Ragnar Jonasson’s Outside is set in Iceland. There are four friends, out for a weekend hunting trip, when they find themselves trapped in a blizzard. Luckily for them, they come upon a hut, but they discover something startling inside. Will they make it out of this weekend alive? What secrets are each of the four friends harboring?

After reading Ragnar Jonasson’s The Girl Who Died, I was super excited to dig into this book. It is relatively fast paced, and it feels more like a novella than a full-length novel. Outside starts off with an extremely engaging introduction and rotates between the four friends’ perspectives.

What I loved about The Girl Who Died, I kept wondering is this going to have a scientific explanation or a supernatural one? However, Outside did not really have that vibe.

Please keep in mind that this is an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) so the final version might be a bit different. However, I think that the writing needs to be cleaned up. What do I mean by that? First, there is a bit too much telling and not enough showing. In one scene, the characters have an argument. There isn’t any further explanation about what the argument was even about. Second, some parts of this book don’t make sense. For example, a character would say how they never wanted to see this other character again and then in the next sentence talk about how he would go to such great lengths for this person that he never wants to see again.

Did these characters watch The English Patient? You never leave an injured person behind!

The ending is extremely abrupt, and I didn’t even understand that the book was over.

Overall, the plot is interesting, and this book is quite the page-turner. However, the reader must be prepared to suspend reality, and the ending should be stronger.

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

Wasn't the best read, wasn't the worst. Was decent until the end then went WTH. Would not read another to see if there was an ending.

This is a thriller with 4 pov’s set in the Icelandic Highlands on a hunting trip. Very isolated, super cold and unlikable characters.
Arman is in charge of planning the trip because that’s what he does for a living, but things go so wrong. The snowstorm is coming and it will make you, the reader, feel the cold, I got under a blanket while reading this in Texas where it’s already way too hot!
I’ve read other books by this author and loved them but this one seemed too rushed, the ending was way too abrupt!! I like closure, this one isn’t like that… I’m being honest, this is not my favorite, I will continue to read more from him but I did enjoy the atmosphere of this one.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Four friends, who are absolutely frigid with one another from the very beginning so can hardly be called friends, go for a hunting trip in the mountains. They end up lost in the snow, and the tension causes them to reveal all of their secrets and hostilities. Which, I can't stress enough, were obvious from the start, and I cannot imagine anyone agreeing to this death trip. Luckily they've got alcohol and guns so everything is bound to end well.

The setting is a really strong point. Desolate, cold, and beyond all hope of a mobile phone signal: it feels like the characters are in constant danger even before they start turning on each other. It's easy to relate to the fear and claustrophobia the characters feel.

I like how tight the story is, with no extra words or scenes, but that might have contributed to how utterly unlikeable all of the characters are. There's a slow reveal of just how horrible each person is, and it's masterfully done, but it was all unnecessary because I didn't like any of them to begin with. And the ending is no ending at all. Literally, I was searching for missing chapters at the end. If you like your stories resolved, look elsewhere.

A slow burn with an amazing atmosphere. The detail that went in the setting brought this book to life. The chill is real. The characters themselves were well written but I had a hard time connecting and caring for them. This was an easy read that wasn’t overly stretched out. There were enough twists and turns to keep me reading. It was a bit slower than my usual pace but the story did keep me guessing. Well written but could have used a bit more character development and a bit more suspense. A + for the detail In the settings though.

Four friends reunite to take an amazing trip in the Icelandic highlands to hunt. An unexpected storm rolls in and traps them in a small abandoned hunting lodge with no way of communicating. They soon realize they are not alone and not everyone will make it out alive.

I just finished a book where a group was trapped on a hot tropical island so I went with this book to cool me down. This book was a very quick read, can be read in one sitting and will leave you feeling satisfied. All the characters are flawed but there is one that was particularly gross and I did not care if tragedy struck him. If you are feeling hot this summer, read this book and be grateful for the brutal summer heat.

This book was slow, characters didn’t seem to connect and it seemed for the most part the weather was the villian. Things did not go as planned on this outing of four friends and the ending was a disappointment for me.
Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an early copy. I voluntarily read this book and this review is my honest opinion.

Ragnar Jonasson has written another atmospheric haunting novel.The icy cold setting the chill in the air becomes an important part of the story.Well written drew mein.#netgalley #st.Martins

As with all his books the setting which is the starkly beautiful Icelandic countryside is the main character and drives the storyline . He is a master of his genre It was a good book

I loved the cover of the book and the premise of the book. The atmosphere and creepiness of the plot was totally on par, but I was bored reading this. Disappointed.

Still recommended for other readers who would enjoy something like this.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ragnar Jonasson and St Martin's Press Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 6/28/22

And the award for Most Apropos Title Of A Frigid Mystery goes to Ragnar Jonasson’s cold new Icelandic Thriller, #Outside. Not only are the four friends hiking through Iceland’s rugged countryside caught in a blinding blizzard, but readers are caught “outside” the twisted plot Jonasson has cooked up. Yes, #Outside is full of deceitful doings by its devious characters, with murder being first and foremost. With a tip of the hat to Agatha Christie, Ragnar Jonasson places the twists in this sinister story in all the right places to keep the clever short mystery moving at a brisk clip. #Outside is a cold blooded read, perfect for placing a chill in our hot summer nights.

3 Icelandic stars

Four friends set out for a hunting trip in Iceland, most of them didn’t really want to go, especially after a night of drinking. As they begin their trek and search for ptarmigan, a storm blows in quickly, forcing them to seek shelter at an emergency hut. They are forced to break in since the door is locked. What they find inside is chilling!

We get the viewpoints from each of the characters as the story goes along but motivations are never explained. The setting is very atmospheric, but I just didn’t connect with the characters in this one.

There are a few surprises in this one, but it wasn’t enough to save the book for me. The ending was quite abrupt, and I thought there would be some resolution. I usually quite enjoy books set in this part of the world, so I will still read future books by this author.

Ok, the strength of this novel is clearly the setting - you can almost feel the chill and see the bleak, white land surrounding you. The characters, however, left me wanting more. I didn't feel connected to any of them, not even enough to be rooting for anyone in particular. The short chapters were able to keep the story moving, which was good because the plot moved quite slowly. I like this author in general, but this novel wasn't my favourite.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the atmospheric setting of the book. It’s a bit of a slow burn but the short chapters kept it moving along.

I’ll be honest, I almost didn’t finish this book. It was fine leading up to about the last 20% of the book and then it just ended up feeling like a soap opera or like a train being derailed. It felt really rushed and the events that are unveiled in that last 20% of the book are just kind of outlandish.
I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. You do kind of feel sympathy for one of the characters but then you also kind of feel gross for feeling sympathy towards that character.
The ending fell flat for me as well. There were so many crazy events that unfolded during the last chapters of the book and then it just ended and went on to a short story that doesn’t seem related?
It was just kind of weird and not a book I would recommend.

A 2.5/5 star read for me, rounded down to 2 on here.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the copy of this eARC.

As always Ragnar Jonasson did a great job using the landscape as a character in the book. The frozen land, the howling wind all played a part in this Scandi Noir. What didn't work were the humana characters. They lacked development so it was nearly impossible to connect with any of them

I didn’t love this one. I wanted to, because I have loved the author’s other books, but this one didn’t do it for me. I did like the short chapters, the setting, and the multiple POVs. The story was very slow, and there was some build up, but then with the reveal, it was unexciting. The ending was sudden and it didn’t really fit in with the story. I am not giving up on this author though, and will read his next one.

*spoilers* Good but a few plot devices difficult to believe--mostly how much time had passed before the revenge plot.

Outside by Ragnar Jónasson

Four long time friends are trekking through the Icelandic highlands to bird hunt. It's a strange get together for these friends because it's not as if they are into hunting but Armann suggested the trip and the others went along with it. Armann has made his fortune organizing trips so he knows what he is doing. So how do things go so very wrong?

That atmosphere is charged, the sense of danger and wrong choices made is very real. It's so cold and then a storm hits. Decisions need to be made where no matter what choice is made, it could be the wrong one.

As the story progresses, we go from the viewpoint of each of the four characters, over and over. Being inside their heads allowed me to know I didn't like any of them. The more I knew, the less I liked them. Something is very wrong with this excursion and it's only at the end that we learn motivations and reasons. And then the book ends very abruptly, in an almost not an ending manner. So, I was left feeling frozen in my dislike of the situation and the people.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

This author was new to me, as I enjoy Nordic Noir and mystery I was excited to read it. The plot had potential, however; it fell short of thrilling.
The setting in the Icelandic moors was perfectly chilling and realistically described. The chapters alternate between the four main characters perspectives.
Daníel, a struggling actor from London meets up with Helena, an engineer, Gunnlaugur, a lawyer, and Ármann the guide, for a reunion trip. They are "friends" from college days. They are going bird hunting despite having little knowledge of the sport or firing a gun. Ármann assures them he's skilled, will teach and even loan them a gun.
A storm threatens to ruin all their plans and they must find an emergency hut for shelter. When they finally break into the locked hut they make an odd discovery. There's an unknown, nonverbal man sitting in the dark with a gun.
What follows was a somewhat tedious, unrealistic and slow trek into the snowstorm for help. The pacing mid-story was more annoying than tension building.
Each person has secrets, bad choices, past mistakes and lies. Ulterior motives for this reunion of people who really don't like each other begin to surface. None of these characters were particularly likable. The setting was more intriguing than this strange group of revenge seeking adults.
Having heard and read many good reviews of the author, I would like to see if I preferred his other books and may try him again.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of "Outside" by Ragnar Jónasson and to Minatour Books. These are my honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

I loved the set-up - four friends with secrets stuck in a cabin in a snowstorm ... but the writing was a bit on the nose, and I found myself not really caring if any of them lived or died.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur for the advance look.