Four college friends plan a hunting trip but a snowstorm takes them by surprise, trapping them in a falling down hut but the hut has a surprise for them. The trips starts on a good note with the four friends but by the time the trip is over only three will survive. Can you really depend on your friends.
The group all have secret's they want to keep but being cooped up in the hut begins to expose the secrets one by one. I enjoyed the story but was not too satisfied with the ending, although I would recommend the book.

OUTSIDE by Ragnar Jonasson has all the elements of a mystery from an isolated setting , a snowstorm and revenge.

Four friends in Iceland travel together to a hunting lodge far away from civilization. All Four friends have secrets that they are trying to hide from each other. An unexpected guest appears at the lodge and no one seems to know the stranger. Two friends leave the lodge to try to find something and one comes back, claiming that the other died. There is the vibe of "an eye for an eye".

This is a slow burning mystery set in Iceland. I enjoyed the mystery without the graphic violence. Although murder is committed.

The story was well crafted and the language is beautiful, though I have to say that I did not really like any of the four characters. Someone said it is possible to enjoy a book even if you do not like the characters. I learned that it is true after I finished reading the novel.

Highly recommended for fans of Agatha Christie type mysteries.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an early copy on the digital platform.

Not posting on GoodReads or blog.

I received a digital advance copy of Outside by Ragnar Jonasson (translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb) via NetGalley. Outside is scheduled for release on June 28, 2022.

Outside is the story of four friends who head out for a hunting adventure in the Icelandic highlands. An unexpected winter storm appears, forcing them to find shelter in an isolated hut. While they wait for the storm to clear, they are forced to deal with events they thought were buried in the past.

While this novel had an interesting premise, the execution of the story did not work for me. While we get the story from the point of view of all four of the friends, none of the characters were well developed. The author gives us lists of facts about them, including summaries of moments from their pasts, but we don’t really see the characters do anything. Even the relationships between the four people we are told are friends are non-existent. In the last third of the novel, there was a reveal (of something all four of the characters would know, but which was withheld from the reader) that I think was intended to make us reconsider the relationships between the four. The problem was that I had no sense of who the four were, or what their relationships were, so the reveal fell very flat.

Despite the potentially interesting premise, the plot as a whole did not come together for me. Individual moments made no sense, even after the secrets of the story were revealed.

Overall, Outside was a disappointing read, with both the characters and plot needed much more development to create a satisfying story.

Outside, by Ragnar Jonasson, is an almost tangibly atmospheric Nordic Noir set on the snowy mountain range of Iceland’s Eastern Highlands. The story follows four college friends who reunite for a hunting trip when a snowstorm blows in. They find themselves seeking refuge in a remote hunting shack and discover an unsettling, rather terrifying surprise upon gaining entry. As they try to survive the night and work out what to do, given their current circumstances, tension mounts, tempers unfurl, accusations are made and old wounds are reopened. The scene is Arctic cold, desolate, hopeless and claustrophobic.

I did appreciate the short chapters and alternating perspectives in this mystery, and was truly intrigued to see where the story would go. But before long, it became rather repetitive and lacked a forward momentum in the plot. Some of the reveals were interesting, but others were lackluster and anti-climatic. The second part of the story, which was more like an epilogue, was absolutely confusing and unclear. I have no idea what transpired, who the narrator was, or how it connected to the main plot. And then the story ended, abruptly, without any explanation.

I am normally a huge fan of Ragnar Jonasson’s work. But sadly, despite its vivid setting and definite potential, Outside was a big disappointment.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader and audiobook copy of Outside by Ragnar Jonasson in exchange for an honest review. I started this book in ebook format and was slowly working my way through it, then got the audiobook and listened to 75%in one evening. It was a good, fast paced thriller that hooks you in to the end. Four "friends" go on a weekend trip in Iceland and the secrets of their lives unravel.

Outside by Ragnar Jonasson is a taut closed door mystery that is the best thriller of the year. Jonasson weaves the stories of the four leading characters like a riveting chess match. This is a slow burn that unveils its twists unexpectedly. Jonasson is a must read author and this will make an awesome film.

Outside is a stand-alone novel from Ragnar Jonasson.

"Four friends head out from the lodge intending to hunt. A winter storm hits driving them to a survival shelter. When they get inside they are surprised by what they find. Not everyone will make it out alive."

This is a short quick read from Jonasson. It takes place in one night. Jonasson does a nice job making the reader feel the cold of the Icelandic winter. It's told from the perspective of each of the characters. Each character has their own agenda...and secrets. The ending was a bit open-ended - not sure what I think about that yet

Good, quick story from Jonasson. Good to read while it's so hot outside

*3.5*

I wish I would've read this during the winter season because I was 100% LIVING for this atmosphere! The cold wintery isolation feel certainly adds to the story. Curling up with a blanket and a hot beverage is the perfect way to read this. The first reveal and cliffhanger certainly caught me off guard and had me hooked! It did seem to go downhill from there. There was a lot of inner dialogue with the characters and most of it repetitive chapter to chapter. I think some of it was meant to act like a cliffhanger but after awhile I wanted to yell JUST TELL ME WHAT IT IS! I thought the mix of characters was good for what was happening in the story and I was quite surprised by the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am really really new to Nordic Noir so I have to be honest and say I felt lost reading this book. I had friends but told me that I needed to be patient. That Nordic Noir tends to be a Slow Burn. And I kept waiting for that burn part, and just it didn't seem to get there. It really was challenging for me to actually finish the book. It had nothing to do with the author's writing, the writing was nice and smooth. I guess it's just not my genre.

Nordic noir! I enjoy the tastes I have had of this genre and I looked forward to this book, penned by Ragnar Jónasson, a respected and successful Icelandic author. The story sets up quickly, four friends on a weekend hunting trip who are soon in over their heads due to an unexpected Icelandic blizzard. One of the characters swears he knows of an old hut nearby, so they trudge on in an effort to survive the storm. A creepy and threatening intruder inflames the panic and sparks off insecurities within the group.

Jónasson tells the story in short chapters rotating through each of the characters points of view. This keeps the pace quick and helps us get into the mindset of each person… for better or for worse. The pace was brisk and the suspense only snowballed as the story unfolded…

…and then, like an avalanche, the ending fell off. Some interesting plot moves seemed to drop abruptly. The advance reader copy included snippets from two additional books and I was halfway into reading one when I realized “Outside” had already ended. It felt like an epilogue had been omitted.

I liked what was there. I give it 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3– but it really feels like a missed opportunity here. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really love this author but I’m not sure what’s going on with this book. Like a lot of nordic noir it’s a slow burn but I kept waiting for the burn part and just couldn’t get there. It took some effort to actually finish this book. I still love this author and can’t help but feel this one is an anomaly. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

I have tried to start this book a few rimes but I’m just not into it, it doesn’t make me want to pick it up and keep reading. DNF

This book was a fast read, but I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I kept thinking something good/intense was going to happen and then nothing. I wish he would of embellished so much more. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

I really enjoyed Outside. I thought there were enough secrets and hints and intrigue to keep me interested from the beginning. The drawbacks are that Outside reminds me a lot of other thriller novels I have read in the past year or so (friends go to an isolated locale, lose the use of modern technology, violence occurs, and secrets are exposed) and that all of the main characters are unlikable. The final thing that I disliked was the ending. I feel as though it did not resolve a lot and just stopped the story. Overall though, it was an interesting thriller and I would recommend it.

Very drawn out and not at all engaging. What the heck are we doing here? Why do these people like each other? Why are they going on this trip? I just don't get it.

Ragnar Jonasson’s Outside is set in Iceland. There are four friends, out for a weekend hunting trip, when they find themselves trapped in a blizzard. Luckily for them, they come upon a hut, but they discover something startling inside. Will they make it out of this weekend alive? What secrets are each of the four friends harboring?

After reading Ragnar Jonasson’s The Girl Who Died, I was super excited to dig into this book. It is relatively fast paced, and it feels more like a novella than a full-length novel. Outside starts off with an extremely engaging introduction and rotates between the four friends’ perspectives.

What I loved about The Girl Who Died, I kept wondering is this going to have a scientific explanation or a supernatural one? However, Outside did not really have that vibe.

Please keep in mind that this is an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) so the final version might be a bit different. However, I think that the writing needs to be cleaned up. What do I mean by that? First, there is a bit too much telling and not enough showing. In one scene, the characters have an argument. There isn’t any further explanation about what the argument was even about. Second, some parts of this book don’t make sense. For example, a character would say how they never wanted to see this other character again and then in the next sentence talk about how he would go to such great lengths for this person that he never wants to see again.

Did these characters watch The English Patient? You never leave an injured person behind!

The ending is extremely abrupt, and I didn’t even understand that the book was over.

Overall, the plot is interesting, and this book is quite the page-turner. However, the reader must be prepared to suspend reality, and the ending should be stronger.

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

Wasn't the best read, wasn't the worst. Was decent until the end then went WTH. Would not read another to see if there was an ending.

This is a thriller with 4 pov’s set in the Icelandic Highlands on a hunting trip. Very isolated, super cold and unlikable characters.
Arman is in charge of planning the trip because that’s what he does for a living, but things go so wrong. The snowstorm is coming and it will make you, the reader, feel the cold, I got under a blanket while reading this in Texas where it’s already way too hot!
I’ve read other books by this author and loved them but this one seemed too rushed, the ending was way too abrupt!! I like closure, this one isn’t like that… I’m being honest, this is not my favorite, I will continue to read more from him but I did enjoy the atmosphere of this one.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Four friends, who are absolutely frigid with one another from the very beginning so can hardly be called friends, go for a hunting trip in the mountains. They end up lost in the snow, and the tension causes them to reveal all of their secrets and hostilities. Which, I can't stress enough, were obvious from the start, and I cannot imagine anyone agreeing to this death trip. Luckily they've got alcohol and guns so everything is bound to end well.

The setting is a really strong point. Desolate, cold, and beyond all hope of a mobile phone signal: it feels like the characters are in constant danger even before they start turning on each other. It's easy to relate to the fear and claustrophobia the characters feel.

I like how tight the story is, with no extra words or scenes, but that might have contributed to how utterly unlikeable all of the characters are. There's a slow reveal of just how horrible each person is, and it's masterfully done, but it was all unnecessary because I didn't like any of them to begin with. And the ending is no ending at all. Literally, I was searching for missing chapters at the end. If you like your stories resolved, look elsewhere.

A slow burn with an amazing atmosphere. The detail that went in the setting brought this book to life. The chill is real. The characters themselves were well written but I had a hard time connecting and caring for them. This was an easy read that wasn’t overly stretched out. There were enough twists and turns to keep me reading. It was a bit slower than my usual pace but the story did keep me guessing. Well written but could have used a bit more character development and a bit more suspense. A + for the detail In the settings though.