Blog Tour & Review : White Out by Ragnar Jonasson

The Very Pink Notebook is thrilled to be part of

White Out

by author Ragnar Jonasson blog tour. 

With thanks to Karen at Orenda Books and Anne at Random Things Through My Letterbox.

Publisher : Orenda Books

November 2017

Copy : Paperback - Provided by Publisher for blog tour

The Blurb

Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead beneath the cliffs of the deserted village of Kálfshamarvík. Did she jump, or did something more sinister take place beneath the lighthouse and the abandoned old house on the remote rocky outcrop?

With winter closing in and the snow falling relentlessly, Ari Thór Arason discovers that the victim's mother and young sister also lost their lives in this same spot, twenty-five years earlier. As the dark history and its secrets of the village are unveiled, and the death toll begins to rise, the Siglufjordur detectives must race against the clock to find the killer, before another tragedy takes place.

The Very Pink Notebook Review

White Out is another powerful triumph from Nordic Noir master Ragnar Jonasson and translator Quentin Bates.  With it's trademark policeman, Ari Thor and Tomas, the reader is taken to the dark depths of Iceland to try and get to the bottom of the death of young women, Asta.  

Once again Jonasson uses imagery and the enigmatic beauty of Iceland in winter to really create an almost physical atmosphere - I certainly wrapped the blanket around myself a little tighter every time I sat down to read.  This novel in particular is set in the few days lead up to Christmas, where this year Ari Thor is keen to enjoy it with his beloved and heavily pregnant lady, Kristin.  But even Christmas can't get in the way when an investigation gets under his skin and Tomas's eagerness to make an arrest on this case makes him feel uneasy about too much extra digging around.  

After the second death in the space of a few days however, both men know something sinister is at hand and can not be ignored.  Jonasson creates characters so well, and with the group involved, Thora, Oskar, Reynir and Arnor we soon learn they all have secrets they wish to keep hidden.  But it seems that at least one person is aware of each others secret and it is impossible to tell who can be trusted or what lengths they may go to in order to keep those secrets just that.

Jonasson never produces just a plain old 'who done it'.  It is always multi-layered with a touch of history, personal and paranormal aspects explored.  This always makes it impossible to try and guess the ending.  However, whereas some authors do this and then spoil the result by giving a completely implausible and outlandish ending, in these books it never happens.  The truth is completely believable and realistic and most importantly satisfying.

The final pages of White Out leave the reader as hooked as the first few, with an enticing and tantalising teaser and I for one can not wait for the next instalment of the Dark Iceland series.

White Out receives a must read : 

About the Author

Ragnar Jónasson is author of the international bestselling Dark Iceland series. His debut Snowblind went to number one in the kindle charts shortly after publication, and Nightblind, Blackout and Rupture soon followed suit, hitting the number one spot in five countries, and the series being sold in 18 countries and for TV. Ragnar was born in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he continues to work as a lawyer. From the age of 17, Ragnar translated 14 Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic. He has appeared on festival panels worldwide, and lives in Reykjavik with his wife and young daughters.

Follow the Tour

Blog Tour and Review : Rupture by Ragnar Jonasson

The Very Pink Notebook is thrilled to be part of Ragnar Jonasson's, Rupture, blog tour this week.  With much thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for involving me in the tour and for a copy of the book.

Published by : Orenda Books

24 December (ebook) - 15 February (print)

Copy : Paperback - Received from publisher as part of blog tour

The Blurb

1955. Two young couples move to the uninhabited, isolated fjord of Hedinsfjörður. Their stay ends abruptly when one of the women meets her death in mysterious circumstances. The case is never solved. Fifty years later an old photograph comes to light, and it becomes clear that the couples may not have been alone on the fjord after all…

In nearby Siglufjörður, young policeman Ari Thór tries to piece together what really happened that fateful night, in a town where no one wants to know, where secrets are a way of life. He’s assisted by Ísrún, a news reporter in Reykjavik, who is investigating an increasingly chilling case of her own. Things take a sinister turn when a child goes missing in broad daylight. With a stalker on the loose, and the town of Siglufjörður in quarantine, the past might just come back to haunt them.

Haunting, frightening and complex, Rupture is a dark and atmospheric thriller from one of Iceland’s foremost crime writers.

The Very Pink Notebook Review

This book has been discussed wildly on social media, alongside comments that it is as brilliant as Ragnar Jonasson's previous deliveries.  Well, this is the first of this author's novels I have read and the fact that other reviews are right, it is brilliant, gives a good indication his others will be too. 

This is one of those books that makes you feel like there is not quite enough oxygen in the room.  Jonasson creates a deeply atmospheric, almost claustrophobic environment for his characters.  For Ari Thor, our protagonist, he is living in a town under the threat of a highly contagious killer virus, which is landed it in quarantine.  This means as the local police officer, he has time on his hands and decides to use it to look into an old case of a mysterious death on an isolated fjord.  The case Ari Thor realises, presents itself in similar surroundings to his current one.  Its location is remote, unfriendly, unwelcoming to visitors, a little spooky.  The inhabitants are alone, isolated and fighting a relentless and bitter winter. 

Then we have a second main character and concurrent storyline in Isrun, investigative television journalist, who has her own chilling cases in the present day on the go.  Even so, she still finds time to assist Ari Thor, always wanting to keep police contacts on side and both storylines ultimately hold the same moral point.

Jonasson's vivid imagery of Iceland and his ability to convey this through engaging all of your senses through his flawless, easy and elegant writing is one of the best parts about this book for me. 

Another brilliantly translated Nordic Noir offering from a very clever author.

Ragnor Jonassons 'Rupture' receives a highly recommended Very Pink Notebook Review of :