This was an OK story, a cold case that is not quite historical from where I sit in 2023, because the crime takes place in the 1950s and is solved in the 1980s. It doesn’t do anything super tricksy or groundbreaking, but if you like mystery stories set in Iceland, it makes a good read. ( )

It is 1956 and fifteen-year-old Lara Marteinsdottir has disappeared without a trace. She was spending the summer working as a maid on the island of Viday off the coast of Reykjavik for prominent lawyer Ottar Oskarsson and his wife. Her parents got worried when she didn’t make her weekly phone call home and they called the police. Police officer Kristjan Kristjansson investigated but no body was ever found thus no charges ever placed. Oskarsson said that one day Lara abruptly gave her notice and just up and left their employ with no warning, leaving them high and dry. Speculation was that she made her way back to Reykjavik or drowned but there was no proof. If she drowned, at least her luggage would have remained on shore but none was recovered.

Reykjavik newspapers resurrected the case 1966 and again in 1976 but it was basically a rehash of what was printed at the time of the disappearance. No new evidence had come to light.

In 1986, however, fledgling reporter Valur Robertsson decided he was going to make a difference and started researching the case and interviewing all the people associated with it as well as those acquainted with Oskarsson. The weekly newspaper he worked for, Vikubladid (veek-oo-blaa-thith), printed several articles, but while new information was uncovered, it was still a cold case with no solution in sight.

That all changed when Vikubladid editor, Dagbjartur (daak-byar-toor) Steinsson, prematurely announces that the case was close to being solved and there would be a final answer in the upcoming edition in a week. Robertsson suddenly received an anonymous phone call stating the caller knew where the body was buried.

That one announcement led to a series of both disastrous and enlightening events.

Authors Jonasson and Jakobsdottir ably interweave in this historical cold case novel the events at the time including Reykjavik’s 200th anniversary, the introduction of privately owned radio and television stations and the historic summit meeting between U.S. President Reagan and USSR President Gorbachev held in Reykjavik.

Reykjavik: A Crime Story has received several starred reviews and has repeatedly been described as a slow-burn, spellbinding mystery. I concur. The book has interesting characters, a good plot and a surprise ending. While there is little in the way of violence and it certainly is not a gruesome read, it is not a cozy mystery and there is constant action. It is recommended for fans of Jo Nesbo’s Harry Hole mysteries. I’d also recommend it for fans of Arnuldur Indridason, although it is not as dark as his noir novels. ( )

A solid story but a terrible book. Just atrocious prose and plotting. ( )

A 30-year-old missing person's case has left a collective scar on the people of Iceland. Known as the safest country in the world, the missing teen's fate haunts her parents, friends, and Detective Kristjan as well. When journalist Valur Robertsson becomes obsessed with the case, he goes all in, stirring up old wounds and secrets.
The narrative flows smoothly, providing multiple points of view with seamless ease. The pacing suits the story from the first page, accelerating and twisting through discoveries, shocks, and suspicions to the breathtaking end.
The book is dedicated to Agatha Christy who would have been proud of authors Jonasson and Jakobsdottir. They captured the moody isolation of Videy Island, an occasionally occupied place off the coast of Reykjavik where the missing teen was last seen and the bustling lively crowds in Reykjavik. The characters, and there are many, appear as distinct, memorable people with their own agendas. The reader will speculate which of the many suspects is lying and what happened to the teen, but the discoveries and plot pivots will keep the reader guessing all the way to the shocking revelation.
An elegant mystery, brilliantly told, Reykjavik can stand cover to cover beside the great classic mystery and detective novels.
I received an advance reader copy through NetGalley. Thank you, Minotaur Books and St. Martin's Press. This novel debuts on September 5, 2023. #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #Reykjavik #NetGalley #recommendedreading ( )

This book is a bit odd because of its setting. Who among us was in Reykjavik in 1986s? Terra incognita. It's odd in another way because I am not sure I find the resolution of the mystery to be believable. But it's an interesting read for the setting.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com. ( )