
author: Ragnar Jónasson, Katrín Jakobsdóttir
published: 9.5.2023
publisher: Minotaur Books
genre(s): thrillers
pages: 364
source: Kindle Unlimited
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | BookBub | BookHype | StoryGraph | Goodreads
rating:

the blurb
With over three million copies sold worldwide, Ragnar Jónasson, along with Katrín Jakobsdóttir, brings us a gripping and chilling new thriller, Reykjavík.
What happened to Lára?
Iceland, 1956. Fourteen-year-old Lára decides to spend the summer working for a couple on the small island of Videy, just off the coast of Reykjavík. In early August, the girl disappears without a trace. Time passes, and 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?
Thirty years later, as the city of Reykjavík celebrates its 200th anniversary, journalist Valur Robertsson begins his own investigation into Lára's case. But as he draws closer to discovering the secret, and with the eyes of Reykjavík upon him, it soon becomes clear that Lára's disappearance is a mystery that someone will stop at nothing to keep unsolved . . .
- a few notes
- my review
- the good & the bad
POV: 3rd person; multi
keywords/phrases: conspiracy, murder, betrayal
tropes: twist ending
spice: 0🔥
language: 🤬
read this if… you enjoy the direct style of Nordic storytelling and crime stories.
the good
- The story is twisty, often tragic, with more than one red herring.
- The writing style is one I love, clear and direct with little metaphor.
- Fantastic anticipation built throughout the novel.
the bad
- I wish there was more about the crime itself in the reveal. I wanted to know exactly what happened and why.
The novel is a collaborative work between Ragnar Jónasson and Iceland’s former Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir. It is a mystery that feels reminiscent of any classic crime noir, with a young girl who goes missing on a small, barely inhabited island. As far as anyone knows, she was alone with her employers, a prominent Icelandic couple. But yet there are no suspects, and the authors keep the reader guessing until the very end, with an outstanding plot twist.
The story is set largely in 1986, weaving in real events from the time. That gives it an air of authenticity that makes it feel as if the novel could be a true crime story instead. The setting of Reykjavík is lovely, with great descriptions of the area that brought the plot to life. There are a lot of characters, but the authors created a helpful cast of characters at the beginning of the book which was very helpful.
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reading challenges:
- 2025 52 Books Reading Challenge
- 2025 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
- 2025 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge: Author Edition
- 2025 Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge
- 2025 Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge
- 2025 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge
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