A Book A Week

I've always had a soft spot for classic murder mysteries. It's a genre that shaped my love for reading and often provides a go-to escape when I need a reliable book. So, when Ragnar Johnasson's publisher offered me an audio copy of his newest novel, Death at the Sanatorium, I was immediately intrigued. Icelandic crime fiction can be a mixed bag for me, but the idea of this novel being inspired by the classic mysteries I've come to love was too tempting to pass up. Fortunately, this one turned out to be a clever take on the genre.

In 1983, an elderly nurse was murdered at a hospital in Iceland, the site of a former sanatorium steeped in dark history. Detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir and her superior, Sverrir, were called in to investigate and begin questioning the staff on duty that night. A nurse's false testimony resulted in the arrest of a caretaker, but the case quickly took a turn. Just days later, a physician was found dead, having apparently fallen from a balcony. Sverrir deemed it a suicide, released the caretaker from custody, and assumed the physician was responsible for the nurse's murder, closing the case for good.

Nearly thirty years later, young police detective Helgi Reykdal is juggling his studies in criminology with a search for a job that aligns with his passion for classic mysteries. A devoted fan of Agatha Christie and P.D. James, Helgi has focused his dissertation on the old sanatorium murders in 1983, which he believes remain unsolved. By a stroke of fate, he secures a detective position with the Reykjavik police. It's the very role Hulda Hermannsdóttir held during the original investigation. Helgi revisits the cold case, convinced something was overlooked. As he begins meeting with the original suspects, he uncovers a long-buried web of silence and suspicion. Only his sharp intellect and determination will help him unravel the truth behind the decades-old mystery.

In Death at the Sanatorium, Ragnar Jonasson merges modern storytelling with a timeless murder mystery formula, creating a narrative that feels both familiar and fresh. The story alternates between two timelines—one set in the past, echoing classic detective novels, and the other in the present, where a young detective revisits a case long considered closed. This structure keeps readers on edge and adds layers of intrigue as the past's secrets slowly unravel in the present.

Though the characters could have been more deeply explored, the novel delivers an atmospheric, suspenseful mystery with a shocking and emotional twist. Jonasson's nod to golden-age detective fiction, combined with his contemporary take on justice and hidden truths, makes Death at the Sanatorium a gripping read for fans of the genre.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2024, 67)