Firstly I wish to thank Anne Cater and Orenda Books for inviting me to be part of this Blog Tour for White Out  by Ragnar Jónasson

BOOK DESCRIPTION

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. Dark, chilling and complex, Whiteout is a haunting, atmospheric and stunningly plotted thriller from one of Iceland’s bestselling crime writers.

HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW

Well to begin with I have to say that I have not read the previous books in the series and although readers that have are recommending  doing so I didn’t feel at all out of my depth or lost at anytime. I am sure that reading the whole series is a brilliant way to go but just saying it can be stand alone too.

This is a little beauty to read, a real mystery of a family seemingly involved in tragic accidents and suicides over the years or is there a murderer on the prowl wiping this family out for some reason? Well when things don’t quite add up in the present day investigation, it begins to unsettle cases from years before too. Detectives Ari Thór and Tómas make a perfect coupling for the case.

There is a more than a normal urgency about solving this case quickly as Christmas is rapidly approaching and Ari Thór is very soon to become a father but there aren’t any short cuts. The story itself is not a fast paced read but more of a get all the facts and lets see who the most likely suspect is. It is a methodical investigation no matter how urgent the result is wanted.

I loved the area it was set as there was a very raw beautiful ruggedness about it all, with a very unforgiving landscape that suited some of the seemingly cold characters in the story. The place and the people seemed timeless with an array of suspects that all appeared to be capable of murder, in this quite deep and dark story surrounded by a real whodunit mystery.

This is a super Nordic Noir book with a definite chill factor that gave me goosebumps and put a lump in my throat. A super mystery to put your wits against.

I wish to thank Orenda Books for supplying a copy of this book to me which I have honestly reviewed.

HERE IS A LITTLE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ragnar Jonasson 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 20 countries and for TV. Ragnar was born in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he continues to work as a lawyer. He also teaches copyright law at Reykjavik University and has previously worked on radio and television, including as a TV-news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. Ragnar is a member of the UK Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) and set up its first overseas chapter in Reykjavik. He is also the co-founder of the international crime-writing festival Iceland Noir. 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.