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Snowblind: incl prequel, Fadeout
Snowblind
Siglufjörð an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, where no one locks their doors – accessible only via a small mountain tunnel. Ari Thór a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavik – with a past that he's unable to leave behind. When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theatre, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one, and secrets and lies are a way of life.
An avalanche and unremitting snowstorms close the mountain pass, and the 24-hour darkness threatens to push Ari over the edge, as curtains begin to twitch, and his investigation becomes increasingly complex, chilling and personal. Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts, while Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness – blinded by snow, and with a killer on the loose.
Taut and terrifying, Snowblind is a startling debut from an extraordinary new talent, taking Nordic Noir to soaring new heights.
Fadeout
When Ari Thór Arason receives a staggeringly high bill for a foreign credit card that was taken out in his name, his life takes a turn he never anticipated. The bill in question belongs to his namesake – his father, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances when Ari was only a child.
Seeking answers, Ari Thór travels to London to investigate, hoping to learn the truth about what happened to his father all those years ago, and discovering far more than he could ever have imagined…
Siglufjörð an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, where no one locks their doors – accessible only via a small mountain tunnel. Ari Thór a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavik – with a past that he's unable to leave behind. When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theatre, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one, and secrets and lies are a way of life.
An avalanche and unremitting snowstorms close the mountain pass, and the 24-hour darkness threatens to push Ari over the edge, as curtains begin to twitch, and his investigation becomes increasingly complex, chilling and personal. Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts, while Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness – blinded by snow, and with a killer on the loose.
Taut and terrifying, Snowblind is a startling debut from an extraordinary new talent, taking Nordic Noir to soaring new heights.
Fadeout
When Ari Thór Arason receives a staggeringly high bill for a foreign credit card that was taken out in his name, his life takes a turn he never anticipated. The bill in question belongs to his namesake – his father, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances when Ari was only a child.
Seeking answers, Ari Thór travels to London to investigate, hoping to learn the truth about what happened to his father all those years ago, and discovering far more than he could ever have imagined…
476 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2025
46 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Ragnar Jónasson
58 books3,978 followersRagnar 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 7, 2026
Review of Fadeout:
This was good, I kept wanting to listen to more to find out what was going on. It definitely was a bit drawn out about Sylvia’s identity near the end.
This was good, I kept wanting to listen to more to find out what was going on. It definitely was a bit drawn out about Sylvia’s identity near the end.
December 27, 2025
Snowblind first reviewed May 2017
Snowblind is the first book in Ragnar Jonasson's Dark Iceland series centred on Ari Thór Arason. In this novel he is a rookie officer who, when he accepts a job offer, must move away from Reykjavik and his girlfriend, and adapt to life in Siglufjörður, a quiet fishing village in the far north of the country. He learns from Tómas, the police sergeant in charge of Siglufjörður police station, that nobody ever locks their doors because there's no point as nothing ever happens. Ari Thór's sense of isolation at this news is immediately palpable, he's in a strange town, one that views outsiders with suspicion and he somehow has to learn to work within this tight-knit community but if nothing happens how can he ever hope to be accepted?
However, the sudden death of celebrated local author, Hrólfur Kristjánsson, immediately plunges him into a case and he finds himself caught up in the secrets and lies of this little community. At first it is widely believed that Hrólfur's death may have been a tragic accident but Ari Thór suspects this may not be the truth, leading him to become further isolated from the locals who object to his questions about their relationships with one another. When a young woman is then found brutally attacked and left for dead, half-naked in the snow, it appears they may really have a killer in their midst. With the only road out of the town blocked following an avalanche, tensions rise as Ari Thór battles to control his growing claustrophobia as he strives to find the killer when he doesn't know who he can trust.
We slowly learn more about the community as Ragnar Jonasson cleverly switches the perspective numerous times meaning we discover little snippets about the various characters from their own thoughts and actions. There is a risk with multiple points of view that the narrative becomes confused but that never happens here, instead this gradual drip-feeding of hidden truths helps to build the tension and increased my desire to turn the pages to discover more. Ari Thór is an engaging protagonist, instinctive and impulsive; the twists and turns kept me captivated and the descriptions of the landscape and weather in Iceland are beautifully and atmospherically described.
I found Snowblind an unsettling read, perhaps because I suffer mildly from claustrophobia myself, the overwhelming sense of being trapped in this dark little town was palpable. I became so immersed in this world, in which the landscape was as much as character as the people of Siglufjörður, that I physically felt the tension, my chest became tight and I could sense the unease in the pit of my stomach. This of course, is in a strange way, exactly what I loved about Snowblind, to experience that deep connection with Ari Thór meant once I picked the book up I didn't put it down until I'd read the whole thing. To say a book made me feel anxious may seem an odd way to recommend it but I mean it as the highest compliment, to write a novel I felt as well as read is something very special and I thoroughly recommend Snowblind to anybody who enjoys gripping, atmospheric thrillers.
Fadeout finds Ari Thór Arason as a theology student still living in Reykjavik but then he receives a shockingly high credit card bill from London which sets him on a course which eventually changes everything. He immediately realises there must have been some mistake but is stunned when he spots that the birthdate of the supposed owner of the credit card matches that of his namesake father who went missing in 1997 and has since been declared as presumed dead. Having been denied the truth of what really happened to his father, Ari Thór heads to London, desperately in need of some answers but instead is left with even more questions – but also with a little hope for the first time in years.
Fadeout may be a relatively short novella but it gives us a moving, immersive insight into the events which shaped Ari Thór Arason. The narrative switches from past to present which ensures the contrast between his happy early childhood, the sense of confusion and loss following his father's disappearance and the rather untethered, lonely young man we meet here is captured with beautifully perceptive empathy. The losses he endured are devastating and it's little wonder that he became isolated from his peers while he also lost touch with family members and friends.
However, he now has cause to believe the truth may be in reach but as he questions those who knew his parents, he begins to suspect some people know more than they admit. Although there is no real suggestion that Ari Thór himself is in danger, as dark secrets are gradually revealed, there is still a rising sense of tension. The twists and turns of his investigation eventually reveal the truth, of course, but more than that, they also help explain why a theology student should eventually find himself a rookie police officer, sent to Siglufjörður, a quiet fishing village in the far north of the country. His resolute determination which can become obsessive is already present here and so too is his sense of always being an outsider who struggles to let others – even loved ones – truly see him, fears and all.
Ragnar Jonasson's vivid, atmospheric descriptions are always exceptional and as always, the weather becomes almost another character here. Many thanks to Larissa Kyzer, without her translation I wouldn't have been able to read this fabulous prequel. Fadeout is a poignant, compelling portrait of the detective as a young man; Ari Thór Arason will always hold a special place in my heart and I loved every moment of this unexpected reunion.
Snowblind is the first book in Ragnar Jonasson's Dark Iceland series centred on Ari Thór Arason. In this novel he is a rookie officer who, when he accepts a job offer, must move away from Reykjavik and his girlfriend, and adapt to life in Siglufjörður, a quiet fishing village in the far north of the country. He learns from Tómas, the police sergeant in charge of Siglufjörður police station, that nobody ever locks their doors because there's no point as nothing ever happens. Ari Thór's sense of isolation at this news is immediately palpable, he's in a strange town, one that views outsiders with suspicion and he somehow has to learn to work within this tight-knit community but if nothing happens how can he ever hope to be accepted?
However, the sudden death of celebrated local author, Hrólfur Kristjánsson, immediately plunges him into a case and he finds himself caught up in the secrets and lies of this little community. At first it is widely believed that Hrólfur's death may have been a tragic accident but Ari Thór suspects this may not be the truth, leading him to become further isolated from the locals who object to his questions about their relationships with one another. When a young woman is then found brutally attacked and left for dead, half-naked in the snow, it appears they may really have a killer in their midst. With the only road out of the town blocked following an avalanche, tensions rise as Ari Thór battles to control his growing claustrophobia as he strives to find the killer when he doesn't know who he can trust.
We slowly learn more about the community as Ragnar Jonasson cleverly switches the perspective numerous times meaning we discover little snippets about the various characters from their own thoughts and actions. There is a risk with multiple points of view that the narrative becomes confused but that never happens here, instead this gradual drip-feeding of hidden truths helps to build the tension and increased my desire to turn the pages to discover more. Ari Thór is an engaging protagonist, instinctive and impulsive; the twists and turns kept me captivated and the descriptions of the landscape and weather in Iceland are beautifully and atmospherically described.
I found Snowblind an unsettling read, perhaps because I suffer mildly from claustrophobia myself, the overwhelming sense of being trapped in this dark little town was palpable. I became so immersed in this world, in which the landscape was as much as character as the people of Siglufjörður, that I physically felt the tension, my chest became tight and I could sense the unease in the pit of my stomach. This of course, is in a strange way, exactly what I loved about Snowblind, to experience that deep connection with Ari Thór meant once I picked the book up I didn't put it down until I'd read the whole thing. To say a book made me feel anxious may seem an odd way to recommend it but I mean it as the highest compliment, to write a novel I felt as well as read is something very special and I thoroughly recommend Snowblind to anybody who enjoys gripping, atmospheric thrillers.
Fadeout finds Ari Thór Arason as a theology student still living in Reykjavik but then he receives a shockingly high credit card bill from London which sets him on a course which eventually changes everything. He immediately realises there must have been some mistake but is stunned when he spots that the birthdate of the supposed owner of the credit card matches that of his namesake father who went missing in 1997 and has since been declared as presumed dead. Having been denied the truth of what really happened to his father, Ari Thór heads to London, desperately in need of some answers but instead is left with even more questions – but also with a little hope for the first time in years.
Fadeout may be a relatively short novella but it gives us a moving, immersive insight into the events which shaped Ari Thór Arason. The narrative switches from past to present which ensures the contrast between his happy early childhood, the sense of confusion and loss following his father's disappearance and the rather untethered, lonely young man we meet here is captured with beautifully perceptive empathy. The losses he endured are devastating and it's little wonder that he became isolated from his peers while he also lost touch with family members and friends.
However, he now has cause to believe the truth may be in reach but as he questions those who knew his parents, he begins to suspect some people know more than they admit. Although there is no real suggestion that Ari Thór himself is in danger, as dark secrets are gradually revealed, there is still a rising sense of tension. The twists and turns of his investigation eventually reveal the truth, of course, but more than that, they also help explain why a theology student should eventually find himself a rookie police officer, sent to Siglufjörður, a quiet fishing village in the far north of the country. His resolute determination which can become obsessive is already present here and so too is his sense of always being an outsider who struggles to let others – even loved ones – truly see him, fears and all.
Ragnar Jonasson's vivid, atmospheric descriptions are always exceptional and as always, the weather becomes almost another character here. Many thanks to Larissa Kyzer, without her translation I wouldn't have been able to read this fabulous prequel. Fadeout is a poignant, compelling portrait of the detective as a young man; Ari Thór Arason will always hold a special place in my heart and I loved every moment of this unexpected reunion.
October 29, 2025
I almost wish I hadn’t read Fadeout first, because it gives the answers to many of the questions about his mother and father that Ari Thór Arason doesn’t yet know in Snowblind. I was on the blog tour for Winterkill – the last in the series – in 2021, but I can’t remember what he had discovered if anything. Winterkill was my third venture into Icelandic Noir, though not my last. It’s one of my favourite genres now and I have read many Icelandic authors.
But back to the books. My five stars goes to Snowblind, more so than Fadeout, which was great but maybe a bit overlong. It jumps back and forth from the time that Ari Thór Arason was a child when his father disappeared without a trace, and his mother died soon after – we know this much in Snowblind, but nothing more. We also discover that Ari Thór was studying Philosophy at University in Reykjavik, but changed to Theology. It was here that he met Kristin, but their relationship was a slow burner because Ari Thór spent most of his time trying to find out what had happened to his father. This was triggered after all these years by a credit card bill in his father’s name. I found it all a bit confusing to begin with, especially as so many other characters are introduced, both now and then. However, the ending is a revelation, one I would never have guessed, though looking back, perhaps I should have. There are a fair few clues along the way.
In Snowblind, Ari Thór has given up studying Theology and embarks on a career in the police force. He feels it will suit him better than being a priest. Before he has even finished his training, he lands a job in Siglufjörður, a small fishing village in Northern Iceland, where there are only two other police officers, a small population and a lot of snow. Siglufjörður was once an important part of the herring fishing industry, but the herring left Icelandic shores in the late 1960s, partly due to overfishing, a cooling of ocean temperatures, and a decline in their food source. It devastated Iceland’s economy.
Kristin is annoyed that Ari Thór took the job in Siglufjörður without discussing it with her, and he is annoyed that she isn’t supporting him. And then there is the beautiful Ugla, to whom he is irrevocably drawn.
Siglufjörður is not exactly the crime centre of Iceland, but when a young woman is found bleeding and unconscious in the snow, and an elderly author dies after falling down the stairs, Ari Thór is thrown straight into what might be a double murder investigation.
But this is an author where nothing is simple, and we are tossed about on a turbulent sea filled with red herrings (see what I did there) and false starts. When we think we’ve solved both crimes, something else crashes over us like the relentless winter storms and avalanches that turn everything on its head. It’s dark, claustrophobic and compelling in equal measures and I loved it.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
But back to the books. My five stars goes to Snowblind, more so than Fadeout, which was great but maybe a bit overlong. It jumps back and forth from the time that Ari Thór Arason was a child when his father disappeared without a trace, and his mother died soon after – we know this much in Snowblind, but nothing more. We also discover that Ari Thór was studying Philosophy at University in Reykjavik, but changed to Theology. It was here that he met Kristin, but their relationship was a slow burner because Ari Thór spent most of his time trying to find out what had happened to his father. This was triggered after all these years by a credit card bill in his father’s name. I found it all a bit confusing to begin with, especially as so many other characters are introduced, both now and then. However, the ending is a revelation, one I would never have guessed, though looking back, perhaps I should have. There are a fair few clues along the way.
In Snowblind, Ari Thór has given up studying Theology and embarks on a career in the police force. He feels it will suit him better than being a priest. Before he has even finished his training, he lands a job in Siglufjörður, a small fishing village in Northern Iceland, where there are only two other police officers, a small population and a lot of snow. Siglufjörður was once an important part of the herring fishing industry, but the herring left Icelandic shores in the late 1960s, partly due to overfishing, a cooling of ocean temperatures, and a decline in their food source. It devastated Iceland’s economy.
Kristin is annoyed that Ari Thór took the job in Siglufjörður without discussing it with her, and he is annoyed that she isn’t supporting him. And then there is the beautiful Ugla, to whom he is irrevocably drawn.
Siglufjörður is not exactly the crime centre of Iceland, but when a young woman is found bleeding and unconscious in the snow, and an elderly author dies after falling down the stairs, Ari Thór is thrown straight into what might be a double murder investigation.
But this is an author where nothing is simple, and we are tossed about on a turbulent sea filled with red herrings (see what I did there) and false starts. When we think we’ve solved both crimes, something else crashes over us like the relentless winter storms and avalanches that turn everything on its head. It’s dark, claustrophobic and compelling in equal measures and I loved it.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
September 11, 2025
I have a special attachment to Ragnar Jónasson's Ari Thór, because Snowblind was the first Icelandic Noir book I ever read, and I've never looked back, except with great pleasure at the decade of reading enjoyment this one chance book set in train (though there are, of course, no trains in Iceland!)
Everyone's favourite Sigló lawman finally gets answers in this prequel to Ragnar's Dark Iceland series. Fadeout, which jumps around in time a lot, although it's not hard to keep on top of where you are, brings us Ari Thór in his student days, starting off in philosophy but changing to theology, although he questions whether he is cut out to be a pastor with no faith of his own since losing his mother a scant few months after his father disappeared. He has only just met Kristín, and because it's early days he doesn't confide in her as he goes off chasing down information about his father's disappearance, when he receives an overdue credit card bill in his name (which is likewise his father's name). Ex-colleagues of his dad, Fjalar and Krummi, seem to be hiding something but exhort Ári not to bother with this wild goose chase, but bother he does, and although he's assaulted by doubts along the way and questions whether anyone is telling him the truth, whether he's even READY for the truth, and whether he should bother or just crack on with his study for his summer exams, it is very satisfying, although rife with emotion, when he finally teases apart the knotty tangle of the past and finds his answers.
Having expected Fadeout to be just a short story, I was delighted to find it a good sized novella, taking up almost half of the anniversary edition of Snowblind, and it was very satisfying to arrive at 'the end of the beginning', as it were, with Ári Thor. It's been a while since I last read a Dark Iceland book, but this prequel stands alone so don't feel you need a complete reread before coming to it - altho of course you could treat yourself to starting afresh with Snowblind and onwards after Fadeout - the early Ari Thór's were certainly my favourites!
Everyone's favourite Sigló lawman finally gets answers in this prequel to Ragnar's Dark Iceland series. Fadeout, which jumps around in time a lot, although it's not hard to keep on top of where you are, brings us Ari Thór in his student days, starting off in philosophy but changing to theology, although he questions whether he is cut out to be a pastor with no faith of his own since losing his mother a scant few months after his father disappeared. He has only just met Kristín, and because it's early days he doesn't confide in her as he goes off chasing down information about his father's disappearance, when he receives an overdue credit card bill in his name (which is likewise his father's name). Ex-colleagues of his dad, Fjalar and Krummi, seem to be hiding something but exhort Ári not to bother with this wild goose chase, but bother he does, and although he's assaulted by doubts along the way and questions whether anyone is telling him the truth, whether he's even READY for the truth, and whether he should bother or just crack on with his study for his summer exams, it is very satisfying, although rife with emotion, when he finally teases apart the knotty tangle of the past and finds his answers.
Having expected Fadeout to be just a short story, I was delighted to find it a good sized novella, taking up almost half of the anniversary edition of Snowblind, and it was very satisfying to arrive at 'the end of the beginning', as it were, with Ári Thor. It's been a while since I last read a Dark Iceland book, but this prequel stands alone so don't feel you need a complete reread before coming to it - altho of course you could treat yourself to starting afresh with Snowblind and onwards after Fadeout - the early Ari Thór's were certainly my favourites!
October 7, 2025
Although I read Snowblind a long time ago (2017) I still remembered the story well when I started to read it again. That said I decided to read Fadeout first as this novella is a prequel to Snowblind then reread Snowblind. Written in multiple timelines Fadeout starts just two years before Snowblind, but moves back and forward in time, as do many of this authors novels.
Briefly, Fadeout: Ari Thór Arason’s father disappeared when Ari was just 13 and his mother died not long afterwards. As a teen he is studying theology at university and is shocked to receive a credit card bill in his name for £7k spent in London. When he realises the bill is actually in his father’s name he goes to London to try to find the man who deserted him. Snowblind: police officer Ari Thór Arason has his first post to the town of Siglufjörður and his posting to a quiet little town turns out to be anything but that. First a famous author dies in a fall, an accident it seems. Then a woman is attacked and found unconscious in the snow.
Whilst it’s not a crime thriller per se Fadeout is a great addition to the series giving an insight into what made Ari the man he is today. The author is a self confessed Agatha Christie fan and you can see the influence in Snowblind, a locked room style mystery with only one way in and out of the town as long as it’s not blocked by snow. And the big reveal is done by bringing all the main characters together. I really enjoyed both books and I do think Fadeout really added to the pleasure of rereading Snowblind. Very entertaining and Happy Anniversary!
Briefly, Fadeout: Ari Thór Arason’s father disappeared when Ari was just 13 and his mother died not long afterwards. As a teen he is studying theology at university and is shocked to receive a credit card bill in his name for £7k spent in London. When he realises the bill is actually in his father’s name he goes to London to try to find the man who deserted him. Snowblind: police officer Ari Thór Arason has his first post to the town of Siglufjörður and his posting to a quiet little town turns out to be anything but that. First a famous author dies in a fall, an accident it seems. Then a woman is attacked and found unconscious in the snow.
Whilst it’s not a crime thriller per se Fadeout is a great addition to the series giving an insight into what made Ari the man he is today. The author is a self confessed Agatha Christie fan and you can see the influence in Snowblind, a locked room style mystery with only one way in and out of the town as long as it’s not blocked by snow. And the big reveal is done by bringing all the main characters together. I really enjoyed both books and I do think Fadeout really added to the pleasure of rereading Snowblind. Very entertaining and Happy Anniversary!
October 31, 2025
My thoughts
I loved the Dark Iceland series as Ragnar Jónasson has created in Ari Thór Arason not only a believable character, but a sympathetic character that you want to know more about and care for. He is a character that tugs at the heart strings. Don’t get me wrong, this is anything but a soppy book. It’s as dark as they come. The landscape as in all of his books is menacing and threatening.
His storytelling is second to none and he most definitely holds you, unbreathing, until you put the book aside. It did take a few days of reading as the Fadeout novella was a decent length, too. This is well worth putting the time aside to read, and if you read the first Dark Iceland story, do reread it. The story is answered in such a brilliant way.
I found it a dark and spellbinding book, full of surprises and answers to questions that I had. I have always loved the Ari Thór books because of the characterisation of both people and landscape. You can tell that the author is a lover of Agatha Christie and this shows through in an individual, but captivating way. Don’t forget a moment think he is a mimic. His writing hooks you from the get go and holds you there because you need to know. These books for me are timeless.
With thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
I loved the Dark Iceland series as Ragnar Jónasson has created in Ari Thór Arason not only a believable character, but a sympathetic character that you want to know more about and care for. He is a character that tugs at the heart strings. Don’t get me wrong, this is anything but a soppy book. It’s as dark as they come. The landscape as in all of his books is menacing and threatening.
His storytelling is second to none and he most definitely holds you, unbreathing, until you put the book aside. It did take a few days of reading as the Fadeout novella was a decent length, too. This is well worth putting the time aside to read, and if you read the first Dark Iceland story, do reread it. The story is answered in such a brilliant way.
I found it a dark and spellbinding book, full of surprises and answers to questions that I had. I have always loved the Ari Thór books because of the characterisation of both people and landscape. You can tell that the author is a lover of Agatha Christie and this shows through in an individual, but captivating way. Don’t forget a moment think he is a mimic. His writing hooks you from the get go and holds you there because you need to know. These books for me are timeless.
With thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
January 25, 2026
Review of Fadeout (prequel - not published separately so not listed).
I heard Ragnar talking on All About Agatha about his love of Agatha Christie. I liked how he spoke so I thought I’d give his books a twirl.
I thought the book was really good - great characters, story, structure and writing. The audiobook narration was excellent too.
The only thing I would have changed was how many times the narrator teased the reader with who Sylvia was (I and I’m sure nearly every other reader had worked it out pages before). (Audiobook)
I heard Ragnar talking on All About Agatha about his love of Agatha Christie. I liked how he spoke so I thought I’d give his books a twirl.
I thought the book was really good - great characters, story, structure and writing. The audiobook narration was excellent too.
The only thing I would have changed was how many times the narrator teased the reader with who Sylvia was (I and I’m sure nearly every other reader had worked it out pages before). (Audiobook)
October 7, 2025
I was so excited to read these novels as I wanted to know all about Ari Thor's life before he became a policeman. Fadeout does not disappoint and let's you know what, why and how he is where he is, what happened to his Dad . Followed by snowblind which is an incredibly intriguing and well thought out novel. It's cold and the way it is written makes you feel the cold and the claustrophobia. A totally well deserved 5 stars for this one .
January 1, 2026
promisedmore than it delivered
Maybe it was the translation but the book didn't flow well, that characters had no depth and the story although it tied up in the end just wasn't that interesting.
Maybe it was the translation but the book didn't flow well, that characters had no depth and the story although it tied up in the end just wasn't that interesting.
January 7, 2026
This is brilliant
I loved this book and glad I got it with the prequel. This is the first of Ragnar books I have read. But it certainly won't be the last. I am just getting the second one now
I loved this book and glad I got it with the prequel. This is the first of Ragnar books I have read. But it certainly won't be the last. I am just getting the second one now
March 1, 2026
Didn’t gel
Different threads of stories so it never felt as if you were reading one crime book but one with many afterthoughts.
Different threads of stories so it never felt as if you were reading one crime book but one with many afterthoughts.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews