An atmospheric mystery in Iceland where a journalist's nosing around a 30-year old cold case wakes the sleeping dragon!

Rather sedate and steady, I enjoyed this read more for the descriptions of Icelandic places, community and culture than the mystery itself. Set in 1956 (cold case deets), switching to "now" which was 1986, I was transported back to things I watched on nightly TV news back in that day, reuniting with images of Reagan and Gorbachev. Politicians of a different stripe than now - I actually became nostalgic!

Overall an easy, cool read in a summer that's heating up.

*A sincere thank you to Ragnar Jonasson; Katrin Jakobsdottir, St. Martin's Press-Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

Iceland, 1956. Fourteen-year-old Lára decides to spend the summer working for a couple on the small island of Videy, just off the coast of Reykjavík. In early August, the girl disappears without a trace. Time passes, and the mystery becomes Iceland‘s most infamous unsolved case. What happened to the young girl? Is she still alive? Did she leave the island, or did something happen to her there? Thirty years later, as the city of Reykjavík celebrates its 200th anniversary, journalist Valur Robertsson begins his own investigation into Lára's case. But as he draws closer to discovering the secret, and with the eyes of Reykjavík upon him, it soon becomes clear that Lára's disappearance is a mystery that someone will stop at nothing to keep unsolved. This is a dark and thrilling nordic noir and one of the best of this genre. I am a huge fan and these writers and together they have created a gripping mystery. Highly recommend.

In 1956 Iceland, fourteen year old Lara seeks to expand her horizons and goes off to spend the summer on the island of Vidney, just off of Reykjavik, working as an all-around maid/housekeeper for a young couple. But in August of that year, Lara has gone missing without a single trace of evidence. Did she continue to seek adventure, moving on without telling anyone, or did something happen to her? Lara is Iceland's most infamous unsolved crime - if, in fact, there was a crime.
Now, in 1986, Iceland celebrates it's 200th anniversary but journalist Valur Robertsson is more interested in the 30-year-old story of Lara's disappearance than he is in the stodgy history of the country. He convinces his newspaper editor to let him investigate the story, finding that some people are a little more prone to opening up given the distance of time now. But as Valur gets close to making a revelation, he is suspiciously killed in a freak 'accident'. Valur's sister, Sunna, picks up where Valur left off, doing her own investigation, and makes some very surprising discoveries.
Despite the ''deaths involved in the story (one a cold case of disappearance and the other unclear as to whether accidental or intentional), this isn't nearly as dark as I was expecting it to be. I thought this might be much more 'Nordic Noir' or 'Icelandic Noir' but it's much less noir and more classic mystery that happens to be set in Iceland.
There's an oddness to this story which has me wondering about how the writing partnership worked. In the first portion of the book we're squarely with Valur and his investigation and his pressing some people to give up more information, including the police officer Kristján Kristjánsson for whom the cold case has been a haunting reminder of unfinished business. But then quite suddenly and unexpectedly, the story becomes Sunna's, who picks up pretty much where her brother's left off.
There's no real need or reason for this, unless Valur's death becomes part of the equation. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. It definitely does not come into play in such a way as to change up the POV so suddenly.
Despite her lack of training (not nearly as thorough as her brother's), Sunna make some real headway and moves headlong to the conclusion, which comes rather abruptly (which seems an odd thing to say since the entire book is about finding out what happened).
For the most part, I enjoyed the read. It was smooth language (attributed mostly to the translator?) and the story was quite direct. Too direct. I was disappointed that being a more conventional mystery there weren't any real red herrings or more challenges to Valur and Sunna's investigation. it was mostly digging up old pieces of the disappearance puzzle and putting them together. And the death of Valur, the only possible red herring here, just didn't go anywhere and was never pursued.
Looking for a good book? Reykjavik: A Crime Story is a whodunnit mystery set in Iceland in the 1950's and then again in the 1980's. It's nice writing but the story lacks a good bite.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good "nordic noir" and this one is no different. This book is just so dark and atmospheric, perfect reading on long cold nights. I really enjoyed it and found both the backstory and the mystery to be very interesting!

"Reykjavík" by Ragnar Jónasson, in collaboration with Katrín Jakobsdóttir, takes readers on a chilling journey into the heart of a decades-old mystery in Iceland.

Set in 1956, the story follows fourteen-year-old Lára, who vanishes while working for a couple on the island of Videy. As time passes, her disappearance becomes one of Iceland's most infamous unsolved cases. Thirty years later, journalist Valur Robertsson takes it upon himself to uncover the truth behind Lára's disappearance as Reykjavík celebrates its 200th anniversary.

Jónasson and Jakobsdóttir masterfully blend historical fiction with mystery and suspense, immersing readers in the atmospheric setting of Iceland. The narrative unfolds with tension and intrigue, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as Valur delves deeper into the enigma surrounding Lára's fate.

With its gripping plot, richly drawn characters, and evocative sense of place, "Reykjavík" promises to be a captivating thriller that will leave readers guessing until the very end.

Another incredible novel by Ragnar Jonasson. I love books by this author and this novel was no different. I loved the mystery surrounding the plot of this novel and flipping the pages to see what was going to happen next.

I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with next.

Told in dual timelines, this Nordic Noir crime fiction kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next.

When a 15 year old girl vanishes from Reykjavik in 1956, police are unsure if she left of her own free will or if she was murdered. Thirty years later, police still have no answers. Re-opening the cold case, a young police officer tries to figure out what happened to her once and for all so he can put the case to rest, but there are many powerful people trying to keep the disappearance a secret.

I thought this story was captivating, and I had a hard time putting it down. Some parts were hard for me to envision or understand, but overall the story was well thought out and complete.

4 stars. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Amazing slow burn mystery. Well written and holds your interest with the build up.

Thank you Minotaur books for the gifted e-copy.

This was an atmospheric slow burn Nordic/Icelandic mystery but definitely not my favorite from this author. A cold case of a missing 15 year old girl gets revisited 30 years later. That's pretty much it - with a pretty decent twist at the end.

I wonder if the disparity between this book and his others is that he had a co-author?

I can't even comprehend how difficult it would be to solve a live, ongoing murder, versus one that happened 30+ years ago.

Cold cases freak me out. The idea that there are boxes of physical paper stored beneath a police department's main floors that haven't been touched in literal years makes me very sad. I know some are eventually solved, but these seem very few and far between.

So no, these are not my norm, but I'm apt to try most Nordic noirs. There is just something about the Nordic setting in crime that is so appealing to me. I need help.

My main problem with these stories is the two time periods. One often ends up interesting me more than the other, but by the end, once the stories are intertwined, I'm hooked.

I don't read these for the reveal, and in fact, often the reveal is disappointing in police procedurals. But I'm not a thriller seeker. I hate the twists in domestic thrillers. I find the lead up to the reveal in these to be much more nuanced and interesting than the reveal.

As in most cases with these stories, a young girl disappeared in a suburb of the big city. Did she run away? Was she murdered? In this case, it's obviously the latter, and I enjoyed a peek into the cast of characters in this whodunnit.

A bone-chilling cold case murder mystery that will leave you gripping as it progresses.

This story felt like following along on a real case as journalist Valur slowly uncovers leads one at a time that was put together the first time.

Fourteen-year-old Lára goes missing in 1956 off an island where only one family lives. The family says one thing, but it doesn't add up. The forensics and isolation of the island doesn't help matters and the case stalls put. Everyone thinks the Lára just ran away...

Thirty years later, as Reykjavík celebrates 200 years, is when more is discovered with Valur. With some unexpected twists and turns, this story unfolds dark and chilling.

I love a good icelandic noir novel! I enjoyed the timeline of the story and getting to see how everything was interconnected by the end. Overall a good story with some twists and turns. Make sure to check trigger warnings.

I had very high expectations for this pairing but I ultimatelly found the book to be wordy and the mystery bland.

I thank the Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book! The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Unfortunately, this book didn't quite work for me. I believe other Nordic Noir books may have spoiled me. The story itself was great, but the writing and how drawn out some scenes didn't keep me drawn in the entire time.

In "Reykjavík: A Crime Story," authors Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir delve into the enthralling world of Nordic noir literature, delivering a riveting tale set against the backdrop of Iceland's capital. The narrative follows a gripping murder investigation undertaken by Detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir, whose tenacious pursuit of the truth uncovers a web of secrets and lies lurking beneath Reykjavík's serene façade. As the story unfolds, readers are drawn into a realm of chilling suspense, stunning landscapes, and complex characters, creating an immersive reading experience that captivates from start to finish.

This has got to be my favorite Ragnar Jonasson book to date!
While I enjoyed the four books from the Dark Iceland series I read, Outside let me down. But I'm very glad his latest release was a hit for me. And the fact that he co-wrote it with Katrin Jakobsdottir, Iceland's Prime Minister, made it so much more appealing to me! I mean, how cool is that!
I liked the way the story was structured, and the character development was well done in my opinion.
Written with the same Nordic Noir voice, Reykjavik is a good place to start if you're new to the genre. Although the story took place decades ago, I still appreciate the references the authors made to the way things used to be back then.
The way the author tackled this cold case is different from his typical style, but I enjoyed it very much.
It will work for someone who is new to Nordic Noir. The book will ease you into the genre, all while keeping the real dark and gory details to a minimum.

I've read a few other books from Ragnar Jonasson and I always forget how much I enjoy his writing . This was an enjoyable thriller and makes me want to read the other books he's written that I haven't read

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book

After a slight introduction the main story takes place thirty years after Lara Marteinsdottir went missing on the small Icelandic island of Videy, never to be seen or heard from again. There are few crimes in Iceland and one that has remained a cold case for so long has haunted many. The story takes place in the 1980’s and with their painstaking research Jakobsdottir and Jonasson have remained true to the Icelandic history and culture of the times. An intriguing mystery that had me hooked from start to finish and left me wanting to see more of Sunna in the future! Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

3.5/5!

I absolutely love Ragnar Jónasson’s writing and was thrilled to see that he was co-authoring a new book. I’m consistently blown away by people who can write books together and Reykjavík proved to live up to that expectation.

Reykjavík takes a unique approach to the timeline progress, by allowing readers to experience glimpses into the past 30 years, including part of the original investigation in 1956. The majority of the book takes place in 1986, but these past chapters helped to create a solid timeline of events in my mind that then allowed me to feel like an active participant in trying to solve the case in the book’s present day.

If you’re familiar with Jónasson’s writing from his previous work, you will be excited to find out that Reykjavík follows the same atmospheric and immersive story style as his other books. The pacing of the story is a bit slower, but there are some twists and turns that help to keep the reader’s attention captivated. There were a few parts of Reykjavík that left me with questions, particularly the motivation behind the disappearance.

I really enjoyed the way this one was written. The atmosphere was on point for the crime story! It was a fun ride as we try to figure out where this miss young girl went! There were a lot of people involved but it was easy to keep track. The twisits made the book for me! How things kept happening and didn’t stop till the very end.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and netgalley for my gifted copy.