I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

When I skimmed some of the other reviews before reading, I was disappointed to see this described as part of a series; I never like to start a series except at the first book. However, as far as I can tell, it is more of a spin-off with the character of Hulda mentioned, but not a main character. I could be wrong, but if this is basically a spin-off, I didn't feel that back story was missing. Or if it is actually part of a series, then the author competently re-established past events, and I did not feel lost.

That said, it took me a while to get into this book. There are 2 timelines as well as chapters arranged as an interview. The reader doesn't know what character is speaking in some of the past timeline, and we also don't know who the interviewer is/when it takes place. I probably would have DNF'ed if this were not a NetGalley read.

However, the book is really not long, so I powered through and was getting intrigued in about the last 20%. I enjoyed how the timelines all came together. I did not, however, like the reveal of just what happened to the crime writer! It felt anti-climactic and sad. Plus, it was described in a short paragraph, after an entire book wondering. The very last chapter is sad and ends on a total cliffhanger. I literally kept trying to go to the next page on my Kindle.

I will read the sequel (assuming there will be one!) because I hate cliffhangers

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I held off for a couple of days before reviewing this because I thought that I was missing the second half of the book - talk about an abrupt cliffhanger ending.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a police procedural taking place in 3 seperate timelines that all interconnect, and all 3 were interesting and kept me engaged which is rare for a book of this style
Now I’m going to spend most of my time waiting to find out if/when the follow up book will be released !!

A thrilling read that will make any aspiring author pause before writing their next crime thriller! Each page uncovers more and more of the truth and I found it hard to put down!

A very interesting read about the disappearance of an author, who happens to be a crime writer.
It gave me a close feel to Agatha Christie and her real like disappearance during some of the investigation scenes. This is a translation copy and some of the names were a guess for me, but that can always be fun coming up with the pronunciations.
I was unaware this was a series, but that did not deter from the story at all! It felt like a standalone and was an enjoyable read.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All comments and opinions are my own.

While trying to move forward with his life and career, Helgi searches for a missing author, contends with an old flame and looks into his predecessor’s life and career. Filled with darkness and suspense this thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer is a love letter to classic crime fiction wrapped in a clever, quietly chilling mystery. Ragnar Jónasson has crafted something deceptively simple here—on the surface, it’s a missing person case set against a remote Icelandic backdrop, but underneath, it’s a meditation on storytelling, legacy, and the darkness writers court to create.

This book isn’t flashy or twist-filled in the usual sense. Instead, it unfolds with a slow, deliberate grace that feels almost old-fashioned—in the best way. Every clue, every quiet moment, builds a steady tension. And just when I thought I had a handle on where it was going, Jónasson tugged the rug out from under me—not with a loud reveal, but with a whisper that hits just as hard.

The atmosphere is stark and haunting. You can feel the isolation, both physical and emotional. And the literary elements—references to authors, questions about what fiction owes to truth—gave it a meta edge that made my inner book nerd very happy.

If you enjoy mysteries that are thoughtful, atmospheric, and rooted in character rather than spectacle, The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer is a slow burn worth savoring. Quietly brilliant and deeply satisfying.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer
Hegli Reykendal, a detective in the crime bureau in Rykavik, was called away from his vacation to locate Elin Jonsdottir, a best selling crime writer. Elin lived alone and had not been seen for a few weeks.
Hegli began his search by interviewing the author’s closest friends: Lovisa, a retired judge, Thor, an attorney and Rut, her publisher.
While the investigation was going on, Anita, Helgi’s current girlfriend, was being stalked by his former girlfriend, Bergthora. Bergthora was an abusive person with mental problems and had never accepted that Hegli ended the relationship.
The story takes place in three different years: 1965 when two young people plan a bank robbery that took a fatal turn, 2005 when Elin gave an interview to a media personality but requested it be released after Elin’s death and 2012 when she went missing. There is also a story about a female detective, Hulga Hermannsdottir, who had inhabited Helgi’s office before her disappearance years before.
I enjoyed the story because it was located in Iceland, a part of the world I have visited. It gives an insight into the Icelandic people and their culture. I also liked the way the author, a an internationally acclaimed Icelandic writer, kept us in suspense until the very end.
I received this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

See my full review at http://michelleardillo.com/2025/06/27/book-review-the-mysterious-case-of-the-missing-crime-writer-a-mystery-by-ragnar-jonasson/

Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson is a moody, intricately woven mystery that transports you straight to the heart of Iceland. The atmosphere is one of the book’s biggest strengths—I truly felt like I was there, with all the stark beauty, chilly weather, and yes, plenty of coffee.

Set in 2012, the story moves between multiple timelines—1965, 1976, and 2005—unfolding layers of mystery through different time periods. The main plot centers around the disappearance of Elin , a famous crime writer, and the investigation led by Helgi, a police officer who becomes increasingly absorbed in the case. There’s also a compelling secondary mystery involving another missing officer, Hulda. That particular storyline, however, remains unresolved by the end, which was a bit disappointing, especially given how many clues were teased throughout.

This isn’t a fast-paced thriller—it’s more of a slow burn, filled with introspection, interviews, and quiet tension. If you’re used to American crime novels, the tone and style may feel subdued, but I found the difference refreshing. It’s more about mood, place, and character than dramatic action.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The sense of place is strong, the structure is thoughtfully layered, and the writing style is classically Nordic—quiet, atmospheric, and rich in detail. I’d definitely recommend it to fans of literary mysteries or those curious about Icelandic crime fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

Famous Icelandic crime/mystery author Elin has gone missing and officer Helgi is assigned to the case as he is a devoted mystery/crime fiction reader. Interviewing her life-long friends doesn't shed any light on Elin's whereabouts but Helgi knows that at least one of them is lying. In the meantime, Helgi has finally moved on from the abusive relationship he had with his former girlfriend, Begthora. Too ashamed to report her abuse of him to his fellow officers, Helgi decides to keep quiet and just move on with his life. He now has a new girlfriend, Anita who swears that Begthora is stalking her. With the current missing author on his mind as well as the fate of his missing predecessor in the investigation unit, Helgi will "deal with" the former girlfriend when he gets around to it. Postponing this confrontation will have a drastic effect on his life.
As the threads of the mystery surrounding the missing author start to come together, Helgi must decide if he should keep secrets that Elin wanted never to be revealed or if he should use what he knows to solve the case.

This was an interesting read. Many different mysteries are intertwined going back and forth in time from Elin's college days to her solitary life at age 70. Unsatisfactory is the ending which leaves too many questions unanswered and seems rather abrupt. Why include the mysterious disappearance of his police predecessor and then never follow up on it? What happens with Helgi, Bergthora and Anita? If you like answers to the mysteries put forward then this is not the book for you. If you can deal with the ambiguous and abrupt ending - then enjoy!

While this is a pretty different style of book from his Dark Iceland series, The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer is still a really great read. I'd definitely call it more of a cozy mystery than a crime novel There's still a great police procedural element and our protagonist is easy to root for. He gets a great backstory, but not at the expense of the mystery and the characters he is investigating.
It's a quick read and perfect for a rainy and chilly Autumn evening in Iceland or anywhere else you happen to be reading it.

I loved this! Loved the time jumps, and I loved how it's about an author--very meta. The pacing was fantastic and always kept me engaged.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Author Ragnar Jonasson.

Ragnar Jonasson has been on my list of must-read Authors for quite awhile, and this if the first of his that I have read.

The story starts off with a crime writer going missing. Elin S. Jonsdottir who has had a great success with her career disappears.

Detective Helgi Reykdal has been given this case to solve, and the story begins.

The story goes back and forth a bit in time and was a rather fast book to read for me.

A little bit of a puzzle so to speak.

I did enjoy the book, however, am not sure that it was enough for me to read more of similar books from this particular writer.

Although this Icelandic Author has a big following, for me it was not In depth and descriptive enough to really grab my attention totally.

Thank You to NetGalley, Author Ragnar Jonasson and St. Martin's Book/Minotaur Books for my advanced copy to read and review.

#netgalley #stmartinspress

“The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer" is a slower-paced and character-driven mystery, set in Iceland. The reader follows along as Helgi Reykdal, a young and ambitious police detective, investigates a disappearance. It’s sort of a sequel, to last year’s “Death at the Sanatorium” which I also read & liked, and it also has some other characters from that one and events in other time lines and an abrupt ending as well. The best part, for me is the “Golden Age of Mystery” book vibes & the lovely Icelandic settings. Recommend to cozy readers and my thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for making it available early.

I hadn’t read anything by this author before going into this book so I really didn’t know what to expect but I kept an open mind
First off I’m mad that we see Heigl story end in a cliffhanger I audibly gasped not because of shock but frustration but I wanna know now!
Having not read any Icelandic books before I will admit I was confused alot of the times with the names and whatnot but overall it wasn’t a bad story just wished we had more of a conclusion

I found the Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer to well written and fully engaging. The characters were well developed and the story was well paced. Helgi, a new police officer was assigned to find Elon, a popular and well known crime writer, who had disappeared and not contacted any friends for several days. In addition, Helgi is dealing with a new girlfriend who is being harassed and traumatized by his former girlfriend. As the story was evolving and reaching a critical high point, the story abruptly ended. I found this termination of the story totally unsatisfying and difficult to comprehend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! It’s the second book in this series and I liked it way more than I liked the first book, Death in a Sanatorium. I actually think when I read the first book I wasn’t in the right headspace, but picking up the second one felt very enjoyable. I really love Helgi and his bookish, introverted ways!

One of my favorite things about Jonasson’s work is how he weaves his different stories together. Helgi is working on a current missing persons case, but there are still chapters where he’s questioning the disappearance of his predecessor, Hulda, who is the lead in Jonasson’s “The Darkness” trilogy. I think this author has a talent for jumping back-and-forth in timelines, but not making it confusing!

I can see a long path for this series, as this book wove together, several different storylines. I really like how much of Helgi we get, many other detective novels don’t dig as deep into the personal side of the detective. They usually have some sort of traumatic past that has led them to the police, but that’s not the case with this series. Helgi is just a smart and strong young man trying to build a life for himself. There’s a lot of his personal life in this book and I really enjoyed reading it. But omg this book ends on a cliffhanger! I was jabbing my finger on my Kindle screen, hoping that there would be another page, but there was not. I cannot wait for the next installment! Well done!

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This had every ingredient of an enjoyable read, from being Scandinavian to featuring a writer. Yet, turned out to be rather disappointing. And here's why:

The writer is question is a beloved Icelandic creator of a popular mystery series. She has since retired, is in her early 70s, and one day simply disappears. Who better to find her than the detective obsessed with crime fiction?

An investigation ensues. A rather brief one, all things considered, about a week. It's all terribly straightforward and worse - predictable. The author in the book may have been the queen of mysteries, but the author of this one is far from it, creating an easily solvable puzzle.
The writing is standard dispassionate Scandinavian, on the plainer side of that. The timeline jumping around wasn't done particularly well and came across as distracting. The lead detective's love triangle came across as tedious, although provided a nice gut punch of an ending.

Overall, it was a decent read - and a very quick one, done in a single rainy afternoon. But there was nothing special about it at all. It was almost a cozy in a way. Sure to be very popular with less demanding audiences. Thanks Negalley.

3.75 stars – The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson

Thank you to the author, Ragnar Jónasson, and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book. I was excited to dive into this atmospheric mystery, and it definitely delivered on mood and intrigue.

Set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of Iceland, this book offers a slow-burn, literary mystery centered on the disappearance of a famous crime writer. Jónasson masterfully captures the isolation of the setting, and his prose is both quiet and thoughtful—perfect for readers who enjoy a more contemplative tone in their thrillers.

The plot is layered with metafictional elements and a touch of noir, which made it feel like a tribute to classic detective fiction. However, the pacing lagged at times, and while I appreciated the buildup, I found myself wishing for more urgency in the investigation. The final reveal was clever but somewhat understated, which may not satisfy every reader looking for a high-impact twist.

Overall, The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer is a moody, introspective mystery that will appeal to fans of literary crime fiction. I’m grateful to have had the chance to read it early and look forward to Jónasson’s future works.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read of this book. I love Nordic Noir and had the pleasure of hearing Ragnar Jonasson speak at the Iceland Noir conference. He is an outstanding author and does a beautiful job of integrating the beauty of Iceland and its people into his novels. Also, the translation of this novel was seamless, almost as if it was written in English.

I am usually not a fan of flashbacks but this was a integral part of the book and critical to the plot development. Essentially, three plots are interweaved throughout the novel: what happened to the missing, elderly crime novelist, Elín Jónsdóttir, and her associates; what is happening in the personal life of the detective, Helgi; and background on the disappearance of Helgi's predecessor, Hulda. The novel delivers a clear resolution to the missing crime novelist question, with insightful character development and plenty of twists. However, Helgi's personal life ends with a cliff hanger and I'm hoping that answers will be provided in a sequel. The most disappointing part of the book was the failure to resolve what happened to the missing detective, Hulda. I became invested learning more about Hulda over the course of this book and was left frustrated at the end, hence the 4 rating. After some research, I understand more information is provided about Hulda in earlier books.

This was a very enjoyable mystery which I highly recommend and look forward to a sequel!