This book was a thrilling mystery! I was so enthralled, I couldn’t put it down! It was suspenseful and intriguing!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

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

This book had an interesting mystery, good character development, and a good sense of place. I think this is a great Icelandic series and look forward to book #4 to get another compelling story and to see how the main characters progress. I have been to Iceland, and this book has me aching to visit the northern part of the country. I recommend this series to anyone who likes Icelandic mysteries and I suggest reading the books in order. Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

Review on goodreads

I love the bleakness and stark setting of Nordic noir and have become a great fan of the Dark Iceland series for exactly those reasons, as well as a fondness for detective Ari Thor Arason, who finds himself marooned in the small fishing village of Siglufjörður in the remote North of the country for his first police placement.

Whilst the first book in the series saw the village engulfed in winter and virtually cut off from its surroundings, we now get to see it in summer, and the 24-hour daylight that can be as strange as the winter darkness. The rest of Iceland is engulfed in smoke and ash from two volcanic eruptions, which adds the somewhat foreboding atmosphere that is so characteristic of Jonasson’s writing. Ari Thor takes a bit of a backward step in Blackout, as we are introduced to young journalist Isrun, who is investigating the same crime as Ari Thor – the brutal murder of a man in the neighbouring town of Skagafjörður. Ari Thor’s superior Tomas and his colleague Hylnur also make a repeat appearance, as does Kristin, his ex-girlfriend, who has met a new man after her split with Ari Thor.

I really liked Isrun and enjoyed the different angle her investigation added to the case. Like every other character in the book, Isrun comes with a troubled past that added extra depth to the story. But as usual, it is the setting that adds the richest character of all, shaping people’s thoughts and actions and drawing the reader deeply into this wild and remote place. Perhaps it is the armchair travel that has me so utterly addicted to the series, but I emerged from the pages slightly dazed as if I had awoken in a different world completely alien to my own. Such is Jonasson’s skill that the atmosphere perpetrates deeply into the reader’s psyche, until it almost seems like reality.

I will not go into the plot of this whodunit, other than to say that it is a classical police procedural with the added angle from Isrun’s rogue investigation, and all the strings tie together very satisfactorily in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this latest instalment in the Dark Iceland series and have already purchased Nightblind, which is the 2nd book in the series but chronologically takes place a few years after this one – and I look forward to see what life is holding for Ari Thor five years on!

In summary, if you like Nordic noir and haven’t discovered this series yet, I urge you to do so! Jonasson’s writing is atmospheric and will transport you to a wild and remote place, where murder has that extra chill factor that characterises the genre.

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

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

A journalist hungry to make her mark goes after a murderer. Ari Thor and his supervisor come at the case from the perspective of law enforce.

This is my first read of Ragnar Jonasson’s series although this is the 3rd book in the series but certainly wont’ be my last. Although I found it hard to read the names and names of the places, it certainly didn’t detract from the storyline, this was a brilliantly fast paced thriller set in Iceland involving murder, human trafficking, rape, medical malpractice, abuse, it had everything. Recommended to those that love a crime thriller.

Many thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

It seemed I was reading Ragnar's mind as the book progressed. Ísrún, Ari Thór, Tómas, and Hlynur were very confused individuals in how they adapted to working with people in trying to figure out who killed Elías. They got very lucky with all the people they talked to, noting all the discrepancies that applied in figuring out what Elías was up to. I note, that not one individual was responsible in figuring out what happened in this story. It was all of them combined in figuring out what happened. What makes this story dark was that all the characters were concerned about themselves. How they were seen by others. Hlynur was so concerned that he took his own life in the story. Ari Thór seemed to only think about his ex, Kristin. He bailed out during a moment when he would have solved the mystery of the missing girl. We learned plenty of nasty stuff that happened to Ísrún and how she gave a way out for her new friend. The story is interesting with all the twists and I don't need to give it away with any mote spoilers. If I peaked you interest please read it, you'll be surprised at the outcome.

One of my favorite authors continues the story of Ari Thor in northern Iceland. The suspense and sense of place that are created by the author are what keep bringing me back for more.

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

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

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

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

Highly recommend this series.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

4 out of 5 stars

Before I write anything about the novel, I would like to express my gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC of Ragnar Jonasson's ''Blackout''. This is the second installment in the exceptional ''Dark Iceland'' crime/thriller series and the third book of the author that I've read till now, the other two being ''Snowblind'' (#1) and ''Rupture'' (#3). In my humble opinion is a weaker novel than the other two that I've already devoured, as it lacks a strong central plotline which would push the novel forward and it also has many -perhaps too many- sub-plots which do not intersect at any point. The story is narrated by multiple POV, a fact that helps the reader to delve into the thoughts of, almost, every character in the novel but after a while, it becomes tedious and confusing and prevents the build-up of a shattering climax that the fans of the genre may be expecting. Ari Thór Arason, nicknamed ''The Reverend'' due to his theology studies, is once more the main protagonist, but in this book, another central character is introduced, named Isrun, a tv journalist from Reykjavik who is on the hunt of the big scoop that will lead to her promotion and starts investigating a brutal homicide, which consists the core mystery in ''Blackout'', in parallel with the police officers of Akureyri and Siglufjörður (Ari Thór and his boss Tomas). There is also an interesting sub-story about the third police officer in Siglufjörður, Hlynur, who is caught up by his past misdeeds and begins gradually a descent into obsession and madness with horrendous consequences for himself. ''Blackout'' is a gloomy crime novel, which is chronologically set a few months after the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption which led to air pollution due to the vast amount of ash produced by the volcanic explosion. Ragnar Jonasson remains faithful to the prose and style that he adopted in the rest of the series books which is simple, dense and atmospheric and, in a way, saves the anemic story but I'm certain that the Icelandic author has a lot more to offer and the mixed impressions left by ''Blackout'' should in no way prevent the readers from exploring the captivating ''Dark Iceland'' series. My rating, on a scale of one to ten, would be between 6,5 and 7.

I am a huge fan of Scandinavian Noir and though Iceland is not technically Scandinavia, I jump at the chance to read Icelandic noir. Ragnar Jonasson is the third really good mystery/thriller/crime writer that I've chanced on.
Blackout is his third book in the Dark Iceland series all featuring the detective Ari Thor Arason. It is the first of the series translated into English that I have read and I gather from other reviews that it is actually second in terms of time.

The book opens with the discovery of a brutal murder. Then chapter after chapter introduce the reader to other characters. At first I thought I might need a little notebook to keep up with everyone. In defence of Jonasson, each character has quite an inner life going on and I imagine it would have been impossible to delve deeply into each character any other way. The character development is part of what makes Blackout fascinating. I didn't need the notebook in the end. Their roles all became quite clear.

Ari Thor has moved north leaving his girlfriend behind. She then breaks off the relationship when he confesses to a sexual fling. They both constantly think about the other but refuse to make contact. He works in a small police station with two other officers. His boss is going through a separation and struggles with staying in the small town or moving down to Reykyavik where his wife is. The other officer is receiving threatening e-mails on-line bringing back intense memories of his childhood in which he was a horrendous bully of other children.

The dead man was working construction and there are his colleagues and his boss. All of these people have stories.
And there is a TV journalist who was originally from the north and has lied in order to go back and try to outscoop her colleagues. She is doing her own investigation which the police know nothing about. She has a fascinating story.

While much of the movement in the book is the boredom of talking to all the suspects and trying to put puzzle pieces together, much of the reader's interest is in the inner lives of these people and how, in the end, the inner and outer will come together.

One of two volcanoes in Iceland erupted just before this story commences. During the entire book, we witness how the characters in Reykyavik deal with the thick grey ash that is coating everything, that keeps any light from appearing and chases some people away to the north. It is a character in itself. It impacts everyone and everything in the immediate area.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the others in this series. I suspect that a reader should find out the order to read them in. It isn't necessarily the order they were translated in so checking the forward pages for date of publication is probably not helpful.

I loved the first book of this series that I read. Turns out the first was the second. As these things go, it doesn't usually matter. Last book,I'd sort of come.to an understanding with Ari-Thor. But this book I couldn't find what it was about Ari that I understood to begin with. Truthfully. These books are a boor. The scenery is what makes it so fascinating. Months of light? Yeah, I get how some folk would like that. For me? Months of darkness. I love the dark. I tried to find someone, something that I could hold onto and like..personality wise. I couldn't and still can't find anyone to like. Honestly? I'd love to visit Iceland in the darkest months, but that's my kink...I guess. I've lived in very small towns up by the Canadian border, but Mr. Jonassons Iceland? They are some weird and strange people. He really doesn't give a good impression of his country. That's great if you're trying to scare us away. Hey, it worked! I would still all my ex husbands left or right nut to visit! Good story, I guess in all, but after 2 book's, I've come to the realization that for me these stories are fair. That's it. Fair. Which is really a waste of time. You spend 2/3 of the book on build up, then blah de blah de blah. Life's too short.

A man found beaten in his apartment provides a policeman and a reporter with an opportunity to investigate. The book, however, focuses more on personal issues than on the investigation. I never really got a feel for the book. I finished it aboard a plane about a week ago, and the details no longer stand out. I never really warmed to either the policeman or the journalist. The book is unremarkable and not memorable. I received an advance electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was pretty good, i like the atmosphere. The crime was dark and twisty, a little bit too slow in 10 first page. But yeah, just...that. I mean, this is good but not my favorite. Like, nothing special in this book. 3 stars.

I traveled to Iceland last year, and am interested in learning more about the country and the people who live there. I find this series interesting for that reason. I like the character Ari Thor and the author’s writing style. The crimes are dark and twisty, but keep you reading in order to find out what happened. I look forward to the next book in the series.

This book had all of the check marks for a great mystery: surprising reveals, flawed, but like able characters, well developed setting, and an ending I didn't see. The only thing that kept this book at a 4 star review (would have been 3.5) was the struggle of keeping up with all the names and which characters they were related to. Probably had more to do with my unfamiliarity with the original language and ease to which a book translates.

Jonasson is a master at creating atmospheric books with a slow build. In this one we have the added claustrophobic element of a volcanic eruption that has ash clouding the sky in additional darkness. Then there's the crime and Ari Thor's brilliant investigation. In the end, I did not want to say goodbye to these characters and was glad to see that there are more books in this series.

I guess I spent as much time imaging that landscape as following the story. It's hard to imagine a murder happening with no one knowing in such a small place, but it does get explained in the long run.
The detective is investigating and the reporter is doing that same separately. They all have baggage, even the peripheral policeman.
Yes, its dark, and there is a bit too much personal stuff, otherwise a nice, dark, mystery.

Another winner from Ragner. Nicely plotted and a great ending. Don't miss any of these books by this author.
Very satisfying.