A superb read and I am really looking forward to the next book, The Mist, in 2020. Hopefully not upsetting any Icelandic folk I am classing this in the Scandinavian group of books. Compared with the usual goods train speed of Scandinavian authors this one is in the high speed grouping but still makes time to explain characters and feelings...
Two murders, separated by 10 years, are cleverly linked together in the story and you are never certain until the end who was responsible for each murder or maybe it was the same person. A wonderful read and definitely not to be missed.

I was a huge fan of Jonasson's first book in the Hidden Iceland series and was thoroughly engaged with his near retirement female detective DI Hulda Hermaannsdottir.
This second book didn't disappoint - although it did take a while to join the plot lines together as by its very format the author had to give us a time lapse back to Hulda's earlier years, more of her personal life and the circumstances which draw her into a young woman's death on the Island of the title.
When four friends visit the island of isolated and rugged island of Ellioaey to commemorate the ten year anniversary of the death of one of their friends the mood is often distinctly volatile and there seem to be many undercurrents. The past lives of Benedikt seem to link him to the murder and Dagur is the son of main suspect (Veturlidi) and sister of the murdered young woman found in the family summer house. Veturlidi's arrest has had a huge impact on his family and the reunion seems to give a premonition of further violence.
Hulda, ten years on also from a personal tragedy that has had implications for her own family is on weekend duty when the death on the island occurs and soon realises not only are there connections, but that her present boss Lydur who is a high flyer in the police had his reputation stamped on the original murder inquiry "All the evidence points to him".
The loneliness of people's lives, including Hulda and the cold bleak scenery, particularly the parts in the western fjords are evocatively described and add to the growing suspense of the plot. The murkiness of police corruption and the tragic fallout from trauma amongst families are a thread throughout this boo.
I enjoyed it, but maybe not quite so much as the first' 'The Darkness''because I had already established Hulda as a character in my imagination and wanted to move her forward, when of course her age and timeline need to be put into context. Surprised no TV company has taken Hulda on as she's a bit of an Icelantic Vera! However the settings and characters pull you into these crimes in Iceland and I'll look out for the next edition in the series with much interest.

Nordic Noir: the second instalment of the Hidden Iceland series

I absolutely loved the first book in this trilogy (The Darkness) and wondered, given the ending, where this would go next. The answer is: to an entirely different period of Hulda Hermannsdottir's police career. For that reason, The Island actually could read as stand-alone novel because it doesn't rely on the reader having any knowledge of the events of the first book.

There are a lot more characters to keep on top of here with multi-narrator perspectives and we go back in time and then forward ten years. This made it at first a little complex, but added to the overall the depth of the mystery. As with The Darkness, there is a cold sense of foreboding that comes partly from the isolated settings and partly from the characters' own iciness.

Without wanting to be overly gushy, this book has restored my faith in reading after a couple of recent harder-going novels that made me think 2019 might not be a good year for me with books. As with The Darkness, this book is both a page-turner and is well-written. There is an incredible build of tension from the first page that compels the reader to stay up all night to solve the mystery. It allows a proper canter through each of the chapters.

It is also worth saying that this is an amazing translation - it is clear, humorous where intended and feels true to the original.

I can't wait for the third and final book in 2020!

‘The Island’ also known as ‘Drungi’ by international best seller Ragnar Jonasson is the second instalment in the Hidden Iceland series.

It is set 10 years before the first instalment ‘The darkness’ also known as ‘Dimma’. This is one of the things I find so compelling about the series. You are told the story in reverse.

The main character, Detective Inspector Hulda (literally meaning, hidden woman) is nearing 50 years of age at this point in her life, she has lost her husband, daughter and most recently her mother. We hear about these tragic loses - some more tragic than others - throughout the series.

We learn more about Hulda’s grief this time around and as a female her need to fight and prove herself to be respected and taken seriously in a male driven profession. She has watched her fellow male colleagues work their way through the ranks while she has had 2 insignificant promotions in spite of having more experience than them all. She is still living in a box flat and driving the same car she’s had for 10 years whilst the men spend the weekends at their holiday homes.

We don’t only learn more about Hulda though, of course there is a gripping double homocide investigation going on throughout. The homocides, like the novels, are set 10 years apart, but involve the same group of friends. Hulda is determined to uncover the truth and may even expose a few snakes along the way.

The Hidden Island series is one of my favourites and there is many a reason why Ragnar Jonasson is a best selling author. His character development and world building is second to none, the detail and research which goes into each case is exceptional and most importantly for me, it is full of twists and turns but stays believable and sincere.

I cannot wait to read the third and final instalment to finally put all the pieces together. This is a series I can see myself reading over and over again but each novel also holds its own as a stand alone novel.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC in return for an honest review. The hidden Iceland series once again exceeded my expectations.

A Nordic noir, D.I. Hulda Hermannsdóttir is tasked with finding the killer of a girl on one of Iceland's desolate islands. She soon finds similiarities with a previous murder that occurred ten years earlier of the dead girl's friend. A brilliant novel and the second featuring Hulda. Full of twists, beautiful Icelandic descriptions and great characters, Ragnar is becoming one of my favourite authors. A must read, thoroughly enjoyable.