Whiteout (Dark Iceland)

I loved it so much. I love these books. Air Thor is the man and always solves the case man.

The basic plot is a police procedural set in a rural outpost in Iceland. Having recently traveled to that area, I was intrigued to find a mystery taking place there. Jonasson weaves psychological web into the investigation, adding personal elements to build the story. I'll admit frustration with the abrupt ending.

211 pages4 starsAri Thor Arason receives a phone call from his old friend and former boss, Tomas. There has been a questionable death in a remote setting in the north of Iceland. He wants Ari Thor to go with him to investigate the case.Ari Thor's partner is eight months pregnant with their first child. He wants badly to go, but should he? He solves the problem by taking Kristin with him.This is an interesting book with a solution, on the surface of things, seems like it would be easy to suss out. There are only four suspects: three men and one woman. An elderly brother and sister, a young man and a middle-aged man.But the case turns out to be much more complicated than it appears at first. These people are keeping secrets; some of them many years old. When another murder occurs, the tension in the story ratchets up. Mr. Jonasson does a great job of not giving anything away. He had me guessing until the end.Ari Thor is a much more likable character than Tomas. Tomas was rather brusk and rude at times. Whereas Ari Thor was more contemplative and thoughtful. I enjoyed this book, and certainly look forward to reading more of Mr. Jonasson's novels.A word about Quentin Bates. I hadn't realized he had spent so much time in Iceland. His translation is simply wonderful. I have read all of his books as well and they are great.

The setting is so well drawn in word that reading was nearly like being there! The translation is smooth and easy to read. The characters are almost alive and the plot is magnetic. You won’t see the end coming! I strongly recommend this book but don’t want to do a spoiler!

When I purchased this book I was unaware that it was the sixth Dark Iceland book. Fortunately the book stands alone. I was drawn to Whiteout because I had never read a book set in Iceland.The characters are well written and the description of the scenery as well.You feel as though you are on an icy road as the snow falls. I read late into the night as I neared the exciting conclusuions.

I like these book. Seemingly simple and direct but beneath the surface some interesting psychology. I think the writing gets better as the series progresses.

The only other book in the series I’ve read is book one. Found this book much more engaging. The prose is particularly good when it involves the setting and characters around which the plot revolves. There is engaging strength in the characters and small plot twists. The prose around the police shifts to being flatter. Not an effective tone change.

I'll admit, I didn't guess the ending (extra star), but outside of that, this is a by-the-numbers cozy, of interest only to those who like the genre.

I do enjoy a bit of Icelandic noir. With Whiteout, Ragnar Jonasson is now at the fifth story featuring Ari Thor. I am a big fan of his Dark Iceland series. This is really a series that needs to be read in order, to appreciate the character development of our heroic Ari Thor. Jonasson's more recent novel The Darkness, which starts his Hidden Iceland series, is also worth checking out. Ragnar Jonasson writes quality Icelandic crime, that is incredibly accessible and engaging.In Whiteout, we get a peculiar puzzle for Ari Thor to solve. A woman returns to her roots, only to be found at the bottom of the cliffs the next day. She has been murdered. There is something odd about Asta's murder. Her fate seems to be identical to that of two close members of her family. Both Asta's mother and sister were found dead, in precisely the same place over twenty years ago. Three suspicious deaths from one family rings alarm bells. Ari Thor and his former boss, Tomas, are soon looking for answers in this remote spot.With a small cast of suspects and an isolated setting, this has the feel of a gorgeous classic whodunnit. Evil is lurking. The body count is rising. It is a place of secrets. It is also Christmas time. Iceland is a winter wonderland, with heavy snow falling in the bitter cold. This all intensifies the sense of isolation and climate of escalating uncertainty. We also get a little insight into the traditional celebrations in Iceland. Exchanging books at Christmas is rather wonderful.Accomplished and tense, with the perfect tone and pace. This series hits all the right notes. Excellence from Ragnar Jonasson, as usual. Recommended.

Book 5 of Ragnar Jonasson's Dark Iceland series, and now back in chronological order! The main players Ari Thor and Tomas are back, although Tomas has moved away on a promotion, but he conscripts Ar I Thor to help in another suicide/murder case. They are joined by Ari Thor's pregnant girlfriend. It's 2 days before Christmas, and the weather is pretty bad.Action takes place in an old house alongside a lighthouse on the coast, where there has been a history of issues, and there are only about 5 characters. Ragnar has worked on translating Agatha Chistie and this claustrophobic legacy is clear here!After further deaths, and some historical enlightenment the plot unfolds, but yet again it's Ari Thor's story, and an enjoyable one at that. The cases are solved, but we are left with some opening threads for the final book in the series. I look forward to it!!

Whiteout now completes the five Siglufjordur books and they are excellent. I love this writer's work and cant wait for the next books. Credit too goes to the translator, Quentin. However, it was disappointing that the English translations were not published in chronological order i.e. as they were in Iceland and because the first book, about Ari Thor's life in Reykjavik, is not available in English, the series feels incomplete.

Another quality detective tale set in Iceland from Mr Jonasson. I will tell you little of the tale as I wish to give away nothing that may spoil it for you. Similar to many Scandi-Noir tales Mr Jonasson sets up the tale well eking out the details and clues over time, interspersing them with background information on his detectives, the wonders and pitfalls of life in Iceland.This is not the best novel of it's kind that I have read but still remains a great read, each preceding page drawing you onto the next. The writing spare but both Mr Jonasson and his translator do a wonderful job of holding the tale together. If you enjoy the crime/detective or Scandi-Noir genres then you will love this book. A page turner.

This is the 4th book in the Dark Iceland series and in my opinion is not up to the usual high standards that I have come to expect from this author.It is well written but the storyline is one dimensional and the characters, pertinent only to this book, did not grip my attention.It's a pleasant enough read but nothing really engrossing.I'll regard this book as one of Jonasson's lesser offerings but still look forward to the next in the series.