Death at the Sanatorium

The book begins in 2012 with a knock on the front door of a residential apartment block in Reykjavik. It’s the police responding to a call about a serious disturbance at Helgi and Bergthora’s home, a rented basement flat. It’s a volatile relationship and not the first time that they’ve had a really serious fight. Helgi manages to diffuse the situation and the two policemen leave.
He has been studying criminology in the UK but has returned to Finland. Helgi likes to read Golden Age crime novels and listen to jazz while working on his dissertation for his Masters degree. It’s about two notorious crimes that took place in 1983 at an empty sanatorium. It was never satisfactorily solved and the chief suspect, the caretaker Broddi, was never charged, but has lived ever since with the finger of suspicion being pointed at him despite having moved away.
The action then moves back to 1983 and the five staff members who were in the sanatorium at the time. Tinna, a nurse, was first into work as usual and discovered the mutilated body of the manager, Yrsa, in her office. Unfortunately, Tinna was prone to telling lies and keeping things to herself and when she meets Sverrir, one of the investigating police officers, she begins to pursue him romantically.
It was again Tinna who discovered the second body early one morning. It was Fridjon, the chief physician. He had fallen from a height but it could also have been seen as a suicide. After all he could have murdered Yrsa and then been overcome by guilt. Tinna chose to withhold evidence for a second time. It was much tidier to have Fridjon thought of as Yrsa’s murderer.
Now in the present day, Tinna and Sverrir have been living together for 40 years and have one child. But she has recently lost her house keys and when Sverrir is out at his job as a night watchman she hears an intruder in the garden and then realises that he or she is in her home. When she is found dead, it seems obvious that someone doesn’t want the case raked up again. After all, Heigl has been carrying out interviews with the people involved and perhaps asking too many questions.
But as he begins to dig deeper into the investigation and uncovering old rivalries and secrets, his relationship with Berghora disintegrates even further. He’s offered a job with the local police force to replace Sverrir’s partner, Hulda, but she wants them to buy a flat and the real killer is still out there….
I’ve read two of the author’s previous books and so was really looking forward to this one. It didn’t disappoint and I admired the skilful way in which he moved between timelines and introduced the reader to the different players. Broddi, still embittered at being the chief suspect, the meddling Tinna suppressing evidence for her own selfish reasons and the investigation that was never solved and instead just quietly buried.
The eerie, dominating, empty sanatorium was a great backdrop for the action with the five remaining staff members and the knowledge that there is a murderer there. The translation was excellent and the story flowed well, capturing my attention until the absolutely killer ending. I didn’t see that one coming! It was suspenseful, atmospheric and claustrophobic as well. I’m already looking forward to the author’s next book!
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

I’m not sure how I came across Ragnar Jónasson’s work, but I’ve been a fan of his for a while. I was delighted to be allowed to read this. His storytelling is always fantastic, and he’s brilliant at putting red herrings in his books. He is also not afraid to write characters as bad people, and this book is an excellent example of how he can flip the script based on your assumptions about a character. Helgi's personal issues were as interesting to follow and watch unfold as the murder investigation. I enjoyed this Golden Age-inspired crime book very much.

Ragnar Jonasson is one of my absolute favorite authors. I always get lost in his storytelling. The characters and setting are always amazing and Death at the Sanatorium was no exception! I've always loved his Agatha Christie-esque writing style. And bonus, I love cold case mysteries! 4 stars!

An intriguing tale of a cold case double murder viewed as a dissertation subject by a young man writing his final study piece before graduation. Set in stages back and forth with details of the initial investigation, the initial suspects at the time are revealed until the case seems to be solved by a suicide. In the present day the student has been headhunted by the police to join them as soon as possible and his dissertation becomes an investigation after the murder of one of the previous suspects all those years ago. The young man manages to solve all the murders in double quick time. His home life is a nightmare throughout with a violent girlfriend he wonders what he should do with and this relationship provides the shock ending…is there more to be revealed,I hope so!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I thought I’d love this and the initial premise was so promising but the story fell quite flat for me and the ending was unsatisfying (and should have been figured out at the time of the original investigation)

An intriguing and mysterious tale of murder at a Sanatorium in a small town in Northern Iceland.. This story started off with a brutal murder, we are then told the story through multiple timelines and multiple points of view.

We are introduced to criminology student Helgi who is studying the case for his course. The author appears to be setting the scene for a series and I look forward to future instalments. The main character Helgi has a very complex and harmful home life.

This book was a rollercoaster, at times it was fast paced however at times it did slow down and at these points unfortunately felt like I wanted to skip parts.

Back in 1983 Tinna was the unlucky person who discovered two dead bodies at the old TB sanitorium where she worked. It was decided that the second body was responsible for the death of the first and the case closed.
Nearly forty years later Helgi is doing his dissertation on the case before he joins the Police. It seems to stir up old problems and when one of the people he is interviewing is murdered, he decides to tread carefully.
Meanwhile his relationship with his girlfriend is deteriorating and is a power keg that is going to explode. Something he doesn't need in his job.
An interesting read.

The premise of this book really intrigued me as well as the setting, and it started off very promisingly. At first I was a bit confused by the different timelines but I soon settled into it and found the murder interesting.

I started by disliking most of the characters but over the course of the book I really got to like Helgi. I'd definitely be interested in reading more with him as the main character. I liked the inclusion of his personal life, his situation was really hard and I felt we were setting up for further books.

The reason for my low rating is that the solution to the mystery felt like a cop out. It drained all the tension away for me and I was left feeling very disappointed. The ending to the actual book was powerful but a bit dissatisfying too - unless there are definitely going to be more books in the series, in which case it makes more sense.

So I guess this was a miss for me really but I didn't hate it, I enjoyed most of it just the ending spoiled the experience. I'm not sure if I would read any more from this author or not but I would like to know what happens with Helgi. The other character I really liked was Hulda and I see she has her own series so I may check that out.

I'd like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a very enjoyable read!
It's got Agatha Christie murder mystery vibes, and I kicked myself in the end for missing the breadcrumbs!

It's a dual timeline story that jumps between 1983 and 2012.
A woman was brutally murdered at an old sanatorium that is now used for research. It seemed very personal, and soon someone is arrested, but did he do it, or was the police investigation rushed? Soon there is another death at the sanatorium, and it seems like the case is solved—or was it?

Helgi Reykdal did a postgraduate degree in criminology in the UK and is now busy writing a Master's dissertation about the deaths at the sanatorium. He has been offered a job working on complex investigations in Reykjavík CID.
Will his questions about the events that took place in 1983 stir up trouble?

Helgi is also struggling with some personal issues. Things are not going well between him and his girlfriend, and it seems like things are going from bad to worse. How will this play out?

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A cold case thriller told from multiple perspectives and time frames. It started well and the premise intrigued me. However I felt the story fell flat and the novel didn’t grip me as I expected. I would rate this 2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph Penguin Random House ace tree author for the chance to review.

An unsolved murder, an isolated, creepy sanatorium setting and a young criminologist's attempt to let the ghosts of the past finally rest.

In a huge nod to Agatha Christie, with Death at the Sanatorium, it seems that Ragnar Jónasson has set out to deliver a book that is reminiscent of the Golden Age of Crime with modern touches to keep it relevant to today and overall he does deliver on that mission.

There are multiple points of view, multiple timelines that flash back and forward to build the story and a number of intriguing twists that all combine to give us a satisfactory crime novel that for most readers will prove to be intriguing, extremely readable and generally well plotted.

I loved the premise of this book and I hoped for a creepy, dark and suspenseful read. For me, the desire to hark back to the classic age of crime meant that it didn't quite deliver at those levels and I think hampered the atmosphere as it couldn't go as dark mystery/thriller as it possibly should have. For a relatively short novel it also felt quite long as there was a feeling of repetition of story elements. For me the most intriguing elements were the opening few chapters and last few as that's where the most potential for a truly interesting story lay.

Fans of Agatha Christie and crime novels of that era will really appreciate the nods and affectionate references back to the masters of crime as well as the pacing, plot points and character development, but for me sadly it fell a little flat as I wished for a darker, grittier and creepier story than what was delivered.

2.5* rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a digital review copy of "Death at the Sanatorium" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

An enjoyable back story to Ragnar's Darkness trilogy, with the tale of the up and coming newbie who pushes Hulda into early retirement (and those of us who have read the brilliant backwards Darkness trilogy know how shockingly that turns out for her!) In Death at the Sanatorium we are introduced to Helgi, who is writing his Masters dissertation on the investigation into a pair of deaths at an old TB Sanatorium near Akureyri, and dithering over whether to accept a job in Reykjavik CID or one abroad. Things for Helgi at home are not all rosy though, and loud, destructive arguments have had the neighbours notifying the police of domestic disturbance - something of an embarrassment for Helgi, considering his future career with them, and uncomfortably close to home for him when a possible instance of domestic violence comes up in the course of the story. The story is set mainly over 2 timelines, the 'present day' which is Helgi doing his research in 2012, and back in 1983 when the deaths took place. There's a brief instance in 1950 but that is the exception. Back in 1983 Tinna is working at the Sanatorium and arrives first one day to discover a grísly murder has taken place. Not too long into the investigation one of the staff members seemingly committed suicide and the suggestion is that this was his admission of guilt, and the case is pretty much shelved. Hulda is a second in command in the case and is not convinced, but as so often happens her opinion is overlooked by the Boys' Club attitude of the Force at the time. Back in the 2012 present day, as he looks into things, Helgi has his doubts too, and as he interviews all the staff still alive, even though his interest is purely academic in the investigative process, someone is clearly rattled, and events take a serious new turn.
The story is very engaging with good characterisation and pace, with some good high points of tension and some well written sleight of hand to challenge your assumptions. I felt that some of the conversations came across to me as a little stilted, jarring slightly the flow of the tale as it would bring me up short to think 'do people really talk/think like that?' but I suspect this might be something where translation from the original Icelandic perhaps muddies the waters somewhat. That aside, a very enjoyable read, and I look forward very much to seeing more of what I believe will be a new series featuring the trials and tribulations of our Helgi. It is not essential to have read the Darkness trilogy before this book, it works perfectly as a stand alone, but if you have read them, it does imbue this novel with an extra layer of depth and poignancy. My grateful thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

The story begins with a murder of a nurse at an old Tuberculosis Sanatorium in the North of Iceland near a village called Akureyri in 1983. The story is told over several time periods and through different characters, which left me wanting to discover more and more of the plot. The case wasn't really solved by the police from Reykjavik CID. Fast forward to 2012, Helgi Reykdal is completing a MA in Criminology and as part of this, he is writing a dissertation titled "Deaths at the Sanatorium"! He lives with his girlfriend in Reykjavik in a basement flat. Before leaving Iceland to study his MA in the UK, Helgi had done some temping for the Icelandic police, so he is offered a job in the CID, he persuades Magnus to let me look into the Sanatorium. All the sub plots come together with a surprising surprise. The book is well written and very descriptive especially the locations. I will be recommending this book.

I really do enjoy Ragnar Jónasson's books. He is a master at writing modern day, golden age style mysteries, and Death At the Sanatorium is no exception. Although the murder which draws our, and our protagonist, Helgi's, attention, was some twenty years earlier, a good proportion of the investigation - led by Helgi who chooses to use the unsolved mystery as part of this thesis - takes place in the 'present'. I put that in inverted commas as ever the present day is actually a couple of decades ago in our context, making the earlier murders scenes forty years ago and, technically, an 'historical' crime. Is it just me that finds that thought quite alarming?

What I like about Jónasson's writing is that he very much focuses our attention on the mystery and the characters who are a part of the story. Whilst what happens to the nurse, Yrsa, is quite horrific in real terms, it is pretty well kept off the page, and the violence is not really part of the story, other than being the mode of her dispatch. This book is about discovering the motives and understanding the very differing characters of the suspects. It also brings us into the orbit of characters who may be familiar to long term fans of the author. That brought a certain smile to my face, even if it was a slightly resigned one, knowing what I knew about that particular person's fate. Jónasson is a master when it comes to creating characters and setting, and engaging readers even where the people we are witnessing may leave something to be desired.

I liked Helgi, even if, at times, he seems to be a troubled, and perhaps troubling, character, There is definitely something strange going on in his life, and it is a fact that sits on the periphery of our understanding until just the right time to be revealed. He's by no means perfect, and sometimes comes across as flighty, reluctant to commit to anything, especially to the offer of a job with the Reykjavik police. But there is still something about him,perhaps his tenacity and his determination to solve a case which the police were happy to dismiss as resolved two decades earlier. We are in a privileged position as readers to know more about the case than was told to the investigating officers, a fact that made me frustrated with certain characters, and angry with other. In fact, between them, the varied personalities stirred up a variety of emotions in me, a credit to the author that he managed to bring such diversity and frustrating realism to the page.

There is a lot of misdirection in this book, as well as subtle clues that are fed to us throughout, giving hints as to what the truth of the story might be. It would be easy to dismiss them, or even forget them in some cases, given that they are relayed to readers very early on, but, as with many of the author's mysteries, it pays to pay close attention. There isn't a wasted detail here and something you may think interesting but inconsequential, may just be the turning point in the whole case. I perhaps had guessed the perpetrator of the crime in advance of the big reveal, but not the whole motive until the pint the author clearly felt was right, and that suited me just fine, as really, I was just enjoying the journey. As for the ending ... Well I'm not sure if that means we should expect more from Helgi or not, but it was certainly a memorable way i which to end a story, as I was not expecting that!

Another wonderful golden age style mystery, packed with memorable characters and pitch perfect storytelling that fans of the author will love.

High up in the most northern part of Iceland stands The Akureyri Sanatorium. Once a hospital dedicated to treating tuberculosis, it now sits haunted by the ghosts of its past.
One wing of the hospital remains open and houses six employees: the caretaker, two doctors, two nurses and a young research assistant.
Despite the wards closing decades ago, they remain at the hospital to conduct research. But the cold corridors, draughty windows and echoey halls are constant reminders of the building’s dark history.

Although told from several different points of view and differing timelines this is surprisingly easy to follow. Sadly, it doesn’t live up to his other work, in my opinion. I just wasn't drawn in by the characters or the plot. It seems to be a throwback to earlier detective fiction but set in a more modern era. There is no doubt that Ragnar Johnson is a terrific writer this one just didn’t do it for me.

It’s 1983 and a nurse is murdered at a remote Icelandic sanatorium. Never satisfactorily solved and years on, criminologist Helgi Reykdal starts to unravel the mystery.

In more than a nod to Agatha Christie and co, Ragnar skilfully manages different timelines, delving into the past to pull together a sharply plotted mystery. He deftly brings small town Iceland to life, with fully rounded suspects & plenty of twists.

This is an author at the top of his game, playing with a locked room type mystery. Love all the golden age crime book references and you can feel a Christie influence here. Really good premise and creepy in places, with a very interesting protagonist. A nice quick read too. Very enjoyable.

This started as a five star read for me as I was loving the premise. It is mainly set in two timeframes of 1983 and 2012. In 1983 there is a rather gruesome murder at the sanatorium where Tinna, Elísabet, Thorri, Fridjón and Broddi work. Tinna is the nurse who discovered the body and Elísabet is also a nurse. Thorri and Fridjón are doctors. The suspicion falls mainly on Broddi, the sanatorium caretaker. And then there is a second death...

In the 2012 timeframe we meet Helgi and his partner Bergthora who live in a basement flat in Reykjavik. Helgi is finishing a Masters in Criminology and is doing a dissertation on the police's handling of the deaths at the sanatorium in 1983. He is also in the process of going to work for the police having done a short spell with them previously. Helgi is looking to interview those still alive from the time of the deaths and starts to uncover past secrets meaning his dissertation and his potential police work start to merge.

It was a good page-turner initially but then started to get a little repetitive. The ending was rather abrupt and seemed more like the beginning of a sequel than an ending so disappointing to me. There were times where I had to suspend belief such as Tinna not being able to remember the number to call when she found the murder victim. She had to find a telephone directory and look it up. Do you not call 999 or whatever the emergency number is in Iceland when you find someone murdered?! This was after she didn't want to do into the director's office uninvited? After finding a gruesome murder?!

Part of ending also fell flat for me as it was signalled quite clearly to me about 40% into the book. I am not sure if that was intentional. The other part of the ending mentioned a character who hadn't appeared elsewhere who said something that didn't make sense to me. Hard to say too much without a spoiler. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. With thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the ARC

I've read several other novels by Ragnar Jónasson and they never fail to entertain me. He has his own delicious way of writing and describing the cold, Islandic atmosphere. Death at the Sanatorium is a suspenseful locked-room mystery where you're constantly kept guessing. I love the ride and the suspense in the novel. I never saw the twist coming and was shocked by the ending. A great novel. Highly recommend!

Somewhat disappointing crime novel from Ragnar Jónasson. A short book but could have been made even shorter as it was very repetitive possibly as it is told from several different viewpoints, maybe one too many.
Helgi is finishing a dissertation on murders take took place years earlier in a closed down TB sanatorium and trying to avoid taking up a job with the police department. He is obsessed with his father’s vast collection of old crime novels and takes this “old fashioned “ way of solving these crimes by interviewing all the people involved at the time.
It was all much ado about nothing from what I could see and there seemed to be no explanation as to what they were all doing in this disused sanatorium to begin with.
A harmless read but this author has done better.

Thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and the publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC.