by Ragnar Jónasson
SYNOPSIS Easter weekend is approaching, and snow is gently falling in Siglufjörður, the northernmost town in Iceland, as crowds of tourists arrive to visit the majestic ski slopes.
Ari Thór Arason is now a police inspector, but he’s separated from his girlfriend, who lives in Sweden with their three-year-old son. A family reunion is planned for the holiday, but a violent blizzard is threatening and there is an unsettling chill in the air.
Three days before Easter, a nineteen-year-old local girl falls to her death from the balcony of a house on the main street. A perplexing entry in her diary suggests that this may not be an accident, and when an old man in a local nursing home writes ‘She was murdered’ again and again on the wall of his room, there is every suggestion that something more sinister lies at the heart of her death…
As the extreme weather closes in, cutting the power and access to Siglufjörður, Ari Thór must piece together the puzzle to reveal a horrible truth … one that will leave no one unscathed.
Chilling, claustrophobic and disturbing, Winterkill marks the startling conclusion to the million-copy bestselling Dark Iceland series and cements Ragnar Jónasson as one of the most exciting authors in crime fiction.
REVIEW
Ari Thór Arason is called to investigate after the body of a young girl is found. His first instinct is that the girl has jumped from the balcony above and committed suicide. However, as the investigation continues, a bizarre occurrence in the local nursing home leads him to look at the circumstances again in more detail.
Throughout the bustling Easter weekend, Ari Thór looks deeper into the circumstances leading up to her death, and a puzzling entry in the young girl's diary opens up a new line of enquiry. As a huge storm begins to rage through Siglufjörður, the reason for her death starts to become clear.
Winterkill is the sixth and final instalment of the Dark Iceland series. Although I would highly recommend reading all six books in the series, Winterkill works very well as a standalone novel. The investigation is completely contained and any reference to the main character and his past are clearly explained.
I am a huge fan of Ragnar Jónasson so it wasn't a surprise for me that I loved this book. I think the Dark Iceland series is a great starting point for anyone wanting to read Iceland Noir / Scandi Crime in general as they have a lighter feel to many of these types of books, and as a result may be a little more accessible for new readers.
I have loved reading about Ari Thór Arason and his journey to becoming a police inspector, and I will miss the isolated town of Siglufjörður as the series comes to an end. My only consolation is knowing that a standalone thriller is on it's way, hopefully followed by many more! A definite 5 star review from me!
GIVEAWAY
As part of my slot on the blog tour, Orenda Books have offered to send out a limited edition hardback copy to one of my readers. If you would like to win a copy of the book, send me a message via the contact form writing WINTERKILL in the message box. Anyone who shares this review will get an extra entry. Entries close on Sunday 24th January 2021.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Icelandic crime writer Ragnar Jónasson was born in Reykjavík, and currently works as a lawyer, while teacher copyright law at the Reykjavík University Law School. In the past, he’s worked in TV and radio, including as a news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. Before embarking on a writing career, Ragnar translated fourteen Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic, and has had several short stories published in German, English and Icelandic literary magazines. Ragnar set up the first overseas chapter of the CWA (Crime Writers’ Association) in Reykjavík, and is co-founder of the International crime-writing festival Iceland Noir. Ragnar’s debut thriller, Snowblind became an almost instant bestseller when it was published in June 2015 with Nightblind (winner of the Dead Good Reads Most Captivating Crime in Translation Award) and then Blackout, Rupture and Whiteout following soon after. To date, Ragnar Jónasson has written five novels in the Dark Iceland series, which has been optioned for TV by On the Corner. He lives in Reykjavík with his wife and two daughters.
Thanks to @annecater, @OrendaBooks and @ragnarjo for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Crime Thriller / Iceland Noir
Product format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-913193-44-
Pages: 276 pp
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