I hadn’t heard of Satu Ramo before, but as I’m a fan of Icelandic thrillers, I was excited to read The Grave in the Ice. 
 
I initially struggled getting into the book with the different timelines.  That said, I did settle into the rhythm of the book and the characters and threads became established.
 
I really loved the protagonist, Detective Hildur Rúnarsdottir, a somewhat aloof detective who drives a car called Betty? and surfs in the freezing Atlantic Ocean!  I also really like her trainee Jakob, who originally hails from Finland and is on a Police internship in Iceland. 
 
I liked the gentle rapport and mutual respect these characters had for one another and the support they showed one another through the trying times that they were both going through. 
 
This is the second book in the series, I hadn’t read the first book but felt that it could stand alone.  I will however read the first book now as I believe that I have found a new Icelandic detective series for me to read.
 
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bonnier Books, for making this e-ARC available to me to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.

DNF. Could not get into this at all. Disappointed. Didn't enjoy the writing style. .

I enjoyed The grave in the ice ,a slow moving dark thriller ,you can almost feel the cold reading through this one .Love the story line of their personal lives and history as well .

I had just read the first in this series - The Clues in the Fjord - and enjoyed it a lot so was very pleased to be given a review copy of this, the second in the series, (thanks to the publisher and Netgalley).

I like a detective story with a strong sense of place, and this has just that, being set in the far north west of Iceland, quite cut off from the rest of the country in winter with a tight knit rural community which includes the detective, Hildur. As is often the case with detective series there are ongoing relationships and issues which continue from book to book alongside the standalone mystery - this is no exception. The murder of a local businessman is the standalone and is well-plotted and engaging. Alongside this is the obsession Hildur has with the disappearance years ago of her two small sisters as well as her growing friendship with her Finnish intern - Jakob, whose hobby is knitting intricate jumpers.

This isn't great literature but it's a very readable and enjoyable detective series, and the north west of Iceland definitely gives the strong sense of place I enjoy.