Ragnar Jonasson is king of the creepy, suspenseful Icelandic novel. While this one seems shorter than most and takes place almost exclusively in a small hut in the dead of winter, it still manages build a feeling of dread and secrecy that keeps the reader interested for the duration.

The ending did seem a bit rushed and incomplete, which takes away from the overall plot line. Overall, a good novella, but not his best work.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

The setting is winter in a desolate highland part of Iceland as four college friends set out on a hunting trip. An unexpected snow storm arrives trapping them in a remote cabin with no way of communicating to the outside. As the night unfolds, it’s apparent there are grudges and ulterior motives in the planning of this trip. Then of course not everyone will make it out alive.

Oh Ragnar.... I wanted to love this book. Outside introduces us to four unlikable characters who take off in a blizzard in sub-zero temps to go bird shooting. Not to mention there is a secret hatred festering among each and everyone of them . It really was a jumble of a book which I did not care for.

Oh, I wanted to like this so much more than I did!

This is extremely atmospheric – from the claustrophobic, ice-cold location to the simmering hatred that lies under the surface of so many of the character interactions, I was ready to be frightened and anxious.

Instead I was mildly curious and kind of bored.

The reasons behind literally everything are just dull. Each time I thought we were getting something good, it thudded into a huge nothing burger.

I did keep reading and I did finish the book, but found it ultimately disappointing.

• ARC via Publisher

Huge fan of Scandi noir and loved Jonasson’s Hidden Iceland series. This was more of a “locked room mystery” type book. Admittedly, parts of the book terrified me. The potential of freezing to death horrified me. The tone of the book is true to Scandi noir, cold, dark, and gritty. I didn’t enjoy the storyline as much as his detective stories, but it was enjoyable. The whole “friends with secrets” thing has been overdone. But worth a read if you’re looking for something quick.

Bit of a let down after reading all the great reviews. The Icelandic hunting trip setting was detailed by the author superbly and one could feel the cold and the isolation of all four of the characters-in themselves and outside in the actual blizzard they had to travel in. They each have their own little secrets but they never quite get me to really care about them or what happens to them. Sadly, this was not one I could recommend, the ending just fell flat.

Thank you to Net Galley and the chance to read and review.

Outside
Ragnar Jonasson
St. Martin’s Press
Minotaur Books
6/28/2022

Four friends trudge through a blinding blizzard on what was supposed to be a friendly hunting trip. Daniel is freezing and afraid that they are lost in the blinding snow. The group finally arrives at an emergency hut, but what they found inside was chilling…more so than the blizzard outside.

Jonasson pulls the reader into his story immediately with his icy description of the landscape: Foreshadowing the bitterness uncovered during the trip.

The friends/narrators are Daniel, a sometimes-employed actor living in London; Ármann, a successful tour owner; Helena, an engineer; and Gunnlaugur, a lawyer and alcoholic.

I love a good there’s-no-escape-from-this-terror story; especially one set in a snowstorm. Johansson doesn’t disappoint as the friends fight against each other, their fears, and the elements. Someone has to leave for help, but who is up to the task?

Johansson’s use of short chapters keeps the story going as we learn how each of the narrators react to the tensions in real time. This method keeps the reader inside each of the characters’ minds as Johansson develops each personality and uncovers uncomfortable truths. Truths that are as cold as the snowstorm swirling around them. Will they survive?

The ending was not satisfying. It longs for a sequel. Perhaps Johansson will write it someday; for today I give ⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Thank you #NetGalley and StMartinsPress for the EArc. My review is my unbiased opinion.

An Icelandic adventure with mystery, suspense and hold your breath action? By Ragnar Jonasson? Yes, I'm in and read Ouutside in two days. Thanks to Netgalley, publisher and Mr. Jonasson for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest review. Four friends meet for a hunting trip in wintery Iceland. They encounter obstacles much worse than the horrific and unexpected blizzard (Iceland style). They encounter years of personal and emotional hurts and secrets from their pasts that are exposed on the trip. The book is written in short chapters, revealing the perspectives of each of the friends and takes place during a storm within a storm. Outside is a standalone. If this is your first Ragnar Jonasson book, I recommend the Ari Thor series. It is excellent. Easy five stars and hoping for a sequel.

Jonansson is a master of suspense writing and this title delivers the chills in so many ways! In fact, reading this is fascinating, the methods used to develop and prolong tension are completely provocative.

As with his other titles the setting is eerily impeccable. Four "friends" are stranded outside in the cold, quiet, and threatening Icelandic wilderness. Meanwhile, the characters background involves a tangled web of past sins that each are holding against the others.


Jonansson is a MUST read, every time!

Goodreads: A few months ago I read JJ Marsh's "Odd Numbers". While I usually enjoy her books, that one - a psychological thriller, was quite different from her other books and a drudge to get through. It was about six long-term "friends" who get together on a New Years Eve in a very cold and rural area of the Czech Republic. They all have an agenda, a history, secrets, and an intense dislike of one another. There is of course, at least one murderer among them. Ragnar Jonasson's "Outside" was similar to that. It is extremely unlikely that four people would go into the Icelandic wilds when there was so much distrust among them. The characters were different from one another and constantly bickered. The writing is suspenseful and descriptive, but the characters were annoying and the plot was unlikely.

Four people - not necessarily friends - are on a casual mid-winter hunting trip in the highlands of Iceland. Their relationships are far more intertwined than even they'd like to admit, and tensions are pulled almost to their breaking point as they trudge through deepening snow. So when a sudden blizzard pushes the four into a shelter and they find a shock waiting for them, the pressure cooker gets turned up even higher.

How it plays out would be anyone's guess. The taut writing style keeps this slow burn - well - burning. As the reader is drip-fed clues about how utterly messed up these people are and how well and truly screwed they are, we despise them more and more. It gives the reader a claustrophobic, creeping sense of schadenfreude. Absolutely pitch-black Icelandic noir.

But then the whole thing takes a sharp left turn.

The end is very, very... something. Either the ending was so abrupt I almost missed it, or maybe I'm super confused about a seismic shift in narrative that flew over my head. I genuinely don't know what happened there, which is weird, since I didn't have any trouble following along for the whole rest of the book, just the last chapter. Maybe it was a teaser that was mis-labeled? I have absolutely no idea.

I think I'll read more of Ragnar Jonasson's work, if only because this author is a master of suspense. As unbelievable and twisted as this story was, it definitely had my rapt attention.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of Outside by Ragnar Jonasson.
I have read a number of Ragnar Jonasson books. They fall under the umbrella of Icelandic Noir. And this book is as Noir as it gets.

Outside is a short book with four main characters. Each chapter is from the point of view of one of them. We hear from them all equally. The story involves the four friends meeting up for a reunion. They are to spend a weekend together but at the last moment, where they will spend the weekend gets changed. Off they go into the snow for bird hunting led by one of the friends who is now a successful tour guide. A blizzard comes up and they get stranded in a hut in the middle of nowhere. Not all of them return home.

I have loved Mr. Jonasson's book but this book I like the least. The characters weren't likeable, they all seemed miserable and unhappy at the prospect of the weekend and the reader/me keeps wondering "Why are you going then?" It was hard to believe in it. About half-way through when more of the plot became obvious, it became more interesting. Even with the best noir, the reader forms some attachment to some of the characters and their powerless fate. I never cared about any of these people. By the end, I thought it was a fascinating but totally unbelievable premise (maybe that's the point) but did think the structure of the book with one chapter per character and the plot unfolding that way was interesting. But as a whole, it didn't hold my interest and I was glad when the book ended.

I hope Mr. Jonasson doesn't stay too far from the writings of his other books in the future.

Outside by Ragnar Jonasson was a fast paced thriller with all the snow vibes. I was kind of in the mood for some good winter thriller vibes and this delivered on that. This novel was about 4 friends. Each chapter switching POVs. It reads like a mystery as the story unfolds. I was following along great and at a fast pace until the very end when I am not 100% sure I can clear on the ending. I read it a few times to be sure, but still and not 100% sure, I have 2 theories; so in that I am annoyed I cannot ask a friend or ask for a spoiler to confirm I understood the end.

Summary: Four friends. One night. Not everyone will come out alive . . . that is a great intro hook. ... When a deadly snowstorm strikes the Icelandic highlands, four friends seek shelter in a small, abandoned hunting lodge. It is in the middle of nowhere and there's no way of communicating with the outside world. They are isolated, but they are not alone . . .

Thank you net galley for this e arc. I give it 4* for pace and story, but not quite 5 as I did not fall in love with the characters or quiet know for sure if got the end (names in the final chapter would have helped me here). Chilling new standalone thriller is a great description.

Revenge is a dish best served cold…and it is in a snowstorm in the Icelandic highlands. Four friends set out for a weekend of adventure, but when a snowstorm hits, they find shelter in what should be an abandoned lodge. Isolation will turn to nightmare as their pasts will be uncovered. This intense, unpredictable thriller is intertwined with the vivid descriptions of the Iceland landscape. As secrets are revealed, will all four friends make it back to civilization? A brilliant, captivating book from the first page to the last. This is the first book I’ve read by Ragnar Jonasson but it will certainly not be the last. I

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before its publication date in exchange for an honest review.

I had HIGH expectations for this book. I love Iceland (would live there if I could), and truly enjoy the creepy noir books set there. This novel had everything that I wanted, beautiful and brutal scenery, friends that were friends but aren't really friends anymore, and just enough unexpected creepiness to keep me turning the pages. It was well on its way to a 5 star book for me, until the very last chapter. It didn't disappoint me in any way, just seemed unnecessary and confusing.

Overall, I will still recommend this book to people, and I will continue to read books by this author.

First, let me state the obvious. Ragnar Jonasson is the modern master of the atmospheric chiller. Outside reaffirms that. The icy tendrils of shared secrets envelope the characters in the latest instant classic from Jonasson. If revenge is indeed a dish best served cold, what better setting than winter in Iceland? Yes, as with his other books, it is deftly paced. It is a riveting read that proves to be a truly terrific thriller. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the advance reading copy! #Outside #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC.

I had not yet had the pleasure of reading anything by Ragnar Jonasson before reading Outside. I will absolutely be picking up more books by this author! While the story started out a little on the slow side, you really get a chance to know the characters, or so you think! What a wild ride this was! I will absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a twisty thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC.

I love books set in winter climates, and the idea of this one being set in Iceland was extremely appealing. Add in four old college friends reuniting for a hunting trip, and it sounded like a fantastic set up for a great mystery. Unfortunately, I found myself plodding through chapter after chapter of lengthy backstory and next to zero action. I couldn’t even connect with any of the characters. I normally don’t mind backstory (I love seething undercurrents) but this was just so dry and often repetitive that it took an effort to finish the book. Sadly, not at all what I expected.This one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC. I have not read any of Ragnar Jonasson's books and was intrigued in a novel set in Iceland, and of course a mystery, my favorite genre. The setting, an isolated cabin in the middle of a white out with four best friends from college sounded great and I was ready to dig in.

Sadly, I found the plot to be very thin, and the same with the characters, there was not much to the four main characters and I found it very repetitious and drawn out. I found myself skipping through large paragraphs hoping to get to actual action.

I was anxious to get to the end and relieved but disappointed, it was one of the most abrupt and inconclusive endings I've read in a book. Typically I might try to think about possible scenarios but I didn't develop enough of a connection with any of the characters to give it any thought.

It’s no secret that Ragnar Jonasson is one of my favorite authors, and a driving force in my Nordic Noir fascination, so I was so thrilled to get this arc from @netgalley and @minotaur_books. That it fit into my current reading challenge was just a fun bonus.

On this outside, this seems like a simple and straightforward plot. Four old friends on a hunting trip in the Icelandic highlands get stuck in a remote hut when a winter storm comes on out of nowhere.

Told in shifting perspectives, the entire novel takes place over the course of a weekend, and while the plot is simple enough, old secrets, shifting alliances, and an silent, armed stranger keep it from ever becoming boring.

While a weekend with old friends might seem like fun, these are four of the worst people you’ll ever meet and, if you’re anything like me, who you’re rooting for will change just as swiftly as their own allegiances.

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5