Janet 's Reviews > Snowblind

I was seeing Snowblind everywhere. All over social media it was being talked about and I was kindly given an actual copy by the publisher which totally made my day .... so a huge thanks for that.

The book reads like an old fashioned whodunnit with great characterisations, twisty plotting that doesn't give much away and great place settings. It tells the story of Ari Thor, a newly qualified police officer, who accepts a position of work in a remote part of Iceland, Siglufjordur. A small fishing town with inhabitants that have been there for generations so everyone pretty much knows everyone. Ari comes along and is immediately known as the outsider, joining what is a very small police presence within the town.

A woman's body is found in the snow. A halo of red blood seeping through the cold whiteness she looks as if she's been carefully positioned there. An elderly and highly successful author is also found dead at a local amateur dramatic society theatre. Are these murders linked? What follows is a fairly slow paced telling of discovery as the story is spun out. Almost all characters present are given a backstory which gives the story real depth and the town itself takes centre stage as we get a real feel of the cold, remoteness and sheer beauty of Siglufjordur. I was really intrigued by the place and found myself looking up the town on the internet to be able to actually visualise the mountains and lakes. Stunning.

The book is slow in parts but overall it works really well and the last portion of the book had my heart beating so fast I thought it was going to beat itself out of my chest! The ending I didn't see coming at all and thought that was very well done.

In short, I really enjoyed Snowblind, mostly for the character development and placement but I also developed a soft spot for Ari Thor so was pleased to hear there will be more from this young officer.

Recommended.