As chosen by my wonderful followers, Death At The Sanatorium by Ragnar Jónasson was my latest ARC audiobook pick. I received a copy through the Macmillan Audio Influencer Program, and these are my honest thoughts.
I went into this one blind, having never heard of Jónasson before, but the intriguing title and premise drew me in. While my overall rating was 3.75 (⭐️⭐️⭐️✨), there were several things I really loved about this book—and I definitely plan to read more from this author.
First off, this was such an enjoyable listen (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)!
In Death At The Sanatorium, a nurse named Yrsa is found murdered in a former sanatorium in 1983, and Detective Hulda is sent to investigate. Despite several suspects, the case is closed after the chief physician’s apparent suicide. Fast forward to 2012, young officer Helgi Reykdal, intrigued by the unsolved case, begins to dig into the mystery as part of his criminology thesis. As he contacts the original suspects, he encounters silence and suspicion, determined to uncover the truth about the murders nearly three decades later.
What made it so enjoyable for me was the fact that it wasn't spooky at all. Instead, it was more intriguing and suspenseful, keeping me hooked from the start. I binged the audiobook in just a few days. Jónasson is apparently a huge fan of Agatha Christie, and you can totally feel that influence in his writing style. Fun fact: he even translated some of Christie's novels into Icelandic! Add to that an intriguing plot and Sam Woolf's narration, which was super cozy and calming. His voice felt like it was wrapping me in comfort, making the experience even better.
The one area where the book fell a bit short for me, and where it lost some stars, was the emotional impact (⭐️⭐️). Given the nature of the story and a few side plots that had the potential for more depth, I was expecting to feel more. Unfortunately, those moments didn’t hit as hard as I’d hoped.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend Death At The Sanatorium—especially in audiobook form, if that’s your jam—if you're looking for an intriguing, non-spooky mystery.
Happy reading!
Bobbi
About the Author
Ragnar Jónasson
Ragnar Jónasson is the award-winning, international bestselling author of the Dark Iceland series. His debut novel, Snowblind, became a number one bestseller on Amazon Kindle, and also achieved bestseller status in Australia and France. Nightblind won the 2016 Dead Good Reader Award for Most Captivating Crime in Translation.
Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, Jónasson is a lawyer and teaches copyright law at Reykjavik University. He co-founded the Reykjavik international crime festival Iceland Noir and, from age 17, translated 14 Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic. His short stories have been published internationally, including in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, making him the first Icelandic author to appear in the publication.
Praised by The New York Times as a "classically crafted whodunit," Snowblind was named one of the best crime novels of 2015 by The Independent. The Dark Iceland series has been sold in numerous countries worldwide.
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