I went to Iceland in March and have been trying to read more Icelandic/Nordic authors. This was my first novel by Ragnar Jonasson, and I wasn't a big fan. I like the setting because, again, I visited and that's always a neat thing to see in a book, like "Oh! I know where that is!" But I found the plot lacking.

Special thanks to Minotaur Books for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

I really like Ragnar's writing. The setting is dark, mysterious & he is certainly a great crime writer. I was very glad to see more of Ari. Fans of Nordic Noir and darker crime novels will certainly like this one.

Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader.

Atmospheric and complicated!

Once again I enjoyed the atmosphere of Siglufjördur, a small fishing village in Northern Iceland, previously closed to the outside world in winter, now with a tunnel the outside has come in. Ari Thór Arason, a police officer still seems an awkward, tormented sort of soul. His relationships are always troubling, even more so now that he has a ten month old son with girlfriend Kristín.
When Tómas, his boss, was promoted down south to the capital city of Reykjavík, Ari was hopeful for Tómas' position. Ari was passed over for Herjólfur.
Ari has flu and Herjólfur is working his shift. Herjólfur takes a call to a deserted old place on the edge of town, where he is shot. A shot that ricochets violently around the tiny town. This is a new happening. It seems the tunnel has brought the outside world in with a vengeance. As Ari was supposedly on duty, he can't help but wonder if the bullet was meant for him.
Tómas is called back to work on the case. Ari and he go through some upheavals to resolve their roles in this renewed situation.
The shooting opens up memories for Ari that he's tried to let go. It seems Ari had an abusive childhood which begins to explain some of his behavior patterns.
The frequent references to Ari's mild manner covering an unexpected temper is interesting. There are memories and recollections punctuating the prose that you know are important but you can't seem to finger just whose memories they are.
I must admit that I didn't feel as involved or caught up with Ari as I had been in Snowblind. He seems to have not really flowered in the way I had hoped for after the first novel I read, leading to a somewhat disjointed psychological view of him. His personal life becomes more disarrayed as the facts around the murder are uncovered. Resolution and implosion seem to go hand in hand as Nordic Noir complexities support the continuing story of Ari. I am certainly wondering what comes next for him.

A NetGalley ARC

In NIGHTBLIND, we are thrown back into the world of Ari Thor Arason and his Northern Icelandic village. As the story unravels, the reader is taken on a journey with twists, turns, and a few surprises by the end. The suspense is only heightened by the personal elements of the relationships between the characters. It is the balance of honest human interactions with the investigation that keeps me coming back for more.

Within the first chapter, I was instantly reminded why Jonasson is such a great voice in crime fiction. The way that he weaves the past into the present to inform and enhance the story is perfection.

I must say, that I enjoyed this book a little more than the first. Though both are wonderful, I felt that I was able to invest more in the crime because I already knew the players and some of their backstory. Of course, we will always learn new things as an author progresses with a series, but I was more absorbed in the investigation this time around. I cannot wait to read the next book!

In Ragnar Jonasson’s second novel (following Snowblind) featuring Ari Thór Arason—a young cop in the tiny fishing village of Siglufjӧrdur in Northern Iceland—he’s living with his girlfriend, Kristín, and 10-month-old son, Stefnir. Ari Thór is happy enough, but he tends to dive into his work, neglecting his young family in the process. It doesn’t help that Kristín is restless; the attentions of a handsome doctor at work are hitting their mark and making her wonder if there may be something else out there for her.

Unfortunately for Ari Thór, things are about to get pretty crazy in his small town. His partner, Herjólfer, is at a derelict house in the dark of night when something horrible happens. After he steps out of his car to investigate, a shot rings out. When Herjólfer’s wife contacts Ari Thór, worried that he hasn’t returned home, Ari Thór—in spite of fighting a wicked case of the flu—has no choice but to go look for him. After checking the station, he figures he’s got nothing to lose by checking the only two roads leading out of town. What he finds shocks him:


He knew he wasn’t fit to drive, still half-asleep, sick and weak, and he had to do a double take when he saw the patrol car at the roadside near the Strákar tunnel entrance, next to the old house that had been empty and becoming steadily more dilapidated ever since he had moved to the town.

Growing increasingly uneasy, Ari Thór felt and overwhelming sense of foreboding-almost like a premonition. At that exact moment, he knew that something had happened to Herjólfur. With an adrenaline buzz providing the boost of energy he needed to sideline the flu for a while and think clearly, he pulled up behind the patrol car.

Bracing himself against the freezing rain, his eyes struggling to adjust in the darkness that preceded the dawn, he peered through the car windows, and then opened the doors of the partrol car to see if Herjólfur might be inside.

Empty.

His concern deepening, Ari Thór surveyed the landscape that surrounded him, the high mountain which the road had literally been carved, and the sea on the other side. There was barely room for this single house there on the side of the road, on what was essentially a landfill site, and beyond it was a sheer and deadly drop into the cold, northern sea. There was no light from the house, his jacket pulled tightly around him as the wind whipped the rain into a frenzy, he wondered if anyone would hear him if he called out. And then there was no need.

Ari Thór finds Herjólfer laying in the gravel and, by the amount of blood present, is shocked that he’s still alive. The police department is horrified. An attack like this, especially on a police officer, is highly unusual in such a small, tight-knit place.

Ari Thór is a bit too close to the investigation, so they bring back his former partner, Tómas, who recently took a job in Reykjavík. Ari Thór gets along with Tómas, but it’s also hard to relinquish control of an investigation. It doesn’t help that Herjólfer’s family is giving off a strange vibe—although his son does point to a possible investigation into the dope trade as the reason for Herjólfer’s presence at that house. Ari Thór isn’t so sure, and getting to the bottom of things proves to be daunting. Additionally, the mayor of their small little town seems to be up to no good, adding an unwanted political aspect to the whole affair.

The book is pretty short, and Jonasson’s narrative is a bit rough around the edges—characters aren’t fleshed out nearly as much as I’d like, but maybe some of that is lost in translation. But I do love how Jonasson uses the strange history (and boy is it strange) of the abandoned home to cast an eerie pall over the case and a town reeling from such a violent crime.

Jonasson certainly knows how to write a procedural. The bones—and potential—of a good series are here, and Jonasson has a finger firmly on the sturdy mechanics of old-fashioned mystery with rewards coming after the application of plenty of shoe leather and working the leads. Dealing with people is difficult, and good cops have to be something between a therapist and a law enforcement officer to get usable results. Police work is not a glitzy job; there are a lot of frustration involved, and those frustrations can bleed over into the detectives’ family lives.

More intriguing than the mystery—which is intriguing enough, don’t get me wrong—is Ari Thór. He’s young and has a lot of growing to do, but there’s a core to him that’s determined to do the right thing—sometimes at the expense of his personal life. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out, as there’s plenty of room for him to grow. Add that to a fascinating setting, and you’ve got an author—and a series—to watch.

It was ok, I wasn't really into it so I didn't get it finished, but others might really enjoy this book, It just wan't me, I may pick it back up later and try it again,

Nightblind was an okay and I have no significant grumblings about it. There were a few agreeable characters and a lot of other anticipation that isn't identified with the essential murder puzzle. By and large, I truly delighted in this story in spite of the way that I had anticipated the result. The outcome was too predictable but the characters kept me intrigued.

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.

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."

Nightblind was a decent read, and I have no major complaints about it. That being said, I did find it rather predictable - by about 25% of the way through, I had solved the mystery. I hoped that I had been wrong and that there would be a twist, but there was not. That being said, there are several likeable characters and plenty of other suspense that is not related to the primary murder mystery. Overall, I really enjoyed the read despite the fact that I had predicted the outcome. The atmosphere, characterization, and human drama kept me interested.

This was a quick, great read that continues the Siglufjördur series - but I need to note before I begin that series order is different from chronological order. If you want to read in chronological order, there’s a different configuration, as this book takes place five years after the events in Nightblind, and many thing have changed (as noted in an author’s note preceding the book.)

So. This book was very good and also very intense - it deals with themes of domestic violence and features a character who had a suicide attempt, so it’s a very intense storyline.

But I greatly enjoyed it. It was a quick read which seemed to fly by, since I was so hooked.

The book begins with the shooting of a police officer and follows Ari Thor as he works to figure out who committed this rare act of violence. Meanwhile, everyone in town seems to be dealing with issues, and it’s up to Ari Thor to navigate it all.

I love how everyone in Siglufjördur has a story. It adds such great layers to the story. I like that complexity as you try to unravel the mystery.

I also really enjoy how Jónasson handles such intense themes. It doesn’t seem gratuitous or overly graphic, and that’s important. It’s key to depict realistic situations with respect.

Overall, I love this series and will continue to read it - mystery fans will love it as well.

Tightly woven plot about a small-town cop who must investigate the death of the colleague who received the promotion the protagonist felt he himself deserved. Alternating chapters give us his point of view and that of a patient in an insane asylum. When the two finally intertwine, the results are powerful.

A strong entry in the Icelandic Mystery series Dark Iceland. Although approximately five years have passed since Snowblind, the story reads well and the continued character development is strong. Domestic violence and the prescription drug trade are tackled.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

In a small village in Iceland, the new police captain is murdered, and Ari Thór is on the case. Ari has only been a resident for a few years and still isn’t on steady ground with the villagers, many of whom come from families that have lived in Siglufjördur for generations. His old police captain Tómas has come back into town to assist with the investigation. The investigation leads them in several different directions, including a look in to the new mayor and his deputy mayor, both of whom are new to town as well. Meanwhile, Ari’s relationship seems to be falling apart and he can’t ascertain why his wife is so distant. In the end, all comes to a head.

The story itself had a lot of potential, but ultimately, I felt it wasn’t fleshed out enough. The transitions were choppy, there was no build up of anticipation, and the mood was rather stifled. The emotion and intensity I would have expected was completely lacking. And there wasn’t enough explanation to justify certain things. Like this idea that Ari and his wife had grown apart from each other after returning to work from taking parental leave. He JUST returned back to work when this case hit. A case that took a short period of time to solve. After spending MONTHS together focusing on their new son. In that short period, she had time to feel neglected and disconnected enough to start thinking about another man? I think not.

And the misdirects weren’t quite slick enough. I knew pretty early on what the deal was, and any hints at alternative perpetrators weren’t strong enough to convince me.

BUT. The weird thing is? I would like to read more. Not chomping at the bit, when can I get the next one, I can’t wait kind of want. But despite all my knit-picking, I want another taste. Maybe it’s because I see the potential and know how good it could be with a bit of tweaking. Hard to know exactly. But, I’ll definitely give Mr. Jónasson one more try before passing final judgment.

What an interesting choice... according to the introduction, this book takes place five years after Snowblind and the next few books will fill in the time between. I'm not sure if it's the same in the Icelandic originals or not. Anyway, it was interesting to see Ari Thór after he's settled in a bit more and given more responsibility. The format of this book is fascinating too, with the modern investigation interwoven with the journal of a psych ward patient in the past. It was a strange read, because I didn't really care that much about the murder victim and Ari Thór was wearing on me (not the young innocent he once was!), yet somehow I devoured this book because I was just so curious to see where it was going. It wasn't suspenseful per se, but the plotting was puzzling enough to keep me quite engaged. I'll definitely keep reading this series - I hope Ari Thór is more likeable in the period in between Snowblind and Nightblind!

Nordic Noir! Freezing weather and an ice cold killer. What a combination! This was a well written, tightly woven police procedural that left me wanting to read more.

"Nightblind" is the second title in the Dark Iceland series. However, having read the first after I read this one, I can affirm that "Nightblind" can be read as a standalone title.

Thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Ragnar Jónasson’s Nightblind is the second novel in the Dark Iceland series. Nightblind takes place about five years after the wonderfully atmospheric Snowblind. The third book in the series is Blackout which apparently “picks up the story directly after the events of Snowblind.” Glad there’s an explanation of the time line in the intro. At the end of Snowblind, we left our series character, rookie policeman Ari Thor up in far-way Siglufjördur. I looked up the town on the map, and it is spectacularly beautiful but so remote. It’s easy to see that if you moved there, you’d either love it or hate it. It’s the sort of place that you cannot easily replicate, but the weather is going to dictate your lifestyle.

Nightblind finds Ari still working in Siglufjördur, but now he has a new boss after his old one left and Ari’s bid for promotion was turned down. Ari is living with his girlfriend Kristin, now a doctor, and they have a child together, so at least that past of Ari’s life has resolved. Or has it?

Nightblind

The novel opens with the shotgun shooting of a Siglufjördur policeman, and then follows the investigation as Ari’s old boss, Tómas, returns to head the hunt for the killer. The shooting takes place at an abandoned building at the edge of town near the new tunnel. The building, which already has a tragic, mysterious history, is rumoured to be a liaison spot for drugs, so it may be that the shooting was drug related. The story weaves together threads involving the new mayor and his assistant, Elín while other sections of the novel are narrated by an unidentified mental patient. With Ari distracted by the murder case, Kristin rather calculating weighs her options. The strain of the investigation pushes Ari’s relationship with Kristin to the limit, but perhaps her limit has shrunk since she met a divorced doctor at work.

As in Snowblind, the weather has a huge role in creating atmosphere. While the town, during the summer is beautiful, winter descends along with an accompanying sense of claustrophobia heightened by the reality that there’s one way in and one way out. Storms and snow hammer down on Siglufjördur, forcing people indoors and yet…. there’s still time for violence and murder.

She had been told that soon, around the middle of November, the sun would disappear behind the mountains for its long winter break and it wouldn’t return until late January, when the town would celebrate with solar coffee and pancakes. Elín still found it odd to contemplate complete, round-the-clock darkness.

There’s something almost subversive about the Dark Iceland series. Perhaps it’s because all these dire deeds take place over the holiday season (November-January) and the idyllic location which conjures imagined Christmas card scenes meshes with the dark side of human nature.

No violence in Iceland? That’s bullshit. Sure it all looks quiet and friendly on the surface, but behind closed doors there’s an uncomfortable secret.

Review copy

Translated by Quentin Bates

I really enjoyed the first book Snowblind so I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of Nightblind.

This is book two in the English translated series, but book six (I think) in the original series. And honestly, that bothered me. Because I am a girl who has to read a series in order. The events in this book take place 5 years after Snowblind. But, at no point did I feel lost or felt that I was missing important details.

We are reminded again that nothing ever happens in the sleepy Icelandic town of Siglufjörðor, until someone is shot. We meet back up with our favorite Icelander investigator, Ari Thór. He and his GF/wife are now living together with their infant son, Stefnir. The issues in their family were definitely not my favorite parts of the story.

The book begins when Herjólfur, Ari’s new boss is shot and clinging to life. And It is up to Ari Thor and his former Boss Tomas (who recently moved to Reykjavik) to follow the clues to the guilty. Nightblind is another stunning installment from Ragnar Jónasson. As always, the landscape feels like a main character itself. Although I did not enjoy this as much as Snowblind, I will definitely continue with the series.

Thank you to NetGalley/St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books) and the author Ragnar Jónasson for a copy for an honest review.

Jonasson has written another page turner. Well plotted, suspenseful and highly entertaining. Highly recommend Nightblind.

The contrast between the idyllic scenery and the stunning violence lend tension to this well written mystery. This is a welcome addition to the series!