Having read eleven of Ragnar Jonasson's books, I was excited to be offered Reykjavik as my next read. Written in collaboration with Katrin Jakobsodottir, Prime Minister of Iceland, the story focuses on the cold case investigation of a girl gone missing 30 years earlier. The original investigation was circumvented by a few whispers in high places. Decades later, Valur, a newspaper journalist picks up where the police left off. As he begins to research the missing girl, the danger level rises. Is Valur at risk?
The present time occurs during the 200th anniversary of Iceland and the historic meeting between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev at Reykjavik. Although the action is less than many of Jonasson's previous books, I found it to be just as suspenseful in a more cerebral level. The story is atmospheric, creating a mood that helps the reader feel the culture, people and climate of Iceland. I found myself reading into the night, needing to see how it all played out. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of Reykjavik, and for allowing me to continue to read books by Ragnar Jonasson.

I was grabbed from the beginning and suspicious of the influential couple introduced in the first chapter —what happened to Lara ? It’s 1956 and the main detectives’ boss is interferes in his investigation. Then 1986 —thirty years later the unsolved case of Lara still grips the nation — as I have been to these areas described/ named in Iceland it was easy to imagine where things were taking place . I was intrigued from the beginning but with a sudden twist — I became even more enraptured in the story and had to know — who’s trying to keep Lara’s disappearance a secret , and what did they do to her ! By the time I was 50% in to reading this book and it really had its clutches on me. I could not put down this book — a great page turner ! Highly Recommended

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Reykjavik
Author: Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Source: NetGalley
Pub Date: September 5, 2023

I have long been a fan of Nordic Noir, and I especially love reading books in translation specifically set in Iceland. Reykjavik is an excellent story about a young girl missing from an isolated Iceland island that is part of Reykjavik. For 30 years, no one has figured out what happened to 15-year-old Lara, who worked for a wealthy couple one summer in 1956. A young newspaper reporter decides to do a follow-up story on the 30th anniversary of her disappearance and uncovers some substantial new information. However, there is a price to pay in this small country where something significant needs to be kept quiet. I enjoyed many things about this story. It’s mysterious, compelling, historical, and fantastic fiction in a nifty setting. Reykjavik comes out soon, and I would highly recommend this book. #mystery #crime #thriller #Iceland #Fiction #NordicNoir #ScandinavianLiterature #historicalfiction @netgalley #Reykjavik #whodunit @minotaur_books @stmartinspress @ragnarjo
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: September 5, 2023.
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A 30-year-old missing person's case has left a collective scar on the people of Iceland. Known as the safest country in the world, the missing teen fate haunts her parents, friends, and Detective Kristjan as well. When journalist Valur Robertsson becomes obsessed with the case, he goes all in, stirring up old wounds and secrets.
The narrative flows smoothly, providing multiple points of view with seamless ease. The pacing suits the story from the first page, accelerating and twisting through discoveries and shocks and suspicions to the breathtaking end.
The book is dedicated to Agatha Christy who would have been proud of authors Jonasson and Jakobsdottir. They captured the moody isolation of Videy Island, an occasionally occupied place off the coast of Reykjavik where the missing teen was last seen and the bustling lively crowds in Reykjavik. The characters, and there are many, appear as distinct, memorable people with their own agendas. The reader will speculate which of the many suspects are lying and what happened to the teen, but the discoveries and plot pivots will keep the reader guessing all the way to the shocking revelation.
An elegant mystery, brilliantly told, Reykjavik can stand cover to cover beside the great classic mystery and detective novels.
I received an advance reader copy through NetGalley. Thank you, Minotaur Books and St. Martin's Press. This novel debuts September 5, 2023. #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #Reykjavik #NetGalley #recommendedreading

This was a fascinating book for two reasons. First, I had never read a book set in Iceland and knew little of the culture, history or geography, which play important roles. Secondly, it was a great mystery/thriller written with a skilled, but delicate hand. Never revealing too much, or too little at a time. Simply what was needed to peak my interest and keep me turning page after page.

There were several surprises parsed out throughout the pages. A shifting of characters and suspicion making for a stimulating and illusive “who dun it”. I sincerely enjoy a book that keeps me guessing until the very last page. This was a fine example.

Thank you NetGalley!

For me this one was just okay. I loved the intro to the story - a girl gone missing on an island and the police are looking into her disappearance. I loved the shift through time as well follow the characters through the store. I thought it was an interesting investigative novel and I enjoyed the journalist aspect but felt like there was enough action/twists to really make this one interesting. It was quick read and comes together effectively but I just felt like I wanted more from the story.

Grade: B+

When a book is dedicated to Agatha Christie, I adjust my expectations up, not down.

This was the first time I have read anything by either author, although I have one of Jónasson's books on my TBR shelf. I went into the expecting something Agatha Christie would have written had she been Icelandic, not English. I'm not sure that specific goal was achieved, but I did enjoy my time in this book.

This is a historical mystery with the crime committed in 1956 and the investigation, at least the successful one, happening in 1986 against the summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. The authors captured both periods perfectly and brought the unique city of Reykjavík to life.

The characters in this book are numerous but interesting. There is a guide to the characters at the beginning of the book, which may be helpful for those having trouble keeping straight who is who. The mystery held my interest--while the "grand scheme" was relatively obvious, I was surprised by the intricacies of who did what.

I only had 2 issues with this book. The first may be due to my expectations. Given the dedication and some small Easter eggs in the text, I expected this book to be more Agatha Christie-ish. And it isn't--it's Nordic Noir through and through. However, I can accept that I may have misunderstood the authors' intent.

The second issue is that this felt like a book by two authors. While it is a dual-author book, I still expect a seamless feeling narrative. I'm not sure how Jónasson and Jakobsdóttir figured out who wrote what, but it felt like one author handed it over to the other in the middle of the book (I won't say where, but it is quite obvious when you get to it). I wish that the transitions were smoother so it felt like I was reading one work, not a collaboration.

Still, I quite enjoyed this book, and I think it would be a great entry point for someone who wants to know what Nordic Noir is all about.

You know I love Scandinavian crime thrillers and this book was no exception. As long as you are ok with slower pacing, the setting was absolutely fantastic as were the various timelines. While this probably interested me a bit more since I have traveled to (and loved) Reykjavik, it still gives you the same sense of cold, isolation and anticipation while waiting for the other shoe to drop that I think is prevalent in this genre. Definitely add this one to your TBR pile!

Reykjavik comes out next week on September 5, 2023 and you can purchase HERE.

It felt as if the brief Icelandic summer was already over that August morning on the boat, with no shelter from the wind and the sun hidden by cloud.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this digital ARC!

Reykjavik is a meticulously-crafted crime novel based on historical events. The historical elements are very well put forward and mesh well with the narrative.

Reykjavik is a great mystery novel for beginners in the Nordic crime fiction genre. It was well done, but did not surprise me that much, as I am a big fan. It has many common tropes often seen in this type of fiction, especially from Icelandic authors, my favorites being "people will simply tell you everything" and "maybe she just disappeared" (!)

I thoroughly enjoyed the social commentary and the twists and turns, although some decisions the characters took seemed incredibly naïve to me, which made a few parts seemed unrealistic, hence the 3 stars.

It is not graphic at all, and would be appropriate for many kinds of readers. If you enjoy True crime, you should pick up that book!

The disappearance of 15 year old Lara has hung over Iceland since 1956. Kristjian, the original investigating detective was told to ignore various people and he's thought of her every day since. She quit her job and left her employers- taking her luggage with her- but no trace of Lara or the luggage has ever been found. Now, in 1986, Valur, an ambitious young journalist, is poking at the story, poking hard. He actually has what seems to be a lead but then...His sister Sunna takes up the hunt for answers. No spoilers. This is slow and methodical but the atmospherics are wonderful. The translation would have benefited from another polish. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I almost put this down more than once (again, this is not a page turner) but persisted and was oddly pleased that I did not guess the villain.

The writing itself was a bit stilted, and I was wondering if it was translated or written by a non-native English speaker. I stopped at the end of chapter 1 (6%), but the setup is interesting, and this should appeal to people who enjoy a good mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, Ragnar Jónasson & Katrín Jakobsdóttir for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first Ragnar Jónasson book and I didn't realize at first that this was based off a true story and it made me enjoy this one way more than I initially did. I felt like it was a little slow at times but I did enjoy the different timelines and the solving of the cold case. While it wasn't my favorite, this book was still very interesting and I loved the setting in Iceland! 3 star read for me.

Reykjavik
By Ragnar Jonasson & Katrin Jakobsdottir

This is a "thriller" based on a true story of a young girl who disappeared without a trace. While much of the background information is factual, the main characters are the products of the authors' iimaginations.

Lara Marteinsdottir was fifteen when she took a summer job as a maid for a lawyer and his wife on the offshore island of Videy. Her employers were the only inhabitants of the island at that time. Being an obedient daughter, Lara called her parents every week to check in. When the call didn't come one weekend, the parents reached out to the employers, only to be told she had abruptly quit and left the island – never to be seen again.

Kristjan Kristjansson, the 24 year old policeman assigned to investigate the disappearance, was warned off by his superiors from digging too deeply into certain people who may have been involved. Worried about his career, he acquiesced and the case was never solved.

But the people of Iceland were not satisfied with that. Every ten years, the case came up again – but remained a mystery. Until, that is, a young reported named Valur Robertsson decided to launch his own investigation thirty years after Lara's disappearance.

There are pros and cons to this book. Information about Icelandic society, as well as the Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Reykjavik, added verisimilitude to the story. On the other hand, the writing was rather sophomoric – and sometimes felt out of place in the story. A full page addressing the hair, makeup and clothing worn by a female character seems out of place in a mystery novel. It would have fit better in a romance.

While I am a fan of several Nordic writers, I can't say I was impressed by this book.

Admittedly, this is the first Ragnar Jonasson book I have read. And to find out that his co-author,Katrin Jakobsdottir, is none other than Iceland’s prime minister, is an added incentive for the read. I wasn’t disappointed.

In 1956, a young and innocent teenage girl, Lara, accepted a summer job as household help for a wealthy couple, on the largely unoccupied island of Videy, off the coast of Reykjavik. She resigned her job early, said she was going home and was never seen or heard from again. The police officer investigating her disappearance was told to back off as the the wealth and influence of the employers took precedence to solving the case. Lara’s parents are left to live in uncertainty over their daughter’s fate.

In 1986, a reporter, Valur Robertson, finds himself reinvestigating this case. He starts to find some previously unknown information and puts himself in jeopardy looking in forbidden places for clues and evidence. Is Lara dead or alive? The list of potential suspects grows and shifts with many twists and turns in what turns out to be a very interesting and well written “who done it.” The descriptions of Iceland and the city of Reykjavik are wonderful. I will be looking for more books by this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press/Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A interesting story that had a little suspense going on though not as much as I thought it would
A ok read but not a memorial read in any way.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reykjavik: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jonasson & Iceland’s PM, Katrin Jakobsdottir is an excellent Nordic Noir thriller that should go on every crime lover’s TBR list!

I loved this story of Lara, a teenager who goes missing from the tiny island of Videy. The story spans three decades as the investigation goes from a police investigation to a cold case being investigated by a journalist. The book highlights important moments in Iceland history, as well as the issue of government corruption.

Thank you @minotaur_books and @netgalley for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

I had previously never read a book by either of these authors. I love books set in other countries, especially Iceland, Norway, Sweden, etc. This one is set in Iceland. It is the story of a young girl missing for 30 years. When a newspaper journalist and his sister decide to investigate and write a series of articles for a local newspaper, things start to heat up. Someone doesn't want these articles published and is willing to do anything to stop them. The first one-third of the book was a little slow for me. However, the rest of the book kept my interest. I thought I had the killer figured out, but I was wrong. It was a complete surprise to me when the killer was revealed! I recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries or Nordic noir (which I love). I will be reading more books by these talented authors.

I heard about this book from a member of a book group I am in and was instantly intrigued! So I requested it from @netgalley and was approved! I enjoyed learning a little about Iceland, a country on my bucket list, and the suspense of the story. It is a classic crime and mystery at its finest. I will be looking into more fiction from Icelandic authors.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

Recently, I read a story about the PM of Iceland who had found time to co-author a novel with one of her country’s best known writers. Here is that book and it is one that is easy to recommend.

The story opens in the 1950s with the disappearance of teen, Lara, from her summer position as a maid on an island off the coast of Reyjavik. An inexperienced police officer goes out to investigate but is stonewalled. The couple who live on the island for the summer includes a barrister who calls a higher ranking officer. That one tells the rookie not to press this couple.

Flash forward to the year of the capital’s birthday celebrations, 1986. The case has never been solved. A journalist chooses to re-investigate. What happens to him as a result? What will happen from this point? What will be discovered and by whom? Will it be the truth? What really did happen to Lara? Who does not want the facts to come out? For certain, there are secrets! Read this one to suss out some answers.

The book opens with a very helpful list of the story’s many characters. It may take those unaccustomed to the country’s language a little time to get comfortable with these but it is worth the time. It was also fun to look up some of the places that are used as settings, especially the small island of Videy.

The authors have dedicated this title to Agatha Christie. It is, I think, a book that she would have liked. That said, Reykjavik is not a story told in a hurry. If you require fast paced, this title might not be for you. I enjoyed it though.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book was okay but I was a bit disappointed. I've read several of Jonasson's books before and consider myself a fan of his and tend to enjoy dark Icelandic mysteries. I liked the two timelines and the solving of the cold case. However, I didn't feel like I was able to connect with the characters in the way I was with Jonasson's other novels. All in all, a quick read that mostly kept my attention.