You know that feeling when you read a book from an author that’s new to you, and all you can think is How have I never read this author before?!? What have I been doing??
That is exactly what I am feeling right now.
Ragnar Jónasson is a true master of suspense, there is just simply no other word to describe him. Every single page winds you up a little until you finally realise your entire body has tensed up in anticipation of the next page!
Jónasson weaves together a multi-layered story at the perfect pace. He constantly leaves you wanting more, and then he gives it to you. From the first page to the last, he has structured the story with such a delicate balance that it keeps the reader constantly engaged.
Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir has just returned to work in February after a recent family tragedy, which we know occurred around Christmastime. Her first case upon her return is an investigation for from Reykjavik in the isolated eastern portion of the Iceland. Bodies have been found there, and due to the remote nature of the farm, local police believe they may have been there since Christmas. The structure of the story now allows Jónasson to give the reader details about what is currently happening, but also what happened around Christmas, both at the farm and in Detective Hulda’s life.
Hulda sets out to solve the case, though she knows in her heart she probably came back to work too soon. She finds her personal life reflected in this case and she is forced to re-live some of the tragedy she has already had to face once.
While technically third in a series (along with The Darkness and The Island), this absolutely works as a stand-alone thriller. Any information or background from the previous books that you may have needed has been sewn into this story.
Those like me who live in a climate that is scorching hot this time of year will love this as a summer read. As I sit in Texas in the middle of June, an Icelandic winter sounds like the best idea I have ever heard!
The Mist is a great length to read in a weekend and it will absolutely grab you and fully engross you in Hulda’s world that Jónasson has created. It is no exaggeration to say that as soon as I finished this book, I immediately started ordering more form this author. The Mist has definitely been added to my ‘frequently recommended’ list!
The Mist is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 23rd 2020.
Will you be picking up The Mist? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
The final nail-biting installment in Ragnar Jonasson’s critically-acclaimed Hidden Iceland series, The Mist, from the newest superstar on the Icelandic crime fiction scene.
- An isolated farm house in the east of Iceland.
The snowstorm should have shut everybody out. But it didn’t.
The couple should never have let him in. But they did.
An unexpected guest, a liar, a killer. Not all will survive the night. And Detective Hulda will be haunted forever.
