Reykjavík

A Crime Story

By: Ragnar Jónasson, Katrín Jakobsdóttir

Narrated by: Bert Seymour, Tamaryn Payne

Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Long-listed, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, 2023

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 Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2023 Ragnar Jonasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“A beautifully constructed mystery by two super smart partners in crime.”—Anthony Horowitz, New York Times bestselling author of Magpie Murders

"A classic mystery . . . Reykjavik provides tremendous insight into Iceland at a time of change, expansion, and corruption. Sure to appeal to a broad swath of crime-fiction readers."—First Clue

Entertaining

The story has a slow build up, but I liked that about it. Aside from the mystery, I also liked listening to what was happening in Iceland in the mid ‘80s. It was good a listen while I was knitting. Narrators were also good!

Reykjavik

I enjoyed this story a lot, but didn’t really like the performers, especially the female. The performance felt forced ….

An unexpectedly good book

This is a very good book. Half of a book is read by a male reader, and he’s fantastic. The second half is read by a female reader, whose voice is rather high, but if you pour through that it’s quite good. Plus a satisfying ending.

Some loose ends...

A decent story, with some obvious gaps. The narration was very good, which helped carry it along. I enjoyed the main characters who didn't have deep, dark secrets in their past. They were just ordinary people. I also really enjoyed the look into Icelandic culture.

A story full of twists & surprises

I really enjoyed this audio book. The characters were well developed, the story’s plot kept me “on my toes.” Well done!

Icelandic Intrigue

It is always to read about Iceland and picture the islands and the terrain in conjunction with a plot involving characters in such an isolated country.

Spoiler alert

There was one clue in the beginning that let me know who the killer was when the editor did not tell the sister about the phone call and clue that the brother had received just before he died. In fact, he said he had no idea what the brother was planning to write in the next week’s story. Clearly, he wasn’t counting on the fact that the young reporter had repeated the information to the cop and his sister, I kept waiting for that detail to come out, but of course it wouldn’t have because no one knew that the editor knew about the mysterious phone call. Still, it was clumsy because he should have known that others might know. In fact, even the other guy in the newspaper office knew about the phone call and the envelope addressed to the brother. I’m not using names here because I have no idea how they are spelled. I just wonder how many other people caught that in the beginning. But I also know that’s not how this forum works.

Good story decade jumping

I was afraid this would somehow cross into the Hulda trilogy, which went reverse chron with an awful beg-ending.

This had enough possible suspects to fool me, and the audio was good. it gives a good feeling for the changes in ambition in Iceland over time.

a good stand alone.

Icy chills from Iceland

I grew up on Agatha Christy, and this novel fits right in. I can picture our heroine going on to solve more mysteries. What fun!

Fantastic Mystery set in Iceland

The performance by both voice actors were excellent. I figured out half the mystery but was shocked by the ending. I would loved to have had a directory of names.