The Darkness

The Darkness is a bullet train of a novel, at once blazingly contemporary and Agatha-Christie old-fashioned. With prose as pure and crisp as Reykjavik snowcrust, Ragnar Jónasson navigates the treacherous narrative with a veteran's hand. I reached the end with adrenalized anticipation, the final twist hitting me in the face. I dare you not to be shocked

Gregg Hurwitz, Sunday Times bestselling author of Orphan X

The Darkness is a true masterpiece of a crime novel, introducing an original protagonist, a plot full of twists and turns and an ending that leaves you gasping for air

Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, author of the bestselling Thora Gudmundsdottir crime series

A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens... first rate and highly recommended

Lee Child, on, Snowblind

A very good book, gripping and interesting, with all the threads carefully managed. Hopefully the author will publish as many books as possible with lead character Hulda

Vikan Magazine, on The Island

Another masterpiece from the King of Icelandic Noir

Thomas Enger, bestselling author of the Henning Juul series

Ragnar Jónasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty - a must-read addition to the growing canon of Iceland Noir

Peter James

Seductive ... 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

Praise for Ragnar Jónasson

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The ending hits the reader like a kick in the stomach

FRÉTTATIMINN ****

The threads lie in various places, the plot is well woven and the pieces in the puzzle come together well in the end. The structure is good, the main characters are believable, the story flows well, everyone is a suspect á la Agatha Christie and the solution unveils the mystery and leads the readers to the truth. But not all the truth, as some things are better left hidden

Morgunbladid (Icelandic newspaper)

The Darkness is Ragnar Jónasson at the top of his game - deft plotting, a great central character and a story as chilling as the Icelandic winter. I couldn't put it down

William Ryan, author of The Holy Thief

Was gripped from the start of this brilliantly told story. And left wide-eyed with shock at the ending

Fiona Barton, bestselling author of The Widow

A modern take on Agatha Christie-­-style mystery, as twisty as any slalom . . .

Ian Rankin, on, Snowblind

Distinctive blend of Nordic noir and golden age detective fiction...atmospheric...economical and evocative prose

The Guardian on Nightblind

Hulda Hermannsdottir is a welcome addition to the selection of Icelandic crime fiction protagonists . . . It is almost impossible to put the book down until the last word has been read

Fréttablaðið ****

Jonasson's books have breathed new life into Nordic noir ...all the skilful plotting of an old-fashioned whodunit although it feels bitingly contemporary in setting and tone

Sunday Express

No country associated with the label Nordic noir is as bleak, cold, snowy and empty as Iceland. And no crime writer portrays those elements as evocatively and scarily as Ragnar Jonasson

The Times

Out of all of Ragnar's books, this is the one I like the most . . . The book of his which reminds me most of Agatha Christie

Kiljan, on The Island

Unbearably sinister

Helen Callaghan, bestselling author of Dear Amy

It will get your pulse racing and keep you hooked to the last page

Simon Kernick of The Bone Field series

Magnificently dark and twisted! That ending - blimey!

C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man

Page-turning stuff with an unexpected ending!

James Swallow

A sympathetic yet entirely unsentimental portrait of a flawed but decent detective seeking justice for a murdered Russian asylum seeker

Sunday Times Crime Club

Expertly plotted, with an ending that's a true shocker, The Darkness is the first book in a trilogy featuring this engaging investigator, which is good news

The Guardian

Superb. . . chilling . . . This is the first volume in Jonasson's Hidden Iceland trilogy, which tells Hulda's story in reverse chronological order and establishes her as one of the great tragic heroines of contemporary detective fiction

Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month

Crime fiction has never seen a character quite like Hulda Hermannsdóittir; nor a series launch so entirely willing to take risks and obliterate long-standing tropes . . . There is no doubt that The Darkness will rank as one of the most popular and powerful reading experiences of the year.

BOLO Books Review

As chilling as the nip in the Icelandic air

Choice Magazine