Translated by Victoria Cribb.
In a deadly Icelandic snowstorm, four friends seek shelter in an abandoned hunting lodge. Miles from help, and knowing they will die out in the cold, they break in, hoping to wait out the storm until morning.
But nothing can prepare them for what's inside . . .
With no other option, they are forced to spend a long and terrifying night in the cabin: watching as intently and silently as they themselves are being watched.
As the night darkens, old secrets spill into the light, and tensions rise between the four friends. Soon it's clear that what they've discovered in the cabin is far from the only mystery lurking there.
Nor the only thing to be afraid of . . .
Ragnar Jónasson is an international number one bestselling author who has sold over three million books in thirty-four countries worldwide. He was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, where he also works as an investment banker and teaches copyright law at Reykjavík University.
He has previously worked on radio and television, including as a TV news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, and, from the age of seventeen, has translated fourteen of Agatha Christie's novels. He is currently writing a novel with the Icelandic Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir. His critically acclaimed international bestseller The Darkness is soon to be a major TV series, and Ridley Scott will be producing Outside as a feature film.
Published 28th April 2022 by Penguin Michael Joseph.
From the cover of the book:In a deadly Icelandic snowstorm, four friends seek shelter in an abandoned hunting lodge. Miles from help, and knowing they will die out in the cold, they break in, hoping to wait out the storm until morning.
But nothing can prepare them for what's inside . . .
With no other option, they are forced to spend a long and terrifying night in the cabin: watching as intently and silently as they themselves are being watched.
As the night darkens, old secrets spill into the light, and tensions rise between the four friends. Soon it's clear that what they've discovered in the cabin is far from the only mystery lurking there.
Nor the only thing to be afraid of . . .
***********
Four old friends meet up for an adventure in the Icelandic wilds, but once their hunting expedition gets underway the unpredictable weather takes a turn for the worse. Their only option is to seek shelter in an isolated cabin to wait out the storm, and what they find inside shocks them to the core.
As the terrified group struggles to get through the night, afraid of what lurks in the shadows, the weight of old sins ramps up the tension in the cabin, and the cracks in their relationships begin to show. Old scores demand to be settled and not everyone will come out of this little trip alive...
Outside is a gripping stand-alone from best-selling Icelandic noir crime author Ragnar Jonasson that weaves together elements of psychological thriller, hard-edged mystery, and horror story, when four friends reconnect during a supposedly fun hunting weekend. Once the trip gets underway, the mood changes pretty swiftly when the weather turns and makes it much more of a survival drama that an enjoyable escapade. There is the whisper that something bad is going to befall them right from the word go, and a slight suspicion that perhaps this situation has been contrived by one or more of the party, which hooks you at the start.
The story is told in staccato narratives from each of the four friends, gradually building up a picture of their true feelings towards each other, until all their dirty little secrets come flooding out and events spiral completely out of control. There is a lovely little story device that twists the knife from the time they enter the cabin, taken straight out of the horror playbook, that dials up the fear factor too.
This is an unabashed, heart-pounding chiller, which is an interesting departure from what usually flows from Jonasson's pen, and I think it does lack something of the subtlety and sophistication of his detective novels, but there is still plenty here for you to get your (chattering) teeth into. Once again, Jonasson displays his considerable ability to use weather and the environment to create the perfect backdrop for the murderous machinations that play out. I just love the way he is able to create the most claustrophobic of atmospheres in his books, especially by using snow to build a feeling of isolation. Throw in a remote cabin, four trigger happy 'friends' with dark secrets, and a rogue horror element that is the stuff of nightmares, and you have something that proves to be a highly entertaining page-turner.
The ending of this book is rather abrupt, with threads left hanging, which makes me wonder if Jonasson has plans to pick this story up again. I would really like to know what happens next, as there is still a fair bit of reckoning to be accounted for, but time will tell. In any case, it has already been snapped up for a movie adaptation that sounds very promising indeed!
I do love a snowy thriller! This is a devour in a single sitting kind of book, best read in the daylight hours, and it may make you very wary of an unexpected invitation from an old friend... especially if snowy climes are involved!
Outside is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.
About the author:
He has previously worked on radio and television, including as a TV news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, and, from the age of seventeen, has translated fourteen of Agatha Christie's novels. He is currently writing a novel with the Icelandic Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir. His critically acclaimed international bestseller The Darkness is soon to be a major TV series, and Ridley Scott will be producing Outside as a feature film.
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