Sadly this didn't get my attention while reading.
I found the story rather flat at times and the characters either unlikeable or a little boring.
I also found the amount of times Chinese people were mentioned but because Tiddo dislikes them a little uncomfortable. Was there really a need to mention them every 5s at times?

This thriller is about a Dutch couple and their teenage son who go on holiday to Iceland, hopefully to patch up their failing relationship. The novel is narrated by Tiddo, the husband and from the start I was wondering about his reliability. Before they leave he visits his mother but she’s not home and has left him an envelope full of money. Once they’re in Iceland he makes excuses not to ring her and then fakes a phone call after wife, Isa insists. Weird! They stop to pick up a hitchhiker, a young woman and out from nowhere appears a man, Svein who says he’s her boyfriend. This guy is the hitchhiker of the title and he hangs around for a bit increasing Tiddo’s insecurities and anxiety.
It’s a strange story but very readable. It’s more about a man trying to cope with his own issues than a true thriller (I’m not sure Svein was as sinister as Tiddo makes him out to be). The Icelandic landscape is a brilliant backdrop and it works well as a quick, entertaining read.

Thanks to Text publishing and Netgalley for ARC.

This is a psychological thriller from Dutch writer and musician German van der Werf, who is new to me, translated by David Colmer.

Tiddo and his wife Isa take their 13 year old son Jonathan to Iceland, renting a camper van for the trip of a lifetime.
Isa is a scientist, fascinated by the geology of the country. Tiddo is obsessed with saving his marriage. Jonathan just wants to draw dark, weird sketches.
At first Tiddo finds the trip disappointing, with too many tourists on the well travelled tourist routes. Then they pick up a charismatic hitchhiker and things start to get more unpredictable for everyone concerned.
This has a fantastic sense of place - I could smell the geysers, as well as the tourists and the impromptu meals - and a claustrophobic feel despite the wild open scenery. It keeps up the creepy pace, as Tiddo's psyche unravels and he can't quite tell what's rational and what's not and his actions become more erratic, especially as seen by his family.
The ending didn't sit well with me but still an absorbing read.

Tiddo's marriage to his wife, Isa, is on the verge of collapse. His teenage son, Jonathon, is becoming increasingly distant. Tiddo hopes a camper van tour of Iceland will repair his family.
Whilst on their trip, they pick up a hitchhiker, Svein. A charismatic, intimidating Viking, Svein has a massive impact on the whole family, resulting in erratic behaviour from Tiddo.
This book uses the dramatic Icelandic scenery, myths and folklore to create an atmosphere of fear and adventure.
A fascinating book, highly recommended.

Beautiful descriptive piece delving deep into the nature of Iceland and the natural dangers vs those of the unknown hitchhiker who comes in and turns things upside down. A family pulled apart or pieced together by an all knowing Viking-type hunk of a man who challenges each character and their belief of who they are. Psychological thriller with a twisty second half I didn’t see coming.
4*

This author creates well-drawn, complex characters, and knows how to build tension and drama that hold readers to the end.

The premise was good but the book didn't quite live up to my expectations

I enjoyed it as it was tense and there was a lot to unravel with the relationships of those onboard.

I would stil give it three stars however as it was creepy and interesting.

With his marriage to wife Isa on the verge of total collapse and his 13 year-old son Jonathon becoming increasingly withdrawn Dutchman Tiddo hopes that a holiday will prove to be a bonding experience. The family set off for a camper van tour of Iceland ,Tiddo has an envelope full of spending money burning a hole in his pocket from his Mother that Isa doesn't know about......not the only secret he's keeping from her.
Somewhat reluctantly Tiddo picks up a hitchhiker, Swein, good-looking,heavily tattooed .The affable and enigmatic. stranger soon endears himself to the whole family until Tiddo becomes concerned about how close Swein appears to be getting to his wife and child and things begin to unravel dramatically.

This is a fairly short but gripping read as Tiddo travels to increasingly more remote and dangerous places in more ways than one. Author Gerwen van de Werf paints a vivid picture of the bleak and spectacular beauty of Iceland ,something that plays a big part in the story,as do the Icelandic legends that Swein at first entertains then deeply irritatesTiddo with.

Atmospheric and with a creeping sense of impending doom The Hitchhiker at first seems to be going down a predictable route ,for most of part 1 ,I was thinking, "this is a re-write of the old De Niro movie Cape Fear"...........then comes part 2 and I was very wrong..