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Hidden Iceland #3
The Mist
The final nail-biting installment in Ragnar Jonasson's critically-acclaimed Hidden Iceland series, The Mist, from the newest superstar on the Icelandic crime fiction scene.
1987. An isolated farm house in the east of Iceland.
The snowstorm should have shut everybody out. But it didn't.
The couple should never have let him in. But they did.
An unexpected guest, a liar, a killer. Not all will survive the night. And Detective Hulda will be haunted forever.
1987. An isolated farm house in the east of Iceland.
The snowstorm should have shut everybody out. But it didn't.
The couple should never have let him in. But they did.
An unexpected guest, a liar, a killer. Not all will survive the night. And Detective Hulda will be haunted forever.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
1114 people are currently reading
4274 people want to read
About the author
Ragnar Jónasson
50 books3,885 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 1,151 reviews
July 15, 2020
The story is mainly set in an isolated farmhouse about 600 km east of Reykjavik, Iceland. The owners of the farm, Einar and his wife Erla, are enduring a raging blizzard. The road is blocked with high snowdrifts and white-out conditions on the day just before Christmas. Erla plans to prepare their Christmas dinner to welcome a visit from their daughter Anna who lives in the only other house in the vicinity. They will enjoy a meal and open presents under the tree.
There is a knock at the door and a stranger appears out of the storm. He says his name is Leo and he is lost. He has been wandering on foot after being separated from his friends while hunting. He is exhausted and near-freezing. Einar welcomes him with hospitality, knowing if left outside he will die, whereas Erla reacts with hostility and wants him gone. She considers him sinister and suspicious. Their conversations and ensuing events fill the reader with bone-chilling dread. Erla questions Leo, and suspects he is lying about his purpose in being in this desolate area in the middle of a storm. As Erla becomes more alarmed, she persuades the easy-going Einar that there is something treacherous about the stranger. The suspense builds to a crescendo. This is a masterful, pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat anxiety that keeps increasing. The power goes off and the phone is not working. The ferocity of the storm and the piling snow is so descriptive and cinematic you can feel the cold. Where is Anna?
Detective Hulda is attached to the Reykjavik police department. It seems Christmas will not be a happy one. Her husband is distant, her mother is joining them for Christmas dinner and their relationship is a troubled one. Adding to Hulda's distress is that their teenaged daughter seems severely depressed and isolates herself in her room. Hulda has been wanting to take the girl to a psychiatrist, but her husband rejects the suggestion, saying their daughter is just going through a phase. The girl refuses to partake of Christmas dinner and ignores her gifts. Hulda goes into the police station to keep her mind off the unpleasant situation at home. She has been investigating a case of a girl missing since early autumn. She was travelling cross-Iceland on a sightseeing and working vacation. Her father vanished a few days before Christmas and both disappearances are unsolved. A dreadful, shocking tragedy leaves Hulda shattered.
Two months later Hulda has arrived at the farmhouse to assist in solving a crime. There is an unexpected twist that connects events at the farm to her previous unsolved case in a distant location.
This is a well-written, character-driven story that contains both mystery and tragedy.
Recommended!
There is a knock at the door and a stranger appears out of the storm. He says his name is Leo and he is lost. He has been wandering on foot after being separated from his friends while hunting. He is exhausted and near-freezing. Einar welcomes him with hospitality, knowing if left outside he will die, whereas Erla reacts with hostility and wants him gone. She considers him sinister and suspicious. Their conversations and ensuing events fill the reader with bone-chilling dread. Erla questions Leo, and suspects he is lying about his purpose in being in this desolate area in the middle of a storm. As Erla becomes more alarmed, she persuades the easy-going Einar that there is something treacherous about the stranger. The suspense builds to a crescendo. This is a masterful, pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat anxiety that keeps increasing. The power goes off and the phone is not working. The ferocity of the storm and the piling snow is so descriptive and cinematic you can feel the cold. Where is Anna?
Detective Hulda is attached to the Reykjavik police department. It seems Christmas will not be a happy one. Her husband is distant, her mother is joining them for Christmas dinner and their relationship is a troubled one. Adding to Hulda's distress is that their teenaged daughter seems severely depressed and isolates herself in her room. Hulda has been wanting to take the girl to a psychiatrist, but her husband rejects the suggestion, saying their daughter is just going through a phase. The girl refuses to partake of Christmas dinner and ignores her gifts. Hulda goes into the police station to keep her mind off the unpleasant situation at home. She has been investigating a case of a girl missing since early autumn. She was travelling cross-Iceland on a sightseeing and working vacation. Her father vanished a few days before Christmas and both disappearances are unsolved. A dreadful, shocking tragedy leaves Hulda shattered.
Two months later Hulda has arrived at the farmhouse to assist in solving a crime. There is an unexpected twist that connects events at the farm to her previous unsolved case in a distant location.
This is a well-written, character-driven story that contains both mystery and tragedy.
Recommended!
May 29, 2021
4 🔪🔪🔪🔪
I can't recall the last time I read a book in a day. This one is a good example of why my friend Angela does not read crime thrillers and why I do.
I can't recall the last time I read a book in a day. This one is a good example of why my friend Angela does not read crime thrillers and why I do.
September 16, 2021
Incredibly intense, not particularly gory or gruesome, but harrowing all the same. A policewoman recovering from a horrific event in her personal life, is given a case about bodies found in an isolated farmhouse. The never ending snow is a character of its own. Not sure if I found this so intense, literally holding my breath at times, because I listened to this on audio. The narrator Amanda Redman was fantastic. A terrific series.
July 27, 2022
This is a "thriller" featuring the dumbest people in Iceland. Hulda, a police detective and the series protagonist, keeps seeing her husband Jon come out of their 13-year-old daughter Dimma's bedroom and develops the nagging feeling something is wrong, but she just can't figure out what. Dimma has become sullen, unresponsive, and completely detached from family life. Over and over Hulda wonders what could be wrong. Whenever she mentions it to Jon, he tells her to just relax and stop worrying, Dimma's just going through a phase. "Let me handle this, my love," says Jon repeatedly. Dimma has no scenes or dialogue. She's just in her room for the whole novel. We've got to schedule an appointment with a psychologist, insists Hulda. No, insists Jon. After Christmas. We'll do it after Christmas. Dimma kills herself on Christmas Day. But Hulda never confronts Jon about the molestation. She goes on living with him. She's still living with him as the novel ends. But she sure is mad at him!
The other dumbest people are Erla and Einar, isolated farmers. (We know at the beginning at the novel that Hulda is going to be investigating several bodies found at an isolated farm.) A stranger stops by one snowy day and Einar welcomes him in, even though Erla has reservations. Oops! They can't get the stranger to leave the house. Though the stranger is sleeping downstairs, Erla hears him walking around in the attic at night. But Einar still wants him there: for Einar, everyone is a wonderful person until that moment when they attack you.
Of course, the stranger cut the phone line before he came in.
The next day, Erla and Einar lure the stranger up to the attic and lock him in. As he bangs on the door, they go through his backpack and find a knife. At this point Erla starts to feel guilty. Maybe she's misjudged the stranger. Maybe he really is a nice, innocent person. They decide that Einar should go open the attic door and ask the stranger why he has this knife. Then they'll know whether he's a good person or a homicidal maniac.
Well, only one person is alive after Einar opens the door. And it isn't Einar!
But Erla doesn't know Einar is dead, because she has run outside in the snowstorm with no coat on for some reason. She suddenly sees her car and gets inside it to warm up. But she forgets to lock all the doors, and the stranger gets in too. Now Erla runs back into the house and locks all the doors. There's the stranger, banging on the doors to get in! Erla sneaks out the back and runs down to the cellar door and locks herself in. He'll never find her here. Oops! The electricity is out, and she forgot to bring matches and candles. How long will she have to sit down there in the dark?
Not long! Soon, the stranger is knocking on the cellar door. And Erla lets him in!
The stranger's invasion of Erla and Einar's home lasted so long that it was a relief when he finally killed them. I wished he had done it 100 pages sooner. But that didn't mean we were done with Erla: her thoughts came back, only now in italics.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2020
Many thanks to Sriya Varadharajan at Michael Joseph Penguin Random House UK and the author Ragnar Jonasson for a chance at this blog tour for THE MIST, book # 3 in the Hidden Iceland series. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
Snow…. blinding snow…. blizzard…storm…. a mountain of white that obscures vision, the only choice to stay put inside, be it anywhere and try to survive.
Ragnaor Jonasson’s The Mist takes the reader on a brutal journey inside the snow in a harsh and bleak place in the eastern parts of Iceland. The story begins 2 months after Christmas in 1987 where we see a grief-stricken Detective Hulda Hermannsdottir of the Reykjavik Police Department struggling to stay afloat at work. Designated to investigate a murder, the reader is forced to stumble in blind with no awareness of what lies ahead. We have no clue of the number of victims as the story unfolds in alternating chapters showing us the personal tragedy that would affect Hulda and the stranger that comes calling to a desolate farmland in the midst of nowhere.
Einar and Erla have been struggling to make it work in the isolated farm that has been in the family for generations but the utter loneliness and the savage and relentless winter has begun to take its toll and Erla finds solace in only the books to keep her company. It is just days before Christmas but the merciless weather offers no respite and then,
THERE’S A KNOCK AT THE DOOR.
(OK I am reading this book in scorching heat here in India but honestly that knock just gave me a thumping heart😹😹😹)
The stark atmosphere that the author has created is formidable so much that the reader is immersed into this gripping and riveting thriller from get-go. The parallel storyline of Hulda and Erla brings forth a sense of impending doom as the mystery of the stranger gets unraveled. There is not much detective work for Hulda as we get to see the POV’s of principal characters in question but just like the blizzard that reduces the visibility to NIL, I was blindsided by the threads that wove together to form the motive.
The Hidden Iceland series has been published in the reverse order which I think is a brilliant tactic, book #3 is the final book or the first book depending on how you see it in the trilogy. I haven’t read any of the other books in the series but this can surely be read as a stand-alone.
Intriguing, atmospheric and haunting, THE MIST is guaranteed to make you feel the chill, both from the story and the brutal cold. Highly Recommended!
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/ , Medium.com, Goodreads, Amazon India and twitter.
Snow…. blinding snow…. blizzard…storm…. a mountain of white that obscures vision, the only choice to stay put inside, be it anywhere and try to survive.
Ragnaor Jonasson’s The Mist takes the reader on a brutal journey inside the snow in a harsh and bleak place in the eastern parts of Iceland. The story begins 2 months after Christmas in 1987 where we see a grief-stricken Detective Hulda Hermannsdottir of the Reykjavik Police Department struggling to stay afloat at work. Designated to investigate a murder, the reader is forced to stumble in blind with no awareness of what lies ahead. We have no clue of the number of victims as the story unfolds in alternating chapters showing us the personal tragedy that would affect Hulda and the stranger that comes calling to a desolate farmland in the midst of nowhere.
Einar and Erla have been struggling to make it work in the isolated farm that has been in the family for generations but the utter loneliness and the savage and relentless winter has begun to take its toll and Erla finds solace in only the books to keep her company. It is just days before Christmas but the merciless weather offers no respite and then,
THERE’S A KNOCK AT THE DOOR.
(OK I am reading this book in scorching heat here in India but honestly that knock just gave me a thumping heart😹😹😹)
The stark atmosphere that the author has created is formidable so much that the reader is immersed into this gripping and riveting thriller from get-go. The parallel storyline of Hulda and Erla brings forth a sense of impending doom as the mystery of the stranger gets unraveled. There is not much detective work for Hulda as we get to see the POV’s of principal characters in question but just like the blizzard that reduces the visibility to NIL, I was blindsided by the threads that wove together to form the motive.
The Hidden Iceland series has been published in the reverse order which I think is a brilliant tactic, book #3 is the final book or the first book depending on how you see it in the trilogy. I haven’t read any of the other books in the series but this can surely be read as a stand-alone.
Intriguing, atmospheric and haunting, THE MIST is guaranteed to make you feel the chill, both from the story and the brutal cold. Highly Recommended!
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/ , Medium.com, Goodreads, Amazon India and twitter.
March 7, 2021
This book kept me on edge for hours! It started out as a sense of dread as I anticipated the cause of the behavior change in Hulda's daughter and became increasingly growing anxiety as the story switched to the couple in the truly remote farmhouse in a snowstorm and alternated between the two threads.
In conclusion, it was enthralling and I found I could only listen to it during daylight hours. Thankfully, I had a long drive yesterday and could listen without interruption. Talking of listening, Amanda Redman is a wonderful narrator. I was in awe of her pronunciation of the intricate Icelandic place names.
In conclusion, it was enthralling and I found I could only listen to it during daylight hours. Thankfully, I had a long drive yesterday and could listen without interruption. Talking of listening, Amanda Redman is a wonderful narrator. I was in awe of her pronunciation of the intricate Icelandic place names.
November 27, 2020
Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....
Christmas 1987. An isolated farm in the east of Iceland receives the visit of an unexpected guest during a terrible snowstorm. A liar, a killer, but... who’s who?
If I had to describe this book with just one word it would be “claustrophobic”. The cold, the darkness, the snow, the isolation and the author’s haunting prose all contribute to create a suffocating environment where the tension kept building at the same time my anxiety did.
“The Mist”, third installment in the Hidden Iceland Series, is more of a quiet mystery, so don’t come into it expecting a fast paced thriller. It is more about the characters than the crime itself.
I think it’s so original that the whole series is written in reverse order. The fact that we already know what happened in Hulda’s personal life made reading about it even more heartbreaking. After following her story through the three volumes, I find her a strong and relatable woman, and think it was painful to see how this investigation hit so close to home when her pain was still so raw. I think it was clever to connect her personal tragedy with the police investigation.
The atmosphere created draws you into the story from the beginning and doesn’t let go till the very last sentence, bringing the Icelandic landscape to life so vividly you can picture yourself in the farm, waiting for the storm to pass.
I didn’t know know about the icelandic tradition of giving books as Christmas presents, and then spending Christmas Eve reading into the night so, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna end this review here to go and check flights to move over there right now! 😍
Thanks to Penguin UK, Michael Joseph and Sriya Varadharajan for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Christmas 1987. An isolated farm in the east of Iceland receives the visit of an unexpected guest during a terrible snowstorm. A liar, a killer, but... who’s who?
If I had to describe this book with just one word it would be “claustrophobic”. The cold, the darkness, the snow, the isolation and the author’s haunting prose all contribute to create a suffocating environment where the tension kept building at the same time my anxiety did.
“The Mist”, third installment in the Hidden Iceland Series, is more of a quiet mystery, so don’t come into it expecting a fast paced thriller. It is more about the characters than the crime itself.
I think it’s so original that the whole series is written in reverse order. The fact that we already know what happened in Hulda’s personal life made reading about it even more heartbreaking. After following her story through the three volumes, I find her a strong and relatable woman, and think it was painful to see how this investigation hit so close to home when her pain was still so raw. I think it was clever to connect her personal tragedy with the police investigation.
The atmosphere created draws you into the story from the beginning and doesn’t let go till the very last sentence, bringing the Icelandic landscape to life so vividly you can picture yourself in the farm, waiting for the storm to pass.
I didn’t know know about the icelandic tradition of giving books as Christmas presents, and then spending Christmas Eve reading into the night so, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna end this review here to go and check flights to move over there right now! 😍
Thanks to Penguin UK, Michael Joseph and Sriya Varadharajan for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2020
Book three (or I guess book one depending on how you look at it) in the Hidden Iceland series is entirely brilliant - revealing the true start of Hulda's journey and offering up a chilly, atmospheric mystery as well. Entirely addictive and beautifully written I read this in one sitting.
An isolated farmhouse, a horrifying discovery, but just what happened here in the snowy isolated landscape cut off from civilisation? Hulda , reeling from a personal tragedy, attempts to navigate a scene full of clues and hold herself together in the process...
This story will make you shiver, not only because of the pitch perfect descriptive sense of place, at the heart of the Mist is a heart wrenching set of human tragedies, a convergence of events that will affect Hulda for a long long time and will ultimately lead her to the events of The Darkness. As such it is completely riveting first page to last and I simply could not put it down.
This is an easy one to recommend and I do, highly. The entire trilogy is perfectly plotted and immaculately presented and you will fall into these books and not look up until you are done.
The urge to read them again in reverse order of publication is upon me and I'm sure I will do that later this year. In the meantime go get them. You won't be disappointed.
An isolated farmhouse, a horrifying discovery, but just what happened here in the snowy isolated landscape cut off from civilisation? Hulda , reeling from a personal tragedy, attempts to navigate a scene full of clues and hold herself together in the process...
This story will make you shiver, not only because of the pitch perfect descriptive sense of place, at the heart of the Mist is a heart wrenching set of human tragedies, a convergence of events that will affect Hulda for a long long time and will ultimately lead her to the events of The Darkness. As such it is completely riveting first page to last and I simply could not put it down.
This is an easy one to recommend and I do, highly. The entire trilogy is perfectly plotted and immaculately presented and you will fall into these books and not look up until you are done.
The urge to read them again in reverse order of publication is upon me and I'm sure I will do that later this year. In the meantime go get them. You won't be disappointed.
August 6, 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. A Christmas blizzard leaves a couple stuck in their home, waiting to celebrate with their adult daughter. A knock at the door surprises them and the stranger who waits on the stoop is seeking their assistance. The couple is divided as to how to handle the man, who gives off odd vibes. All the while, Detective Hulda works through Christmas and struggles, though it is another member of the family whose needs are not being met. As Hulda works a missing person’s case, tragedy strikes her, leaving the up-and-coming detective paralysed with grief. All the while, her case seeks some resolution, which may come in the oddest form. Jonasson delivers the best of the series with this novel.
A farmhouse well outside Reykjavik sees Einar and his wife, Erla, suffering through a massive blizzard in the days before Christmas 1987. Snowdrifts cover the roads and there is no way to get from one house to the other, which causes much worry. Erla thinks about her holiday meal preparations, which will see the couple’s daughter, Anna, joining them for some great food and presents. When a knock comes at the door, a man stands there and says he’s lost. He introduces himself as Leo and begs that the couple help him shelter from the storm after he was separated from his hunting party. Einar is happy to welcome him inside, but his wife is apprehensive about it all and wonders if Leo had another motive. Slowly, but surely, Erla convinces her husband that something is off about the man, as the storm rages on. Erla confronts Leo about his true reason for being there, all the while wondering what happened to Anna, who should have arrived long ago. The lights go out and the phone line is dead. This is only the beginning of the issues that face those in the house as the storm gets worse.
Detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir works for the Reykjavik Police Department, but has drawn the short straw this Christmas. She is in a strained marriage, her mother has decided to visit for Christmas, and Hulda's teenage daughter refuses to engage with the family. In an effort to distract herself, Detective Hulda works cold cases involving the disappearances of a young woman and her father, both of which remain unsolved. This baffles Hulda and she pores over everything. It is only a tragic event that pulls her away, though even that sends her in a spiral from which she barely recovers. When Detective Hulda is sent to an abandoned farmhouse months later, her missing persons case appears to fall into place, though for reasons no one could predict. A stellar finale to the Detective Hulda series with the most impactful novel of them all!
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, so I was expecting a great deal. The narrative paints a chilling picture with both storylines building in tandem. The police procedural aspect emerges in the latter part of the book, as if to patch up some of the more emotional and tense opening part. Characters are impactful throughout and keeps the reader wondering what's to come. The reader gets even more backstory of Hulda Hermannsdóttir, whose personal connection is solidified with series fans. Plot points develop as swiftly as the blizzard rages, providing a stunning series conclusion. Ragnar Jonasson has taken the unique approach of writing this series backwards, with this final novel depicting the earliest time period of the three in the collection.
Kudos, Mr. Jonasson, for a stellar series conclusion!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A farmhouse well outside Reykjavik sees Einar and his wife, Erla, suffering through a massive blizzard in the days before Christmas 1987. Snowdrifts cover the roads and there is no way to get from one house to the other, which causes much worry. Erla thinks about her holiday meal preparations, which will see the couple’s daughter, Anna, joining them for some great food and presents. When a knock comes at the door, a man stands there and says he’s lost. He introduces himself as Leo and begs that the couple help him shelter from the storm after he was separated from his hunting party. Einar is happy to welcome him inside, but his wife is apprehensive about it all and wonders if Leo had another motive. Slowly, but surely, Erla convinces her husband that something is off about the man, as the storm rages on. Erla confronts Leo about his true reason for being there, all the while wondering what happened to Anna, who should have arrived long ago. The lights go out and the phone line is dead. This is only the beginning of the issues that face those in the house as the storm gets worse.
Detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir works for the Reykjavik Police Department, but has drawn the short straw this Christmas. She is in a strained marriage, her mother has decided to visit for Christmas, and Hulda's teenage daughter refuses to engage with the family. In an effort to distract herself, Detective Hulda works cold cases involving the disappearances of a young woman and her father, both of which remain unsolved. This baffles Hulda and she pores over everything. It is only a tragic event that pulls her away, though even that sends her in a spiral from which she barely recovers. When Detective Hulda is sent to an abandoned farmhouse months later, her missing persons case appears to fall into place, though for reasons no one could predict. A stellar finale to the Detective Hulda series with the most impactful novel of them all!
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, so I was expecting a great deal. The narrative paints a chilling picture with both storylines building in tandem. The police procedural aspect emerges in the latter part of the book, as if to patch up some of the more emotional and tense opening part. Characters are impactful throughout and keeps the reader wondering what's to come. The reader gets even more backstory of Hulda Hermannsdóttir, whose personal connection is solidified with series fans. Plot points develop as swiftly as the blizzard rages, providing a stunning series conclusion. Ragnar Jonasson has taken the unique approach of writing this series backwards, with this final novel depicting the earliest time period of the three in the collection.
Kudos, Mr. Jonasson, for a stellar series conclusion!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
March 19, 2025
4,25
Sin duda esta serie de libros va de menos a más. Y este es el que mas me ha gustado de los tres.
Con unas tramas sencillas, y una ambientación que para mi es un plus en esta historia, nos encontramos en una granja incomunicada en medio de una gran tormenta de nieve en Islandia. Los protagonistas, Einar y Erla, son los que viven en ese lugar cuando de repente un día alguien llega pidiendo refugio.
Según vamos leyendo, nos damos cuenta de que es una situación un tanto extraña sobretodo para este matrimonio, pasan cosas raras con el refugiado y no todo va como esperaban.
Por otro lado tenemos a Hulda, nuestra gran protagonista e inspectora que vuelve al trabajo después de haber pasado una época muy complicada, y de la cual nos iremos enterando mas y mas según avancemos en los libros, Hulda acudirá al lugar de los hechos para averiguar que pasa con ese matrimonio y lo que creíamos que seria lo mas lógico, el autor le da un gran giro que no te dejará indiferente.
Como ya he dicho para mi esta seria de libro va de menos a mas, al menos en las tramas, y siempre aunque queden bien resueltas te deja un hilo sobre la vida de Hulda del que tienes que esperar a la próxima entrega para enterarte de lo que va ocurriendo.
Muchas ganas de seguir con el siguiente, libros muy fáciles de leer que te enganchan desde la primera página
Sin duda esta serie de libros va de menos a más. Y este es el que mas me ha gustado de los tres.
Con unas tramas sencillas, y una ambientación que para mi es un plus en esta historia, nos encontramos en una granja incomunicada en medio de una gran tormenta de nieve en Islandia. Los protagonistas, Einar y Erla, son los que viven en ese lugar cuando de repente un día alguien llega pidiendo refugio.
Según vamos leyendo, nos damos cuenta de que es una situación un tanto extraña sobretodo para este matrimonio, pasan cosas raras con el refugiado y no todo va como esperaban.
Por otro lado tenemos a Hulda, nuestra gran protagonista e inspectora que vuelve al trabajo después de haber pasado una época muy complicada, y de la cual nos iremos enterando mas y mas según avancemos en los libros, Hulda acudirá al lugar de los hechos para averiguar que pasa con ese matrimonio y lo que creíamos que seria lo mas lógico, el autor le da un gran giro que no te dejará indiferente.
Como ya he dicho para mi esta seria de libro va de menos a mas, al menos en las tramas, y siempre aunque queden bien resueltas te deja un hilo sobre la vida de Hulda del que tienes que esperar a la próxima entrega para enterarte de lo que va ocurriendo.
Muchas ganas de seguir con el siguiente, libros muy fáciles de leer que te enganchan desde la primera página
July 5, 2020
5/5 stars for this outstanding conclusion to Ragnar Jonasson's Hidden Iceland trilogy! It will come as NO surprise that I absolutely loved THE MIST, the final installment in Jonasson's Hidden Iceland trilogy. I've been a huge fan of Ragnar's for years now, and this trilogy is an absolute stunner. Any reader who loves classic crime fiction, subtle and atmospheric writing, and (of course!) Iceland will love these books! THE MIST has all the clever plotting and immersive atmosphere of the two books preceding this one in the trilogy, and it also provides much-anticipated answers about the trilogy protagonist's personal history. Loved this one!
Catch my full review on the CBTB blog! http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2020/6...
Catch my full review on the CBTB blog! http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2020/6...
March 18, 2024
Great end to the trilogy, I still hated the way the 1st book ended 🫠. The 3rd book was my favorite.
So we continue to work our way backwards in Hulda's life. Where she's trying to solve multiple murders in a remote past of iceland while also dealing with her daughter's increasing reclusiveness and a nagging feeling in her gut that something isn't right at home!
Solid 4 stars!
So we continue to work our way backwards in Hulda's life. Where she's trying to solve multiple murders in a remote past of iceland while also dealing with her daughter's increasing reclusiveness and a nagging feeling in her gut that something isn't right at home!
Solid 4 stars!
December 6, 2021
Tras "La sombra del miedo" que es la 1 de la serie, luego "La muerte blanca" que es la 2, ahora me he leído la que hace la 3 de la serie. A las dos anteriores les di 3 estrellas y esta me ha parecido la más trabajada y mejor hecha de las 3. Aunque en un principio también le iba a dar 3 estrellas, al final he decidido darle 4 por ese plus que observo en esta respecto a las anteriores. A pesar del clima opresor que transmiten se leen con agrado.
June 24, 2020
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Marla Warren
You know that feeling when you read a book from an author that’s new to you, and all you can think is How have I never read this author before?!? What have I been doing??
That is exactly what I am feeling right now.
Ragnar Jónasson is a true master of suspense, there is just simply no other word to describe him. Every single page winds you up a little until you finally realise your entire body has tensed up in anticipation of the next page!
Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily
You know that feeling when you read a book from an author that’s new to you, and all you can think is How have I never read this author before?!? What have I been doing??
That is exactly what I am feeling right now.
Ragnar Jónasson is a true master of suspense, there is just simply no other word to describe him. Every single page winds you up a little until you finally realise your entire body has tensed up in anticipation of the next page!
Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily
March 11, 2021
This is a GREAT book to read during a blizzard. I couldn’t stop reading late into the night when the snow was coming down and was haunted by it the next day. A blizzard in remote Iceland. Mystery and suspense and madness. What more could you want? I love Ragnar Jonasson. 5 stars for me!
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
July 3, 2023
Είναι το δεύτερο βιβλίο της τριλογίας που έχω ολοκληρώσει. Μια απίστευτη ιστορία που θα σε συναρπάσει απο τα πρώτα κεφάλαια.
Η Χούλντα με το αστυνομικό της δαιμόνιο θα βρει την λύση.
Υπαρχουν ανατροπές στο τέλος του βιβλίου!!!!
Πολύ καλό!!!!!!!!
Η Χούλντα με το αστυνομικό της δαιμόνιο θα βρει την λύση.
Υπαρχουν ανατροπές στο τέλος του βιβλίου!!!!
Πολύ καλό!!!!!!!!
June 1, 2020
Brilliant
March 18, 2021
In the midst of a ferocious Christmas snowstorm at an isolated farmhouse in east Iceland, a stranger knocks at the door. The couple who live in the farmhouse, Einar and Erla, invite him inside but soon suspect his story about being in a hunting party and getting separated from his companions isn’t true.
Two months later, bodies are found at the farmhouse. Detective Hulda Hermannsdottir, having suffered a Yuletide tragedy herself, is assigned to the case. She’d previously been investigating the disappearance of teenager Unnar and soon comes to realise the two cases are connected.
As always, Ragnar manages to capture both the beauty and harshness of the Icelandic landscape and weather with prose that is sparse and direct, with not a word wasted. The increasing tension mirrors the developing snowstorm and enhances the sense of isolation and confinement.
Two months later, bodies are found at the farmhouse. Detective Hulda Hermannsdottir, having suffered a Yuletide tragedy herself, is assigned to the case. She’d previously been investigating the disappearance of teenager Unnar and soon comes to realise the two cases are connected.
As always, Ragnar manages to capture both the beauty and harshness of the Icelandic landscape and weather with prose that is sparse and direct, with not a word wasted. The increasing tension mirrors the developing snowstorm and enhances the sense of isolation and confinement.
March 12, 2025
4.5 نجوم لرواية جريمة شيقة وممتعة ومؤثرة.. تدور في فلك الصقيع الآيسلندي في البرية وجريمة غامضة وعلاقة غير متوقعة مع واقعة اختفاء سابقة. بالتوازي مع الحكاية الشخصية المحققة هيلدا بطلة روايات الثلاثية.
August 15, 2020
Ragnar Jónasson’s The Mist, rounds out the reverse order Hidden Iceland trilogy featuring the tragic detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir. The Mist is the third book in this series and takes the reader back yet another ten years into Hulda’s life in the context of a stand alone dark Nordic Noir tale. Iceland is the perfect backdrop for this genre and Jónasson takes full advantage of a bleak winter, where the light is but for a few short hours a day, in the depths of the remote and rugged Icelandic countryside.
The reverse order concept is relatively new for me and Jónasson uses this really well. I had a number of ‘aha’ moments as I came to understand the events that unfolded for Hulda that fully explain the depth of her tragic circumstance. However, The Mist is not just about Hulda and in fact, front and centre of the story is the unfolding of events in remote dark Iceland on Christmas Eve where Jónasson skilfully weaves together a number of threads (including Hulda’s own tragic tale) to come up with a story that is absolutely riveting. I would say that this is my favourite of the three stories although I am feeling compelled to go back and read the first one (or should I say the last one) again, through a set of fresh eyes to see Hulda propelled twenty years into the future.
I must say, I absolutely love Ragnar Jónasson’s writing, falling in love with it in the Dark Iceland series set in the remote northern town of Siglufjörður.
As an Australian man with Icelandic blood in my veins, this story ticked all the boxes for me. 5 big stars!
The reverse order concept is relatively new for me and Jónasson uses this really well. I had a number of ‘aha’ moments as I came to understand the events that unfolded for Hulda that fully explain the depth of her tragic circumstance. However, The Mist is not just about Hulda and in fact, front and centre of the story is the unfolding of events in remote dark Iceland on Christmas Eve where Jónasson skilfully weaves together a number of threads (including Hulda’s own tragic tale) to come up with a story that is absolutely riveting. I would say that this is my favourite of the three stories although I am feeling compelled to go back and read the first one (or should I say the last one) again, through a set of fresh eyes to see Hulda propelled twenty years into the future.
I must say, I absolutely love Ragnar Jónasson’s writing, falling in love with it in the Dark Iceland series set in the remote northern town of Siglufjörður.
As an Australian man with Icelandic blood in my veins, this story ticked all the boxes for me. 5 big stars!
April 6, 2021
This is a great book and I totally did not see the end coming. Set in Iceland the author does an amazing job of making you get a real feel of the life these people live and how hard it is.
The mystery is nothing short of consuming I really wanted to know what had happened and more importantly how. I must admit I was way off track.
The mystery is nothing short of consuming I really wanted to know what had happened and more importantly how. I must admit I was way off track.
September 25, 2021
Finished the trilogy, all within just a few weeks of each other. What a fantastic set of novels it is, all in the very isolated rural areas of the author's native Iceland. They aren't chronological so I suppose you could read them out of order or as standalones. But all go very deep into the human psyche and what it takes to make us break. I can see, as in this story, how the isolation of being out in the middle of nowhere stuck in a tiny house for days with no power or phone during an endless blizzard would take its toll on anyone. That's a test I'd rather skip, thank you.
June 19, 2022
"Nothing less than a landmark in modern crime fiction" - The Times.
Whaaaaaaat?!?! I'm totally, completely, utterly and every other type of -ly baffled as to how anyone could think this about this book - or the other two in the trilogy. Badly written (I know it's a translation, but can't see it being any better in its native language), zero suspense, horribly repetitive - and the "twist" visible a mile off. Hate being down on anyone's work really - but the praise heaped on these books truly mystifies me...
And now, having posted this, I'm reading all the rave reviews on Goodreads... gosh, what am I missing? :-)
Whaaaaaaat?!?! I'm totally, completely, utterly and every other type of -ly baffled as to how anyone could think this about this book - or the other two in the trilogy. Badly written (I know it's a translation, but can't see it being any better in its native language), zero suspense, horribly repetitive - and the "twist" visible a mile off. Hate being down on anyone's work really - but the praise heaped on these books truly mystifies me...
And now, having posted this, I'm reading all the rave reviews on Goodreads... gosh, what am I missing? :-)
January 15, 2022
Enamorada de esta saga.
Me gusta como en este tercer libro nos encontramos con tramas diferentes. Un juego entre el pasado, el presente y su corrupción; y una enfermedad que aisla el pueblo. Eso me encanta, que metan estas cosas para hacer más natural algo que ya no es ciencia ficción.
Amo Islandia (desde la comodidad del sofá xD)
Me gusta como en este tercer libro nos encontramos con tramas diferentes. Un juego entre el pasado, el presente y su corrupción; y una enfermedad que aisla el pueblo. Eso me encanta, que metan estas cosas para hacer más natural algo que ya no es ciencia ficción.
Amo Islandia (desde la comodidad del sofá xD)
May 5, 2020
Ragnar Jónasson made a bold choice to tell his story in reverse order, starting with the bitter end of Hulda Hermannsdóttir’s career as a police detective in The Darkness. And you should certainly start there, rather than here. The Mist works just fine as a standalone story but you’d be deprived of the escalating sense of impending doom which swirls around Hulda, as her own personal implosion crawls ever closer.
This volume is a masterful manipulation of three distinct plots which combine into a single, immensely affecting narrative. Murder mystery and family tragedy are skilfully intertwined – a missing girl on her gap year; a bizarre home invasion which leaves death in its wake – set against the intense atmosphere of an insular Icelandic farmstead. While we’re transported to a stifling world of ice and isolation, every menacing moment is amplified by the rising awfulness of what’s about to happen in Hulda’s personal life.
I was utterly absorbed as events unfolded, and slightly surprised to be more involved in The Mist’s self-contained story than in the conclusion / beginning of Hulda’s ongoing arc. Jónasson expertly develops the tension across multiple timelines, swapping between scenarios in alternating, adrenalin-enhanced segments.
Hulda’s story receded somewhat and had less impact than I expected. It seemed that Jónasson downplayed the crucial moment, leaving us to draw conclusion from inference rather than explicitly exploring the pivotal moment of her adult life. But that was the only aspect of The Mist which didn’t quite live up to my expectations – which were very high indeed!
In fact, it was so good that I intend to wait a couple of months and then read the whole trilogy again – but this time in chronological order. Because in the end, everything goes back to the beginning.
9/10
There are mroe reviews of Scandi crime, Nordic noir and other crime fiction over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
This volume is a masterful manipulation of three distinct plots which combine into a single, immensely affecting narrative. Murder mystery and family tragedy are skilfully intertwined – a missing girl on her gap year; a bizarre home invasion which leaves death in its wake – set against the intense atmosphere of an insular Icelandic farmstead. While we’re transported to a stifling world of ice and isolation, every menacing moment is amplified by the rising awfulness of what’s about to happen in Hulda’s personal life.
I was utterly absorbed as events unfolded, and slightly surprised to be more involved in The Mist’s self-contained story than in the conclusion / beginning of Hulda’s ongoing arc. Jónasson expertly develops the tension across multiple timelines, swapping between scenarios in alternating, adrenalin-enhanced segments.
Hulda’s story receded somewhat and had less impact than I expected. It seemed that Jónasson downplayed the crucial moment, leaving us to draw conclusion from inference rather than explicitly exploring the pivotal moment of her adult life. But that was the only aspect of The Mist which didn’t quite live up to my expectations – which were very high indeed!
In fact, it was so good that I intend to wait a couple of months and then read the whole trilogy again – but this time in chronological order. Because in the end, everything goes back to the beginning.
9/10
There are mroe reviews of Scandi crime, Nordic noir and other crime fiction over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
July 1, 2021
I love the "one day" reads!!! Granted, it has to be a book that really draws me in, and doesn't let me go. This one rocked!!!! "The Mist" is the concluding book in the Hulda trilogy. And for me, it was the best of the three books. What I found really interesting, and unique, about this trio of Icelandic crime stories, is that the trilogy was written in reverse chronology. In "The Darkness", she's in her 60s. In "The Island", she's in her 50s. And in "The Mist", Hulda, a detective inspector with the Reykjavik police, is close to 40 years old. I'm a big fan of Icelandic crime fiction (Arnaldur Indridason), and Jonasson captures the extreme winter conditions of Iceland to the point that I considered putting on my thermal underwear while finishing the book tonight...lol. I highly recommend this trilogy. Jonasson is on top of his game. I just picked up his new standalone, "The Girl Who Died". Can't wait to dive into that one!!!! Let the TBR pile grow!!!! Happy reading all of you awesome Thriller, Suspense, and Mystery Reader peeps!!!!
July 5, 2020
This trilogy centers on a female Detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir, who is working as hard as possible to succeed in a male-dominated industry. The third book published, this is actually the oldest, set in the winter of 1987-1988. Iceland is among the most remote places, and much of this book is set in Eastern Iceland, which is remote, even by Icelandic standards. Einar and Erla are scraping by, living on a farm that is probably unsaleable. A stranger ends up on their doorstep in a bad snowstorm on Christmas Eve, asking for refuge, claiming he was separated from his hunting party. Erla does not believe him, and works to convince Einar that she is right. Meanwhile, Hulda is in Reykjavik dealing with her own Christmas crisis, her teenage daughter (Dimma) refuses to leave her room for meals, worrying Hulda that there is something seriously wrong in the city too. Very, very dark.
P.S. The book's title made no sense, unlike the original version published in Iceland, Dimma.
P.S. The book's title made no sense, unlike the original version published in Iceland, Dimma.
March 17, 2025
Libro corto del que he disfrutado mucho; más que con los anteriores.
Novela que parece que sabes por donde va a ir la historia pero luego te sorprende.
Con muy pocos personajes la trama está bien creada. La historia personal de la protagonista tiene miga y puede llevar más libros
Novela que parece que sabes por donde va a ir la historia pero luego te sorprende.
Con muy pocos personajes la trama está bien creada. La historia personal de la protagonista tiene miga y puede llevar más libros
November 21, 2022
Such tension in this wonderful Scandinavian Noir!
April 27, 2024
An enjoyable atmospheric read set in a remote farmhouse in Iceland. The switch to the Detective Hudda reliving her tragedy is well matched. Well plotted. My review reveals a lot so do not read it if you want to solve the murder.
Einar and Erla a middle aged couple live in a remote area of Iceland. It is winter, snowing and a storm on its way when Leo a stranger knocks on their door. Erla, Einar’s wife is scared, nervous and paranoid. Leo’s story of being separated and lost from his group while hunting makes no sense.
Why Erla is nervous and why Leo is there will be revealed. Set around Xmas this story is a psychological and horror. Hudda is called to investigate the death at the farmhouse while still dealing with her family tragedy a few months later. What is the link with a missing girl called Unnur and Erla’s daughter Anna? The ending ties together well.
Leo was Unnur’s father. He received a letter saying how she was teapped accidentally sent by Einar. Erla essentially went mad as Unnur resembled her dead daughter Anna. Leo accidentally kills Einar and then strangles Erla when he finds out she killed Unnur. He then perished in a snowstorm. Hudda has to accept her husband abused her daughter leading to her suicide. Overall well plotted but for Hudda a detective not to suspect her daughter’s mood swing is a bit unbelievable.
Einar and Erla a middle aged couple live in a remote area of Iceland. It is winter, snowing and a storm on its way when Leo a stranger knocks on their door. Erla, Einar’s wife is scared, nervous and paranoid. Leo’s story of being separated and lost from his group while hunting makes no sense.
Why Erla is nervous and why Leo is there will be revealed. Set around Xmas this story is a psychological and horror. Hudda is called to investigate the death at the farmhouse while still dealing with her family tragedy a few months later. What is the link with a missing girl called Unnur and Erla’s daughter Anna? The ending ties together well.
Leo was Unnur’s father. He received a letter saying how she was teapped accidentally sent by Einar. Erla essentially went mad as Unnur resembled her dead daughter Anna. Leo accidentally kills Einar and then strangles Erla when he finds out she killed Unnur. He then perished in a snowstorm. Hudda has to accept her husband abused her daughter leading to her suicide. Overall well plotted but for Hudda a detective not to suspect her daughter’s mood swing is a bit unbelievable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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