Outside

Jónasson (The Girl Who Died) is no stranger to Icelandic crime fiction fans, and this strong thriller stand-alone shines with the violent atmosphere of the country’s brutal winters. Daniel, Armann, Gunnlaugur, and Helena, friends since college, gather for a reunion weekend to hike and hunt ptarmigan birds and to reconnect. They set off into the highlands only to encounter a violent winter storm that forces them into one of the emergency shelters that dot the haunting landscape. Unfortunately, the shelter that they find holds a gruesome discovery. Now they are faced with a horrible choice: either remain in the lodge with the horror or venture back out into the storm facing possible death. Jónasson marvelously ramps up the tension in this multiple viewpoint story and drops several excellent twists along the way. As the long night evolves, readers learn that the characters have several dark secrets and that their friendships might not be as solid as they seem. Someone wants revenge and will have that revenge at a deadly cost.