Today is my stop on the blog tour for Whiteout by Ragnar Jonasson. This is the fifth book in the Dark Iceland series which is a series I have enjoyed reading. In Whiteout detective Ari Thor is back to investigate a sinister death taking place just two days before Christmas…
The victim in this novel is a young woman who is found dead beneath the cliffs in the deserted village of Kalfshamarvik. Some believe the death to be suicide, particularly considering that the victim’s mother and sister also lost their lives at the same spot, some twenty-five years earlier. It appears it could be a case of a tragic history repeating itself. However, when further tragedy befalls the village, it soon becomes a race against time to get to the bottom of the mystery, and to prevent a rising death toll as a killer is on the loose. To do this, Ari Thor, along with fellow detective Tomas, must delve deeper into the dark history of the village, exposing long buried secrets in the process. The sinister circumstances behind the death, and the sense of unease surrounding the village made for a gripping read.
As with previous books in the Dark Iceland series, Whiteout is a perfectly paced and atmospheric story. The winter setting and approaching festive season add to the haunting feel of the writing, as the true extent of the tragedy gradually emerges. Jonasson’s writing creates a vivid picture of the harsh Icelandic winter, and the abandoned village setting with its lighthouse and its precarious cliffside all add to the sense of foreboding that is typical of this series. As the story progressed, I became more and more keen to find out who could have been responsible for such a crime, and the story becomes increasingly complex and layered.
As with previous books in this series, I really enjoyed Whiteout and found it to be a tense and gripping crime novel. Within its pages is a well plotted story filled with interesting characters, set within a haunting atmosphere. It is another impressive addition to a fantastic series.
Whiteout was published in paperback on 1st November 2017 by Orenda Books. Many thanks to Anne Cater and Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books for providing a copy for review and for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour.
This review is written as part of the Whiteout blog tour. You can check out the other stops on the tour on the dates and blogs below!
the owl on the bookshelf 
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