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Published Oct 2018
336 pages
Genre: Thrillers
Publication Information
Spanning the icy streets of Reykjavik, the Icelandic highlands and cold, isolated fjords, The Darkness is an atmospheric thriller from Ragnar Jonasson, one of the most exciting names in Nordic Noir.
The body of a young Russian woman washes up on an Icelandic shore. After a cursory investigation, the death is declared a suicide and the case is quietly closed.
Over a year later Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir of the Reykjavík police is forced into early retirement at 64. She dreads the loneliness, and the memories of her dark past that threaten to come back to haunt her. But before she leaves she is given two weeks to solve a single cold case of her choice. She knows which one: the Russian woman whose hope for asylum ended on the dark, cold shore of an unfamiliar country. Soon Hulda discovers that another young woman vanished at the same time, and that no one is telling her the whole story. Even her colleagues in the police seem determined to put the brakes on her investigation. Meanwhile the clock is ticking.
Hulda will find the killer, even if it means putting her own life in danger.
"Starred Review. Jónasson pulls no punches as this grim tale builds to its stunning conclusion, one of the more remarkable in recent crime fiction. Fans of uncompromising plotting will be satisfied." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. A complex, fascinating mix of Icelandic community and alienation, atmospheric tension, and timely issues (immigrant exploitation and vigilante justice), Jónasson's latest series is another must-read for crime fans who follow the work of Arnaldur Indridason and Yrsa Sigurdardóttir." - Booklist
"If you think you know how frigid Iceland can be, this blistering stand-alone from Jónasson has news for you: It's much, much colder than you've ever imagined. Warmly recommended for hot summer nights." - Kirkus
"The Darkness is a bullet train of a novel, at once blazingly contemporary and Agatha-Christie old-fashioned. With prose as pure and crisp as Reykjavik snowcrust, Ragnar Jónasson navigates the treacherous narrative with a veteran's hand. I reached the end with adrenalized anticipation, the final twist hitting me in the face. I dare you not to be shocked." - Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author
"I'm absolutely LOVING Ragnar Jonasson's The Darkness. In all honesty, I might even be loving this new series more than I loved the launch of Ragnar's Dark Iceland series, Snowblind - and that's saying a lot...If you love atmospheric, slow-burning yet totally addictive police procedurals, you have to add this book to your TBR. The Darkness is downright fantastic." - Crime by the Book blog
"[I] was gripped from the start of this brilliantly told story. And left wide-eyed with shock at the ending" - Fiona Barton, bestselling author of The Widow
"... magnificently dark and twisted! That ending - blimey!" - C.J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man
"The Darkness is a true masterpiece of a crime novel, introducing an original protagonist, a plot full of twists and turns and an ending that leaves you gasping for air." - Yrsa Sigurdardottir, bestselling Icelandic crime writer
"The Darkness is Ragnar Jonasson at the top of his game - deft plotting, a great central character and a story as chilling as the Icelandic winter. I couldn't put it down." - William Ryan, bestselling author of The Holy Thief
"Just finished The Darkness ... oh WOW!" - Helen Callaghan, bestselling author of Dear Amy
This information about The Darkness was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Bill Waters
Ragnar Jonasson was born in Iceland and works as an Attorney at Law and writer in Reykjavik. Before embarking on a writing career, Ragnar translated fourteen Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic. Ragnar is the co-founder of the Reykjavik international crime writing festival Iceland Noir. He has appeared on panels at various crime fiction festivals, including Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime in the US. Ragnar lives in Reykjavik with his wife and two daughters.
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