Siglufjördur: an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland where no one locks their doors--accessible only via a small mountain tunnel.
Ari Thór Arason: a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavík--with a past that he's unable to leave behind.
When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theater, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one and secrets and lies are a way of life.
Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts as Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness--blinded by snow and with a killer on the loose.
Taut and terrifying, Snowblind is a startling debut from an extraordinary new talent.
About the Author :
Ragnar Jónasson was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, where he works as a writer and a lawyer and teaches copyright law at Reykjavík University. He has previously worked on radio and television, including as a television news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, and he has, from the age of seventeen on, translated fourteen of Agatha Christie's novels. He is an international number one bestselling author.
Quentin Bates lived in Iceland for ten years before moving back to the United Kingdom in 1990, where he became a full-time journalist at a commercial fishing magazine. He and his wife frequently return to Iceland, where they have many friends, including several in the Reykjavík police.
Will Damron has won several Earphones Awards and been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has had acting roles off-Broadway and on stage and screen throughout the country.
Review :
"Snowblind brings you the chill of a snowbound Icelandic fishing village cut off from the outside world, and the warmth of a really well-crafted and translated murder mystery."
-- "Michael Ridpath, author of Final Venture"
"A chiller of a thriller whose style and pace are influence by Jonasson's admiration for Agatha Christie. It's good enough to share shelf space with the works of Yrsa Sigurdardottir and Arnaldur Indridason, Iceland's crime novel royalty."
-- "Washington Post"
"A classic crime story...first-rate and highly recommended."
-- "Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author"
"A modern Icelandic take on an Agatha Christie-style mystery, as twisty as any slalom."
-- "Ian Rankin, New York Times bestselling author"
"An old-fashioned murder mystery with a strong central character and the fascinating background of a small Icelandic town cut off by snow. Ragnar does claustrophobia beautifully."
-- "Ann Cleeves, bestselling author of Raven Black"
"In this debut novel, Jonasson has taken the locked-room mystery and transformed it into a dark tale of isolation and intrigue that will keep readers guessing until the final page."
-- "Library Journal"
"Jønasson spins an involving tale of small-town police work that vividly captures the snowy setting that so affects the rookie cop. Icelandic noir at its moodiest."
-- "Booklist"
"Jónasson skillfully alternates points of view and shifts of time...The action builds to a shattering climax."
-- "Publishers Weekly (boxed and starred review)"
"Puts a lively, sophisticated spin on the Agatha Christie model, taking it down intriguing dark alleys."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Ragnar Jónasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty--a must-read addition to the growing canon of Iceland Noir."
-- "Peter James, author of Dead Like You"
"The turns of the plot are clever and unexpected, and Ari is a wonderful character to spend time with."
-- "Mystery Scene"
"This classically crafted whodunit holds up nicely, but Jonasson's true gift is for describing the daunting beauty of the fierce setting, lashed by blinding snowstorms that smother the village in 'a thick, white darkness' that is strangely comforting."
-- "New York Times Book Review"
