Face-paced suspense and quality writing from one of today’s top crime fiction authors.

“Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the World.”

Ragnar Jónasson, the author of the bestselling Dark Iceland series, set in and around Siglufjörður, and featuring Detective Ari Thór, returns with a standalone thriller that has an attention-grabbing concept behind it. Una, a young woman just short of thirty, has never come to grips with her father’s premature death. After showing promise as a medical student, Una decided she didn’t want to be a doctor after all and instead became a teacher. But she cannot secure employment offering more than a pay slip to pay slip existence, and she cannot face another winter staring at the four walls of her shabby Reykjavík apartment.

When Una’s closest friend, Sara, shows her an advertisement in the local paper for a teaching position in the tiny, isolated fishing village of Skálar, Una thinks the position might offer a chance for her to make a fresh start and get her life back on track. She applies for the job and gets hired almost immediately. Sure, she reasons, Skálar is a remote hamlet with a population of only ten souls, far from Reykjavík and almost at the end of the world on the Langanes Peninsula. But the teaching contract is only for the winter. If things don’t turn out to her liking, she can always return home. What could possibly go wrong?

Feeling hopeful, Una embarks on the long drive to Skálar. But the closer she gets to the village, the more remote it seems. When she finally arrives, feeling a sense of foreboding and with her old car seemingly on its last legs, Una doubts the wisdom of her decision. Still, Salka, the woman who hired her seems welcoming. She is the mother of one of Una’s new students, a class comprising only two girls. Salka provides Una’s accommodations, an attic flat in her home, which seem adequate.

It doesn’t take long before Una realizes the other inhabitants of Skálar aren’t nearly as welcoming as Salka. She finds the hamlet a close knit community that seems distrustful of outsiders. Strange occurrences begin in the attic of the house. A sudden tragedy echoes an incident from the village’s distant past. The villagers become even more guarded and less accepting of Una. Eventually, she discovers why. The people of Skálar share some awful secrets.

From the start, The Girl Who Died seems almost cinematic. So, it didn’t surprise me when the book brought to mind an old 1955 American crime thriller film, Bad Day at Black Rock, directed by John Sturges and starring Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan. The premises of the film and Jónasson’s novel are similar. A stranger comes to a tiny town that possesses a terrible past the inhabitants want to keep secret, by any means necessary. The Girl Who Died also has something of a Stephen King feel to it.

I’ve been a fan of Ragnar Jónasson since reading Snowblind, the first book in the Dark Iceland series. The Girl Who Died showcases the same brilliant writing style as found in the Ari Thór novels. In this book, Jónasson introduces us to most of the characters on a first name only basis, which curiously seems to make our interactions with them even more intimate than if we knew their surnames. I particularly liked that aspect.
Jónasson also gives us a bit of added insight by putting us into the heads of two additional narrators.

“He had never killed a man before. Had never come close, despite his sinister reputation.”

Early on, we get two quick glimpses from the perspective of an unidentified male character hired by a criminal gang to murder two gang associates who have fallen out of favor, and later, a recurring look from the view of a nameless woman who the police arrest and the court eventually convicts of the murders committed by the anonymous male even though she was innocent of the crimes. Near the end of the book, we learn the identity of the unnamed male murderer, but the identity of the wrongfully convicted woman remains a mystery.

The sparing use of the nameless murderer’s perspective early in the book makes sense as it gives us additional insight into the overall story when we learn the man’s identity and his role in the plot near the book’s conclusion. But I found the recurring appearance of the anonymous female narrator less interesting.
The anonymous woman’s perspectives didn’t seem closely related to the plot or overall story beyond informing us of her wrongful conviction for murders she didn’t commit. After her first two appearances, everything about her jail confinement experiences and angst over spending time in prison for crimes she hadn’t committed could be removed with no impact on the plot or general story. Perhaps I just missed something, but I never understood why the author gave that character the recurring emphasis he did.

The plot is far from predicable. Expect nice twists, nail-biting suspense, and a touch of the paranormal that helps move the plot forward but doesn’t overpower. The verdict—don’t miss this one if you enjoy face-paced suspense and quality writing from one of today’s top crime fiction authors.

I received an advance copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley for the purposes of this review.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

'Teacher wanted on the edge of the world...' Una worries that she's losing her mind. And then, just before Christmas, there's a murder.

Nice descriptions of the cold, windy, wintery weather - adding to the creepy factor that it's at the edge of the world. Great visuals. Reminds me of the ghost stories we used to tell at summer camp around the campfires.

This tiny village of Skálar must have had some kind of strategic option for the war. An interesting remnant of history was the information about WW2 and building an airport which was abandoned before it was finished because the war ended.

3.25☆

Wow thank you so much for the pleasure of reading this advance copy of this captivating book!

Another very chilling book by Ragnar Jonasson. It is about a very small isolated and gloomy town of 10 people where a young woman comes to teach for a year. As as the story unfolds, I was drawn more and more into the town the characters and a touch of the paranormal, The story kept me turning the pages faster and faster. I really enjoyed the feeling of the paranormal atmosphere paired with the isolated natural of the town.

Will be recommending this book for sure! #netgalley #st.martins

Fans of the paranormal mystery sub genre will like this one , it wasn’t for me because I didn’t like the paranormal ghost aspect in this book as it is not something that I like in my mystery books. Interesting premise but not what I was expecting

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Some of the best novels are those where the setting becomes a character. In Ragnar Jonasson's eerie thriller, "The Girl Who Died", Skalar, an Icelandic city, sets the mood for this year's creepiest thriller. Una, a medical school drop out takes a one year sabbatical to teach two elementary aged girls in a small town, pop. 11. Once there, however, the young educator is faced with two dark mysteries.

This novel has many tropes like other popular "Girl who" mysteries, including an alcohol. reliance that is mainly a small plot point, but the twists and character development are unique and make for a creepy frosty read.

This book has bits of turn of the screw, bad seed, and others but it is a worthy, horrific, and chilly escape during the encroaching. summer. Highly recommended.

Once in a while I like to immerse myself into a Nordic Noir, these stories have a much different feel from the old standby American mysteries. They are generally darker; the heroes more flawed, blurring the lines between the right and wrong side of the spectrum. The Icelandic novels are colder again, reflected in the isolation, short days and ruggedness of the land and people.

The Girl Who Died takes a bit of a different spin, there are no police officials as principal characters, there are no reporters trying to break a story. It is about a teacher in a dark, isolated place; haunted in many ways.

I enjoyed my voyage to Skálar, it reminded me of stories my father told me of where and when he grew up. Familiarity is a great way for an author to build a relationship with their audience. I found myself connecting with Una and her story despite the fact that there was nothing to connect us.

The one thing that threw me off a bit were certain phrasings and choice of words. It got me thinking a bit about not only translated books but also audio books. The reader (or listener) is at the mercy of the translator or narrator. We don’t necessarily get to experience the story exactly as the author intended; there is an intermediary who makes decisions on the presentation. There are times that I have found this impacts my enjoyment of a story and it is difficult to say whether the impact is a benefit or detriment to the story. That being said, I don’t think (or hope) that the translation had too much of an impact with The Girl Who Died. I enjoyed the story, the atmosphere, and the characters.

The Girl Who Died offers a peek into a foreign world where we can see that human nature is not so different.

*4 Stars

Loved it!

Ragnar Jonasson is a favorite Icelandic author, and I was thrilled to get an advance copy of his latest book.

Set in the 1980s, Una is a 30-year-old teacher living in Reykjavik. Needing a change, she takes a job teaching two young girls in a remote, small village in northeastern Iceland. Jonasson does an excellent job of setting the atmosphere – the coldness, the darkness, the isolation and loneliness. There is a bit of the supernatural here, and I don’t usually like that in the books I choose, but it was minimal, and it was well-integrated into the story. This is an overall simple story, but the atmosphere and characters made this slow burn of a book very engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC.

The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson is an advance reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Una got a job as a teacher in the village Skalar. She has two students for the whole winter. There are only ten people in the whole village of Skalar. For a woman of 30 years, this is quite an adventure for Una. It was a long drive from Reykjavik, where she lived. What a long way to go for a change of scenery. It was interesting to read this book. I have to admire Una for making such a huge change to her life. I would get claustrophobic living so far north in the darkness during winter. Thanks for the interesting glimpse into such an isolated place.

Talk about a book hangover! The Girl Who Died was so amazing that I did not want it to end! I quickly fell in love with the setting and the characters and I wish this was the beginning to a series rather than a standalone. I will, without a doubt, be buying this book when it is released as I already know that it is one of those books that I will revisit over and over again.

This character and setting driven novel takes place in the village of Skalar, Iceland ... population 10! Una, the protagonist, leaves her troubled life in Reykjavic behind to move to this small village and teach just two students. However, it doesn't seem to be the wonderful fresh start she was hoping for. This tight-knit community views her as an outsider and treats her like one. No open-arm welcome here! Not to mention, the attic apartment she's been staying in may be haunted!

Now, I am not usually one for any mystery novels that are gothic or have any ghostly vibes, but Jonasson wrote this SO well! I loved everything about it. The Girl Who Died is an astounding slow-burn novel that was chilling and atmospheric and I found the ending to be both shocking and heart-breaking.

I highly recommend this one to those who love a good, slow-burn, atmospheric, Nordic Noir mystery with a bit of a gothic vibe.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Minotaur books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

I love stories eerie, slow-burn mystery-thrillers that keep me guessing, and “The Girl Who Died” did not disappoint.

I read “Winterkill” by the author and knew what to expect in his writing style. However, I enjoyed this book much more than Winterkill! The author does a lovely job of making the story atmospheric. The author beautifully incorporates many sub-plots, and you wonder how it will all connect. A girl dies mysteriously, a man disappears after entering the town, a ghost haunts Una’s room, and there is a parallel storyline where a woman gets wrongfully imprisoned for murder.

Una shines in the role as she enters the Skálar. Confusion and fear creep on her as she encounters the strange events that happen in the town. There are only less than a dozen residents, and many of them are hostile towards her. You find yourself engrossed with Una as she starts uncovering the town’s secrets. I loved how all the storylines came together towards the end.

However, speaking of the climax, I felt the ending was a bit anti-climatic. I expected the story to end with a bang, but instead, it went with a sizzle. A part of the plot also concludes in an open-ended manner, which I felt did not work very well in the storyline.

Apart from that, I enjoyed reading “The Girl Who Died” and would love to read more of the author’s works!

This has been out since 2018 and has lots of helpful reviews. It felt "foreign" to me, in a good way, and I can see the author's talent. This one didn't hold my interest all of the time, but the plot and characters were enjoyable overall.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

“You can get used to anything.”
Una takes a teaching job in a small town in the middle of nowhere, Iceland. A town of only 10 people and 2 children. A town that sees her as an outsider and isn’t exactly welcoming. And where the house she’s staying in is supposedly haunted.
Una’s story is interspersed with the telling of a man’s murder. None of the characters in that story are identified.
It’s not a fast moving story, relying more on Una’s unease. Jonasson does a good job of creating an eerie atmosphere, with just the right underlying tension of claustrophobia.
There is also a supernatural element to this story. So, if ghosts aren’t your thing, steer clear.
This was a decent story, but I didn’t like it the way I liked The Darkness’ the first in his Dark Iceland series.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy.

The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson- Claustrophobic, atmospheric mystery set in Iceland at the end of the world. Una, a young teacher running out of money and options, takes a teaching job in the remote village of Skalar, at the tip end of Iceland. She's looking for a change and a chance to get herself on financially. What she finds is a town of only ten people, with all their quirks and strange history. She's there to teach two girls, her only students. Winter is coming, and everything becomes more dark and frigid as the days pass. Una begins seeing a ghostly apparition of a young girl, and she hears a strange lullaby ringing in her head. From then on she learns more about the towns people than she wished to know. The story plods along and there are occasional parts in italics crammed into chapters that are totally different exposition from the story, involving fear, mayhem, and panic. A literary device, I assume. No, I didn't finish it. Got halfway through and was too bored to continue. Some people might like it.

Read this in one day - just couldn't stop! Very atmospheric, claustrophobic, and paranoid environment with a village of 10 people, a past murder, haunted house, and unwelcoming characters, grey ocean/fog - you just get sucked in to this strange little village. Definitely not run of the mill in any way - didn't always agree with what the main character was doing, but hey, she's her own person! I enjoy Scandinavian mystery and this one in Iceland was a good one - will look for more by this author.

Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the World.
Una wants nothing more than to teach, but she has been unable to secure steady employment in Reykjavík. Her savings are depleted, her love life is nonexistent, and she cannot face another winter staring at the four walls of her shabby apartment. Celebrating Christmas and ringing in 1986 in the remote fishing hamlet of Skálar seems like a small price to pay for a chance to earn some teaching credentials and get her life back on track. And so begins another totally compelling mystery by one of my authors. This moves more slowly than other mysteries but it succeeds in building suspense that way and this was a wholly satisfying, well plotted story with some very interesting characters in a very interesting locale. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This is exactly the kind of slow burning atmospheric mystery that I have come to expect and love from this author. I read several of his books before he consistently delivers these compelling Icelandic stories. 

I really enjoyed the character work in this one. The main character, Una, was a very relatable young woman who was struggling to get ahead in work and life. I found her motivations behind moving to this isolated community to be very understandable. 

Equally, I found the dynamics and culture of this small town to be fascinating. There was a good cast of unique and strange townspeople who all chose to live in such an isolated community. 

Of all the aspects of this story, I actually found the murder elements to be the least compelling. Certainly, I like the idea of "closed room mysteries'', but I didn't find this one overly well developed as it almost felt like a side plot to the main story. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading this one and would recommend it. If you are already a fan of this author, you should definitely read his newest translated book. If you haven't read this author before, this is a fantastic place to start.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

You don't a more satisfying Scandinavian writer than Ragnar Jonasson. Interesting characters and well plotted story line. I wouldn't miss any of his books.

I have ambivalent feelings about this book but it kept my interest enough to finish with an unanticipated ending. Plus Mr. Jonasson is one of my favorite authors.

This is not a particularly gratifying read and the atmospheric prevalence of a dark, dreary end of the world feel will invade your soul. You will either find yourself wanting to run away or stand up to whatever comes your way, plus being an outside in a community of ten people will give you pause to reconsider your life. But a spunky main character and enough mystery will keep you reading on and you won't be sorry.

Oh, did I mention the ghost? Yes, even the supernatural makes an appearance....or does it?

Enjoy!

Translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, Icelandic Noir by Ragnar Jonasson.

TEACHER WANTED AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

The honesty of the advertisement was appealing to Una, who was looking for a change of scenery.
And, the contact was for just one year. Two girls, aged 7 and 9, in a coastal fishing town of ten.
Room and Board is included, but a warm welcome from the residents is not.

What the job posting also didn’t say was that it was an Attic room, rumored to be haunted by a little girl who died there, years prior. One who sings a lullaby and loved to play the piano.

The many dark hours, and frequent fog, add to Una’s unease.

And, since this is set in the 1980’s Una is really isolated from her friends and family back home with no cell phones or internet, no TV in the house she is residing in, and just a landline downstairs. The Co-Op doesn’t even always get the newspapers because of the town’s remote location. At least it stocks wine.

A second narrative clues the reader in to another secret, as the past threatens to disrupt the peace that the residents are so fiercely protecting in this slow burn, atmospheric mystery.

The plot jumps around a bit, perhaps because of the translation but the misdirection of “the girl who died” had me thinking one thing when it was quite another!

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”.

I still feel chilled!

Thank you to Minotaur books for my gifted copy, provided through NetGalley!
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!

Available May 4, 2021

Una is dissatisfied with her life. Her father is dead, her mother remarried, her apartment drab and dull, and her one friend seems to be too busy to spend time with Una. She decides to leave Reykjavik and accept a job teaching in the remote village of Skalar. Her idea of remote doesn't begin to describe this fishing village, populated by only ten people, two of them the children she will instruct.
Una is given a room in a haunted house, the villagers are surly and not interested in friendship, and soon the relentless darkness has Una questioning her sanity. There is one person, Thor, who might become a friend, but he sends mixed messages, and everyone seems to have a secret, or twelve. The setting is beautifully described, it is eerie, empty, and desolate, but at times, the wind and the sea are bracing and beautiful. When tragedy strikes, Una must figure out what is hidden in the shadows if she hopes to survive.
Even though I disagreed with most of the decisions Una made, I am not sure what I would have done in the same situation. Oh I know, leave, but then there would not have been this creepy book! Una carries some heavy baggage from her past, and there is little doubt that it has shaped her perception of others and controls her life. I was in furious page flipping mode, trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together. It was an enjoyable way to leave quarantine without leaving my house.