It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
The Girl Who Died

The Girl Who Died

The chilling Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year 2021

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE NAIL-BITING NEW STORY FROM THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR


'TEACHER WANTED ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD . . .'

Una knows she is struggling to deal with her father's sudden, tragic suicide. She spends her nights drinking alone in Reykjavik, stricken with thoughts that she might one day follow in his footsteps.

So when she sees an advert seeking a teacher for two girls in the tiny village of Skálar - population of ten - on the storm-battered north coast of the island, she sees it as a chance to escape.

But once she arrives, Una quickly realises nothing in city life has prepared her for this. The villagers are unfriendly. The weather is bleak. And, from the creaky attic bedroom of the old house where she's living, she's convinced she hears the ghostly sound of singing.

Una worries that she's losing her mind.

And then, just before midwinter, a young girl from the village is found dead. Now there are only nine villagers left - and Una realizes that one of them has blood on their hands . . .

Shortlisted for the Fingerprint Awards Audiobook of the Year Award

Praise for Ragnar Jónasson

'Is this the best crime writer in the world today? If you're looking for a mystery to get lost in during lockdown . . .' The Times

'A world-class crime writer . . . One of the most astonishing plots of modern crime fiction' Sunday Times

'It is nothing less than a landmark in modern crime fiction' The Times

'This is Icelandic noir of the highest order, with Jonasson's atmospheric sense of place, and his heroine's unerring humanity shining from every page'
Daily Mail

'Triumphant conclusion. Chilling, creepy, perceptive, almost unbearably tense' Ian Rankin

'This is such a tense, gripping read' Anthony Horowitz

'Brilliantly effective. Each book enraptures us' The Times Literary Supplement

'Superb . . . chilling . . . one of the great tragic heroines of contemporary detective fiction' Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month

'A classic crime story seen through a uniquely Icelandic lens. First rate and highly recommended' Lee Child

'Chilling - a must-read' Peter James

'A stunningly atmospheric story. Pitch-perfect, beautifully paced. Ragnar Jónasson is at the top of his game, and a master of the genre' Will Dean

'Darkly claustrophobic . . . Perfect mid-winter reading' Ann Cleeves

© Ragnar Jónasson 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Reviews

  • Intriguing . . . This spooky novel draws on Icelandic sagas to create an atmosphere of growing menace.
    The Times, CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR

About the author

Ragnar Jónasson

Ragnar Jónasson is an international number one bestselling author who has sold five million books in thirty-six countries worldwide. He was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, where he also teaches copyright law at university, and is the co-chair of the Iceland Noir literature festival. He has previously worked on radio and television and, from the age of seventeen, has translated fourteen of Agatha Christie’s novels. He has won multiple awards for his crime fiction internationally, as well as a special jury recognition in Iceland for his poetry. His critically acclaimed international bestseller The Darkness is coming to TV screens, starring Lena Olin, Jack Bannon and Douglas Henshall, and Ridley Scott will be producing Outside as a feature film.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more