Sample

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Reykjavík

By: Ragnar Jónasson, Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Narrated by: Bert Seymour, Tamaryn Payne
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.99

Buy for $14.99

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
activate_WEBCRO358_DT_T2

Publisher's summary

Long-listed, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, 2023

With over three million copies sold worldwide, Ragnar Jónasson, along with Katrín Jakobsdóttir, brings us a gripping and chilling new thriller, Reykjavík.

What happened to Lára?

Iceland, 1956. Fourteen-year-old Lára decides to spend the summer working for a couple on the small island of Videy, just off the coast of Reykjavík. In early August, the girl disappears without a trace. Time passes, and the mystery becomes Iceland‘s most infamous unsolved case. What happened to the young girl? Is she still alive? Did she leave the island, or did something happen to her there?

Thirty years later, as the city of Reykjavík celebrates its 200th anniversary, journalist Valur Robertsson begins his own investigation into Lára's case. But as he draws closer to discovering the secret, and with the eyes of Reykjavík upon him, it soon becomes clear that Lára's disappearance is a mystery that someone will stop at nothing to keep unsolved . . .

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

©2023 Ragnar Jonasson and Katrín Jakobsdóttir (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“A beautifully constructed mystery by two super smart partners in crime.”—Anthony Horowitz, New York Times bestselling author of Magpie Murders

"A classic mystery . . . Reykjavik provides tremendous insight into Iceland at a time of change, expansion, and corruption. Sure to appeal to a broad swath of crime-fiction readers."—First Clue

What listeners say about Reykjavík

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    75
  • 4 Stars
    38
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    82
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    63
  • 4 Stars
    39
  • 3 Stars
    23
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining

The story has a slow build up, but I liked that about it. Aside from the mystery, I also liked listening to what was happening in Iceland in the mid ‘80s. It was good a listen while I was knitting. Narrators were also good!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An unexpectedly good book

This is a very good book. Half of a book is read by a male reader, and he’s fantastic. The second half is read by a female reader, whose voice is rather high, but if you pour through that it’s quite good. Plus a satisfying ending.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Some loose ends...

A decent story, with some obvious gaps. The narration was very good, which helped carry it along. I enjoyed the main characters who didn't have deep, dark secrets in their past. They were just ordinary people. I also really enjoyed the look into Icelandic culture.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A story full of twists & surprises

I really enjoyed this audio book. The characters were well developed, the story’s plot kept me “on my toes.” Well done!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Spoiler alert

There was one clue in the beginning that let me know who the killer was when the editor did not tell the sister about the phone call and clue that the brother had received just before he died. In fact, he said he had no idea what the brother was planning to write in the next week’s story. Clearly, he wasn’t counting on the fact that the young reporter had repeated the information to the cop and his sister, I kept waiting for that detail to come out, but of course it wouldn’t have because no one knew that the editor knew about the mysterious phone call. Still, it was clumsy because he should have known that others might know. In fact, even the other guy in the newspaper office knew about the phone call and the envelope addressed to the brother. I’m not using names here because I have no idea how they are spelled. I just wonder how many other people caught that in the beginning. But I also know that’s not how this forum works.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Icelandic Intrigue

It is always to read about Iceland and picture the islands and the terrain in conjunction with a plot involving characters in such an isolated country.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good story decade jumping

I was afraid this would somehow cross into the Hulda trilogy, which went reverse chron with an awful beg-ending.

This had enough possible suspects to fool me, and the audio was good. it gives a good feeling for the changes in ambition in Iceland over time.

a good stand alone.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

lost interest

2.75 stars rounded up for Reykjavik. I absolutely love books with Icelandic settings and I will say that in spite of the mystery/suspense portion of this book fizzling out, the atmosphere was perfectly chilling. The story starts out strong with a compelling plot - a 15 year old girl who goes missing under the employ of a barrister and his wife on a semi remote Icelandic island in the 50's. The circumstances under how she disappeared and even how she got off the island where she was living/working drive the mystery portion of the book But the suspense is sacrificed as the case draws out over several decades and through several narrators - none of which were exactly interesting. No spoilers, but eventually the focus of what happened to the girl and who did it lands on the barrister and a group of friends who were constant guests at his home that summer. I felt the author really should have spent some quality time on these characters and developing their relationships to one another. It would have gone a long way to hold the reader's attention and keep them engaged in the mystery. Instead the characters were introduced with no connection to the other over the entire length of the book, and it was confusing more than anything else especially with the Icelandic verbiage. Some might enjoy but overall it fell flat for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Picked on a whim

I chose this book on a whim, as I enjoy detective stories and have a warm spot in my heart for Iceland. The story was believable. That added to its strength! I enjoyed the plot and the readers. The back drop of the Reagan / Gorbachov talks added to the backdrop! I recommend this work!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Read

I enjoyed the experience of the unusual setting of Iceland. Although the names were unusual the flow of the story was not interrupted. I will be looking for more from this author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!