Dix âmes, pas plus

by Ragnar Jónasson, Jean-Christophe Salaün (Translator)

Librarian note: Alternate cover edition for ISBN 2732494070 / 9782732494074

« Recherche professeur au bout du monde. » Lorsqu’elle voit passer cette annonce pour un poste d’enseignant dans le minuscule village de Skálar, Una, qui ne parvient pas à trouver un emploi stable à Reykjavík, croit saisir une chance d’échapper à la morosité de son quotidien.

Mais une fois sur place, la jeune femme se rend compte que rien dans sa vie passée ne l’a préparée à ce changement radical. Skálar n’est pas seulement l’un des villages les plus isolés d’Islande, il ne compte que dix habitants. Les seuls élèves dont Una a la charge sont deux petites filles de sept et neuf ans. Les villageois sont hostiles. Le temps maussade. Et, depuis la chambre grinçante du grenier de la vieille maison où elle vit, Una est convaincue d’entendre le son fantomatique d’une berceuse. Est-elle en train de perdre la tête ?

Quand survient un événement terrifiant : juste avant noël, une jeune fille du village est retrouvée assassinée. Il ne reste désormais plus que neuf habitants. Parmi lesquels, fatalement, le meurtrier.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Nordic Noir, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Audiobook

345 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2018

About the author

Ragnar Jonasson is author of the award winning and international bestselling Dark Iceland series.

His debut Snowblind, first in the Dark Iceland series, went to number one in the Amazon Kindle charts shortly after publication. The book was also a no. 1 Amazon Kindle bestseller in Australia. Snowblind has been a paperback bestseller in France.

Nightblind won the Dead Good Reader Award 2016 for Most Captivating Crime in Translation.

Snowblind was called a "classically crafted whodunit" by THE NEW YORK TIMES, and it was selected by The Independent as one of the best crime novels of 2015 in the UK.

Rights to the Dark Iceland series have been sold to UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, Poland, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, Morocco, Portugal, Croatia, Armenia and Iceland.

Ragnar was born in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he works as a writer and a lawyer. He also teaches copyright law at Reykjavik University and has previously worked on radio and television, including as a TV-news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.

He is also the co-founder of the Reykjavik international crime writing festival Iceland Noir.

From the age of 17, Ragnar translated 14 Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic.

Ragnar has also had short stories published internationally, including in the distinguished Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine in the US, the first stories by an Icelandic author in that magazine.

He has appeared on festival panels worldwide, and lives in Reykjavik.

Reviews

[Lisa of Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una is a school teacher in her 30's debating what she should do with her life. Scraping by day to day, she sees an advert for "a teacher at the end of the world" when she decides that she has nothing to lose and an adventure to gain so she sets off on her new post. The end of the world is a small community of 10 people with rumors and stories circulating as only they can in a small town. What is fact and what is fiction?

This was a gripping mystery/thriller that was thoroughly enjoyable. It had a European feel - the characters weren't hysterical or overreacting or doing silly things. They had the philosophy of, "Ok, that happened. Now, moving on." This was so refreshing compared to the "woe is me" characters that I have read of late. Throughout this book, there was this push and pull. Would there be a rational explanation or a supernatural explanation and would we even know the answers to everything?

This was one of those books that I was kept guessing until the very end. And let's just say that the ending didn't disappoint......

*Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

2024 Reading Schedule
Jan Middlemarch
Feb The Grapes of Wrath
Mar Oliver Twist
Apr Madame Bovary
May A Clockwork Orange
Jun Possession
Jul The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection
Aug Crime and Punishment
Sep Heart of Darkness
Oct Moby-Dick
Nov Far From the Madding Crowd
Dec A Tale of Two Cities

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[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson,
Narrated by Amanda Redman

Thirty year old Una really has nothing to keep her in Reykjavík. She's a teacher who can't find full time work, she's running out of funds to even afford her crummy little apartment, her only friend has a family now and doesn't really have time for Una, her love life doesn't exist, and Una's past haunts her. So Una takes a job in a tiny, remote village of ten people.

A feeling of depression lurks in the air with this story. And that feeling follows Una to the tiny village of Skálar. Both Una and I thought she was probably making a big mistake and that feeling is so much stronger when she meets the villagers and they act so suspicious towards her. But can you blame them for wondering what is wrong with Una for her to want to come teach two little girls in the middle of nowhere? The only person who wants her there is the lady who she is boarding with but even she can be surly and secretive. Una seems to always be saying the wrong thing and her drinking is just getting worse as she frets about what a horrible mistake she has made to come to this village. The only bright spot is quiet, kind, bearded Thor, a man close to her age, who is clearly attracted her but also is off limits.

Up in her attic lodgings, Una is having nightmares, hearing and seeing a little girl in a white dress. Is this house haunted, is Una drinking too much, or both? When something horrible happens, it seems that the villagers pull away from Una even more, making it clear what a true outsider she is and that she is not welcome in the village. The more Una tries to understand what is going on, the more the ranks close against her.

The atmosphere is so bleak and heavy, it's hard to know what is real and what is in Una's head but I can't help believing Una despite her drinking. We knew something was very wrong in this village even before the Christmas tragedy and that wrongness is growing. I enjoyed this story a lot, and trusted Una despite her heavy drinking. Am I right to have faith in Una? In the end, I am very satisfied with the revelations and the way the story ended.

Published May 4, 2021 by Macmillan Audio

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I wish to extend my sincere thanks to NetGalley and St.Martins Press for this eerie, atmospheric stand-alone thriller by Ragnar Jonasson. I was delighted to receive this ARC by my favourite Nordic (Icelandic) Noir writer. I have read and enjoyed all books in both his series.

His writing evokes a claustrophobic feeling to the isolation and remoteness of small settlements in Iceland's northern parts. The nearby ocean, long hours of winter darkness, and bleak weather makes one feel the chill and the loneliness. Ragnar's previous books have been police procedurals. The setting here is too remote to have any police presence or a hospital. The story takes place in the 1980s without our present-day technology. Serious crime is unknown in this tiny settlement.

30-year-old Una is a teacher from Reykjavik. She has never recovered from her father's tragic suicide near both her birthday and Christmas time. She fears she may have inherited a predisposition for suicide and drinks too much to calm her nerves. She answers an advertisement for a teacher in the tiny settlement of Skalar on the stormy north-east coast of Iceland with its population of 10 inhabitants and only two students, and she feels this would be an opportunity to escape city life.

On arrival, she finds that the villagers do not accept newcomers kindly. She is met by suspicion, rejection and hostility. Her landlady has provided her with a creaky attic apartment in an old home. She has a delightful young daughter who will be one of Una's pupils. The other student is an introverted, sullen girl, and Una finds it difficult to relate to her. While boarding in the home, Una is disturbed by a creepy, ominous feeling. She starts to be disturbed by a piano's sound in a room below and a child singing a lullaby. She believes this is the ghost of a child who died mysteriously in the house almost 60 years earlier. She thinks she has even seen the apparition of the young girl or was her imagination running wild? When she attempts to discuss the possible haunting with anyone, they dismiss the vision and the music due to Una consuming too much wine. The ghost story is well-known folklore in the community.

This element of the supernatural gives the story a menacing, macabre atmosphere. I am not a fan of paranormal is stories, but the author had me believing that ghosts may exist. After being disturbed and frightened, Una has become convinced that the ghost is the result of her imagination and caused by drinking.
There is a sudden, inexplicable, shocking death just before Christmas.


Una is attracted to a pleasant bearded man employed at a farm by an unfriendly, dour older woman. He informs her that a romantic relationship is impossible. She suspects that he may be more than just an employee to the farm owner. A strange man appears at the house, looking for directions to the farm and its female owner. This opens up a criminal subplot that doesn't seem relevant to the story, but it has a major effect on Una and her intent always to follow the correct legal and moral path. Una learns something about the visitor that prompts her to call the city police. Her landlady dismisses the policeman, saying Una's information is a mistake and probably the result of her drinking. Who was the mysterious stranger, and why was he so intent on visiting the remote farm in mid-winter?

Una realizes the villagers harbour deep secrets and have banded together to keep any crimes to themselves. They hold these secrets and keep the awareness of crimes and scandals from unwelcome outsiders and police. This makes the community seem free from any wrongdoings and unpleasantness. Una wants to do the right thing and is increasingly unwelcome and rejected by the villagers. She is distraught and wants to return home and never see Skalar again or its unwelcoming inhabitants. The more she learns, she is caught in a moral dilemma. She begins to feel part of the community and must keep their secrets. And what about the ghost in the house? There are now two of them. Spooky! How will Una react?

Recommended to anyone who enjoys Nordic Noir containing a mixture of crime and supernatural..

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb, Icelandic Noir by Ragnar Jonasson.

TEACHER WANTED AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

The honesty of the advertisement was appealing to Una, who was looking for a change of scenery.
And, the contact was for just one year. Two girls, aged 7 and 9, in a coastal fishing town of ten.
Room and Board is included, but a warm welcome from the residents is not.

What the job posting also didn’t say was that it was an Attic room, rumored to be haunted by a little girl who died there, years prior. One who sings a lullaby and loved to play the piano.

The many dark hours, and frequent fog, add to Una’s unease.

And, since this is set in the 1980’s Una is really isolated from her friends and family back home with no cell phones or internet, no TV in the house she is residing in, and just a landline downstairs. The Co-Op doesn’t even always get the newspapers because of the town’s remote location. At least it stocks wine.

A second narrative clues the reader in to another secret, as the past threatens to disrupt the peace that the residents are so fiercely protecting in this slow burn, atmospheric mystery.

The plot jumps around a bit, perhaps because of the translation but the misdirection of “the girl who died” had me thinking one thing when it was quite another!

This won’t appeal to readers who like lots of action and multiple twists, but I enjoyed reading something “different” in a market saturated with a lot of the “same”.

I still feel chilled!

Thank you to Minotaur books for my gifted copy, provided through NetGalley!
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!

Available May 4, 2021

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

Note: I also won an ARC copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Teacher wanted at the edge of the world’. Una responds to this advertisement to teach just two girls in the remote hamlet of Skaler on the Langanes Peninsular. She lodges with Salka whose daughter Edda is one of her pupils. However, Una is repeatedly haunted by a child’s voice singing a lullaby and she catches glimpses of a girl in white. The story is told from the perspective of Una and interspersed with a second narrative which eventually leads her to unlocking the mystery enveloping Skalar.

This is a very atmospheric slow burner mystery with creepy, chilling, Gothic overtones. The mood of the storytelling matches the remoteness of the featureless, desolate landscape which as winter closes in and a darkness descends is reflected in a few of the people that make up this small, tight knit community. From the start Una senses a claustrophobic hostility descending on her like a cloak and there are uncomfortable off notes throughout as she is excluded by some residents. The characterisation is good and the author creates a feeling about them which emanates from the pages. The strange dynamics they exude is intriguing and adds to the aura of unease. The writing is clever because much of this is just a suggestion of something but you feel it none the less. The ghostly supernatural element is very good and it feels real to Una. The storyline builds along with Una’s persistence in trying to get to the heart of the truth of the tragedies that befall this community and their conspiracy to prevent her. The two narratives come together well at the end along with acceptance.

Overall, a good, enjoyable and intriguing read and perfect for fans of slow building Icelandic/Nordic Noir.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ragnar Jonasson writes a chillingly dark, eerie and atmospheric slow burn of a historical mystery with elements of the supernatural set in the 1980s. It is 1986, in Reykjavik 30 year old Una is struggling and feeling at a low point in her life, the tragic suicide of her father, the remarriage of her mother, the difficulties in securing work has her responding at an advertisement for a teacher in a remote and desolate part of the North East Icelandic coast. The tiny community of 10 people in the fishing village Skalar seems to offer something different for the urban living Una, the possibility of escaping her dire circumstances, accommodation is included, but is she jumping out of the frying pan into the fire?

Una finds herself lodging in a creepy attic, teaching 2 girl students of 7 and 9 years of age, but this takes up little of her time, the locals emanate a hostility and distance that enforces Una sense of deep loneliness in the dark, snow ridden, depressing and bleak winter, and the one person she does connect with is Thor, but even he shows no inclination in letting their relationship develop. Remember this is the 1980s, there are no mobile phones and the internet, so the sense of being cut off from the rest of the world is far more acute in this time period. Una takes to drinking wine, and she begins to hear piano music and the sounds of a singing child, even thinking she can see the ghost of the child, but is she imagining it all? Years ago a child died in mysterious circumstances, becoming part of the folklore of the area, as Una tries to find out all she can. Then there is another death in this claustrophobic narrative of crime and ghosts.

Jonasson excels in creating a location that acts as a central character amidst which this unsettling and disturbing Icelandic story revolves. His characters are complicated, particularly Una who begins to doubt herself, who comes to live in this environment that is beyond anything she has ever experienced before. This is an intensely compelling and haunting read, beautifully written and well plotted, an Icelandic noir of an untrustworthy community harbouring lies, deceptions, secrets, ghosts and crime, where the sense of dread grows ever stronger. This will appeal to fans of Jonasson and to other crime and mytery readers. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You can get used to anything.”
Una takes a teaching job in a small town in the middle of nowhere, Iceland. A town of only 10 people and 2 children. A town that sees her as an outsider and isn’t exactly welcoming. And where the house she’s staying in is supposedly haunted.
Una’s story is interspersed with the telling of a man’s murder. None of the characters in that story are identified.
It’s not a fast moving story, relying more on Una’s unease. Jonasson does a good job of creating an eerie atmosphere, with just the right underlying tension of claustrophobia.
There is also a supernatural element to this story. So, if ghosts aren’t your thing, steer clear.
This was a decent story, but I didn’t like it the way I liked The Darkness’ the first in his Dark Iceland series.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl Who Died is an Icelandic Noir full of suspense and an ever present feeling of eminent danger. Una answers an advertisement for a teacher wanted at the edge of the world. Hoping to escape her mundane existence, she accepts the job and enters a world of isolation, secrets and mystery. Una is haunted by a ghost of a young girl. Is the child just a result of her vivid imagination, or is something more sinister involved. This is a compelling, atmospheric puzzle that is the perfect book to read in winter. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my copy.

[Javier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....

4,5 ⭐️

"Teacher wanted at the edge of the world"

What an appealing advertisement, right? It is for Una who, unhappy with her life in Reykjavík decides to take the position as teacher of the two only kids in the village (with a population of ten, two kids is not a bad ratio 😅). And I won't say more about it cause I think it's best to go in blind.

This was not your typical fast paced thriller full of twists and turns but it managed to grab me more than most twisty stories. Some readers might think that nothing much happens, but I found myself turning pages compulsively. Jónasson is a master at creating oppressive and cloying atmospheres. The isolation of the place coupled with the fact that the story is set in the 80s, hence no technology available, managed to create a really unsettling and eerie feeling all throughout the novel.

I really felt sympathy for Una and her not very warm welcome from the townspeople. Their weird behaviour made me think she might have stepped into some kind of cult or something. Add some supernatural elements and you will also start doubting your own mind. I loved the balance with the paranormal elements and how the story did not relied completely on those.

In my opinion the two POVs were equally interesting and I could not think how they would tie at the end, but once everything was explained I thought it quite satisfaying.

Once again the Icelandic landscape turns into another character of the story. The bleak winter and the hostile village contribute to the suffocating and claustrophobic atmosphere. This is one of the reasons I love Icelandic Nordic Noir so much. How may times can you feel claustrophobic when out in the open?

I don't know about you but, once some "normal" life is restored, Iceland is at the top of my bucket list of places to visit and all thanks to Ragnar Jónasson books. If you're a fan of the genre I'm sure this one will appeal to you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Theresa Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

This novel isn’t fast-paced, but it definitely gets creepy. Part of it is that Una takes off for a village of ten people in northern Iceland during the winter where it’s dark most of the time. A town that small and darkness all the time is my definition of hell; add to that the book is set in 1985 before cell phones and WiFi, and, even though VCRs existed at the time, of the population of ten, I think only one couple owned one.

Una started out studying to be a doctor as her father had always wanted, but after a lot of study and effort, she realizes it’s not what she wants and becomes a teacher, but her indecision about how to move through life has made her feel like she’s far behind her peers. She’s making just enough to barely pay the mortgage, so if she takes a job in this isolated place teaching just two young girls, she won’t have to pay for housing and can maybe save up a little. She lives in Reykjavík at the start of the novel, which she considers a big city, even though it has a population of about 130,000, which to me, who grew up outside of Chicago and now lives in Denver, is merely a college town when all the students are in session.

Una is told there is a ghost in the attic apartment she lives in, and occasionally she dreams about the young girl who died. Una begins drinking too much wine to fill the hours and the darkness.

There is a nice twist at the end, but what happens after that twist just fizzles for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MAY 4, 2021.

[Julie (JuJu) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to read my first book by Ragnar Jonasson and this creepy supernatural thriller was just what I needed.

“Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the World”

The premise is unique, and it piqued my interest immediately. I originally read an excerpt in “The Minotaur Sampler” and knew I needed to acquire a copy of this ARC!

Una makes a huge life change and moves to the small village of Skálar for a teaching job. Population 10, not including herself. Looking for a change, she’s committed just one year to this remote seaside village and its two students. But she’s not prepared for an isolated winter spent with its unwelcoming residents.

“Not everyone can cope with the winter here, with the cold and the dark.”

There are two storylines. One follows Una and her move to Skalar. Interesting...but the other was far more strange. Two men are murdered and the search for their killer brings the police to Skalar. These different events are mysteriously connected through this strange fishing village and its inhabitants.

Ragnar has a unique writing style that kept me glued to the pages. I'll be adding more of his work to my TBR list!

Thank you to Edelweiss, Minotaur Books and Ragnar Jonasson for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!

My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: May 4th 2021 by Minotaur Books
Pages: 320
Recommend: Yes

@ragnarjo #Edelweiss #TheGirlWhoDied #InExchangeForReview #NoRulesJustThrills #JustFinished #Folklore #SupernaturalThriller

[L.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was captivated by this Nordic Noir genre, a first for me and definitely will not be my last. This author kept me on the edge of my seat with this simplistic crime and ghost story. The setting sets the mood with its small isolated Iceland Village in Skálar with less than a dozen people. It's a close knit community set in the 80's with little or no technology or TV. The history suggests the remnants of this village relies on the fishing industry after a once thriving community was changed due to the explosion of the mines and abandoning their homes.
Fascinated about an ad for a teaching job "at the end of the world", Una accepts it to teach 2 students with a rent free flat above one of her student's home. When she took the offer, she finds more than just a little village, but tragedy appears to strike this little Iceland countryside. The townspeople interact with her but standoffish and defensive for its tight knit group. They all have something to hide.
Una's fight for acceptance backfires when she thinks she is being helpful, but the townspeople find her a nuisance. She fills her time with too many bottles of wine and begins to have eerie sightings of a little girl's ghost in her bedroom singing a lullaby. Her hunt for the truth of the haunting is to beguile some of her time.
Then a chilling second narrative of a crime has taken place without knowing who the characters are. This additive in the story wraps up nicely in the end that settles the impression for the weird behavior.
If you enjoy a simplistic engaging read, but brilliantly written moving you forward this is a perfect read.
Thank you, St. Martin's Press & NetGalley, for my ARC in exchange for my review.

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 chilling stars

This might just be my first Icelandic noir, but I’ve read a lot of Nordic noir and this one fit right in! Iceland is one of my next vacation stops so this was a good one to read to get ready.

Very atmospheric and set truly in the middle of nowhere! Just 10 residents in the small fishing town of Skalar. Una is headed there from Reykjavik after spotting an ad requesting a teacher. She has a very small class, just two girls to teach. The job comes with an apartment, so she might finally be able to save some money. She agrees to spend the winter there teaching the girls.

Una does not receive the warmest of welcomes from the villagers and always seems to be on the outside looking in.In this bleak setting, it’s easy to fall back on a glass of wine or two. She also didn’t know that her room is haunted by the ghost of the small girl who used to live in the house.

The secrets begin piling up and Una wonders if it’s time to leave Skalar. She has met an intriguing man, but there are too many strange events going on to make her want to stay. This one made me feel the chill of remote Iceland. I wasn’t quite sure how this one would turn out for Una!

I enjoyed this eerie tale, and I would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the copy of this one to read.

[Adrian Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one won’t be for everyone. I can see a lot of people finding this one a bit boring even but me personally, I really really enjoyed it. And I will tell you why.

First of all, I like everything I have read by the author so got this book on his name alone. I also went into the book totally blind so had no expectations of what the story may be about or how it would or wouldn’t develop. I’d advise the same if you can, not because there are lots of plot twists etc but because the book will do what it’s supposed to do best if you know little about it.

I’m not even going to give a synopsis of the story. Read the spiel on the cover if you want a taste of what it’s about.

So why do I think a lot of people may not like this? And why did I really like it?

Point 1. This is a fairly simple small story. The book is very linear in its pacing. There are very few peaks and troughs. It goes along at its linear pace telling its story. I fear there may be not enough excitement for some in this. Not enough meat on the bone per say. It is set in the middle of nowhere after all in a town with a population of 10. The book just takes its time and tells its little story without any crash bang wallop or major twists etc. I do think a lot of people might find this book not what they expected and dare I say again, a little boring.

Point 2. I loved this book because of its format. It suited the story and setting perfectly. It was brave enough to keep the reigns in and let words, not matter how mundane they seem, set the tone and the atmosphere, and for me they did it in spades. This was like another worldly fairly tale, just told with a constant metaphorical cloud hanging over the whole story, the town and its inhabitants. There wasn’t room here for crash bang wallop such was the somber mood of the world we are brought in to.

I loved all the characters here. I loved the town, the supernatural element, the reserved story telling. Most of all I loved the atmosphere of the town and therefore the book. It felt like that had to dictate everything that happened on the page for it to work and the words had to fit around this atmosphere.

I was taken away for 400 odd pages in to a small world that seemed as real and supernatural as could be. I am so happy that the tone of the book suited the tone of the town. The isolation of both the characters and the reader(I felt like I was outside looking in) is beautifully and patiently told and an experience not to be missed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for an ARC

[Rainz ❤️rainnbooks❤️(on a break) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to Net Galley, Penguin Michael Joseph UK, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Ragnar Jónasson has this amazing capability to use the setting of the story to extremely good use. This is my 2nd book by the author and in both the books, I am left with a feeling of awe with the kind of atmosphere he creates in delivering the stories. The Girl Who Died is set in one of the remotest places on the earth that one would always want to run away screaming at the top of their lungs. The winters are so bleak and with only 10, just 10 people living in this village, there seems to be no life in one of the harshest and bleakest places on earth. However, for the residents of Skalar, this is not a hardship, their motto in life being, “One can get used to anything”. So why would anyone choose to spend a winter in this place but as the saying goes, choices are easy when you have nothing to lose, and thus Una decides to offer her services as a teacher to 2 girls in the village answering the newspaper advertisement.

Una expects a warm and cozy welcome but the villagers are tightly knit and their general suspicion of an outsider makes Una uneasy and disturbed. The haunting stories and the ghostly visits begin to play havoc with Una’s peace of mind. Very soon, Una realizes that there are some deadly secrets hidden in the village and it is not her drunken traumatized mind playing tricks with her sanity.

The claustrophobic effect of the place and the ghost of the girl visiting Una in her dreams adds a layer of intrigue to this chilling tale. The mystery unveils slowly and as the end comes cascading down with the speed of an avalanche, the reader is left reeling with the reveals of the mystery of both past and present.

A fantastic page-turner that is guaranteed to leave you astonished! Awesome thriller!

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Meduim.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This is exactly the kind of slow burning atmospheric mystery that I have come to expect and love from this author. I read several of his books before he consistently delivers these compelling Icelandic stories. 

I really enjoyed the character work in this one. The main character, Una, was a very relatable young woman who was struggling to get ahead in work and life. I found her motivations behind moving to this isolated community to be very understandable. 

Equally, I found the dynamics and culture of this small town to be fascinating. There was a good cast of unique and strange townspeople who all chose to live in such an isolated community. 

Of all the aspects of this story, I actually found the murder elements to be the least compelling. Certainly, I like the idea of "closed room mysteries'', but I didn't find this one overly well developed as it almost felt like a side plot to the main story. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading this one and would recommend it. If you are already a fan of this author, you should definitely read his newest translated book. If you haven't read this author before, this is a fantastic place to start.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Teacher wanted on the edge of the world..."

With the sudden death of her father, Una needs a fresh start away from Reykjavik. When a teaching position in the tiny village of Skálar is posted, Una makes the decision to leave her home for something new.

Her arrival in Skálar doesn't receive the warmest welcome, the landscape isn't exactly what Una expected and room and board consists of an attic which Una soon discovers is haunted.

There are secrets in this town. A shocking truth that's been kept secret for generations...

I can hardly believe this was my very first Ragnar Jónasson book! It was EXCELLENT! I love a good ghost story. The desolate village setting of only ten residents was brilliant. It definitely gave me dark, atmospheric, unsettling vibes. The storyline is a very interesting one and I ended up reading this in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. I have found a new auto buy author!

Huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my gifted copy!!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a rule that I don’t read thrillers by men; I break the rule every now and then (usually for Riley Sager, whose works I discovered when I still thought he was a woman), and I thought The Girl Who Died sounded so up my alley that I figured I’d also take a chance on new-to-me author Ragnar Jónasson. A few chapters in, the main (female) character, on her first night in a brand new town, is feeling restless and unsettled and can’t shake the feeling that someone’s watching her. She decides to clear her head by… going for a walk. At night. In the pitch black. By herself. This is why I don’t read thrillers by men.

Anyway, this was fine. I thought the premise was brilliant: in the 1980s, Una, a young teacher from Reykjavik, takes a post teaching two students in a small Icelandic town called Skálar which is so remote only ten people live there. (Skálar was a real town, but Jónasson explains in a forward that he took artistic liberties as it hasn’t been occupied since the 1950s.) Una receives a less than warm welcome and can’t shake the feeling that even though this teaching position was advertised, none of the locals want her there.

I had a lot of problems with this book but I’ll stick to my two main criticisms. The way Una’s ‘alcoholism’ is treated is absolutely laughable; this woman will drink a single bottle of wine in a week and the whole town will be whispering about how she must be an alcoholic, the ridiculous nature of which isn’t remotely addressed; it’s like the reader is also meant to question Una’s credibility, seeing as Una herself starts to after a while (which leads to a moment which is just ridiculously outlandish if you can’t buy that Una actually believes her sanity is slipping away — which, sorry, I couldn’t!). For one thing, is there anything more tired than alcoholic narrators in thrillers, and for another, if you’re going to use that trope, at least… do it convincingly?

There are also chapters interspersed throughout Una’s story, each about two pages long and fully italicized, from the perspective of an unknown character. Again, this isn’t a convention that I’m ever particularly wild about, but I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen it executed in a way where there was LESS payoff than there was in this book. As in, these passages could have been cut out and not a single thing would change about this book’s resolution.

What Jónasson does well is create Skálar’s atmosphere, so if you like eerie, slightly spooky books set in remote Icelandic villages, it’s worth a read, but mystery fans are bound to feel a bit underwhelmed by this one.

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first taste of Jonasson's writing and I'm quite hooked! The story is very atmospheric, set in the tiny, remote village of Skalar on the Langanes Peninsula in northeast Iceland. The bleak landscape plays a big role in the story, as the sea crashes, the winds howl, the buildings moan. Yes, I am going to call this a haunting suspense thriller.

Una is a lonely young woman with a sorrowful past who decides to leave her home in Reykjavik to answer the advertisement for a 'teacher wanted at the edge of the world.' She hopes it will be a fresh start for her in this remote village of only ten people, where she will be given a place to live and will have just two students, two girls who are 7 and 9.

Her car barely makes it there over the rough roads; the tiny village seems even more remote than she has imagined. Her attic flat in the home of one of her students seems serviceable enough but...what are those strange noises she's hearing in the night?

The villagers are not particularly welcoming, not even the handsome young man named Thor Una literally bumps into on her first night there. But there's one married man who comes on to her and lets it slip that Una is indeed living in a haunted house! Yes, it's haunted by the little girl who died...

In the immortal words of The Clash:
"Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double."

And what would Una do if she left? She's given up her job in Reykjavik and sublet her apartment. Plus she's signed a contract for a year of teaching. So maybe she can get through the year, with a little help from a nightly bottle of wine.

Una is smart and likable but perhaps a little too stubborn and inquisitive for her own good. Maybe she should try just a little harder to fit in.

There's one more strand to the story, which is set off in italics. It's about a murder and subsequent accusations. How does this tie in with Una's story? Wait and see!

I actually envisioned a much more brutal ending to the novel than what actually happened. I'm rather glad Ragnar Jonasson had something much more interesting up his sleeve!

I received an arc of this new suspense novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more of his books. Many thanks for the opportunity.

I have also learned I am a Grand Prize Winner of The Minotaur Quiz Show Sweepstakes and this is one of four books I will be receiving as part of that. Very pleased and excited!

[Skip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una, who lives in Reykjavik, applies for a teaching position in Skálar, one of Iceland's most isolated villages: 10 people, 2 students. Of course, like all small closely-knit villages, the community is tightly bound and leery of strangers. The women who hires Una is also her landlady and mother of one of the two students. They live in a house haunted by an ancient ghost, and while Una tries to fit in, a number of strange events occur. Sadly, the plot and characters were pretty dull, a bit like the fishing village itself, and not up to the higher standard of Ragnar Jónasson's two other atmospheric series, both of which I liked. At the end of the day, Una was not a compelling character.

[Daniel Shindler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stepping away from his police procedurals, Ragnar Jonasson has created a portrait of shifting psychological and internal beliefs.He elevates an atmospheric physical setting to a supporting character that impacts the plot and weaves in hints of paranormal activity.The combination can haunt the imagination and linger for a long time afterward.

Living in Reykjavik, thirty year old Una feels adrift in her personal and professional life.Unsettled by the suicide of her father and the remarriage of her mother, she has withdrawn into herself and has difficulty forming relationships.Hoping that a change of location will equate to a change of circumstance, Una answers an advertisement for a teaching position in Skalar,a remote village on the northern Icelandic peninsula.She is tasked with teaching two young girls, aged seven and nine,who are the only children among the village’s ten residents.

Approaching the village, Una has a sense of foreboding.The village is enshrouded in fog, and Una feels that she is entering a vacuum that blurs a sense of time.Set in 1986, there is no technology to connect her to the outside world and reduce her sense of isolation.Her welcome to the village does not allay her fears. She lives in an old house that has a history of a young girl’s death and there are rumors that the house is haunted. She quickly learns that the villagers are a tight knit, suspicious group that function as a claustrophobic cocoon.

Having established the initial setting, the author slowly unfolds how Una reacts and adapts to this hostile secretive world. Additionally, a stream of consciousness subplot is woven into the plot. Bjorg Helgadottir is a thirty year old woman who has been unjustly imprisoned for six years.Her thoughts reveal how she came to be incarcerated and slowly chronicle her adjustments to her circumstances.

The narratives of the two women, at first seemingly unrelated, converge by the denouement.They combine to reveal the long held secrets guarded by the villagers. The two stories also serve as an intertwined chorus that shows how two different women cope with two different types of prisons. One prison has bars and one does not.Yet they are both constrained and have to adapt to a set of conditions that neither envisioned before they set out on their individual paths.This subtly constructed novel leaves much unresolved.

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pentru început țin să spun că literatura polițistă și thrillerele nu înseamnă mare lucru pentru mine. Am avut o perioadă în care citeam predominant aceste genuri și m-am săturat. Poate așa se explică și dezamăgirea legată de această carte.

Una (așa o cheamă pe tipă) este o femeie cu multe probleme nerezolvate. Emoționale, financiare și familiale. Ca să fugă de toate, mai degrabă decât să se regăsească, se mută într-un sat cu 10 locuitori, unde i se pare că vede fantoma unei fete. Cam asta este tot în ceea ce privește vreo trei sferturi din carte.

Pentru că bea mult și des, nici nu am putut să iau în serios apariția fantomei. Nu știam dacă bețiva are halucinații sau chiar este un element supranatural în poveste. Ei, bine, nu este! Fie că este doar în mintea ei sau nu, acea fantomă nu este decât o capcană pentru cititori, ca să creadă că romanul ar putea fi înspăimântător. Nici la șase ani nu m-ar fi speriat; atunci mă uitam pe furiș la Colecționarul de oase.

Una este foarte manipulabilă, așa că iarăși nu am putut să o iau în seamă. În prima seară petrecută în sat întâlnește un bărbat, vorbește câteva minute cu el, apoi se duce după om acasă. Deși el locuiește cu o femeie despre care ceilalți săteni cred că îi e iubită. Nu contează ziua și ora, dacă Una are chef de vorbă, îi bate la ușă. El îi spune că nu poate fi nimic între ei din cauza femeii cu care locuiește, ea, Batman, Batman, la ușa lui.

Povestea este mult prea statică, mai ales dacă mă gândesc la câte ,,jucării" avea autorul la îndemână. Izolare, fantome, locuitori misterioși. În prima parte a cărții abia ajungem să cunoaștem sătenii și asistăm la două posibile apariții ale fantomei.

Ultima parte a fost mai alertă, am avut parte și de întorsături de situație care mi-au plăcut, iar toată atmosfera din acea comunitate restrânsă a făcut toți banii.

A fost o lectură OK, dar cu mult potențial irosit de protagonista prostuță și plictisitoare. Ca să nu mai spun cât mi-a displăcut când a ascuns o infracțiune...

,,Te obișnuiești cu orice.''

,,Chestia e că am învățat din propria experiență neplăcută că lumea e suficient de complicată, periculoasă și nedreaptă fără să mai fie nevoie să crezi în fantome și monștri.''

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to find out about this standalone Ragnar Jónasson novel – his ultra-isolated Icelandic settings make for perfect winter reading. In this case, the story, which involves a young teacher moving to a tiny coastal town (population: 10), also contains tantalising suggestions of ghostly goings-on: the teacher, Una, finds her accommodation seemingly haunted.

Jónasson certainly seems to have a thing about drippy protagonists – Una doesn’t have much more of a backbone than Ari Thór, the milquetoast ‘hero’ of the Dark Iceland series. Nonetheless, I found the setting of Skálar agreeably creepy and convincingly portrayed. Between the cold winter nights and the unwelcoming locals, this often felt like exactly the sort of story I enjoy curling up with in the strange days between Christmas and New Year.

The Girl Who Died is one of those books wherein the main narrative is occasionally interrupted by seemingly unrelated sections written from a different perspective and in a different timeframe. I don’t mind this as a narrative device, and I was happy to go along with these interjections, assuming everything would ultimately come together. However, I certainly expected there to be more of a payoff than there was – I thought these past sections would at least relate to the protagonist rather than a random side character.

The damp-squib conclusion made this an average read, overall, for me. I think it would’ve been more effective if it had committed to the horror elements of the plot rather than leaning more towards mystery.

TinyLetter | Linktree

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 4 out of 5]

GR keeps insisting that I read this book twice, which isn't true of course but it's impossible to remove the wrong edition, apparently. I read the Kindle edition and I did so in just one day. The book is dark, dark and dark. A dark story set in a very dark part of the world, in a dark village filled with people with dark secrets. And a bit of a supernatural dark secret too. Or not?
Anyway, after reading the first pages I just rushed through the book because it wouldn't let me go. Very interesting, for a story where almost nothing happens, with characters that are not particularly likable if not downright horrible.
At first, I felt for Una, but as the story progressed I wanted to sit down with her and talk to her. Why is she so scared to talk back to people? Why doesn't she stand up for herself and her way of living? I can understand she didn't feel at home in the village, but she let the villagers treat her badly. Except for two people and maybe one of her young students.
I was so engrossed in the book I finished it before I knew it... and then I felt rather disappointed. Disappointed in myself because I overlooked an important clue - very well done by the author! Am I the only one who didn't see it coming? And disappointed in the ending because I had a distinct feeling I was missing something. For me, the ending didn't do justice to the rest of the book.
Despite this, I hope to read more of this author soon.

Thanks to Netgalley for my digital review copy.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Icelandic noir, and Ragnar Jonasson is one of my favourite Icelandic authors – with good reason. I was thrilled to be able to read and review his latest stand-alone novel, which delivered the same kind of atmospheric setting as his Ari Thor Arason books. With the added bonus of a spooky element!

Let’s talk a bit more about setting, which was my favourite element of the novel. A hostile little village – both in its isolation, the harsh weather and the suspicious and outwardly unfriendly villagers – made for the perfect claustrophobic setting. Very cleverly, Jonasson chose a 1980’s timeline for his story, which completed the sense of utter isolation. No cell phones, no internet, not even TV to keep in touch with the news. Can we even still imagine such a life? This is the situation Una, a city girl through and through, finds herself in when she takes on a remote teaching post in the far East of Iceland. I have been to the area Jonasson describes in his novel, and even though I found it breathtakingly beautiful, I could imagine that the long nights and harsh weather would soon wear a bit thin, and the lack of human kindness would soon get to you.

Not only has Una discovered that most of the locals are not very friendly, and don’t want her here, but she is also aware of some supernatural happenings in the house she is staying in. I give credit to Jonasson for striking just the right balance with his paranormal element to make it just the perfect degree of creepy without going over the top. I also loved the way he employed the setting to ratchet up the creep factor.

I found myself very involved in Una’s narrative but thought that the 2nd POV didn’t marry well with the overall story and didn’t add much for me. I would even go as far as saying that it was superfluous and could easily have been merged into Una’s POV by letting Una discover the “secret”, which would have given the ending a much bigger impact. As it was, I wasn’t invested in those chapters at all.

All in all, THE GIRL WHO DIED was an atmospheric and slightly creepy mystery with that sense of claustrophobia and darkness that makes Icelandic noir so compelling for me. It’s a slow burning mystery which will appeal to readers who value atmosphere, setting and an underlying sense of unease over action and plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved reading a standalone novel by one of my favourite Icelandic authors!


Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

*blog* *facebook* *instagram*

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have just finished reading The Girl Who Died by Author Ragnar Jónasson.

This is the first book that I have read by this Author, whom I have heard good things about.

I found the book entertaining, and the Author set great atmosphere, and visuals for the Icelandic setting in a small rural area.

I did find the storyline interesting, however it was a bit on the slow side for my taste, however an overall good read!

Thank You to NetGalley, Author Ragnar Jónasson and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy to read and review.

#TheGirlWhoDied #NetGalley

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl Who Died is a scintillating and seriously creepy standalone piece of Scandi Noir from one of the most talented crime writers of today about a young woman seeking a new start in a secluded village where a small community is desperate to protect its secrets. Set in 1985/6, it follows thirty-year-old single substitute teacher Una from Iceland’s frigid capital Reykjavík as she realises she can no longer carry on in her current situation. She wants nothing more than to teach, but she has been unable to secure steady employment in the capital. Una’s current pay as a supply teacher at a small school in the neighbouring town of Kópavogur is barely enough to cover her bills and she is never sure from one month to the next whether she will get enough work. Her savings are depleted, her love life is nonexistent, she struggles emotionally with the sudden suicide of her father and her mother moving on and remarrying and she cannot face another winter staring at the four walls of her shabby apartment. It's time for a change of scene and so when she sees an advertisement in the Morgunbladid newspaper stating ”Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the World,” she decides to take a leap of faith.

The post is in the desolate, remote fishing village of Skálar in Langanes in the Northeastern tip of Iceland. But Skálar isn't just one of Iceland's most isolated villages, it is home to just ten people. Una's only students are two girls aged seven and nine. Teaching them only occupies so many hours in a day and the few adults she interacts with are civil but distant and she feels people are treating her with suspicion and contempt because of her presence in the tight-knit community rather than welcoming her. She only seems to connect with Thór, a man she shares an attraction with but who is determined to keep her at arm's length. She quickly begins to regret her idea of escaping to find a better existence. As darkness descends throughout the bleak winter, Una finds herself more often than not in her attic space rented from friendly (a welcome surprise) landlady Salka, mother to 7-year-old Edda who Una will be tutoring. When she learns that her room is supposedly haunted by a ghost from a local legend she begins to receive nightly visits from a little girl in a white dress singing a lullaby. She finds out one day from a neighbour that a young girl named Thrá had mysteriously died in the house 60 years ago in 1927 and the villagers apparently closed ranks to protect the perpetrator.

Feeling increasingly isolated and aware there are dark, disturbing secrets hidden by the standoffish community, she must decide whether to stay. She becomes withdrawn and turns to wine and with no instant means of communication with her friends or family back home she is lonely. She feels that everyone has something to hide and the situation worsens when one of her students collapses and dies of liver failure after partaking in a Christmas concert at the local church. Will Una stay in Skálar until spring and manage to get the locals to accept her among themselves or will she seek to uncover the shocking truth that's been kept secret for generations? This is a riveting and enthralling thriller with a deeply unsettling plot and an atmosphere unlike any other. Jónasson adeptly uses the isolated, bleak setting to craft a profoundly claustrophobic atmosphere and an omnipresent sense of creeping dread ensuring a compulsive and captivating story that holds you in its grip right through to the denouement. It's chilling and haunting with a supernatural touch and is a fine example of eerie slow-burn historical crime. It's precisely plotted and written beautifully following a reclusive community awash with secrets, lies, deception, betrayal and suspicion. A hybrid of Icelandic noir and historical crime and a top-notch, first-class read. Highly recommended.

[Jaksen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A not so fair read.

Una, a young Icelandic woman travels to a remote village to take on a teaching job. The village has only ten residents, two of them young girls, Una's students. Most of the residents are unfriendly, demanding, or both right away, and little reason for this is given. (Why? Who knows. It seemed to me that the cause for their behavior was revealed at the end of the story, and only after significant events occur. But not at the start. And if everyone treated me like Una was treated I'd have gone home and found a waitressing job.)

There's also a sense of 'vagueness' everywhere. Una feels uncomfortable and edgy throughout. She has a troubling backstory, is a loner, few friends, cold mother, etc., but I never got it. Like give me something, anything, an anecdote from her past. The reason is never completely clear. But neither is the story - it's all rather vague and foggy as to what's going on and the explanation at the end feels 'tacked on.'

Another criticism: the characters are hazy, blurry, poorly-defined. There's a young man who kind of likes Una, but why is he cheerful and hearty one moment and in the next giving her the cold shoulder? There was a 'reason' offered near the end, but it fell flat for me. And as for the two girls Una is teaching; they are described without much detail. All we get is one is friendly, the other cold and withdrawn. I mean, give me one teaching episode to SEE it for myself! Have them do a math problem or read a story or color in a map or something, anything. (For example: friendly girl colors in bright colors with lots of details; somber girl uses shades of gray. Silly example, but something.) Instead, the writer uses the same words over and over to describe the girls.

I wanted more depth, more detail, more sense of place, more fullness of character. There were also sections in italics which made no sense at all. They weren't set off - the story goes from ordinary print and then suddenly italics, and I'm thinking who is this italicized person? Never did figure that one out, even at the end.

Disappointing over all. Rounded up my rating from a 2.5

Three stars.

[Chelsea | thrillerbookbabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Teacher Wanted at the End of the World”

First of all, thank you so much to Minotaur Books and Ragnar Jonasson for my ARC of The Girl Who Died which comes out on May 4, 2021. I love Nordic Noir and the gloomy dark feeling that surrounds the genre. I have been wanting to read a book by Ragnar Jonasson for so long, so I am thrilled I finally got the chance. If you are looking for a dark and chilling Nordic Noir, look no further than The Girl Who Died.

Set in the tiny village of Skálar, population ten, the book follows Una as she takes a job teaching the two children in the town. Skálar is a remote fishing village with no more than a dozen people. Everyone knows everyone, and they want to keep it that way. Soon after she arrives, Una starts having dreams and finds out the room she is staying in is haunted. She doesn’t believe in ghosts, but after a death occurs in the town, she is determined to find out if something sinister is going on.

Thoughts: The dark and gloomy setting of Skálar makes the book chilling and atmospheric. Jonasson’s writing makes you feel claustrophobic, like you are really trapped at the end of the world. Since the book was set in the 1980s, there wasn’t the convenience of technology, truly making Una cut off from the outside world. I enjoyed the supernatural elements of this book and felt that they were done well. There was always a lingering feeling that someone was watching- that something was not right.

The characters in this book were so unfriendly and standoffish that I felt bad for Una. Una herself was a well-meaning outsider, and could never seem to find her way in. Ragnar Jonasson does an incredible job of explaining exactly what is happening, while still surprising you at the end. Everything came together in the end to a point where I was surprised I hadn’t figured it out already. The ending is satisfying and there are no loose threads left, making this book an enjoyable read. 4-stars!

First available on mysteryandsuspense.com