Darkness

FEATURED IN THE TIMES TOP 100 CRIME NOVELS SINCE 1945

'An intelligent, provocative whodunit with a killer twist' IAN RANKIN

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A body is found off the coast of Iceland.

A cursory police investigation calls it suicide. She's just another statistic, soon forgotten.

But not by Reykjavik Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir.

Difficult and unconventional, Hulda is being forced into early retirement.

Offered one last cold case to investigate she chooses Elena's.

And when she discovers another woman vanished at a similar time, she believes a killer roams free.

With days before she's stripped of her badge, can Hulda catch the killer alone?

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THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

'Superb . . . chilling . . . one of the greatest tragic heroines of contemporary detective fiction' Sunday Times

'Outstanding' Daily Mail

'Expertly plotted, with an ending that's a true shocker' Guardian

'Magnificently dark and twisted and that ending - blimey!' C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man

Review: An intelligent, provocative whodunit with a killer twist * Ian Rankin *

Superb * 100 Best Crime Novels since 1945, The Times *

Icelandic detective Hulda Hermannsdottir is the best tragic heroine our reviewer has read for years * The Times, Must Read List *

A superb thriller * Summer Reads, The Sunday Times *

A complex, fascinating mix of Icelandic community and alienation, atmospheric tension, and timely issues (immigrant exploitation and vigilante justice), Jonasson's latest series is another must-read for crime fans who follow the work of Arnaldur Indridason and Yrsa Sigurdardottir * Booklist *

I've ONLY recently discovered the extraordinary Icelandic writer who adds several shades of darkness to Nordic noir . . . it builds to a deeply shocking climax -- Anthony Horowitz * Daily Mail, Ten Thrillers to Die For *

If you have ever doubted the appropriateness of the phrase 'Nordic noir', The Darkness will dispel any hesitation . . . in what way this happens (and how badly) is the strength of the book. There are ever-darker surprises, culminating in a finish that leaves one with a highly disturbing image. -- BOOK OF THE WEEK * The Press *

The wait was worthwhile and The Darkness first in the new trilogy, is a very efficient piece of work. Jonasson has the full measure of the Nordic noir genre, and pushes all the requisite buttons * Barry Forshaw, Financial Times *

To read Ragnar Jonasson is to plunge into snowy Iceland . . . much of its atmosphere and subtle pacing to the traditional 'golden age' detective fiction as the mystery unfolds and builds to a startling climax, elegantly handled. * The Witness *

Superb . . . Chilling . . . and establishes her as a great tragic heroine of modern detective fiction -- Joan Smith * Crime Book of the Month, Sunday Times *

Outstanding series debut . . . builds to its stunning conclusion, one of the more remarkable in recent crime fiction * Publishers Weekly *

The Darkness melds an insightful character study with a solid plot for an outstanding novel * Washington Post *

The perfect territory for mystery [writers] * New York Times *

It's shockingly sinister and has an ending that will leave you, literally, gasping for breath * Crimesquad *

The ending really took my breath away and that's hard for writers to do to me these days . . . It was a complete surprise and I should have seen it coming and I didn't. [Hulda] is a fantastic, complex 3D character and I want to see more of her, so hurray, this is the first of a three book series * Ian Rankin on the Simon Mayo Podcast *

The Darkness will have you burning the midnight oil till 2:00am. It's a gloriously compelling yarn, whose spell continues to hold even when you've turned its final page thanks to its unexpected ending. I can't wait for his next * Reader review *

Expertly plotted, with an ending that's a true shocker, The Darkness is the first book in a trilogy featuring this engaging investigator, which is good news * Book of the Month, Guardian *

Chilling - a must-read * Peter James *

Page-turning stuff with an unexpected ending! * James Swallow, bestselling author of Nomad *

Was gripped from the start of this brilliantly told story. And left wide-eyed with shock at the ending * Fiona Barton, bestselling author of The Widow *

A true masterpiece . . . a plot full of twists and turns and an ending that leaves you gasping for air * Yrsa Sigurdardottir *

As chilling as the nip in the Icelandic air * Choice Magazine *

Crime fiction has never seen a character quite like Hulda Hermannsdoittir; nor a series launch so entirely willing to take risks and obliterate long-standing tropes . . . There is no doubt that The Darkness will rank as one of the most popular and powerful reading experiences of the year * Bolo Books Review *

Breathtaking. Read it in two sittings. Yet another instant Ragnar Jonasson classic * Thomas Enger, bestselling author of the Henning Juul series *

The Darkness is a bullet train of a novel, at once blazingly contemporary and Agatha-Christie old-fashioned. With prose as pure and crisp as Reykjavik snowcrust, Ragnar Jonasson navigates the treacherous narrative with a veteran's hand. I reached the end with adrenalized anticipation, the final twist hitting me in the face. I dare you not to be shocked. * Gregg Hurwitz *

The Darkness is Ragnar Jonasson at the top of his game - deft plotting, a great central character and a story as chilling as the Icelandic winter. I couldn't put it down * William Ryan, author of The Holy Thief *

It had an intense, visceral sense of place and the connection between the emotional lives of the character and the landscape was evoked beautifully * Helen Callaghan, bestselling author of Dear Amy *

It will get your pulse racing, and keep you hooked to the last page * Simon Kernick of The Bone Field series *

Magnificently dark and twisted and that ending - blimey! * C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man *

As chilling as the nip in the Icelandic air * Choice Magazine *

Superb. . . chilling . . . This is the first volume in Jonasson's Hidden Iceland trilogy, which tells Hulda's story in reverse chronological order and establishes her as one of the great tragic heroines of contemporary detective fiction * Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month *

Expertly plotted, with an ending that's a true shocker, The Darkness is the first book in a trilogy featuring this engaging investigator, which is good news * The Guardian *

Magnificently dark and twisted! That ending - blimey! * C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man *

A sympathetic yet entirely unsentimental portrait of a flawed but decent detective seeking justice for a murdered Russian asylum seeker * Sunday Times Crime Club *