Review | The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson

1986. A lonely woman, Una, accepts a teaching job in the remote fishing village of Skálar, Iceland. Population: ten. But the villagers’ unwelcoming attitude, recurring nightmare of a ghostly little girl and the bleak, unrelenting winter leads her to wonder if she’s truly safe.

Not for the first time she cursed the fact that she didn’t have a reading lamp by her bed. Yet she felt a moment’s reluctance to turn on the light, for fear of what the retreating shadows might reveal.

The Girl Who Died is an atmospheric historical mystery set in a stunning location. I’m a fan of the author’s Nordic noir books and he excels once again in setting the scene so you feel as if you’re there with the characters. The village of Skálar comes alive through the detailed description of the houses, the people and the solitude faced by the main character.

Una’s loneliness and desperation comes clearly across on the page. While the people aren’t outwardly hostile towards her, they are not exactly welcoming. There’s a sense that everyone knows something she doesn’t. Since this is set in the 80s, there’s no cellphones or the internet for her to reach out to the world, which adds to her isolation. Her curiosity about the village and its people sets up some interesting moments, especially with her landlord Salka and fellow villager, Thór. 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. There are flashbacks that is meant to connect to the main plot but I failed to see the purpose. When bad things happened 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, The Girl Who Died would be a good pick for fans of slow-burn mysteries with a touch of the supernatural. Fans of Nordic noir might be interested in this too!

CW: suicide, child death

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the author: Ragnar Jónasson 

Photo by Chris Henry