Dark Iceland Books In Order

Publication Order of Dark Iceland Books

The Dark Iceland series is a bestselling series of fiction, thriller, mystery, crime, and Scandinavian literature novels. This series is written by a bestselling author from Iceland named Ragnar Jonasson. Each novel of this series features the chief protagonist in the role of a detective named Ari Thor Arason. In addition to Ari Thor, the author introduces a few other secondary characters who play important roles in carrying the series forward.

This series was originally written in Icelandic and translated into English sometime later. The original publication of the series comprised six books and the first novel is called Folsk Nota. This novel introduces the character of Ari Thor Arason for the first time as a young student of theology who, intrigued by a new clue, decides to look for his father, who mysteriously disappeared many years earlier.

There were some changes made in the order of the books during their publication in English. Book 1 in the English series is book 2 in the original series, and book 2 in the English series is book 6 in the original.

Most of the stories are set in Siglufjordur, known as one of the most beautiful towns in Iceland, and the regions around it. Siglufjordur is depicted by the author as a quiet and idyllic village located in Northern Iceland. One well-known thing about this village is that the people living here do not lock the doors of their houses. The route to the village is not an easy one, as it is accessible only through a small tunnel in a mountain.

The series begins by describing how Ari Thor Arason moves to this village to start his career as a rookie policeman on his very first posting. When he begins his new career in the quiet village of Siglufjordur, he leaves his girlfriend far away in Reykjavik. Ari Thor seems to be carrying an event from his past life along with him wherever he goes, a past that he is unable to forget or leave behind.

The debut book of the Dark Iceland series published in English is entitled Snowblind. It was released by Orenda Books in 2010, following its first release in 2009. The book’s English translation was done by author Quentin Bates.

At the start of this book, a young lady is found half naked, lying in the cold and snowy night. She is unconscious and is bleeding, with some serious wounds. In another tragic event, an elderly and highly esteemed writer is discovered dead in a local theater. When these two cases land on the desk of Detective Arason, he gets pulled into the heart of the Siglufjordur village’s community straightaway.

The worst thing for him as he begins to work on these two cases is that he cannot trust anyone, as he is totally new to the area and has no inkling of the nature of the people around him. A short while into the investigations of both these cases, Ari Thor realizes that lies and secrets are a part of the lives of the people in Siglufjordur.

Because of unremitting snowstorms and an avalanche near Siglufjordur’s mountain pass, the village faces an unavoidable 24-hour darkness. This makes things even more difficult for Ari Thor and threatens to push him over the edge.

As Ari Thor races against time to solve both these cases, his investigation becomes increasingly complex, personal, and chilling, and a time comes when his own past begins to play tag with his present. Ari Thor begins to get the feeling that he is being thrust deeper into the darkness of his own life. The deadly murderer on the loose and the blinding snow only make things more troublesome for him.

This book turns out to be a fast-paced and twisty mystery. Readers have found it entertaining and enjoyable to the end. Many reviewers have noted that the book is character-driven, compelling, and appealing. The writing style of Ragnar Jonasson and attractive setting of the series enhance the reader’s experience, giving the book a unique perspective, with very few novels as intriguing and mysterious as this one. Overall, it seems a complete package and sure to entertain readers with interesting characters and intriguing mystery.

Another exciting book in this series by Ragnar Jonasson is called Blackout. This novel was published by Orenda Books in 2016, after its initial publication in 2011. Once again, Quentin Bates has provided the English translation of this novel from Icelandic.

The central characters of this story as described by Jonasson include Kristin, Ari Thor, Tomas, and Elias Freyson, as well as several others. Jonasson has divided the plot between Siglufjordur, Akureyri, and Reykjavik.

At the beginning of this story, a man is beaten to death very brutally on a bright night in summer, near the tranquil shores of a fjord in the northern region of Iceland. When a young reporter learns about this incident, she sets out from Reykjavik to investigate the murder all by herself. Her journey from Reykjavik to the crime scene turns into a very difficult one because of the 24-hour darkness from an ash cloud, the result of a volcanic eruption in the nearby mountains.

This young reporter seems unaware of the fact that the life of an innocent person is hanging in the balance. On the other hand, Ari Thor and his team of policemen in Siglufjordur struggle with the perplexing case in their hands, and when their personal problems get added to the serious situation at hand, they feel pushed to the extremes of their limits.

The questions most troublesome to Ari Thor are what is the secret that the victim was harboring, and what is being hidden by the reporter? Now, as all of them are threatened by unspoken, silent horrors from their pasts, and as the darkness deepens even further, it becomes all the more important for Ari Thor and his team to catch the killer before the life of another innocent victim is taken by him. On the whole, the storyline of this book is engrossing, complex, and dark. It appears to be an atmospheric, exceptional thriller created by this skilled crime writer from Iceland.

One Response to “Dark Iceland”

1. Glenn Simpson: 2 years ago

   I am enjoying this author and his books vw
   very much Just wish the order in which they were written is a little clearer thanks Marg Simpson

   Reply