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Dark Iceland #2
Nightblind
Chilling and complex, Nightblind is an extraordinary thriller from an undeniable new talent.
Ari Thor Arason is a local policeman who has an uneasy relationship with the villagers in an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland--where no one locks their doors.
The peace of this close-knit community is shattered by a murder. One of Ari's colleagues is gunned down at point-blank range in the dead of night in a deserted house. With a killer on the loose and the dark Arctic waters closing in, it falls to Ari Thor to piece together a puzzle that involves a new mayor and a psychiatric ward in Reykjavik. It becomes all too clear that tragic events from the past are weaving a sinister spell that may threaten them all.
Ari Thor Arason is a local policeman who has an uneasy relationship with the villagers in an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland--where no one locks their doors.
The peace of this close-knit community is shattered by a murder. One of Ari's colleagues is gunned down at point-blank range in the dead of night in a deserted house. With a killer on the loose and the dark Arctic waters closing in, it falls to Ari Thor to piece together a puzzle that involves a new mayor and a psychiatric ward in Reykjavik. It becomes all too clear that tragic events from the past are weaving a sinister spell that may threaten them all.
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
1593 people are currently reading
5525 people want to read
About the author
Ragnar Jónasson
51 books3,898 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 - 30 of 861 reviews
May 6, 2017
Nightblind is a tricky book to review; if you chose to read this after Blackout then none of the spoilers ruined any plot twists and you are continuing in somewhat of a chronological order. This was the shortest book in the series so far; at only 206 pages I can’t give away much in terms of plot, but once again Jonasson has reeled us in and grabbed us from the very first chapter. I was pleased to learn of how the personal lives of our main characters had developed, and once again found myself intrigued by the twisty story. There’s always a grabbing reveal near the end and this one was as breathtaking as the first two. I found myself especially intrigued by the journal entries of the psych ward patient and thought they were a profound touch to add an extra layer of eery atmosphere to the story. It seems the more I read this series the faster I have to pick up the next book to continue on; I highly recommend the Dark Iceland books to fans of vivd nordic noir.
*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!
*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!
November 22, 2018
”At last they gave me a pencil and a notebook.
It’s an old yellow pencil, badly sharpened, and an old notebook that someone has already used, the first few pages untidily ripped out. Had someone else already tried to put into words their difficulties and their helplessness, just as I’m doing? Maybe there were some pretty doodles there, the unchanging view of the back garden rendered in artistic form, if that could be done. Somethings are so grey and cold that no amount of colour on a page could ever bring them to life.”
We are back in Siglufjordur, Iceland, with Ari Thor. The events of Nightblind are five years after the events in Snowblind. A lot has changed. There is a book in between Snowblind and Nightblind called Blackout, which is due out August 28th, 2018. The American publisher must have liked the association between the book titles and decided to publish them out of order. I’m sure it all seemed perfectly logical at the time, whatever the reasoning was for having us read Nightblind before Blackout.
I will do my best to dance around the issues, especially for those who are waiting to read Blackout before Nightblind.
Publishers just never think about the hardships they put reviewers through.
I don’t know how many more books Ragnar Jonasson intends to write based in Siglufjordur, but frankly, if I were the people of that city, I might think about frog marching him out of town before he kills off a significant portion of this small town’s residents (1,206). It is well on its way to becoming the Cabot Cove, Maine, of Iceland. I’d be avoiding him like he was Typhoid Mary, for fear he would size me up to be his next victim in his upcoming book.
Speaking of Typhoid Mary.
Ari Thor is sick with the flu. When Ari gets a concerned call from the wife of his fellow and rival police officer Herjolfur, he has to go out even though he feels like he has been stampeded over by a herd of reindeer. Fear has pierced the fever fog of his ailment, giving him strength to continue looking for his collegue.
He finds him.
In a pool of blood.
Faint pulse.
This is Iceland, not America. People aren’t supposed to get shot here. The police aren’t even armed. This shooting is so unusual that it raises a national debate about whether there are too many registered guns in Iceland. People aren’t buying AR-15s in Iceland. They buy legitimate rifles/shotguns for hunting, not a weapon that is designed and made to kill people. I don’t want to get caught up in a gun debate. I just wanted to make the point that one police officer gets shot in Iceland, and it is a call for change.
It is puzzling, really. Who would want to shoot Herjolfur? He hasn’t been in town a long time. In fact, he gets the job that Ari Thor applied for, and he wins the job not on merit as much as for his high level connections in the police force.
As Ari sifts through the sparse evidence, trying to make sense out of volunteered information from a local drug dealer and eliminate irrelevant information, which seems to be most of what he is discovering, he is also fighting all kinds of issues beyond the scope of his job. ”Ari Thor’s patience was starting to wear thin, his tolerance levels eroded by long days, inadequate rest, an increasingly complex investigation, and the tension at home.” The stress increases when he establishes a connection between the mayor’s office and certain aspects of his investigation.
Why did Herjolfur call the mayor moments before he was gunned down?
Sprinkled between chapters, there are excerpts, like the one I started this review with, from the diary of a mental patient which adds a new wrinkle to the reader’s investigation that Ari Thor does not have access to until very late in the case.
Ragnar Jonasson has translated numerous Agatha Christie’s, and his time rendering the Dame into Icelandic has served him well. I’m on board for Blackout, when the opaque time between Snowblind and Nightblind will be made clear.
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
It’s an old yellow pencil, badly sharpened, and an old notebook that someone has already used, the first few pages untidily ripped out. Had someone else already tried to put into words their difficulties and their helplessness, just as I’m doing? Maybe there were some pretty doodles there, the unchanging view of the back garden rendered in artistic form, if that could be done. Somethings are so grey and cold that no amount of colour on a page could ever bring them to life.”
We are back in Siglufjordur, Iceland, with Ari Thor. The events of Nightblind are five years after the events in Snowblind. A lot has changed. There is a book in between Snowblind and Nightblind called Blackout, which is due out August 28th, 2018. The American publisher must have liked the association between the book titles and decided to publish them out of order. I’m sure it all seemed perfectly logical at the time, whatever the reasoning was for having us read Nightblind before Blackout.
I will do my best to dance around the issues, especially for those who are waiting to read Blackout before Nightblind.
Publishers just never think about the hardships they put reviewers through.
I don’t know how many more books Ragnar Jonasson intends to write based in Siglufjordur, but frankly, if I were the people of that city, I might think about frog marching him out of town before he kills off a significant portion of this small town’s residents (1,206). It is well on its way to becoming the Cabot Cove, Maine, of Iceland. I’d be avoiding him like he was Typhoid Mary, for fear he would size me up to be his next victim in his upcoming book.
Speaking of Typhoid Mary.
Ari Thor is sick with the flu. When Ari gets a concerned call from the wife of his fellow and rival police officer Herjolfur, he has to go out even though he feels like he has been stampeded over by a herd of reindeer. Fear has pierced the fever fog of his ailment, giving him strength to continue looking for his collegue.
He finds him.
In a pool of blood.
Faint pulse.
This is Iceland, not America. People aren’t supposed to get shot here. The police aren’t even armed. This shooting is so unusual that it raises a national debate about whether there are too many registered guns in Iceland. People aren’t buying AR-15s in Iceland. They buy legitimate rifles/shotguns for hunting, not a weapon that is designed and made to kill people. I don’t want to get caught up in a gun debate. I just wanted to make the point that one police officer gets shot in Iceland, and it is a call for change.
It is puzzling, really. Who would want to shoot Herjolfur? He hasn’t been in town a long time. In fact, he gets the job that Ari Thor applied for, and he wins the job not on merit as much as for his high level connections in the police force.
As Ari sifts through the sparse evidence, trying to make sense out of volunteered information from a local drug dealer and eliminate irrelevant information, which seems to be most of what he is discovering, he is also fighting all kinds of issues beyond the scope of his job. ”Ari Thor’s patience was starting to wear thin, his tolerance levels eroded by long days, inadequate rest, an increasingly complex investigation, and the tension at home.” The stress increases when he establishes a connection between the mayor’s office and certain aspects of his investigation.
Why did Herjolfur call the mayor moments before he was gunned down?
Sprinkled between chapters, there are excerpts, like the one I started this review with, from the diary of a mental patient which adds a new wrinkle to the reader’s investigation that Ari Thor does not have access to until very late in the case.
Ragnar Jonasson has translated numerous Agatha Christie’s, and his time rendering the Dame into Icelandic has served him well. I’m on board for Blackout, when the opaque time between Snowblind and Nightblind will be made clear.
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
December 30, 2017
It has been five years since Ari Thor has come to Siglufjordur, and he now feels more comfortable in the village and his job as a policeman. His personal life has changed as well, but lately that has been a bit bumpy. He is out with the flu, when his superior is shot at the site of an old house, that has a storied past. Crime happens rarely in this small fishing village and Ari is well aware of the fact that had he not been out sick, the man fighting for his life, could well have been him.
I love the atmosphere in this series. The Arctic winter is closing in, the extreme cold, and since it has been below zero with single digits here, I can relate, surrounds one. One gets a very good sense of this village, and the people that live within. It is a slower paced procedural with many different avenues investigated before the truth is known. Ari Thor, is a pondering sort of man, he is always thinking, trying to make connections, working things out in his own mind. Doesn't just accept another's word for something, even Tomas, who brought Ari to this village. He is tenacious, and follows every lead, talks to everyone involved, even those who may not lead him to an answer. Eventually he will get there.
In between chapters, there are writings from a journal, penned by someone who is in as psychiatric ward in Reykjavik. Who this is and what it has to do with shooting is not revealed to near the end. Added to the overall mystery and the atmosphere as well.
A very good , solid story, with an interesting, well described setting. I enjoy this series, but I know there are five books so far, this the second the only other one at my library so far. Hopefully, as they are translated we will acquire them.
I love the atmosphere in this series. The Arctic winter is closing in, the extreme cold, and since it has been below zero with single digits here, I can relate, surrounds one. One gets a very good sense of this village, and the people that live within. It is a slower paced procedural with many different avenues investigated before the truth is known. Ari Thor, is a pondering sort of man, he is always thinking, trying to make connections, working things out in his own mind. Doesn't just accept another's word for something, even Tomas, who brought Ari to this village. He is tenacious, and follows every lead, talks to everyone involved, even those who may not lead him to an answer. Eventually he will get there.
In between chapters, there are writings from a journal, penned by someone who is in as psychiatric ward in Reykjavik. Who this is and what it has to do with shooting is not revealed to near the end. Added to the overall mystery and the atmosphere as well.
A very good , solid story, with an interesting, well described setting. I enjoy this series, but I know there are five books so far, this the second the only other one at my library so far. Hopefully, as they are translated we will acquire them.
February 8, 2018
4 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ebook. It takes place during the bleak, dark winter of Siglufjordur, in northern Iceland. 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.
This book starts with the murder of 1 of the 2 police officers in Siglufordur, Herjolfur. His wife Helena calls Ari Thor, the other police officer asking him if he has seen her husband. Ari finds Herjolfur, who has been shot and is near death. The author switches back and forth between the investigation and a diary of a man in a psychiatric hospital. The two narratives do tie together in a bittersweet ending.
There is some domestic violence in the story if that bothers you.
One quote: "He had come to appreciate the summer in Siglufordur, with its dazzling bright days. He enjoyed the winter as well, with its all-enveloping darkness that curled itself around you like a giant cat."
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ebook. It takes place during the bleak, dark winter of Siglufjordur, in northern Iceland. 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.
This book starts with the murder of 1 of the 2 police officers in Siglufordur, Herjolfur. His wife Helena calls Ari Thor, the other police officer asking him if he has seen her husband. Ari finds Herjolfur, who has been shot and is near death. The author switches back and forth between the investigation and a diary of a man in a psychiatric hospital. The two narratives do tie together in a bittersweet ending.
There is some domestic violence in the story if that bothers you.
One quote: "He had come to appreciate the summer in Siglufordur, with its dazzling bright days. He enjoyed the winter as well, with its all-enveloping darkness that curled itself around you like a giant cat."
April 17, 2019
For some strange reason the English publication order differs from the original, I’d assumed that this was the second in the series (as listed on Goodreads) but in actual fact it’s the fifth!
It can be enjoyed as a stand-alone adventure but the fact that it’s set 5 years after the events of Snowblind and the main protagonist of the series Ari Thór and girlfriend Kristin now have a ten-month-old son, I feel like I’ve missed a lot of character progression throughout the series.
The story itself it quite good as the small tranquil fishing village of Siglufjörður is rocked by the death of a policeman. A shooting in the quaint close-knit community feels unthinkable, this is the type of place where no one locks their doors...
The mystery was interesting and the solution was perfect, but again it’s the location and a feel for the Icelandic way of life that really sells this series.
I’d anyone who’s interested in a good mystery novel with a difference to start this series, but use the original publication order instead!
It can be enjoyed as a stand-alone adventure but the fact that it’s set 5 years after the events of Snowblind and the main protagonist of the series Ari Thór and girlfriend Kristin now have a ten-month-old son, I feel like I’ve missed a lot of character progression throughout the series.
The story itself it quite good as the small tranquil fishing village of Siglufjörður is rocked by the death of a policeman. A shooting in the quaint close-knit community feels unthinkable, this is the type of place where no one locks their doors...
The mystery was interesting and the solution was perfect, but again it’s the location and a feel for the Icelandic way of life that really sells this series.
I’d anyone who’s interested in a good mystery novel with a difference to start this series, but use the original publication order instead!
January 2, 2020
This is the second offering in Jónasson’s Icelandic noir series featuring Ari Thór Arason. Ari Thór and Herjólfur are the only two police officers working in Siglufjörður, the northernmost town on the Iceland mainland. So when Herjólfur is shot at point-blank range, it stuns the 1300 residents. Who could have done such a thing? Ari Thór and Tómas (recalled to conduct the investigation) follow every lead—even when it involves the new mayor.
Jónasson has translated several of Agatha Christie's novels into Icelandic, so the master crime novelist heavily influenced Jónasson’s own plot development. Recommend this Icelandic police procedural.
Jónasson has translated several of Agatha Christie's novels into Icelandic, so the master crime novelist heavily influenced Jónasson’s own plot development. Recommend this Icelandic police procedural.
October 9, 2017
Iceland is a country known for its arts and culture, liberal social attitudes, education, natural wonders, and low crime rate. It is also has the fifteenth highest level of gun ownership in the world per capita. When a police officer is shot one night in Siglufjörður, exactly one-half of the police force of this small town is injured while on duty. Ari Thór Arason is alarmed that his superior officer has been critically wounded but at the same time, he is aware that he could have been the one rushed to the hospital, since he was supposed to have been on duty that night, except that he was home sick with the flu. There is also the underlying regret about the cool relationship he has had with his new boss. Why, he wonders, was Herjólfur at an abandoned home late that night? The more obvious question: Who shot him?
We first met Ari Thór in Ragnar Jónasson’s Snowblind. Now, in Nightblind, the local officer has settled in with girlfriend Kristín and their infant son. When his boss moved to Reykjavik, Ari Thór had hoped to be promoted, but Herjólfur was hired instead. Tómas is called in from the capital to command the investigation. He seems more self-assured (and even a tad pushy) now than before, and his fellow officer both welcomes his experience and is a bit bothered, because he, too, has gained confidence in his own abilities and has his own ideas about how to proceed. Nevertheless, the two men get along well enough. They roll up their sleeves and get to work questioning witnesses.
Interspersed between the dark scenes in Siglufjörður are strange, puzzling messages from another voice. This was disconcerting at first until I realized that these were journal entries written by a patient at a mental hospital. A mystery within the mystery! Who is this person? How does he – or she – figure into the events in Siglufjörður? Was this patient writing in the present, or perhaps decades earlier? Each successive note revealed a bit more but not quite enough...
Jónasson moves the plot along slowly but surely, setting up conflicts, questions, clues, and red herrings. A few suspects emerge, but the tone is mostly low key, except when two police officers burn the midnight oil to solve the crime, because shootings, especially of law enforcement personnel, are so rare in Iceland.
We do get to know Ari Thór better in this second book of the Dark Iceland series. That’s not an easy task, because he is a quiet man with a secret that he doesn’t share, not even with Kristín. It has to do with his father, and his lack of sharing is partly responsible for the tension in their relationship. He feels the tension, yet he is afraid to ask...But as we know, relationships are a two-way street, and the author shows us Kristín’s discomfort as well. Yet, Ari Thór does not strike me as someone who is totally comfortable in his own skin. His manner of questioning civilians and suspects in the shooting inquiry seems forced and awkward. I look forward to seeing how this character develops in future novels.
There are other characters who strike me as uniquely Icelandic, at least, as people I would imagine to be individuals who put up with the cold, the darkness, and the isolation of a fishing village. They are strong, stoic, and efficient. It really did not surprise me that there are some who succumb to the darkness, the damp, and the cold of this northern land. More than one resident of this tightly knit community has a secret. But which of them is desperate enough to kill a policeman? Perhaps the journal holds the key?
I found myself enjoying Nightblind much more than Snowblind, and I will probably continue reading the series. I wish to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
4 stars
We first met Ari Thór in Ragnar Jónasson’s Snowblind. Now, in Nightblind, the local officer has settled in with girlfriend Kristín and their infant son. When his boss moved to Reykjavik, Ari Thór had hoped to be promoted, but Herjólfur was hired instead. Tómas is called in from the capital to command the investigation. He seems more self-assured (and even a tad pushy) now than before, and his fellow officer both welcomes his experience and is a bit bothered, because he, too, has gained confidence in his own abilities and has his own ideas about how to proceed. Nevertheless, the two men get along well enough. They roll up their sleeves and get to work questioning witnesses.
Interspersed between the dark scenes in Siglufjörður are strange, puzzling messages from another voice. This was disconcerting at first until I realized that these were journal entries written by a patient at a mental hospital. A mystery within the mystery! Who is this person? How does he – or she – figure into the events in Siglufjörður? Was this patient writing in the present, or perhaps decades earlier? Each successive note revealed a bit more but not quite enough...
Jónasson moves the plot along slowly but surely, setting up conflicts, questions, clues, and red herrings. A few suspects emerge, but the tone is mostly low key, except when two police officers burn the midnight oil to solve the crime, because shootings, especially of law enforcement personnel, are so rare in Iceland.
We do get to know Ari Thór better in this second book of the Dark Iceland series. That’s not an easy task, because he is a quiet man with a secret that he doesn’t share, not even with Kristín. It has to do with his father, and his lack of sharing is partly responsible for the tension in their relationship. He feels the tension, yet he is afraid to ask...But as we know, relationships are a two-way street, and the author shows us Kristín’s discomfort as well. Yet, Ari Thór does not strike me as someone who is totally comfortable in his own skin. His manner of questioning civilians and suspects in the shooting inquiry seems forced and awkward. I look forward to seeing how this character develops in future novels.
There are other characters who strike me as uniquely Icelandic, at least, as people I would imagine to be individuals who put up with the cold, the darkness, and the isolation of a fishing village. They are strong, stoic, and efficient. It really did not surprise me that there are some who succumb to the darkness, the damp, and the cold of this northern land. More than one resident of this tightly knit community has a secret. But which of them is desperate enough to kill a policeman? Perhaps the journal holds the key?
I found myself enjoying Nightblind much more than Snowblind, and I will probably continue reading the series. I wish to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
4 stars
October 14, 2017
The entire country of Iceland is shocked by the shooting of Inspector Herjólfur in the small town of Siglufjörður. The inspector has been shot down outside an abandoned house with a violent history.
Ari Thór Arason , the policeman, who missed out on the promotion to inspector that went to Herjólfur, is home sick with the flu when he gets the call-out by the inspector's wife who has not been able to contact him.
It comes as a great shock when Ari Thór realzes if it hadn't been for the flu he might have been the one shot since Herjólfur was covering his shift.
Ari Thór old boss, Tómas, is brought back to head the investigation into the shooting. They quickly fall into their old rhythm, although Ari Thór finds thinking more independently, a surprising change for him.
As with any book set in Iceland, the landscape becomes a major player in the story, setting a dark atmosphere of claustrophobia and isolation in this small northern town.
The pace is slow as the investigators slowly build their case despite the red herrings, one of which has consequences to Ari Thór's home life where he is settled into a happy life with his girlfriend and new son.
The story is interwoven with the journal of a new patient in a psychiatric ward. It's not until the end that we are given the the patient's name and the main reason he has been committed.
The story follows the lines of a classic mystery. Other than our access to the journal we know no more than the detectives. We are swept up in their investigation as they methodically investigate all leads, even those that lead to powerful politicians.
Plot and story is key with Ragnar Jónasson. His characters are well delineated, but don't take center stage, nor do their personal stories, but neither are they ignored. As mentioned, setting is important, but not overwhelming.
A very satisfying read, with fans hoping for translations of the other books in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley for and ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Ari Thór Arason , the policeman, who missed out on the promotion to inspector that went to Herjólfur, is home sick with the flu when he gets the call-out by the inspector's wife who has not been able to contact him.
It comes as a great shock when Ari Thór realzes if it hadn't been for the flu he might have been the one shot since Herjólfur was covering his shift.
Ari Thór old boss, Tómas, is brought back to head the investigation into the shooting. They quickly fall into their old rhythm, although Ari Thór finds thinking more independently, a surprising change for him.
As with any book set in Iceland, the landscape becomes a major player in the story, setting a dark atmosphere of claustrophobia and isolation in this small northern town.
The pace is slow as the investigators slowly build their case despite the red herrings, one of which has consequences to Ari Thór's home life where he is settled into a happy life with his girlfriend and new son.
The story is interwoven with the journal of a new patient in a psychiatric ward. It's not until the end that we are given the the patient's name and the main reason he has been committed.
The story follows the lines of a classic mystery. Other than our access to the journal we know no more than the detectives. We are swept up in their investigation as they methodically investigate all leads, even those that lead to powerful politicians.
Plot and story is key with Ragnar Jónasson. His characters are well delineated, but don't take center stage, nor do their personal stories, but neither are they ignored. As mentioned, setting is important, but not overwhelming.
A very satisfying read, with fans hoping for translations of the other books in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley for and ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 15, 2018
As in Snowblind, the once quiet streets of Siglufjörður are bloodied by murder, this time of Inspector Herjólfur, who is responding to the tip off of a drug deal in a spooky house at the far edge of town. Recovering from flu and in the midst of some serious relationship problems, Ari Thor gets outside help in the form of his old boss to investigate the killing.
This lacked the punch of the first novel, with both the writing and the plotting feeling much weaker. There was a stiltedness to either the words or the translation that did not match the beauty and claustrophobia of the first book, though once again the bitterly cold and wet weather effectively permeated every scene. There were strands of investigation, such as what happened to a man who died in the same house years ago, that seemed entirely irrelevant to the main storyline, fed into the narrative only for the possibility that it might offer an alternative explanation but in reality failing to provide anything of the sort. Another storyline focusing on the mayor and his deputy was unconvincing, especially when that too turned bloodier. I quickly guessed whodunnit, the diary entries which are interspersed throughout could only have been written by one of two people, adding to a series of very clear clues.
Nevertheless, Ari Thor is the kind of character you get a thing for, his troubled relationships and personal flaws are endearing and somewhat amusing- I'll have to follow him for that alone.
This lacked the punch of the first novel, with both the writing and the plotting feeling much weaker. There was a stiltedness to either the words or the translation that did not match the beauty and claustrophobia of the first book, though once again the bitterly cold and wet weather effectively permeated every scene. There were strands of investigation, such as what happened to a man who died in the same house years ago, that seemed entirely irrelevant to the main storyline, fed into the narrative only for the possibility that it might offer an alternative explanation but in reality failing to provide anything of the sort. Another storyline focusing on the mayor and his deputy was unconvincing, especially when that too turned bloodier. I quickly guessed whodunnit, the diary entries which are interspersed throughout could only have been written by one of two people, adding to a series of very clear clues.
Nevertheless, Ari Thor is the kind of character you get a thing for, his troubled relationships and personal flaws are endearing and somewhat amusing- I'll have to follow him for that alone.
January 10, 2018
Siglufjördur, Iceland, is an extremely atmospheric setting. It’s located less than 25 miles south of the Arctic Circle. There is a ring of mountains surrounding the village, and for seventy-four days starting in mid-November, there is no sunshine.
If the police talk to you in Siglufjördur, everyone will know and believe you are guilty of whatever the crime was. And you will be instantly in fear of being arrested.
Policeman Ari Thór Arason appears to be a meek fellow, but he’s smarter than you think. He’s now a father, but has a rocky relationship with Kristin.
The shooting of Herjólfur cuts the police force in half, so Ari Thór's old boss returns from Reykjavik to help investigate. I honestly think Ari Thór could have handled it by himself, except he was getting over the flu.
I enjoyed this book, even though it was slowly paced without any tension. Having pages from a diary written by an unknown person interspersed throughout the book held my interest. The book is relatively short and a quick read.
The publication order of the translated books is not the same as the original publication order, but I’m not sure it matters.
If the police talk to you in Siglufjördur, everyone will know and believe you are guilty of whatever the crime was. And you will be instantly in fear of being arrested.
Policeman Ari Thór Arason appears to be a meek fellow, but he’s smarter than you think. He’s now a father, but has a rocky relationship with Kristin.
The shooting of Herjólfur cuts the police force in half, so Ari Thór's old boss returns from Reykjavik to help investigate. I honestly think Ari Thór could have handled it by himself, except he was getting over the flu.
I enjoyed this book, even though it was slowly paced without any tension. Having pages from a diary written by an unknown person interspersed throughout the book held my interest. The book is relatively short and a quick read.
The publication order of the translated books is not the same as the original publication order, but I’m not sure it matters.
March 27, 2017
I sincerely wish I spoke Icelandic so I could read this series in its proper order. This one is a fast forward into the future. We miss a series of events that left off in book one with Ari Thor's personal life. His professional life is also slightly different; Tomas is gone and Ari was passed up on promotion for the inspector position.
That being said.... Ari is still the quiet, methodical, watchful police officer that always solves the case. Another brilliant mystery by Jonasson. I didn't guess the killer until Ari had pieced it together. I love a mystery that paces you along with the sleuth. Masterful storytelling.
That being said.... Ari is still the quiet, methodical, watchful police officer that always solves the case. Another brilliant mystery by Jonasson. I didn't guess the killer until Ari had pieced it together. I love a mystery that paces you along with the sleuth. Masterful storytelling.
March 11, 2018
Nightblind is the second of Jonasson's Dark Iceland series (though there are three books, written after Nightblind, that take place chronologically between Snowblind and Nightblind). The setting is Siglufjörður, a village on the northern tip of Iceland, a place where mid-winter is a time of total darkness, with only the barest hint of a sun glow at noon. The time is November. The people of the village are finishing up tasks for the coming holidays and those things that need daylight, before the darkness sets in. Ari Thór Arason, a village policeman out with the flu, is called in from his sickbed because his boss is missing. In a two-man department, each is indispensable. In a country with few guns and few murders, Ari Thor is about to find that a policeman has been shot. This will send shock waves through the village and the country.
On top of this major event there are others that make Nightblind a very interesting and complex tale. In many ways relationships are key to the primary mystery and all of the other mysteries and events that occur around it. There are so many difficult, if not fractured, relationships involving major and minor characters. This seems a reflection of the darkness descending on the area with the midwinter. I really don't want to give away more plot than this as it is good to have it roll out for you in reading the book.
I do recommend this book to mystery readers. I also will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book even without having read Snowblind, though I intend to read it in the future. There was enough explanation of past events to keep me up to date with the current events.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
On top of this major event there are others that make Nightblind a very interesting and complex tale. In many ways relationships are key to the primary mystery and all of the other mysteries and events that occur around it. There are so many difficult, if not fractured, relationships involving major and minor characters. This seems a reflection of the darkness descending on the area with the midwinter. I really don't want to give away more plot than this as it is good to have it roll out for you in reading the book.
I do recommend this book to mystery readers. I also will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book even without having read Snowblind, though I intend to read it in the future. There was enough explanation of past events to keep me up to date with the current events.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
June 15, 2020
Nightblind is well-written and fast-paced, although not as thrilling as the first book. That said, the plot, the mystery and the setting are intriguing enough to make you want to read till the end.
The events of Nightblind take place five years after Snowblind, the first book in the series.
Some things are so grey and cold that no amount of colour on a page could ever bring them to life.
A police officer is shot to death in front of an old and abandoned house.
Why was the victim there late at night? Was he lured there by design or was it a case of wrong place, wrong time.
They say there are no secrets in little towns, but as Ari Thór begins his investigations he realizes that everyone has a dark side that others don’t get to see.
The events of Nightblind take place five years after Snowblind, the first book in the series.
Some things are so grey and cold that no amount of colour on a page could ever bring them to life.
A police officer is shot to death in front of an old and abandoned house.
Why was the victim there late at night? Was he lured there by design or was it a case of wrong place, wrong time.
They say there are no secrets in little towns, but as Ari Thór begins his investigations he realizes that everyone has a dark side that others don’t get to see.
May 8, 2022
I found this volume in the series quite dark, especially around the topic of domestic violence and generational abuse, where violence is repeated in each successive generation. There was one particular scene that affected me, as it felt so real, as if I was actually there. The writing is very atmospheric and had me gripped throughout. It's something of a relief to have reached the end of the story, however I am still thinking about it.
Favorite quotes:
“You’re telling me you’ve lost a whole policeman?” I literally snorted out loud when I heard this!
“A whisp of smoke from a raging fire within” refers to the glint in Gunnar’s eye that provides a brief window into the suppressed anger he holds inside.
“There's a roundabout in Siglufjördur now?” The surprise expressed is due to Siglufjördur being a small town. However, the explanation is that roundabouts reduce speeding.
This was interesting to me, as I lived in Swindon, Wiltshire, UK during the time it was the test area for mini-roundabouts. The famous 'Magic Roundabout' in Swindon is a ring junction constructed in 1972 consisting of five mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle.
One morning, around 2am, my father-in-law approached the Magic Roundabout and had no clue how to get to the exit he wanted, so thinking no-one was around, he drove straight across! He was stopped by a police officer and they had a conversation about how to go around each mini-roundabout to get across.
In the area I live now roundabouts are being introduced and it will be interesting to see how people adapt to using them.
Favorite quotes:
“You’re telling me you’ve lost a whole policeman?” I literally snorted out loud when I heard this!
“A whisp of smoke from a raging fire within” refers to the glint in Gunnar’s eye that provides a brief window into the suppressed anger he holds inside.
“There's a roundabout in Siglufjördur now?” The surprise expressed is due to Siglufjördur being a small town. However, the explanation is that roundabouts reduce speeding.
This was interesting to me, as I lived in Swindon, Wiltshire, UK during the time it was the test area for mini-roundabouts. The famous 'Magic Roundabout' in Swindon is a ring junction constructed in 1972 consisting of five mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle.
One morning, around 2am, my father-in-law approached the Magic Roundabout and had no clue how to get to the exit he wanted, so thinking no-one was around, he drove straight across! He was stopped by a police officer and they had a conversation about how to go around each mini-roundabout to get across.
In the area I live now roundabouts are being introduced and it will be interesting to see how people adapt to using them.
February 5, 2017
After several years of upheaval, Ari Thór Arason has finally settled down. He & girlfriend Kristín have reunited & set up house with their baby son. The residents of Siglufjördur have accepted him & he’s content being a small town cop.
When his previous boss moved to Reykjavik, Ari hoped to fill his shoes. Instead the job went to Herjólfur, a seasoned cop from down south. He & Ari have forged a professional albeit cool relationship. But it’s early days & they have time to get to know each other.
Actually, they don’t. Late one night, Ari gets a life changing call. Officer down. He finds Herjólfur fatally shot outside an abandoned house where another mysterious death occurred decades ago.
All of Iceland is reeling after the news trickles south. This is a place where annual murders can be counted on one hand & the whole country is in shock (as evidenced by response to the recent real life murder of a young woman in Reykjavik). The tiny police department is hardly equipped for the case let alone the glare of national media attention. So when Tómas returns to head up the investigation, Ari is grateful to see his old friend & mentor.
In alternate chapters we meet an anonymous patient in a psychiatric hospital. As they scribble their thoughts in a daily diary, we slowly learn about their life & why they ended up being committed. As time passes, the entries become increasingly ominous & this is heightened by not knowing their identity or even when the events occurred.
The 2 main story lines run parallel until we get a glimmer of how they might intersect. There are plenty of shiny red herrings dancing around the murder investigation to make you pause & rethink what you thought you knew. Political intrigue & drug dealing complicate the search for a killer & add to the mysteries Ari & Tómas must solve before the shocking truth is revealed.
We also get more insight into Ari’s character. Herjólfur’s death rocks his world & makes him question his priorities. He & Kristín are going through a rough patch & for the first time, he begins to understand how his own behaviour affects those around him. It just might be time to come to terms with his past & finally share the secrets he’s been carrying since childhood.
If (like me) you’ve been reading these in chronological order, this is the most recent in the series. Every time I pick up one of these books, I get transported to this small piece of Iceland & the residents who have become so familiar to me. I feel like I could travel there & immediately find my way. The setting is starkly atmospheric & the persistent rain & gloom mirror the mood of the characters.
For Siglufjördur, like the characters, is changing. Its innocence has always been protected by isolation but the new tunnel provides access for tourists & those sniffing out new territory for criminal activity. The influx of new faces adds to the general unease in the aftermath of Herjólfur’s death. Some would call it progress but there’s great irony in people travelling to the same place to get away from it all.
Nightblind is another immersive & satisfying read in this great series. And now that I’m back in my own little corner of the world, it’s going to feel like a loooong wait for the next one.
When his previous boss moved to Reykjavik, Ari hoped to fill his shoes. Instead the job went to Herjólfur, a seasoned cop from down south. He & Ari have forged a professional albeit cool relationship. But it’s early days & they have time to get to know each other.
Actually, they don’t. Late one night, Ari gets a life changing call. Officer down. He finds Herjólfur fatally shot outside an abandoned house where another mysterious death occurred decades ago.
All of Iceland is reeling after the news trickles south. This is a place where annual murders can be counted on one hand & the whole country is in shock (as evidenced by response to the recent real life murder of a young woman in Reykjavik). The tiny police department is hardly equipped for the case let alone the glare of national media attention. So when Tómas returns to head up the investigation, Ari is grateful to see his old friend & mentor.
In alternate chapters we meet an anonymous patient in a psychiatric hospital. As they scribble their thoughts in a daily diary, we slowly learn about their life & why they ended up being committed. As time passes, the entries become increasingly ominous & this is heightened by not knowing their identity or even when the events occurred.
The 2 main story lines run parallel until we get a glimmer of how they might intersect. There are plenty of shiny red herrings dancing around the murder investigation to make you pause & rethink what you thought you knew. Political intrigue & drug dealing complicate the search for a killer & add to the mysteries Ari & Tómas must solve before the shocking truth is revealed.
We also get more insight into Ari’s character. Herjólfur’s death rocks his world & makes him question his priorities. He & Kristín are going through a rough patch & for the first time, he begins to understand how his own behaviour affects those around him. It just might be time to come to terms with his past & finally share the secrets he’s been carrying since childhood.
If (like me) you’ve been reading these in chronological order, this is the most recent in the series. Every time I pick up one of these books, I get transported to this small piece of Iceland & the residents who have become so familiar to me. I feel like I could travel there & immediately find my way. The setting is starkly atmospheric & the persistent rain & gloom mirror the mood of the characters.
For Siglufjördur, like the characters, is changing. Its innocence has always been protected by isolation but the new tunnel provides access for tourists & those sniffing out new territory for criminal activity. The influx of new faces adds to the general unease in the aftermath of Herjólfur’s death. Some would call it progress but there’s great irony in people travelling to the same place to get away from it all.
Nightblind is another immersive & satisfying read in this great series. And now that I’m back in my own little corner of the world, it’s going to feel like a loooong wait for the next one.
January 14, 2016
What a pleasure to go back to Siglufjordur with Night Blind and the sublime writing of Ragnar Jónasson.
Following on from the brilliant Snow Blind, Detective Ari Thór Arason is faced with a unique case. One of their own has been shot. This doesn't happen in Siglufjordur!
Detective Ari Thór is now faced with a challenge unheard of and is steadfast to find the assailant.
The way that Ragnar Jónasson writes is quite poetic. The descriptions of the town and it's surroundings and claustrophobic atmosphere gives you a sense that you are really there. The characters are very strong with great dialogue. Put this all together and you get a sense of true realism and a classic police procedural.
I enjoyed Snow Blind, but this has stepped up a level. Ragnar is an outstanding crime writer and I am very much looking forward to the next encounter. Highly recommended.
Following on from the brilliant Snow Blind, Detective Ari Thór Arason is faced with a unique case. One of their own has been shot. This doesn't happen in Siglufjordur!
Detective Ari Thór is now faced with a challenge unheard of and is steadfast to find the assailant.
The way that Ragnar Jónasson writes is quite poetic. The descriptions of the town and it's surroundings and claustrophobic atmosphere gives you a sense that you are really there. The characters are very strong with great dialogue. Put this all together and you get a sense of true realism and a classic police procedural.
I enjoyed Snow Blind, but this has stepped up a level. Ragnar is an outstanding crime writer and I am very much looking forward to the next encounter. Highly recommended.
August 10, 2025
With an upcoming trip to Iceland in the works, I wanted to tick off two boxes: a better understanding of the country and some crime thrillers to entertain me. Ragnar Jonasson was one author whose thrillers were recommended to me, so I decided to do some reading to see for myself. In this second novel of the series, a police officer is shot in the dead of night and Ari Thór is called to gather evidence. He must try to make sense of it all, while sifting through local politics and the new mayor with a number of agenda items. A man locked away in a psychiatric ward and another new resident in Siglufjörður send Ari Thór rushing for answers. A great piece by Ragnar Jonasson that kept me excited to see where things might go in the next novel.
Ari Thór Arason remains the new, but somewhat experienced, policeman in the idyllic and isolated fishing community of Siglufjörður. He fled a past that did not suit him and is trying to make the best of the small locale, remaining an outsider to many of the locals.
The calmness of the community is erased when one of the local police officers is murdered, shot at point-blank range in the middle of the night. Ari Thór Is called to the scene and tries to get a handle on the crime before the evidence disappears. The killer is somewhere and Ari Thór must rush to find answers that are handicapped by the winter weather and local politics.
The new mayor surely has something to say about the murder, though the clues to the crime leads Ari Thór to a local psychiatric ward where someone is being held against their will. Tensions run high and Ari Thór is forced to allay fears while also trying to ask the tough questions. When Ari Thór learns of another new resident who’s fled Reykjavik for private reasons, it becomes clear that the past is raging its ugly head and could explain all the violence. Ragnar Jonasson delivers yet another great story that left me eager to keep reading this highly addictive series.
Ragnar Jonasson is the second Icelandic thriller writer recommended to me before my trip to Iceland. With tickets to Reykjavík purchased, I chose to read some of his thrillers so I might find new and exciting sites to probe when I arrive. I love Scandinavian noir thrillers, which this series has been labelled by many, and this novel helps solidify it. The narrative offers a tense thriller within an isolated community. The police procedural slowly develops, though it is full of development and key tension. The reader gets ongoing backstory of Ari Thór Arason, which will surely prove important as the series progresses, with some surprises that I was not expecting after the debut novel. Plot points develop while Siglufjörður struggles increase. The twists serve to show how Ragnar Jonasson has crafted a great series and is eager to expand it.
Kudos, Mr. Jonasson, for creating wonderful tension for all to enjoy.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Ari Thór Arason remains the new, but somewhat experienced, policeman in the idyllic and isolated fishing community of Siglufjörður. He fled a past that did not suit him and is trying to make the best of the small locale, remaining an outsider to many of the locals.
The calmness of the community is erased when one of the local police officers is murdered, shot at point-blank range in the middle of the night. Ari Thór Is called to the scene and tries to get a handle on the crime before the evidence disappears. The killer is somewhere and Ari Thór must rush to find answers that are handicapped by the winter weather and local politics.
The new mayor surely has something to say about the murder, though the clues to the crime leads Ari Thór to a local psychiatric ward where someone is being held against their will. Tensions run high and Ari Thór is forced to allay fears while also trying to ask the tough questions. When Ari Thór learns of another new resident who’s fled Reykjavik for private reasons, it becomes clear that the past is raging its ugly head and could explain all the violence. Ragnar Jonasson delivers yet another great story that left me eager to keep reading this highly addictive series.
Ragnar Jonasson is the second Icelandic thriller writer recommended to me before my trip to Iceland. With tickets to Reykjavík purchased, I chose to read some of his thrillers so I might find new and exciting sites to probe when I arrive. I love Scandinavian noir thrillers, which this series has been labelled by many, and this novel helps solidify it. The narrative offers a tense thriller within an isolated community. The police procedural slowly develops, though it is full of development and key tension. The reader gets ongoing backstory of Ari Thór Arason, which will surely prove important as the series progresses, with some surprises that I was not expecting after the debut novel. Plot points develop while Siglufjörður struggles increase. The twists serve to show how Ragnar Jonasson has crafted a great series and is eager to expand it.
Kudos, Mr. Jonasson, for creating wonderful tension for all to enjoy.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
December 4, 2015
I always wonder when an author you love writes a spectacular book, can they continue to write books that you know you will love even before opening the first page...
In Ragnar Jónasson's case, ABSOLUTELY!!!
I have been eagerly waiting for Nightblind for weeks, and have not stopped singing its predecessors (Snowblind) praises on Twitter and Facebook for months.
Nightblind begins a few years after Snowblind, with Ari Thór still working as the police in Siglufjörðor, passed over for promotion to Inspector, but back with Kristín and a father to baby Stefnir.
The book opens with the murder of the other policeman, Herjólfur, at a desolate and dilapidated house near the edge of the town.
Ari Thór is tasked with finding out what happened, and he calls in his old work colleague Tomás to help with the investigation. Small towns and tight communities make for difficult work when it comes to finding out what has happened and sometimes people aren't always what they seem.
Nightblind is a beautifully written mystery. It echoes days gone by, bringing past and present day secrets together in a quietly chilling way. The subdued nature of the story is offset by Jónasson's superb writing style, bringing alive characters who see each suffering in their own way.
Nightblind is also a stunning lesson in Icelandic geography. Jónasson has a wonderful way of painting pictures with words and each sentence adds an extra dimension to scenery.
This book has been worth the wait, without a doubt. The Dark Iceland series are fast earning a place on my favourites of all time list. The elegant prose, coupled with the chilling, almost sleepy location, make for an utterly enthralling read.
An easy 5 stars for me, all the stars, always. ❤️
In Ragnar Jónasson's case, ABSOLUTELY!!!
I have been eagerly waiting for Nightblind for weeks, and have not stopped singing its predecessors (Snowblind) praises on Twitter and Facebook for months.
Nightblind begins a few years after Snowblind, with Ari Thór still working as the police in Siglufjörðor, passed over for promotion to Inspector, but back with Kristín and a father to baby Stefnir.
The book opens with the murder of the other policeman, Herjólfur, at a desolate and dilapidated house near the edge of the town.
Ari Thór is tasked with finding out what happened, and he calls in his old work colleague Tomás to help with the investigation. Small towns and tight communities make for difficult work when it comes to finding out what has happened and sometimes people aren't always what they seem.
Nightblind is a beautifully written mystery. It echoes days gone by, bringing past and present day secrets together in a quietly chilling way. The subdued nature of the story is offset by Jónasson's superb writing style, bringing alive characters who see each suffering in their own way.
Nightblind is also a stunning lesson in Icelandic geography. Jónasson has a wonderful way of painting pictures with words and each sentence adds an extra dimension to scenery.
This book has been worth the wait, without a doubt. The Dark Iceland series are fast earning a place on my favourites of all time list. The elegant prose, coupled with the chilling, almost sleepy location, make for an utterly enthralling read.
An easy 5 stars for me, all the stars, always. ❤️
December 17, 2017
Nightblind by Ragnar Jonasson.
Dark Iceland #2.
Ari Thor, a local policeman in his village, finds a colleague gunned down near death in the cold winter night. Herjolfur was a police officer of long standing and of good report as was his father. It seems apparent he was tracking down a possible drug dealer at an old deserted house just outside their town.
I fell quickly into step with this author's style of writing. It's different than most any other book I've read and refreshingly so. The underlining motives behind this killing doesn't become apparent until near the half way mark in this story. It's, in my opinion, a motive that isn't dealt with on this level often.
Highly recommended.
Dark Iceland #2.
Ari Thor, a local policeman in his village, finds a colleague gunned down near death in the cold winter night. Herjolfur was a police officer of long standing and of good report as was his father. It seems apparent he was tracking down a possible drug dealer at an old deserted house just outside their town.
I fell quickly into step with this author's style of writing. It's different than most any other book I've read and refreshingly so. The underlining motives behind this killing doesn't become apparent until near the half way mark in this story. It's, in my opinion, a motive that isn't dealt with on this level often.
Highly recommended.
March 11, 2021
ENGLISH & SPANISH!!
The new chief of police -and thus Ari's boss- is shot outside an abandoned house in the early hours of day. There are a new mayor and deputy mayor in town. Kristín and Ari live now together and have a ten month old son. Yes, things have changed quite a bit around Siglufjördur.
The shooting becomes a major scandal in Iceland, as nothing of this sort had ever happened before. There's suspicion around the mayor and his deputy. Might they have been involved? Are they in cahoots with the local drug dealers?
Well...
**SPOILERS**
No, none of that. Ari solves the case in a rather unexpected manner and finds the killer. And not only that: he also discovers that the dead man, that skilled police officer and highly respected member of society, had been a wife-beater for decades.
And so, Ragnar Jónasson touches once again in an oblique way another universal and sensitive subject: domestic violence. How it happens even in idyllic places, even within societies renowned for being highly developed and peaceful, how the perpetrators can appear on the outside as wholly functional members of society, honoured and well-loved. And it also makes us aware of how readily available firearms are in Iceland. Wow! I for one certainly had no idea. I absolutely love the fact that this man has the guts to speak out about such problems in his country.
And of course, as in all the Dark Iceland books I've read so far (this was my fourth) the atmosphere of the remote picturesque little town pervades the whole story. Whenever I read his books I feel transported to Siglufjördur (granted, I've never been there, but I've been to Tromso in northern Norway and I've got the impression they are quite similar). I'm looking forward to read the next instalment of the series...and of course that when I'll visit Iceland, Siglufjördur will be a must on my itinerary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
El nuevo jefe de la policía -y por lo tanto el jefe de Ari- es víctima de un balazo afuera de una casa abandonada justo antes del amanecer. El pueblo tiene un nuevo alcalde y suplente. Kristín y Ari ahora viven juntos y tienen un bebé de diez meses. Sí, las cosas han cambiado mucho en Siglufjördur. El tiroteo se vuelve un mega escándalo en Islandia, ya que nada como eso había pasado antes en ese país. El nuevo alcalde y su suplente parecen tener algo que ver. ¿Podrá ser que realmente estén envueltos en el asunto? ¿Será que son cómplices de los vendedores de drogas del lugar?
Bueno...
**SPOILERS**
No, nada de eso. Pero al final Ari resuelve el caso de manera casi inesperada y encuentra al asesino. Y no solo eso: sino que también descubre que el hombre asesinado, ese policía hábil y miembro muy respetado de la sociedad, tenía desde hacía décadas la muy fea costumbre de propinarle tremendas palizas a su mujer.
De esta manera, Ragnar Jónasson toca nuevamente de manera sútil otro tema universal y delicado: la violencia doméstica. Cómo sucede incluso en lugares idílicos, dentro de sociedades que tienen reputación de ser muy desarrolladas y pacíficas, cómo quienes la ejercen pueden dar la apariencia de ser miembros completamente sanos de la sociedad, respetados y queridos. Y de paso nos hace ver que hay una abundancia de armas de fuego en Islandia. ¡Vaya! No sé ustedes pero yo no tenía ni la menor idea. Y por eso me encanta que este hombre tenga las agallas de hablar acerca de estos problemas en su país.
Y por supuesto, como en todos los libros que he leído hasta ahora de la serie Dark Iceland (llevo cuatro) la atmosféra del pueblito remoto y pintoresco domina toda la historia. Cada vez que leo sus libros me siento transportada a Siglufjördur (de acuerdo, nunca he estado ahí, pero he estado en Tromso, en el norte de Noruega, y tengo la impresión de que son lugares muy parecidos). Ya quiero leer el siguiente libro de la serie... y por supuesto que cuando vaya a Islandia, Siglufjördur será parte esencial de mi itinerario.
The new chief of police -and thus Ari's boss- is shot outside an abandoned house in the early hours of day. There are a new mayor and deputy mayor in town. Kristín and Ari live now together and have a ten month old son. Yes, things have changed quite a bit around Siglufjördur.
The shooting becomes a major scandal in Iceland, as nothing of this sort had ever happened before. There's suspicion around the mayor and his deputy. Might they have been involved? Are they in cahoots with the local drug dealers?
Well...
**SPOILERS**
No, none of that. Ari solves the case in a rather unexpected manner and finds the killer. And not only that: he also discovers that the dead man, that skilled police officer and highly respected member of society, had been a wife-beater for decades.
And so, Ragnar Jónasson touches once again in an oblique way another universal and sensitive subject: domestic violence. How it happens even in idyllic places, even within societies renowned for being highly developed and peaceful, how the perpetrators can appear on the outside as wholly functional members of society, honoured and well-loved. And it also makes us aware of how readily available firearms are in Iceland. Wow! I for one certainly had no idea. I absolutely love the fact that this man has the guts to speak out about such problems in his country.
And of course, as in all the Dark Iceland books I've read so far (this was my fourth) the atmosphere of the remote picturesque little town pervades the whole story. Whenever I read his books I feel transported to Siglufjördur (granted, I've never been there, but I've been to Tromso in northern Norway and I've got the impression they are quite similar). I'm looking forward to read the next instalment of the series...and of course that when I'll visit Iceland, Siglufjördur will be a must on my itinerary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
El nuevo jefe de la policía -y por lo tanto el jefe de Ari- es víctima de un balazo afuera de una casa abandonada justo antes del amanecer. El pueblo tiene un nuevo alcalde y suplente. Kristín y Ari ahora viven juntos y tienen un bebé de diez meses. Sí, las cosas han cambiado mucho en Siglufjördur. El tiroteo se vuelve un mega escándalo en Islandia, ya que nada como eso había pasado antes en ese país. El nuevo alcalde y su suplente parecen tener algo que ver. ¿Podrá ser que realmente estén envueltos en el asunto? ¿Será que son cómplices de los vendedores de drogas del lugar?
Bueno...
**SPOILERS**
No, nada de eso. Pero al final Ari resuelve el caso de manera casi inesperada y encuentra al asesino. Y no solo eso: sino que también descubre que el hombre asesinado, ese policía hábil y miembro muy respetado de la sociedad, tenía desde hacía décadas la muy fea costumbre de propinarle tremendas palizas a su mujer.
De esta manera, Ragnar Jónasson toca nuevamente de manera sútil otro tema universal y delicado: la violencia doméstica. Cómo sucede incluso en lugares idílicos, dentro de sociedades que tienen reputación de ser muy desarrolladas y pacíficas, cómo quienes la ejercen pueden dar la apariencia de ser miembros completamente sanos de la sociedad, respetados y queridos. Y de paso nos hace ver que hay una abundancia de armas de fuego en Islandia. ¡Vaya! No sé ustedes pero yo no tenía ni la menor idea. Y por eso me encanta que este hombre tenga las agallas de hablar acerca de estos problemas en su país.
Y por supuesto, como en todos los libros que he leído hasta ahora de la serie Dark Iceland (llevo cuatro) la atmosféra del pueblito remoto y pintoresco domina toda la historia. Cada vez que leo sus libros me siento transportada a Siglufjördur (de acuerdo, nunca he estado ahí, pero he estado en Tromso, en el norte de Noruega, y tengo la impresión de que son lugares muy parecidos). Ya quiero leer el siguiente libro de la serie... y por supuesto que cuando vaya a Islandia, Siglufjördur será parte esencial de mi itinerario.
December 4, 2015
Night Blind – Addictive Icelandic Noir
The Crown Prince of Icelandic Noir is back with his follow up to his excellent debut book Snowblind with his latest breath taking thriller Nightblind. Ragnar Jónasson brings together in Nightblind the best of Scandinavian noir with the tradition of good old fashioned murder mystery, with the twists of a Christie whodunit. Jónasson’s writing brings in the suffocating closeness of the local community not far from the Arctic Circle, and the darkness of the winter, it all works itself in to a thrilling read.
Nightblind is five years on from where Snowblind leaves off, Ari Thór Arason is still a police officer in Siglufjördur, he missed out on promotion when Tómas was promoted and moved to Reykjavik. Ari Thór does not really know anything about the new inspector, Herjólfur other than he is married with 2 children one in a local college and the other down south somewhere. His relationship with Kristin is back on and they share their life with their baby son Stefnir.
Ari Thór is off ill in bed with the flu and Herjólfur is on night duty when he is called with a tip off that there is a drug deal happening on the edge of town. While investigating the call Herjólfur is blasted with a shotgun and Ari Thór receives the call and has to break the news to his wife and son. Herjólfur is clinging to life and is flown down to Reykjavik with his family.
Tómas is sent to assist Ari Thór in the investigation as the news of the shooting breaks over Iceland and the shock of a Police Officer being shot on duty brings its own pressures. At the same time winter is closing rapidly on Siglufjördur when things will become even harder for the local population. With a murderer on the loose everyone in town is looking to Ari Thór to crack the case and keep them all safe in their small town.
At the same time of the Police Investigation, Ari Thór comes under pressure from the new out of town mayor as well as a local politician all interfering in the investigation. Ari Thór also realises there is something odd about the new mayor’s deputy, who is also an out of towner and there is a darker side that she is avoiding which could drag them all down.
As we read our way through Siglufjördur and the unfortunate death of Herjólfur we are also treated to segments of a diary written by a patient on a secure psychiatric ward in Reykjavik which gives some depth to whoever the person is. It gives us a chilling insight in to a person’s mind when they are being pumped full of drugs and ignored.
This all adds up to a tense and compelling thriller within the closed society of Siglufjördur which builds the claustrophobia the read feels throughout this excellent thriller. The darkness and coldness of winter in Siglufjördur adds to the claustrophobia and that there is no such thing as a secret in this town.
Ragnar Jónasson writing cuts through the darkness like a hot knife through butter, while like a lady of the night he shows us a bit of leg with the clues, and wonderful misdirection. Nightblind is tense wonderful and highly addictive and now the wait for the next in the series begins.
The Crown Prince of Icelandic Noir is back with his follow up to his excellent debut book Snowblind with his latest breath taking thriller Nightblind. Ragnar Jónasson brings together in Nightblind the best of Scandinavian noir with the tradition of good old fashioned murder mystery, with the twists of a Christie whodunit. Jónasson’s writing brings in the suffocating closeness of the local community not far from the Arctic Circle, and the darkness of the winter, it all works itself in to a thrilling read.
Nightblind is five years on from where Snowblind leaves off, Ari Thór Arason is still a police officer in Siglufjördur, he missed out on promotion when Tómas was promoted and moved to Reykjavik. Ari Thór does not really know anything about the new inspector, Herjólfur other than he is married with 2 children one in a local college and the other down south somewhere. His relationship with Kristin is back on and they share their life with their baby son Stefnir.
Ari Thór is off ill in bed with the flu and Herjólfur is on night duty when he is called with a tip off that there is a drug deal happening on the edge of town. While investigating the call Herjólfur is blasted with a shotgun and Ari Thór receives the call and has to break the news to his wife and son. Herjólfur is clinging to life and is flown down to Reykjavik with his family.
Tómas is sent to assist Ari Thór in the investigation as the news of the shooting breaks over Iceland and the shock of a Police Officer being shot on duty brings its own pressures. At the same time winter is closing rapidly on Siglufjördur when things will become even harder for the local population. With a murderer on the loose everyone in town is looking to Ari Thór to crack the case and keep them all safe in their small town.
At the same time of the Police Investigation, Ari Thór comes under pressure from the new out of town mayor as well as a local politician all interfering in the investigation. Ari Thór also realises there is something odd about the new mayor’s deputy, who is also an out of towner and there is a darker side that she is avoiding which could drag them all down.
As we read our way through Siglufjördur and the unfortunate death of Herjólfur we are also treated to segments of a diary written by a patient on a secure psychiatric ward in Reykjavik which gives some depth to whoever the person is. It gives us a chilling insight in to a person’s mind when they are being pumped full of drugs and ignored.
This all adds up to a tense and compelling thriller within the closed society of Siglufjördur which builds the claustrophobia the read feels throughout this excellent thriller. The darkness and coldness of winter in Siglufjördur adds to the claustrophobia and that there is no such thing as a secret in this town.
Ragnar Jónasson writing cuts through the darkness like a hot knife through butter, while like a lady of the night he shows us a bit of leg with the clues, and wonderful misdirection. Nightblind is tense wonderful and highly addictive and now the wait for the next in the series begins.
November 15, 2017
Please visit https://www.mysteryinminutes.com/revi... to read the complete MINM review.
Richly evocative of the hauntingly beautiful, yet bleak, Northern Icelandic autumn and early winter, Nightblind is a slow-burning, character-focused Nordic Noir, with a resolution that may very well surprise readers. Nightblind is the second book in Ragnar Jonasson's Dark Iceland series, but it may be read as a standalone.
Richly evocative of the hauntingly beautiful, yet bleak, Northern Icelandic autumn and early winter, Nightblind is a slow-burning, character-focused Nordic Noir, with a resolution that may very well surprise readers. Nightblind is the second book in Ragnar Jonasson's Dark Iceland series, but it may be read as a standalone.
February 24, 2018
This is a tough story around domestic violence that has the author feeling he shouldn't be writing it. The pain of the victims abuse is evident and hurtful. This story will not lift your spirits. 4 of 10 stars
December 14, 2022
4 Stars for Nightblind: Dark Iceland Series, Book 2 (audiobook) by Ragnar Jónasson read by Quentin Bates.
This book starts out several years after the first book. It’s very dark and it deals with several instances of domestic violence.
This book starts out several years after the first book. It’s very dark and it deals with several instances of domestic violence.
January 13, 2016
Ari Thor is back in Nightblind another superb Icelandic crime thriller. Having read and enjoyed Ragnar Jonasson’s Snowblind, the debut in his bestselling Dark Iceland series, I was looking forward to reading this and wasn’t disappointed. Again set in the isolated northern Icelandic fishing village of Siglufjörður, the feeling of shock and surprise at violent crime is tangible in such an idyllic and usually quiet peaceful community. When Ari Thor’s superior officer is shot at point blank range he appreciates that it could just as easily have been him instead. Heavily involved in the hunt for the gunman, policeman Ari Thor is determined to solve the crime and the reader is treated to a dark and twisty whodunit.
Local police inspector Herjolfur is investigating an abandoned old house just outside Siglufjörður. It’s the middle of the night and he’s finding it a bit unsettling. Without warning he is shot and seriously hurt. He is Ari Thor’s colleague and he realises that although he’s been working with Herjolfur for while he knows little about him and he’s feeling guilty. As the investigation widens it becomes a tangled web of local politics, questionable relationships and events from the past that leave Ari Thor with broken pieces of a puzzle. Our story is made more sinister by a voice from a psychiatric ward in Reykjavik which is entwined with the narrative, providing another part of the mystery for the reader to consider.
Overall this is a very readable and enjoyable book with plenty of intrigue and twists to keep us turning the pages. Ari Thor continues to be written as a solid, interesting and likeable character with his own worries and issues. The setting creates an unusual and harsh but in many ways beautiful background to the Dark Iceland stories. I am happy to recommend the excellent Nightblind and hope you find it a great read too. (ARC Received)
April 20, 2020
3 stele
Parcă mai palpitantă a fost prima aventură a lui Ari Thor. Acesta a rămas în pitorescul orășel Siglufjördur, unde a venit și Kristin, prietena lui din Reykjavik, care a primit un post în Akureyri, al doilea cel mai mare oraș al Islandei, aflat nu departe de Siglufjördur. Acum au un copil și fac cunoștință cu toate „plăcerile” inerente prezenței unui bebeluș în casă.
Un polițist este împușcat în fața unei case părăsite. Se pare că traficanții de droguri mărunți din zonă își făceau veacul pe acolo. Șoc și groază la nivel național, unde încep dezbateri pe tema faptului că sunt prea multe arme pe cap de locuitor, în timp ce polițiștii nu au voie să poarte arme după ei.
Viceprimarul, numit pe pile, la fel ca și primarul, este urmărită de iubitul abuzator pe care l-a lăsat în urmă, dorindu-și să o ia de la capăt în altă parte. În nord, mai precis, aproape de Cercul Polar, în orășelul unde e polițist Ari Thor.
Acuma, problema cu aceste mici orășele unde autorii de romane polițiste aleg să-și plase poveștile este că toată lumea se cunoaște cu toată lumea și începe să pară tras de păr faptul că, subit, încep să se petreacă asasinate acolo unde până atunci nu se mai întâmplaseră niciodată astfel de grozăvenii. Iar când acestea încep să se petreacă cu o frecvență suspect de mare, ei bine, na, cine mai stă să-și bată capul cu astfel de detalii?
Rezolvarea anchetei mi s-a părut cam pripită. Noroc cu dilemele morale și cu problemele care apar între personajele principale, de care, cum ziceam și legat de primul volum, chiar ajunge să-ți pese.
Povestea este salvată, în opinia mea, și de jurnalul celui ținut împotriva voinței lui, se pare, într-un sanatoriu psihiatric. Chiar nu mă așteptam la identitatea personajului în cauză.
Mai multe, pe Biblioteca lui Liviu: https://wp.me/pz4D9-3u0.
Parcă mai palpitantă a fost prima aventură a lui Ari Thor. Acesta a rămas în pitorescul orășel Siglufjördur, unde a venit și Kristin, prietena lui din Reykjavik, care a primit un post în Akureyri, al doilea cel mai mare oraș al Islandei, aflat nu departe de Siglufjördur. Acum au un copil și fac cunoștință cu toate „plăcerile” inerente prezenței unui bebeluș în casă.
Un polițist este împușcat în fața unei case părăsite. Se pare că traficanții de droguri mărunți din zonă își făceau veacul pe acolo. Șoc și groază la nivel național, unde încep dezbateri pe tema faptului că sunt prea multe arme pe cap de locuitor, în timp ce polițiștii nu au voie să poarte arme după ei.
Viceprimarul, numit pe pile, la fel ca și primarul, este urmărită de iubitul abuzator pe care l-a lăsat în urmă, dorindu-și să o ia de la capăt în altă parte. În nord, mai precis, aproape de Cercul Polar, în orășelul unde e polițist Ari Thor.
Acuma, problema cu aceste mici orășele unde autorii de romane polițiste aleg să-și plase poveștile este că toată lumea se cunoaște cu toată lumea și începe să pară tras de păr faptul că, subit, încep să se petreacă asasinate acolo unde până atunci nu se mai întâmplaseră niciodată astfel de grozăvenii. Iar când acestea încep să se petreacă cu o frecvență suspect de mare, ei bine, na, cine mai stă să-și bată capul cu astfel de detalii?
Rezolvarea anchetei mi s-a părut cam pripită. Noroc cu dilemele morale și cu problemele care apar între personajele principale, de care, cum ziceam și legat de primul volum, chiar ajunge să-ți pese.
Povestea este salvată, în opinia mea, și de jurnalul celui ținut împotriva voinței lui, se pare, într-un sanatoriu psihiatric. Chiar nu mă așteptam la identitatea personajului în cauză.
Mai multe, pe Biblioteca lui Liviu: https://wp.me/pz4D9-3u0.
July 1, 2018
Quite the mystery! Felt like I was freezing cold as I read Nightblind! LOL
January 27, 2016
4.5*
Snowblind is the first in the Dark Iceland series, with Nightblind being the fifth and set some 5 years after the end of Snowblind (the intervening years will be covered by the next three books, the next one being called ‘Blackout’. In my opinion, Nightblind can easily be read as a standalone, and I didn’t feel that I missed out by reading out of sequence.
Ari Thór Arason, a local policeman in the small town of Siglufjörður lives with his girlfriend Kirstin and young son. He has been passed over for promotion and his feelings of disappointment have done little to improve relations between him and his new inspector. His new superior officer, Herjólfur takes over a shift that Ari Thor should have done if he hadn’t been suffering with the flu. Herjólfur is critically injured whilst attending a call out to a deserted property. His shooting sends shockwaves around the town, violent crime being so rare in Siglufjörður.
Ari Thor doesn’t get to investigate this case on his own, his old boss Tómas is bought in from Reykjavík. Both men are put under pressure and have to try and retain their integrity as local politicians wanting to protect their own careers try to interfere.
The story spreads out in different directions - I don’t want to give too much away but for both Ari Thor and Tómas this complex case certainly stretches them. There are many people who have their own secrets to protect and the question of conflicted loyalties arise.
The wintry cold and isolated setting of Siglufjörður, on the northernmost tip of Iceland, is well described, as is the character of Ari Thor. Although he has a ‘quietness’ about him he is a complex character. He is still affected by events of his childhood and has his moments of jealousy and bad temper, none of which help his relationship with Kirstin.
Throughout the story are separate chapters narrated in the form of diary entries, written by a patient in a psychiatric hospital, this adds an extra element of intrigue and mystery to the story.
Nightblind is a quietly chilling crime thriller, relying on description and atmosphere rather than hard core action to drive the story forward. However don’t be misled, Nightblind has enough twists and intrigue to keep you turning the pages. This may be a fairly short(ish) novel of just over 200 pages but there is so much quality both in terms of writing and the plot contained within.
I must give a mention to the excellent translation by Quentin Bates. His skill ensures that the story and dialogue both flow seamlessly without the clunky turn of phrase that so can often affect translated novels.
Ragnar Jonasson has a superb talent and this is a series that I will certainly be keeping up with.
Snowblind is the first in the Dark Iceland series, with Nightblind being the fifth and set some 5 years after the end of Snowblind (the intervening years will be covered by the next three books, the next one being called ‘Blackout’. In my opinion, Nightblind can easily be read as a standalone, and I didn’t feel that I missed out by reading out of sequence.
Ari Thór Arason, a local policeman in the small town of Siglufjörður lives with his girlfriend Kirstin and young son. He has been passed over for promotion and his feelings of disappointment have done little to improve relations between him and his new inspector. His new superior officer, Herjólfur takes over a shift that Ari Thor should have done if he hadn’t been suffering with the flu. Herjólfur is critically injured whilst attending a call out to a deserted property. His shooting sends shockwaves around the town, violent crime being so rare in Siglufjörður.
Ari Thor doesn’t get to investigate this case on his own, his old boss Tómas is bought in from Reykjavík. Both men are put under pressure and have to try and retain their integrity as local politicians wanting to protect their own careers try to interfere.
The story spreads out in different directions - I don’t want to give too much away but for both Ari Thor and Tómas this complex case certainly stretches them. There are many people who have their own secrets to protect and the question of conflicted loyalties arise.
The wintry cold and isolated setting of Siglufjörður, on the northernmost tip of Iceland, is well described, as is the character of Ari Thor. Although he has a ‘quietness’ about him he is a complex character. He is still affected by events of his childhood and has his moments of jealousy and bad temper, none of which help his relationship with Kirstin.
Throughout the story are separate chapters narrated in the form of diary entries, written by a patient in a psychiatric hospital, this adds an extra element of intrigue and mystery to the story.
Nightblind is a quietly chilling crime thriller, relying on description and atmosphere rather than hard core action to drive the story forward. However don’t be misled, Nightblind has enough twists and intrigue to keep you turning the pages. This may be a fairly short(ish) novel of just over 200 pages but there is so much quality both in terms of writing and the plot contained within.
I must give a mention to the excellent translation by Quentin Bates. His skill ensures that the story and dialogue both flow seamlessly without the clunky turn of phrase that so can often affect translated novels.
Ragnar Jonasson has a superb talent and this is a series that I will certainly be keeping up with.
July 14, 2016
Thriller set in Siglufjörour, Iceland
Nightblind is the second book to appear in the Dark Iceland series by Ragnar Jónasson. The first was the much acclaimed Snowblind, published last year. Actually, and perhaps a little confusingly, it is the last book of five in the series – books two, three, and four are yet to be written / published (although number two, Blackout, is due out this summer…). Below you will find our review of Nightblind plus an interview with Ragnar…
Nightblind is an extremely well written / translated work featuring the return of detectives Ari Thór and Tómas. As with Snowblind, to describe the book as ‘Icelandic Noir’ (as the publicists do) is perhaps a little over the top and, dare one say it, jumping on a band wagon. Yes, it has dark moments and violence (including domestic violence) – but not to anything like the extent of a Stieg Larsen or a Jo Nesbø. It is a lot cosier and more confined – perhaps best described as an updated and somewhat harder Agatha Christie…but absolutely none the worse for that. It is a good story, well told.
In Nightblind, Tómas returns from Reykjavík (to where he has been promoted) to work alongside Ari Thór in solving the shooting and murder of Herjólfur, his successor as the police inspector in Siglufjörŏur. There are several prime suspects among the community, and identifying the murderer is not an easy task. Various ‘dark goings on’ are discovered that impinge on the investigation. One of the joys of the book is the relationship between the two detectives as they work on the case. They are excellent foils for each other.
A device that Ragnar employs works well in both Snowblind and Nightblind. He write alternate short chapters in italics. These chapters tell a parallel story that is ultimately interwoven into the main plot.
All in all Nightblind is an excellent mystery. I look forward very much to Blackout and the other two books to complete the series.
This review first appeared on our blog, along with an author interview: http://www.tripfiction.com/thriller-s...
Nightblind is the second book to appear in the Dark Iceland series by Ragnar Jónasson. The first was the much acclaimed Snowblind, published last year. Actually, and perhaps a little confusingly, it is the last book of five in the series – books two, three, and four are yet to be written / published (although number two, Blackout, is due out this summer…). Below you will find our review of Nightblind plus an interview with Ragnar…
Nightblind is an extremely well written / translated work featuring the return of detectives Ari Thór and Tómas. As with Snowblind, to describe the book as ‘Icelandic Noir’ (as the publicists do) is perhaps a little over the top and, dare one say it, jumping on a band wagon. Yes, it has dark moments and violence (including domestic violence) – but not to anything like the extent of a Stieg Larsen or a Jo Nesbø. It is a lot cosier and more confined – perhaps best described as an updated and somewhat harder Agatha Christie…but absolutely none the worse for that. It is a good story, well told.
In Nightblind, Tómas returns from Reykjavík (to where he has been promoted) to work alongside Ari Thór in solving the shooting and murder of Herjólfur, his successor as the police inspector in Siglufjörŏur. There are several prime suspects among the community, and identifying the murderer is not an easy task. Various ‘dark goings on’ are discovered that impinge on the investigation. One of the joys of the book is the relationship between the two detectives as they work on the case. They are excellent foils for each other.
A device that Ragnar employs works well in both Snowblind and Nightblind. He write alternate short chapters in italics. These chapters tell a parallel story that is ultimately interwoven into the main plot.
All in all Nightblind is an excellent mystery. I look forward very much to Blackout and the other two books to complete the series.
This review first appeared on our blog, along with an author interview: http://www.tripfiction.com/thriller-s...
December 29, 2017
Siglufjörður is a quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, just south of the Arctic Circle, and the setting for Jonasson's iconic policeman, Ari Thor Arason. While presented as Book 2 in the Dark Iceland series, there are three books that take place between Snowblind and Nightblind, during which time five years have passed. Ari Thor's new boss is called out to an abandoned house, where he is gunned down in the opening scene. Ari's old boss is called north to lead the investigation, reuniting Ari Thor with his mentor. The story is well told, and the reader is treated to a slice of small-town life, replete with politics and personalities; Jonasson can certainly write: "He enjoyed the winter as well, with its all-enveloping darkness that curled itself around you like a giant cat." However, the chapters with excerpts from a diary were distracting and nine pages of accolades for his previous book is excessive.
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