Quatre amis d’enfance.Une randonnée au cœur de ce que l’Islande a de plus sauvage.Un huis-clos d’où surgissent trahisons et secrets.Réussiront-ils tous à survivre à cette nuit ?Ils pensaient se retrouver le temps de quelques jours paisibles. Une simple chasse à la perdrix dans les hauts plateaux de l’est de l’Islande… Mais le voyage tourne au cauchemar. Une tempête de neige violente et inattendue s’abat sur eux et les oblige à se réfugier dans un pavillon de chasse abandonné. À l’intérieur, une découverte macabre changera à jamais le cours de leur existence – et de leur amitié. C’est le début d’une longue nuit, où les quatre amis voient ressurgir ce qu’ils ont de pire en chacun d’eux.Le maître du polar islandais, Ragnar Jónasson, est devenu l’un des romanciers internationaux les plus reconnus. C’est en France, un pays qu’il aime profondément, qu’il remporte le plus grand succès : plus d’un million de livres vendus. Il est l’auteur de la série mettant en scène l’enquêteur Ari Thór (dont le roman-phénomène Snjór) et de la trilogie à succès « La Dame de Reykjavík ». Grand lecteur d’Agatha Christie, il a traduit la plupart de ses romans en islandais. Les droits d’adaptation cinéma de À qui la faute ont été acquis par la société de production de Ridley Scott.
Dix habitants au bout du monde.
Un mort.
Neuf suspects.
Recherche professeur au bout du monde. Voici une petite annonce qui découragerait toute personne saine d’esprit. Pas Una. La jeune femme quitte Reykjavík pour Skálar, l’un des villages les plus reculés d’Islande, qui ne compte que dix habitants. Malgré l’hostilité des villageoi. Malgré l’isolement vertigineux.
Là-bas, Una entend des voix et le son fantomatique d’une berceuse. Et bientôt, une mort brutale survient. Quels secrets cache ce village ? Jusqu’où iront ses habitants pour les protéger ?
Le maître du polar islandais, Ragnar Jónasson, est devenu l’un des romanciers internationaux les plus reconnus. Et c’est en France, un pays qu’il aime profondément, qu’il remporte le plus grand succès : plus d’un million de livres vendus. Il est l’auteur de la série mettant en scène l’enquêteur Ari Thór (dont le roman-phénomène Snjór) et de la trilogie à succès « La Dame de Reykjavík ». Grand lecteur d’Agatha Christie, il a aussi traduit la plupart de ses romans en islandais.
Trois jours avant Pâques. Siglufjrdur, le village le plus septentrional de l'Islande, repose paisiblement entre les hautes montagnes qui l'entourent. La mer est sereine. La tempête de neige qui couve n'a pas encore frappé ses côtes.
Mais un appel d'urgence réveille l'inspecteur Ari Thór au beau milieu de la nuit. Le cadavre d'une jeune fille de 19 ans vient d'être trouvé, gisant dans la rue principale. Une chute imbécile depuis son balcon ? C'est le plus probable.
Le lendemain, Ari Thór est appelé à la maison de retraite de la petite ville. Un des pensionnaires, qui lutte contre une maladie dégénérative violente, ne cesse d'écrire la même phrase sur les murs depuis qu'il a appris l'accident : Elle a été assassinée.
Le vieil homme a-t-il eu vent de quelque chose ? Ou le souvenir d'une tragédie plus ancienne remonte-il de sa mémoire fissurée ?
La tempête touche Siglufjrdur plus rapidement que prévu. Il n'y a bientôt plus ni électricité ni chauffage dans le petit port de pêche. C'est alors que la maison de la victime, comme un ultime signal, est cambriolée. Ari Thór s'évertue désespérément à rassembler les pièces du puzzle, tandis qu'une vérité innommable émerge peu à peu du blizzard.
Quatre amis séjournaient sur une île
L'un d'eux tomba de la falaise
Et il n'en resta plus que trois...
Au large des côtes de l'Islande, l'île d'Ellidaey abrite la maison la plus isolée au monde. C'est sur cette terre sauvage que quatre amis ont choisi de fêter leurs retrouvailles. Mais, après la chute mortelle de l'un d'entre eux, la petite escapade tourne au drame.
L'inspectrice Hulda, quinze ans avant les événements survenus dans La Dame de Reykjavík, n'a qu'une ambition : découvrir la vérité. Pas du genre à compter ses heures, Hulda ne prendrait- elle pas l'affaire trop à cœur ? Elle n'a jamais connu son père et a toujours entretenu avec sa mère une relation en dents de scie. Une vie de famille tellement chaotique que son job semble la seule chose capable de la rattacher à la réalité... Mais sur l'île d'Ellidaey plane une atmosphère étouffante. Les fantômes du passé ressurgissent.
Par l'auteur de Snjór et des enquêtes de Siglufjördur
Ragnar Jónasson est né à Reykjavík en 1976. Grand lecteur d'Agatha Christie, il entreprend, à dix-sept ans, la traduction de ses romans en islandais. Découvert par l'agent d'Henning Mankell, Ragnar a accédé en trois ans seulement au rang des plus grands auteurs internationaux de polars. Avec sa trilogie " La Dame de Reykjavík ", son œuvre est aujourd'hui traduite dans trente pays.
" Quiconque envisagerait de s'exiler devrait sérieusement s'intéresser à Siglufjördur, le village le plus isolé du nord de l'Islande. "
The New York Times
Mais que se passe-t-il encore à Siglufjördur ? L'inspecteur Ari Thór n'est pas venu à bout des secrets de ce village en apparence si tranquille. Lui qui avait fini par se faire à la rudesse du climat et aux hivers trop longs se sent de nouveau pris à la gorge par un terrible sentiment de claustrophobie. La ville est mise sous quarantaine car on suspecte une épidémie de fièvre hémorragique (sótt, en islandais). Les premières victimes succombent tandis qu'un crime vieux de cinquante ans remonte à la surface... Le huis clos se referme sur les habitants de Siglufjördur.
C'est l'agent d'Henning Mankell qui a découvert Ragnar Jónasson et vendu les droits de ses livres dans vingt pays. Né à Reykjavik, Jónasson a traduit plusieurs des romans d'Agatha Christie en islandais, avant d'écrire ses propres enquêtes. La série des " enquêtes de Siglufjördur ", village dont sa famille est originaire, connaît un succès retentissant en France et à l'étranger.
Four friends. One night. Not everyone will come out alive . . . br>br>Pre-order the gripping new stand-alone mystery from ''world-class crime writer'' Ragnar Jonassonbr>br>In a deadly Icelandic snowstorm, four friends seek shelter in an abandoned hunting lodge. Miles from help, and knowing they will die out in the cold, they break in, hoping to wait out the storm until morning.br>br> But nothing can prepare them for what''s inside . . .br>br>With no other option, they are forced to spend a long and terrifying night in the cabin: watching as intently and silently as they themselves are being watched. br>br>As the night darkens, old secrets spill into the light, and tensions rise between the four friends. Soon it''s clear that what they''ve discovered in the cabin is far from the only mystery lurking there.br>br>Nor the only thing to be afraid of . . .br>br>Praise for Ragnar Jonassonbr>br>''Is this the best crime writer in the world today?'' The Timesbr>br>''An intensely gripping mystery, Ragnar Jonasson is a poet of the "dark, wet and cold", of the "gloom, cold and rain". The climactic revelations are credible and moving'' The Timesbr>br>''Invigorating Iceland-set slice of Nordic Noir'' Daily Mailbr>br>''A mist-shrouded blend of horror and psychological thriller . . . works in every way'' Booklist>
'Ragnar Jonasson 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 **Preorder the incredible second novel in the new Hulda crime series from Icelandic superstar** The island of ElliO.aey sits off the Icelandic coast. Accessible only by boat its isolation makes it the perfect place to vanish. During a long, hot summer five friends visit the island. Only four will return. They each share a past, and a dark secret that could harm them all. As the days pass, tensions rise and loyalties are shed, one of them will commit murder. Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir is sent to investigate and soon finds echoes with the case of a young woman found murdered ten years previously in the nearby Westfjords. Is there a patient killer stalking these barren outposts? As Hulda navigates a sinister game constructed of smoke and mirrors she is convinced that no one is telling the truth, including those closest to her. But who will crack first? Haunting, suspenseful and as chilling as the Icelandic winter The Island follows one woman's journey to find the truth hidden in the darkest shadows, and shine a light on her own dark past. 'Dark, chilling and utterly gripping, The Island is Nordic noir at its best, and is destined to become a classic of the genre. I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the rest of the Hulda series!' Shari Lapena, bestselling author of The Couple Next Door Praise for Ragnar Jonasson 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 '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 'Jonasson'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
PRE-ORDER THE NAIL-BITING STORY FROM THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHORbr>br>''A world-class crime writer . . . One of the most astonishing plots of modern crime fiction'' Sunday Timesbr>br>''It is nothing less than a landmark in modern crime fiction'' The Times br>br>''TEACHER WANTED ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD . . .''br>br>Una knows she is struggling to deal with her father''s sudden, tragic suicide. She spends her nights drinking alone in Reykjavik, stricken with thoughts that she might one day follow in his footsteps.br>br>So when she sees an advert seeking a teacher for two girls in the tiny village of Skalar - population of ten - on the storm-battered north coast of the island, she sees it as a chance to escape.br>br>But once she arrives, Una quickly realises nothing in city life has prepared her for this. The villagers are unfriendly. The weather is bleak. And, from the creaky attic bedroom of the old house where she''s living, she''s convinced she hears the ghostly sound of singing.br>br>Una worries that she''s losing her mind. br>br>And then, just before Christmas, there''s an unexplained death and Una''s life going from bad to worse . . .br>br>Praise for Ragnar Jonassonbr>br>''This is Icelandic noir of the highest order, with Jonasson''s atmospheric sense of place, and his heroine''s unerring humanity shining from every page'' Daily Mailbr>br>''Triumphant conclusion. Chilling, creepy, perceptive, almost unbearably tense'' Ian Rankinbr>br>''This is such a tense, gripping read'' Anthony Horowitzbr>br>''Brilliantly effective. Each book enraptures us'' The Times Literary Supplementbr>br>''Superb . . . chilling . . . one of the great tragic heroines of contemporary detective fiction'' Sunday Times Crime Book of the Monthbr>br>''A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens. First rate and highly recommended'' Lee Childbr>br>''Chilling - a must-read'' Peter James>
@00000400@@00000327@Pre-order @00000133@t@00000327@he final nail-biting instalment in the critically acclaimed Hidden Iceland series@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@@00000133@@00000327@@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@'No country associated with the label Nordic noir is as bleak, cold, snowy and empty as Iceland. And no crime writer portrays those elements as evocatively and scarily as Ragnar Jonasson' @00000373@The Times@00000155@@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@@00000133@@00000341@1987. An isolated farm house in the east of Iceland. @00000163@@00000400@The snowstorm should have shut everybody out. But it didn't.@00000163@@00000400@The couple should never have let him in. But they did.@00000163@@00000400@An unexpected guest, a liar, a killer. Not all will survive the night. And Detective Hulda will be haunted forever.@00000163@@00000400@@00000327@@00000427@Praise for Ragnar Jonasson@00000192@@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@@00000427@@00000192@@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@'[@00000373@The Darkness@00000155@ is]@00000133@ @00000327@Superb. . . chilling . . . one of the great tragic heroines of contemporary detective fiction' @00000373@Sunday Times @00000155@Crime Book of the Month@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@@00000133@@00000327@@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@'A modern take on an Agatha Christie-style mystery, as twisty as any slalom' Ian Rankin @00000133@@00000163@@00000400@@00000327@'A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens. First rate and highly recommended' Lee Child@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@@00000133@@00000373@@00000327@'@00000133@@00000155@@00000327@Chilling - a must-read' Peter James@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@@00000133@@00000327@@00000133@@00000341@@00000327@'Page-turning stuff with an unexpected ending!' James Swallow @00000133@@00000163@@00000400@@00000327@'Was gripped from the start of this brilliantly told story. And left wide-eyed with shock at the ending' Fiona Barton@00000133@@00000163@@00000400@@00000327@'A true masterpiece . . . a plot full of twists and turns and an ending that leaves you gasping for air' Yrsa SigurO.ardottir@00000133@@00000163@
FEATURED IN THE TIMES TOP 100 CRIME NOVELS SINCE 1945 'An intelligent, provocative whodunit with a killer twist' IAN RANKIN ____________ A body is found off the coast of Iceland. A cursory police investigation calls it suicide. She's just another statistic, soon forgotten. But not by Reykjavik Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir. Difficult and unconventional, Hulda is being forced into early retirement. Offered one last cold case to investigate she chooses Elena's. And when she discovers another woman vanished at a similar time, she believes a killer roams free. With days before she's stripped of her badge, can Hulda catch the killer alone? ____________ 'Superb . . . chilling . . . one of the greatest tragic heroines of contemporary detective fiction' Sunday Times 'Outstanding' Daily Mail 'Expertly plotted, with an ending that's a true shocker' Guardian 'Magnificently dark and twisted and that ending - blimey!' C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man
THE FINAL INSTALMENT IN THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING DARK ICELAND SERIES OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD When a police officer is murdered in the dead of night, in the isolated Icelandic town of Siglufjörður, Ari Thór Arason faces a complex investigation that takes him back to the past, and some sinister secrets A modern take on an Agatha Christie-style mystery Ian Rankin Bitingly contemporary in setting and tone Sunday Express Seductive Ragnar does claustrophobia beautifully Ann Cleeves ________________ Siglufjörður: an idyllically quiet fishing village on the northernmost tip of Iceland, accessible only via a small mountain tunnel. Ari Thór Arason: a local policeman, whose tumultuous past and uneasy relationships with the villagers continue to haunt him. The peace of this close-knit community is shattered by the murder of a policeman shot at point-blank range in the dead of night in a deserted house. With a killer on the loose and the dark arctic winter closing in, it falls to Ari Thór to piece together a puzzle that involves tangled local politics, a compromised new mayor, and a psychiatric ward in Reykjavik, where someone is being held against their will. Then a mysterious young woman moves to the area, on the run from something she dare not reveal, and it becomes all too clear that tragic events from the past are weaving a sinister spell that may threaten them all. Dark, chilling and complex, Nightblind is an extraordinary thriller from an undeniable new talent. ________________ ''Traditional and beautifully finessed Independent ''This is an atmospheric portrayal of a claustrophobic place where everyone is connected Laura Wilson, Guardian Jónasson plants clues fairly before a devastatingly unexpected reveal, without sublimating characterization to plot Publishers Weekly A tiny, segregated town is a superb setting for a crime novel, and Jónasson exploits it well. He builds a layered mystery featuring a series of unhealthy secrets, and past crimes buried deep in the sheltered, almost claustrophobic recesses of family life Crime Thriller Journal A must-read addition to the growing canon of Iceland Noir Peter James Ragnar has Nordic Noir down pat a remote small-town mystery that is sure to please crime-fiction aficionados Yrsa Sigurðardóttir A challenging investigation that uncovers local secrets and Scandi-noir meets oldfashioned murder mystery in an atmospheric whodunnit Daily Express Jónassons books have breathed new life into Nordic noir Sunday Express What really makes Nightblind stand out is its vivid cast of characters, whose fears, ambitions, rivalries and longings are movingly universal Oprah magazine