Ragnar Jonasson is becoming one of my favorite mystery/thriller writers ever since I read The Girl Who Died. This second book of Outside that I read by Ragnar Jonasson was just as great as The Girl Who Died.
This was an intense and suspense-filled story. The weather, location, and landscape played a big part in this one. Also, having a blanket on hand while reading this would be something I'd recommend since I got cold while reading this one.
This was about 4 friends who get together and go hunting birds in the freezing wild in Iceland. The weather is one of their enemies or obstacles in the story here as when the blizzard starts; it causes them to have to find shelter and then they end up in a hut. As things happen while they're in the hut and waiting the storm out and trying to figure things out, then other things surface, like all the problems in the characters and dynamics of their relationships among their group. They find themselves in another dangerous and threatening situation as they're all stuck together in the frozen wilderness with all their buried issues, with each other coming to the surface. The ending has a twist/reveal I didn't see coming and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down and I read it all in one sitting.
If you like Ragnar Jonasson, Scandinavian Noir, Mystery/Thrillers, and intense reads that keep you turning the page until the end, then check this one out.
Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for letting me read and review this fantastic book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for an atmospheric Scandinavian Noir to pick up in the middle of hot and humid Midwest summer, look no further. However, I found myself disappointed in how the plot came together and how the characters started connecting dots. The friendship group did not make sense and I think that a little background on how they became friends would've gone a long way in helping plot build into a more 'thrilling' conclusion.

Another note on the ending, it seemed very formulaic as the story started wrapping up and then there was barely a conclusion. I feel like the reader almost gets to choose an ending here. Was that deliberate?

I do think this will make a good movie if it gets optioned.

This book made me cold. The atmosphere is so strong that it is like another character. The relationships between the characters were written so intrinsically, that i had no problems picturing the entire scene in my head. I was surprised by many things and kept thinking to myself that Jonasson is a master plotter. Outside is a book that is great for mystery lovers.

I have only recently gotten into the Scandi-Noir genre, and it has been pretty hit or miss for me. This one was mostly a hit. I love stories set in Iceland, Norway and those regions. This author made me feel as though I was actually in Iceland in a blizzard, no small feat as I swelter in 100+ Texas temps. Four mostly unlikeable characters seek shelter in an old hunting cabin as a snowstorm rages outside. Someone is dead, old issues and tensions come out and everyone turns against the other. I did struggle a bit throughout with this one, but I feel like this was more of a "lost in translation" sort of thing than the fault of the author and I do look forward to reading more by him.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Ragnar Jonasson and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

It seems mystery readers can’t get enough of Scandi noir, and for good reason. There’s something inherently creepy about areas that are isolated and dark—which can apply to much of the region. But it also takes a talented author to make that creepiness come alive for the reader, and Ragnar Jónasson has done it again, this time with Outside.

It’s everyone’s worst nightmare, actually. In a deadly snowstorm, four friends seek shelter in an abandoned hunting lodge. (Yeah, you already know something untoward is about to happen!) Miles from help, and knowing they will die out in the cold, they break in, hoping to wait out the storm until morning.

The friends, of course, make a macabre discovery, setting the scene for a long night where they begin to unravel—secrets emerge, tensions escalate, and panic and paranoia have free rein. Jónasson excels at creating a claustrophobic atmosphere within a disturbing narrative, and he does it again here. He stitches together an unforgiving landscape, strong elements of horror, and intricate dynamics among the gathered friends.

It all makes for a very satisfying read…. Though you might find yourself keeping the light on for it!

I had such high hopes for this one. Ragnar has been on the top of my list of authors to be read and I think I must have worked him up soo much that this just wasn’t what I was expecting. Outside left me with constantly wanting more. It just felt that I was in suspense limbo for the entire story, up until the last 10%. Then it finally picked up and give me what h wanted.

Four friends, set out for a hike through the Icelandic highlands when they are hit with an unforeseen snow storm. They must seek shelter ASAP or else the harsh winter weather will be the death of them all. They find an abandoned hunting lodge, with no communication and terrible weather they seek shelter here, but they are not alone. The more time they spend isolated in this shelter, dark secrets from the past surface and start painting a clearer picture.

this could’ve been soo much better. I felt like I was caught in this storm with no end in sight. With that being said, I didn’t hate it but I definitely didn’t love it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

Ragnar Jonasson continues to deliver excellent books taking place in Iceland. The landscape and setting are an important part of the story, and he vividly paints the landscape picture in the mind of the reader. I wasn't necessarily connected to any of the four main characters. They all have flaws, which was refreshing, but in the end, I wasn't able to connect with any of them and root for them as the events of the story unfolded. While I wasn't vested in any of the characters, I enjoyed how the story unfolded and revealed itself along the way.

Suspenseful, and intense story about a group of hikers who get stuck in an Icelandic mountain during a blizzard. I felt there was too many povs, and the plot was slow moving for my taste! The story setting is cold and true to icelandic-thriller tone. Although, I feel I have enjoyed other books from Jónasson better than Outside. Highly recommend The Island & The Mist if you wish to read dark atmospheric and chilly thrillers. Might be better as an audiobook.

Thank you Minotaur books for the gifted reader’s copy!

I think perhaps something didn't come through in the translation? Just the feeling of suspense somehow seemed to be missing, and hard to follow from all the points of view. Interesting and surprising plot, but just didn't come together for me

The descriptive writing made me “feel” the bone chilling cold and swirling snow storm. The author has the ability to have the reader dislike the characters by telling the story from each person’s thoughts, reasoning and relationship to one another. Although the ending left me disappointed I would definitely read this author again for his descriptive writing.

In Iceland, four people get together for a ptarmigans hunt. The four of them know each other at the university they attended. There is Helena, an engineer, Daniel, an actor Gunnlaugur, an attorney, and Armann a travel guide. Armann has organized the trip for the four of them. They start hiking up the mountain and the weather changes to a snowfall then to a blizzard. As they search for the hut that Armann knows is ahead of them, they all think of the problems they have with each other. Upon finding the hut, they decide how to get into the locked hut. Armann finally breaks the key box to get to the key. Upon entering it is discovered that there is a man sitting with a rifle in a corner. The stranger doesn’t speak just stares. It is so cold in the hut that it is decided that two of the four should go and go to the next hut that Armann knows there is a short wave radio to call for help. Helena and Daniel decide to go. As they walked towards the hut, Helena falls and hurts her ankle. She tells Daniel that she has to go back and he should go on to the next hut. Will Helena make it back? Will Daniel get to the next hut? Gunnlagaugur is nervous in the hut with the stranger staring at him. When the stranger gets up and walks towards Gunnlaugur, he shoots the stranger killing him. Why?

The author has written a tense, suspenseful, horrific mystery novel. He had the four travelers each take a chapter showing the reader what they are thinking. There are twists and turns in the plot that I enjoyed. The characters end up turning on each other. It’s a mystery not to forget.

This book seemed like it ended before it even began. I was not invested in the characters or the plot. It's unusual for me not to enjoy a book much, but unfortunately, that was the case with this one.

This wasn’t a good read for me. I didn’t enjoy really anything about this book. This was definitely a it’s not you it’s me situation.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I love Jonasson's books but this one was extremely disappointing.

I am a great fan of Nordic Noir so was looking forward to reading Ragnar Jonasson’s story entitled “Outside,” Sadly, I struggled with the book and cannot rave about “Outside.” The book contains four narrators and betwixt and between the Uber-short chapters and the point-of-view changes I found myself dizzy. This book was going to propel me into reading other stories by Jonasson but I shan’t be headed in that direction.

Pros: a quick read and a suitably chilling book to read on a 100 degree day. Cons: I found all of the characters to be unlikeable and the tension felt drawn out and artificial.

I won't leave a long review.
This book to me was not good. I read it and stayed pretty much confused until the very end and that is not a good thing for me. Others may like that but I do like to have some idea as to what is happening and have a few guesses about things. I didn't like the characters or the plot. It was just a big letdown.

Thanks to #NetGalley for this ARC. This is my true thoughts about this book.

3/5 stars and believe me it's hard to say 3 stars but I don't like giving less as I know the author works so hard on books for us to read.

I want to start by thanking St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this book before it came out. I was so excited to read this book. I've heard incredible things about the author and the premise of the book seemed to be right up my alley. To the point that I went ahead and pre-ordered a hardcover copy.

I am incredibly sad to say that this book did not meet my very high expectations and it disappointed me tremendously. Unlikable and unreliable characters. The unreliable part is never a problem for me, but up until the very end you actually find out what in the world is going on. Excellent plot idea and location, but I feel like the author did not squeeze it to its pulp. The ending was so anticlimactic that I was not even surprised when it ended. I have never been so bored reading a thriller. I somehow feel cheated.

This was a fairly entertaining but typical Scandinavian noir book. Four friends venture into the Icelandic wilderness to hunt ptarmigan and soon find themselves caught in a blizzard. Finding a hut, they take refuge from the storm but soon find themselves caught in a storm of a different kind.

The book is told from the four characters POV and switches from present to past frequently. Personally, I didn't like any of the characters, which is always a deal breaker for me as far as my rating for a book. There were plenty of twists to the story, but most of them were actually fairly predictable.

All in all, this was a quick read but I would only recommend it if you you truly love this genre.

Unfortunately, I really did not like this one.

** spoiler alert ** I can’t take anymore of this book. I am 43% in and literally all that has happened is a group of people have made it up a mountain in a blizzard to a hut, where a weird dude is sitting in a corner with a gun staring at them not speaking but clearly alive, and two of the people decide to go to another hut to call for help. Literally that’s almost half the book. Nothing is happening at all. It took 10% of the book for the group to walk from the door of the hut over to the man in the chair. 🙄😴

Thanks anyway to St. Martin’s Press for a free digital galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.