I listened to this on audio. It was OK. A decent story but not particularly gripping or memorable. A good wintry read set in Iceland during a snowstorm if you like atmospheric stories.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Huge fan of Ragnar Jonasson and Nordic Crime. This was not a disappointment. They story made for a quick read and I flew through this one just like his other ones

Overall, this was a decent read. I found the book a bit repetitive at times, as the author switched between the different characters' voices to give each one's individual perspective on the events as they transpired. I also found the cliff-hanger type endings to virtually every chapter a bit tiresome and formulaic. Having said that, I thought the characters were well-developed, and was intrigued by each one's secrets and motives. Although I wouldn't say it was terribly suspenseful, it was intriguing enough that I read it in two days, as I wanted to see what happened. I know this author has written several books and I will definitely try another one before forming a firm opinion.

If you’re looking for an atmospheric that you can read in one sitting, preferably during a winter snowstorm, this one in for you. Set in an Icelandic moor, four friends get together for a weekend of hunting, but all is not what it seems. Highly recommend going into to this book without reading much of the synopsis.

Four friends meet to go hunting in northeastern Iceland and get snowed in. Secrets come out, and not all of them get out alive.

Ragnar is a genius at creating chilling atmosphere, but this was a bit more slow burning than some of his others.

This Icelandic thriller puts friendships to the ultimate test of life and death. A snowstorm mixed with betrayal and revenge, prove to be a dangerously deadly combination. This story is atmospheric, character driven and tests morality and humanity. How long can secrets stay buried? What lengths will one go to in order to keep the past from resurfacing? The harsh surroundings are not the only life threatening elements in this chilling and haunting tale. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy.

Thank you NetGalley for a e-copy for an honest review.

Four friends reunite for a hunting trip in the highlands in Iceland. The weather started becoming “white out” so they all bunker down in a hut. Something happens and we follow the different points of view of each friend.

I loved the setting of the book. Isolation, storm, suspense.
I was intrigued but didn’t feel invested with this story. Just felt “meh!” After reading it.

"When a deadly snowstorm strikes the Icelandic highlands, four friends seek shelter in a small, abandoned hunting lodge. It is in the middle of nowhere and there's no way of communicating with the outside world..
There is nothing around but they are supposably not alone, As it begins to get dark
their fear grows stronger, an old tragedy gradually surfaces, one that forever affects their friendship.
Those dark memories could hold the key to the mystery the friends now find themselves in..
What will happen to these friends will they survive ? Will they still be friends?
New author to me, book started off little slow but then it started to get good. Will read another one of this authors work.
Thanks to netgalley, minotaur books and the author in honest exchange for a review.
Published June 28, 2022.

There is no accounting for what people will do.
“Outside” by Ragnar Jónasson sends readers into the cold, the isolation, and the danger of Iceland where even the brightest days might prove hazardous for those who do not show respect for conditions so close to the Arctic Circle. The drama begins on a mind-numbingly cold November night.
The story goes back in time with alternating narratives so readers learn how these friends got to this miserable, frightening, cold place. Readers get to know each person both individually and as part of the group; their backgrounds; their personalities; and their secrets. There is no stronger bond than a shared secret.
This is a reunion trip -- friends, food, and a foray on to the moors, a world away from the urban sprawl of Reykjavík. It is to be an adventure in nature’s merciless elements. Every detail has been carefully planned, perhaps too carefully.
The storm begins; no one is coming to rescue them, but they all believe that it will be fine in the end. They have no choice but to stop somewhere and wait it out. The refuge cabin should have provided a sanctuary, but it did not. Inside the emergency shelter, they found something unexpected and shocking.
“Outside” is filled jaw-dropping surprises. Questions hang in the frozen air. The letters? The gun? This stranger? Had they caused this? Had nothing happened by chance? Had it always been meant to end this way?
I received a review copy of “Outside” from Ragnar Jónasson, Victoria Cribb, translator, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books. It is strangely creepy, exceedingly bizarre, and exceptionally compelling. The chain of events is complex and diverse, but the motive is simple and uncomplicated.
“Outside” by Ragnar Jónasson is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries and anywhere you get your books.

"Four friends. One night. Not everyone will come out alive..." In this Nordic noir suspense novel, Ragnar Jonasson brings us to Iceland where four friends plan a hunting trip. They don't normally hunt but decide to do something different and go on this amazing expedition. Until a major blizzard decides to ruin those plans, and they trek into an old, abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere. Once there, they discover they are not alone. I like the atmosphere of this story. For whatever reason, I am always drawn to stories that take place in snowstorms and extreme weather. However, the story itself somewhat felt a little flat to me. I'm not sure what it was but it wasn't what I thought.

Gosh, this one just wasn't for me! I thought I would give the Nordic theme a try, and while it did give me an isolating feeling/atmosphere, I just didn't connect to the characters. I found myself putting this down, and not wanting to pick it back up to finish. Sorry to say that I did not enjoy this one.

Real Rating: 3.5* of five, rounded down because I have low ambiguity tolerance in this case

Short, intense, and darkly atmospheric novella by one of Iceland's most valuable exports.

This honestly feels like a climactic scene from a longer novel that Ragnar didn't think was working, but it was just too darn good to let go to waste. We join the dramatis personae in medias res, we experience the building tension of a climax, and then...that was it...? Abrupt ending that doesn't do a lot of explaining, at least to me. It makes the whole exercise of reading the book just a bit frustrating to invest in the idea of this kind of pressure-cooker plot and then...stop.

I think everyone over 21 knows that we're defined by our worst moments, our biggest lapses of judgment. (If there are kids in your life, you *really* know this!) And we all know there are people in our lives whose place is more theirs by habit than by any desire on your, often nor their, part. People change and when we're young we think that won't matter. It's only as the weight of coping with our own lives becomes more and more demanding that we realize the weight of carrying someone whose place in our life is no longer a good investment of our energy.

The problem for me, in reading this chilling short take, is that these emotions are so common to all adults that to see them turned into a justification for chillingly, cruelly premeditated murder is asking me to go a bit farther than I'm generally prepared to go. The murderer in this piece is so coldly obsessed with a terrible event that no other thing can be allowed to enter their mental sphere.

Sociopaths aren't delightful company, and the ugliness of the murderer's interior is too much the focus of the story for me to get anything I wanted in the way of understanding out of the read. I left as revolted as I entered, and that's not a good result for me.

DNF at 31%
This was just not a book for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters and the story was confusing and rushed. It was not what I expected from the description. Disappointing.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and the author for ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ragnar Jonasson’s writing is absolutely incredible and spine-tingling! I was gripped the whole read through by the atmosphere in this story, which helped immerse me and make me feel like I was right next to the characters. This story was full of twists and thrills. Highly recommend!

I literally did not want to put this book down! It was good. It kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to keep reading. I love that this is one suspense book that I could not figure out at the beginning like others I've read. If you're looking for a good, quick read, this will not disappoint!

Has a claustrophobic feel, a sense of unease prevails. While these characters are not particularly likable, they do serve to draw one into the story. The writing is stark and fits and adds to the feel of constant danger. While I didn't like this as much as this authors series novels, it was still an appealing read if one is a fan of Nordic noir.

I love this book takes place in Iceland! The idea of getting caught in a horrible snowstorm with friends looking for shelter is terrifying.

Outside tells a story of four old friends (really it appears only three of them are REALLY friends at this point) who are getting together in Iceland to hunt in winter off in an isolated area. One of the four is a tour guide and takes charge of the adventure. One is a woman. We learn early her boyfriend dies sometime ago and that she has never gotten over this. He was part of the group. One is a lawyer who is rather odd and unlikeable. And one is our narrator much of the time, but not all the time. While it is hard to discuss the story without spoilers, there are obvious tensions within the group. The lawyer had engaged in very improper behavior known to all and he has a crush on the woman. They are not a cohesive group. We see each one's perspective as the story evolves and have to question what we really know about any of them. This has tense moments, and gallops along to a surprise conclusion, but it was largely boring, morose and a disappointment, as I often read Jonasson and like his work.

Not as enjoyable as Johansson's Island trilogy but a creepy, atmospheric Islandoc Noir book. I liked the closed room setting and small cast of characters 👏🏼

I do not like giving poor reviews but there just isn’t much I can recommend about this book. It’s short and fast paced, so it has that in its favor. Four “friends” go on a hunting trip in a remote part of Iceland. The book shifts POVs constantly, and it quickly is clear that there is a lot of hatred between these people. And, they are all unsympathetic, icky characters. With no one to root for, the whole experience of reading the book just comes down to figuring out the mystery. I will say I did not figure it out, but that’s really just because it wasn’t very compelling or well done. The book just sort of ends after a few hasty reveals. I actually wondered if I got an unfinished ARC. I just did not like this. Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.