Four friends reunite to hunt ptarmigans in the remote Icelandic wilderness. But when an unexpected storm strands them in an isolated cabin, the claustrophobia and tension begins to dredge up secrets long buried. And the only question remaining is how many of them will survive until morning...

I love Scandinavian thrillers, and the premise of the terror of being stranded in a frozen wilderness was a great hook. It was pretty unique. But this book ultimately fell flat for me.

I wonder if the trouble for me stems from a problem in translation. I hate to judge a book based on readability when it might be beautiful in its original language. But this was frustrating to read. It's told from the POV of each of the four characters in extremely short chapters. After a while (because the book comes in at 400 pages), it felt really repetitive. There's a ton of dialogue, which was flat and unbelievable, given the situation. And I never felt like the characters were fleshed out in any way to make me care for them. Quite the opposite--they were all fairly monstrous.

I will say, the sense of place and atmosphere was spot on. You can feel the cold and the desolation of the highlands. But as I love a more lyrical style, and I want characters (not necessarily all, but at the very least, one) I can relate to or root for, this just didn't work really well for me as a whole.

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a review through Netgalley.

Damn, OUTSIDE by Ragnar Jonasson is such a great read.
I know when I pick a book by Jonasson its going to be a great story.

I devoured this book in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down, I sat down to start reading it at lunch time and next thing I know it’s 10pm… where did the time go?! Oh that’s right, I spent my time lost in the pages of this wonderfully amazing book.

This kept me riveted to the page. Not necessarily due to the suspense of the plot, but because it was such a great psychological study of a family imploding. Well written, great characters and a fantastic ending.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Minotaur Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Guns, alcohol and blizzards don’t mix. Add in secrets, blackmail, resentment and suspicion and you have the theme of Outside, a mystery mixed with psychological thriller. Four friends, Armann, Helena, Daniel and Gunnlaugur, plan a reunion with hiking and hunting on the moors of Iceland. It’s November, the weather is iffy and some have planned better than others. You’ll understand that later. There are four narrators - each the voice of one of the friends. Chapter by chapter as each narrator reveals exactly what happened in the past that has brought them together on this trip, you realize that deep, long held feelings are bubbling to the surface. And when they are stranded in an isolated hut by a raging blizzard well, the blizzard isn’t the only thing that is raging…

Outside is tense and suspenseful until the conclusion. The pace quickens until the final chapters and a disappointing ending. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Ragnar Jonasson for this ARC.

I have never read any books by this author, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book was pretty decent. It was definitely a piece thriller that all took place within about a day or so. It was a group of four friends going for a hike and to shoot some kind of bird, unbeknownst to them a massive winter storm was going to derail all their plans. There are lots of underlying secrets and resentments and a few tweet was interns. I would say four out of five stars and I'm not sure if the book was translated, but if it was the translation was excellent. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I read my first book by this author, The Girl Who Died last year, and was excited to get an early copy of Outside. I learned that the extreme cold and isolated setting is always a feature, and once again what a bleak and ominous location. I am pretty sure this specific place does not need to be added to my bucket list!
Four friends plan a last-minute trip to shoot ptarmigan (I had to Google this), which is a medium-sized game bird. What could go wrong, right? They set off with a plan and the best of intentions. What they don't expect is how quickly bad weather rolls in, the lack of food and shelter, and the challenges they will face to survive the elements (and each other).
There is something amiss with this group from the first page. Daniel is scared, Gunnlauger is oddly detached, and if not for Helena and Armonn's experience and common sense, this group would have a snowball's chance in hell of making it home. When they finally reach a very basic shelter, they find something inside that makes absolutely no sense.
Soon, the secrets each of them holds will be exposed and I will say straight out that none of them would be on my list of potential friends. I can't say what happens without spoilers, but I can say there is a lot more going on than four friends enjoying each other’s company and working together to figure out the best plan.
My only issue was with how it ended. It just seemed like there should have been more, but maybe they said all the author wanted them to say. I know what I would like to believe happened, and it would not be a happily ever after ending. The chapters were short, and we heard each person's perspective, which did provide all the necessary answers to why they were on this trip from hell.

Uuuum what just happened?! This book was going along fine, close to the end but ok?! Then it went into I guess the last chapter, which I didn't really understand then just ended?! I'm not even sure what they were talking about in that last chapter?! She was going to ask him something?! Like what?! I can't even imagine what?! Lol I'm lost I guess?! This book was generally ok little bit weird but ok then the whole ending just flew over my head?! I have no idea?! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me! I guess?! Lol

Dark, icy thriller filled with a sense of dread. You will not be able to put this book down!
#Netgalley #Outside

This book is so scary. It’s very much sort of a locked room mystery with a viable threat. While the story seems intense it’s still unfolds at the same time with led the main characters to the situation. I absolutely plan to read it again, great book.

This book held my attention from the first page.The setting and weather set the mood for the unfolding of this mystery.I have always enjoyed Ragnar Jonasson books and this is no exception..

Ok WOW. This was the best Ragnar has written yet, IMO. It was so FULL of dread and menace and you truly had no idea what was about to happen, it takes place (basically) in one isolated small hunting cabin but so much is actually happening that you have no idea what is going on. The character study of each person, where they were mentally, sort of what they had been thru in their lives, what brought them together and drew them apart, it was so good. Could not put it down

Although this is one of my favorite authors, I was a little disappointed with this book. All the elements are there from 4 old friends taking a hunting trip in the wilds of Iceland, an unexpected blizzard that forces them into what appears to be a deserted hunting shelter, past secrets and feelings are revealed which leads to fatal consequences. I just felt like I was a spectator at a match moving from one character to another as they launched their salvos at each other. I kept thinking to myself that old saying, “man plans and God laughs.”

All in all not a bad read. I look forward to others from this author.

Iceland in the middle of winter is beautiful, but it can also be deadly. Four friends out for a day hike find themselves caught in a blizzard in the middle of nowhere. With no time to head back to civilization, they take cover in an abandoned cabin. The isolation gives the group plenty of time to think, to remember a tragedy that has impacted all their lives…and is about to again, while they are stranded far from help. A great read for a spooky, snowy night