I first read Ragnar Jónasson last year when he released: “Death at the Sanatorium”, the first of his Helgi books when he was at Granite Noir. I very much enjoyed it so was keen to read the new one, “The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer” when it came out earlier this year, Despite being one of the strong names in Scandi Noir I hadn’t encountered Ragnar before this. He has this way of writing that feels both classic and fresh at the same time, part of hs book is the lead characters love of the golden age of mysteries so this allows for keeping things firmly rooted in icy, modern Iceland.
The setup is simple but gripping, and very much lives up to the title of the book one winter evening, bestselling crime author Elín S. Jónsdóttir vanishes off the face of the earth without a trace. There are no signs of struggle, no obvious motive, she’s just gone. This is a perfect case for young detective Helgi Reykdal, who’s called in because his boss knows he’s a total nerd for old-school detective fiction (he even co-owns a secondhand bookstore). Helgi seems a good, almost perfect detective for this case, he is methodical, bookish, and genuinely excited by the puzzle in a way that makes him stand out from the usual jaded cop types.
The story unfolds across three different, but ultimately related timelines. You’ve got Helgi’s investigation in 2012, flashbacks to Elín at the peak of her career, and an intriguing thread from way back in 1975 involving a bank robbery and a young female officer. The shifts take a little getting used to but each does have a specific feel. Over the course of the book these time shifts start clicking together. Jónasson layers in secrets from Elín’s past that are darker and weirder than anything she put in her own novels, and the interviews with her publisher, accountant, and old friends slowly reveal that her life was one big twisty plot worse than any of her books.
As mentioned Helgi himself is a standout character. He doesn’t feel like your typical brooding noir detective, obviously as fits the genre he’s got personal stuff going on that adds real weight without overwhelming the mystery. The Reykjavík setting comes through beautifully too, it provides cold, quiet tension of a small country where everyone sort of knows everyone, and news of a famous disappearance could blow up fast.
It’s a relatively quick read and if you like scandi noir and you’re into Agatha Christie-style puzzles with a Scandi twist, or just love a well-constructed missing-person case that keeps you guessing, this one delivers. The third book in the series is up now, I’m looking forward to it