This took me a long time to get through. It wasn’t anything spectacular, however it did keep me somewhat interested when the author went back and forth between timelines.

Helgi is a grad student working on his dissertation when he decides to pick up a cold case file from 1983. He starts interviewing the workers of a former Sanatarium in Iceland, but upon interviewing he notices almost all of them have something to hide. He is up for a CID position through the local police force- will he join and solve this years old case once and for all?

Okay, writing that synopsis makes the story sound super juicy so I’m going to chalk up my feelings around this by the lack of detail that’s included in the story. It left us on a cliffhanger but not really a good one because we knew so little about some of the characters involved. I’d be curious if a second one came out just to have redemption on behalf of this story.

An old hospital in the north of Iceland two deaths occur in 1983, an aged nurse and one of the doctors. The police at the time wrapped up the case as a murder/suicide. Thirty years later, a young police officer in Reykjavik begins to look into the deaths and re-interviews those still alive from 1983 creating anguish and reigniting old hurts as the killer is still alive waiting.

This well-played-out whodunit holds you rapt for this fast-paced short read. Highly influenced by Agatha Christie in the writing — the author has us going mainly between 1983 and 2012. Following a multitude of characters in the past during the original investigation of some deaths at an old Sanitarium, in the 2012 timeline we follow Helgi and his life while he relooks at this old case for his university dissertation. This is an excellent translation and has great flow in the storyline— bringing about high emotions from the reader and keeping the reader engaged throughout the whole book— I didn’t see the ending coming— but I am still feeling the shock of it - hopefully, there will be a sequel or series based off this main character.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

A budding criminalist unwittingly resurrects a cold case. I haven’t read the author’s Hidden Iceland series, but one of the characters here is part of those novels. Since I was not familiar with this world, I may have missed some details but it was still easy to follow the action. The chapters follow the characters at different points in time. Helgi is in the “present,” which is 2012. The original murders were never satisfactorily solved back in 1983. Most of the characters are still alive and the readers know that the murders stopped after an incident, but no more details are forthcoming until Helgi analyzes them years later. The novel reminded me a little of Indriðason’s Erlendur series in that it follows events that have been dormant for decades. The plot weaves the different timelines seamlessly, and shows how the characters changed. I really wasn’t a fan of one of the witnesses, Tinna, who lies and gets people in trouble. The rest of the cast was suspicious enough that I didn’t know whodunit. There were a few twists that I wasn’t expecting. The author has translated Agatha Christie’s work into Icelandic and, in the afterword he explains how she has influenced his writing. He uses one of her best tricks here, in a way that I didn’t see coming. Jonasson also gave Helgi a love for classic murder mysteries that borders on obsession. Having read many of his favorite novels, I related.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, for letting me read and review an advanced copy of this book, ‘Death At The Sanatorium’ by Ragnar Jonasson.

I have read several books written by Ragnar Jonasson that I have enjoyed, and this one was also good but I found it a little slower until the case waa close to being solved. Helgi Reykdal, a young policeman finishing his degree in criminology, is writing about an old case where a nurse is murdered and it looks like her boss was her killer after his death is deemed a suicide. Interviewing the old witnesses and even another suspect, finds Helgi learning new facts about the case. Eventually, he discovers the truth, but not before another murder takes place.

I like these Icelandic mysteries and look forward to the next one (hint - the ending leaves a cliffhanger)!

To my amusement, I had just finished a book in which the protagonist is obsessed with Alfred Hitchcock. Then, In Death at the Sanatorium, the protagonist is, I don’t want to say obsessed so much as books from the golden age of detective novels are inextricably woven into the fabric of his life—Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Ngaio Marsh, for example.

I have read several of Jonasson’s books (I love Nordic Noir) and this one did not disappoint. As one progresses through the book, you continually discover that things are necessarily as they seem at first and that people often make very poor choices. And, as anyone who has read any Agatha Christie novels will know, people lie.

I don’t reveal spoilers in my reviews, but I will say that that I enjoyed the story that begins when the hospital in Akureyri was first used as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients and continues with the deaths (murders) that occur in 1983 when the hospital is in a between-time of usage before a student working on his dissertation in criminology in 2012 uncovers some secrets that were meant to remain so.

Ragnar Jonasson is an Icelandic author that I have come to enjoy very much as I've acquainted myself with Iceland Noir. A blurb says that this book is a spin-off from The Darkness. I thought it was a stand alone so it must not depend too much on information given in the earlier book.

In 2012, a man named Helgi who has studied criminology in the UK returns to Iceland at the invitation of the police. He is writing his thesis on two deaths/murders that happened in Northern Iceland in 1983 and he is intent on solving them. He has a girlfriend, perhaps fiancé, that he continuously fights with. These fights and his interiority give him an arrogance that is not attractive.

In 1983, a nurse at a Sanatorium discovers Ysra, a dead member of the Sanatorium staff, in her office early in the morning. Two out of town police from Reykjavik are brought in to investigate. The nurse who has found the body sets her sights on Sverrir, the male officer. A week later, the chief physician is found dead by the same nurse. This nurse who wants only to get the investigations over with so she can seduce Sverrir leaves out important information about both deaths. Sverrir calls the second death a suicide, over the objections of his second, because of guilt of the first death. He closes the case.

And we are back to 2012. Helgi seeks out and interviews everyone involved in the 1983 case. Until the end, the reader isn't quite sure if he is getting close to a resolution or not And, of course, there is another death so we know he has gotten close.

I enjoyed this book but I like his series better. As an author, I always admire another writer who strikes out to try something new when it is easier to stick with what is known and popular. So I say Kudos to Jonasson. And keep them coming, please.

Ragnar Jonasson writes great mysteries, and the title and description of this one caught my eye. It is atmospheric, tense, and engaging with strong and interesting characters. Nice shock at the end, and the novel was tense and suspenseful Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Pub Date: Sep 10, 2024

#DeathAtTheSanatorium
#NetGalley

I had high hopes for Death at the Sanatorium and have enjoyed Jonasson’s work before, but just couldn’t get into this one no matter how often I tried. There is an audience for this. It just isn’t me.

Helgi studied criminology and is writing his dissertation. He’s selected an old case involving deaths at a sanatorium as his subject. Over thirty years ago two people died, there are still unanswered questions about how the investigation was conducted and resolved. I thought Helgi was a complex, tenacious and determined character trying to fill in the missing pieces. He persevered relentlessly to interview staff and everyone who had knowledge from the past events. He’s already had a job offer and interview for a position with the police. If only things at home weren’t so unsettled. There is tension in Helgi’s relationship at home. Without any spoilers, I will say it was very well woven into the theme. An important subject which I’ve rarely seen addressed in a book. There were many secrets exposed about the tragic deaths at the sanatorium as Helgi divided his time between writing and investing. I was surprised by some of the outcomes, it kept me guessing as the tension swelled.
I’ve become a fan of Nordic thrillers, have read several of Jónasson’s books and this one moves to the top. I appreciated the perspective from someone in another country being inspired by translated detective mysteries. I also enjoyed the author’s background info and his love for classics such as Agatha Christie. The setting in Iceland is so foreign from my Texas heat that it’s refreshing to read about. Thanks to St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books for providing the Advance Reader Copy of “Death at the Sanatorium” by Ragnar Jónasson, publication expected 09/10/2024, via NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

A reader cannot go wrong with a book by Ragnar Jonasson. This book is set in two periods, 1983 and 2012.

In 1983, in a tb sanatorium, a nurse is found murdered and there are five suspects. Hulder is the detective and the case is closed much too quickly for her taste.
In 2012 a young man is hired to replace the retiring Hulder. His choice for his dissertation is the old mystery from 1983. This opens gates others would best left shut,

The atmosphere in Iceland is sheer Jonasson - raw, blustery and part of the story. The characters are all well-developed and it feels like the reader is being pulled into the world that the book creates.

A highly recommended book

This is a very interesting murder mystery. Helgi is working on his dissertation for getting his MA degree. He decides to look at the police procedures on a 30 year old case at The Sanatorium. While he is doing that, he sees idiosyncrasies in the original police work. He digs deeper and uncovers more bad detective work. I am not going to say anymore because I don't want to tell surprises in the story. The ending is worth reading the whole book. Highly recommended. I did receive an ARC copy of this this book for an honest review. Honestly? Pick up the book!

The premise of this book was very intriguing the the delivery met my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and felt very immersed in it. The characters were well developed and flawed which made them relatable and enjoyable to read about. Overall, this novel was a good and interesting read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an ARC of this novel!

“Death at the Sanatorium” was a decent story, but not as enjoyable as “Snowblind”, an earlier book by Mr. Jonasson that I have read. The mystery at the center of the story was interesting and creative, with some good twists. A murder and later suicide (or possibly second murder) at a sanatorium (previously used to house TB patients) in a small Icelandic town with only a handful of plausible suspects.

I liked the main character, Helgi, and his love of classic detective novels. I enjoyed the discussion of the authors and their books, especially the references to Ngaio Marsh, an author with whom I was unfamiliar, and the Ellery Queen series, which was also new to me.

However, I didn’t particularly like how much time was spent on Helgi’s abusive marriage; didn’t like that the one original investigator of the murder and suicide (or was it murder?) who might have provided the most insight was never given the chance to meaningfully voice her opinion; and I didn’t like how the story ended.

Ironically I am reading this book while in Iceland. Ragnar does it again, a great story, unexpected ending and...that last page! Wow. Ready for his next one.

Summary: 1983. At a small healthcare facility located in a former TB sanatorium in northern Iceland, a nurse enters the offices in the early morning ready to start the day. She finds the head nurse Yrsa dead at her desk, gruesomely murdered. A week later the administrator plummets to his death from a balcony. The case is neatly wrapped up as a murder and a suicide. 2012. A police officer named Helgi is finishing his criminology dissertation on the old crimes at the sanatorium. In the course of doing his research and talking to those who worked at the sanatorium during the 1980s, he stirs up alarm and suspicion.

Thoughts: It is appropriate that the investigator in this novel, Helgi, is a fan of Agatha Christie novels since it is written much in the Christie style. Christie was fond of the expression “old sins cast long shadows” and this is certainly applicable to Death at the Sanatorium, which flits back and forth in time from 1951 to 1983 to 2012. The abandoned sanatorium adds greatly to the ghostly atmosphere as few things are as eerie as an empty and abandoned hospital. This was a quick read and felt more like a novella than a full-length novel.

If you are a fan of British mystery writers like Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie, then you will enjoy this snappy little tribute to golden age mysteries. It ends with a cliff-hanger, indicating that more fun mysteries are in the works.

A criminologist writing a dissertation unwittingly reopens an old murder case at a repurposed sanatorium.

This closed circle mystery has a classic vibe. Helgi the criminologist is a fan of golden age mysteries, and there are references to several, with tidbits about their Icelandic translations in the text and the afterword.

Hulda from the author’s Hidden Iceland series makes a brief appearance (right before her disappearance) and leaves a note that provides Helgi with a lead. While the primary mystery is resolved, Helgi’s unusual domestic situation provides a further twist that adds a question mark to the ending.

Well Ragnar Jonasson has another winner book. The plot is intriguing right from the beginning and keeps you guessing right till the end. The characters are interesting. I hope this book will become a series.

ScandinavianNoir mixed with the golden age of detecting!
Ragnar Jónasson focuses primarily on a youngish police officer rising through the ranks. He has left the UK and is determining whether he will make a life in his homeland of Iceland while he completes his doctoral dissertation. The officer is combing through information related to deaths at a sanitorium while he muses over a job offer. When the two converge, so do the time periods. The deaths in '83 and his studies in 2012. Even better, for Jonasson fans, this is the precursor to the Hulda series and we see what transpired before "The Darkness."

I really enjoyed it and when I read the afterword and learned that Jonasson transcribed Agatha Christie novels it became even more endearing. The end is a shock, and you will love every bit of it!
#stmartins #deathatthesanitorium #ragnerjonasson

I love Ragnar Jonasson's writing and was thrilled to get this ARC. A fairly quick read but a tense and atmospheric thriller with unsolved murder cases at a sanatorium being revisited 25 years later by a criminologist with his own issues. The excitement and tension builds and I greatly enjoyed the ride.