Following the heels of the book that introduced us to her (The Darkness), Ragnar Jonasson brings Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir’s case that led to that action to the page in The Mist.

Hulda is obviously having a difficult time at work when she’s handed a case that will at least get her out of the office. Alternating where she finds herself now with what led up to her depression, readers see the events of the prior two months have led to this case, and to her situation at home.

They also see what has happened to an older couple who live in a very isolated farmhouse in eastern Iceland. While the couple are readying for Christmas, the become even more stranded when a huge snowstorm blankets the area.

Erla and Einar have lived in this remote location their entire marriage, after taking on Einar’s family farm. Erla has had a tougher time getting used to the loneliness, especially in the winter. When a stranger knocks on their door, lost in the weather, Einar invites him in. What was to be an overnight stay turns longer when the storm continues unabated.

Erla is suspicious of the stranger, and even more so when some aspects of his story don’t add up. Her fears ramp up as more and more things cause her to suspect their uninvited guest is not whom he says he is at all.

It’s a chilling turn of events and more so when Hulda fears she is searching for a serial killer.

Well-done, with complex plot and dark premise that builds to a stunning climax on many levels.