Reykjavík by Ragnar Jónasson & Katrín Jakobsdóttir

 

First Lines: 1956. 6 August. The grey hat flew out to sea.

 

In 1956, the disappearance of fourteen-year-old Lára from the small island of Videy became Iceland's most infamous unsolved case. What happened to her? Is she still alive? 

 

Thirty years later, the city of Reykjavík is celebrating its 200th anniversary, and journalist Valur Robertsson begins his own investigation into Lára's case which garners a lot of public interest. However, as Valur gets closer to uncovering the secret, it becomes very clear that Lára's disappearance is a mystery someone is determined to keep unsolved.

 

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Although Reykjavík took some time to really get moving, authors Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir created a character and a story that kept me reading and guessing. 

 

The story begins in 1956 with fourteen-year-old Lára's disappearance and the young police officer who tried to find her. When journalist Valur Robertsson begins his own investigation thirty years later, he learns that the officer's inability to find  Lára has haunted him throughout his career. I was rather surprised that both Valur and the police officer felt a bit stiff and lifeless even though both their roles were so important.

 

However, the story really shifted into high gear and grabbed my interest when Valur's sister, Sunna, arrived on the scene. Her grit and determination added fire and urgency to the story, and I found myself hoping that I would meet her again in a future book. 

 

I can't say much about Reykjavík without giving away key plot points, but I was disappointed with my failure to deduce what was going on when all was revealed at the end. When you pick up a copy to read it for yourselves, make sure to read the authors' note at the end. You never know what writers will get up to in the middle of a pandemic!

 

Reykjavík by Ragnar Jónasson & Katrín Jakobsdóttir

Translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb

eISBN: 9781250907349

Minotaur Books © 2023

eBook, 384 pages

 

Historical Mystery, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley