The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson

It was a pleasure to read this novel, The Girl Who Died. The title evokes a sense of mystery. It made me want to know more. I loved the fact that this book takes place in Iceland. That alone gives the book a sense of mystery and isolation. It starts with the main character being suddenly awakened and frightful. You are instantly thrown into deciding whether it was a dream or reality. This is where you had me hooked...on the first page. I couldn't put the book down. It kept me engaged, trying to figure out who the girl is that died. I thought I had it figured out, but the author is clever and kept me on my toes. Definitely a page turner! I give it 5 Stars and will recommend to my friends to read.

Thank you Ragnar Jobasson and Minatour books for a gifted copy!

“Teacher Wanted At The Edge of The World”

What an enticing headline indeed. This is exactly what sucked Una in-to pick up her life in Reykjavík and move to the small, isolated village of Skálar-population 10. Una was looking for a change, an escape from her day to day life in Reykjavík Iceland-she decided to take a teaching job-for two girls-in the small village.

Una stays in a flat in in a woman’s house where she learns a young girl died many years ago. It is there she begins to experience nightmares and visions of the young girl-she swears she is haunting her-she can feel her presence, hear her, and she haunts her dreams at night. Is this for real? Or is it all in Una’s head?

A death occurs in the small village-which prompts Una to dig deeper into the history of the house she is staying in, and the small village. What sinister secrets are being hid? What happened in the house she is staying in? Is someone responsible for the deaths of these young girls? Una is determined to find out the dark secrets that surround her in Skálar.

My thoughts:
This is my first book by Ragnar Jonasson, and boy it did not disappoint me! Although it is a slower pace-it works with this book and the setting. I could not put it down!

Set in the 1980’s when no technology existed, you really get the feel for the isolation of the small village, with its cold temperatures, and long dark days. I loved the eeriness and the supernatural aspects of the book. The writing was superb and detailed in which it had me envisioning myself in a small, remote Icelandic village. Page by page you get the feeling something is not quite right in this small town, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

The plot, although slow, is intense and builds up to the ending. The characters are dark, cold, and unfriendly to Una, which made me feel bad for her. Una was alone, with absolutely no one to count on other than herself. The ending comes together nicely, not leaving you with questions or the thought of “what the heck did I just read?” This was a book I enjoyed reading late at night, with dim lighting, flipping through the pages because I wanted to uncover all the dark secrets!

Bravo to Ragnar Jonasson for this superb story! I’m definitely a life long fan and reader now. I recommend this book to any of you who enjoy Nordic Noir, suspense, mystery, supernatural reads.

I love books set in Iceland. Add to that the fact this one happens during the long, dark winter, and it’s the perfect setting for a dark and atmospheric read. Despite the creepy setting, this story just didn’t do it for me. The first 50% was dry and uneventful. I also didn’t realize this book was set in the 1980’s while I was reading it, so in the moment I was confused by certain things, but in retrospect it makes sense. I would honestly classify this as an interesting take on the locked room mystery category. I feel like the paranormal aspects really worked well, and while I had my suspicions, the ending did leave me surprised. There were somethings that were left unexplained, and in this case I would have liked more. Overall my first experience reading a book by Jónasson was okay, and although this one didn’t do it for me I still look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Ragnar Jónasson for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Who Died is a creepy, slow burning, Icelandic thriller about a teacher named Una who accepts a position for the year in a small, isolated village with a population of only ten people. She boards with one of her two students and the girl's mother in a house which is supposedly haunted. With not much to do when she's not teaching, she reads books and drinks wine. A lot of wine. She also begins having eerie dreams and visions, of a little girl in a white dress, though she isn't sure she's seeing anything at all really. After a tragedy occurs, it feels as if the entire village has turned against her. What are they hiding and how far will they go to protect it?

I was itching to read this wintry gothic thriller never having read Ragnar Jónasson's work before. I've read that some people find the first half of the book slow, but I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I could picture each setting in my head: atmospheric, haunting, silent. Though the book has a fairly large cast of characters I didn't have any trouble keeping track of who was who. There's a secondary story being told in between chapters that doesn't quite make sense and keeps the reader guessing until the end of the story.

While it was a quick, enjoyable read, The Girl Who Died left me wanting more. The plot feels like there's too many different ideas, like the author felt rushed or didn't know quite where the story should go. Story lacks focus

I would rate this 3 ½ stars. Recommended for fans of psychological thrillers/suspense, gothic thrillers, ghost stories, mysteries, general fiction, women's fiction and stories set in small towns.

No one does claustrophobic like Ragnar Jónasson. A tiny remote fishing village during an Icelandic winter is the perfect setting for The Girl Who Died. I really enjoyed the mystery Jónasson created, and I'm still angry with myself for not figuring out a very major clue, although math has never been my strong point. There are some interesting threads woven into the story; one about a World War II British and American lookout post for example, and then literary allusions that can remind readers of books like The Haunting of Hill House.

If I had any problem with the book at all, it was my reaction to Una, the whiner. Una, the terminally dissatisfied. First, she's glad to be out of Reykjavik. She doesn't miss the city at all. Then when the reality of the tiny village grows on her, she misses the luxuries she'd become accustomed to. Then she decides that she does, indeed, miss the city after all. She bemoans the fact that none of her friends make any real effort to get in touch with her, but I'm of the firm opinion that they're all undoubtedly rejoicing in the absence of her whining. It's hard to feel any sympathy for a character who's never ever happy about anything, a character who spends almost all her free time in wine-soaked pity parties.

There's quite the dichotomy in my reaction to The Girl Who Died. On the one hand, I really enjoyed the mystery itself and the spookiness and unease of the setting. On the other, I wanted to tape Una's mouth shut and lock her away in the attic. In conclusion, there's only one more thing I want to say about this book, and it's this: I had the opening bars of a song running through my mind during the last half of the story. I don't think I'll be the only one who thinks of The Girl Who Died as the Icelandic Hotel California.

Una takes a teaching job in a remote village in Iceland where there are only two pupils. She wants a fresh start and decides a village of only 10 people could be just what she needs. The villagers are secretive and and somewhat hard to get to know, but she likes the task of teaching the two young girls. She is also attracted to one of the residents, Thor, but he keeps her at a distance.

She also begins to have nightmares in which a little girl sings a lullaby. She finds out the the girl died in that house many years ago, mysteriously.

Tragically, one of her students dies at the Christmas concert, and the villagers close ranks even more. Part ghost story and part psychological thriller, this is an excellent read.

{3.5 stars}

I've been to Iceland twice and I love their literature, I will read anything set in the unique environment, especially if it takes place off the beaten path like this one. Una's life is plodding along at a mediocre pace with no real success or joy. When she sees an add for a teacher in a remote fishing village, she responds looking for a bit of a change. When she arrives and realizes the village only boasts ten people with two students for her to teach, she begins to wonder just what she signed up for.

Jónasson does a fabulous job of bringing that stark, insular nature of Iceland to the page. The villagers are wary of her invading their small hamlet and keep her at an arm's length. As she desperately tries to integrate she begins to learn more about the village and its inhabitants, a story about a young girl who died 60 years ago begins to haunt her. She begins to see the girl and hear her singing a lullaby which has her drinking a little more and becoming more and more suspicious of her fellow villagers. The story is slow and expertly builds an eerie atmosphere that has you wondering about these villagers too.

The ending was not what I was expecting, I was really hoping for the two main mysteries to come together in a related way but it didn't. The author does answer all of your questions but I had just hoped that there was a different explanation of it all.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Still sorting out my thoughts on this one. I have a thing for the author's books, so I requested the ARC based on his name alone and so dove into it blind. That wasn't a bad thing. It's very different from his more straightforward detective fare, nor is it a fast-paced story and in a strange way, it almost seems like there's very little (or a lot?) going on. That may sound off-putting, but it's not. There's just something about the remote Icelandic setting that's the perfect place for a loudly silent ominous atmosphere and the sense that anything might be possible...A uniquely enjoyable hodgepodge of Nordic noir, gothic thriller, and ghostly tale.

The character development in this book draws in the reader from the start. It was easy to imagine the characters and their struggles, choosing to live In such a remote area, all with past family ties. The story flowed in a unique and captivating way from start to finish.

Una is barely making ends meet as a supply teacher in Reykjavík when she answers an ad for a teacher in the remote village of Skálar. Skálar has only 10 people and Una's only students are two girls, Edda and Kolrun. The villagers are civil but distant and Una finds herself alone in her attic room where she often has nightmares of a little girl in a white dress singing a distinct lullaby. A few surprises occur close to the Christmas holiday. A strange man arrives in the village asking for directions to the farmhouse where Thor and Hjordis live. The annual Christmas concert at the tiny church is a success until Edda suddenly collapses. She is taken to the distant hospital where she dies. Edda's grief-stricken mother Salka eventually returns to the house but her relations with Una are strained. Una is obsessed with learning more about the ghostly girl but Salka and the rest of the villagers are reluctant to share their secrets. When Una learns that the police are searching for information about a missing Reykjavik man, she believes the stranger who came to the village holds the key.

This was a slow-moving but enjoyable atmospheric thriller. I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and St Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I have read several of this author’s previous books. This stand alone is quite different than those but it is good. The author is very good at building up suspense and fear in isolated places. That’s what happens to Una when she moves to a remote tiny town in at the edge of Iceland. She is very alone, drinking too much and begins to question and doubt everyone and everything. Plus she dreams and sees ghosts., or does she?

The Girl Who Died was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021. I’m a fan of Ragnar Jónasson’s writing style and loved how he built up a sinister atmosphere in Skálar. You could feel Una’s unease right from the get go. First, driving into a small town that looks abandoned to only start seeing the ghost of a little girl throughout her stay.

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 entirely 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.


Overall it was a solid thriller that fans of the paranormal, thrillers, and this authors past work will enjoy.

I really enjoyed this one!

I loved the way this small town, population ten, was fleshed out with the characters and how the ghost story played out. I always love the way Jonasson gives such vivid descriptions of the cold, sometimes lonely, landscape-- it legitimately makes me want to travel to Iceland and see this crazy small fishing towns at the end of the world. I also loved his venture into a ghost story as opposed to straight up crime novel.

My only criticism is that it was a bit slow going. It jumped right at the beginning, which I loved, but then it was a pretty slow burn.

Thank you for the netgally ARC from St Martins Press.
Pub Date: May 4, 2021

This was a slow build mystery for me. The story sounded like it was going to be so good but it fell flat for me. I felt confused with the addition of the murder case that seemed to be thrown together at the end. I enjoyed the story but would’ve liked more explanation on the events of the story as it went on instead of all at once at the end.

Sorry, this novel was far toooooooooo slow moving for me. I must have dozed through what other readers thought was suspenseful about this book. Sure glad it was a freebie from Netgalley.

"The Girl Who Died" was a little too strange for my taste. The main character, Una, is a teacher in Reykjavik, Iceland, who finds herself feeling adrift. She loves teaching, but her pay is barely enough to cover her basic expenses. She has a tense relationship with her mother, especially as she does not care for her stepfather; she is drifting apart from her best friend, Sara, who is married with a child and therefore has a different life and priorities than Una; and she has been dealing with depression and fleeting suicidal thoughts at times. When Sara tells her about a teaching position in the tiny village of Skalar (population 10), which is about as far from Reykjavik a person can go and still be in Iceland, Una decides to apply, noting that it is only for a school year; she can save up some money, as she will receive free accommodation and her expenses will be significantly lower than in Reykjavik; and it will be an adventure and possibly the change of pace she needs.

As soon as Una arrives in Skalar, she fears she has been made a big mistake. The village is very insular and not welcoming. Salka, the woman who arranged for the teaching position to be advertised/offered and the mother of one of the two children in the village, is fairly welcoming, but even she can be closed off if/when Una asks questions about the history of the village and the house. Salka's house is rumored to be haunted, as a young girl died there under mysterious circumstances years ago, and reportedly haunts the house, especially the attic apartment where Una is staying. Una sees and hears strange things that seem to be connected to this girl, Thra. There is also an unexpected visitor around Christmas, who disappears soon afterwards, and seems to fit the description of a missing person from Reykjavik, but Una's attempts to discover more about him are actively thwarted by the villagers.

Interspersed throughout the story are recollections, first of a murderer, and then essentially mental journal entries from the girlfriend of one of the murder victims (Hannes), whom the police arrested for the murder and then pressured to confess to the murders. She does not believe she committed the murders, but the police insist she took part, while drunk and high, and describe the events in such vivid detail that she begins to wonder if maybe she was guilty. However, her (false) confession leaves the police frustrated, as she cannot provide the location of the bodies or other missing information because everything she knows about the murders is what the police told her. The relevance of these recollections does not become apparent until almost the end of the book. Because these recollections randomly appear in the story, without any context, it is unclear why they are there (until near the end of the book) and it is unclear whether the recollections represent real events or are part of a fictional story. I wondered if maybe they were part of a story being written by Salka, as she was a published author and told Una she had another book coming out soon.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

"TEACHER WANTED AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD". That headline would probably turn most people away, but for some reason Una thought it sounded great. So she packs up her bags and moves to the middle of nowhere. Well she moves to Skálar, with a population of 10, so it's basically the same thing. As soon as Una arrives, she instantly knows she doesn't fit it and the longer she is there, the worse it gets.
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Grab a hot cup of coffee, a nice cozy blanket, and enjoy this chilling atmospheric read. Ragnar is a master when it comes to setting the perfect chilly scene. I found myself utterly freezing, and I could feel the loneliness that Una felt. Ragnar is one of my favorite authors, he has this way of making you feel like you're a character in his books. Speaking of characters, the characters throughout this tight-knit community are soo fascinating. I loved learning more about them, and learning just how far they would go to protect one another and their secrets. For those who enjoy a slow-burn, yet engrossing novel, with a side of supernatural activity, I highly recommend you check this one out! Ragnar has done it again, with another five star read for me!

Longtime fan here if Ragnar Jonasson. Enjoyed this standalone book. I love his Hulda series and Ari series.

I have to admit this was a little slow in the beginning. It didn't really grab me till the end. I would have liked to see more of the prisoner talking ( You have to read to figure that out. I'm not telling.).

That said, it's. Ragnar Jonasson book so you know you'll be entertained.

Oh, and while many reviewers have said the main character was unlikable, I loved her.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur for a copy of this book.

Unfortunately I was unable to review it as there was an error in the script. The paragraphs were missing complete words and quotations. One paragraph would bleed into the next and have bolded words at the start/middle of the paragraph leaving it impossible to read. I contacted the publisher for a physical copy but I did not hear back. I’m very interested in the books due to the synopsis, but unfortunately it was impossible to do so. Du

This is a beautiful cover and I hope I’m able to get my hands on a readable copy on day!

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press & Ragnar Jonnason, for the advance copy of this dark Icelandic mystery. I have not read this author before or any genre like this. Both the setting & story are as dark as I'd imagined Iceland winter would be. Probably why there was so much wine drinking involved!
It was quick read for me. I thought the characters were descriptive & interesting. It was creepy, but not scary. I wanted to know why more than who.
I agree with another reviewer that some of the plot was slow & there was some repetitiveness, but I think  it was intentional.
If you're looking for an American "who dun it" thriller, this is not the book for you. If you need something to make you think about people & the choices they make, read this.