Siglufjörður: an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, where no one locks their doors - accessible only via a small mountain tunnel. Ari Thór Arason: a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavik - with a past that he's unable to leave behind. When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theatre, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one, and secrets and lies are a way of life. An avalanche and unremitting snowstorms close the mountain pass, and the 24-hour darkness threatens to push Ari over the edge, as curtains begin to twitch, and his investigation becomes increasingly complex, chilling and personal. Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts, while Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness - blinded by snow, and with a killer on the loose.
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[The red stain was like a scream in the silence]***
(Orenda Books, 20 April 2015, 300 pages, ebook, Prime Reading)
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This is my first time reading the author.
The setting was my favourite part of Snowblind. The author does an amazing job of bringing the little village and the claustrophobic atmosphere caused by the avalanche and snowstorms to vivid life. I felt like I was really there. I can imagine myself visiting such a place and staying for a while.
Snowblind is also really well-written. The author knows how to tell a story and use just enough description to bring everyone and everything to life.
Unfortunately, the plot let the book down a little. The storyline isn't terrible but not particularly brilliant either. It was weak at times. However, the book is so well written and the characters so well-crafted that I was willing to overlook the plot. This is the first book in a series and I would definitely read more.
