not very exciting

struggled to follow the story. no plot. I could have skipped to the end

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Great series

Really enjoying the series and can't wait to start the next one. Good characters and plot and very evocative of this strange and wonderful landscape.

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1 person found this helpful

A sensational return to the heart of Dark Iceland!

What made the experience of listening to Nightblind the most enjoyable?

Nightblind offered a truly memorable glimpse into the heart of Dark Iceland and a triumphant return to the tiny fishing village of Siglufjördur where Ari Thór finds himself stationed. In this follow up to the success of a dazzling debut in Snowblind the author once again presents a superbly drawn cast of characters and what makes for a brilliantly well plotted mystery. Listeners are able to gain a real feel for the claustrophobia of life in a remote vilage where incomers never feel they truly belong and this is a story which hooks you from the off!

The author cleverly draws in the wider backdrop of the economy in Iceland and the prosperity of the fishing industry is no more, with an increased emphasis on the need of the village to rely on the tourist trade as a source of income. Combined with a new tunnel making the village more accessible this has made for some changes and with it some newcomers. Yet when a shooting occurs in the village in this noriously peaceful country it still strikes at the very heart of society and the puzzle which Ari Thór find himself wrestling with offers a second thrilling return to Iceland.

What did you like best about this story?

Undoubtedly for me it was gaining an update on how life for the protagonist Ari Thór has changed. Despite being passed over for the job which Tómas left vacant he has made his home in the village and is now a father. Alongside Ari Thór, a brilliantly drawn cast of locals make for a memorable return to Siglufjördur and bring the story alive.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The scenes which I most enjoyed were undoubtedly those which featured Ari Thór alongside his former boss Tómas. In Snowblind the rapport between the two was evident and the chemistry and interplay between the duo was established. Once again working alongside his former colleague this allows a look at just how far Ari Thór has come.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

If Snowblind made for a brilliant starter, then Nightblind undoubtedly delivers a memorable main course and the icing on the cake combined!

Any additional comments?

Leighton Pugh provided a superb narrator for Ari Thór. His lively delivery made for a very engaging listen and his expression and careful distinction between the different characters easily drew you in to the story. His passion and enthusiasm for the story he narrates is evident and I would look forward to hearing him again.

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9 people found this helpful

Engaging

Unusually this was better than the first novel, maybe because I am now familiar with the scenario and main characters. Also the narration was better. I sense a 3rd book coming and suspect it will become formulaic.

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Nightblind

I had not read the first in the series, but it did not matter there was enough of the background to satisfy. a good narrator read with feeling at a good pase. Interesting characters, I'm tempted to read another in the series.

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Why change the narrator?

Any additional comments?

As the follow up to snowblind I was looking forward to this greatly. I was really disappointed however to find the narrator had changed. Going from an Icelandic narrator to an English one completely changed the tone of the book. He also seemed to pronounce all the names differently, surely it would have been easy to do some homework and keep some continuity?

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9 people found this helpful

Tomas with a Yorkshire accent ???

Loved the story as always with Ragnar Jonasson and the performance narration was good. However I really much preferred the narrator of snow blind who was a native Icelander. It somewhat added to the atmosphere. Hearing Tomas portrayed with a Yorkshire accent did nothing to take me up to the coast of siglifurdur.

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9 people found this helpful

Icelandic thriller

This is the second book in this series, and I do not think that I will read/ listen to any others. The narration is good, and the author establishes a good sense of place. The problem is that I dislike the main character. In the first book he took a job on the other side of the country from his fiancée on the basis of a brief phone call without asking her, and then had an affair. In this he wants to name his son after his father, without realising that he has the same name and then breaks up his marriage on the basis of his wife having a mild flirtation with a work colleague. He is hapless and naive and seems to slice the crime mainly as a matter of chance. The ending of this book was very abrupt with loose ends left hanging. A bit unsatisfactory all round.

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Wrong order!

I’m thoroughly enjoying this series (although I miss the original Icelandic narrator) however this is the THIRD in the series, not the second as audible state!

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3 people found this helpful

A taste of Nordic Noir.

I listened to this having recently heard Snow Blind before. I didn’t enjoy this quite as much, but it’s still a decent story. It was decently read by Leighton Pugh, too, without any strong pronunciations of names. I think this was shorter than Snow Blind, with a more straightforward tale of murder, families and illnesses. I’d not listened to any Nordic Noir for a while, and this just about scratched that itch for me. It’s not in the same league as the big Names in the genre, of course, but decent. I do need to find more of this genre, though. It seems to have dropped out of the public’s notice in favour of more British fare, of late. Oh well, I still like it.

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