The Penguin Podcast is back! Listen Now
The Girl Who Died

The Girl Who Died

The chilling Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year 2021

Summary

THE NAIL-BITING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

'Is this the best crime writer in the world today?' 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
________

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

After the loss of her father, Una sees a chance to escape Reykjavík to tutor two girls in the tiny village of Skálar - population just ten - on Iceland's storm-battered north coast.

But city life hasn't prepared her for the unforgiving weather nor inhospitable village life. Worse, the creaky old house where she lives is playing on her already fragile mind when she's convinced she hears the ghostly sound of singing.

Then, at midwinter, a young girl is found dead.

And one of the villagers must have blood on their hands . . .
________

'An intensely gripping mystery' The Times

'Invigorating Iceland-set slice of Nordic Noir' Daily Mail

'With the addition of sinister hostility from the locals, the bleakest of landscapes and some supernatural undertones, this is one creepy thriller that’ll have you leaving all the lights on' Vogue Scandinavia, Best Nordic Noir Books of All Time


Praise for Ragnar Jónasson

'This is Icelandic noir of the highest order, with Jónasson'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

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