Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. This was not a good or even have decent read for me. This was not even a me and not you situation. The book was just slow and not even worth the read. The characters were not flushed out or even a bit likeable. It may have been what they wanted but the book was. just very dry. The ending was not even worth the read. I think the focus was too much on the title of the book then the content.

This Icelandic mystery has a strong vein of horror running through it.

Four friends (whose back stories are slowly revealed to readers) embark on a reunion camping trip, hunting ptarmigan in the Icelandic highlands. Not all of them return.

As we wonder how this could possibly end, we start to realize that nothing is what it seems on the surface - and that it's all about ... the perfect murder.

Ragnar Jonasson is back with another suspense filled story set in the eastern expanse of Iceland. Four college friends are having a weekend of ptarmigan hunting in the remote eastern highlands of Iceland. As their first day is underway, an unexpected snowstorm begins and grows into a blizzard as they seek the shelter of a lodge that one of the group knows. As they trudge through the snow and blizzard winds, we hear from each person’s view about the decision to come on this trip, feelings about the others, worries about problems in their own lives. Each short chapter is from one character’s point of view.

When they finally reach the lodge, which turns out to be more of a hut, they are frozen and exhausted but at least it will save them from the wind. That is until they enter. And then wonder if outside would be better. From there, conditions, behaviors and relationships corrode and deteriorate. Secrets and lies are at the core.

Jonasson is expert at creating physical and emotional atmospheres and here he has oppressive, frightening, challenging, and potentially deadly conditions for his characters to deal with. The suspense builds up relentlessly for about 90% of the book when it suddenly seemed to evaporate like a leaking balloon in the end.

My rating is 3.5 rounded to 3. In spite of the very suspenseful story and build up, the totality was let down by the ending. All those who enjoy Jonasson’s novels will enjoy his usual atmospheric writing and suspense.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How far would you go for revenge?

Let me start by saying that it is a very interesting read, and I was really entertained by this suspenseful novel. It is a slow-paced, gripping story, with short chapters that shuffle through each of the characters points of view, and a chilling plot twist. However, it ended so abruptly for me, that I had not noticed the story had ended. To top it all off, it did not included an epilogue. So it left me with mixed emotions. (I did read an ARC of this novel so maybe the final published draft did include one)

Other than that, the concept of the story itself is good. The author really knows how to draw you in with the mystery.

Four old friends meet for a reunion. Ármann, a former guide who now owns and operates his own tour company, has organized the gathering, suggesting at the last minute that the group embark on a ptarmigan hunt in the remote Iceland highlands across the country from Reykjavik. The plan is to go to an isolated location and disconnect from everything -- except each other -- for a bit. Daniel grew up in Iceland, but has spent some years living in England, studying acting and then trying to establish himself in the theater. Unfortunately, although he believes his friends think he has hit "the big time," he survives by waiting tables. But he's definitely not fooling all of them. He does not know how to shoot, but agrees to participate in the hunt and let Ármann teach him. Helena is an engineer working for a start-up company and Gunnlaugur is a lawyer.

They set out in the morning with only provisions for the day, not even taking sleeping bags with them. The weather quickly grows ominous. Soon they find themselves attempting to navigate a full-fledged blizzard, walking single file through the "whirling whiteness" that leaves them in darkness. Because of his expertise as a guide, the others find themselves with no option but to trust Ármann to lead them to safety. They must keep moving to avoid freezing to death. Ármann claims he knows of an old hut, one of the emergency refuges that are scattered on the highlands, where they can take shelter and wait out the storm, so they trudge along single-file. Daniel brings up the rear, behind Helena, cold and struggling to keep up with the others. It does not help that he is severely hung over because whenever the friends meet up there seems to be an exorbitant amount of alcohol involved. And the prior night was no exception.

At last, they reach the hut, but the door is locked, they are miles from the nearest house, and their cell phones are useless because there is no signal. Ármann manages to break open the key box with his gun, extract the key, and gain access to the hut. Daniel senses "an indefinable smell of danger in the air, among the thickly falling flakes, but he can't work out where it had come from." As soon as they open the door, Daniel's fear is confirmed. There is a man sitting in the corner of the hut, holding a shotgun. He remains seated, staring at the group, his eyes wide open and unspeaking. He does not react or respond to the group's arrival. "Perhaps the eeriest aspect of it all was the stranger's stillness. He was almost like a living corpse, only his open eyes revealing that he was fully conscious and watching them." He is a terrifying presence.

As the storm continues to rage outside, the four friends begin quietly discussing how best to approach the situation. Who is the man in the hut? Why is he just sitting there staring at them? Is he in a state of shock as a result of some sort of trauma? Is he dangerous? Do they dare occupy the hut along with him? Do they really have a choice, considering the severity of the storm?

To tell the tale, author Ragnar Jónasson employs third-person narratives set forth in short, crisply drafted rotating chapters, each of which is focused on one of his four characters. He presents their backstories and explains the characters' relationships, revealing the ways in which their lives have been intertwined for years. Notably, Daniel was surprised to learn that Gunnlauger would be joining them for the reunion because in recent years, he, Helena, and Ármann have tacitly agreed not to invite him due to his "darker, more difficult side" that has been revealed with time.

Gunnlauger, however, considers the other three his best friends. He works for a medium-sized law firm in Reykjavik and has given up on the hope of keeping pace with his colleagues. He failed his medical exams twice so his father insisted that he attend law school, but he has no passion or flair for the law. He also has been unable to maintain a relationship with a woman for more than a few weeks, and has long "had a thing for" Helena. He is well aware that she does not feel the same way about him and, in fact, mercilessly teases him about his love life. The night before they head out on the hunt, he has his first drink in two years, which takes Helena aback because his troubles with alcohol are well-known. Gunnlauger has been receiving ominous letters from an anonymous sender and suspects they may be coming from one of his three friends.

The night before they head out, Helena has "a feeling of disquiet" and dreams of Vikingur, their friend who died "cold, exhausted, abandoned and alone" five years ago. She still misses him terribly, and is haunted by her belief that he suffered before he died of hypothermia under suspicious circumstances.

Ármann boasts about his success, which Daniel chalks up to an inferiority complex and Gunnlauger resents, secretly hoping that Ármann's business will fail and they will find themselves on more equal footing. Ármann was not a good student, and after graduation got involved in selling drugs but he got himself sorted out and now operates a thriving business. Helena has always looked out for and taken care of him. These days, he seems to be married to his job after a long relationship ended.

Eventually, they decide that Ármann and Gunnlauger will remain in the hut while Daniel and Helena head south to another hut that is equipped with a radio they can use to summon help. Ármann estimates that, given the weather conditions, they should be able to hike there and back in about an hour. Ármann tells them to leave their guns, and Daniel has "a horrible premonition that there is something out there in the darkness . . . more dangerous than anything his imagination could conjure up . . . " He is convinced he is "heading to his certain death." Nonetheless, he and Helena strike out on their own, leaving Ármann and Gunnlauger with the mysterious man.

Outside is an entertaining and imaginatively-conceived story about betrayal and retribution. He places his characters in an extremely dangerous geographic location and proceeds to reveal numerous reasons why they neither believe the stories they tell or trust each other. And with good reason. Over the course of their long friendship, they have learned a great deal about each other and various incidents have caused them to develop resentments and hold grudges. They still try to impress each other by appearing to be successful and popular when, in fact, each of them has experienced some form of failure and committed heinous, unforgivable acts. They are all harboring dark, explosive secrets and within the group there are concealed alliances that evolve and shift as the story proceeds. Eventually, Jónasson reveals that the invitation to get together for the weekend was issued with more ominous intent than some of the group realize. But they will figure it out.

While entertaining, there are two aspects of Outside that keep it from being a truly first-rate thriller. The characters' histories and relationships are interesting, but none of the characters are likable or have any immediately apparent redeeming qualities. They are all manipulative, phony, and self-involved, and they only interact with the others in service to their ulterior motives and need to feel better about themselves and their own lives. There is not a single character that readers can take into their hearts and cheer on. They are all pathetic and reprehensible. Perhaps that is the point Jónasson wanted to make.

And the book ends abruptly without bringing the story to a satisfying resolution. It may be that Jónasson plans a sequel, which would explain why the story suddenly falls right off a literary Icelandic cliff. Regardless, the conclusion is jarring and unsettling. Again, that may have been a deliberate choice made by Jónasson.

Despite those shortcomings, Outside is engrossing and fast-paced. It is also richly atmospheric which heightens the dramatic tension, and amplifies the paranoia and palpable fear his characters experience as they confront with their past mistakes and mortality on the Icelandic highland. And, as noted, the story is populated by interesting, if irredeemable, characters, some of whom meet fates they clearly deserve, providing some satisfaction to readers.

Publisher Synopsis: Four friends. One night. Not everyone will come out alive . . .

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 . . .

Review: This novel started off really strong for me - in fact one of the more shocking and unexpected beginnings that I've ever read. When the four friends enter the cabin and find something so unsettling - it's very creepy and very effective. This is perfect if you're into Scandinavian mysteries which I was at the time so read a lot of his other work. However, the ending didn't resonate for me and left me quite unsatisfied. Overall, solid read for the atmosphere and the creepy vibes. 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my free digital copy.

I Really liked the winter atmosphere in this story. And, Ragnar Jonasson sure knows how to make a mystery===a mystery! I think any one would like this novel!

The back setting for this book, the cold, the isolation, darkness, everything that could possibly bring to bear on the characters in the story actually becomes a character in the story. Ragnar Jonasson has dome an excellent job of placing the reader in the middle of an isolated hut in the middle of a frozen country in the middle of a blizzard.....lots of middles there....and this influences our reaction to the four friends/ vacationers/ hunters who make up the central characters. You can feel yourself starting to tense as the four discover they are facing danger not just from the cold. It's hard to explain how much of the eerie feeling of the story is transferred to the reader, but it's a definite plus to the reading experience.

I wanted to give this a 3.5 stars, but I can’t do that here. Set in the Icelandic wilds, 4 “friends” set out on a weekend excursion to go bird hunting. In a classic who could have seen that coming, they get hit by an unexpected and fierce storm. A storm that forces them to take refuge in a minimalist hut. Only problem is they aren’t the only ones in the hut. An armed stranger has taken up residence in the same hut, causing widespread panic among the group. From there stressors of the cold, a previous history among the four friends and panic from an unknown armed stranger take their affect on the group, and chaos ensues. We learn that none of these friends is being entirely honest and they all have secrets. Secrets worth killing for. The plot is interesting in this story. If I had any issue with the book, the ending leaves something to be desired as it is one of those that ends without much of a resolution. Review posted to Goodreads, Amazon, Litsy, LibraryThing, Facebook and Instagram

This is my first time reading a Scandinavian Noir thriller/mystery boook. The coldness I felt from this book made me think I was back to December even though its summer right now! This would be a great movie type book!

Ragnar Jonasson is becoming one of my favorite mystery/thriller writers ever since I read The Girl Who Died. This second book of Outside that I read by Ragnar Jonasson was just as great as The Girl Who Died.
This was an intense and suspense-filled story. The weather, location, and landscape played a big part in this one. Also, having a blanket on hand while reading this would be something I'd recommend since I got cold while reading this one.
This was about 4 friends who get together and go hunting birds in the freezing wild in Iceland. The weather is one of their enemies or obstacles in the story here as when the blizzard starts; it causes them to have to find shelter and then they end up in a hut. As things happen while they're in the hut and waiting the storm out and trying to figure things out, then other things surface, like all the problems in the characters and dynamics of their relationships among their group. They find themselves in another dangerous and threatening situation as they're all stuck together in the frozen wilderness with all their buried issues, with each other coming to the surface. The ending has a twist/reveal I didn't see coming and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down and I read it all in one sitting.
If you like Ragnar Jonasson, Scandinavian Noir, Mystery/Thrillers, and intense reads that keep you turning the page until the end, then check this one out.
Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for letting me read and review this fantastic book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for an atmospheric Scandinavian Noir to pick up in the middle of hot and humid Midwest summer, look no further. However, I found myself disappointed in how the plot came together and how the characters started connecting dots. The friendship group did not make sense and I think that a little background on how they became friends would've gone a long way in helping plot build into a more 'thrilling' conclusion.

Another note on the ending, it seemed very formulaic as the story started wrapping up and then there was barely a conclusion. I feel like the reader almost gets to choose an ending here. Was that deliberate?

I do think this will make a good movie if it gets optioned.

This book made me cold. The atmosphere is so strong that it is like another character. The relationships between the characters were written so intrinsically, that i had no problems picturing the entire scene in my head. I was surprised by many things and kept thinking to myself that Jonasson is a master plotter. Outside is a book that is great for mystery lovers.

I have only recently gotten into the Scandi-Noir genre, and it has been pretty hit or miss for me. This one was mostly a hit. I love stories set in Iceland, Norway and those regions. This author made me feel as though I was actually in Iceland in a blizzard, no small feat as I swelter in 100+ Texas temps. Four mostly unlikeable characters seek shelter in an old hunting cabin as a snowstorm rages outside. Someone is dead, old issues and tensions come out and everyone turns against the other. I did struggle a bit throughout with this one, but I feel like this was more of a "lost in translation" sort of thing than the fault of the author and I do look forward to reading more by him.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Ragnar Jonasson and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

It seems mystery readers can’t get enough of Scandi noir, and for good reason. There’s something inherently creepy about areas that are isolated and dark—which can apply to much of the region. But it also takes a talented author to make that creepiness come alive for the reader, and Ragnar Jónasson has done it again, this time with Outside.

It’s everyone’s worst nightmare, actually. In a deadly snowstorm, four friends seek shelter in an abandoned hunting lodge. (Yeah, you already know something untoward is about to happen!) Miles from help, and knowing they will die out in the cold, they break in, hoping to wait out the storm until morning.

The friends, of course, make a macabre discovery, setting the scene for a long night where they begin to unravel—secrets emerge, tensions escalate, and panic and paranoia have free rein. Jónasson excels at creating a claustrophobic atmosphere within a disturbing narrative, and he does it again here. He stitches together an unforgiving landscape, strong elements of horror, and intricate dynamics among the gathered friends.

It all makes for a very satisfying read…. Though you might find yourself keeping the light on for it!

I had such high hopes for this one. Ragnar has been on the top of my list of authors to be read and I think I must have worked him up soo much that this just wasn’t what I was expecting. Outside left me with constantly wanting more. It just felt that I was in suspense limbo for the entire story, up until the last 10%. Then it finally picked up and give me what h wanted.

Four friends, set out for a hike through the Icelandic highlands when they are hit with an unforeseen snow storm. They must seek shelter ASAP or else the harsh winter weather will be the death of them all. They find an abandoned hunting lodge, with no communication and terrible weather they seek shelter here, but they are not alone. The more time they spend isolated in this shelter, dark secrets from the past surface and start painting a clearer picture.

this could’ve been soo much better. I felt like I was caught in this storm with no end in sight. With that being said, I didn’t hate it but I definitely didn’t love it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

Ragnar Jonasson continues to deliver excellent books taking place in Iceland. The landscape and setting are an important part of the story, and he vividly paints the landscape picture in the mind of the reader. I wasn't necessarily connected to any of the four main characters. They all have flaws, which was refreshing, but in the end, I wasn't able to connect with any of them and root for them as the events of the story unfolded. While I wasn't vested in any of the characters, I enjoyed how the story unfolded and revealed itself along the way.

Suspenseful, and intense story about a group of hikers who get stuck in an Icelandic mountain during a blizzard. I felt there was too many povs, and the plot was slow moving for my taste! The story setting is cold and true to icelandic-thriller tone. Although, I feel I have enjoyed other books from Jónasson better than Outside. Highly recommend The Island & The Mist if you wish to read dark atmospheric and chilly thrillers. Might be better as an audiobook.

Thank you Minotaur books for the gifted reader’s copy!

I think perhaps something didn't come through in the translation? Just the feeling of suspense somehow seemed to be missing, and hard to follow from all the points of view. Interesting and surprising plot, but just didn't come together for me

The descriptive writing made me “feel” the bone chilling cold and swirling snow storm. The author has the ability to have the reader dislike the characters by telling the story from each person’s thoughts, reasoning and relationship to one another. Although the ending left me disappointed I would definitely read this author again for his descriptive writing.