I loved my visit to Iceland so I thought I would give this story a try. I enjoyed the descriptions of the countryside and the townspeople, but the story was too slow moving and I kept skimming ahead for something to happen.

I was really forward to this novel. In my opinion, it starts pretty slow. It picks up when we find out about the mystery, unfortunately just didn't suck me in. The description of the geography and the place is great. Not for me, but I think others might like it.

I really enjoyed this book. Character development was good. The plot was very interesting. Not a lot of typos.

I am new to reading Nordic Noir novels. I was thrilled to receive the ARC of The Girl Who Died. The synopsis of this story grabbed my attention. Set in the 1980’s, 30 year old Una from Reykjavik responds to an ad to “teach at the edge of the world”. This takes her on an adventure to Skalar that has a population of 10 people!

The claustrophobic atmosphere and striking description of small town Iceland kept my attention. It was so very different from the usual novels I read. This suspenseful and gothic novel was occasionally predictable but also filled with little surprises. I love character driven novels, and this wasn’t that. However, it still captured me the entire time and was a fast and fun read.

If you’re looking for suspense, gritty scenery and a thriller that keeps you turning pages, this one's for you!

A sincere thank you to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

Sometimes It Is Difficult to Fit In

The novel opens with Una, a substitute teacher, in Reykjavík contemplating her ability to afford living in her little flat. Her best, only (?), friend points out an advertisement for a full-time teacher for two students in a small village of ten people on the remote Langanes Peninsula. Accommodations would be free, so it presents a great opportunity to save some money. She calls and talks to the woman in charge of the education committee. She is the only teacher who has applied and is hired. She drives to the village. She meets the woman, Sulka, who fills her in on the families in the village starting with her daughter, Edda. Una will live in an attic flat in Sulka’s house. The novel takes off from here.

The main storyline is a mixture of a psychological thriller and an adult version of a coming-of-age story as the adult Una starts on the outside of the villagers and wants to be accepted by them. Additionally, there is a 50-year-old mysterious child’s death and subsequent ghost aspect. Lastly there is a separate thread the appears periodically that deals with a woman charged with the murder to two men. This thread is tied in by the end of the novel. The main storyline proceeds smoothly and does not bog down. The author also leaves little hints that everything is not as it appears. It captured my attention and kept it until the end.

The B-storyline is a major portion of this novel. The author uses Una’s own thoughts and introspection to provide a good picture of the Una. Because of Una’s curiosity of the old death and ghost interactions, much is learned about Sulka also. There is a very obvious C-storyline in this novel. This is the coming-of-age side of this novel. Una’s father instilled into his daughter a strong necessity of doing what is right, but she discovers that will not allow her to fit in with the villagers. What should Una do? What will Una do? Does Una’s fundamental core values change?

For what some readers find problematic, there are not any intimate scenes. Bad language was near non-existent. What little violence that exists is described in the less edgy after the fact. I do not believe any reader will have problems with this novel.

I previously have read only police procedurals from this author. This is a very different novel that I also enjoyed reading. I wanted to continue to read this novel and didn’t want to put it down to go to sleep late at night. Everything, including the strange woman’s narrative I mentioned previously, are tied up by the end of the novel. There even are a few literary grenades tossed in that made the story more interesting and, in one instance, quite tragic. My biggest issue is not with the novel or the author but with the translation. The translator is British and used British informal that at times sounded strange to me. On nine occasions, an Icelandic character used the almost solely British informal, bloody, to describe their disdain for someone or thing. Somehow, I just can’t picture a non-British person using that word that way. There were some other British informal words that I required me to use my e-reader’s ready access to the Internet to discover their meaning. This is a minor issue but did disrupt my reading of the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel. The author clearly has abilities to write novels beyond police procedurals. I rate this novel with four stars. I am looking forward to future novels by this author no matter what the genre. If you are looking for an easy but engaging psychological thriller, this novel could be that novel for you.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

The book started off good and I was totally into at first. Unfortunately, somewhere toward the end I lost interest. I also felt like the ending was a let down.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the ARC for an horsey review.

This one just didn’t gel for me. I didn’t see the ending which is usually a nice surprise but in this case it just felt like it came from nowhere. Usually great job setting up the atmosphere and setting but the story was just not for me. It’s a mystery with some supernatural elements set in an isolated town with secrets but it’s doesn’t bring the dread that type of story can have.

I received and advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

The girl who died was a twisty mystery thriller that had me so interested in life in Iceland. It was plot heavy and a little long.

What an unique, atmospheric, and chilling read! I’m not sure if I’ve read this author before, but know I’ll be looking for more! It was truly one that gripped me, with its chilling writing that really makes you feel as though you’re sitting in the same place as the characters! Fast paced, intense, suspenseful, and tense! A must read for those who are seeking mind blowing thrillers! I highly, highly recommend this completely original and realistic read!

Will buzz around platforms and use my low Amazon reviewer number on release date!

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 and 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.

The Girl Who Died had a lot of promise to it- creepy setting, tight knit group with an outsider coming in, ghosts! But it moved slowly, the main character isn't very likeable and the ending falls flat. I did enjoy the flow of the story for awhile and I found myself unable to put the book down after awhile. I just wish there had been a more complete ending. Would still recommend to others though.

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.

The Girl Who Died ✨REVIEW✨
“Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the World.”

Wow! This bool totally creeped me out! I had trouble reading this at night haha. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for this opportunity to read and review this ARC! This book did not disappoint . It was a bit of thriller combined with paranormal. You rocked this one, Ragnar Jonasson!

This story follows Una, who is still grieving the loss of father. She is a teacher and just wants a chance of scenery. Her best friend shows her an ad for a teacher wanted in the remote town of Skalar. She is hesitant at first but when she finds out the gig is only for two students in a town of ten people, she can’t decline the offer. She needs the money and needs an escape.

As soon as she arrives there, she realizes she doesn’t belong. She’s living in the attic where a girl supposedly died and she keeps seeing her and hearing her. The two girls she teaches are polar opposites. Everyone in the town treats her like an outsider. She finally meets a handsome man and strikes a friendship, but he has a complicated relationship with a woman named Hidjoris and Una doesn’t know what to make of the situation. As time goes on, she learns more secrets. Then a man unexpectedly shows up looking for Hidorjis. The next night there is a devastating death in the town. Una is convinced everything is connected. The more she feels, the more the townspeople want her gone!

The ending was powerful and sad. I found myself on the verge of tears at one of the twists that involved the devastating death. I got scared as well I’m many parts of the book and never read it before bed. I truly appreciated this book and the descriptions of the town. I felt like I was there with Una. This book will be released May 4, 2021 and is available for pre-order!

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This book took a while for me to get into. However, once I was invested, I couldn't put it down. It was absolutely mesmerizing especially given that it was set in a very interesting place that the author painted a wonderful image of in my head. I enjoyed this book.

The Girl Who Died centers on Una, who, wanting to make a drastic change in her life, moves from bustling Reykjavik to a small secluded town of only ten people. There she will be the teacher for two girls. But she’s staying at a haunted home and soon she’ll discover that there are some things these villagers want to keep hidden.

I love Nordic literature and Ragnar Jonasson does a nice job setting the scene. Unfortunately, the story moved a little too slowly for me to really get into and stay into it, and I found myself easily leaving it for other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing this copy for review.

I found this book very confusing. I originally thought that my digital copy was skewed. The two different stories didn’t mesh and I thought it was unintentional. The characters were flat and Una was unlikable. There was no flow to the story, a confusing plot and an unbelievable ending. I usually choose not to review if I don’t like a book, but this one was too bad.

In this Icelandic mystery from this excellent writer, Una is a teacher from Reykjavik. She answers a want-ad for a “teacher at the end of the world” in a remote northern village of 10 residents, and moves there with dark winter looming. The story is wonderfully written, and is gothic-dark, brooding, and atmospheric. Recommended!


The Girl Who Died is the latest book by Ragnar Jonasson. Most of this story takes place in an isolated village in Iceland. The main character, Una goes to the village to teach 2 young girls. Mr. Jonasson gives the reader most of the story in the present time (which in the book is the mid 1980's). To me, this story was too drawn out. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.

What I loved in this book from the first page was the atmosphere, the feel of that isolated community. I could feel the desperation, the loneliness, the pain, the suffering, the mystery, the questions and all the rest. I really loved this aspect, for me this made the story come to life.

Una is an interesting and relatable character; she is going through a rough time and has a lot on her mind and shoulders. After deciding to take a “break” from live she moves to a new place and gets more then she bargained for. The town is full of dynamic characters, moments of strange happenings and the mystery that binds both Una and the reader together is played out nicely.

What I needed to make this story five stars was a faster pace or more even distribution of the “important” moments. While I fully understand the reason for the slower pace, it creates the mystery and helps sell the isolated feel, there were many moments when I wanted to put the book down because I was not learning anything new.

I would also like to point out that this story is more of a story of the town, the people, and life’s moments rather than the character and or the mystery itself. At least that is how it read to me. I felt like the author wrote incredibly strong and detailed in that aspect but left the mystery and reasons as an almost after thought. While that is not necessarily a turn off, I was expecting a bit more balance. This is my first book from this author I after reading this one I will be looking into more of his works. I received an ARC via NetGalley and Minotaur Books and I am leaving an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. If I were to have two criticisms about this book it would be that the title is not very original and does not grab my attention. Also, it is a bit of a slow burn.

Una, a teacher, unhappy with the current state of her life, answers a job posting for a teaching position in a very small town on the other side of Iceland. The town is so small, there are in fact only 10 residents. What could be wrong with an isolated town on the edge of the world? Except that the residents are secretive and not very welcoming to outsiders. They become even more unfriendly when Una starts asking questions after strange events start occurring, a mysterious death occurs and a person goes missing.

Overall I enjoyed this thriller. It’s very atmospheric, suspenseful, noir and a bit of a ghost story and deals with moral dilemmas. The dynamics of the small town were really interesting to read. Although a bit slow to get going, the story does build to a very surprising ending. At least it was surprising to me. I will certainly be looking into this author’s backlist.