The story builds slowly to the point where the characters must face the truth of their actions and someone must face the consequences. Jonasson is well known for the ability to weave a story line so tightly that you'll not escape until the end. An excellent thriller.

I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this a really interesting read and the characters are quite engaging. it kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend.

When I read the synopsis I expected this to be more paranormal heavy and was disappointed that there wasn't an acceleration in the ghostly visits or what would happen during them. With it being something I assumed after only reading the synopsis once, I don't think it's fair to rate this lower. Just a personal preference.
Even though it was infuriating, the actions of the townspeople helped make the story what it was. Una's dread was palpable as she tries to acclimate to this small town only to find out her efforts are in vain. Having moved to a small town myself, although not quite as small, I understood exactly how she felt and honestly feared for her safety.
This is one of those stories where unfortunate, unrelated storylines merge for a heartbreaking event. This type of reveal in the past has been hit or miss for me but worked in this instance. Breadcrumps were sprinkled throughout to support the ending and in a way it seemed as if karma had intervened based on passed transgressions.

This is a ghost story set in Iceland. The style is typically Scandinavian . Its a story of a young women that takes a job as a teacher in a remote village. All is not as it seems and she finds it difficult to fit in. Then the ghost appear !

A ghost story set in a very small village in Iceland.

Una takes herself off to Skalar and accepts a job there as teacher to two young girls. She's living in the home of one of her pupils and trying not feel like an outsider in this town of 10 people. This move is hard for Una; she is very isolated and finds things a bit strange. Especially the haunting lullaby that she keeps hearing at night and the appearance of a little girl in a white dress at the window. Is she drinking too much wine or is something really odd going on here?

There's also a parallel story line in italics that the reader assumes will eventually connect with the main tale, but I did not find it interesting and it just bogged down the narrative and made the pace seem glacially slow. The author tried very hard to set a foreboding and menacing atmosphere and a gothic tone with the dark nights, the cold weather, and the isolation of both Una and the town.

This was meant to be in the mid 1980s so a lot of items that could have made the town seem less insular were not being used then. No internet and no television meant that news was hard to acquire and research difficult. I just never really got that interested or invested in the whole plot and never took to Una. In other words, this just wasn't that appealing to me and, though I usually really like the Icelandic and Nordic noir, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I will likely give the author another chance as long as the premise does not involve ghosts, haunting, women who think they are losing the minds, or other supernatural elements.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a captivating read! I couldn’t stop reading! I loved the characters and the story! Highly recommend!

I typically love Ragnar's work, but this one just didn't grab me. I did make it to the end and while I do think it was better than many other books, in terms of Ragnar's output, it was my least favorite to date.

This won’t appeal to readers who like lots of action and multiple twists, but I enjoyed reading something “different” in a market saturated with a lot of the “same”.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and Ragnar Jonasson for this ARC. I enjoy Icelandic authors and this is my first by this author. I did read this story in October of 2021 but now see I never posted my review. So sorry. I really enjoyed this book, of a girl who wants to teach and finds herself in a small village with only 2 students. I found the characters enjoyable and living their lives as best they can in such a small village but without the woe is me attitude they could have had. The lived their best lives. Twists and turns and excitement kept me reading …The story brings to mind my trip to a Iceland, how cold and windy it is, how friendly the people are and how enjoyable a place it is. I definitely enjoyed this book and am now putting this Icelandic author on the top of my reading list. 4 stars only cause it’s a first read by this author. I see 5 stars in the future of the next books I’ll be reading bu this author.

First time reading Jonasson and it won’t be my last. I’m loving Nordic Noir lately. My only complaint is on me I think I missed a part somewhere because I was confused at points to what was going on.

Jonasson made my day with THE GIRL WHO DIED. Having loved the author's books in two series, it was great to read a standalone novel by one of my favorite Icelandic authors. What makes this story so good is that it has the fabulously dark atmospheric writing style, but is also filled with tension, chills, and careful crafted revealing of the truth. Brilliant.

Sinister and suspenseful, a real page turner! Could you move from a city to a remote village of 10 at the end of the world for a teaching position? Wild story of murder, secrets and a place that protects its own. Great read!
I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.
Thanks Netgalley and St Martins Press

An interesting premise and a decent start but this one quickly got boring and tedious for me to get through, despite it being a pretty short thriller. It was a bit too predictable for my personal taste

I really enjoyed the depictions of the villages and of the country because it really helped me feel as a reader, that I was there within the story. The issue is that I never fully liked the characters and I didn't feel as though I was truly invested in the book. I do enjoy reading books from other areas of the world that I don't typically read from so that was definitely unique for me, however.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an e-arc of this novel.

This just wasn't the book for me. I found it to be most boring. I think, mainly, because it is a translated work and I have found that Nordic Noir is just not my cup of tea.

If you like Nordic Noir with a hint of the supernatural, you will like this.

The Girl Who Died is an Icelandic Noir full of suspense and an ever present feeling of eminent danger. Una answers an advertisement for a teacher wanted at the edge of the world. Hoping to escape her mundane existence, she accepts the job and enters a world of isolation, secrets and mystery. Una is haunted by a ghost of a young girl. Is the child just a result of her vivid imagination, or is something more sinister involved. This is a compelling, atmospheric puzzle that is the perfect book to read in winter. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my copy.

I had a hard time with this novel. While it was beautifully written, I struggle with supernatural aspects. I chalk this up to, this one just was not for me.

I should have read this book sooner, but I’m ok with reading this now during the colder September-October season rather than hot May summers. All the books I’ve read from Jónasson The Darkness, Snowblind and Winterkill have all given me an immersive atmospheric experience! This book along with atmosphere, provided me with a cosy comfort! Yeah it takes a dark mind to find comfort in crime novels 🙈 don’t @ me ok!

The Girl Who Died is the a story of isolation and discovery. Una thinks she is seeing visions of the girl who had died in the place where she is residing now. After taking up a job in a remote Scandinavian town that has cold weird people for town folks, Una almost believes something supernatural is haunting her! But as she deals with the isolation, she discovers the truth, and its ugly!

Yes you read that right, this is a small town mysteries with supernatural play that daringly sent chills down my spine. This one was a super slow burn mystery, but I liked it still!

Thank you Minotaur via Netgalley for the arc.

Una, who lives in Reykjavik, applies for a teaching position in Skálar, one of Iceland's most isolated villages: 10 people, 2 students. Of course, like all small closely-knit villages, the community is tightly bound and leery of strangers. The women who hires Una is also her landlady and mother of one of the two students. They live in a house haunted by an ancient ghost, and while Una tries to fit in, a number of strange events occur. Sadly, the plot and characters were pretty dull, a bit like the fishing village itself, and not up to the higher standard of Ragnar Jónasson's two other atmospheric series, both of which I liked. At the end of the day, Una was not a compelling character.

This was a very atmospheric, lonely, and suspenseful tale. It is well written and will make you question the supernatural.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.