Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir of the Reykjavík police is forced to retirement at 64. This comes after the body of a Russian woman washed ashore. The case is quietly closed and ruled a suicide. When Hulda gets the chance to solve a cold case she takes up the one of the Russian woman. This books confronts the immigration issue that all counties deal with, along with looking at the Icelandic community and creates a wonderful tension filled atmosphere. A great read.

This was my first foray into Nordic Mystery or Police procedural, and I really enjoyed it. Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir of the Reykjavík police is forced into early retirement at 64. She has always been a good police officer and this is not what she was hoping for. She does not want to take early retirement, but has no choice. Her superior officer tells her she can stay for two weeks and pick a cold case to solve. He just wants her out of the way. Hulda knows which one she wants a go at, the Russian woman whose hope for asylum ended on the dark, cold shore of an unfamiliar country. Hulda perseveres, follows leads, steps on toes and scares someone who knows what really happened.

I really liked Hulda's character. I liked that she was an older character who was willing to stand up for herself and not get walked on. We learn about her past and what it was like coming up in the ranks, and how difficult that was. She had a sad life, but it doesn't seem to have shut her off totally like many characters in other books. She is beginning a romance which was sweet. She was also very smart and how she went about her investigation was quite interesting. I absolutely loved the setting of this book. The way the author described it made this story very atmospheric and I could feel the cold seep into my bones. I found this story moved quite quickly and had me riveted. I finished this one in one day and will definitely be checking out the next one. One last thing, that ending, wow, was not expecting that at all. A strong start to this trilogy. I am a new Ragnar Jónasson fan.

This is obviously very late, but I just realized I didn't send in a review. I really liked this book, and I really like this series (and the Dark Iceland) series by Jonasson. I think he does a great job of storytelling, and his writing is good. I just finished The Mist, and it was amazing how he could keep me interested in a stranger showing up at an isolated farmhouse for a big chunk of the book. And this series being in reverse order worked really well, I was devastated by the death of Dimma in the last book, and I am sure that is because of the order of the books (along with the writing).

Absolutely loved this. I’m new the Nordic noir genre, but I’m so glad I have found it because this mystery novel was fantastic.

1. I'll read anything this man writes.

2. I loved this one, but it was too short!

3. Thankfully, I already own the next book.

I was drawn to the character of Hulda from the beginning of the book. I liked her personality and I liked her methodology. As she went about trying to solve a cold case, I thought I could identify Jónasson's misdiresction, but I was worng.

A wonderful new series from a master in Nordic Noir!

Ragnar Jonasson has a gift for writing slightly flawed, but all the more interesting, protagonists. I'm excited to start the Hidden Iceland series and look forward to reading more about Hulda Hermannsdóttir. I like this character. She and I are about the same age and like Hulda, I find myself at the doorstep of a new chapter in my life. For those of you in doubt...it's an interesting time!

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. #TheDarkness #NetGalley

RATING: 3.5 STARS
2018; Minotaur Books/St Martin's Press
(Review Not On Blog)

The Darkness is a quick easy read/listen, that at times got a bit slow, but kept me listening to the end. Hulda Hermannsdottir, is a Detective Inspector, that at 64 is being pushed to retired ASAP. Her job is pretty much her life and what keeps her going. She hopes that the cold case she is being given, mostly to keep her out of the way, shows her importance. Hulda is the flawed character I love, so right there I knew I would enjoy this book. I did rate it a 3.5 rounded up to 4, but I decided to rate down as I am not rushing out to read the next book. With the crazy ending in this book, you would think I would be tearing my hair out to read the next one, but I am just "meh" about it. I did put the audio on hold so will see where this series goes. I will warn you, once you get closer to the end, be ready for some emotional punches that come crazily at you. While there is some cushioning to get you there, you never think it's going there.

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

Wow! This book has a lot going on and not in a bad way. This is the first book in a trilogy told in reverse. In the first installment Hulda is 64 and on the brink of retirement. She decides to look into a case she doesn't feel is your run of the mill suicide and gets more than she bargained for. We get glimpses of Hulda's past as well. And lets just say about the ending...I did NOT see that coming!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Summary from Goodreads:

"Ragnar Jonasson burst onto the American scene with Snowblind and Nightblind, the first two novels in the Dark Iceland series, and the praise was overwhelming. Now he launches a new series featuring a completely new sleuth, Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir of the Reykjavik Police department.

When a young woman, an asylum seeker from Russia, is found murdered on the seaweed covered rocks of Iceland, Hulda starts to ask questions. But it isn't long before she realizes that no one wants her to investigate this murder. She eventually must decide whether solving this case is worth losing her life."

My Thoughts:

The Darkness was an atmospheric, quiet thriller that has started off a series that I cannot wait to read more of! Hulda is dealing with a lot of change in her life. She is basically being forced into retirement but is allowed to investigate one last case of her choosing. Hulda chooses to investigate the case of a young woman who came to Iceland seeking asylum but instead lost her life. As the pages go on, the author also starts to share pieces of Hulda's past with us. I was so intrigued as these little tidbits definitely hinted at a dark and troubled past. I took my time with this book and just really immersed myself within it. It was the perfect winter read and the author did an amazing job of conveying Iceland's beauty. I would love to visit there someday! This book made me a bit sad though as Hulda's struggle with retirement and what to do with the rest of her life just was a bit heartbreaking to read about. That being said - I enjoyed my time with this book immensely. And I'm going to get just slightly spoiler-ey here but that ending! I honestly can say that I did not see it coming whatsoever. It was such a bold move and one I would love to discuss with other readers! Who else has read this book?

Overall, I am so glad that I decided to read this book because it was the perfect read for this time of year! This book isn't a book to rush through in my opinion but instead is one to just savor and enjoy. I enjoyed Hulda's character so much and am curious to see where the author goes next with this series. I will definitely be there for book two!! I think that fans of mystery and suspense will enjoy this book. I don't read a ton of translated fiction but books like this really make me want to read more. I need to catch up and read more authors and books just like this, that's for sure! This is an easy book to recommend!

Bottom Line: An atmospheric mystery that left me pining for the next book!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. Thoughts are my own!

I love good Icelandic mysteries, and Ragnar Jónasson has quickly gotten on my must-read list. While I've enjoyed his books featuring Ari Thór, I think he's taken it to a whole new level with Hulda Hermannsdottir. Her character just seems so much more fleshed out, sort of like a Tana French detective. She makes the genre feel fresh too. For one thing, she's not a man - and she's aware of it. She's 64, about to be forced into retirement when her job is all she has, and she's pretty bitter about the fact that she's been repeatedly passed over for promotion (despite her stellar close rate) while men are promoted instead. The fact that a young man like Ragnar Jónasson is the one writing this character so believably just makes it that much more impressive. I just really liked her character, and the fact that she cares so much about doing her job is what makes the plot work. The investigative aspect is convincing, the setting is atmospheric, and I enjoyed another perspective on immigration to Iceland, which seems to crop up a lot in Icelandic fiction. To top all of this off, the ending completely threw me for a loop, and I really can't wait to see where this series goes. I know I'm not really doing this book justice, but believe me when I say it was great. Highly recommended to all mystery readers, especially if you want a good female lead.

Hulda Hermansdóttir is a widowed police detective in Reykjavik, Iceland. She leads a solitary life, although she wonders if a new friendship could grow into a more romantic relationship. Her life is dedicated to her work so she is shattered when she is forced into retirement. She negotiates an end date two weeks away and is told she can spend them however she wants.

Hulda decides to investigate one last case--the death of a Russian asylum seeker--which was determined to be an accident following what Hulda suspects was a half-hearted investigation. She soon learns that a second young woman, who was also seeking asylum, has disappeared as well. Is there someone preying on newcomers? Hulda is determined to find out, but she's running out of time before she is forced out of her job.

This is a riveting book and a very fast read. I liked the way Ragnar played with perspective--chapters featuring Hulda are alternated with chapters featuring other characters from different timelines.

The ending of this book is pretty grim but it's a good read anyway.

Anyone who enjoys Nordic noir will want to check it out.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this novel.

This review is also available on: https://stuffinbooks.wordpress.com/2018/12/08/the-darkness-by-ragnar-jonasson/
and https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2619702445?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This one is really dark. Oh. I didn't mean to be punny. It's translated, so it's obviously bound to be good. Why waste the time and effort if it were bad? Hulda is a detective and she's being forced into retirement. She takes on one last case, which her coworkers have considered closed. A young refugee from Russia was found dead in a cove, covered in seaweed (sounds creepy, right?) and the detectives have ruled it a suicide. Except none of it adds up and then Hulda finds out that the young woman's friend has disappeared under equally mysterious circumstances. Who was the last person to see the girls? Was it even the same person? And who can Hulda trust to tell her the truth? The whole thing is very mysterious. And the ending. Holy cow. I definitely recommend this.

At 64, Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir is readying for retirement. She is in no way looking forward to this but she has no choice. Discovering her boss has a much younger man lined up for her position throws her for a loop. Of course she expected it to happen sooner or later but being forced out months ahead of her set retirement date is the last thing she wants. After fighting to remain on until the new guy starts, her boss informs her that all of her open cases have been reassigned and suggests she take the next two weeks to review/reopen an old cold case. Naturally, he doesn't expect her to actually do this. But oh, she does. In fact, Hulda knows exactly which case she wants.
One year ago, a Russian asylum seeker was found dead. The detective working the case ruled it a suicide but Hulda knows he didn't give the case the attention it deserved. That the woman was murdered. She just has to prove it.
Along the way Hulda causes a bit of trouble for her coworkers and well...sympathizes and jeopardizes her legacy and not to mention retirement.
The Darkness alternates between the past and present with flashbacks that slowly reveal what happened leading up to well...you'll have to read to figure that one out!
It was nice getting a peek into Hulda's past but I almost wish it weren't just glimpses of her childhood we get to witness.
Considering this is a trilogy told in reverse, I'm excited to see what The Island has in store!

Jonasson now rests easily on my shelf alongside the Scandi-Noir greats. The Darkness is a brooding, fitful, sleepless tome. Something about Iceland always gets to me. I live in MN where we get long nights in winter and long days in summer, but nothing like the kind of darkness in Iceland or in this novel. Kept me guessing to the end, which is saying a lot after 30 years of reading mysteries.

A book that is as sparse as the landscape in which it takes place. Details pop out of the bleakness of the protagonist's life and environment. Multiple twists and interesting characters make for a fun read that fans of Scandinavian literature will be certain to enjoy.

Hulda is a detective in her sixties who is on the brink of retirement. She digs up the case of a Russian girl who is found dead at the beach. It is presumed as a suicide. Was it a suicide or more!? Hulda goes on a wild goose chase looking for the truth as her last day with the police force is closing in.
The book is an easy read. It takes one through the landscape of Iceland. Hulda, as a character felt quite irritating as she constantly thinks about her age as a negative factor. Perhaps the Author meant to show the odds in the life of a female detective, but it was a tad too whiny for me!
I loved the way the book progresses, and the end was truly a surprise I did not expect at all! The next book is about Hulda 2 decades earlier. I really look forward to reading more from the Author and more from this series.
Overall, a short Nordic thriller which will keep you engaged and take you by surprise!

THE DARKNESS
Ragnar Jonasson
Minotaur Books
ISBN 9781250171030
Hardcover
Thriller

Icelandic thriller novelist Ragnar Jonasson made a quick and dramatic splash into the American Nordic noir market with the Dark Iceland series which introduced Detective Ari Thor of the rural Siglufjorour Police Department. Jonasson is by no means done chronicling Thor’s exploits, but while we wait for the next installment he has now with THE DARKNESS introduced a new crime trilogy which is quite different from the Thor books. What the two series do have in common is the manifestation of Jonasson’s careful development of memorable characters and his plotting skills, which leave the reader wondering, guessing, and, in the case of THE DARKNESS, ultimately gasping.

THE DARKNESS features a very flawed and complex protagonist in the form of Reykjavik Police Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir. We encounter Hulda as she approaches the cusp of 65. It is a momentous occasion which becomes less than bittersweet when she finds herself on the verge of abruptly and involuntarily being put out the door in favor of a younger broom. Hulda, as it happens, is in the midst of investigating a death that has already been marked as solved. The deceased is a young Russian woman who was seeking asylum in Iceland. Her death was ruled a suicide. Hulda, however, knows the investigating detective to be fond of shortcuts and inclined towards sloppy work. Hulda, in the course of her own investigation, discovers that the woman was on the verge of having her asylum request approved, and also finds that her friend disappeared without explanation around the same time. Hulda begins nosing around in what would seem to be the right places but finds that her efforts are anything but welcomed by her superior officer. Making matters worse is that Hulda makes a grievous error in the course of her investigation of another matter, one which could lead to her having serious problems on her otherwise exemplary record as she leaves the force. Hulda, however, is determined to go out with a win and spends her last day on the force determined to solve the closed case. She has no idea, however, of the danger into which she is placing herself, or how wrong she truly is.

THE DARKNESS is a bit of slow boil, though it certainly roars at the end. Jonasson, well known in Iceland for his translation of the works of Agatha Christie, has certainly been influenced by her work in THE DARKNESS and elsewhere, and that is all to the good. That said, the ending of THE DARKNESS was certainly not something I expected. Mental exclamations --- “Huh? What?” --- will certainly abound amongst readers for more than one reason as they read the final page. The next volume in the trilogy, THE ISLAND --- an excerpt from which is included in THE DARKNESS --- precedes the events in THE DARKNESS by a quarter century, so those who are curious about the resolution of the threads left dangling at the conclusion of the latter will have to wait a bit to see what occurs. While they may not wait patiently, wait they will, and in great anticipation, given that the Hulda Hermannsdottir trilogy is off to an addictive and compelling start. Recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2018, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

Excitingly subtle Nordic Noir addition!

Ok, I don't quite know what to do with this story. It left things puzzling unfinished, and me hanging in midair. (Hanging on every word and action by the way) Unfinished from the point of view of about to retire Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir of the Reykjavík police and her enquiry into the assumed suicide of a young Russian woman found washed up on a deserted shoreline two years before. The more we learn about Hulda, the more we sympathize with her perceptions about her work colleagues, and her inner drive that seems to ignore anything but the goal she's fixated on.
As little by little Hulda's life history is revealed, some of her actions become more understandable, if not sometimes slightly bizarre.
Hulda's enforced retirement notice begs the questions of the last chapter's happenings and her colleagues opinions of her. Where does the truth lie?
Hulda chooses one last case to investigate, and the time allowed becomes shorter as she treads on official's toes and companion's egos. The suicide case sparks attraction from many quarters, most of it unwanted.
The Darkness is the first part a trilogy that appears to have begun with the ending. Maybe!
At first the structure of the series and the interplay of Hulda's past and present annoyed me, however as I read on I was caught. How the storyline is eventually going to play out will have me returning out of sheer curiosity. The forcefulness of Hulda's personality and the stories within stories has well and truly trapped me! I find myself desperately wanting to continue with Hulda's journey, despite its ending. Truly Nordic Noir! I loved it!

A NetGalley ARC

"Rage kindles an inferno in the eyes."

Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir is about to be forcibly retired from Reykjavik CID after decades of service. She's a few months from age 65, but a younger man is about to move into her office and her life. The police is the only thing she has left after all; her husband and daughter both dead -- and all she sees are lonely days ahead. She's allowed a couple of days to look into a cold case, and she knows exactly the one she wants to investigate: an asylum seeker's body was found face down on a beach with head injuries that may have been from an accident or suicide. Hulda believes that the shoddy detective work by a colleague has left a homicide unsolved. She'd like to finish out her years in CID with closure and that sets her on a collision course with her superiors and those that don't want Hulda to find the truth. NO SPOILERS

I loved this book. The Icelandic setting is almost a character unto itself with its climate and terrain, and I always have a map at my side to trace movements across the island that I hope to visit one day. I immediately identified with Hulda as the protagonist and felt such empathy for her plight and her desire to go out of her years of service with a final case solve. Her personal issues were immense and my levels were topped off with all the revelations about her past. As Hulga tries to figure out what happened to Elena and meets the relevant players, I was so rooting for her success though the conclusion came as an utter and heart guttering kick in my guts. The writing and translation were top-notch and I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to the next in the series (THE ISLAND) which I understand is being told backwards -- what an original idea.

I was so surprised to read that other reviewers didn't share my enjoyment of this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Nordic Noir. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-book ARC to read and review.

“The Darkness” by Ragnar Jónasson

This is an exciting crime story that’s dark, moody and realistic in both setting and characters. The story unveils itself in Iceland, which is a character in itself: freezing, inhospitable and beautiful, the setting serves as a fantastic backdrop for this well-written mystery/thriller.
Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir is the protagonist and is beyond smart. She comes across as brash and uncaring of what others think of her now that she’s close to retirement. Hulda was vulgarly told to leave her job and take early retirement to make way for a fresher, younger replacement. Told to pick a case to investigate for her remaining two weeks in the office, Hulda knows just which one she wants.
Taking it on, the cold case involves a young woman whose body was found in the local sea caves. All the clues and information point to a suicide, but Hulda is not convinced. She becomes even more determined to prove the girl was murdered after assessing the original file and finding lazy, shoddy work due to the lack of police care and attention. It was so badly investigated that Hulda finds more details on the case within the first 24 hours of taking it on. Step by step she gets closer to the truth, walking down the path of a Russian girl and asylum seeker.
This is the first book I have read by Ragnar Jónasson and I was gripped by the descriptions of Iceland in mid-winter and how claustrophobic it made the characters (and readers) feel. Ragnar manages to artfully weave multiple storylines and timelines together to present background that ensures your full understanding when it reaches its unexpected and unforgettable climax.
Reviewed by Lauren Brabrook for Suspense Magazine