I thought this was a very good book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the characters and the politics. The story spans a long period of time but this is very relevant. Would highly recommend.

Loved the 80's setting, don't expect the usual dark and atmospheric overtones of Iceland as a character in this book, do enjoy a good story, simply told.

I found this a very absorbing novel. The mystery was well done, the characters worked well, and the steady investigation was convincing overall. I also found the setting fascinating, the time and place that made me really think about our perceptions of places and how people lived. The issue of TV stations choice, and housing, were actually as absorbing as the storyline. I loved the two voices, they worked perfectly and while i was genuinely sad to lose one, the other was equally good. Overall, a good mystery that worked really well.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy of this book. I really enjoy this author’s books, though this one was co-written, and the atmosphere created by the Icelandic setting. A good read!

With thanks to the author, publishers Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I am a fan of Ragnar Jónasson‘s work, having thoroughly enjoyed all previous books of his that I have read, and this collaboration with Katrin was no different.

A cold-case investigation in a chilling setting in both senses of the word, a plot expertly woven by the two authors, and a wonderful twist at the end of the story made this a very satisfying and exciting read, and one that I would be happy to recommend to other readers.

Ragnar is a go to author for me and this book was no different. I wasn’t sure how it would be with him writing as a duo but you couldn’t tell at all. Captivating and chilling set in the perfect location. The setting and writing gave me goosebumps. I can’t wait for his next book already.

Great mystery and I love a cold case investigation, it always adds another level to a fresh case.

The joint forces of the two authors clearly works and I really enjoyed this slow burner.

Well written and enjoyable.

I adore these two authors. I get immersed into the cold the ice and the dark light of the settings.
Nordic characters always seem to have an extra facet to their personalities which I find fascinating .
Thankyou

This is the third book I have read by Ragnar Jonasson and probably the least enjoyable .The story is ok and well plotted but it it unfolds too slowly and the prose is rather simple perhaps due to the translation.
That being said once I got into it I found I needed to continue to the finish which was rather well hidden.

Iceland, 1956. Fifteen year old Lára spends the summer working on the small island of Videy, just off the coast of Reykjavík. One day she just disappears without a trace. The mystery becomes Iceland‘s most infamous unsolved case. What happened to the young girl? Is she still alive? Did she leave the island, or did something happen to her there? 

1986 Reykjavík prepares to celebrate its 200th anniversary, journalist Valur Robertsson begins his own investigation into Lára's case. But as he draws closer to discovering the secret, it soon becomes clear that Lára's disappearance is a mystery that someone will stop at nothing to keep unsolved... 

‘As far as he knew, they had been the only three people on the island, then suddenly there had been only two of them left. It reminded him of a whodunit he’d once read by Agatha Christie.’

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, I have read some of Ragnar Jónasson’s books before and really enjoyed them but teamed up with the prime minister of Iceland? I wasn’t sure…

‘Yeah, right….Like anyone would want to read a detective story set in Iceland.’

Happily, this book was just brilliant, it has a really good old fashioned storytelling quality to it in the vein of Christie, a proper murder mystery rooted in the past. I enjoyed following Valur and his sister as they tried to piece together what happened to Lara the missing girl. They are dogged in their pursuit of the truth.

‘someone had wanted to prevent him from revealing the truth.’

I enjoyed the descriptions of Iceland, I did a bit of Google mapping to see where these places are and place myself in the story to a degree.
Stories like these where you have to look to the past for clues and answers are ones that I find so engaging, especially as connections and relationships between the characters become important. There are plenty of red herrings and twists and I was fooled as per usual!

A very cool Icelandic noir mystery for winter nights!

I do enjoy Ragnar Jonasson. This didn’t disappoint.

It started in 1956 with the disappearance of Lara Marteinsdottir. As the police try to investigate, All routes to solving what happened are closed. It becomes Iceland’s greatest unsolved case.

In 1986, a young journalist reopened the case, determined to get to the answer. Then tragedy strikes and his sister takes up the case, leading to a book of intrigue, power and corruption. Brilliant from start to finish.

In 1959 fifteen year old Lara had a summer job working for a prestigious couple on a small island close to Reykjavik. She left the island to return home and was never seen again. The police never discovered what happened to Lara and whether she was alive or not. Thirty years later Valur, a reporter, picks up the story and tries to find out what happened to Lara. In the background Reykjavik is celebrating its 200th anniversary and an important meeting of world leaders is about to take place in the city.
I have enjoyed many of Ragnar Jonasson's previous novels and this new novel which was written in collaboration with Katrin Jakobsdottir is no exception, an excellent novel.

I normally love Ragnar Jónasson’s books, but I think this one is my least favourite. I really liked the storyline and I was surprised by the ending. There was a time when I thought I had predicted the ending but I was wrong. However, I think this book could have been much shorter, as some things felt really dragged out, and some parts felt irrelevant. It also felt very slow at times. I normally love books set in snowy settings as it adds to the suspense, however I feel like this book lacked that. I will still read Ragnar Jónasson’s future books as I love his writing, but I did feel disappointed by this one.

3,5 ⭐️

I’ve read and loved several of Ragnar Jónasson’s books. He is, in my opinion, one of the top names in the Nordic Noir genre, so I was eager to read his latest offering, Reykjavik, written in collaboration with Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir. Although I enjoyed it overall, it was not at the same level as some of his previous work.

What happened to Lára? That’s the question Iceland has been trying to answer for the past 30 years. She disappeared in 1956 from the small island of Videy. Gone without a trace, her disappearance became the most infamous case in the country. In 1986, a journalist will start his own investigation, which will draw him closer to discovering the secret that had a country in tenterhooks for decades.

Reykjavik works fine as a classical whodunnit (a girl gone missing, an isolated setting with only three people on it. What happened to her?), but it lacks some of the main traits I’ve come to expect and love in this genre. Jónasson is a master at creating cloying and oppressive atmospheres and settings, but this time, although there were some interesting descriptions, it felt like something was missing. His books always make me feel cold and claustrophobic, but this time it all fell a bit flat for me.

The story has a pretty slow build, nevertheless it still managed to hold my attention thanks to some clever twists. There was a surprising event halfway through that gave a jolt to the story. It was also a nice touch to weave into the mystery the historical context of the time, with the Gorbachev/Reagan summit in Reykjavik that could mean the end of the Cold War.

There were quite a lot of characters, but I missed some development in most of them. Only the two main characters are fully fleshed out, and it would have been nice, at least, to learn a bit more about Lára, as the whole story revolves around her.

Although not my favorite by him, it was still a pleasant read. I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

15 year old Lara has disappeared back in 1956 and the mystery is taken up by local journalist Valur Robertson. He writes a series of articles relating to the disappearance and his instincts tell him to dig deeper and try to solve the mystery, at least to give her parents some closure.

The book goes back to 1956 and then back to the current day. People can remember the case and are eager to find out what has happened to Lara.

Valur is close to the truth, perhaps too close! No spoilers but you will want to fight his corner!

This is a great addition to Nordic Noir; I have enjoyed all of Ragnar Jonasson's Dark Iceland and Hidden Iceland series; this new book in collaboration with Katrin Jakobsdottir (Prime Minister of Iceland no less) does not disappoint and I look forward to more from the duo!

In 1959 fifteen year old Lara went to spent her summer working for a prestigious couple on a small island close to Reykjavik. She disappeared & her case is something that has haunted & intrigued the city. The policeman in charge of investigation seemed to have hampered at all attempts to discover what had happened but it is a case he can never quite forget & a puzzle that haunts him for many years. Valur is a keen young journalist & the story of Lara intrigues him. As the thirtieth anniversary of her disappearance draws close he becomes determined to find the answers, but when a tragedy occurs Valur's sister steps up to try & solve the mystery.

This was a story that drew me in. The Rekjavik of 1989 is a place of change, celebrating its 200th anniversary & an important meeting between world leaders. The authors captured the sense of place & time very well. I enjoyed this one. Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for letting me read & review this book.

I thank the publisher and Net Galley for proving a copy of this book in return for a fair and unbiased review.
I enjoyed this book, being sucked in by the short chapters at the start, recounting the initial disappearance of a young girl on a remote island and the lack of progress of the investigation over the decades and then the relaunched investigation by a young investigative journalist, which takes a surprising twist. The writing is clear and well translated to a fluent English, whilst retaining a Nordic feel. The title is appropriate as the growing city plays a key role in the plot development. The main characters are engaging and the minor characters well delineated, A very satisfying piece of storytelling.

Many thanks to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Reykjavik is a stunning novel that had me hooked from start to end. You could never have known this was written by two authors as the structure, plot and characters were seamlessly crafted. Icelandic-Noir is one of my favourite genres and this book certainly didn't disappoint! The setting should always be a main character for me and this one did it the justice it deserved. Loved everything about it and it will be one of the very few books I'll certainly re-read in the future!

During lockdown Ragnar Jonasson paired with Katrin Jakobsdottir to write Reykjavik. The story involves the disappearance of Lara, a 15 year old who vanished after leaving her job as a maid on the island of Videy in 1956. This case has long fascinated the Icelanders and haunts Kristján Kristjánsson who, as a young detective, was sent to the island to investigate. Enter Valur and his sister Sunna who have been fascinated by the case since childhood. The story moves forward to 1986 and Valur is now a journalist determined to solve the mystery of Lara’s unexplained disappearance. It’s not long before Valur senses a conspiracy of silence that ends in tragic circumstances. His sister Sunna and his girlfriend Margret pair up to solve the case. The story suffers from a clunky translation which results in Sunna coming across as uncaring at times when she clearly adored her brother though the reader gains an insight into the customs and culture of Reykjavik from the 1950s to the 1980s. Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for the eARC.

Received direct from marketing manager at Penguin and via Netgalley for honest read and review.This review was my own.
I have read other books by Jonasson so was pleased to be offered this one to read.
I must admit I do like Scandinavian Noir books and this one was no different.
A great story centered around A small island and a young girl helping out.
It flowed quite well and all of the characters were really good.