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The Darkness
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
51 posts | 38 read | 38 to read
'Ragnar Jnasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty - a must-read addition to the growing canon of Iceland Noir' Peter James, The Number One bestselling author of Love You Dead **Be the first to read the incredible, chilling first novel in the new Hulda crime series from Icelandic superstar Ragnar Jnasson by pre-ordering your copy now** At sixty-four, Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir of the Reykjavik Police is about to take on her last case before she retires: A young woman, an asylum seeker from Russia, found murdered on the seaweed covered rocks of the Vatnsleysustrnd in Iceland. When Hulda starts to ask questions it isn't long before she realizes that no one can be trusted, and that no one is telling the whole truth. Spanning Reykjavik, the Icelandic highlands and the cold, isolated fjords, The Darkness is a thrilling new crime thriller from one of the biggest new names in Scandi noir. Praise for Ragnar Jnasson 'Seductive . . . an old-fashioned murder mystery with a strong central character and the fascinating background of a small Icelandic town cut off by snow. Ragnar does claustrophobia beautifully' Ann Cleeves 'A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens . . . first rate and highly recommended' Lee Child on Snowblind 'A modern take on Agatha Christie-style mystery, as twisty as any slalom . . .' Ian Rankin on Snowblind 'His clues are traditional and beautifully finessed - and he keeps you turning the pages' The Independent on Snowblind 'Distinctive blend of Nordic noir and golden age detective fiction . . . atmospheric . . . economical and evocative prose' The Guardian on Nightblind 'Jnasson's books have breathed new life into Nordic noir . . . all the skilful plotting of an old-fashioned whodunit although it feels bitingly contemporary in setting and tone' Sunday Express 'The ending hits the reader like a kick in the stomach' Frettatiminn **** 'Out of all of Ragnar's books, this is the one I like the most . . . The book of his which reminds me most of Agatha Christie' Kiljan on The Island
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Susanita
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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1. I read a few pages at a time and several chapters at a time and everything in between.
2. The tagged book‘s ending was a disappointment.
3. I‘m gradually making my way through the Narnia books.
#wondrouswednesday

Eggs Thanks for your thoughtful responses 🫶🏻 3mo
29 likes1 comment
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Texreader
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

Investigator Hulda, feeling excluded as a 60+ woman surrounded by young male detectives in Reykjavik, is being forced to retire. She‘s allowed to tackle one last case, a drowned Russian asylum seeker deemed a suicide. Hulda doesn‘t believe it and opens the case determined to find the killer. Hulda brings a lot of baggage into this story, including a very low self-esteem, which tends to cause more problems—jeopardizing her otherwise brilliant ⬇️

Texreader detective work. Her troubled childhood, her troubled marriage, etc result in her taking rash actions. So she‘s a frustrating character and the conclusion isn‘t satisfying even though it is quite logical. As a result I‘m hard-pressed to recommend the book, but it is well-written and a twisted murder mystery. And it‘s short. #Iceland #foodandlit 5mo
Catsandbooks 👍🏼🇮🇸 4mo
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Texreader
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Can you imagine those stats?

#Iceland #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

dabbe Makes us look truly pathetic. 5mo
AmyG Iceland is so lovely. 5mo
julesG So all those murder mysteries set in Iceland should actually be shelved under fantasy? How come Iceland managed to get its 💩together but the rest of the world is still bonkers? Would their success work in larger countries? 5mo
Catsandbooks Wow! That's incredible! 5mo
48 likes5 comments
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Texreader
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Texreader
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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I‘m trying to squeeze in one more book for #Iceland for #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

45 likes1 stack add
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Susanita
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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1. It‘s all about what‘s due soon, what my book clubs are reading…and what strikes my fancy.
2. Tagged book is probably, maybe, what I‘ll start next.
#two4tuesday

TheSpineView Agree on #1. Thanks for playing 5mo
25 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Mehso-so

This was an ok read set in Iceland. The main character was a 64 year old female detective getting ready for retirement but picks up one final case. I liked that the mc was an older lady but the story was kind of boring.
#foodandlit #iceland @Catsandbooks @Texreader

LitStephanie Good to know this is just so so. I picked it up at the library along with a few Icelandic thrillers but now it will go to the bottom of the priority pile. 5mo
Catsandbooks 👍🏼🇮🇸 5mo
StaceGhost I‘ve read a lot of these and this one felt physically painful. I can‘t believe how it ended. It really left the realm of noir and crossed into reality like No Country for Old Men 5mo
vonnie862 @StaceGhost the ending!!! Wth! 5mo
31 likes4 comments
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Susanita
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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I‘m so glad the Bloody Scotland Book Club went from monthly to quarterly. I love it, but I think a monthly schedule was a little unwieldy for all involved. As it is, there‘s usually at least one of the selections that‘s hard for me to find here. This time it‘s The Waiter.

That leaves The Darkness, which I just checked out from the library, and The Crow Trap which I have on my shelf.

You can watch later on YouTube if you don‘t want to do FB.

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Texreader
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Ebook on sale for $2.99. Works next month for #Iceland #foodandlit

@Catsandbooks

Susanita I just got this from the library to read for Bloody Scotland Book Club! 6mo
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jenniferw88
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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March's fiction and nonfiction choices for #12booksof2023 @Andrew65

Andrew65 Looks an author I need to read. 11mo
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SamAnne
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Mehso-so

My #Doublespin. I appreciated the read after spending a week in Iceland this month. But a so-so-so. I liked the MC, a female detective. I didn‘t like how many mistakes the author had her make. And I sure as hell didn‘t like the “twist” at the end. Think I‘m donr with Nordic noir for awhile and will pick up some Tana French again.

Ruthiella I get annoyed when an alleged professional is made incompetent just to move the plot. 😕 1y
SamAnne @Ruthiella agree. I found it particularly infuriating because one of the themes was the glass ceiling she endures in the police department. The novel starts with her approaching retirement and being treated like crap. 1y
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SamAnne
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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It‘s only appropriate that my #Bookspin would be the tagged Icelandic noir while I‘m traveling Iceland. Photo is of the farthest western point in Europe in the West Fjords that also hosts the largest bird colony in Europe. Puffins are damn cute! #doublespin is a Swedish noir Blaze Me a Sun. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Oh how fun!!! I have heard so many wonderful things about visiting Iceland - I hope your trip is amazing!!!! 1y
SamAnne @TheAromaofBooks thanks! We are loving it. 1y
bnp Nice coincidence! 1y
AnnCrystal Puffins! I love these little guys. Beautiful photo... (edited) 1y
69 likes4 comments
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jenniferw88
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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TheEllieMo
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join in if you want!

#ABookADay2023

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jenniferw88
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick
jenniferw88 Tw: Child sexual abuse 2y
Librarybelle Good choice! 2y
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swishandflick
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

Excellent! It's been a while since I've picked up Icelandic crime fiction and this was a wonderful reminder of how *insanely* good they can be. I was totally along for the ride (to the point where I was up crazy late because I couldn't put it down). A cop just about to retire picks up a cold case to review in her last week. And the rest is a twisty journey with atmospheric settings and perfectly executed red herrings 👏🏽

Bklover I just bought this from ThriftBooks! Now I have to go find it 😉 2y
vivastory I read this a couple of weeks ago 2y
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Tove_Reads
Darkness: A Thriller | Ragnar Jonasson
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Went to the library today to pick up books by the authors coming to the Crime Lit fest in September. Well, this is like half of the ones I need to read before the event 😀

rabbitprincess OMG what are the two massive chunksters?! 2y
aperfectmjk I'm already feeling overwhelmed for you. 😄 2y
Tove_Reads @rabbitprincess Those are actually the non-crime books for my book club. Two books from the New Zealand series by Sarah Lark. 2y
40 likes3 comments
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MittenGirlPeach
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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My May #Bookspin! A nice mix I‘m looking forward to reading. Eddy Charcoal approves.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
20 likes1 comment
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majkia
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson

Very atmospheric, with a complex mystery with twists and surprises galor. And the ending... Sort of saw it coming but still...

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Soscha
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

This was my first Iceland Noir book.

Oh friends, I was not ready.

60-ish detective forced into retirement takes on one last cold case.

Dark, dark, darker ▪️◾️◼️ ⬛️

SamAnne I‘ve been in. Nordic noir kick. Stacked! 3y
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kspenmoll
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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CHILLING. 😱

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MamaGina
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

My first by this author. I think it‘s the first time my rating for a book has gone from 3 to 4 stars based on the Epilogue...I did not see that coming!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ruthiella Oooh! Intriguing ...😲 4y
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amywithbooks
Darkness: A Thriller | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this! A quick read, I finished it in two sittings and it ends on a cliffhanger 👀
I look forward to the rest of this trilogy! 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

vivastory I've had snowblind sitting on my TBR shelves for awhile now, really should move it up 4y
amywithbooks @vivastory i am definitely going to check that series out too! 4y
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amywithbooks
Darkness: A Thriller | Ragnar Jonasson
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Book and a beer on this Saturday! Starting this tonight, by a new-to-me Nordic crime writer! I have heard great things about his books, and this trilogy in particular. Excited to dive in! 🍺📚

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amywithbooks
Darkness: A Thriller | Ragnar Jonasson
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Trying out Thriftbooks for the first time, it seems like there are some good deals on there! Anyone else order from here? Pros/cons?

Thousand-Lives I order from ThriftBooks and think it‘s a good deal. 👍 4y
amywithbooks @Thousand-Lives awesome, thanks! The Jo Nesbo books were only 4 bucks each- even cheaper than they would be on Kindle- I was shocked! 4y
Thousand-Lives @amywithbooks Yay! Glad you found some deals 😁 4y
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Emilymdxn
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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#jennyis30 @jenniferw88

I‘m flying through the squares rn! For now. I‘m loving the honeymoon phase with a challenge where I just do the easy bits. I read quite a lot of Scandinavian literature so this one wasn‘t too much of a challenge for me. I reckon my next read will just about count for autobiography but I might try to find something that fits more perfectly

ImmaEdeli I'm a newbie here and I am was wondering where you got the bingo template? It looks like it's a lot of fun and would love to participate 😉 5y
Emilymdxn Hey there @edeli ! So cool that you‘re new and wanna get involved. The template was posted by @jenniferw88 for her #jennyis30 challenge celebrating her 30th birthday - if you go to the #jennyis30 tag and scroll down there‘ll be a blank one. It‘s a super fun chill challenge and it‘s great to get involved in challenges right off when you‘re new, it took me months to be brave enough to join in. Always tag or comment if you need a hand with anything💖 5y
ImmaEdeli @Emilymdxn Thank you so much!! I can already tell this will be a lot of fun! 😘 5y
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Emilymdxn
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

9/15 #jumpstart2020 @Clwojick @Lizpixie

I liked this a lot more than I was expecting from the reviews, possibly as I‘m ill (did I mention...) and just wanted something noir to get really into, this was everything I was looking for. I loved Hulda and while I would have liked to see an ending that was fairer to the story‘s women, I can‘t deny I enjoyed reading it a lot.

#readeurope2020 Iceland
#jennyis30 Nordic

Clwojick Oooooo. Stacking 5y
Emilymdxn @Clwojick I found out it‘s the first in a series which is awesome! I want to read the second book before I go to Iceland this autumn 5y
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Emilymdxn
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Back in my childhood bedroom while I get over this kidney infection, it‘s really knocked me sideways tbh. I think the antibiotics are working (slowly) but I‘m not very comfortable 😩 reading this even tho it doesn‘t have great reviews as I crave thrillers whenever I‘m sick, not sure why. As I‘ll be going to Iceland later this year I‘m trying to read as much Icelandic as I can! #jumpstart2020 @Clwojick @Lizpixie

ShyBookOwl I hope it's a good distraction and that you feel better soon! 5y
merelybookish Kidney infections are miserable! I hope you feel better soon. 5y
Tamra Anything with gripping plot will hopefully distract you. 5y
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TrishB Hope you‘re on the mend soon, detective books are my go to when stressed or ill!! 5y
llwheeler Hope you feel better soon! 5y
Megabooks Get well soon!! 💞💞 5y
cariashley Feel better!! 5y
60 likes7 comments
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Mitch
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Panpan

Having liked his previous series I was so disappointed with this. Mainly because all the female characters play roles as victims in one shape or form. Each is considered powerless, with no agency and no ability to take control of their own lives, careers and destiny. With lots of stereotypes and tropes, it left the book feeling very dated and unappealing.

Deifio Ugh, that's so sad! Why is it that some authors still think that females are only a nice accessory for the hero or someone to be saved? 😡 5y
Hooked_on_books I read Snowblind by the same author and found the main character to be misogynistic, so sadly this does not surprise me. 5y
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StaceGhost
Darkness: A Thriller | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

Ugh I love when murder mysteries are layered and slightly depressing in a fascinating and realistic way #darkdarkdark I also love chain swallowing vegan sugar cookies #happyholidays

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ElectricKatyLand
Darkness: A Thriller | Ragnar Jonasson
Pickpick

This Icelandic crime novel had a twist ending I never saw coming, nor seen in any other novel. You should read it just for that! Hulda is a detective forced into early retirement who picks a cold case to close out her career. Like all good scandicrime novels, this one has multi-generational trauma, buried secrets, international sex trafficking, and a hard-boiled detective who lives in shades of gray.

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scowler1
Darkness: A Thriller | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

Reasonably good detective thriller. Very quick read, easy on the mind you might say.

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rabbitprincess
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
Bailedbailed

Am I a hipster, thinking police procedurals set in Reykjavík might be "less interesting" than other Icelandic crime fiction? Or am I having a case of first-in-series blues? Whatever it is, I didn't find this book as engaging as I'd hoped. Going to try the next book when it comes out to see how or whether my feelings toward this series change.

imyril I read Jonasson‘s debut (mostly because it _wasn‘t_ set in Reykjavik; I was curious to see how rural Scandi crime would work), and it was okay but I don‘t really get the hype. That said I often find that with crime, I guess I don‘t love the tropes as much 😂 I quite liked Jar City (Arnaldur Indridason) tho - I‘ve been meaning to reread now I‘ve actually spent time in Iceland! 6y
rabbitprincess @imyril I suspect the hype machine may create unrealistic expectations, wanting to bill all Scandi crime as twisted, dark and terrifying when not all of it is or wants to be! I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on Jar City once you've re-read it 😊 6y
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Lel2403
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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I really enjoyed this....Scandi-Noir....and it‘s only 99p at the moment for kindle

https://amzn.to/2IhIpmJ

TrishB One I can resist 😁 I‘ve never really got into the Scandi- dark stuff! 6y
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Pandalibrarian
Darkness: A Thriller | Ragnar Jonasson
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Oh my goodness, what a book! Huldar is a police inspector being forced into early retirement and is working on one last cold case involving a murdered Russian asylum seeker. There are three different stories being told and they all come together in the surprising ending. This is the first of a planned trilogy - the second one takes place 25 years before this one and comes out on May. I can‘t wait to read it!

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JeaMar82
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Finished! I honestly loved this book more than his other series. Definitely didn't see that ending coming.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Will sell my copy if interested. US members only)
https://goo.gl/e4B2c6

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JeaMar82
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson

50% through and liking it better than his other books so far.

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CaitlinR
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Mehso-so

A good mystery with some twists and turns. Nowhere near as good as Jonasson‘s SNOWBLIND. If you have to choose, go with that one.

THE DARKNESS is, however, a quick and fairly satisfying read.

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Lel2403
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson

This is a real train ride of a book, it rattles along at a fast pace and keeps you on tenter hooks right to the thoroughly shocking end.....I didn‘t see that coming at all. The author has made real characters with totally believable flaws but Huldar is so likeable you feel for her all the way. A great book and a proper heart stopping end, brilliant

Cinfhen Intrigued! 6y
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vlwelser
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

This was really good. I'm really into this author.

#NetGalley #ARC

Mitch Ahh - can‘t wait until October. Love this series 6y
vlwelser @Mitch this seems to be a new series but it's just as good as the other 6y
JustJill1963 I enjoy this author also. 6y
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kezzlou85
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Pickpick

Wow what a read this was. I love these sort of stories. There's lots going on and the mystery is very clever. There are many twists in the plot and the ending wow. It really does catch you out as it's not what I expected. It's clever though. I hope there are more to follow. #Netgalley

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ScorpioBookDreams
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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I had to take advantage of the snow to take a photo of the new Ragnar Jonasson. ❄️❄️

DeborahSmall Great pic, hope you didn‘t cause yourself any injuries 😘 (edited) 7y
Bklover So pretty! 7y
melbeautyandbooks Nice! I have only read the first one so far. Looking forward to the rest. 7y
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mrozzz Perfect picture!!! 7y
Ms_T I have that book on my list to read in March. I really like the look of it. 7y
ScorpioBookDreams @melbeautyandbooks this is the first in a new series of his! 7y
ScorpioBookDreams @Ms_T I enjoyed it. Was a quick read and suitable for this weather! 7y
ScorpioBookDreams @DeborahSmall not today! 😂😂 7y
melbeautyandbooks @ScorpioBookDreams That‘s good to know. Thank you! Putting it on my TBR. (edited) 7y
90 likes3 stack adds10 comments
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ScorpioBookDreams
The Darkness | Ragnar Jonasson
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Since it‘s Christmas Eve I‘ve opened my parcel from Penguin. It‘s the first book in a new series from Ragnar Jonasson 😍😍

Sarah83 Gorgeous wrapping 😍 7y
bedandabook I love this author. What a Christmas treat! 7y
emmaturi Looks interesting! 7y
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Jess Icelandic noir sounds like what I need right now. Was at B&N when I saw this and immediately picked up one of his older books. Thanks! 7y
ScorpioBookDreams @Jess you‘re welcome! Hope you enjoy it. 7y
rabbitprincess A new series from Ragnar? YESSSS adding to TBR list 7y
Libby1 Hello, my fellow nocturnal friend! I hope you have a lovely holiday season. 💕 7y
ScorpioBookDreams @Libby1 thank you! Merry Christmas to you too 🎄🎅🎄 7y
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