I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Death at the Sanatorium and have been eagerly awaiting this next instalment - it didn’t disappoint.

The story is told in multiple timelines, which for me were clearly distinguished from each other. The disappearance of Elin is a new case and for that part could be read as a stand-alone. However, the story of Helgi’s personal life continues from the first book and to fully appreciate that I think it would be preferable to read Death at the Sanatorium first.

I love that Helgi is a golden age crime fiction fan and consults his ‘library’ to help him solve the mystery at hand. The case of a missing crime fiction writer will not be lost on Agatha Christie fans. I found myself turning to the details of Agatha’s own disappearance to see if it held any clues to solve this one.

I am loving this series and can’t wait to read the next one, especially after a cliff hanger ending. I recommend them to anyone who loves a Nordic crime fiction, golden age crime or anyone who just loves a good mystery. Be warned though, Helgi’s reading list will have you adding more books to your to be read pile!

3.5 stars
This was book 2 in the Helgi Reykdal series and I have to say I enjoyed this one much more.

The book has short chapters as well as bouncing back and forth between the present, a seemingly unrelated past event and an interview with Elín S. Jónsdóttir (the missing crime writer).

Everything is not as it seems and I spent a lot of time going back and forth on my own theories. There are a few red herrings and some things I only managed to suss when Jónasson let me. He creates atmosphere and mystery brilliantly in this book. I enjoy Helgi as a character and he is a refreshing change to the usual detective.

Jónasson sends an important message in this series as he shows that men can also be victims of domestic violence and why Helgi struggled to escape the relationship.

Finally the ending! I saw it coming but it still left me gob smacked and had me screaming ‘NO! That can’t be end of the book!!’
So I hope there is going to be a book 3 and I can’t wait to read it.

If you are into chilly Icelandic mysteries then this is for you

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

I’d read the previous book in this series so was familiar with some of the characters already. I’m not sure why but this just felt a bit flat and the pacing was all wrong. It was ok but it was a struggle to get through.

In the Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer, Bestselling crime author, Elín Jónsdóttir has gone missing. Detective Helgi Reykdal is tasked with investigating, hoping to solve the case before her disappearance becomes widely known. He meets the people closest to her, and realises things are not quite as they seemed to be. The story also brings in Helgi's personal life, and we start to learn more about Elin via exerpts of an interview she had given.

I both liked and disliked this book. I enjoyed the setting, the return of familiar characters from previous books by Ragnar Jonasson. If you have read Death at the Sanitorium you will remember Helgi. and of course Hulda from the Hidden Iceland series. But this works fine standalone.

It's an ok mystery, the author creates suspense and uneasiness throughout which I liked. However it's a bit too slow overall, and some of the clues and pieces of the puzzle are a bit too haphazard in the story. The timeline jumps around a bit, from 2012 where it's predominantly set, with flashbacks to 1965, 1976 and 2005. I did like the ending, I know it won't be for everyone though as it's very abrupt. I'm guessing there will be a future story where we will learn what happened...

I am a Ragnar Jonasson fan and will definitely read whatever he writes next. This one just wasn't my favourite.

The mystery of the missing author piqued my curiosity, and I thought the investigation by Helgi Reykdahl was interestingly laid out. Weaving Hulda Hermannsdottir’s backstory around this active case for this series' wider story arc was gratifying, which raised so many more questions about the enigma of Hulda. But I felt the balance was off with the pacing for the third story strand with the ongoing relationship woes for Reykdahl’s dangerous ex-partner.

I think this pacing issue was the reason that I took me so long to finish the book. Good ideas were contained with these pages, but overall it wasn’t as positive of an experience as I had expected.

This is the first novel that I have read by this author and apparently this is the second featuring detective Helgi, although this is very much a standalone. Helgi has left an abusive relationship and is now beginning a new relationship with Anita, although his ex does not seem to have let him go. A crime writer, Elin, has disappeared. This lady who is in her 70s hasn’t been heard of for the past couple of weeks and Helgi investigates. He interviews people in Elin’s life -her publisher and her husband and her best friend. Other people connected with Elin are also interviewed. At the same time we are given a transcript of an interview that Elin did some years before. Alongside this missing person, Helgi is also drawn to the case of a female officer, Hulda, from decades earlier who was investigating a bank robbery. The timelines switch from Hulda in the 1970s to the interview with Elin in 2005and Helgi’s present investigation. This turns out not to be a simple missing person case but something a lot darker. And what surprised me is that there is no tying up of all the clues. We are left not only with unsolved mysteries but an ending which just causes you to stop and wish there was another chapter. I liked Helgi, it was a change to see domestic violence written about from a different angle where he was the some who had suffered abuse. There was a charm and almost a vulnerability about him and of course he is an avid reader of crime fiction so what is there not to love. The ending was not what I was expecting but overall it was a good read.

Fans of Ragnar Jónasson will be familiar with his affection for the golden age of crime fiction, particularly Agatha Christie. Indeed, closer inspection of this novel will uncover a reference or two to the author’s previous translation work.

In The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer, Jónasson takes Agatha Christie’s disappearance, in the midst of her husband’s marital infidelity, as a source of inspiration and crafts it into his own golden age story.

Elín S. Jónsdóttir lived alone but had a tight circle of friends. Never married, she had authored 10 acclaimed crime novels, and though she still writes, she stopped publishing after those ten.

Helgi Reykdal is a young police detective who reads mysteries as enthusiastically as he solves them. His world is draped in the ice-blue shadows of Iceland, where every cold street lamp seems to whisper secrets. He is our shepherd who guides us through the layers and labyrinthine puzzle of this tale. Last seen in Jonasson’s Death at the Sanatorium, Helgi bears a similarity to Ari Thor, Jonasson’s detective in his Dark Iceland series, whose 10th anniversary is celebrated this year.

Jónasson delivers a plot structure that made me smile in recognition—a layered tale told across three timelines (1976, 2005, and 2012), elegantly weaving the past into the present. In 1976, Helgi’s missing predecessor, Detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir, investigates a baffling bank robbery, and I wondered how that connected to Elín S. Jónsdóttir’s later disappearance?

In 2005, we are listening in on Elín’s interview with a TV journalist and presenter. The journalist is well regarded, and her demeanour reflects the cool glamour of her job, though that coolness is destined to melt away as she comes to realise what secrets are being unfolded.

In 2012, Helgi is drawn into the search—not just as a detective, but as a fan. He’s just as anxious to uncover the author’s fate before the news gets out and the press goes wild trying to hunt her down.

Helgi is a lovely homage to the Golden Age sleuth: thoughtful, bookish, driven by diligent clue collection rather than brute force. His relationships add emotional texture—he’s recently recovered from a series of brutal episodes at the hands of his former partner, Bergthora. Now he’s basking in the love of the warm and affectionate Anita.

Helgi’s peace is on a knife-edge though: Bergthora resurfaces, stalking Anita, and weaving a thread of psychological threat through the investigation

The pacing is brisk; I hurried through the pages, waiting for the next clue to drop, wondering what new twist Helgi would unearth next. Helgi’s investigations are less about suspense and tension and more of a cerebral game; we are trying to solve it as much as Helgi.

Hulda Hermannsdóttir’s presence haunts the novel. Though she vanished decades prior, her investigation forms a backbone to the mystery—and Helgi’s reflection that perhaps he must next examine Hulda’s disappearance hints at a broader tapestry. Readers who have read Jonasson’s Darkness trilogy are all too aware of Hulda’s background and disappearance.

Hulda is more than just a historical context; she serves as both a precedent and a missing mirror to Helgi’s own journey. Her unresolved fate adds a lingering melancholy to the story and opens the door to additional complexities.

The ending is enigmatic—a mixture of satisfaction and disquiet. Helgi seems to gain clarity on Elín’s fate, yet Jónasson artfully injects enough doubt that the mystery remains alive

Anita’s status left my heart unsettled. Helgi’s interest in Hulda’s case hints of further investigation and exploration.

Verdict: Overall, One winter evening bestselling crime author, Elín S. Jónsdóttir goes missing. There are no clues to her disappearance and it is up to young detective, Helgi, to crack the case before it’s leaked to the press.

As he interviews the people closest to her – a publisher, an accountant, a retired judge – he realises that Elín’s life wasn’t what it seemed. In fact, her past is even stranger than her stories.

As the case of the missing crime writer becomes more mysterious by the hour, Helgi must uncover the secrets of a very unexpected life . . .

Fans of Ragnar Jónasson will be familiar with his affection for the golden age of crime fiction, particularly Agatha Christie. Indeed, closer inspection of this novel will uncover a reference or two to the author’s previous translation work.

In The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer, Jónasson takes Agatha Christie’s disappearance, in the midst of her husband’s marital infidelity, as a source of inspiration and crafts it into his own golden age story.

Elín S. Jónsdóttir lived alone but had a tight circle of friends. Never married, she had authored 10 acclaimed crime novels, and though she still writes, she stopped publishing after those ten.

Helgi Reykdal is a young police detective who reads mysteries as enthusiastically as he solves them. His world is draped in the ice-blue shadows of Iceland, where every cold street lamp seems to whisper secrets. He is our shepherd who guides us through the layers and labyrinthine puzzle of this tale. Last seen in Jonasson’s Death at the Sanatorium, Helgi bears a similarity to Ari Thor, Jonasson’s detective in his Dark Iceland series, whose 10th anniversary is celebrated this year.

Jónasson delivers a plot structure that made me smile in recognition—a layered tale told across three timelines (1976, 2005, and 2012), elegantly weaving the past into the present. In 1976, Helgi’s missing predecessor, Detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir, investigates a baffling bank robbery, and I wondered how that connected to Elín S. Jónsdóttir’s later disappearance?

In 2005, we are listening in on Elín’s interview with a TV journalist and presenter. The journalist is well regarded, and her demeanour reflects the cool glamour of her job, though that coolness is destined to melt away as she comes to realise what secrets are being unfolded.

In 2012, Helgi is drawn into the search—not just as a detective, but as a fan. He’s just as anxious to uncover the author’s fate before the news gets out and the press goes wild trying to hunt her down.

Helgi is a lovely homage to the Golden Age sleuth: thoughtful, bookish, driven by diligent clue collection rather than brute force. His relationships add emotional texture—he’s recently recovered from a series of brutal episodes at the hands of his former partner, Bergthora. Now he’s basking in the love of the warm and affectionate Anita.

Helgi’s peace is on a knife-edge though: Bergthora resurfaces, stalking Anita, and weaving a thread of psychological threat through the investigation

The pacing is brisk; I hurried through the pages, waiting for the next clue to drop, wondering what new twist Helgi would unearth next. Helgi’s investigations are less about suspense and tension and more of a cerebral game; we are trying to solve it as much as Helgi.

Hulda Hermannsdóttir’s presence haunts the novel. Though she vanished decades prior, her investigation forms a backbone to the mystery—and Helgi’s reflection that perhaps he must next examine Hulda’s disappearance hints at a broader tapestry. Readers who have read Jonasson’s Darkness trilogy are all too aware of Hulda’s background and disappearance.

Hulda is more than just a historical context; she serves as both a precedent and a missing mirror to Helgi’s own journey. Her unresolved fate adds a lingering melancholy to the story and opens the door to additional complexities.

The ending is enigmatic—a mixture of satisfaction and disquiet. Helgi seems to gain clarity on Elín’s fate, yet Jónasson artfully injects enough doubt that the mystery remains alive

Anita’s status left my heart unsettled. Helgi’s interest in Hulda’s case hints of further investigation and exploration.

Verdict: Overall, this is a golden-age style mystery with modern emotional stakes. If you enjoy layered timelines, thoughtful puzzle-driven prose, and the bleak, beautiful Icelandic atmosphere, you’ll find much to enjoy—even if the ending is intentionally abrupt.

A gripping and atmospheric small-town mystery, perfect for readers who enjoy suspenseful but not overly graphic crime novels.

An atmospheric and intriguing mystery from Ragnar Jónasson. When famous crime writer Elín S. Jónsdóttir disappears one winter evening, young detective Helgi is tasked with the case. At the same time he is haunted by the unsolved disappearance of a policewoman who went missing while investigating a bank robbery. The novel combines small-town vibes, shifting timelines, and multiple mysteries that may or may not be connected.

It is not action heavy but instead relies on conversations and atmosphere. While some twists were predictable, it was still engaging and easy to read. Recommended for readers who enjoy small-town mysteries that are suspenseful but not overly graphic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This is my second book by this author and it just fell kind of flat. The main storyline of the missing author was so boring, the main character just went around to talking to people until the resolution was handed to him on a plate. The time jumps took me a minute to get along with and it became clear eventually, but I spent most those parts not really getting why they were there.
The only part I really like is Helgi’s personal storyline and I would read more of the books just to follow that

When an acclaimed writer disappears, Detective Helgi is asked to take on the case. Helgi is still recovering from the end of his abusive relationship and is in the north of the country visiting his sick mother but, as a fan of the writer, agrees to take the case. He is also haunted by tales of his predecessor, another woman who disappeared, who was obsessed solving a killing during an armed robbery in the 1960s. As he probes into the life of the writer he is also forced to confront his own concerns and the disparate threads start to join.
Jonasson is a great writer of scandi-crime but this book is so much more. Rooted in Golden Age crime writing with references strewn throughout it is a meditation on missing people and on solitary lives. The domestic abuse storyline is not overplayed yet is shocking in its starkness. I raced through the book, it is not long but is beautifully written and quite haunting.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer: A Mystery by Ragnar Jónasson

I’d heard so many good things about this book and was excited to finally read it myself. At first, I wasn’t entirely sure if it was for me and I even considered putting it down but I’m so glad I didn’t. It turned out to be a very good read.

One of the things I really enjoyed was how unpredictable the story was. I love trying to decipher where a plot will go, but with this one I truly struggled, which kept me engaged and eager to keep turning the pages. The twists were cleverly written and completely unexpected, which added a lot to the suspense.

It was also a quick, satisfying read- just the right length for this kind of story.

A new author to me and an interesting read.
The main detective protagonist is entwined with three disparate plot lines, one an actual case, one something he is dipping into and one he isn’t aware of as yet closer to home .
All is seemingly resolved at the shocking end albeit not in expected ways .
All three are good scenarios on their own but I found them all running together a little confusing to keep on top of .
Will definitely try another of his books in future.

I love the title of this book, and much of its vibe - there's a cosiness to aspects of it, and I can imagine the characters going about their lives with or without the book. But the story never quite grabbed me as much as I wanted it to.

Detective Helgi has been given a case that could go huge - hugely successful crime writer Elín S. Jónsdóttir has gone missing. But being a quiet sort of person, with an intensely private life, no one can actually say for sure, initially, whether she is actually missing or simply 'away'. Can Helgi find her (warm or cold) before she turns up? He talks to her friends and... that's pretty much it.

Helgi has a compelling backstory himself, coming out of a relationship with abuse in it, and a budding new romance. He's also aware that his predecessor at the police station went missing too. But the pieces don't all come together. I can only imagine that this book is a series, and that the slightly downbeat end to this one, and missing policewoman angle might be explored further there. Unfortunately, in a standalone title, it means the main murder case really has to land in order to thoroughly enjoy the book. Does it?

I'm not sure. There was no big 'aha!' for me in the reading, only an 'oh'. There is some promise here, but only if it's a series! I would give a book 2 a fair chance, but I'm not sure I'd recommend this one at the moment.

Set in atmospheric Iceland with Agatha Christie vibes The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson was a really enjoyable read and the perfect follow up to Death at the Sanatorium which I also loved!

‘One winter evening bestselling crime author, Elín S. Jónsdóttir goes missing.
There are no clues to her disappearance and it is up to young detective, Helgi, to crack the case before it's leaked to the press.’

The Icelandic setting is described beautifully throughout, I love a book which really makes you feel you’re part of the action and this book makes you feel like you are right there solving the mystery yourself.

I love that Helgi is a detective who loves crime fiction and his vulnerabilities make him an engaging main character who you root for.

I enjoyed the unique structure of the book with multiple timelines. Throughout the novel we return to an interview with Elin the missing crime writer. I really enjoyed these sections and I liked how they slowly revealed secrets about the writer’s life.

Thank you so much Michael Joseph for my ARC and a very happy publication day to Ragnar Jónasson!

I loved this book! Its written by an Icelandic author and it's the first I've read from him.
It was completely gripping from the start. Its a mix of 3 different time periods, with interviews & transcripts thrown in. At first I wondered if it would put me off, but it made me read faster.
Elin, a crime writer has disappeared, and police officer Helgi is brought in to find her.
As well as Elins life and disappearance, it follows Helgis own personal situation, and randomly, that of a missing police officer.
I would have given it 5 stars but I didnt feel the ending tied everything up - I am hoping its the start of a series, which I will definitely be invested in.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t realise that this was a sequel to last year’s Death At The Sanatorium – to be honest, I thought the way that book ended kind of stopped a sequel from happening. Helgi is now working for the police – although he does seem to be the only police officer working in his department.
It’s an odd book. Like the previous book, Jonasson decorates the tale with classic crime fiction references, but the mystery itself doesn’t resemble a classic mystery at all. Everything that Helgi discovers is told to him – there’s no deduction here at all.
On top of that, the other strand of Helgi’s story concerning his personal life – well, it feels like were just getting an episode of it, rather than a complete tale. And the story about Helgi’s predecessor also feels like a section of a story, something to keep coming back to in later books.
To be honest, though, I don’t think I’ll be coming back for more though. The mystery is interesting enough, but Helgi’s personal story is just too depressing for me, and that seems to be the thread that the author is more interested in.
I’ll admit, I’m not a regular reader of Scandi-Noir, so fans of the genre will probably love this, but don’t be lured in by the classic mystery trappings if that’s what you’re looking for.

I think this might be part of a series/trilogy. The book Death at the Sanatorium, which I read last year certainly also stars Helgi Reykdahl but as far as I can see it is not advertised as such. No matter. I think it works well enough as a stand alone.
This time, Helgi is called in to investigate the disappearance of Elin Jonsdottir who is a popular author who wrote and published 10 best selling crime books. Her disappearance is being kept secret from the media so Helgi has his work cut out for him as he only has a short list of people he can confide in. All this is happening in the present day - 2012 - but there are flashbacks to the 60s 70s, and 2005 where Elin is being interviewed.
As well as all this, we also follow Helgi's personal life. Having left his abusive girlfriend, he has a new relationship with Anita but Bergthora isn't going away quietly.
And if that wasn't enough, we also have the disappearance of Helgi's predecessor, Det Hulda Hermannsdottir who we also met in the previous book.
As you can imagine, what with all the shenanigans going on, as well as the multiple timelines, and interview, there are a lot of juggling balls for the author to keep in the air. Which he just about manages although you do need to have your wits about you. It's also not really one for guessing at as there are quite a few things that are "held back" until just before the final denouement. And, even then, not all threads are concluded which gives me hope for another book to come. Although, that said, if there is more to come then surely it's best saying so... series? trilogy? maybe...?
But even though it's busy and sneaky withholding a lot, it does all come together well at the end. And did leave me mostly satisfied. I am not sure if there is more, and how long we have to wait for the translation being as this book was originally published a few years ago, but I will definitely be pouncing on it as soon as I can.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Celebrated writer Elin Jónsdóttir has gone missing. Her absence is reported by her publisher and friend, though the initial feeling is that she might have simply taken herself away for a while (as we learn she is prone to doing). Helgi,a young detective, is tasked with investigating.
The investigation allows us to learn more about Helgi’s circumstances. His abusive ex and his fondness for crime fiction flesh him out into a character that we can’t help but feel sympathy for.
As we follow the investigation a number of characters are introduced. We dip into a number of timelines and situations that are evidently linked, though we don’t learn of their full significance until later.
The mystery is not all that mysterious, ultimately, but the book seemed to be more about the strands coming together. It was frustrating to be left hanging with regard to what happened to Helgi’s predecessor, and the ending felt unnecessarily bleak given what had just been resolved.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer is a confusing read with an abrupt ending. Confusing unless you are familiar with some of the characters from previous books by this author. This book is not being marketed as being part of a series but feels like it should be.

The main character, Helgi, who works for the Icelandic police, and was in another book I have read by the author. I have read a few but was struggling with this one as I felt like I possibly wasn't understanding things that were in previous books I haven't read but I am not entirely sure which they are as this is not part of a series..

In 2012, Helgi is in the north of Iceland with his sick mother when he gets called back to Reykjavik as Elin S Jonsdottir, Iceland's most famous mystery writer, has disappeared a few days earlier. Elin has written a series of ten books between 1984 and 2002. She retired from writing then but did do an in depth interview in 2005.

There is a subplot about Hulga who appears to be Helgi's predecessor in his job until she suddenly disappeared as she was nearing retirement and has never been found. In 1976, early on in her police career Hulga was asked to by her boss to go to the prison to talk to a young man, Einar, who has been there for 10 years after a bank robbery ended with an old man, Hinrik, dying. His sentence is 16 years but Einar is fading away. He doesn’t tell Hulga his accomplice's name when she visits. Or why he killed the man. Hulda also visits Elizabet, Hinrik’s widow.

Helgi, talks to the Erin's closest friends, her editor Rut and Rut's husband, Thor, as well as retired judge, Lovisa. Thor and Lovisa have been friends with Elin since school. Helgi's investigation of Elin's disappearance is interspersed with long sections of the 2005 interview with Elin.

In present day Helgi is dating Anita who is quite different from his previous girlfriend, Bergthora, who seems to have had mental health issues and could be violent. Again I suspect there is more about Bergthora in previous books,.

I struggled with this book as I always felt like I was missing things because I was not familiar with the characters from previous books, However, the most frustration part for me for the ending. Having downloaded a pre published galley of this book from NetGalley I was disappointed when the book suddenly finished. I was sure that my download had gone wrong but when I went online to download it again I found it was indeed the end of the book. It's not so much a cliffhanger as a missed ending. It didn't leave me in suspense but just feeling like I've wasted hours reading a book that stops without an ending. There is also no more information about the disappearance of Hulda. Surely the disappearance of a police offer would set off a major investigation. The police force seems to have put Hulga's belonging in a box without further investigation into where she has gone.

With thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This follows on loosely from the Sanitorium. Helgi has broken up with Bergthora and is seeing Anita. He is away visiting in mother when he is called back to Reykjavik. A well known crime writer has gone missing and his boss has asked him to investigate her disappearance to make sure there is nothing wrong about it.
The story flits between the mid sixties, the seventies, 2012 and now.
Helgi's relationship is being threatened by Bergthora and she has taken to appearing where Anita is and keeps telling her that she and Helgi haven't broken up.
His investigation is taking up his time and maybe he hasn't taken Anita seriously.
It's an easy read, but has a cliffhanger ending.