"As a rule, Tinna avoided entering the old hospital wards of possible as she found the atmosphere there macabre; there were reminders of death in every corner, and the narrow corridors seemed eerie and oppressive.
But the ghosts of the long-dead patients were forced to take a back seat now, because it was the chilling memory of what had happened to Yrsa that held everyone in its grip."

Multiple perspectives and two timeframes centred around the Akureyi Sanatorium, north of Reykjavik, Iceland (which exists in real life) following a murder. A tuberculosis hospital in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it's a research centre by the 1983 timeframe and out of use by the 2012 timeframe. There's Helgi, a young male researcher who has, and will, work for the police, Tinna who worked at the sanatorium and discovered the two bodies (separately) and Broddi the caretaker, both in 1983, along with other nurses and doctors who are victims or suspects.

I enjoyed the cold case and sanitorium concept, which, along with the isolated and icy location, made for great atmosphere. Perspectives from multiple characters came together as it became clear how they were connected to one another and what their roles are or were in relation to the sanatorium.
There's depth to the characters, their backgrounds, current circumstances to explain their behaviour. I particularly liked Helgi's love for crime fiction, through his father and as a means of escape from his domestic situation. I found Tinna attention-seeking and rather dislikeable, Helgi took time to grow on me and Boddi is vulnerable and distant. I enjoyed the addition of police officer Hulda (the main character in one of the author's police procedural series) who has a tough life, but I find somewhat passive. The pace is good and I read it quickly over a couple of days, keen to identify the killer. The shock ending makes me wonder if there will be a follow-up?

This is the third book I've read by this acclaimed author and find his novels hard to engage with and I'm not entirely sure why because he is clearly popular. A crime fiction fan, perhaps this author or this subgenre is just not my favourite. Tragedies, secrets and an isolated, spooky location that I liked, but didn't love reading.

I really did not see the twist coming. Another great book from Ragnar Jonasson , they just seem to get better. Good build up in tension throughout the book. I pinned the murder on the wrong person altogether.

This didn't blow me away, unfortunately. I found the main character a little flat and while the storyline and the switching of timelines was interesting, it wasn't enough and it was quite underwhelming. The last page was a big shock. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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What can I say but another fantastic read from Ragnar Jonasson! This has it all, mystery, intrigue and kept me guessing right until the end! I love all his books but this one is a new favourite!

Ragnar Jonasson really is the Master of the twist you didn’t see coming.

Death at the Sanatorium felt familiar, as I’m a huge fan of this author & have read the wonderful Dark Iceland trilogy, amongst others. This murder mystery has a number of timelines, but the story didn’t feel complicated. The characters weren’t particularly sympathetic (although I loved the few glimpses of Hulda & wished her story had a happier ending), and Helgi proved himself to be a worthy protagonist.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an early copy - I’m off to reread some of the earlier books! Highly recommended.

I have read and enjoyed many Icelandic thrillers over the years, and this is now added to those. I enjoyed that the main character was not a police detective and it was a cold case. This added to the storytelling. The three timelines made it interesting, along with the domestic situation of Helgi.

Thanks to Penguin Random House, Michael Joseph and NetGalley for ARC.
Young criminologist and almost-police-officer Helgi is intrigued by a cold case he has chosen for his final dissertation. A generation ago a woman was brutally murdered at a decommissioned sanatorium, and despite only five suspects and an early arrest, there was no conviction. As he explores the police handling of the case inconsistencies emerge; perhaps unsurprisingly some of the key people involved seem reluctant to talk.
This is a slow burn; there is a lot of homage to Christie and other Golden Age crime writers and there is decent exploration of the long term effects of childhood trauma and corporate coverups. The domestic abuse storyline could perhaps have been better handled. Some people will hate the cliffhanger ending, but I thought it packed a punch.
I've only read a few of Jonasson's other novels, but it's sending me back to fill in the gaps. I also loved the settings, rekindling my desire to head back to Iceland's rural areas.

Another Icelandic classic from this author, as usual I learned another slice of fascinating Icelandic history! As usual the story - a criminologist investigating a cold case from the 1980s - kept me turning the pages. Very atmospheric, thoroughly enjoyable.

A highly readable thoughtful whodunnit following in the footsteps of ellery queen, Agatha Christie and others. There were a suitable number of twists, turns and red herrings before a surprising denouement. One feature that was excellent was a focus on domestic abuse but from female to male. Few people recognise this as a problem and of course a victim has to walk past several stereotypes before they acknowledge a problem and then get to be taken seriously. It goes without saying that no person should be abused, male or female. There was no happy ending here, just a tense stand-off that will be pursued in ensuing novels. A worthwhile read

I won’t lie I’m already a fan of Ragnar Jonasson’s books so when the opportunity to get a proof came up I jumped at the chance to read it. Set over a period of time, and weaving back and forth between characters, the pages keep turning as you think you’ve pinpointed the killer only to find out you were wrong. I loved the characters and the setting and the way the book reminded me of a modern day Agatha Christie which is the ultimate compliment in my book!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

This was an intriguing cold case mystery translated from Icelandic and set in Reykjavik and a place in northern Iceland called Akureyri.

The story built nicely with switching of both characters and time periods and there were some genuinely exciting moments. There were lots of references to the main character’s interest in classic detective fiction and whodunnits throughout, presumably the intention being to set this up as a similar type of book. Overall though I thought it fell a little flat and didn’t quite deliver on the early promise..

This is a middle-of-the-road cosy whodunit from Jónasson, reminiscent of the sleepy works of Agatha Christie. Unfortunately, that's not my particular taste and not what I expected going into this. I'd hoped for something a bit spunkier. I didn't actively dislike it, it just wasn't particularly memorable and doesn't stand out for me.

I don't have much to say about it but here are my thoughts - trying to be as objective as possible given that I felt a bit mislead going into it.

The slow-drip revealing of clues would be great for those who have the patience to piece it all together at the pace of which the reader was given the information.

I enjoyed the eccentricities of some of the characters but I felt that Helgi fell a bit flat as a MC. I preferred the other characters, although I felt like it was a bit too character driven for me. Which is fine... if your MC is gripping and charismatic enough to carry that.
As is common from a character-driven story, the plot seems to take a backseat, with everything finally coming to a head with a disappointing ending. Again, open endings aren't my thing, but it felt even more lacklustre here given how slow the story had been building up to that point.

There's a certain charm to the author's narrative style and the different timelines element was well executed in adding some extra interest into the story. However, while the prose was pleasant, it wasn't enough to compensate for the lack of momentum in the plot.

Personally, I found myself wishing for a bit more excitement, a twist that would shake up the narrative and reignite my interest. While there's nothing inherently wrong with this novel, it simply didn't captivate me as I had hoped. It also took me longer than usual to finish, lacking the usual urgency that drives me to devour a novel in a matter of days.

Maybe I need to try another of Jónasson's novels as he's clearly a talented writer. As I've said plenty times though (sorry!), this just wasn't really my cup of tea. I know of friends - and my grandma, sorry again! - who would enjoy the pace of this and get right into it so I'll recommend it to them to see if maybe I'm just desensitised from years of reading dark, hugely suspenseful thrillers.

Firstly, thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for a review.

I don't normally like mysteries but something about this caught my eye, and I really enjoyed reading it. It's not like a normal whodunnit but the ending was definitely still a surprise. It was still really enjoyable and I would recommend to friends who like mysteries.

I was excited to read this advance copy as it fits exactly with the type of books I enjoy - I have read similar literature in the past (e.g. Helene Tursten) and loved it. However, I have to admit that although the characters were well-drawn, I found the domestic abuse twist to be unsurprising and the pace slow, which meant that the ending had to be rushed. While I loved the references to Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh, this book just didn’t grab me.

Death at the Sanatorium is the latest Icelandic noir novel from Ragnar Jónasson. This short book is set over three timelines; 1950 where a small child is admitted to a sanatorium forTB patients in the northern town of Akureyri, 1983 when a series of murders have taken place and 2012, where the unsolved murders are now the subject of a thesis.

This is an understated, slow burner of a read. There’s a very small group of characters involved, from Helgi, the student obsessed by the cold case to Yrsa, Elizabeth and Broddi, the former staff at the sanatorium. There’s a golden age mystery aspect to these murders, with multi references to novels by Agatha Christie. There’s also a very interesting spin on domestic violence.

Overall, a very enjoyable ‘low on tension’ read, which you could easily finish in one sitting. There’s also the promise of a follow up with a very open ended conclusion . Many thanks to @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley for the advance copy in return for my review. 3.5 stars

Jonasson’s plotting is masterful, with each twist and turn moving the narrative slowly forward. You get the impression that he can't decide which is more important to him; his relationship, his master's thesis, or solving the mystery of the Sanatorium. But the reader needs to know what happened, making "Death at the Sanatorium" impossible to put down.

Jonasson’s portrayal of characters seems shallow but slowly, surely they are revealed. From the patients of the sanatorium to the staff members, each character is eventually revealed via interview, moving the plot forward.

In "Death at the Sanatorium," Ragnar Jonasson has created a fine mystery that will keep readers hooked until the reveal and sudden ending. Is you love Nordic Noir "Death at the Sanatorium" is not to be missed.

Helgi Reykdal is determined to find the truth of the secrets that have been lurking in the old Sanatorium. Decades may have past but the truth can’t stay buried forever.

The plot was more interesting than the main character, who at times, I didn’t feel connected too. Especially when he was digging into the mystery, he seemed flat. The balance of this book felt off to me, as I was more interested in the story than the main character. The relationship between Reykdal and his wife was cleverly handled and gave him more depth and intrigue in those chapters.

I’m disappointed to be only able to give this book 3 out of 5 as it had so much potential, but it sadly wasn’t as addictive as his Dark Iceland series.

A cosy whodunnit crime, with multiple POVs and timelines. The characters and the plot are thought out and well-developed, with a good pace. The pieces of information are fed to you as they are to the main character, and you get to work out the truth together with him. There is no reveal or twists, just a nicely planned story unravelled. The chapters are set quite short however, flitting through the point of views which get a little tiring at times. It does get a little tiring with the repetition from the character's thoughts. But nonetheless, it was a good read.

I liked this, much more than some of the other Jonasson books I have read recently. I find his work is hit and miss with me, a completely personal opinion. His pacing varies book by book and I can't quite get into a rhythm when reading them.

Death at the sanatorium was a great little 'locked room' mystery - I'd argue that perhaps it was more a cosy crime and historical procedural than locked room, but that is how it is described. He sets his scenes flawlessly, and the scenery and atmosphere created by the vastness of the Icelandic location is wonderful. There are some unlikeable characters and some familiar ones too.

I'd go as far as to say this is my favourite book of his.

Splitting itself along vacillating timelines, Death at the Sanatorium is a smart if flawed whodunnit that blends Scandi noir with a Golden Age mystery to mixed effect. Utilising characters who appear at multiple points in time and framed around the mysterious slayings at the eponymous sanatorium, the novel is clunky in parts and a touch heavy handed overall, but is still enjoyable enough, even when its rushed ending careens around the corner.