This is not the usual predictable police procedural that I expected when I started reading. Being of retirement age myself, I really identified with Hulga's dilemma when faced with the premature end of her career. The underlying tragedies that gradually come to light are quite heartbreaking, and the ending took me completely by surprise. I look forward to further books in this series.

This is an intriguing, well-crafted novel which I hugely enjoyed. I have to admit I haven't read any other novels by Ragnar Jónasson despite hearing so many great things, so I jumped at the chance to review the first book in a new series, as then it doesn't matter if I haven't read others. And I'm so glad to say that The Darkness is was a solid, really enjoyable read!

Firstly, this series (Hidden Iceland #1) looks set to be pretty unique as it's actually the end of a series; subsequent novels will apparently cover previous cases (something I actually didn't realise until I finished this book!). I really like the idea of this, and also Hulda as a character - she's pretty abrupt and may to some seem unlikable, but I did warm to her as the novel went on - you see as you continue reading that she has had a lot to deal with over her lifetime. Plus, the police haven't exactly been great to her - she's being forced into an early retirement because they seem to want to create a younger workforce! I really liked that the main character is someone older as this makes a change from many other books.

The plot isn't overly complex but enjoyable to read, and though there are quite a few people involved in the case it wasn't too confusing. I found the writing really easy to read and raced through this (at under 300 pages it's not too long, either). It's not too gorey but has the right level of darkness and eeriness, making you imagine you're there with Hulda in the Icelandic landscape.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Darkness and it's definitely made want to read both more of this series and other novels by Ragnar Jónasson too!

In the land of Ice and Fire we learn that typically there are two murders a year, unless of course you choose to dig a bit deeper! Aging DI Hulda Hermannsdόttir given a choice between early retirement and investigating a cold case chooses the latter. Hulda (who really should have chosen the former) starts digging and quickly her suspicions are piqued over the supposed suicide of an asylum seeker.
Ragnar Jόnasson in his novel The Darkness shows the Icelandic Police to be inept, lazy and disrespectful. Hulda, seemingly the best of the bunch, investigates in an alcoholic fug and with her wits duly dulled, becomes mortally vulnerable.
An interesting anti-hero novel that doesn’t do the police any favours.

Hurrah - how refreshing to read a novel and be totally surprised by the ending. I have not read any of Ragnar Jónasson's previous novels and this was a pleasant surprise. The plot moved along at a good pace and I couldn't stop reading. In fact I read it in a 2 sittings.
I have never been to Iceland so I cannot comment on how accurate his descriptions of the landscapes and daily life in Iceland are but it worked for me.

This was definitely a slow build story. I liked the fact that there were aspects of the story told from the viewpoint of others, interspersed throughout the book, which all added to the conclusion. I thought the conclusion itself was well-written and a fittingly dark one. I didn't, however, feel that I got to know much about the real Hulda - her character was very wishy-washy and I couldn't work out how she managed to get to Det Inspector rank as her investigative methods were hit-and-miss, at best. I found her passivity in most of the book quite challenging to read and I wanted her to stand up for herself a bit more. Overall, the excellent conclusion didn't quite make up for the rest.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir is about to retire a bit sooner than expected or even wanted she is being firmly shown the door by her boss, her current cases have been reassigned, in the time she has left she can investigate any cold case she wants. He’s just placating her but there’s this one case….

It’s the Russian woman, Hulda never thought her colleague did a particularly good job – he rarely does – and no one else seemed to care but Hulda, she does, and she wants to get to the truth.

Hulda is a good detective but last night in what now seems to be her final interview of a suspect in a hit and run case she made a decision…

Hulda starts to investigate the cold case and we begin to learn about her. Her life as a police officer, a wife and mother. We hear her loneliness, her anger, her guilt and maybe a glimmer of hope so that retirement won’t be what she fears. Hulda is a terrific character and you want her to succeed but she does have a dark side to her.

We are in a rainy late spring in Iceland. It is over twelve months since the Russian woman’s body was found. Hulda discovers there is another missing woman. Hulda is persistent and thorough but time is not on her side. Then comes a blow which could scupper her investigation but a possible small breakthrough keeps her going.

This is a well written book, nothing less than one might expect from Ragnar Jónasson, the first of the series, oozing with that unique landscape, that particular way of life that comes from such a landscape. Jónasson builds up the story culminating in a tense and quite shocking end.

If you like Nordic Noir you’ll love this one and everyone else should just try it anyway.

With thanks to Michael Joseph Publisher via NetGalley for this eARC in return for an honest opinion.

Rating: 4*

Nice easy read. I loved the ending. The story of a female detective being forced to retire taking a look at one last case out of stubbornness. A nice change from the usual detective/police procedurals.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this publication in return for a honest and impartial review.
Set In Iceland this book focus around an investigation by the main character a female Police Detective a matter of weeks away from retirement who is placed on re-investigating a "cold case". involving a Russian asylum seeker.
I found the characters to be very believable, the story very well written and a few twists along the way.
All told a very enjoyable debut from this author and I look forward to future publications in this series of books.

Fantastic start to a very promising series. I love Scandinoir and really enjoyed the Icelandic setting. I got totally immersed in the story and although I don't want to reveal too much of the plot - what an ending! This is book number one in the Hidden Iceland series from Ragnar Jónasson and there are another two novels to follow. I can hardly wait to read them all!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book; which I highly recommend.

I liked the sound of this book. I hadn't read anything by Ragnar Jónsson before.

It was good to have an older protagonist. Hulda Hermannsdottir is a police detective approaching her 65th birthday but not quite ready to retire. (I hoped she would be someone I could connect with -. I'm in my 60s although I took early retirement willingly). She's shocked when her boss calls her in and tells her she will be retiring early and that they have already decided on her younger replacement. Her boss has already allocated her cases to other members of the team and suggests she might want to leave immediately but Hulda wants to stay a couple of weeks until her replacement starts. Her boss agrees she can look into a cold case. This would appear to be the start of one of Hulda's worst weeks ever.

She starts to look for new evidence in the death of a young female asylum seeker from Russia. Hulda soon comes to the conclusion that her colleague had not investigated the case as thoroughly as he could have and starts asking questions and looking for new evidence.

Hulda is a bit of loner. She isn't particularly popular with her colleagues and doesn't really mix with them. I suppose I was just a bit disappointed that like many other fictional police detectives she has a back story and quite a few 'issues'. I had hoped she would be a bit different.

As I read on I realised the story is rather bleak. I think there are three stories going on – one in the present and two in the past. The title is very apt: it is a dark and chilling tale. At times however I felt there was something missing. I think the language was a bit stilted in some parts and just didn't quite flow naturally but perhaps something was lost in translation.

The ending was quite shocking and not really what I expected!

Although there were bits I quite liked, overall I was just a little bit disappointed. I've not been put off entirely; I would certainly consider reading something else by the same author.

This is Scand-Noir set in Iceland featuring widow and Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir of the Reykajavik Police, 64 years old and approaching retirement with nothing in her life but her job. Her boss, Magnus, is insensitive when he informs her they have someone already lined up for her post, and she can retire at once. Feeling unappreciated and unwanted, Hulda insists on staying, and is told she can work a cold case for two weeks. A shell shocked Hulda knows which case she wants, a Russian asylum seeker, Elena, was found dead at a cove just over a year ago. An incompetent colleague, Alexander, barely investigated, ruling Elena's death a suicide. Hulda considers getting closer to Petar, a retired doctor, to ease her loneliness, she literally has no-one, not even a friend. She loved her husband, Jon, but knows she does not have it in her to love anyone else as she loved him. Jonasson gives us a multi-layered story of darkness everywhere, in the geography and financial crash of Iceland, the glimpse of her childhood and the future that Hulda faces, and the case of Elena and what turns out to be the disappearance of another Russian woman, Katja.

The story takes Hulda, a woman who has been overlooked and experienced difficulty working with and gelling with her police colleagues, and gives us her introspective view of her life and the world. She is hugely claustrophobic, affected by dark enclosed spaces after her grandmother used to lock her up as a child. The only bright spot is that she begins to finds some comfort in her developing relationship with Petar and the promise that it holds. However, the case is a difficult and complex, and Hulda inadvertantly wrecks an covert police operation involving a people and sex trafficker which brings the wrath of Magnus on her head. This is compounded by Hulda's actions with a hit and run driver who targets a paedophile. Hulda's life begins to spiral out of control when a confident and skilled murderer awakens and begins to feel that Hulda is getting too close to the truth.

Jonasson writes a crime story with strong psychological elements and twists. He gives us several threads, the Elena investigation, a mother experiencing severe obstacles in bringing up an illegitimate child after a one night stand with an American, and a woman who feels pushed into going out with a man on an dangerous outdoor adventure in the barren and dangerous Icelandic landscape, feeling completely out of her comfort zone. There are instances where the reader is made to feel that Hulda is an unreliable narrator, and we learn that her marriage is not what we are led to believe, holding its own darkness. All in all, this is a great and entertaining read, it was not what I expected it to be and the ending comes out of the blue. A dark tale for those who enjoy reading Scandinavian Crime. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

The Darkness is the first book I've read by Ragnar Jónasson and I believe my first Icelandic crime novel. I did enjoy it and I managed to finish it in one afternoon.

This book follows Hulda Hermannsdóttir, a 64 year old Detective Inspector with the Reykjavik Police, who plans to retire at the end of the year. Unfortunately for her, her boss has decided to put her on leave for the remaining months before retirement as he's found her replacement - a young, male, high achiever - who will be starting in two weeks and will require her office. All of her cases have been reassigned without her knowledge. As she no longer has any active cases, she picks a cold case to work on for the remaining two weeks and hopes to go out on a high.

A year ago, Elena, a Russian asylum seeker was found dead in an isolated area. It was ruled a suicide by a colleague of Hulda's but Hulda has serious doubts about how the investigation was handled. She is determined to solve the case and get justice for Elena.

There were a number of things I liked about this book. It was interesting to have the protagonist be an older woman at the end of her career. I enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere that was created despite the writing being a bit jarring at times and a bit more simple and less descriptive than I prefer (I assume some of this may be down to this being a translation - even the best translations are going to miss something of the original text). The crime itself was okay, again I prefer something a bit more detailed and twisted. The ending I did not see coming at all, I was shocked when I turned the page and it was the end. I don't think I've read anything quite like it before.

I will be picking up further books in this series, I'm curious to see where it goes from here.

Loved this book and what an ending and not going to give much away .
Hulda Hermannsdottir is a detective nearing retirement. She is called into her boss who informs her that she will retire in two weeks and all her cases have been re-assigned . She is angry but he says she can pick up a cold case to keep her occupied. Hulda has a disturbed past and both her husband and daughter are dead. She has recently started a friendship with a fellow walker in her walking club.
She investigates the cold case which involves a murder or does it? She upsets several people and a decision she recently made will come back to haunt her. This book will have you guessing to the very end which then throws in another twist.

I picked the coldest and snowiest week of the winter so far this year to dip into the first of the Hidden Iceland series by this best selling Icelandic writer who is also a lawyer and has translated 14 Agatha Christie novels into Icelantic.
There is a touch of Miss Marple about the detective in The Darkness and as I might have been expecting a young blonde male/female with associated patterned jumpers Hulda Hermannsdottir comes as quite a surprise.
We meet her when her boss decides to hurry on her imminent retirement (she's 64) by letting her trawl through a cold case but get ready to clear her desk and leave space for the new brighter (often male) police officers biting at her heels.
Hulda decides to investigate the death of Elena, a Russian asylum seeker, whose body had been washed up in a deserted cove along the coast from Reykjavik. Staff at the hostel have vague memories about the young woman but recall that the detective at the time (Hulda's less than friendly colleague Alexander) had shown little interest in the case even though it transpires Elena had received a letter confirming her residency the day before she had died.
Hulda's life if slightly chaotic. She lives on her own, a widow, financially in debt and although enjoying a new friendship with fellow walker feels she's a bit out of control with all that goes on around her.
When the case starts to reveal more concerns about Elena's death and another young missing Russian girl, suspects close to the original case start to be included because of possible sexual motives.
The novel is set as Iceland is heading, albeit slowly, into spring but the hint of icy Icelandic wilderness and deep snow still prevails. Descriptions of the landscape, Hulda's love of the mountains and the region in general are excellent. It certainly might attract new tourists from reading this!
I liked Hulda as a character and there were further depths to her in her background and consequent dealings with criminals. There was a twist in the tale and I'd be interested to see if the author picks up on themes for the next book otherwise some readers might feel a bit cheated.
Translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb.

This is a Scandic story written along the lines of Camilla Lackberg or Jo Nesbo. It seems less complex to me but I quite enjoyed it and certainly the ending was a surprise. It gently probed into discrimination against the woman detective but did not really develop the theme in spite of the superior officer acknowledging her excellence. There is an interesting historical theme running alongside the investigation but I felt that it didn't really reveal insights into the main character. I would give it 3 stars and recommend it with reservations.

I love a good Scandinoir thriller. I think most I've enjoyed have been Swedish and have this gloriously dark feel to them, but in "The Darkness" I had a chance to try what I believe is my first Icelandic book. With a title like that surely I was in for another book of the same ilk? Not quite.

The first and most obvious deviation from darkness is that the story is set in spring, and the ever-lengthening hours of sunlight repeatedly highlight the lack of literal darkness. However, even in tone, it avoids that deep blackness. Yes, there is death and that isn't light, but it just doesn't have the same sense as a lot of the other work I know in this genre. That's not to say it's a problem, it's just not going down the clichéd route that would be easy to follow.

And avoiding clichés is something Jónasson does well, even with some intense flirtations with the idea. And that's what brings this book to life. Jónasson does a superb job of feints and misdirection, especially with easy targets. He takes an easy idea, plays with the reader a little, and then delivers a subtle, nuanced twist that had me chasing the next mini-chapter. So much of what is offered up appears paper thin at first glance but develops depths at just the right time. He can signal something important and then discard it just as easily, but more importantly, capably - these threads don't just flutter aimlessly waiting to be tied up, you look back and realise that they were just enticing enough that you added your own cliffhanger, and that really he left a neat and tidy story.

The book is divided into days, with each day broken down into short chapters often just a couple of pages long. It helps a lot with the tempo of the story, although I must admit I found the use of flashbacks within that structure a little odd and in the first half of the book while the different threads were too unconnected it did niggle slightly. However, they do come together so the small issue does pay off in the end.

And truly, you must stick around for the end of this book. It's a quick and light read for this type of book but the final pages deliver something memorable. So many subtle hints become clear, so many clever moves pull into focus, and the result is something special. A truly impressive conclusion to a good book, this should be a must-read for anyone who wants to feel some chills.

Iceland, an unusual female detective with a history on the verge of enforced retirement and a cold case in need of solving before she retires in a couple of days - what's not to like? I particularly enjoyed the fact that the writer has chosen a 64 year-old woman for his protagonist, who is dogged rather than dynamic, as befits the chilly setting, but which has the added pace of her retirement deadline. I also liked the fact that the story is led by the reader's need to be entertained, intrigued and involved in the gradually revealed evidence, rather than the common imperative to showcase a clever detective and wind up the investigation with a neat ending. An absorbing page turner with a different perspective.

I love Iceland, its rugged beauty and volcanic terrain. I have visited several times. My thanks then to NetGalley and Penguin UK-Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Darkness, an Icelandic thriller set mainly in Reykjavik.

Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir is facing retirement at the age of 64. She is being pushed aside by her boss to make way for a fast-track younger officer to take over her case load. The fact that she is a woman does not go unnoticed and Hulda resents the attitude of her fellow officers. Told she can review cold cases during her remaining tenure she choses the mysterious death of a young Russian woman that occurred more than 12 months ago, that essentially has been closed as a probable suicide. Hulda’s investigation soon leads her to think otherwise. She unwittingly puts herself in harm’s way….

This is a well written piece of Nordic noir as details from Hulda’s past are slowly revealed. She is a woman alone and has sought companionship with a widower of similar age. You want this to work.

As Hulda unravels the background to this crime one fears for her safety. The pace quickens but the conclusion left me blind-sided, as new readers will find out for themselves. It sets this book apart from others in the same genre.

Ragnar Jónasson has written a classic crime story, one to be recommended.

A good specimen of Scandi crime, I liked especially the choice of older female protagonist, Hulda, I want to congratulate the writer for bringing in a much needed character for crime fiction (Enough of the smoking, good type of bastard old men detectives)
Although I felt like somethings might be lost in translation, I liked the story and the constant dark mood. I would like to read Jonasson again.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

struggled a little bit with the names of places and some of the characters...but on the whole a brilliant story based in Reykjavik, very picturesque but a murder mystery at its best with a bit of history thrown in.....

several stories that merge to give you an idea of the life and times that people led back in the day and certain stigmas from those times back then that add to the storyline

the detective inspector is due to retire and is being pushed out for younger though not better people but on the eve eve of her leaving she can have any case and she picks a cold case to review, as she investigates she uncovers how incompetent the previous officer had been...but she isnt part of the boys club and it goes down hill from there...

a clever story that keeps you reading till the end, what a surprising ending though