This is my first book by Ragnar Jónasson. I discovered after I’d read it that it’s the second in his Hidden Iceland series – but I had no difficulty reading it as a standalone novel. It begins with a Prologue that indicates that the main story has elements of horror as well as mystery. It’s unsettling and sinister.

Four friends visit the isolated island of Elliðaey off the coast of Iceland, ten years after the murder of a fifth friend, Katla, but only three of them return. One of them, Klara, fell to her death from a cliff – but did she jump or was she pushed? Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir is sent to investigate. She realises that there are similarities with the death of Katla. A suspect had been charged, but had committed suicide before the verdict was announced and the case had been closed. But are the two murders connected, even though they are ten years apart?

Hulda is an interesting character, with a back story that is only partly revealed in this book. Her name means ‘hidden woman‘. The first book in the series dealt with her later life, with this second book going back in time to her earlier life. In The Island she lives alone, her mother having recently died and there is a mystery about her father. She only knows that he was an American soldier and part of the novel records her search for him. It’s a police procedural, so Hulda’s somewhat fractious relationships with her colleagues also form part of the story.

The narrative also switches between the deaths of the two young women ten years apart, told from the various characters’ perspectives. They present an intricate mystery that Hulda gradually unravels, sifting through the lies that the suspects tell her. It’s not a fast-paced novel, but it is full of suspense and foreboding, set against the beautiful and dramatic Icelandic landscape. One by one I suspected each character, unsure who to believe. I loved it!

My thanks to the publishers, Penguin UK Michael Joseph for my review copy via NetGalley.

The author cleverly gives us the background and the setting of this story without a lot of long descriptive prose, so that we understand the slightly spooky setting and what brought these people to the island without being distracted from the story. This is not a book which is jam-packed with action segments, but it is well written, absorbing, with good characters and plenty of twists in the story. The ending who-done-it is not an obvious one, for which I thank the author.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to any sequels.

I didn't realise that this is the second book of a trilogy so now I think I will need to get the first one! However it didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the book. Beautifully descriptive writing and a plot with twists and turns aplenty to keep one guessing till the end. Well done also to the translator.

Well I am a little disappointed with this. I was hoping for something more interesting and entertaining than this really.

The story starts well enough, with a young couple going to a holiday cabin in Iceland. Katla, the young lady in question, is discovered dead a few days later. Apparently alone there is a mystery as to who killed her. An arrest soon follows and after a bit of corrupt police work the 'murderer' is apprehended - and that brings the prologue to a close. The story then shifts forward 10 years with Katla's friends having a 'memorial' trip to one of the Icelandic islands. And this is where the story gets weird and disjointed. There is another death, lots of lies and secrets, a detective who doesn't appear to know how to interview people or follow procedures and a strangely shifting time line that left me very confused.

This could have been a really good story because all the ingredients were here but the whole thing was really mishandled. I don't know if it is a translation problem but it just seemed disjointed and awkward.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bit of a weird book this one, but more over how it was done. The storyline itself was good but it was over half way through the book before it actually got up and running, so you almost felt cheated that it didn't last long.

I have to confess that I didn’t take to Hulda Hermannsdottir when I first encountered her in Ragnar Jónasson’s previous book, The Darkness, but that that all changed this time - she is my new Nordic crimefighting crush. The Island is moody, dark, mysterious and full of surprises -much like Iceland itself. It is a great read and the tormented but compassionate Hulda is a really brilliant heroine.

Looking forward to the next book in the series, which I understand will be called The Mist.

Many thanks to Penguin, to Mr Jónasson and to NetGalley for letting me read this terrific book.

Straightforward and plain descriptions and explication aside (I like a bit more finesse, but I guess this is translation anyway), the story line accumulates amidst present and past histories .. police have personal agendas, and that's a strong theme in this one where a cop is shot at a known drug users venue. It's eerie too that we know police man's wife's worries about friendship before he does .. three story is a big one, and ambitious, and I really appreciated its scope. Just maybe a bit clogged in the telling..

The second book in his Hidden Iceland series, Ragnar Jonasson’s book is pretty much everything you would expect from a Scandi crime novel. In an interesting take on a trilogy, the books actually go back in time, so this one is set some 15 years before the first one (The Darkness), with the last book (The Mist) due out next year and being set 10 years before this one.

Two deaths ten years apart rock a group of friends to the core. The first hundred or so pages focus on the run up to the first death, Katla, at a summer house in the West Fjords. We then meet up with a group of four friends who take a trip to the remote island of Ellidaey, off the south coast of Iceland, to mark the ten-year anniversary of her death. These friends include Dagur, brother of the first victim, and Benni, whom we saw with Katla in the summer house earlier. Dagur’s father had been arrested for the murder but, for reasons I won’t go into without spoiling the plot, it didn’t go to court. On the island one of the four meets an untimely end, and the police start to investigate. Our trusty cop is Inspector Hulda Hermannsdotir, rapidly approaching her fiftieth birthday (and who, in the first book of the series, is approaching her retirement.) Hulda has her own ghosts to struggle with: totally alone, she has lost her daughter and her husband within the last ten years. Of course, it is ten years since she lost her daughter, so a combination of the two cases will obviously make memories resurface….

As I say, this is pretty much your standard Scandi crime book: lots of moody scenery, secrets aplenty, a bit of police corruption, and a cop with personal issues. I found it a quick, easy read, and this should appeal to fans of the genre. It gets tied up a little too neatly at the end, I thought, and didn’t fully explain exactly why things worked out the way they did. But still, the central character is interesting enough and the time-reversal trilogy is an interesting idea. Decent enough – probably a good summer read for the beach.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

Absolutely incredible story.

I loved the detail used by the author to describe the environments and situations.

I did not realise this was a trilogy and didn't read the first novel before this one and it was easy to follow. However it was such a good read i will be purchasing the first one and have the new one on pre-order.

I definitely recommend reading this book. It kept me guessing throughout and once i thought I'd read the plot twist, it twisted again.

Even the epilogue had a twist!

Icelandic culture has a great history of storytelling and there is a reverence for books and reading that seems to be lacking in other modern European countries. I think this is why there have been so many fantastic Icelandic authors coming to the fore in recent years. The Island is the second book in Ragnar Jónasson’s Hidden Island series. In the first book we were introduced to Hulda Hermannsdottir. A police detective at the end of the career, a bravely tragic figure who has survived the worst that life can throw at you.

In The Island we step back to 1997 when Hulda is still trying to prove herself against her male counterparts. Despite an incredible work ethic and good detective skills she is being passed over for promotion. At fifty she knows that she needs to push herself forward now. It is unusual for a series to step backwards in time but in this case it really works. As a specialist in homicides and sudden deaths in a country where murder is still quite uncommon she is called in by the Western Isles police to investigate a death on a remote island.

A group of four old friends has gone out to an island for a weekend reunion. When they wake up in the morning one of them is dead. Hulda needs to work out if it is an accident, suicide or murder. The suspect pool is very small and she soon realises that the relationships between the four friends were not as they seemed.

If you are looking for a high octane thriller you are in the wrong place. Jónasson is so good at creating a real sense of place, of making you feel like you have been uprooted and dropped right into the bleak Icelandic countryside. You can practically smell the sulphur as he describes the outdoor hot springs, the rugged landscape and the soaring birdlife on the little island. His writing is highly emotive, drawing you in to the small circle of characters and making you feel like involved in the action.

At the end of my review copy there is a little teaser chapter for book three which will be out next March. I can’t wait!

Supplied by Net Galley and Penguin UK in exchange for an unbiased review.

#TheIsland #NetGalley

I adored the first book in the series (that ending!!) and enjoyed this no less. Told back to front this is a really different series and one of the more readable Icelandic mysteries I have read. With a fantastically clever main character this was captivating!!
Recommended to anyone looking for a mystery with something a little different.

This is the second installment in the Hidden Iceland series, about police detective Hulda Hermannsdottir, after book one The Darkness.

The story starts with a romantic break at a remote summerhouse for a young couple, from which only one will return. The girl will be found dead in a pool of blood, but no one will realise that a boyfriend had even been present.
Instead the murder will be blamed upon the girl's father - a secret drinker - and the police will be determined to make sure he is found guilty of the crime. Even if this means bending the truth a little.
The result will be the tragic end of an innocent man.

Ten years later, a group of four young friends visit a remote island that is cut off from the outside world. One of them will not make it off the island alive and it is Hulda's job to find out what happened - especially when she discovers that they are all linked to the murder of the girl ten years ago. What really happened on the island and were the murders committed by the same person?

There are three books in the Hidden Iceland series and the first two have definitely been dark and chilling. Both have played with the idea of the wild, remote, bleak, and lonely places away from the bright lights of Reykjavik - where dark deeds can happen without anyone knowing - the "hidden" side of the country. Ragnar Jonasson really transports you to these locations and makes you feel cold inside as well as out!

Interestingly, the books are written in a time line that goes backwards through Hulda's life, so this book takes place before the events in The Darkness.
This is a really interesting concept and screws with your mind a lot, as Hulda is talking about events in her personal life that your already have knowledge about and know the outcome of. It is a bit like deliberately reading the books in the wrong order - something I would much prefer not to do. Very twisted and almost voyeuristic - definitely creepy.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series, to see where it all begins.

A bleak tale dominated by the stark landscape of Iceland that seems to overshadow the culture of its people. The story starts with snippets of events from the past of a murder and the arrest of the killer. Ten years onward an expedition of four young people to a desolate Icelandic off Shore Island results in the death of one of them. A seemingly accident is proved to be murder. There after the tale centres on the investigation of the murder and its possible links with the past and as to a perhaps mischarge of justice. To begin with its a bit bewildering as to what its all about and it’s easy to lose tract of relationships due to the strange Icelandic names of the characters involved but apart from a short side tract it gallops along towards the end as everything is tied together..

Wooden and rather obvious

This is the second murder mystery in the series featuring Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir (translated by Victoria Cribb). Four friends spend a few days on a deserted island to get together 10 years after the murder of a fifth friend. Three friends leave the island alive, the other leaves in a body bag. Was it an accident or murder? Is the unexplained death related to that of her friend 10 years prior? Hulda is sent to investigate and find the answers.

The book starts with a prologue which appears, on the face of it, to have nothing to do with the main story. Of course, as you would expect, it plays a significant role in solving the puzzle although it's a clumsy attempt and soon forgotten until the final pages. Good luck using this information if you end up reading the book but be assured it's by no means a spoiler.

Let me be quite clear from the start. Unlike the majority of readers, I did not enjoy the book. Many did and I am almost a lone voice in the crowd but will attempt to explain why I struggled to get through the novel.

Hulda is not a person who could be considered successful. She has been overlooked in the police force and carries so much personal baggage that it's a wonder she can function in any capacity. She has no friends and no money and is not a person I would want to get to know. That sounds shallow, but it's purely based on the premise that I believe that surrounding oneself with positive people enhances one's life whereas someone like Hulda drags one down with her into the abyss of self-pity. She seems to wallow in her failure, and I am a great believer that the more successful stories include characters who the reader can relate to. Additionally, the writing has been compared to that of Agatha Christie, who I consider to be vastly overrated. She often relied on the investigator knowing some key fact of which the reader is unaware and this author’s style is very similar in that respect.

The dialogue is clunky and overblown and does not attribute to the reader basic intelligence which most of us possess. There is also far too much detail in some areas and a paucity in others to the point where I felt the text was almost like bullet points. A balance between the two in all sections would have been welcome. The actions of some of the characters did not ring true, and apart from Hulda herself, all characters were two dimensional.

It’s not a book I can recommend but don’t take my word for it. Read it and make up your own mind – you may love it and be in agreement with most other reviewers. It was just not for me.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Despite this being the second book in ‘The Hidden Island’ series this book on it’s own is entirely capable of being read as a standalone. I personally haven’t read the first book in the series and at no point whilst reading this book did I feel that I was missing out parts.

I absolutely love books set in Iceland and it’s probably one of my most favourite places to have a crime thriller set. The fact that murder in Iceland is statistically quite low means that when a murder does happen it’s that much more sinister. I love being transported to the isolated regions of Iceland and picturing the mountains and desolate landscape.

This book is set in two parts, the events from 1987 when a young girl visits her summer home in the isolated regions of Iceland but unfortunately never returns, and then 10 years later, when her four friends reunite, and again, one of them unfortunately doesn’t return.

I really enjoyed how the author cast suspicion over various different characters as the story progressed. At first I was thinking it was one person, and then a few chapters later I started thinking it was someone else. Nothing ever really added up until the end.

Hulda is the lead detective investigating the crimes and she is a woman attempting to break the glass ceiling of female policing in Iceland. This book is set back in 1997 so I would like to think that the times have changed since then, but Hulda has been passed over for promotion by her male counterparts on numerous occasions and she feels like she has to work twice as hard to prove herself. I really enjoyed reading along with Hulda as she diligently investigated the murder leaving no stone unturned and she is very much a character I wanted to see succeed.

I throughly enjoyed curling up on the sofa on these unseasonably cold April days recently and being transported to Iceland along with Hulda. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for the next instalment in this series.

The Island is my introduction to Ragnar Jónasson books and I will definitely read more books by him. The book isn't especially thick, which was very nice for a change. Also, I felt that the size was perfect for the story. There was no need to fill it out with unnecessary dialogue or descriptions. The pacing is very good and I partly read and partly listened to the audiobook version (which I recommend). Storywise was the book interesting, especially since there aren't that many suspects in the case since there were only three people on the island. It's the connections to the case of the brutal murder of a girl ten years ago that makes this story extra interesting to read. Also, I love reading a book set in Iceland, need to read more books set in Iceland. Especially since I love books set on islands.

Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir is a great character and her family story is very tragic with the death of her husband and daughter years ago. In this book, is she trying to locate her father who she has never met since her mother never wanted to talk about him. I'm looking forward to reading the first book to find out more about Hulda. The island is a great thriller and I recommend the book warmly!

An intriguing thriller with lots of background to the main characters. Lots of good ideas and an easy read, potentially this could be a series to follow.

Excellent Scandinavia thriller. I enjoyed the Icelandic setting and Hulda, the detective was an interesting character. I would recommend this book.

Hulda is investigating the death of a young woman at a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere. It comes ten years after their friend was brutally murdered. Her father was found guilty and committed suicide but did he really do it and who killed her friend ten years later.

This is the second in the series following Hulda. This was a really good story once I got into it. It took some following at the beginning with various things happening especially the babysitting scene but it all comes together in the end. The plot was good and the murder interesting. I did figure it out before the end except one of the twists that was very clever.
I look forward to the next book.

Gripping thriller set in Iceland. A girl is killed at her family's holiday home and a man is arrested. Ten years later four of her friends meet on a deserted island to celebrate her life and acknowledge her death. One of them dies in what seems like a fall.

Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir is called in to investigate and confirm that the death was accidental and in doing so she uncovers unresolved issues from the earlier murder.

I was hooked until the end and kept in suspense over who the guilty party might be. Hulda Hermannsdóttir is a well developed character and there are still plenty of questions to be answered about her in future books.

Well worth a read if you enjoy Skandi Noir, the Shetland series and suchlike suspense novels.