Death at the Sanitorium left me with mixed feelings. This was my first experience with Nordic noir, and I expected to be captivated.
I was intrigued by the mystery. I liked the unusual circumstances, setting, and characters. The audiobook production is flawless. The narration is excellent, and actor Tom Woolf’s performance helped hold my interest.

Many aspects of reading are a matter of taste. For me, this book was too heavy on internal monologue and meandering scenes.

I appreciated the new investigator’s passion for classic mysteries and the dual timeline. There are some sharp characterizations.

Overall, the book delivers a grim vision and reminded me of certain literary novels that highlight alienation. The atmosphere and sense of place worked well, and there's an aspect of male experience illuminated here that’s not often explored in fiction.

Although I found this too slow-paced to be as immersive as I like, I’d look at future books by Ragnar Jónasson. He has talent and brings a fresh, unusual perspective to noir, particularly in his depictions of lives and relationships affected by crime–on both sides of the law.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio for the ALC via NetGalley for consideration. These are my unbiased opinions.

This was interesting! I've never read a book set in Iceland before, so this is a new one for me. He mentions that his inspiration is from Agatha Christie, and I see this reflected in the way the story is told. I liked the mystery of things and the resolution of the actual murders. I didn’t much care for the ending personally, because I’m one of those who HAS to know what happened, but is a nice ending overall. I also appreciate some of the topics broached in this book. All in all, I enjoyed listening as it kept me guessing the whole book. 4⭐️

I'm so glad to be introduced to this author! Even though this was a typical whodunnit mystery, I still had a great time reading it. It was laid out well with characters that were more than just surface. I enjoyed all of the interactions with Helgi. There was a curiosity throughout this book of how the author was going to round this out, and I really enjoyed the ride from beginning to end.

And that ending - whattt! The overall answer to the mystery - that was to be expected, and it was fun to get there. But the ending with Helgi - I am shook for sure. I listened to this on an audiobook, and rewinded a few times, thinking something happened to the last chapter. And I'd come to like this author even more from his note about Agatha Christie. I love the eeriness from the title alone, knowing the pacing and the setup would be much like Agatha Christie's tone. This was great.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an audio copy of this thriller. All opinions are my own.

Ooh a new Ragnar Jónasson? Count me in

I usually enjoy Scandi-noir and Ragnar Jónasson is a master of this genre. It doesn't take the reader long to get situated and comfortable in the atmospheric setting.

Helgi Reykdal has returned to Iceland after studying in the UK to a job with the police, putting his criminology studies to use. An avid reader of "Golden Era" mysteries (like Ragnar himself), Helgi is writing his thesis on the 1983 murders at a sanitorium and gets drawn into mysterious and dangerous situations.

This was a cracking book, what a pleasure to read. The audiobook performance was excellent, and as always, the story was intriguing right until the end. An excellent plot with surprises, but not "what where did that come from" surprises, more like "oh duh why didn't I think of that?"

An excellent read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook arc in return for an honest review.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jónasson, narrated by Sam Wolf. Jónasson's atmospheric and gripping storytelling shines in this novel, weaving a compelling mystery set in a remote sanatorium. The plot is both intricate and engaging, keeping me on the edge of my seat with its suspenseful twists and turns.

Sam Wolf's narration adds an extra layer of depth to the experience. His delivery captures the chilling mood of the story and brings the characters to life with nuanced performances that enhance the tension and drama of the plot.

Overall, Death at the Sanatorium is a captivating read for fans of Scandinavian crime fiction, and Wolf's narration perfectly complements Jónasson's masterful storytelling. Highly recommended for those who enjoy a well-crafted mystery with a strong sense of place. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance audiobook copy.

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.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest thriller by Ragnar Jonasson, wonderfully narrated by Sam Woolf. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4 stars!

In 1983, at a former sanatorium in Iceland, now a hospital ward, nurse Yrsa is found murdered. Detective Hulda Hermansdottir and her boss, Sverrir, are sent to investigate her death. Less than a week after the murder, the chief physician is also found dead from a fall from a balcony; later ruled as a suicide. He was presumed to have commited the murder as well and the case was closed. Almost 30 years later, Helgi Reykdal, a young police officer, has been studying criminology in the UK, but returns to Iceland when offered a job – the job from which Detective Hermannsdottir is about to retire. Helgi is writing his thesis on the sanatorium murders and begins his investigation.

The story goes back and forth between these two timelines and with different POV. The atmosphere is dark and the story spools out mostly as interviews, so it’s a bit slow. It’s a nod to Agatha Christie’s novels (be sure to read the author’s note at the end), and the building tension and many suspects follow suit. A good old-fashioned murder mystery!

3.5 stars. It took me a minute to get into this one but once I did, I found it an interesting and compelling read. The story and mystery are well written and the characters are excellent. The ending was a bit odd and it made me go back and make sure I didn't miss anything. Definitely memorable.

Death at the Sanatorium follows Helgi Reykdal, a criminologist that has returned to Iceland from the UK when he decides to look at an old case file from 1983 at the Sanatorium. In 1983 an old nurse is found dead one morning at the sanatorium. There are five suspects that the police are looking into. 2 nurses, a grounds keeper, and two doctors. As the police try to narrow the suspect list down to one suspect another person is killed or committed suicide. Now in 2012 Helgi is going back through the file and reinterviewing all of the surviving suspects on his own. This was a very good story with a twist at the end. I truly loved this book and others by Ragnar Johasson. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Macmillan for letting me listen to the advanced audio book of Death at the Sanatorium.

I was excited about this ALC, but I couldn’t connect with it. I felt it moved fairly slowly at first and ended abruptly. In my opinion, the characters needed better development and I felt had missed a book prior to this one. Overall, I seem to be in the minority on this, so don’t let my opinion sway you.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the ALC.

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 Woolf 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.

I requested this book for review for two reasons: I liked the previous book by the author and I wanted to absorb more Icelandic culture in preparation for an upcoming trip. I was not disappointed. In this novel, the main character, Helgi, is a soon-to-be detective who is studying the handling of a nurse's murder nearly 30 years earlier at a sanatorium in Akureyri (in northern Iceland.) He interviews the people who worked there at the time and begins to wonder if the conclusion was the right one. The story bounces back and forth between current day (and Helgi's investigation) and the time of the murder, so we get two perspectives on the incident. The characters are interesting and the narrator provides us with great insight into each of them. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more by this author.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an advance review copy of this audiobook. My opinions are my own.

Wow, so many emotions!

What I love about Nordic fiction is it's not shiny happy endings like here in the US, but what I don"t love is there are no shiny happy endings. It's a paradox of my brain.

This was a fantastic read, with the melancholy sanitorium setting juxtaposed against the modern re-investigation. I wanted so many things to happen in this book, like more of Hulda's story, more of Helgi standing up for himself, more dressing down of Magnus, and the person I didn't like who I wanted to be the killer wasn't, so it was a lot of tension and dread and anxiety that built throughout.

And the ending, I have no words for. I loved it and I hated it. And I'm immediately going to find more of this author's books.

This author's name was familiar to me, but I had not read any of his other books. This definitely feels like Nordic noir, so if that's your thing, you'll probably enjoy this. With multiple timelines and POVs, we follow a police officer writing a dissertation on a decades-old case as he explores the events surrounding the case.

I'm still trying to decide how much I like the Nordic noir style. It was a fine enough mystery, but I wasn't compelled to keep coming back to it whenever I had a spare moment. The narration was good, and it was a quick read. If you aren't sure if it's your style, I'd recommend trying it.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for a free copy of #DeathAtTheSanatorium by Ragnar Jonasson. All opinions are my own.

Death at the Sanatorium was slow and light on action. The author chooses to tell the reader about things that happened more often then let us experience it ourselves. The plot meandered and was good when we got back to it. The atmosphere was possibly the best part of this entire book. I left the whole thing more sad than anything else.

Really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the look into the Icelandic settings and the protagonist’s love of mystery novels. It kept me guessing until the end and showed the tragedies and trauma we all go through and the struggles to overcome them. Will seek out the author’s other books.

This is such a gripping tale of an old murder suicide that a graduate student begins looking into- thinking it was rather a double murder. This book holds your attention all the way to the bitter end. And that ending…

"Death at the Sanatorium" is a slow-paced, character-driven cold case mystery, set in Iceland. I found this novel satisfyingly strong on atmosphere, but light on plot with very little action. It is primarily a "talking book," as Helgi Reykdal, a young and ambitious police officer, attempts to interview the central characters from a murder-suicide event many years before. While I admire the underlying mystery and Jonasson's skill at crafting a culprit I didn't sleuth out, the story and characters ultimately fell flat for me. I often struggle with cold case mysteries, where the reader is inherently held distant from long-ago action, so take this review with a grain of salt.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ragnar Jonasson, and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this book for honest review.

In 1983, death came to an Icelandic sanatorium, and this time it wasn't from tuberculosis, but was it murder or something else? Thirty years later, those present at the time are still grappling with the memories and the parts they played. Now, a criminologist working on his dissertation is stirring up things that might be better left undisturbed. His probing will make some people uncomfortable and might just have some unexpected consequences.

This is a twisty-turny mystery that keeps readers on there toes from beginning to end. No one's motivations are clear which makes for a great whodunnit. The author's familiarity with and love for the works of Agatha Christie is evident throughout. The work is set in Iceland, a country which I know relatively little about, so it was fascinated to get a glimpse into their culture. I enjoyed our main protagonist and his quest for truth and understanding even as his personal life is somewhat chaotic. The rest of the characters were well-drawn, although, we don't get a huge amount of personal details or back stories, we do get just enough to help us along as the mystery unfolds. The plot itself is slow-burn with a few intense moments sprinkled throughout, but it really works in this case because there is a lot to keep track of and more action might have been distracting. One important thing to note is that this book is told through multiple points of view and multiple timelines. Some characters even show up in more than one of the timelines, so it can be a bit challenging to keep track of where and when we are in the narrative. I think, if you can handle that though, it's an interesting way to tell this story, and it gives us some insightful glimpses into our characters as they age.

Bottom line: I would recommend this to fans of slow-burn mysteries with interesting protagonists. I would also recommend it to people who enjoy translated works as I think this one was done really well. I will definitely read more from this author.

Absorbing mystery thriller set in Iceland.

The author definitely channels Agatha Christie in this well-plotted novel best described as a whodunit. If you like Icelandic Noir, this is one book that begs to be read.

Helgi Reykdal is meant to be working on his dissertation in criminology when he looks into an old, unsolved murder case that occurred at a sanatorium in the north of Iceland in 1983. It's now 2012, almost 30 years later, but some of the former employees, all one-time suspects, present during the old murder investigation are still alive and Helgi is tracking them down to interview them. He's about to join the Reykjavik Police Department and take over a job held by Detective Hulda Hermansdottir who is about to retire. She was one of the original investigators on the 1983 case involving the deaths of a nurse and doctor at the sanatorium. Helgi, involved in a dangerous relationship with a live-in girlfriend, is finding the former suspects difficult to talk with. He grapples with indecision about his future but is desperate to solve the old mystery.

I've read a couple of other books by this author and always enjoy them. I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Sam Woolf, did a great job of voicing all the characters. His pacing, intonation, accents, and dramatic flair really enhanced the production and my appreciation of the book.