Authors often say they write what they know. So, it’s no surprise that many writers dabbling in the mystery genre share that they grew up reading classic mystery authors like Agatha Christie, Alfred Hitchcock, and Arthur Conan Doyle.
Today, various popular authors of this genre have been dubbed “the Agatha Christie of our time” on the backs of their book covers, an honorable distinction to admirers of this genre. One author who comes to mind as having a Christie-esque quality to their storytelling is Ragnar Jónasson.
This Icelandic lawyer and fiction author discovered his love for Christie as a child and even translated some of her books into Icelandic as a teenager. His early love for the genre and its trailblazing authors is reflected in the expanse of his work. In his thirteen published crime novels, you’ll find well-planned plots, an assortment of suspicious characters with motives and secrets, and investigative, enduring main characters who drive the story with integrity and resilience. Additionally, with all of his books set in Iceland, there is a suffocating and thrilling sense of a locked-room mystery thanks to the country’s small size and its mighty, unforgiving landscape.
His Hidden Iceland series is a three-book journey following detective Hulda Hermannsdóttir as she tackles major cases throughout her career. What makes this series unique is its reverse timeline. The first book begins at the end of Hulda’s career, as she approaches retirement, while the third book takes readers back to the start of her journey. Because of this structure, readers quickly learn the major milestones that defined her life and career, but it isn’t until the final book that the “how” and “why” are fully uncovered.
One of my favorite standalones of his is Reykjavík, co-written by Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir. The story is set in 1986 and follows talented journalist Valur and his scholar sister Sunna as they investigate one of Iceland’s most famous cold cases involving a teenage girl who went missing on a small island off the coast of Reykjavík thirty years earlier. As the country approaches its 200th anniversary, celebrations are in full swing and historic moments are unfolding. Meanwhile, the siblings dig deeper into the mystery, only to realize that someone is watching their every move and trying to stop them from uncovering the truth. The contrast between the nation’s celebratory mood and the siblings’ dangerous investigation creates a gripping and suspenseful narrative. This novel is especially appealing if you enjoy a touch of historical fiction alongside your sleuthing, as the events in the book mirror real-life commemorations and pivotal moments in Icelandic history.
Agatha Christie and other iconic authors of her era continue to live on through the work of those who honor and admire their craft. If you are seeking stories that pay tribute to the greats or simply want a well-crafted mystery that explores the rich culture and stark beauty of Iceland, Ragnar Jónasson is an author worth discovering.
Additional Books by Author:
Reykjavík
Snowblind
Death in the Sanatorium
The Mist
The Island
Written by Christine Campbell