Book Summary and Reviews of The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer

A Mystery

by Ragnar Jónasson

  • Critics' Consensus (10):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Published:
  • Sep 2025, 320 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

The next thrilling golden-age-style mystery from #1 Icelandic bestseller Ragnar Jónasson, author of Death at the Sanatorium and Reykjavík.

One winter evening, bestselling crime author Elín S. Jónsdóttir goes missing.

There are no clues to her disappearance and it is up to young detective Helgi to crack the case before its leaked to the press.

As Helgi interviews the people closest to her―a publisher, an accountant, a retired judge―he realizes that Elín's life wasn't what it seemed. In fact, her past is even stranger than the fiction she wrote.

As the case of the missing crime writer becomes more mysterious by the hour, Helgi must uncover the secrets of the writer's very unexpected life.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Cleverly plotted, slyly humorous, and bursting with love for the golden age of detective fiction, this outperforms even its outstanding predecessor." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A lightning-fast read for fans willing to keep turning the pages till the crucial clues drop." —Kirkus Reviews

"Flashbacks are effectively used as a creative way to tell the backstory of the missing novelist. This Golden Age–style mystery is a definite departure from Jónasson's 'Dark Iceland' series, which was set in an atmospheric small town in Iceland." —Library Journal

"This follow-up to Death at the Sanitarium (2024) is utterly compelling, blending meta classic mystery tropes with darker psychological thriller elements as Helgi is stalked by his violent ex-partner. Fans of Jónasson's Dark Iceland and Hidden Iceland series will appreciate the storytelling centered around Helgi, who links the three series together." —Booklist

"Exhilarating and gripping; fans of Agatha Christie and Nordic Noir will find much to enjoy here." —firstCLUE

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Author Information

Ragnar Jónasson Author Biography

Photo: Bill Waters

Ragnar Jónasson is an international number one bestselling author who has sold over three million books in thirty-six countries worldwide. His books include the Dark Iceland series and the Hulda series. Jónasson was born in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he also works as an investment banker and teaches copyright law at Reykjavik University. He has previously worked on radio and television, including as a TV news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, and, since the age of seventeen, has translated fourteen of Agatha Christie's novels. Jónasson is the co-founder of the Reykjavik international crime writing festival Iceland Noir. His critically acclaimed international bestseller The Darkness is soon to be a major TV series, and Outside is soon to be a feature ...

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