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Death at the Sanatorium

Death at the Sanatorium

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

One Murder.

Five Suspects.

S
tep into Death At The Sanatorium . . .

An old sanatorium. A terrifying murder. Five suspects and a case that never closed . . .


Akureyri, Northern Iceland, 1983.

High up in the most northern part of Iceland stands The Akureyri Sanatorium. Once a hospital dedicated to treating tuberculosis, it now sits haunted by the ghosts of its past.

One wing of the hospital remains open and houses six employees: the caretaker, two doctors, two nurses and a young research assistant.

Despite the wards closing decades ago they remain at the hospital to conduct research. But the cold corridors, draughty windows and echoey halls are constant reminders of the building’s dark history.

When one of the nurses, Yrsa, is found brutally murdered, they discover that death has never left this place – and neither did its secrets. None can escape this terrifying legacy.

Despite just five suspects the case is never solved and remains open for two decades. Until a young criminologist named Helgi Reykdal attempts to finally lay the ghosts of the hospital's past to rest . . .

'Is this the best crime writer in the world today?' THE TIMES

'An automatic must-read for me' LEE CHILD

'Master of the Icelandic thriller' NEW YORK POST

'The story never stops moving . . . reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock' MORGUNBLADID, ICELAND

'Skilfully told on different time levels, and with an ending that promises more' GÖTEBORGS-POSTEN, SWEDEN

©2024 Ragnar Jónasson (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Reviews

  • Ragnar Jónasson is no ordinary writer [. . .] Death at the Sanatorium is a knowing, unnerving mystery [. . ..] fans of Jónasson will be delighted
    The Times

About the author

Ragnar Jónasson

Ragnar Jónasson is the award-winning Icelandic author of the international bestselling Hulda series, the Dark Iceland series, and standalone crime fiction, with five million copies sold across 36 territories. Jónasson was also an executive producer for the CBS Studios TV series The Darkness, based on the first novel in his Hulda series, starring Lena Olin and directed by Lasse Hallström. His novel Outside is being developed for the screen by Ridley Scott.


The Times selected The Darkness as one of the '100 Best Crime Novels and Thrillers since 1945', and Snowblind has been selected as one of the 'Top 100 Crime Fiction' books of all time.
The Times has said of his work: 'Is this the best crime writer in the world?'

His books have been on bestseller lists across Europe and the USA and have won multiple prizes. He has also won a special jury recognition for his poetry in Iceland.
Jónasson has furthermore translated fourteen of Agatha Christie’s novels into Icelandic.


Jónasson has a law degree and teaches copyright law at Reykjavík University. He serves as a board member of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. He is also the co-founder and co-chair of the literary festival Iceland Noir, held annually in Reykjavík. Jónasson has regularly featured in literary festivals worldwide, and currently lives in Reykjavík.
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