Death at the Sanatorium - by Ragnar Jónasson

About the Book

"1983. At a former sanatorium in the north of Iceland, now a hospital ward, an old nurse, Yrsa, is found murdered. Detective Hulda Hermannsdottir and her boss Sverrir are sent to investigate her death. There, they discover five suspects: the chief physician, two junior nurses, a young doctor, and the caretaker, who is arrested following false testimony from one of the nurses, but subsequently released. Less than a week after the murder, the chief physician, is also found dead, having apparently fallen from a balcony. Sverrir rules his death as suicide and assumes that he was guilty of the murder as well. The case is closed. 2012. Almost thirty years later, Helgi Reykdal, a young police officer, has been studying criminology in the UK, but decides to return to Iceland when he is offered a job at the Reykjavik police department--the job which detective Hulda Hermannsdottir is about to retire from. He is also a collector of golden age detective stories, and is writing his thesis on the 1983 murders in the north. As Helgi delves deeper into the past, and starts his new job, he decides to try to meet with the original suspects"--

Book Synopsis

Fresh off of Reykjavik, his career-changing standalone co-written with the Icelandic prime minister, #1 Icelandic bestseller Jonasson presents a riveting new thriller.

1983

At a former sanatorium in the north of Iceland, now a hospital ward, an old nurse, Yrsa, is found murdered. Detective Hulda Hermannsdottir and her boss, Sverrir, are sent to investigate her death. There, they discover five suspects: the chief physician, two junior nurses, a young doctor, and the caretaker, who is arrested following false testimony from one of the nurses, but subsequently released.

Less than a week after the murder, the chief physician, is also found dead, having apparently fallen from a balcony. Sverrir, rules his death as suicide and assumes that he was guilty of the murder as well. The case is closed.

2012

Almost thirty years later, Helgi Reykdal, a young police officer, has been studying criminology in the UK, but decides to return to Iceland when he is offered a job at the Reykjavik police department--the job which detective Hulda Hermannsdottir is about to retire from.

He is also a collector of golden age detective stories, and is writing his thesis on the 1983 murders in the north. As Helgi delves deeper into the past, and starts his new job, he decides to try to meet with the original suspects. But soon he finds silence and suspicion at every turn, as he tries to finally solve the mystery from years before.

Review Quotes

One of the Los Angeles Times's "Books to Read This Fall"
One of Book Riot's "New Mystery & Thrillers for September 2024"

"Another meticulously plotted whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie . . . With scrupulously fair-play plotting, Helgi's tumultuous relationship with his live in girlfriend as an emotional anchor, and a worthy payoff, this is another winner from Jónasson."--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Clever, absorbing, and no more uplifting than you'd expect from this master of Icelandic Noir."--Kirkus Reviews

"As [protagonist] Reykdal takes the investigative reins in the days leading up to his new job, his penchant for classic crime novels and a messy home life make him an endearing and relatable hero readers will be hungry to see again."--Los Angeles Times

"Jonasson echoes the mystery queen's tight pacing while adding his own touch of Icelandic noir."--Washington Post

"Ragnar Jonasson channels Agatha Christie . . . Death at the Sanatorium contains the intricate plotting and startling twists Christie was known for."--ABC News

"Death at the Sanatorium is a solid addition to Jónasson's already impressive body of work, with a final-pages surprise that I totally did not see coming."--BookPage

"Delightfully fiendish . . . Jónasson's slowly unfolding plot twists and his overly suspicious characters make for an engaging homage to those classics."--The Minnesota Star Tribune

"Excellent . . . Highly recommended for a large swath of crime-fiction readers."--First Clue

"With brio and homage to Agatha Christie, Jónasson structures his latest novel to compel his devotees to keep reading until the truth of a child-centered tragedy is explained. And a stunning final page is revealed."-- Richmond Times-Dispatch

"I could not put this book down . . . If you're looking for your next awesome read, here it is, Death at the Sanatorium. You're going to love this book . . . [Jónasson] is an amazing author."--Brad Thor

"Ragnar Jónasson . . . He's a great writer."--Harlan Coben

"[This is Ragnar Jónasson] at the top of his game"--Mike Lupica

"I can not recommend the new [Ragnar Jónasson] enough."--Regina Rosenfeld

"Genius at work!"--David Walliams

"Another brilliant who dunnit from the master of Agatha Christie type suspense . . . [Jónasson] once again has himself another bestseller."--Leslie Zemeckis

"Ragnar Jonasson must have had terrific fun creating this brilliant gem of an homage to the best of Golden Age whodunit mysteries. I loved Death at the Sanatorium and am certain his millions of other fans shall as well."--Jeffrey Siger, international bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series

About the Author

RAGNAR JÓNASSON is an international number one award-winning and bestselling author who has sold over four million books in thirty-six territories worldwide. He is the only Icelandic author to have entered the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. Jónasson was born in Reykjavik, where he also teaches copyright law at Reyk-javík University. He has previously worked on radio and television, including as a TV news reporter, and, since the age of seventeen, has translated fourteen of Agatha Christie's novels into Icelandic. He is the co-founder of the Reykjavík internation-al crime writing festival Iceland Noir. His critically ac-claimed international bestseller The Darkness is soon to be a major CBS Studios TV series, starring Lena Olin as Hulda, directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Ragnar's novel, Outside, is in development as a feature film by Ridley Scott's production company.