The Girl Who Died
by Ragnar Jónasson
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Pub Date 3 Jun 2021 | Archive Date 12 Jun 2021
Penguin Michael Joseph UK | Michael Joseph
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Description
PRE-ORDER THE NAIL-BITING NEW STORY FROM THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
'Is this the best crime writer in the world today? If you're looking for a mystery to get lost in during lockdown . . .' The Times
'A world-class crime writer . . . One of the most astonishing plots of modern crime fiction' Sunday Times
'It is nothing less than a landmark in modern crime fiction' The Times
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'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 midwinter, a young girl from the village is found dead. Now there are only nine villagers left - and Una fears that one of them has blood on their hands . . .
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'A creepy tale' The Times
'Invigorating Iceland-set slice of Nordic Noir' Daily Mail
'A mist-shrouded blend of horror and psychological thriller . . . works in every way' Booklist
Praise for Ragnar Jónasson
'This is Icelandic noir of the highest order, with Jonasson's atmospheric sense of place, and his heroine's unerring humanity shining from every page' Daily Mail
'Triumphant conclusion. Chilling, creepy, perceptive, almost unbearably tense' Ian Rankin
'This is such a tense, gripping read' Anthony Horowitz
'Brilliantly effective. Each book enraptures us' The Times Literary Supplement
'Superb . . . chilling . . . one of the great tragic heroines of contemporary detective fiction' Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month
'A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens. First rate and highly recommended' Lee Child
'Chilling - a must-read' Peter James
'A stunningly atmospheric story. Pitch-perfect, beautifully paced. Ragnar Jónasson is at the top of his game, and a master of the genre' Will Dean
'Darkly claustrophobic . . . Perfect mid-winter reading' Ann Cleeves
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780241400128 |
| PRICE | £14.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 400 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Helen K, Educator
Would definitely recommend this - a real page turner, that keeps the reader guessing to the end. Ghosts, deaths, crimes, mysteries.
A teacher moves to an isolated village where she will have two students. But the longer she is there the more there is a mystery of what has happened, is there anything to hide, what is really going on. To say more might reveal a spoiler!!!
The location is as important a character as the people themselves, and there is a really sense of unease on every page.
With thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for an ARC.
Mary H, Reviewer
An excellent book, with lots of twists and turns. I really enjoyed it, thank you for letting me read an advance copy netgalley and the publishers.
Susan H, Reviewer
This author is on top form and goes from strength to strength with every book he has written. Set in the 1980s, it sounded like the perfect retreat to go to and get paid for it. When Una sees an advertisement for a teacher in a remote location, she jumps at the chance. Skálar is home to only ten residents, and 2 of them are the children she would be teaching. Una is to lodge with one the children’s mother, but there is something that feels very off and edgy, in the room she is given.
Una finds that the isolated town is cold in more ways than one as the welcoming Committee is rather non-existent and even the two children are alien to each other. It’s the 1980’s with the only connection to the outside world being a landline and newspapers, with her entertainment consisting of VHS tapes that she has brought with her. It was going to be a long winter than she originally thought it would be.
The descriptions of Skálar are superb, making it visual, audible and chilling in every way possible. The setting perfection to enable personal sanity to be questioned and found wanting. Was Una going mad? She had come to the Island to find peace, not the isolation that she found herself in.
The unease grows and snowballs as the book progresses, but I never saw what was coming, well only the tip of the iceberg before it went into a complete and devastating meltdown of the past and present. It is a real heart gripper. I felt spent of all my emotions. I still can’t think about this story without feeling my heart sink. A story that stands out. Brilliant.
I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
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