First ever Icelandic novel on the Sunday Times bestseller list.
#1 best Nordic Noir book of 2021
VOGUE Scandinavia
”one creepy thriller that’ll have you leaving ALL the lights on”
“Ragnar Jonasson is a poet of the “dark, wet and cold”, of the “gloom, cold and rain … an intensely gripping mystery.”
Crime Book of the Month
TIMES
“… excellent”
TORONTO STAR
“A mist-shrouded blend of horror and psychological thriller, works in every way.”
BOOKLIST - starred review
“An atmospheric, authentically shivery ghost story with criminal trimmings.”
KIRKUS
“With his trademark elegant prose and atmospheric sense of place, Jónasson weaves a slow-burning, haunting tale with a chilling ending.”
***** / S Magazine
“Far superior to most similarly themed thrillers.” - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Ragnar Jonasson is arguably Indridason’s literary successor in Nordic Noir … a chilling psychological thriller …”
The Canberra Times
"… story that will make readers' blood run cold. Ragnar Jónasson's impeccable plotting is really a wonder of the crime genre.” - DAYTON DAILY NEWS (Vick Mickunas)
“A slow-burning, haunting tale of suspense.” - Crime by the Book
“If you are looking for a dark and chilling Nordic Noir, look no further than The Girl Who Died.” - Mystery and Suspense Magazine
'TEACHER WANTED ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD . . .'
Una knows she is struggling to deal with her father's sudden, tragic suicide. She spends her nights drinking alone in Reykjavik, stricken with thoughts that she might one day follow in his footsteps.
So when she sees an advert seeking a teacher for two girls in the tiny village of Skálar - population of ten - on the storm-battered north coast of the island, she sees it as a chance to escape.
But once she arrives, Una quickly realises nothing in city life has prepared her for this. The villagers are unfriendly. The weather is bleak. And, from the creaky attic bedroom of the old house where she's living, she's convinced she hears the ghostly sound of singing.
Una worries that she's losing her mind.
And then, just before Christmas, there's an unexplained death and Una's life going from bad to worse . . .