Detective Inspector Hulda Hermansdottir is a short time away from retirement. One of the few women on the detective team, she feels she has worked hard, and is one of the best detectives, dedicating her life to the force. And yet she feels isolated and undervalued. Not looking forward to her retirement, suddenly she is called into her bosses' office to be told that she can leave now, taking her last couple of months as 'leave', and at the very least she has to leave within 2 weeks, as a new young hotshot male detective is arriving and needs her office.
All her cases have been re-assigned and there is nothing left for her to do. In shock, Hulda asks for something to occupy her time for a few more days until she has to leave and is allowed to choose a cold case. She chooses a case of a Russian girl, a 27 year-old called Elena, found dead on some rocks near the beach a few miles away. Her death has been dismissed as probably an accident or suicide. She was a girl no-one really seemed to care about. A mere asylum seeker. Moreover, the investigation into her death was handled by one of her colleagues, Alexander, someone she thinks does sloppy work. A last chance perhaps to show her skills as a good detective, before her inevitable lonely retirement.
As the investigation unfolds, two different stories are told side-by-side. One is the story of a single mother and her attempts to bring up her young daughter, someone we quickly realise is Hulda. This works well to provide some lovely background insight into Hulda's character. The other story, which starts later on in the book, relates to Elena and her disappearance. There is also Hulda's burgeoning relationship with Petur, a friend from the walking club. Both Hulda and Petur lost their partners some time ago, and Peter is clearly interested in developing his relationship with Hulda, and in finding out more about her.
Hulda's character, the way in which she responds to her shock at her enforced early retirement and the subsequent choices she makes, drive this story. She could just relax, spend time with her friend Petur and simply stop and start to enjoy her retirement. Or, she could carry on with her one last case: a decision that will have a critical consequence for Hulda. This is a fascinating story, touched with an underlying sadness that skilfully unveils Hulda's life as she carries out her last investigation.
Submitted to eurocrime.co.uk

This book starts with Hulda being told that she will be forced to retire from the police force and only has a few days to go. She is encouraged to spend those last few days at home but is told she can have a look at a cold case as a bit of a sop. Hulda does not want to retire as her life is not full. The one good thing is a new relationship that isn’t setting her on fire but is comfortable,
Hulda picks the case of a girl called Elena whose murder was poorly investigated. The investigation itself is not that riveting but intertwined with this are several other stories which all turn out to be integrated. There is a single mother, forced to put her child into an institution and a woman who has agreed to go for a trek in the wilderness and is regretting. You also get more information about Hulda’s own life before this date.
My overall feeling is one of total depression having read this book. It is well named as Hulda’s own despair seeps into you. Whilst this probably means that the books is well written, it doesn’t make for an enjoyable read.
I received this copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Hulda Hermannsdóttir is operating on borrowed time. A police detective nearing the end of her career, Hulda is forced into early retirement, but is given the chance to solve one last mystery. Opening a cold case, the jaded detective proceeds to step on the toes of her colleagues and invoke the wrath of her superior.

After reading White Out at Christmas, I was keen to dip into another Ragnar Jónasson. The first in a new series, The Darkness is a deceptively simple whodunit that proves exactly why Jónasson is a master of misdirection. Slipping between Hulda’s investigation and the atmospheric last day of the victim’s life, the story unfolds through a series of short, sharp chapters.

Bitter and haunted by her past, it’s fair to say that Hulda isn’t the most sympathetic of characters. Even though we are told that she is a competent officer, she rushes headlong into her last case, making rash decisions that are questionable at best. The investigation is Hulda’s last chance to prove herself. Life has been hard, and in many ways Hulda is as much a victim as the women she investigates.

Published on 15th March by Penguin, The Darkness is a curious blend of nordic noir and golden age detective fiction, although the startling conclusion is anything but cosy.

I’m intrigued to see what happens next…

A dark story about an Icelandic woman Detective inspector who is given early retirement. She is given a week to go and is granted a cold case to investigate as a last favour. This she pursues to the resentment of colleagues and treads on toes following red herrings. As the story unfolds we learn of the trials and tribulations of her upbringing and the disasters resulting from her marriage. There is a new relationship that has a promise of a better future in retirement. So she is half hearted in her investigation of her last case but her pride causes her to press on. She finds leads and believes what was closed as a case of suicide was probably murder. Unfortunately for her as she solves the case it only proves to be her undoing.

For me, the true genius of Jónasson's work rests in his ability to take what appears at first a simple mystery and establish such a tangible sense of setting which elevates the material above all around it. Then the subject complexities, expert plot delivery and nuances of character sweep you in - and surprise you every time. Another fantastic, absorbing novel.

Wow! Although this is crime set in Iceland it was quite different from the previous Ragnor Jonasson novels I've read. We're introduced to a detective at the end of career, looking into one final cold case before she retires. For once, I can honestly say the ending had a twist I really didn't see coming.

A well written book, but one that left me waiting for more to happen. The ticking clock we have when our protagonist is told she is being retired, makes for a great vehicle to drive the pace right from the word go, but I just didn't get that sense of momentum. I'll definitely read more of Ragnar's books as he's clearly a talented writer, but my personal preference is for a little more action/suspense. Also was left a little unsatisfied by the ending - no spoilers, but felt like it fell a little flat right at the death, so to speak.

Fuck. That ending. That revelation.

Wow. I've never really known a book to end in such a dark, surprising way. I knew i was hurtling towards the end, and was anticipating the finish that i would expect. But Ragnar Jonasson well and truly whipped the rug from beneath my feet, rolled me up in it, and buried me.

The book itself is as I've come to expect from the author. It has that dark, chilling Nordic feel to it. I actually felt that unlike his Dark Iceland series, this book was slightly lacking something. Quite possibly it was the main character who i was struggling to connect with. However having read the ending, it all makes sense. So brilliantly written. Its definitely a book that could do with a re-read, just so i can fully appreciate where its leading.

There were a couple of subtle hints towards the end that the rest of the series will travel back into Hulda's past, something I'm extremely excited to do.

A fantastic read!

This was an excellent Scandinavian detective thriller. The main character was very different to others and this brought a different aspect to the novel. I enjoyed the setting which was very descriptive. I don't want to give away the plot and ending but again I hadn't anticipated it. Highly recommended

Ragnar Jónasson, The Darkness, trans. Victoria Cribb, Penguin/Michael Joseph
Jónasson is a prolific writer whose first series was more or less police procedural. My reservations about the young main character have appeared in Crimetime. This new book—well, new outside Iceland—has a female detective, Hulda, who is being pushed into retirement. It is often problematic for male authors to get inside a female character, and this book is one of those. No cliché is left unstoned. My experience of Icelandic detectives is minimal, but it seems to me unusual—even for a cold case—for a detective to go off on her own to interview, and certainly in today’s world not to let anyone know where she’s going. Hulda is a pathetic woman looking toward a future with a new partner, but her past hangs on her.
Hulda’s boss—he who has insisted she retire at once—changes character completely most of the way through the book, and wins the ‘most clichéd’ character award. There are several twists, which are not surprising, and an authorial attempt to end the book with a funeral address which gets everything wrong and is, no doubt, intended to be wry and witty.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for an advance copy of The Darkness, the first novel in a projected trilogy of the Hidden Iceland series.

Hulda Hermannsdóttir is in her last year of work as a police inspector when her boss tells her that she will be retiring that day to make way for a young, hotshot detective the department is lucky to get. She negotiates a two week extension and the chance to work a cold case of her choice. She chooses the death of asylum seeker, Elina, a year earlier. Her disinterested colleague had written it off as suicide, Hulda thinks murder.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Darkness which is a short, deceptively simple novel. It has three main voices, Hulda's investigation, the upbringing of an illegitimate child and a young woman's trip to the icy wastes. Initially it is puzzling as to how these various strands fit together but I was soon looking forward to finding out as they are intriguing.

The crime element of the novel is fairly simple with Hulda blundering about on her own until she finds a solution but it is well paced and absorbing. The real joy of the novel lies in the gradual revelation of Hulda's character and secrets. At 64 she is lonely and not looking forward to her retirement so it's a bitter blow to have to go early but a budding romance maybe takes the edge off. She hasn't had an easy life and her working conditions haven't been a bed of roses either as she's not one of the lads but the suggestion is there that her own personality, self contained, could be at the root of this. I am in total awe of Mr Jónasson's skill in drawing Hulda, who is one of the best characters I have read in a long time, from her apparent meekness to her venting at her boss and all faults in between. The way he teases out her secrets is equally masterful and I found my jaw dropping at some points.

The Darkness has an unusual ending which I love but will not be to all readers' taste. I think it is quite daring and rather ironic given previous events. It is a clever novel which I have no hesitation in recommending as a good read.

I was transfixed by the narrative, alternating between  Hulda's last few days before retirement and the story of the missing women on their last day. It all comes together in a shocking ending that reveals Hulda and the murderer's secrets, although nobody else will ever know what those are. Hulda's struggle to find the answer while under pressure to give up the case, made compelling reading.

I love this Author, so when given a chance to read (thanks to NetGalley) and review his latest novel, I jumped at the chance.

A quick read, a great plot with the main character due to retire and one last case to solve, It did not disappoint, and whilst the story line was predictable It never took away the enjoyment of the book

I am looking forward to the next book in the series, I just hope it is a little bit longer.....

An easy quick read. Strange ending considering there is another book to follow.

I have read and enjoyed Ragnar Jonasson’s Dark Iceland series and this is the first in a new series – Hidden Iceland. The landscape of Iceland has the same prominence, part of the pleasure for me is the setting for the novels, a culture that is similar but in many ways very different and a landscape more like the moon.
Hulda Hermansdottir is in her final few days in the police force before taking compulsory retirement. She takes up a cold case, where a young Russian woman was found dead on the beach two years previously. This takes her into the world of asylum seekers, and her suspicions that the original detective didn’t put much effort into investigating the apparent suicide are slowly confirmed.
It is a pleasure to read a novel with an older (64) female detective, there is a lot of reflection on the state of someone with a lot of energy, committed to her work, who faces an unwelcome retirement. Her colleagues either patronise or ignore her. I enjoyed her single-handed moves to solve the case, which aren’t totally successful; she makes a lot of gaffes along the way.
The ending didn’t entirely work for me, but it didn’t matter. I enjoyed this novel very much.

I’m a big fan of this author. He knows how to write.
As with his other series this has a wonderful atmospheric feel and the pacing was spot on.
I was interested in the story and I enjoyed that the main character was an older woman, not something we see too much of in crime series.

However this fell a bit flat for me. I was a bit underwhelmed by the conclusion and ending .
Once the “villain” is revealed the character changes and it reminded me of something out of scooby doo. “I would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you pesky cops!”
.
All in all an okay read and it’s hard not to compare series but I definitely feel like the Ari Thor series feels more fleshed out and accomplished but then again this is the first in a series. As I said, I’m a fan of the author so I’ll definitely pick future books up.

Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the copy.

This is disappointingly straightforward as an about-to-retire female detective gets to pick a cold case in return for leaving the police force early. If you like a police procedural with lots of family back-story this might appeal more than it did to me. Very simple writing style, and an obvious plot.