelandic fiction or mysteries in general. The translation was excellent. I read it in 2 days.
One quote: "She could taste the polluted air in her mouth. The ash cloud over the city had grown thicker and heavier as the day passed. The sun was blotted out by the heavy haze, its presence behind the grey miasma hidden but still felt as the temperature continued to climb."
Thanks to Minotaur Books/St Martins Press for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackout picks up 2 years after the events of SnowBlind.

It’s now Summer but despite 24 hour sunlight, the skies are still coated with ASH from a recent Volcanic eruption.

Isrun is a television reporter sent from Reykjavik to report on a man who was found bludgeoned to death by an American tourist in search of Grettir’s Pool. The man is Elias Freysson, a sub contractor working on a tunnel that will make the remote town of Siglufjörður more accessible to the rest of Iceland.

Called to assist in the investigation are the Police from the small town of Siglufjorour who we met in the first book. All three are still distracted by their own personal problems-The Chief, Tomas with his wife, Ari Thór (the rookie in book one) with Kristen, and Hlynur with his PAST. I am being purposely vague here as to not spoil these sub plots which have continued from the first book of the DARK ICELAND series.

There are a number of reasons that Elias may have been killed and if the Police and/or Isrun don’t solve this quickly, he may not be the only casualty.

This is Ragnar Jónasson’s first series, and SO FAR, I am not enjoying it as much as the Helgi or Hulda series. His writing is still good, though I do see growth in more recent work, so I think that it’s because I don’t like Ari Thór as much as I do Helgi or Hulda.

I was hoping that he would have matured some over the two years since we met him, and although he has professionally-the same cannot be said for his relationships outside of work, and that is making it impossible for me to root for he and Kristen to overcome the obstacles they face.

Will that change in book three-Rupture? I certainly hope so!

For now this Nordic Noir series is trending at a 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up for me-where the others were solid 4 stars or HIGHER from the first book to the last.

These series should always be read in order as each book builds upon the last. And, if you can listen while reading, you will get the most out of this series as names can look and sound very similar in Icelandic.

Be sure to watch for Marilyn’s thoughts on this one to see if Ari Thór has already won her over!

We are moving right on to Rupture before getting back to ARCs.

AVAILABLE NOW

[Jeffrey Keeten · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Next time I’ll teach you how to die!”

The death of Elias Freysson is the centerpiece of a convoluted plot that will reveal deeply buried fears of all those involved. On the surface, it seems like a nonsensical murder. Why would someone want to kill Elias Freysson? He helped run a charity organization, and people who do things like that generally aren’t murder victims. The theory is even floated that he was not the intended target, but merely a man in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As Ari Thor Arason and his boss Tomas interview the people who knew Freysson, they start to discover that there are inconsistencies in the character of the man. He has secrets, and they must find out what exactly those secrets are if they ever hope to catch the person who killed him.

Tomas gives Ari the investigation to run, but he can’t help instructing the lad in the finer points, especially when interviewing the locals. Tomas knows these people, and Ari is still the outsider from Reykjavik. Ari is going to run the investigation his way, not exactly winning friends and influencing people in the process.

All the characters in this novel are distracted by things beyond the parameters of the case.

Tomas is pining for his wife, who has moved to Reykjavik to take advantage of an opportunity. He loves living in Siglufjordur, but he loves his wife more. He really wants Ari to become the police officer he wants him to be, so he can leave the town in safe hands.

Ari is in love with a medical student named Kristin, a girl he started seeing while still in Reykjavik, but due to distance and a series of miscommunications, they have drifted apart. Even as Ari searches for a killer, he is also obsessing about what she is doing and who she is doing it with.

Hlynur is the third police officer in Siglufjordur, and he has been relegated to the office due to erratic behavior. He keeps getting threatening emails that harken back to a mistake in his youth. Guilt is crippling his ability to function well with the rest of his life.

Isrun is the investigative reporter from Reykjavik who has come North to investigate the murder of Freysson. Murder is rather uncommon in Iceland, and she needs a great story to salvage her sagging career. Her motivations go beyond just the story, and as she begins to unspool the nuances of the story she also begins to unravel.

Ragnar Jonasson is certainly a devotee of the school of Agatha Christie. This is his most mature outing with the depth he gives the characters as well as the puzzling aspects of the plot as the investigators try to discover the true nature of the victim so they can find the killer. Jonasson does such a good job conveying the claustrophobia Ari is frequently overwhelmed by, from the mountains looming over their small town to the days and days of fog and cloud cover that compress his world into such small apertures. The plot is deftly revealed, keeping the reader on the hook until the final pieces fall into place. Many readers have said this is their favorite Jonasson so far. I certainly understand why.

This is actually the second book in the series, but for some reason the American publishers published the third book in the series second. It was a bit jarring to read Nightblind before Blackout. I would suggest reading Snowblind first, then Blackout, and finally Nightblind. If you are caught out as I was, have no fear, the books can stand alone. So if you need a dash of a read to feed your Nordic Noir craving, Jonasson’s books are perfect snowy afternoon reads.

If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten

[Paula K · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderfully well done follow-up to Snowblind in this dark thriller series!

Blackout again brings the oppressive and menacing atmosphere to this small fishing village in Northern Iceland. A volcano erupts and covers the town with suffocating ash instead of the sun-filled summer the inhabitants are use to. The feeling of isolation is there with you throughout the book.

Ari Thór Arason returns as the most recent addition to the small police force on the hunt again for a murderer. A nice twist is added with a female journalist looking to solve the same crime, but on a different path than Ari (unbeknownst to him).

Blackout brings a slow burn suspense through many subplots with secrets that enhance the enjoyment of reading this novel. The character development is outstanding.

Highly recommend this series.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

4 out of 5 stars

[Bo.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Returning to Siglufjörður nearly two years after the events of Snowblind, I was curious to see how Ari Thór was settling into life there. When the body of a man is discovered near a partially built summer house, Ari finds himself taking on more responsibility in the investigation. We’re also introduced to Ísrún, a television journalist from Reykjavík who becomes interested in the case and is determined to find out more.

Summer gives Siglufjörður a different feel this time around, with the snow, darkness and claustrophobic atmosphere of Snowblind replaced by blue skies, the midnight sun and views across the fjord. It still feels remote, surrounded by mountains and connected to the outside world by tunnels, but much less closed in. The setting sits more in the background this time, although I liked seeing this brighter side of the town with the lingering volcanic ash casting a bit of a gloom over it all.

Ari also seems to have well and truly shed his rookie stripes. He's much more confident and assertive, is trusted with greater responsibility and feels far less like the outsider who first arrived in Siglufjörður. He's not quite a local, but he's definitely becoming part of the furniture. I did notice a much shorter fuse though, particularly when questioning people, and there were a few moments when I wondered whether everything going on in his personal life was affecting his mood. While he's clearly matured professionally, I'm not convinced the same can be said for his love life. He has a habit of centring his own hurt and only belatedly acknowledging the part he's played in his relationship problems, which had me shaking my head at him more than once.

The story moves between Ari's investigation and Ísrún's work as a journalist, while occasionally branching out into the lives of other characters connected to the case. Hlynur also has a much bigger presence than he did in Snowblind. His storyline gives us a better sense of him beyond his role as a police officer, both through his past and what he's dealing with in the present. Ísrún was a welcome addition too, and I enjoyed getting to know her and seeing how her chapters took on more meaning as the story unfolded.

As for the central mystery, I didn't really have my detective hat on this time and was more than happy to just go along for the ride. The short chapters kept the plot moving, and I stayed invested in seeing how the different threads would come together. I also like the way Jónasson weaves real events into his stories, and here the construction of the new tunnel and the aftermath of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption aren't just bits of Icelandic history in the background, but events that have an impact on the communities and people living through them.

In the end, I enjoyed Blackout a little more than Snowblind. I preferred the wintry, claustrophobic atmosphere of the first book, but I felt more settled with the characters this time around and liked seeing Ari become more established in Siglufjörður. Even with the brighter summer setting, there still seems to be a dark cloud hanging over many of the characters, and I liked how the idea of a blackout gradually took on more meaning as the story unfolded. Another solid four stars, and I'm looking forward to catching up with Ari and Ísrún again in Rupture.

[Tracy P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4-stars.

Buried in Darkness Under the Midnight Sun

Ragnar Jónasson's Blackout, book two in the Dark Iceland series, delivers another wonderfully moody, slow-burn mystery. Set during the midsummer's constant daylight, a southern volcanic eruption sends thick, suffocating ash clouds to choke Reykjavik in an eerie, unnatural gloom.

The plot centers around a construction worker who has been found brutally beaten to death on the banks of a quiet Northern Icelandic fjord.

After learning of the murder, a determined TV journalist offers to cover a lead for the crime under false pretenses, using the assignment to dig into dark secrets from her own past. Her rogue sleuthing also runs parallel to the official investigation, adding sharp momentum.

Meanwhile, police officer Ari Thór Arason digs into the killing, untangling hidden motives while grappling with his ex-girlfriend and a distant, suspicious coworker.

Quiet town secrets, past trauma, and hidden motives slowly surface in a classic whodunit fashion. Balancing the ash-covered capital and the isolated northern town gives the storyline a broader scope while keeping that signature, claustrophobic Nordic tension I so love.

Many thanks, Mr. Jónasson.

[Beata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am grateful to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.
An interesting read with Icelandic volcanos in the background whose ash is all around covering some secrets and traumatic experience from childhood which have their tragic consequence in adult life. The descriptions of the locations add a lot to the ambience of the novel.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I have enjoyed all I have read of the Dark Iceland series, Snowblind and Nightblind, Blackout is now my favorite. The combination of a complex, multilayered plot with a wide cast of new characters, all of whom seem to be hiding or outrunning something in the past that won’t stay behind them worked well for me and kept me glued to the book the last two days. Even Tomas and Ari Thor, the well known local police, have other things on their minds along with their duties. Is all of this because they are now living in summer with near 24 hours of light? Or is it somehow related to ash from the recent volcano eruption falling increasingly over Reykjavík, clouding that city and worrying even those who live at a distance? Many, if not most, people who live in this small island nation have heard tales of past volcano eruptions, of life being turned upside down by ashy blackouts.

Here in northern Iceland the blackouts are more metaphoric, where the sun may be bright almost continuously but there are lies and half truths and unspoken thoughts interfering with a murder investigation; a man has been found outside of a home he has been helping to build, beaten to death.

There are many strands to this story but I urge patience. You will be rewarded. There are several moments in this book where I felt truly satisfied with what Jonasson had accomplished. And I highly recommend this book.

One note on this series. This is listed as book three in the Dark Iceland series. It is the third to be translated into English. The action of this story actually takes place before that of Nightblind, listed as D.I. #2. I have read these books in the order of the English translation. This may lead to some temporary confusion as you begin Blackout, since you are moving backward in time, but I had no major difficulty with it. Some are reading these two books in reverse order. I would have to investigate further to find how they were published originally in Iceland but I will leave that for another. I recommend all of the books I have read and I plan to read the rest of the Dark Iceland series when they are available.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of potential in this story but it was so confusing I never totally connected with it. Perhaps if I had read the previous in the series, this one would have made more sense. The mystery/police drama did have a nice plot twist that I found completely surprising.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the summer of 2010 & Iceland is just getting back to normal after the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull that spring. In Siglufjödur, Ari Thór Arason is settling into life as a small town cop. Two years ago, he was living in Reyljavík with girlfriend Kristín when he qualified as a police officer. But jobs were scarce so when an offer came from up north, he jumped.

Crime in the area is usually of the petty variety so Ari is more than a little surprised when he’s told a tourist has stumbled over a body. There’s no question it was murder & the victim is soon identified as Elías Freysson, a sub-contractor working on the new tunnel. Freysson divided his time between Siglufjödur & Akureyri (to the southeast), giving Ari & boss Tómas lots of ground to cover as they start to pick apart his life.

In alternate chapters we meet a TV news reporter named Ísrún based in Reykjavík. It’s a high stress, cutthroat environment & she’s slowly dying of boredom from covering the puff pieces assigned by a competitive boss. When news of the murder trickles south, she sees her chance & manages to get sent to Akureyri as a second stringer.

There are several side stories that accompany the murder & each is told through the eyes of the character involved. As chapters alternate & time lines shift, we gradually learn what each has been up to for the year preceding Freysson’s death. There are some ugly truths & hidden connections waiting to emerge that gradually weave the story lines together. The title comes from a description of the 1947 eruption of Hekla but proves an apt metaphor for the dark burdens some of these characters carry.

This is not a shoot ‘em up thriller. The author takes time building the characters, making you privy to their thoughts & complicit with their actions. The fact we know more than Ari lends the story a sense of urgency as we follow his investigation, wondering how he’s going to uncover what we already know in time to save a life. The author does a good job of showing the grunt work most cops endure until one casually tossed out comment spins the case into focus.

All the while we’re surrounded by one of the most important characters, the setting. Gusty winds, summer sun tarnished by ash & looming mountains that silently bear witness. The isolation that sneaks up on you within minutes of passing the last house in town. This is a location that shapes people’s thoughts & actions.

The pace ramps up for the final quarter as some big pieces fall into place. The last few pages make it clear there are some changes ahead for Ari & ensure fans will be scrambling to get their hands on the next one.

Shout out to the those responsible for cover design in this series. Each has a clean, striking graphic that somehow manages to send a little chill up your spine.

Just a note to all those who have been waiting to devour the english translations of this series. The original books were not written or published in chronological order. If you want to follow Ari Thór’s journey as it happens, the order is as follows: Snowblind, Blackout, Rupture, Nightblind. There are 2 other books I have not found translations for yet: Fölsk Nóta (this is the very first book that precedes Snowblind) & Andköf (will be called Whiteout, takes place between Rupture & Nightblind in terms of the MC’s timeline).

[Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....

"Blackout" is book 2 in the Dark Iceland Series, but it was published in third place after "Nightblind", which is book 5 but was published second. Between books 1 and 5 there's a period of 5 years. When I started this series a couple of years back I thought that the publication order of the english translations was the correct one, so I read book 1, book 5 and now book 2, so when I first started "Blackout" I was a bit confused. Anyway, nonsensical publication strategies apart, "Blackout" is a very good addition to the series. In fact, the best one yet.

As usual, Mr. Jónasson paints a vivid portrait of a remote town and, thanks to a crisp prose and no overinflated descriptions, manages to create a suffocating atmosphere. He's one of the best at creating dark oppressive scenarios where the claustrophobia is at its peak when out in the open. I just wanna go so badly to Iceland based on his descriptions.

I found very interesting the contrast between the blackout in the south because of the volcano's ashes and the 24 hour light in the north, where the murder happens. I could almost feel myself breathing those ashes.

The mystery was very well done and I liked how everything tied up at the end. Ari Thór's character is showing some side of his personality that will make him much more interesting in the books to come.

This whole series has a golden age whodunit feel but with a modern twist, and any fan of Nordic noir crime should read them.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publication Date: August 28th, 2018

A discovered body, a determined journalist, a love stricken cop, and a human trafficking scandal all set in Iceland. This was a fairly straightforward plot with many characters in the spotlight, but I never really felt immersed in the story or particularly shocked by any of the stories twists. It's akin to watching a season finale and having no idea what the characters have gone through to get to this point. But I LOVE the cover and have no quibbles about the translation.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Icelandic noir author Jonasson delivers another police procedural featuring Ari Thor Arason. The skies of Reykjavik are still filled with ash following the 2010 spring eruption of Eyjafjallojokull, “the sky was unusually dark, the sun hidden behind the thick mineral haze, even though there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.” The skies are clearer in Siglufjordur, but the menace is greater. A murdered body has been found in nearby Skagafjordur. And then Ari Thor finds a duffle bag full of money in the victim Elias Freysson’s apartment. Drugs? Or something more nefarious?

Isrun, the psychologist turned TV journalist hears of the body and heads north from Reykjavik. She pursues her own investigation. And where is officer Heynur Isaksson? His mind seems to be preoccupied by the past—barely registering that his fellow officers are investigating a murder. What’s up with that?

Recommend.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Iceland series, book #3. I've really enjoyed the previous Dark Iceland books. Great nordic noir! Ari Thor is an interesting character. Love the Icelandic atmosphere conveyed throughout the story.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The Dark Iceland series has either been translated or published in English in incorrect order. The first in the series was the excellent Snowblind, followed by Nightblind in the English translation as the next book available. However, Black Out and Rupture are numbers 2 and 3, whereas Nightblind is number 4 time wise. I was confused while reading Nightblind which takes place 5 years after Snowblind and referred to some previous events I was missing. I wish I had read them in chronological order.
Black Out takes place 2 years after Snowblind. It is summertime. In Siglufjorour the landscapes are brightened by the midnight sun and days are mostly warm. Cruise ships are bringing tourists. Reykjavik is under a pall of volcanic ash. A new tunnel is under construction which will lessen the isolation of Siglufjorour from the rest of the country, but bringing in types of crime previously unknown to the tiny northern village.
A man has been murdered. He was working on building the tunnel and also known for charity work. Everyone seems unhappy and hiding secrets. Ari Thor, policeman, is distracted due to loss of his girlfriend. He is impulsive and has anger issues. His boss, Tomas, is miserable because his wife is living in Reykjavik and he doesn't know if he wants to move. The third policeman is so distracted by a personal problem he can barely function.
A reporter from Reykjavik comes north inserting herself into the murder investigation, escaping the volcanic dust in the city. She has dark secrets of her own.
This is another addition to Nordic Noir literature combined with classic detective style. It is atmospheric and strongly character driven. The plot is well constructed with some surprising twists and reveals. Translation is so well done that you feel it was first written in English, except for the names of places and of characters. The series is best read in its original chronological order.

[Laura Tenfingers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one more than the first one but I have a series of likes and dislikes.

It's a pretty fast-paced crime thriller with a number of different storylines that were all interesting and complex. Like the first book, it has a large cast of characters but I was able to keep track of everyone. And the star of the characters was Iceland, which is probably the best developed character of them all.

On the flipside, I still struggle with Ari Thor's character being so poorly developed. We actually see very little of him in this book and his storyline does move forward a little bit, but I still feel like I don't know him. And what we do see of him keeps coming across pretty douchey in his relationships with women. He sees the woman who he cheated on his girlfriend with and says it's her fault his girlfriend dumped him?? And then concedes that maybe he should share the blame?? Sorry mate, but that's all on you. 100%. Time to man up.

The crimes are pretty hardcore, brutal and plentiful. Maybe a bit too hardcore. We think we're getting murder, but we also get rape, human trafficking, child physical abuse, bullying, suicide, terminal illness... I felt a bit green.

And then it ends so abruptly that I kept flicking pages back and forth because surely there was something mising! We sort of knew what happened but there are definitely loose strings dangling everywhere. I assume the next book will start right where this one left off?

I'm going to keep reading the series but I'm not loving what the author is doing with Ari Thor. I am loving reading about Iceland though.

[Laura Wonderchick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm confused as to the reading order of this series bc this book continues right after Snowblind but you're supposed to read it after Nightblind. But Nightblind recaps what happened in Blackout. So I'm a little let down bc one huge aspect of this story was known to me from the beginning. Other than that I enjoy these books.

[Skip · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dead body is discovered by an American tourist, badly beaten and barely recognizable. The body is identified as Elías Freysson, a subcontractor working on a local tunnel project, who is renovating a house in the country, and is also involved with a charitable organization. The local police station consisting of three officers investigates, but each has their battles: Ari Thór continues to lament his break up with the love of his life, Kristín; Tómas abandoned by his wife’s decision to go to college in Reykjavík; and Hlynur, who is wracked with guilt and shame for his actions in the past. The investigation takes a back seat to their lives and problems, and an aggressive television reporter from Reykjavík (Ísrún), who actualy solves the crime, ferreting out the reason for Freysson's mysterious trip to Nepal. Even her backstory of workplace treachery, physical scarring and the after effects of being a crime victim overshadow the murder and investigation.

This is a weaker novel than the other two already published in the U.S.: it lacks a strong central plotline, the motive of the killer is obvious but is out of sync with the entire story, and the tranquil beauty of Iceland has disappeared, replaced by the specter of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption, fouling the air and darkening the skies with ash.

[Anete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lielisks turpinājums sērijai par islandiešu policistu Ari Thor. Un šis ir turpinājums, nevis angliski publicēto grāmatu sajauktā secība, kurā sērijas pēdējā grāmata tiek izdota kā 2.! Muļķīgākais izdevēju pieņemtais lēmums, ar kuru esmu saskārusies pēdējā laikā, reāli maitēkļus cilvēkiem iedot... Tāpēc par sižetu neko daudz nevar stāstīt, kā tikai, ka atrasts nogalināts cilvēks, kas piedalījies jaunā tuneļa celtniecībā, izmeklēšanā iesaistās arī žurnāliste no Reikjavīkas, Ari un viņa kolēģiem ir savas privātās grūtības. Un Islandes galvaspilsētu klāj nesen izvridušā vulkāna pelni, kas polārajai dienai piedod īpaši sireālu paskatu un ietekmē ne tikai psiholoģiski, bet arī fizioloģiski.

[Jan❕️Mikael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zweiter Teil der Dark-Iceland-Serie um den Polizisten Ari, welche im nördlichsten Teil von Island spielt (auf Englisch offenbar der dritte Teil). Der Kriminalfall ist nur mässig interessant, spannend ist dafür die Geschichte der ebenfalls involvierten Fernsehjournalistin Isrun. Am Ende gibt es zwei Cliffhanger, wahrscheinlich werde ich dann auch noch den dritten Teil lesen.

[Austra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pēc ilgāka pārtraukuma nolēmu paturpināt iesāktu detektīvsēriju, kas garlaikojas plauktā. Un tagad droši vien paies vēl daži gadi, pirms pieķeršos nākamajai grāmatai. Biju jau piemirsusi autora ļoti aprauto rakstības stilu, pie kura gan var pierast, bet brīžiem tomēr tas kaitina (īpaši brīžos, kad tulkojums ir stipri dīvains vai šis viņa minimālisms tomēr nav traucējis autoram atkārtot to pašu, ko jau rakstīja iepriekšējā lappusē). Pats stāsts ir visai ok, bet kopumā grāmatā ir pārāk daudz personāžu un sižeta līniju, un apmēram pēc 2/3 visi viņi mani tā jau bija izbesījuši, ka nācās grāmatu nolikt malā. Nudien, sen nebija gadījies, ka grāmatā man besī pilnīgi visi varoņi un ka es sāku ilgoties, kaut viņi visi drīz ietu bojā un lai tas būtu ļoti sāpīgi.

[Silvie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Op een heldere zomeravond, aan de oever van een stille fjord in Noord-IJsland, wordt een man op brute wijze doodgeslagen. Als een vulkaanuitbarsting een aswolk veroorzaakt die het heldere midzomerlicht verduistert, verlaat een jonge verslaggever Reykjavík om op onderzoek uit te gaan. Ze is zich er niet van bewust dat het leven van een onschuldig persoon op het spel staat.

Ari Thór Arason en zijn collega’s van het piepkleine politieteam van Siglufjörður worstelen met de complexe zaak, terwijl ze ook kampen met hun eigen sores. Welke geheimen had de dode man? En wat verbergt de jonge verslaggever?

Onuitgesproken verschrikkingen uit het verleden hangen als een donkere wolk boven alle betrokkenen en intussen moet Ari Thór alles op alles zetten om de zaak op te lossen voordat er nog meer doden vallen.

'Inktzwart' is het tweede deel in de serie 'Duister IJsland'. Zoals jullie misschien al weten houd ik enorm van Scandinavische thrillers en ook dit verhaal boeide mij weer.

De opbouw is heel erg langzaam en echt spannend wordt het allemaal niet. Er wordt een dode man gevonden en het is duidelijk dat hij is vermoord. Maar wat is er precies gebeurd en wie wilde deze man dood hebben?

Vervolgens zijn er verschillende verhaallijnen en personages waaruit verteld wordt. Langzaam wordt duidelijk hoe de vork in de steel zit. Ook lees je weer over Ari en de problemen die hij op het gebied van de liefde heeft. Ik had wel even moeite met al deze namen, want er komen er nogal wat op je af.

Ondanks dat het verhaal erg traag was, vond ik de sfeer en schrijfstijl wederom erg fijn. Ik kan begrijpen dat er ook lezers zijn die het misschien te traag en te saai vinden. Hier ligt in ieder geval het derde deel (Poolnacht) al klaar om gelezen te worden!

Beoordeling: 3,5 ⭐️

[Ante Vojnović · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pitam se, pitam..... je li isti čovjek pisao Snježno sljepilo i Zamračenje? Da ne piše autorovo ime na koricama sa stopostotnom sigurnošću bih rekao da nije, iako ni to ništa ne znači.
Nego... trebam li napominjati kako mi je Snježno sljepilo bilo za klasu bolje? Eto, spomenuh.
U Snježnom sljepilu predstavljen nam je Ari Thor, mladi policajac, nesuđeni svećenik, koji je zaista izgledao kao lik čije će se avanture u budućnosti s užitkom pratiti. Također, bio je vidljiv i utjecaj Agathe Christie na mladog pisca koji revno prevodi njezina djela. I sve je to zaista funkcioniralo u Snježnom sljepilu, moderni krimić s daškom krimića starog kova.
Zamračenje je u potpunosti ogoljeno tih faktora. Ari Thor je postao lik koji me živcira, kojeg uopće ne želim vidjeti na stranicama romana. A gle čuda, i tu mi je želju autor ispunio. Ari Thor je gotovo apsolutno nepotreban u radnji cijelog romana, slučaj bi se gotovo u potpunosti riješio bez njega. njegova prisutnost u romanu očigledno je bila potrebna samo da me iživcira. A cjelokupni slučaj i misterija oko kojeg se novinari i policija motaju... ajmo reći da bi radnja cijelog romana mogla stati na vratolomnih četrdesetak stranica nakon kojih mi sigurno ne bi ništa nedostajalo. Ostalih dvjestotinjak bila je samo, na trenutke jako dosadno i uglavnom nepotrebno, proširenje. Žao mi je, gospon Ragnar, možda ste si trebali ipak malo više vremena uzeti za napisati dostojan nastavak.

[Abby • Crime by the Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be Ragnar's best book yet. BLACKOUT has all the atmosphere and tension of his previous Dark Iceland books, but this story's central crime was the most compelling to me!! This story follows not only Ari Thor, but also a young female journalist who's investigating the same crime as Ari Thor. The two characters approach the same story from very different angles, giving the reader a circumspect view of a crime that's so much larger than either individual could imagine.

This book is just fantastic. It has all the gloom and moody atmosphere of a Scandinavian crime read, with Ragnar's trademark subtlety and flair for character development. Highly, highly recommend this series!!!

[Yigal Zur · Rating 2 out of 5]

i am quite a fan of nordic thrillers and noir. but this one i found boring, nice descriptions of Icelandic nature but hardly any tension. too much of repetitive information. it seems sloppy in editing. a nice cutting could do a lot to the book. how many times can we read that Hlynur getting threatening emails and Ari Thor broke with Kristin. what i am sure is nature is great in Iceland but for this normally i travel no need to read.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy Blackout as much as I expected to. I really liked Snowblind, the first book in the series, and I had been looking forward to this one (which is the second in the series, although the third to be translated into English). But the story never grabbed me.

This time around, the hero of the series, Ari Thór Arason, shares the spotlight with a TV news reporter, Ísrún. I did not find her particularly sympathetic until quite late in the book, by which time I didn't care all that much. For that matter, I didn't relate to Ari Thór as much in this book as I did in Snowblind. Ari Thór and both of his police colleagues are dealing with personal issues that interfere with their work, but to a large extent, those issues were a distraction not only for the characters but also for me as a reader.

The story involves several interesting crimes that may or may not be related, so there's some suspense about that. And there are some very good themes in the book about guilt, personal responsibility, jealousy, revenge, and more. But in my opinion, there were too many strands that didn't coalesce into a compelling whole. And one of the best aspects of Snowblind—the role of the Icelandic winter weather that was a character in its own right—was mostly absent here.

I liked the book well enough that I'll continue with the series, but I wish I could be more enthusiastic about this one.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were chapters in this book where my stomach was in knots and I felt ill. It is quite dark and illustrates what can result when children are abused in secret and carry the pain alone inside them into adulthood.

Some lines that captured my attention:

"The walls were hung with paintings from far-flung parts of the world: one from Africa, another of an Asian scene and a watercolor of Rio de Janeiro. This was clearly a traveller's home, a repository of memories."

[Kasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

No wynudziłam się jak mops. No nic, może to mój nastrój, ale ... Nie przepadam jak w kryminałach jest tyle perspektyw. Jak dla mnie za dużo problemów osobistych. Ani jednego bohatera, który ma względnie poukładane w głowie i życiu. Nie zachęca do odwiedzenia Islandii 😉