I enjoyed this one, but it was definitely a slow burn. I also felt like it lacked the absolute bone-chilling setting descriptions that Jonasson is so amazing at. I want to feel cold in my bones when I read his books and this one didn't quite hit the level the other books did. Still solid though, love this author!

This was my first Ragnar Jonasson book and my first foray into Icelandic noir.. To find out he was co-writing with Iceland's prime minister really made me want to read it. I was not disappointed. The mystery of the missing girl and the death I didn't see coming kept me interested. The narrators were spot on.

Iceland
In 1956, 14-year-old Lara decides to be a maid for a couple on the island of Videy, just off Reykjavik on the Mainland, but she disappears and no one seems to know what happened to her.

Thirty years later as the city of Reykjavik prepares for their 200th anniversary, Valur, a journalist decides to revive this story and see what he can find out. As he starts to uncover some things, it is obvious "someone" doesn't want him snooping around anymore.

In a country like Iceland where the crime rate is very low, they have a lot of authors who like to write crime stories including author Ragnar Jonasson and his co-author and Prime Minister of Iceland Katrin Jakobsdottir. What a great team for this book!

I listened to the audio as I read the book which really helped hearing proper Icelandic pronunciations. The book also has a character list at the beginning which was very helpful.

My thanks to Macmillian Audio for an early copy of this well-narrated audiobook.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Reykjavik by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrin Jakobsdóttir in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this cold case mystery. It felt a bit like Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but had its own unique spin. I loved the bond between the siblings and the strength they gave each other. This was a very satisfying read.

I loved this thriller and it’s look at the Iceland of last centurie’s 80s and 50s.
This novel looks back three decades as the characters try to solve the case of a young girl who went missing from the small island of Videy, off the coast of Reykjavik. The police investigators in the 1950s found nothing but dead ends and concluded either a runaway or an accident but the cold case remained for her parents and the investigating officer as well as a nation’s psyche because this case made an impression on many people loosing their trust in living without fear.
A journalist in the 1980s tries to reopen the investigation with a series of articles - talking to anyone around the original case. He seems to be on to something, but is hitting obstacle after obstacle - is somebody closing all the doors he’s trying to open ? Will the mystery ever be solved, or will more mystery just be added to the case? Can his sister Sunna help and even crack the case ?
This was a Nordic Noir slow burn thriller - the atmosphere was subdued, dark and at times sad but so very engaging. I wanted to find out what was going and even through surprising twists that threw me I was invested.
The author duo is very interesting Ragnar Jonásson has written several series of Icelandic thrillers whereas Katrín Jakobsdóttir has a background in Icelandic Literature and especially Icelandic crime fiction but she is actually Iceland’s current prime minister !
I enjoyed this dark moody thriller and especially the way layer by layer more was revealed while keeping the story intriguing and shining a light on different suspects !

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

I absolutely loved this audiobook and had trouble pausing it. The story brought me in from the get go.

"I'm sure he wasn't murdered. That sort of thing doesn't happen in Iceland."

Unless you're in a Ragner Jonasson novel! This time the famed murder mystery author has teamed up with the Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrin Jakobsottir, and created the atmospheric Nordic Noir mystery Reykjavik.

In 1956 teen Lara has a summer job on the small elite island Videy, off the coast of Reykjavik, working for a wealthy family. Before the summer is over she is missing and is never heard from again. Her story captures the attention of the public and remains a national mystery thirty years later when in 1986, Valur, a young enthusiastic reporter investigates this cold case.

The authors capture the moodiness associated with Nordic Noir mysteries. It's an extremely slow burn as the story unfolds in three parts with three main characters each giving their own views.

Reading it on a rainy dreary day really made it come to life. I also listened to the audiobook with actors Bert Seymour and Tamaryn Payne who would be perfect for a Masterpiece PBS adaption of the book with their stoic moody performances.

What made it stand out for me was a murder half way through that I never expected and a murderer that wasn't on my list of suspects. Ending the mystery of Lara in 1986 on Reykjavik at the same time as President Reagan and Russia's Gorbachev met to end the cold war is a bit of creative literary cohesiveness.

As a huge fan of this author, this Prime Minister and Iceland, Reykjavik is everything I needed for a Mystery Monday review.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like Ragnar but I can't say this was one of his best. The first half of the story is OK enough, but nothing special; it deals with the disappearance of Lara, a 15 year old au pair, from a semi-remote island where she is working for a well-to-do family while they vacation for the summer. She's never been found and it's been a mystery that captivates the whole of Iceland for decades. The lead detective was very green and easily pressured into not examining the movements of the prestigious family who employed the girl after a call from his superior. Cut to present day, and a young reporter has a mind to solve the mystery and has received some anonymous tips.

Katrin takes over in part two, and her prose is rather less lustrous than Ragnar's. The story is serviceable enough, but again, nothing special. In part two, the reporter's sister takes over sleuthing, while also neglecting her dissertation and considering a career change to journalism.

The ending is a nice twist, but getting there was just OK. The voice actors do a good enough job.

Reykjavík: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir has reignited my love and desire to read all the crime thrillers and mysteries once again!

This is a Nordic noir with both authors residing in Reykjavík, and Jakobsdóttir even being the prime minister of Iceland. The plot has journalist Valur Robertsson set on cracking a thirty-year unsolved missing person case, tracking down and re-interviewing all those involved in the original investigation. It's really not shocking that I loved this book based on these aspects alone, as this one is perfect for fans of Stieg Larsson. Although in contrast to Larsson’s books, Reykjavík is not as in depth or lengthy, making it easier to follow along and digest. (Speaking of, although there is a wide cast of characters, never once did I get confused with who anyone was; each character is introduced very well.)

As I read, I kept having this reoccurring thought comparing this book to The Guest List - although they are entirely different plot lines! I think the biggest comparison between the two is the crimes are both set on almost deserted islands. And there is one scene in both books that gave me the same haunted feeling - absolutely giving me goose bumps!

The narrators were excellent, and they worked perfectly for the different parts of the story; looking back this made me realize just how the story unfolded so perfectly. One narrator just truly had the voice of a journalist, instantly having me sold me on the character. The second narrator was respectful of where the story was going, knowing the exact speed and excitement level to use.

I did not see the outcome of this book coming at all!

An absolutely phenomenal atmospheric mystery with nods to Agatha Christie - it's just the perfect read for those rainy and moody weekends!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read, listen to and review.

I loved the twists and turns and I love a good Noir novel. The mystery of Lara has held a nation captive for years and now the press is bringing it to light once again and breathing fresh air into this mystery. With a mysterious phone call the question of Lara being dead or alive seems to be solved but without proof or verification there is no way to know for sure. While the caller may have stated what ultimately happened to Lara they didn't say by who or where she was only that she needed closure.

This was a great mystery that kept my attention and pulled me along. There were surprises along the way and I was definitely shocked by the ending. Scandi books tend to be set at a slower pace than a lot of US novels but I found this one to move rather quick. Definitely an entertaining and surprising read.

Synopsis: "What happened to Lára?

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 Robertson 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 . . ."

I loved this story, and the narration was well done. I would suggest having a hard copy alongside it, as there are a lot of characters and Icelandic names that may be unfamiliar to your non-native ears if you're an American, as I am. Very entertaining.

SUCH a great audiobook!! I don't really read/listen to any Icelandic fiction or police procedurals - but this was a great first read!!

The twists and turns were amazing and definitely kept me interested. If you need something more calm - I could see Reykjavik being a great audiobook. I listened during a Monday-Tuesday after catching up with the weekend, and it was exactly what I needed.

It was a satisfying ending to figure out the mystery - and I loved the alternating viewpoints! Those were easy to understand, and I never felt lost in the narration.

*English/European narration was incredibly well done. I don't think it would have had the same effect with an American narrator, so I'm happy with their choices!!

**Thank you to Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

In 1956, Lara is spending the summer working on a small island off the coast of Reykjavík. In August, she disappears into thin air, and becomes a the most famous unsolved case in Iceland. People don’t know if she left of her own free will, or whether she met with foul play. Flash forward 30 years and a journalist opens his own investigation into the case, but the closer he gets to the truth, the more obvious it is, but someone is determined to make sure that the truth never sees the light of day. Scandi noir at its best.