It’s 1983 in a small town in Northern Iceland. A nurse arrives early to her job and finds her boss dead and seemingly tortured on a desk. The police arrest the sanatorium’s caretaker but don’t have enough evidence to hold him. The case is never solved but the subsequent suicide of the hospital’s director points the finger at him as the killer. Twenty years later, a criminology student is writing his Master’s dissertation about the Death at the Sanatorium. He begins focusing the subject matter of his dissertation from a simple discussion of police methods to solving the crime himself. In the meantime, the student’s relationship with his live-in girlfriend is deteriorating slowly.

I usually love Nordic police procedurals. However, Death at the Sanatorium just didn’t hold my interest very well. I could definitely see the resemblance between this book’s plot and Agatha Christie’s early novels. However, the characters didn’t feel genuine so I didn’t connect with any of them. The Icelandic setting wasn’t used very effectively to set a mood either. However, I loved the mystery. The final twist is to die for! For the plot twists alone, this book deserves 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.

I really enjoyed this book. With a great plot divided into basically two timelines, populated by a diverse group, it made for a rapidly developing story.

The location, a sanatorium in northern Iceland, was as much a character as any of of the doctors, nurses, staff and police involved. It provided a dark, foreboding atmosphere that was a perfect murder(s) setting. Add to it the fact that the sanatorium was once a TB hospital where many died gives it even more of that same flavor.

What a bunch of strange characters Ragnar has written, starting with Heigel, the MA student trying to finish his post grad thesis. What an odd duck! He couldn’t help but stir the pot creating a 30 year old soup of an investigation. Maybe even causing another murder. Then there’s his girlfriend and their living situation. What is going on there.? No doubt he asks a lot of right questions and keeps the fire burning until the pot boils over and the truth spills out.

This is the second book I’ve read by RJ. And I’ve enjoyed them both. They remind me of an old style mystery with a lot of drama and sleight of hand. Just when I think I have my hands on the culprit, they get whipped away only to be replaced by another.

Thank you Net Galley and Minotaur Books for this film noir like book.

Helgi Reykdal is living in Reykjavik with his partner Bergthora while working on his thesis in criminology. He'd previously worked with the police and has a job offer to return to them after finishing his degree. His thesis is exploring the way two notorious deaths were investigated thirty years ago. At that time, the two victims were found dead a few days apart at a sanitorium in the north of the country. The building used to treat tuberculosis patients but by the time of the deaths had no patients and only a small staff still working there. The first victim was found with terrible wounds and several days later the second body was discovered. The same nurse discovered both bodies and was disturbed (but at the same time slightly thrilled) by the gruesome scenes. She soon became interested in the young policeman sent to investigate the deaths. The case was quickly closed, and everyone moved on. Now that Helgi is looking into the case, he's not happy with the official explanation and decides to interview the surviving staff members to see if he can find out more. At the same time, Helgi is dealing with a lot of personal turmoil. He's not at all sure he wants to spend his career working in Iceland, his relationship is on the rocks, and his girlfriend is pressuring him to buy a house. Once he starts digging into the past, some of the people he speaks to are soon put into danger once again.

I really liked the story. The chapters move back and forth in time and point of view. Each short chapter begins with the date (Helgi's story is from 2012) and the name of the character who is giving their story. There is a bit of a surprise about Helgi and the ending is a bit of a shocker! I have read several of the author's previous books and enjoyed them, and this one is another winner!

Ragnar Jónasson masterfully weaves a chilling mystery in Death at the Sanatorium, set against the haunting backdrop of an old sanatorium-turned-hospital in northern Iceland. The 1983 murder of nurse Yrsa and the subsequent death of the chief physician form the heart of the story, as detective Hulda Hermannsdottir and her boss Sverrir scramble to piece together clues. Sverrir’s hasty conclusion of suicide adds to the eerie atmosphere, leaving more questions than answers. Jónasson’s writing, rich in suspense, pulls you deep into the cold, isolated setting where silence seems to echo louder than words.

Fast forward to 2012, Helgi Reykdal, a young officer and criminology enthusiast, takes on the decades-old mystery. Jónasson carefully layers Helgi’s investigation with a fresh perspective, filled with tension and intrigue. As Helgi reconnects with the original suspects, he faces a wall of silence and suspicion, making this slow-burn mystery one that keeps you guessing until the very end. With its atmospheric setting and tightly-knit plot, this is a must-read for fans of Nordic noir.

Ragnar Jónasson is back with another thriller featuring Hulda Hermannsdottir, making Death At The Sanatorium a character spin off from Jónasson's Hidden Iceland Series!

After learning of this connection, I think Jónasson's mind is even more brilliant than I did before! As that series is told in chronologically reverse order, I don't feel it needs to be read prior to Death At The Sanatorium. And if a reader were to go back and read the series after reading this standalone? Well, that's the point isn't it!? This is just another case in Hulda's detective career, which is again being learned in reverse order! Mentioning Hulda in a 2020 article (https://www.deadgoodbooks.co.uk/ragnar-jonasson-hidden-iceland-trilogy/) Jónasson says, "maybe we’ll meet her again, a little bit younger than before…" truly proving what a master-mind author he is!

Jónasson has solidified my love of Nordic noir, with Death At The Sanatorium being a perfect case study in this thriller sub-genre! Setting this book in a sanatorium instantly creates the perfect chilling and atmospheric backdrop for murder! I loved the succinct and well thought out way this story developed! This is a fun and easy-reading little book with all the nods to Agatha Christie, starting with this brilliant cover!

I was convinced that I had one main character completely figured out, but as the book progressed I learned that I REALLY didn't! This alone should get a standing ovation, but I also couldn't spot the murderer and was blindsided by the outcome of this book!

Sam Woolf's audiobook narration is consistently smooth, continuously drawing the reader further into Jónasson's story; his accent never once causing me confusion. The voice Woolf uses for one character in particular shows off dark and menacing qualities, exemplifying the reclusive character Broddi is!

ONE TERRIFYING MURDER. FIVE SUSPECTS. AND A CASE THAT NEVER CLOSED.

WELCOME TO THE SANATORIUM!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

This was an interesting story that goes back and forth in time as the narrator tells the story of his dissertation and the investigation that he is looking into. At first all the characters that were around during the time that the death being looked at happened all seem somewhat suspicious in one way or another. I definitely thought that most of them had a reason to be involved in the crime one way or another, and the person who found the body always seemed suspicious to me. I think it was refreshing to read a story that involved the law enforcement system of another country especially one I was not familiar with. Also, loved the fact that the authors love for books was a huge part of the story. I honestly thought that there was something off about the narrator (main character) and his situation with his girlfriend. In the end when we find out who the culprit was it all makes sense but the end of the book left me wanting to find out more about the narrator's relationship with the way it ended.

A very good read!
Thanks to the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

(3.5 rounded up)

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Outside by Ragnar Jonasson from Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press /Minotaur Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…It seemed to have had it all from the creepy atmosphere to the quirky cast of characters and plenty of tension…

Death at the Sanatorium from one of Nordic Noir’s most popular authors Ragnar Jónasson was slightly disappointing but was entertaining to some degree and I especially appreciate the author’s nod to his character’s obsession with Golden Age Detective novels from the likes of Agatha Christie and Ellery Queen.

In 2012 after leaving the UK and returning to his native Akureyn, Iceland, Helgi Reykdal has been looking into an old brutal murder at a Sanatorium/Tuberculosis hospital with only a handful of employees that was closed . Helgi’s dissertation for his master’s in criminology, delves into the case which occurred in 1983. The murder in question was discovered when, a young inexperienced nurse, Tinna Einarsdóttir stumbles across the dead and mutilated body of her boss, head nurse Ysra. Although Tinna prone to exaggeration, confides in one of the detectives, Detective Sverrir Eggertsson, that he should focus his attention on the caretaker Broddi, which results in Broddi’s arrest until the hospital administrator Fridjon, appears to have taken his life. The case was closed and not addressed again, until Helgi decides to delve into it again, opening wounds that some would rather keep closed. A fan of Ragnar Jónasson’s books and of Agatha Christie, I really wanted to love this one, and truth be told, in parts of it I did, I appreciate how the story slowly unfolded in this modern version of a golden age detective novel right down to the cover. I loved the characters, especially Helgi, intelligent, empathetic especially when his own personal life is in turmoil, and it was a unique take to see the dynamics of his relationship which showed the situation from a different perspective.

It seemed to have had it all from the creepy atmosphere to the quirky cast of characters and plenty of tension. I really did not enjoy the final reveal, nor the very last page which ends very abruptly. Although the author takes you on a clever journey my major disappointment is the build to a very flat, unfinished, unsatisfying ending.

Although I enjoyed the book for the most part but felt dissatisfied, I probably will read more from Ragnar Jonasson.

No one writes an Icelandic mystery like Ragnar Jónasson. His mysteries are always incredibly atmospheric and Death at the Sanatorium is no exception.

This is a fun one for fans of Jónasson’s detective Hulda character. Alternating timelines and multiple POV’s from the many suspects and detectives (including Hulda in her prime and on the verge of retirement) make for an interesting read as you try to figure out “whodunnit.” Set against the backdrop of a mostly abandoned sanatorium in the middle of the Icelandic countryside, a gruesome murder sets off a series of events in this dark and twisted mystery. It was a bit slow towards the end and the abrupt ending left me a bit taken back, but overall this was a quick and easy read.

Death at the Sanatorium introduces a new detective into Ragnar Jónasson’s list of characters, one Helgi Reykdal. He’s a young man who has returned to Reykjavik after studying criminology in England. He only needs to complete his dissertation then make his final job decision, perhaps joining the CID of the city’s police. His dissertation plan: to look into a case from thirty years ago where two people died, one definitely a murder, at a former TB sanatorium in a small town north of Reykjavik. He will use a criminologist viewpoint. That case was concluded but not to everyone’s satisfaction at the time.

The sanatorium was not a working hospital in 1983, but had 2 doctors, 3 nurses and a custodian employed. The specialist tasks involved categorizing and organizing the records left behind from the facility’s many years of operation. The head nurse, Yrsa, was found dead, murdered, in her office early one morning. The lead police officer fixed his attention on the custodian, a man very different from the others who worked there. Then, within a week, the head doctor was discovered dead on the ground outside the building, an apparent suicide. Shortly thereafter the case was closed, with the assumption that this doctor was the killer. Will Helgi, working in 2012, find anything new as he interviews those who remain available? What did happen all those years ago?

If you’re familiar with Jonasson, I believe you’ll enjoy meeting Helgi. Like all of Jonasson’s characters, he’s distinctly human…and a lover of Golden Age mysteries (as is his creator). If you haven’t read Jonasson yet and you enjoy mysteries, you should give him a try.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book

I love this author and his work. Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jónasson did not disappoint!
Jónasson has given us quite a complex and enjoyable plot, where there are plenty of twists and turns, so nothing is predictable, which adds to the enjoyment.
This book is just fantastic. It has all the atmosphere of a Icelandic crime read, with Ragnar's trademark subtlety and flair for character development.

Calling all crime fiction fans! You’re going to want to make space on your TBR for DEATH AT THE SANATORIUM by RAGNAR JÓNASSON.

A twisty Icelandic noir, with multiple timelines + mysteries, and a foreboding sense of suspense and danger. JÓNASSON is so skilled at creating complex characters, many of them hiding secrets and shrouded in darkness. And he’s not precious about them which I love.

A bonus for JÓNASSON fans: Detective Hulda Hermannsdottir, who was introduced in THE DARKNESS, make her reappearance. I had all the feels! But never fear — you don’t need to read the Hulda Series before diving into this book, but when you’re looking for what to read next, Hulda’s books are a fantastic trilogy (and my introduction to JÓNASSON.)

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

DEATH AT THE SANATORIUM is a tightly plotted whodunit that can easily be enjoyed in one compulsive sitting. It’s out tomorrow, 9/10.

THE SYNOPSIS:

In 1983, at a sanatorium turned hospital ward, an old nurse, Yrsa is found murdered. Hulda, and her boss Sverrir, are sent to investigate her death. There, they discover five suspects: the chief physician, two junior nurses, a young doctor, and the caretaker, who is arrested following false testimony from one of the nurses, but subsequently released.

Less than a week later another staff member is found dead, having apparently fallen from a balcony. Sverrir, rules the death as suicide — citing guilt over Yrsa’s murder — and the case is closed.

In the book’s present day of 2012, Helgi Reykdal, a young police officer, has been studying criminology in the UK. He decides to return to Iceland when he is offered a job at the Reykjavik police department—the job which detective Hulda Hermannsdottir is about to retire from.

He’s writing his thesis on the 1983 murders and as Helgi delves deeper into the past case he decides to try to meet with the original suspects. But soon he finds silence and suspicion at every turn, as he tries to finally solve the mystery from years before.

1983: a nurse nearing retirement is found dead at the former sanatorium where she works. Detective Hulda Hermannsdottir and her boss, Sverrir, are sent from Reykjavik to investigate. The case is never officially closed, but when the doctor running the facility commits suicide, the assumption is that he did so out of guilt. 2012: Helgi Reykdal, a criminology student who has chosen the 1983 deaths as the subject of his master's thesis, tracks down the surviving sanatorium employees to interview them. While some appear cooperative, they don't tell him much, and others refuse to talk to him. When one of them ends up dead, Helgi realizes the killer is still out there and sets out to solve the case himself. Although the dialogue is often a bit awkward (presumably it is a translation), the pacing of the plot is good and the mystery itself is very clever; it reminded me of the golden age mystery novels that Helgi enjoys reading!

Death at the Sanatorium is a mystery/procedural told in three different timelines. A cold case involving murders at a former TB hospital are reexamined by Helgi Reykdal, a criminologist working on his Master's dissertation. Helgi is a compelling main character. He is intelligent, kind, and has a fondness for classic detective novels. Helgi has a very difficult personal life that he keeps hidden from his colleagues.

The story alternates between 2012, 1983 when the murder of two Sanatorium employees occur, and 1950. The 1950 timeline gives the backstory of some characters who are involved in the future. Part of what occurs in 1950 will make more sense at the end of the book. It is very clever how it all comes together for a surprising, but satisfying resolution to the case and I enjoyed the book.

The overall ending is ambiguous, though. Things are vague regarding Hulda Hermannsdóttir, a detective who is about to retire and whose story is told in the author's Hidden Iceland series. I'm hoping the other, regarding Helgi's personal life, is addressed in a future book. (Depending on how you interpret the ending, it could be that the author has answered this question about Helgi, but I'm hoping there's more to it.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Minotaur Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jónasson ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a slow-burn, character-driven mystery. Much of the action happened off-page. Told in differing timelines among different POVs, this story slowly unfolded. Each POV had complicated backgrounds that wove into the story. I never trusted or liked a single POV, and that kept me reading this one.

The tone felt distant for me. I never really connected to anything; however, I loved the Icelandic descriptions and felt that it added to the cold tone (in a good way). The setting was a huge plus for me.

Fans of cold cases, Nordic noir, and slow-burn mysteries will enjoy this one.

Besides having liked earlier books by this author I was intrigued by the title.
Death at the sanatorium, you just must know what the secrets are.
The location is an old TB sanatorium 1983 that at this point is mostly empty. We have an elderly nurse murdered and followed by the apparent suicide of her boss. An easy solved crime. The boss killed his nurse and committed suicide afterward. Or is it that simple?
2012 a young police office having just jointed the unit and who is more interested in drafting his thesis than working as a police officer decides that the happening in 1983 would be the perfect subject. How do you unravel what happened 30 years ago? Are the people that taken part in the case still around? Slowly secrets come to the surface and not all the characters are likeable. Have fun trying to solve this mystery.

This Nordic Noir novel by @ragnarjo is a good one. I really enjoyed reading this murder mystery that starts with a murder in 1983 and goes back and forth between that time point and 2012.

I recommend this book if you enjoy:
🔪 dual timelines
🔪 multiple POVs
🔪 unreliable narrators
🔪 twisty mysteries
🔪 unexpected endings

Thank you @minotaur_books for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review. This same review was left on the Barnes & Noble website.

After reading Reykjavik, I knew I wanted to read more from this author. I enjoyed the multiple timelines and POVs in this Nordic Noir novel. The mystery woven into the spanning timelines was engaging as it connected characters to each of the time periods. The young police student, Helgi, was an interesting character with his fondness for classic mysteries, his unconventional relationship with his girlfriend, and his research into a decades old crime. The ending was unexpected and I hope to see follow up books with Helgi!

Thank you St Martins Press @stmartinspress , Minotaur Books @minotaur_books , Netgalley @netgalley , and Ragnar Jónasson @ragnarjo for this free ebook!
“Death at the Sanatorium” by Ragnar Jónasson (translated by Victoria Cribb) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Crime Fiction. Location: Akureyri and Reykjavik, Iceland. Time: 1950-2012.

1983: Elderly nurse Yrsa is found murdered with 2 of her fingers cut off at a mostly empty old TB sanatorium in northern Iceland. Detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir and her boss, Sverrir, are sent to investigate. They identify 5 suspects: the chief physician, 2 junior nurses, a young doctor, and the caretaker. Then the chief physician is found dead, an apparent suicide. Sverrir rules his death a suicide, assumes he murdered the nurse, closes the case.
2012: Helgi Reykdal (30s) studies criminology, collects golden age detective novels, and is writing his thesis on the 1983 murders. He plans to become a Reykjavik police officer when Hulda Hermannsdóttir retires. As Helgi delves into the past, he tries to meet with the original suspects, but finds silence and suspicion at every turn.

Author Jónasson has written a murder mystery that stretches across 60 years.
His characters are flawed, his prose simple, his plot complicated and twisty. Jónasson has a knack for describing remote Iceland: (“…the Icelandic spring was no more than an illusion, no more than winter in fancy dress.”) A bonus is you’ll learn a bit about pre-WWII golden age detective novels and their authors. If you like murder mysteries full of red herrings and twists, set in a far northern country, with truly unexpected endings, this is the book for you, and it’s 4 stars from me🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️🎀 #deathatthesanitorium #ragnarjonasson #iceland #SMPinfluencers

Death at the Sanatorium is Jonasson's most Christie-esque novel yet! A slow burn, but very atmospheric, this was a fun who-dunnit!

Death at the Sanatorium goes back and forth between character POVs and timelines which made this quite the twisty mystery! I really enjoyed the connections between characters and am predicting this lead inspector might be the first in a new series, or at least could be! There are a lot of characters, but I never struggled to tell them apart, and by the end, I was truly at a loss as to who the culprit was.

I already knew that Johnasson is a huge Agatha Christie fan, having translated some of her novels into Icelandic, and while reading this one I got major Agatha Christie vibes. Then I read the author note at the end and got even more background into the author's immersion in the classic Christie mystery world. I recommend you read that author's note.

Ragnar Jonasson has always been a favorite author of mine, and I enjoyed his latest! I love the classic mystery vibes! I can't wait to read what's next!

I received a free digital copy of Death at the Sanatorium in exchange for my honest review, all opinions are my own.

It’s 2012 and Helgi Reykdahl, who had been studying criminology in the UK, has returned to Rekjavik to write his dissertation on the gruesome murder of a nurse at a tuberculosis sanatorium in 1983. A doctor had fallen from a balcony at the sanatorium a week later. It was declared a suicide at the time, assumed by most that he had been the murderer and the suicide had been the result of later guilt. But, even at the time, there were questions about the case having been closed too soon. As Helgi looks into it and questions people involved at the time, he also begins to have his own doubts but his purpose isn’t to try to reopen the case and besides he has personal problems to deal with. But then one of the witnesses of the events at the sanatorium is murdered, he accepts a job with the Rekjavik police, so he can be part of the investigation.

Ragnar Jonasson, the author of Death at the Sanatorium was a fan of Agatha Christie, had even translated many of her novels into Icelandic in his youth and this novel is definitely a homage to her as shown by the atmospheric setting and the untrustworthiness of the suspects. Not to say this is just a copy of an Agatha Christie book because Jonasson definitely has his own style and knows how to ramp up the suspense in one compelling, twisty tale with a tight plot, some very untrustworthy suspects, and a complex, smart and likeable main protagonist. The mystery kept me guessing throughout. But the ending - I was kinda anticipating something like it but when it finally came…damn!

I received and read an eARc of the book from St Martin’s Press while listening to an advance audiobook from Macmillan Audio narrated by Sam Woolfe who does a pitch perfect job of bringing the novel to life and I would like to thank both publishers as well as Netgalley. All opinions are my own.