I am delighted to be today's stop on the BLOG TOUR for Ragnar Jónasson's Nightblind, which is being published on 15 January 2016 by Orenda Books.
Nightblind
By Ragnar Jónasson
Published by Orenda Books (15 January 2016)
ISBN: 978-1910633113
Publisher's description
The peace of a close-knit Icelandic community is shattered by the murder of a policeman - shot at point-blank range in the dead of night in a deserted house. With a killer on the loose and the dark Arctic waters closing in, it falls to Ari Thór to piece together a puzzle that involves tangled local politics, a compromised new mayor and a psychiatric ward in Reykjavik where someone is being held against their will...
My verdict
Nightblind is an amazing Icelandic Noir novel, even better than Snowblind, the first in the series (even though I never thought that possible).
The story begins around five years after Snowblind. Ari Thór is still in Siglufjördur and is seemingly settled in a relationship with his girlfriend Kristín and their 10-month-old son Stefnir. His work colleague Tomás has moved to Reykjavík, and Ari Thór has been passed over for promotion in favour of another policeman, Herjólfur. When Herjólfur is murdered in a desolate house on the outskirts of town, the usually quiet Siglufjördur is thrown into a state of turmoil. Ari Thór is tasked with finding the killer among its shell-shocked inhabitants, while also dealing with trouble on the home front.
Yet again, Ragnar Jónasson has created a beautifully-written Agatha Christie-style murder mystery and Quentin Bates has translated it into English with perfection. Iceland is an ideal place to set a crime series - the vivid descriptions of the stark bitterly cold environment and desolate surroundings are truly fascinating and add depth to the atmospheric, dark plot.
As with Snowblind, this novel grabbed my attention straight away. It switches seamlessly between the descriptive passages and its many twists and turns, and kept me intrigued right until the end. The author's use of language is stunning and transports you into the heart of Iceland.
This is a fantastic book, and Ari Thór is a well-developed extremely likeable protagonist. I look forward to seeing how this series - and its characters - continues to grow and develop over time.
I received an Advance Reader Copy in return for an honest review.
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