Secrets deeper than the snow
Being an avid fan of Nordic crime dramas, Ragnar Jónasson’s Dark Iceland series was high on my reading list. Having now read the first book, ‘Snowblind’, I can honestly say I was not disappointed.
Having made several unsuccessful applications to join the police force, Ari Thór Arason soon realises becoming a police officer is going to be harder than he anticipated. So, when he is unexpectedly offered a post at a police station in the small, remote village of Siglufjördur, in the north of Iceland, he immediately accepts – much to the annoyance of his girlfriend, Kristín, given that he had not discussed the matter with her beforehand.
Unfortunately, Siglufjördur is not like the busy Reykjavik Ari Thór is used to. Finding it difficult to adjust to life in a small community, where everyone knows each other, he soon begins to feel isolated and far from home. Treated like an outsider, his growing anxiety and claustrophobia is further intensified by the relentless and ever-deepening snow.
Just as he begins to wonder if it was a mistake to accept the job, local celebrity author, Hrólfur Kristjánsson, is found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Although everyone, including his boss, thinks it was an accident, Ari Thór is not so sure and, when another body is found, he takes it upon himself to follow up his suspicions. However, the more he delves into the lives of the seemingly tight-knit inhabitants of the village, the more secrets he discovers … secrets which go even deeper than the snow.
Beautifully written by Ragnar Jónasson, and translated into English from the original Icelandic by Quentin Bates, ‘Snowblind’ is a compelling novel set against a harsh Icelandic winter – a world in which ever-present snow and long hours of darkness are all consuming.
With his dramatic and descriptive text, Jónasson paints a vivid picture of life in this remote village, where growing tensions and longstanding grievances suggest no lack of potential motive for murder. Together with his talent for breathing life into his characters, the result is an intriguing storyline which quickly draws the reader into the tangled lives of its main protagonists.
The only difficulty I had was remembering all the characters’ names, let alone trying to pronounce them. However, the story is so gripping and immersive, this proved to be a minor obstacle. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Snowblind’ and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Having made several unsuccessful applications to join the police force, Ari Thór Arason soon realises becoming a police officer is going to be harder than he anticipated. So, when he is unexpectedly offered a post at a police station in the small, remote village of Siglufjördur, in the north of Iceland, he immediately accepts – much to the annoyance of his girlfriend, Kristín, given that he had not discussed the matter with her beforehand.
Unfortunately, Siglufjördur is not like the busy Reykjavik Ari Thór is used to. Finding it difficult to adjust to life in a small community, where everyone knows each other, he soon begins to feel isolated and far from home. Treated like an outsider, his growing anxiety and claustrophobia is further intensified by the relentless and ever-deepening snow.
Just as he begins to wonder if it was a mistake to accept the job, local celebrity author, Hrólfur Kristjánsson, is found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Although everyone, including his boss, thinks it was an accident, Ari Thór is not so sure and, when another body is found, he takes it upon himself to follow up his suspicions. However, the more he delves into the lives of the seemingly tight-knit inhabitants of the village, the more secrets he discovers … secrets which go even deeper than the snow.
Beautifully written by Ragnar Jónasson, and translated into English from the original Icelandic by Quentin Bates, ‘Snowblind’ is a compelling novel set against a harsh Icelandic winter – a world in which ever-present snow and long hours of darkness are all consuming.
With his dramatic and descriptive text, Jónasson paints a vivid picture of life in this remote village, where growing tensions and longstanding grievances suggest no lack of potential motive for murder. Together with his talent for breathing life into his characters, the result is an intriguing storyline which quickly draws the reader into the tangled lives of its main protagonists.
The only difficulty I had was remembering all the characters’ names, let alone trying to pronounce them. However, the story is so gripping and immersive, this proved to be a minor obstacle. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Snowblind’ and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
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