Book #11 The Island

The Island by Ragnar Jónasson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I started reading The Island, Hidden Iceland Series Book 2, I had no idea this is a trilogy written backwards. So, this precedes Book 1 in chronological order and had me confused when I soon encountered Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir. Hang on a minute, isn't she....? And then the penny dropped! Book 3 will no doubt go back even further. It's of no consequence as this reads well as a standalone. And what a cracking read it is as Hulda travels to the isolated island of Elliðaey to investigate the unexplained death of a young woman, one of four friends who had visited the island. There seem to be similarities to a notorious case from ten years ago, another woman found murdered in the equally desolate Westfjords. It doesn't help matters that this earlier case was investigated by her senior colleague, Lýdur. What part did detective Andrés have to play? There is something not quite right here.

Hulda has three suspects and it seems that no one is telling the truth about what really happened on Elliðaey. Do past events have a bearing on this case? Didn't someone confess to the earlier murder and later commit suicide?

Beautifully constructed this haunting tale had me gripped throughout as our tragic protagonist conducts her rôle with persistence to unravel this intriguing mystery. Another excellent piece of Icelandic noir from Ragnar Jónasson and highly recommended.

My thanks to Michael Joseph Penguin UK and NetGalley for this ARC of The Island.

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Book #13 The Darkness

The Darkness by Ragnar Jónasson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Iceland, its rugged beauty and volcanic terrain. I have visited several times. My thanks then to NetGalley and Penguin UK-Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Darkness, an Icelandic thriller set mainly in Reykjavik.

Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir is facing retirement at the age of 64. She is being pushed aside by her boss to make way for a fast-track younger officer to take over her case load. The fact that she is a woman does not go unnoticed and Hulda resents the attitude of her fellow officers. Told she can review cold cases during her remaining tenure she choses the mysterious death of a young Russian woman that occurred more than 12 months ago, that essentially has been closed as a probable suicide. Hulda’s investigation soon leads her to think otherwise. She unwittingly puts herself in harm’s way….

This is a well written piece of Nordic noir as details from Hulda’s past are slowly revealed. She is a woman alone and has sought companionship with a widower of similar age. You want this to work.

As Hulda unravels the background to this crime one fears for her safety. The pace quickens but the conclusion left me blind-sided, as new readers will find out for themselves. It sets this book apart from others in the same genre.

Ragnar Jónasson has written a classic crime story, one to be recommended.

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