The Girl Who Died
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-07 00:51:32
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Ragnar Jónasson
- ISBN：0241400120
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Summary
'Teacher wanted on the edge of the world。。。'
Una 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 a murder。。。
Una 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 a murder。。。
Reviews
Sandra
，
I checked this book out at the library。 It is the second book by Jonasson that I have read。 I enjoyed the slow pace of the story。 You can feel the tension building。 I found the second POV unnecessary and unresolved。 Iceland and its weather are characters in the book。 I must admit that I have a fondness for Icelandic authors。 GoodReads provides you with a synopsis of the story。 It is a quietly mysterious tale that grabs you and won't let go。 Enjoy。 I checked this book out at the library。 It is the second book by Jonasson that I have read。 I enjoyed the slow pace of the story。 You can feel the tension building。 I found the second POV unnecessary and unresolved。 Iceland and its weather are characters in the book。 I must admit that I have a fondness for Icelandic authors。 GoodReads provides you with a synopsis of the story。 It is a quietly mysterious tale that grabs you and won't let go。 Enjoy。 。。。more
Pamela Sewell
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Reeling from her father's death and ready for a change， Una accepts a teaching job at Skylar in Iceland's far north。 Skylar is a insular fishing community on an isolated pennisula with only ten inhabitants and Una's class consists of two little girls。 Una is soon daunted by the cold， gray days and the brooding， unwelcoming atmosphere。 One night she sees a little girl at the end of her bed and learns of a 60 year old crime。 An unexpected visitor goes missing， and Una uncovers hints of other misde Reeling from her father's death and ready for a change， Una accepts a teaching job at Skylar in Iceland's far north。 Skylar is a insular fishing community on an isolated pennisula with only ten inhabitants and Una's class consists of two little girls。 Una is soon daunted by the cold， gray days and the brooding， unwelcoming atmosphere。 One night she sees a little girl at the end of her bed and learns of a 60 year old crime。 An unexpected visitor goes missing， and Una uncovers hints of other misdeeds。 The village has secrets and holds them close。 The author has a way with atmosphere playing off the location and climate to slowly darken the mood of each scene making the story line increasingly eerie and foreboding。 Although unlikeable， the characters are well fleshed out and realistic。 A ghost story embedded in a crime novel is an unusual premise and it was done well。。 It did not detract from the main story and connected past and present crimes。 I enjoy mysteries with a hint of paranormal and and I found this an engaging and evocative read 。。。more
Alison Cairns
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Very atmospheric read。 I don't always enjoy books that have been translated， they often don't flow when they're out of their native language， but this was an easy read， the chilling， gloomy mood of the villagers was matched by the environment and weather。 Una successfully applies for a job as teacher to the only two children "at the end of the world"。 Needing to get away from Reykjavik and her life there。 The parts of the book told in italics confused me somewhat - it was a long time before we l Very atmospheric read。 I don't always enjoy books that have been translated， they often don't flow when they're out of their native language， but this was an easy read， the chilling， gloomy mood of the villagers was matched by the environment and weather。 Una successfully applies for a job as teacher to the only two children "at the end of the world"。 Needing to get away from Reykjavik and her life there。 The parts of the book told in italics confused me somewhat - it was a long time before we learned whose voice this was， and by the end I was feeling that more could have been made of this。 It was good to find out what happened but in some ways I felt a lot was glossed over。 a good read。 #netgalley #thegirlwhodied 。。。more
Teresa Skidmore
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3。5
Aina
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The Girl Who Died is an atmospheric historical mystery set in a stunning location。 I’m a fan of the author’s writing and he excels once again in setting the scene so you feel as if you’re there with the characters。 Una’s loneliness and desperation come clearly across on the page。 Her curiosity about the village and its people sets up some interesting moments。 I liked the supernatural elements that gave out eerie vibes。Unfortunately， I thought the pacing is too slow and the mystery is not compell The Girl Who Died is an atmospheric historical mystery set in a stunning location。 I’m a fan of the author’s writing and he excels once again in setting the scene so you feel as if you’re there with the characters。 Una’s loneliness and desperation come clearly across on the page。 Her curiosity about the village and its people sets up some interesting moments。 I liked the supernatural elements that gave out eerie vibes。Unfortunately， I thought the pacing is too slow and the mystery is not compelling enough。 When bad things happen it was hard to care because I didn’t feel like I know the characters。 The ending is abrupt and I wasn’t convinced with the choices Una makes。 I wish I loved this book more because the setting is really wonderful！ Overall， this would be a good pick for fans of slow-burn mysteries with a touch of the supernatural。CW: child death， suicideThank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy。book blog | twitter | instagram 。。。more
Kerry
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I absolutely loved this book！ Such a refreshing change to read a story set in Iceland。 Ragnar Jónasson's style of writing is incredible。 The scene and the characters were described in such detail that I felt like I was there with them。 It was easy to read yet there was a great amount on suspense and mystery。 I loved how there was a mix of crime and also ghosts。 I feel like it worked very well in this story。 Also the secrecy and creepiness of the town's residents added to the tension and suspens I absolutely loved this book！ Such a refreshing change to read a story set in Iceland。 Ragnar Jónasson's style of writing is incredible。 The scene and the characters were described in such detail that I felt like I was there with them。 It was easy to read yet there was a great amount on suspense and mystery。 I loved how there was a mix of crime and also ghosts。 I feel like it worked very well in this story。 Also the secrecy and creepiness of the town's residents added to the tension and suspense。 Not to mention the shocking realisation of what happened at the end of the story。 Overall， I would definitely recommend this book to my family and friends。 I look forward to seeing what Ragnar Jónasson comes up with next！ Thank you to Ragnar Jónasson， NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
elizabeth。j。thrillerverse
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Psychological suspense and the supernatural come together in this Nordic noir novel set in an Icelandic village so remote there are only 10 inhabitants。 It was chilly and chilling enough to make me shiver as I was reading it。 Ragnar Jónasson， known for his detective novels， turns his writing skills to this tale of a troubled young woman alone at the edge of the world。 That’s how the remote fishing hamlet of Skálar is described in the advertisement to recruit a teacher for the only children livin Psychological suspense and the supernatural come together in this Nordic noir novel set in an Icelandic village so remote there are only 10 inhabitants。 It was chilly and chilling enough to make me shiver as I was reading it。 Ragnar Jónasson， known for his detective novels， turns his writing skills to this tale of a troubled young woman alone at the edge of the world。 That’s how the remote fishing hamlet of Skálar is described in the advertisement to recruit a teacher for the only children living there – two girls aged seven and nine。 Una decides it may be just the break she needs。 She’s struggling to survive in Reykjavik without steady employment。 Her mother has remarried after her father’s death， a loss she still battles with。 Her friends have families of their own。But Una is daunted by the freezing bleakness of Skálar， the total darkness of its winters， and the secretive inhabitants hostile to her presence。 They seem to have more than one terrible secret they will never share with an outsider。 The only friendly face is Thór， a man she finds attractive， but even he seems determined to keep his distance。Then Una starts having nightmares about a little girl in a white dress singing a lullaby。 The locals believe the house she’s staying in has been haunted by the girl’s spirit since her mysterious death。 And then tragedy strikes again。This is a slow-burning， atmospheric novel。 Jónasson skilfully evokes Iceland’s distinctive landscape。 There’s no easy solution to the dilemmas he presents， and moral ambiguity in the way his characters try to resolve them， with no clear-cut right and wrong way。I can recommend this novel to fans of Nordic noir fiction and to others who enjoy a creepy， chilling tale。 。。。more
Kerry Henderson
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Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the opprtunity to read this book。 Una takes a job as teacher in a tiny village， only ten people live there but the two children need a teacher。 Its an unfriendly place and Una isnt wanted there。 She also feels like someone is haunting her but maybe thats just the wine。 When one of her students dies， things get much worse and Una finds herself wanting to know the truth but can she find it？Well what a dark and atmospheric read this was。 Yo Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the opprtunity to read this book。 Una takes a job as teacher in a tiny village， only ten people live there but the two children need a teacher。 Its an unfriendly place and Una isnt wanted there。 She also feels like someone is haunting her but maybe thats just the wine。 When one of her students dies， things get much worse and Una finds herself wanting to know the truth but can she find it？Well what a dark and atmospheric read this was。 You really get a sense of the lonely， isolated location。 The plot is interesting though I was expecting a slightly more dramatic ending。 That being said it worked well and the story kept me turning pages。 The ending was interesting and thought provoking。 it leaves you wondering what you would do in Una's place。 I can't say I overly liked Una too much and the book focussed heavily on her wine drinking but she made an intriguing lead。 A dark， atmospheric creepy read。 。。。more
Gemma Swain
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Having previously read Whiteout， I had an inkling of what to expect from this book and it didn’t disappoint。 I’m not a huge reader of crime or thrillers， but there’s something about the way Jonasson creates such a self-contained world that has you gripped from the first few pages。The story follows Una - a young teacher living an unfulfilled life in Reykjavik。 When her friend suggests applying for a job as a tutor in a remote village on the north east coast of Iceland she decides that a change is Having previously read Whiteout， I had an inkling of what to expect from this book and it didn’t disappoint。 I’m not a huge reader of crime or thrillers， but there’s something about the way Jonasson creates such a self-contained world that has you gripped from the first few pages。The story follows Una - a young teacher living an unfulfilled life in Reykjavik。 When her friend suggests applying for a job as a tutor in a remote village on the north east coast of Iceland she decides that a change is as good as a rest and applies to move to the edge of the world。 What she finds is a tiny community filled with sinister-seeming residents， and a whole host of secrets。This narrative runs parallel with the true story of a shocking murder case which gripped Iceland， and was recently made into the documentary film ‘Out of Thin Air’。Ghostly apparitions， suspicious behaviour， foggy darkness， murder and mystery all combine to keep you guessing until the very end。 Some spooky twists and turns will have you leaving on the lights when you head to bed。。。It felt strange reading this book in the sunshine - much of the atmosphere is created by the near perpetual darkness that Iceland finds itself in in the winter months。 It’s still a great story， and for a scaredy-cat like me it was probably for the best that it was still light outside！Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph for an ARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Thebooktrail
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Visit the locations in The Girl Who DiedThis novel transports you to the edge of the worldRagnar is already a favourite author of mine but he’s done something very special with this novel 。 He’s introduced me to perhaps the creepiest， most remote， chilling place in Iceland。 Sent a young teacher off there on her own and then…well， you will want to find out， I can tell you。Where this novel takes you…Skalar is a real place but it’s an abandoned one -a ghost town if you like。 Enter a crime writer wi Visit the locations in The Girl Who DiedThis novel transports you to the edge of the worldRagnar is already a favourite author of mine but he’s done something very special with this novel 。 He’s introduced me to perhaps the creepiest， most remote， chilling place in Iceland。 Sent a young teacher off there on her own and then…well， you will want to find out， I can tell you。Where this novel takes you…Skalar is a real place but it’s an abandoned one -a ghost town if you like。 Enter a crime writer with malice and mystery in his pen and what happens？ A brilliantly creepy and engaging novel that’s what。 The tagline has got to be one of the best ever: TEACHER WANTED AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD。 Edge of the world？ Where is that I asked myself。 Well， Skalar IS that place and it’s so remote the little golden google map man won’t even go there。The villagers don’t want Una， among them。 She might be the only teacher for the village\s only two children but she’s still an newcomer， an outsider。 The entire feeling is one of claustrophobia。 Oh and it’s set in the 1980s so there’s no chance of modern technology helping out our leading character。 UTTER and TOTAL ISOLATION。Setting here is key and a major character itself but the mystery which unravels is equally strong。 There’s something VERY wrong with the people。 Una goes through a whole range of emotions trying to read people and making sense of the situation she finds herself in， Jeepers even the corner shop is cold and creepy。 Wait till you get to the farm！Oh but that’s not the best bit。 The house Una goes to stay in the home of one of her pupils。。well let’s just say there are some supernatural overtones here。 Noises she can’t account for and a figure at the window？ Is she going mad？ No， it’s just Ragnar pulling the strings taunt and making us all dance around his words with glee。 Always on the right side of creepy and realistic。 Ragnar reels you in and throws you back from one chapter to the next。There’s one small gripe with the novel in that as we build towards the end， there’s another POV which builds to the secret reveal at the end。 Una is more than capable of carrying this novel on her own。 On a personal note， I would have had a different title。 The Girl Who Died does’t qyite fit for me。 That ending still smacked me in the face though。Shocked and scandalized in Skalar。 Ragnar has done it again。 。。。more
Richardsonb94
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I didn’t really like any of the characters but I suppose that’s to be expected。 A creepy story。 I don’t like “creepy”， but this did draw me in， a bit against my will。 All of the little excerpts in italics did add to the mystery。 Several things seemed far-fetched。 Not that keen to read any of the author’s other books。
Duncan Beattie
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Ragnar Jónasson is a bestselling and prolific Icelandic author of crime fiction who has become recognised for featuring his novels in particularly remote locations。 His books in the Dark Iceland series featuring policeman Ari Thor were set in and around Siglufjörður on the northern coast of Iceland – this town also featuring in the unrelated television series "Ófærð （Trapped）。” As Jónasson’s profile has continued to rise， he has now gone one step further to an even more isolated setting for this Ragnar Jónasson is a bestselling and prolific Icelandic author of crime fiction who has become recognised for featuring his novels in particularly remote locations。 His books in the Dark Iceland series featuring policeman Ari Thor were set in and around Siglufjörður on the northern coast of Iceland – this town also featuring in the unrelated television series "Ófærð （Trapped）。” As Jónasson’s profile has continued to rise， he has now gone one step further to an even more isolated setting for this standalone thriller。 The Girl Who Died is set in Skálar， on Langanes which is the peninsula on the far northeastern tip of Iceland。 The name literally means "long peninsula" at the 'end of the world。' In reality as Jónasson explains in the forward the community has been empty since the 1950s but it shows his desire to explore the foremost isolated part of Iceland for this novel which he has set in the mid-1980s。The story focuses on Una who is a school teacher based in Reykjavik。 Seeking a new start after the death of her father and her mother’s remarriage， she decides to apply for the position of school teacher in the hamlet of Skálar。 It will give her some time away from the city and with free rent provided and a lack of social activities， she expects to be able to make some cash savings if she spends one school year there。After a long journey she finds a friendly welcome from Salka， who is the lady that arranged for the school position to be filled。 Una will stay in Salka’s attic flat。 Una is told that there are only 10 inhabitants to the village and she will be teaching 2 local children。 We see her struggling to adjust to the isolation。 Salka has a phone but it is not in Una’s attic， there is no television even for videos and only one radio channel。 She adjusts to the loneliness by taking walks where she sometimes meets some of the locals some of which are more friendly than others; also by reading and by drinking alcohol alone。 Even the latter is problematic as the locals have a more conservative and less tolerant approach to alcohol consumption than in the city。The reader is foretold some sinister goings on in the village， but not through the eyes of Una but through historical flashbacks。 There is a paranormal element to the story which is left open to interpretation which helps make this quite a creepy and brooding read。 There is also some ambiguity about the girl referred to in the book title。Historical family ties link many of the village inhabitants and Una continues to feel an outsider after several months while continually feeling that her activities are being monitored by those behind darkened windows。 The locals are characterized strongly and their attitudes to her often catch Una by surprise。 She consoles herself that there is hope she can connect with one other outsider。With Jónasson being a master of the slow burning story Una gradually begins to learn the history of those who lived in the community in the past。 Yet this takes time as the small community is desperate to protect its secrets。 The atmospherics of the village as the winter sets in are given to us starkly in the prose superbly translated by Victoria Cribb:“The village was almost permanently wrapped in an all-encompassing hush， a stark reminder of how far they were from anywhere。 And with no urban glow from a nearby ton or distant lights or farms， there might as well have been no outside world。 Perhaps that is what the few souls who chose to live here had in common was their preference for solitude。"In such a small location， there is quite a small cast to this book。 The locals do not encourage visitors and as Skálar is not on route to any other location， nobody would stop there unnecessarily。 Even the snow does not stop by in Langanes！ In such an isolated occasion the risks to human life in a critical situation are far higher so far from the emergency services should the worst occur…I will sidestep the question on my proof – is this the best crime writer in the world today？ Jónasson’s work stands on its own merits This is a masterly crafted novel which just about pulls all the loose ends together。 I certainly recommend this and can assure you that a visit to Skálar will most definitely be a memorable one。Many thanks to Jen Breslin at Penguin Michael Joseph for the advance review copy of The Girl Who Died。 。。。more
Jean Becker
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So much fun to read！ All the Icelandic atmosphere you could want， deliberate， fine pacing and curious characters。
Francine
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I'm usually a huge fan of Mr。 Jonasson's books but this one missed the mark for me。 It seemed to be more ghost story than mystery and took a long time to get to the actual mystery。。。other than who the ghost may be， or even if it's real。 I did love the setting， a creepy， secluded village so far north that it spends most of its time shrouded in darkness or fog。 The characters were interesting as well but it just didn't hold my interest like Mr。 Jonasson's other books have in the past。 I'm usually a huge fan of Mr。 Jonasson's books but this one missed the mark for me。 It seemed to be more ghost story than mystery and took a long time to get to the actual mystery。。。other than who the ghost may be， or even if it's real。 I did love the setting， a creepy， secluded village so far north that it spends most of its time shrouded in darkness or fog。 The characters were interesting as well but it just didn't hold my interest like Mr。 Jonasson's other books have in the past。 。。。more
Holly Jayne | The Book Shelfie Blog
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“Welcome to Skálar。 Population: Ten and falling…”Slow burning suspense novel that keeps you turning the pages until the very end。 Full of secrets， lies， crime， ghosts， and a murder or two， this small village on the edge of the world has a lot to answer for。 “The Girl Who Died” is a deliciously dark atmospheric mystery novel at its finest。 A great introduction to Ragnar Jonasson’s writing if you have never read anything by him before。Thank you to #NetGalley， #MichaelJoseph， #PenguinMichaelJosephU “Welcome to Skálar。 Population: Ten and falling…”Slow burning suspense novel that keeps you turning the pages until the very end。 Full of secrets， lies， crime， ghosts， and a murder or two， this small village on the edge of the world has a lot to answer for。 “The Girl Who Died” is a deliciously dark atmospheric mystery novel at its finest。 A great introduction to Ragnar Jonasson’s writing if you have never read anything by him before。Thank you to #NetGalley， #MichaelJoseph， #PenguinMichaelJosephUK， and #RagnarJonasson for an ARC of #TheGirlWhoDied in exchange for an honest review。@RagnarJo | @MichaelJBooks | @JenLovesReadingUK Publication Date: 3rd June 2021 。。。more
Sarah MacIntyre
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Another deliciously dark story from Ragnar Jonasson。 I am surprised he hasn't been thrown out of Iceland by the tourism board！ His writing is so emotive - you can feel the isolation and darkness of the destination he is writing about。 A job with a town of only 10 people who certainly don't provide a warm welcome。 A lot of secretive meetings and a death lead to a really good thriller with lots of twists and turns。 A standalone story which I loved！ Another deliciously dark story from Ragnar Jonasson。 I am surprised he hasn't been thrown out of Iceland by the tourism board！ His writing is so emotive - you can feel the isolation and darkness of the destination he is writing about。 A job with a town of only 10 people who certainly don't provide a warm welcome。 A lot of secretive meetings and a death lead to a really good thriller with lots of twists and turns。 A standalone story which I loved！ 。。。more
Jasmine （Readingonsundays）
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I felt that Jónasson did a great job of building tension in regard to the paranornal aspect of the story。 I felt the chill of someone standing behind me or the fear of opening your eyes to something standing infront of you deathly still and silent。 "The ghosts of her present" were very well done。 The eerie atmosphere of the house gave me the scary anticpation of a good horror film。I definitely enjoyed following along with Una as she got to know the residents and the town - I connected with her n I felt that Jónasson did a great job of building tension in regard to the paranornal aspect of the story。 I felt the chill of someone standing behind me or the fear of opening your eyes to something standing infront of you deathly still and silent。 "The ghosts of her present" were very well done。 The eerie atmosphere of the house gave me the scary anticpation of a good horror film。I definitely enjoyed following along with Una as she got to know the residents and the town - I connected with her need to find the truth。 I also connected with her deep love of red wine - and lets just say I too would need wine to live in a place with only 10 people who really aren't very welcoming。 The plot twist was something I didn't see coming - to be honest I had a whole sixth sense vibe going on and was patting myself on the back for having figured it out in the beginning - and then was completely proven wrong。 So bravo to that。 Spoiler they were not dead the entire time。 The Girl Who Died had a very interesting premise going in， however I found the storyline to be disjointed at times - there were two different stories unfurling and you don't get the full understanding of why until the end and things wrapped a little too quickly for my liking。Overall the story was enjoyable but it felt a little unfinished to me。 I would recommend this book if you enjoy a good mystery and enjoy anything paranormal。 Also absolutely loved all the references to VCRs。。。took me back。 。。。more
Ciaran McLarnon
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Úna is an unhappy teacher living near Reykjavík and just barely making ends meet when her closest friend Sara shows her an interesting job listing in a remote town in Iceland with a reported population of just 10 people。 Before long， Úna is unsure about what she has let herself in for but also feels unable to do a u-turn。Jónasson has created a tense， moody thriller darkened further by the claustrophobic long nights of the northern winter of Iceland; it is so good I just had to finish it， once I Úna is an unhappy teacher living near Reykjavík and just barely making ends meet when her closest friend Sara shows her an interesting job listing in a remote town in Iceland with a reported population of just 10 people。 Before long， Úna is unsure about what she has let herself in for but also feels unable to do a u-turn。Jónasson has created a tense， moody thriller darkened further by the claustrophobic long nights of the northern winter of Iceland; it is so good I just had to finish it， once I started reading！！ 。。。more
Tammie Painter
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I don't know how he does it， but Jónasson somehow writes in a way that makes the pages just fly by and suddenly you look up and realize you've just blasted through sixty pages of his latest thriller。This book has a very Agatha Christie feel to it， as should be expected since the author has translated loads of Christie novels。 A young woman takes a job as a teacher in a remote village with a population of only ten people。 She's not entirely made welcome， she's seeing the ghost of a dead girl， she I don't know how he does it， but Jónasson somehow writes in a way that makes the pages just fly by and suddenly you look up and realize you've just blasted through sixty pages of his latest thriller。This book has a very Agatha Christie feel to it， as should be expected since the author has translated loads of Christie novels。 A young woman takes a job as a teacher in a remote village with a population of only ten people。 She's not entirely made welcome， she's seeing the ghost of a dead girl， she's drinking way too much， the town's head honcho threatens her， and everyone seems to be hiding something。 I can't say too much beyond that other than it just gets increasingly intriguing with each turning of the page。 It was definitely hard to put， although the ending wasn't quite the twist I've come to love from Ragnar's books （it's still great， just not super twisty）。 If you like psychological thrillers and a nice closed room mystery， add this to your reading list NOW。 。。。more
Julie Lacey
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I was expecting a crime thriller but this is more of a supernatural mystery with a bit of crime sprinkled in at the end。 Una applies for a job in a very remote village to teach the only two children that are there。 She gets the job and travels for a few days to get there。 Una is met with a frosty welcome and she’s clearly an outsider to this close knit community。 At night she is woken by a child singing a lullaby and she keeps seeing a little girl in a white dress。 Una can’t work out if she’s dr I was expecting a crime thriller but this is more of a supernatural mystery with a bit of crime sprinkled in at the end。 Una applies for a job in a very remote village to teach the only two children that are there。 She gets the job and travels for a few days to get there。 Una is met with a frosty welcome and she’s clearly an outsider to this close knit community。 At night she is woken by a child singing a lullaby and she keeps seeing a little girl in a white dress。 Una can’t work out if she’s dreaming but grows more and more worried about it。 Tragedy strikes the village and Una is left living on her own and the haunting gets so bad she starts to sleep downstairs。 It also soon becomes apparent that the community are keeping secrets from her。 This is a good read that definitely held my attention。 Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more
Marjorie
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Ragnar Jonasson never disappoints。 Excellent， atmospheric suspense novel/ghost story with a resolution to the mystery that I didn't see coming and seriously gave me chills。 The ghost aspect wasn't a main part of the story but lent quite a bit of eeriness to an already eerie setting。 The mystery was a compelling one。 While I couldn't always agree with the main character's decisions， they were believable。Recommended。 Ragnar Jonasson never disappoints。 Excellent， atmospheric suspense novel/ghost story with a resolution to the mystery that I didn't see coming and seriously gave me chills。 The ghost aspect wasn't a main part of the story but lent quite a bit of eeriness to an already eerie setting。 The mystery was a compelling one。 While I couldn't always agree with the main character's decisions， they were believable。Recommended。 。。。more
Glenda
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Creepy and intense but certainly not as good as the other series。
DeAnn
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3。75 chilling starsThis 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 f 3。75 chilling starsThis 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。 。。。more
Sharon R
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Creepy and compellingA ghostly story in a town of 11 people at the northern edge of Iceland。 I couldn’t stop reading。 Unlike his other books。 I very much enjoyed how the different story lines intersected。 A good read。Recommend。
Stephanie Metz
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Ragnar Jónasson’s latest mystery includes one of the best hooks I’ve read recently， although， curiously， it is not the book’s opening line: “Teacher wanted at the edge of the world。” Feeling adrift in her life in Reykjavik， Iceland， Una applies for and then accepts a teaching position to work with two students in the isolated village of Skálar which consists of about ten people。 Upon arrival， Una rather quickly revises any idyllic notions she had of the smallest of small-town living。 The repeate Ragnar Jónasson’s latest mystery includes one of the best hooks I’ve read recently， although， curiously， it is not the book’s opening line: “Teacher wanted at the edge of the world。” Feeling adrift in her life in Reykjavik， Iceland， Una applies for and then accepts a teaching position to work with two students in the isolated village of Skálar which consists of about ten people。 Upon arrival， Una rather quickly revises any idyllic notions she had of the smallest of small-town living。 The repeated hauntings of a young girl singing a lullaby and playing the piano in the middle of the night within Una’s apartment only enhance the town’s grim winter atmosphere。 Meanwhile， as Una tries to determine if these hauntings are real or simply nightmares， Jónasson interweaves her story with first-person accounts of a murder and wrongful conviction that initially has no relationship to the town of Skálar。 Jónasson is a skilled writer who manages to convey nuance without overwriting or slowing his narrative’s pace。 I felt immersed in the story very quickly despite never having been anyplace like Skálar， or even Iceland for that matter。 Una’s backstory and upbringing， although parsed out throughout the course of the novel， portrayed a complicated character with conflicting motivations and impulses that made her an interesting protagonist to follow。 In addition to his characters， Jónasson’s setting is also unique among so many metropolitan mysteries complete with an experienced police detective。 According to the author’s note accompanying my Net Galley copy， Skálar is a real place， although it was abandoned several decades before the 1980s setting of The Girl Who Died。 The town provides an ideal location for a Gothic mystery with so many layers of history waiting to be excavated。 In fact， the remote setting paired with the child ghost and Una’s teaching position was all reminiscent of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw。 Ultimately， though， Jónasson fails to fully capitalize on this environment。 Just as the novel’s various strands come together the book is over， and it’s a credit to the writing that I wanted The Girl Who Died to continue。 Without revealing any plot points， I wished Jónasson had written further about the ramifications of the various mysteries he unravels。 He sets up so ably the struggle to join a community but then doesn’t really explore the cost of belonging once a character like Una joins such an exclusive group as the town of Skálar。Even with these criticisms， I look forward to reading more of Jónasson’s work， particularly the Hulda series which received excellent reviews。 If you’re not yet ready to travel this summer， The Girl Who Died would be a wonderful escape into a completely different physical and psychological landscape。 。。。more
Jean
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A very atmospheric Nordic mystery。A very slow burner with a ghost story included with a twist at the end。Una is at a low point in her life and takes up a teaching job in a remote village in Iceland with only ten adults and two children。Things are not as they seem as the village try`s to hide it`s secrets。A bit slow for me and I`m not into ghost story`s but very atmospheric describing the cold Icelandic village。 and Una a bit wimpy for me so scored it 3。Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange A very atmospheric Nordic mystery。A very slow burner with a ghost story included with a twist at the end。Una is at a low point in her life and takes up a teaching job in a remote village in Iceland with only ten adults and two children。Things are not as they seem as the village try`s to hide it`s secrets。A bit slow for me and I`m not into ghost story`s but very atmospheric describing the cold Icelandic village。 and Una a bit wimpy for me so scored it 3。Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Amanda Costopoulos
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I love Nordic Noir and I have been getting into ghost or paranormal stories recently， but this just was alittle disappointing。 I had heard such good things about this author， but I felt like the atmosphere needed in a ghost story to really creep me out and get me on the edge of my seat was not there。 The story kind of went off the rails and felt really forced at the end。 I didn’t believe in any of the relationships and all the characters were angry and mysterious but it didn’t help to make the a I love Nordic Noir and I have been getting into ghost or paranormal stories recently， but this just was alittle disappointing。 I had heard such good things about this author， but I felt like the atmosphere needed in a ghost story to really creep me out and get me on the edge of my seat was not there。 The story kind of went off the rails and felt really forced at the end。 I didn’t believe in any of the relationships and all the characters were angry and mysterious but it didn’t help to make the atmosphere any more foreboding。 Regretfully， I think I’ll have to give this only 2。5 stars 。。。more
Nikki Gheen
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Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the WorldThe atmosphere of this book was very well done。 The story takes place at the end of Langanes Peninsula in Iceland。 The population is 10 people and our MC， Una has accepted a teaching job there for the winter。 Una is used to the city life of Reykjavik but decides to give this assignment a shot and moves clear across the country。 Little does she know the house she is staying in is supposedly haunted and the townspeople are not welcoming of her arrival。I didn’ Teacher Wanted At the Edge of the WorldThe atmosphere of this book was very well done。 The story takes place at the end of Langanes Peninsula in Iceland。 The population is 10 people and our MC， Una has accepted a teaching job there for the winter。 Una is used to the city life of Reykjavik but decides to give this assignment a shot and moves clear across the country。 Little does she know the house she is staying in is supposedly haunted and the townspeople are not welcoming of her arrival。I didn’t know where the story was going which as a frequent thriller reader， I enjoyed。 There were two parallel narratives， Una’s story and a story of a seemingly unrelated crime and police investigation。 I wasn’t sure how the two narratives worked together until the end which was refreshing。The Girl Who Died was a quick read with short chapters which made it easy to just binge read。 The setting of the book with the extreme darkness of night that part of the world gets in the winter months really set the stage for the creep factor。I recommend this one curled up in a comfy chair with all the lights on。 。。。more
Alina Barac
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When I started this book I thought it would be one of those Nordic noir thrillers， filled with action from beginning to end。 But no， this is a slow burning， atmospheric and gripping bookThe descriptions are so vivid that they gave me chills down my spine。 I have to admit that once I went to sleep， I refused to open my eyes until morning and often enough I had the feeling that I am seeing that little girl with the white dress and hear a lullaby somewhere far The ending was an absolute kick。 I mea When I started this book I thought it would be one of those Nordic noir thrillers， filled with action from beginning to end。 But no， this is a slow burning， atmospheric and gripping bookThe descriptions are so vivid that they gave me chills down my spine。 I have to admit that once I went to sleep， I refused to open my eyes until morning and often enough I had the feeling that I am seeing that little girl with the white dress and hear a lullaby somewhere far The ending was an absolute kick。 I mean， really？ Who was expecting that？ It was perfect。 。。。more
Daren Kearl
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If you have read Winterkill， Ragnar's previous Icelandic crime novel， you will be aware of the small， microcosm worlds that he creates around an incident and the lack of fast-paced plot or thrills。 This book also follows that pattern， in that it focuses on a remote area of Iceland with only eleven inhabitants。 The lack of tension and need for shocks means that the reader can focus on getting to know the characters。 We just follow Una as she moves to Skalar， when she gets a position as a teacher If you have read Winterkill， Ragnar's previous Icelandic crime novel， you will be aware of the small， microcosm worlds that he creates around an incident and the lack of fast-paced plot or thrills。 This book also follows that pattern， in that it focuses on a remote area of Iceland with only eleven inhabitants。 The lack of tension and need for shocks means that the reader can focus on getting to know the characters。 We just follow Una as she moves to Skalar， when she gets a position as a teacher for the two sole children that live in the remote village。 The residents are a close-knit community and Una soon finds that there are secrets and histories that the villagers keep to themselves。 It has a supernatural element to it， as the house she stays in has a ghostly girl。 Is the lack of justice and cover-up for what happened to her， the reason she still haunts the place？ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Girl Who Died
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Girl Who Died&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Girl Who Died&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0