The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson was a interesting read to say the least, although it was much to slow for my taste. I look for action packed books that pull me in quickly and touch all my emotions. The premise of the book was a interesting one, my largest complaint of the book would be the pace of it. Having said that I still would recommend it to others, because we all don't enjoy the same type of reads.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions expressed here are my own.

The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson is a thriller about a teacher who travels to the tiny town of Skalar, Iceland, to take advantage of a new job opportunity. Una is charged with teaching two young girls in this town of fewer than a dozen people. There are strange ghost stories about the house she lives in, and most of her new neighbors seem not to trust her. Then one of the townspeople dies, and the mystery of the town furthers. This story was a little strange to me, but I did enjoy how Jonasson incorporated the atmosphere of Skalar into the book. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

The Girl Who Died tells the story of Una, a school teacher who feels numb to life living in Reykjavik, Iceland. Una's friend shows her the listing for a job in the isolated coastal town of Skalar. In a leap of faith, Una decided to go to a village of only 10 people to teach only 2 students. What will she find hidden? What secrets does this town hold?

I loved this book so much. The paranormal and suspense factors were amazing. Una is such a relatable character for me. Her need for a change of scenery and escapist tendencies are something that we all feel at once. The best word to describe this book is atmospheric. You can feel everything that is happening. You can feel the cold. You can feel the wind off the water, the candles at the Christmas program, the lullaby sung in her loft apartment by no one... The towns people themselves even added atmosphere to the story. I was so convinced that there was something going on between the townspeople and I just loved the journey this book took me on. This is the perfect books for fans of paranormal suspense like Home Before Dark or The Drowning Kind.

Thank you to @minotaur_books for my gifted copy for review!

I loved this book! Give me a remote location, dark vibes, a tiny village that may be haunted and a compelling lead character and I’m a happy reader. It delivered all the atmospheric vibes and chills that I love from Nordic Noir, along with a really interesting premise. I love my police procedurals, but this was such a nice change of pace.

Una needs a change of scenery and accepts a teaching job in one of Iceland’s most remote villages. When she arrives, she’s confronted by some hostile community members, more isolation and nightmares and visions of a girl in a white dress. And when present day tragedy hits the village, things get even more complicated.

This book is a slow burn done well. It has a great mix of real life and the supernatural and I enjoyed all the character development and history of the village. Una is such an interesting character and I was on her side throughout the entire story.

If you’re a fan of slow burn and atmospheric Nordic Noir, add this to your TBR.

I really like this author.. This book thought... arg.. SOOOOOOOOOOOO slow. And the ending (it has a nice conclusion but it was like nothing worthy.. I kept going on to see what was actually going to happen, not just the attic. Nope, nada, zip.....

Im sad...

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC and St. Martin's press.

This was definitely more of a slow-burn suspense novel than it was a thriller. It kept interested throughout though despite the slow pacing. I really liked the eerie, atmospheric feel of this and loved the setting in which it took place. I would definitely consider reading more from this author. I really liked stories that are told from multiple POVs and found both of the POVS very interesting but could not understand how they would tie together at the end. Once everything was explained I really liked how well they fit together.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author, Ragnar Jonasson. This was not for me and it makes me sad. I dont know what it was. Maybe it was the location the book was in but I could not get into the book. It was not for me. I have read one other book by this author but the book was more of a police procedural and I was more into it. This was not my jam.

Thank you. I would still like to read more from this author.

The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson is a thriller novel set in Skálar after Una struggles to retain employment as a teacher in a larger town. Una finds herself in a desolate situation as her savings and her romantic prospects dwindle forcing her to move to Skálar to gain some teaching experience. Skálar is a lonely place with only ten people in the village, two of those being her students. Una's only other interaction besides her students is a man named Thor who is attractive yet distant, leaving Una feeling all the more isolated as the winter goes on. A disturbing nightmare starts to haunt her that Una wonders may be connected to a past secret that is uncovered after tragic event haunts the town.

I have never read a nordic noir novel and before this book I heard great things about this author! The setting of this novel was clear and suffocating, making it an atmospheric read. I could practically feel the cold from the descriptions during winter! I found Una to be a complicated character that was well-written. She also was an interesting narrator especially as her drinking and isolation made you curious whether she was reliable. I would have liked some more development on Thor who had a compelling background, yet seemed to be pretty removed besides occasionally being a romantic interest.

I found the pacing of this novel a bit slower but gradually built as the story progressed, leaving you with an unsettled feeling throughout the book. I appreciated the paranormal elements in the novel and the history of the town that were weaved throughout the novel, slowly revealed. The ending of this novel was unexpected and did not wrap up every thread of the novel. However I still found the ending satisfying and made sense with the rest of the novel.

This is my first book I've read from this author and I am excited to read their backlist! Overall I recommend this book for those who love an atmospheric nordic noir with a paranormal element!

Many thanks to the publisher St Martin's Press - Minotaur and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

The Girl Who Died is a twisty, creepy, Nordic noir thriller, full of richly written characters and unsettling moments. There were more than a few scenes that made me wish I weren’t reading right before bed.

The book follows Una as she accepts a teaching position in a tiny fishing village with fewer than a dozen residents in the middle of nowhere. The longer she’s there, the more the solitude eats away at her, her bottle of wine frequently her only companion, and she begins to question whether events are real or imagined. And when tragedy strikes, she begins unraveling the secrets of Skálar with increasingly frightening consequences.

I really liked this book, despite an ending I didn’t love, and will definitely be adding more books by Jónasson to my TBR.

This was very atmospheric and that's what saved the novel. The plot started out really well and then it quickly fizzled out and wrapped up. And by wrapping up, I mean barely wrapping up the story. As the title suggests, a girl dies and while it doesn't seem that mysterious it leads to many incidents around the small village that forces our protagonist to question if she made the right decision moving to this small town. This is a ghost story and while many elements are introduced not all are wrapped up. There's also a lackluster romance but the "hero" (because no one is a winner here) is also an intriguing character with a surprising backstory. I would have liked for the characters to have been more fleshed out but I was engrossed in the setting and the creepy village. It was a simple ghost story.

I have read many of Ragnar Jonasson's books and have enjoyed them a lot which is why I requested this advanced reader's copy. I read approximately 35% of this book before I DNF'd it. Let me say, I don't think this is a bad book but that it is not a book for me. I found it very different from the previous books that I have read by him which were predominately police procedurals. I definitely will continue to read this author's work, however, I will be sticking with his detective/police novels.

Let's start by saying that I did not see the ending coming. It wasn't one of those big gotcha twists that thrillers seem to thrive on. Instead it is one that eeks a dark glob of sadness all over your heart. And this is all after reading hundreds of wonderful pages of classic sparse Nordic noir. The writing style is perfect to mirror the isolated terrain that Una finds herself in, both physically and mentally. It feels both isolated yet beautiful all at the same time. This is what I love about the genre and Mr. Jonasson writes it well. I do wish we got a bit more character development. It was hard to feel close to any of the characters, including Una. I feel like the town still withheld many of its secrets and I would have liked to be included in a few more.

Mini

Una is on the fast track to nowhere when she takes a teaching job in the remote village of Skàlar. Little did she know how remote it was going to be, how isolated from the outside world she would be, and how unfriendly the locals are. The one thing that sparks her interest aside from teaching the only two children in the village is the mystery surrounding the death of the girl who once lived in the room Una is staying in.

I was so excited to read this ghost story of a book. I was immediately drawn in when Una started asking questions about the ghost living in her room. That's where it ended for me. I was disappointed when the truth came out of what really happened to the girls in the village and why. The only parts that really kept my attention were the random chapters. The first one being about a man who killed another man and then about a woman who was arrested for murders she didn't commit.

The ending also threw me off. I am not one for open endings where I'm left with a lot of questions. Although I did not enjoy this one, I do have other books by this author on my shelf that I am excited to read.
This one is out today! Thank you Minotaur Books for my #copy.

Book Rating: 3/5

Wine Pairing: Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a Suspense Mystery. I have to say this is a very slow moving Mystery, but it pulled me in. I loved the beginning and the middle, but I have to say I hated the ending. I feel it left me saying what and why. Also, I do not think the ending was a real ending. It was like we where running a good race and then we just stopped right before crossing the finish line. That is this book. I did find this book to have a lot of build up of suspense, and I really enjoyed the twist. I just really wish the ending was better. The setting of this book was perfect for a mystery. I do not think this book will be for everyone.I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Minotaur Books) or author (Ragnar Jonasson) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

"The Girl Who Died," by Ragnar Jónasson, translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, is an atmospheric mystery with supernatural elements. Una is a lonely and unhappy woman who, in the mid-1980s, leaves Reykavík to take a teaching job in Skálar, a fishing village in northern Iceland. When she reaches her destination, Una is greeted by Salka, the mother of one of the two girls in Una's class, who sets the newcomer up in an attic apartment. As the weeks pass, Una wonders if she made a mistake in coming to this dismal hamlet. Among her concerns are visitations by a ghost of a little girl, the unwelcome reception she receives from her fellow residents, and a growing sense that her neighbors are hiding dark secrets.

Jónasson evocatively conveys Una's impressions of Skálar, a secluded, creepy, and inhospitable place. It is too bad that the plot veers off in so many different directions. For example, in italicized passages, we learn of a long-ago murder and a false confession that landed an innocent person in jail. In addition, the author describes Una's longing for a romance with Thór, a man she barely knows; the appearance and subsequent disappearance of a stranger who arrives in Skálar; and an unexplained death that sets everyone on edge.

We grow to care about Una, a lost soul who is becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol. She wavers between wanting to return to Reykavík and trying to make a go of it in Skálar. At first, "The Girl Who Died" is intriguing and compelling. However, aside from Una the characters are insufficiently developed; the story lacks cohesion; and its otherworldly phenomena do not add much to the proceedings. In the past, Ragnar Jónasson has demonstrated that he is one of the masters of Icelandic noir. This work of fiction, alas, leaves us with little more than a few chills, fine descriptive writing, and tremendous pity for its unlucky heroine.

4.5 Stars

This is a slow burn mystery with supernatural elements. Rather than being action-packed, it has slower-paced sense of suspense and mystery that builds throughout the book.

Set in a village of only 10 people, this is an exceptionally character driven story. It’s hard to know what each villager’s motives are and whether or not you can trust them. In the same vein, it’s hard to know whether you can always trust Una herself, as she often spends her nights tucked away with a bottle of red wine (and a book, which means I can’t really judge her!). I loved this – I felt both close to all of the characters, but at the same time, like I didn’t know who could be trusted.

Jónasson is a master of paining eerie, atmospheric Icelandic towns. Skalar is small, isolated and has its own secrets – which most of the villagers are wrapped up in in some way. Except for Una, who is left on the outside trying to find her way. The moody setting was a great back drop for the story being told.

There is a supernatural element to this book, however, I would say that it’s fairly realistic (at least I can’t say I wouldn’t have similar thoughts/feelings if I was living there..). This, and the history associated with the ghost story, adds a dark and creepy element to the story.

Overall, this was a captivating read. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it, since it is such a slow-burn all the way through, but it ultimately drew me in and I couldn’t put it down.

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Ragnar Jonasson always provides a slow-burning mystery with a lot of atmosphere and eerie tension. Icelandic noir is one of my favorites, especially in the winter when I want to curl up by the fire. I'm not into series as much so I was excited that this was to be a stand-alone book.

The backstory of this remote village was so interesting and submerssive. I felt like I could hear the cold wind blowing off the water the minute Una arrived in the small village. Her motivations seemed believable enough but it was hard to imagine going so blindly into a year of virtual solitude. I mean, she's not entirely alone... there are two children, a handful of residents, and ghosts in her attic room. You really don't need much more than that besides alcohol and some long spans of darkness. ;)

Overall, the plot is simple but solid. The pace is a little slow but also quiet. There's a second story being told about a crime that you continually guess how it's connected. Jonasson's characters always have unique little quirks or unexpected characteristics that keep me asking questions, even delivering an occasional smile at the clever twists. If you love noir and mysteries told in a straightforward fashion, this is a great one!

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I am a huge fan of Ragnar Jonasson's books, having loved both his Dark Iceland and Hidden Iceland series. As soon as I heard he had a new book coming out, and a stand-alone at that, I knew I had to read it. It is one of my anticipated reads for this month and it absolutely delivers in every way - exactly what I expected from this author!

This is not a fast-paced book by any means, but rather a slow-burning, completely atmospheric read that totally captivated me from start to finish. Set in an isolated town, populated by only a handful of people, who are just downright strange, you just feel the eeriness ooze off the page. Right away, you just get a sense of foreboding and that never really lets up.

I loved that this book is set in the 1980's where technology does not come into play. It really helps reinforce the simplicity of the times, especially in this isolated village. And that worked for a village that relied on keeping their secrets hidden. You really feel just how isolated this town is and how isolated Una becomes within this village - an outsider who is seen as untrustworthy.

I loved that there were two narratives. We have Una's story and than a story of what appears to be an unrelated crime committed at some point. It isn't clear who the narrator is of this other narrative or how it will tie back to Una's story and that kept me totally intrigued as I tried to work out where it was all going. Slowly we get bits and pieces and it completely shocked me how it all tied in together.

This is definitely a binge-worthy type of read, one that I found myself devouring in two sittings as I just could not put it down. My favorite part is how skillfully the author uses the Icelandic landscape and weather as part of the story. The extreme darkness really just adds to the overall sense of unease, and that, along with the ghost story, really makes this quite the suspenseful, atmospheric read.

Nordic Noir is one of my favorite genres and Ragnar Jonasson really has a talent for giving us that perfect balance of atmosphere, mystery and suspense. This one has it all, with an added bonus of some supernatural elements thrown in. It's a bit different than his previous books, but I still loved it just the same and definitely recommend picking this one up!

The Girl Who a Died is a dark,depressing mystery that takes place in tiny village in Iceland during a winter that has just a few hours of sunlight a day. Uma, a woman in her late twenties, takes a job as a teacher of just two girls,,hoping that free lodgings in a house will help her to save some money and perhaps allow her to meet some new people in a fishing village by the sea. Uma is not welcomed into the closed knit group of only ten villagers and soon realizes that they all have secrets to hide.. The suspicious death of one of her students, a possible murder, and several sightings of the ghost of a young girl lead Uma to question her sanity.
This is a Nordic mystery full of dread and darkness, that I read in one day.

In The Girl Who Died, Una travels to an isolated village in northern Iceland to teach two young girls. The community has a population of only ten. The climate is cold and foggy. The neighbors are less than friendly. And then there is the nightly visitation from the ghostly girl in Una’s attic flat.

“Teacher wanted at the edge of the world.”

The atmosphere is thick in the newest Nordic noir to be translated for US audiences. As with all Nordic noir, the pacing is as slow as molasses dripping from a spoon. Usually, that is solved by speeding up as the conclusion arrives. However, in The Girl Who Died, the ending is very disappointing. It almost seems like the author reached the number of pages the editor requested and just had to tie up the entire plot in five pages or less.

If you read this type of book for the atmosphere, then this book is for you. Otherwise, it is probably best to wait for it to be made into a film. Hopefully, the screenwriter will punch up the ending. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.