Johana Gustawsson – författare

Nominerad till Årets bok 2026!

Två mördade tonårsflickor, ett försvunnet barn och en by full av hemligheter … Välkommen till Son.

Kari Voss är psykolog och bistår Oslopolisen i mordutredningar samtidigt som hon ihärdigt söker efter sin son som försvann spårlöst på sin födelsedag för sju år sedan. När två tonårsflickor hittas mördade i den närliggande byn Son kastas Kari in i en chockerande utredning. Snart åtalas en vän till offren för de brutala morden och fallet betraktas som avslutat, men Kari är inte övertygad.

Med hjälp av polisen Ramona Norum upptäcker hon att ingen – inklusive offren – är vad de verkar. Och att det finns en mörk hemlighet i hjärtat av byn som inte bara kan få konsekvenser för henne själv, utan även kasta nytt ljus över hennes sons försvinnande.

Son är en mörk deckare om de hemligheter som håller en by samman, och om hur långt man är beredd att gå för sina barn.

Thomas Enger är journalist och författare. Han har bland annat skrivit serien om Henning Juul tillsammans med medförfattaren Jørn Lier Horst. Han är en av de främsta frontfigurerna för nordic noir och har översatts till tjugoåtta språk. Han bor i Oslo.

Johana Gustawsson är en av Frankrikes mest ansedda och prisbelönta författare. Hon har bland annat fått motta det prestigefyllda La Ligue de l’Imaginaire för sin historiska thriller Yule Island. Hon bor i Sverige med sin familj.

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"Författarduon skriver med ett ständigt, kraftfullt driv och skapar scener som är svåra att skaka av sig ... Det är en bok man inte lägger ifrån sig, och när man till slut gör det får man plocka upp hakan från golvet efter ett slut som knappast någon såg komma." Maria Näslund, GP

”En psykologisk nagelbitare! (…) En toppenstart på en ny serie.” Cecilia Gustavsson, Allers

”Romanen bygger på premissen att alla i det lilla samhället ljuger, vilket, tillsammans med författarnas förmåga att lämna villospår, ger den ett driv som lätt fångar in läsaren. Romanen ställer intressanta filosofiska frågor om identitet och minne som går utanför ramen för en vanlig deckare. Språket är precist och dialogerna känns trovärdiga. Ett behövligt inslag i nordic noir-genren som kommer att få många läsare.” Alan Pejkovic, BTJ-häftet

”En spännande berättelse med en galen twist. Son är allt, och mer därtill, man kan önska av en deckare. Bästa spänningsromanen 2025 hittills.” The Times UK

”Andlöst spännande” Daily Express, UK

”En hisnande deckare med en fantastisk intrig och ett slut som golvar dig. Helt enkelt briljant.” Express, UK

An art expert joins a detective to investigate a horrific murder on a Swedish island, leading them to a mystery rooted in Viking rites and Scandinavia's deepest, darkest winter. The Queen of French Noir returns with a chilling, utterly captivating gothic thriller, based on a true story. FIRST in the The Lidingö Mysteries series.  ‘Scarier than anything … a dark, dark slice of atmospheric Scandi Noir’ HeatHeat magazine *Book of the Month*  ‘The pace steadily accelerates as Gustawsson orchestrates her plot with breathless ingenuity. A successful page-turner from a rising star’ Financial Times‘Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying’ Peter James   ** Winner of the Livre de Poche Readers Crime of the Year and Cultura Ligue de l’Imaginaire Award**________Don’t  Art expert Emma Lindahl is anxious when she’s asked to appraise the antiques and artefacts in the infamous manor house of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, on the island of Storholmen, where a young woman was murdered nine years earlier, her killer never found.   Emma must work alone, and with the Gussman family apparently avoiding her, she sees virtually no one in the house. Do they have something to hide?  Trust  As she goes about her painstaking work and one shocking discovery yields clues that lead to another, Emma becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the house and its occupants.  When the lifeless body of another young woman is found in the icy waters surrounding the island, Detective Karl Rosén arrives to investigate, and memories of his failure to solve the first case come rushing back. Could this young woman’s tragic death somehow hold the key?  Anyone  Battling her own demons, Emma joins forces with Karl to embark upon a chilling investigation, plunging them into horrifying secrets from the past – Viking rites and tainted love – and Scandinavia’s deepest, darkest winter…  ________  PRAISE FOR JOHANA GUSTAWSSON‘Remember her name. Johana Gustawsson has become a leading figure in French crime fiction [and] Yule Island is impossible to put down’ Le Monde‘Wonderfully dark and intricately woven … will have you hooked from the very first page’ B A Paris  ‘Johana Gustawsson has become the queen of the French thriller genre’ Le Point  ‘Intriguingly dark and vivid, and so cleverly told’ Essie Fox  `A gripping story of murder and black magic …Gustawsson slowly weaves together three seemingly disparate strands of her narrative with a skill that shows why she is such an admired crime writer in her native France´ The Times   ‘A wonderfully creepy, unsettling read, with a superb twist in its tail‘ James Oswald  ‘Bewitching and wonderfully gothic’ Sunday Express  ‘Johana Gustawsson brilliantly illuminates the depths of the human heart’ Le Figaro  `A whirlpool that draws you irresistibly into levels of darkness so much deeper than you can possibly be ready for´ Ambrose Parry  ‘Ethereal, romantic and as cold as death, this nerve-shattering and powerful novel immerses us in a cruel and thrilling Nordic tale where love smashes against the rocks of madness’ La Fringale culturelle  ‘A stunning and beautifully written gothic thriller’ Alexandra Benedict  ‘Johana Gustawsson has no equal when it comes to hooking us with stunning twists and unexpected leaps in time’ Les Echos  'A bold and intelligent read' Guardian  'Utterly compelling' Woman's Own  `Brilliant … the last chapters knocked me sideways, and it’s a long time since that’s happened´ Lisa Hall  `A dark world of elegance and grotesque … mesmeric´ Matt Wesolowski  'Cleverly plotted, simply excellent' Ragnar Jónasson'A must-read' Daily Express

The hunt for a serial killer takes criminal profiler Emily Roys and true-crime writer Alexis Castells from London to Sweden, and back into the past, to Buchenwald Concentration Camp, in the first instalment an addictive, award-winning new series from the Queen of French Noir***Winner of Balai de la Découverte and Nouvelle Plume d’Argent Awards******International Number One Bestseller***‘Dark, oppressive and bloody, but it’s also thought-provoking, compelling and very moving’ Metro‘Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying. Utterly compelling’ Peter James‘A bold and intelligent read’ Laura Wilson, Guardian___________________Evil remembers…Falkenberg, Sweden. The mutilated body of talented young jewellery designer, Linnea Blix, is found in a snow-swept marina.Hampstead Heath, London. The body of a young boy is discovered with similar wounds to Linnea's.Buchenwald Concentration Camp, 1944. In the midst of the hell of the Holocaust, Erich Hebner will do anything to see himself as a human again.Are the two murders the work of a serial killer, and how are they connected to shocking events at Buchenwald?Emily Roy, a profiler on loan to Scotland Yard from the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, joins up with Linnea's friend, French true-crime writer Alexis Castells, to investigate the puzzling case. They travel between Sweden and London, and then deep into the past, as a startling and terrifying connection comes to light.___________________‘A terrific, original duo’ The Times‘Multi-layered, superbly plotted, brimming with mystery, tension and bone-chilling violence, and with two very different – but equally fascinating – lead female characters, Block 46 is not for the squeamish or faint-hearted … this is a book that has the power to shock and the artistry to impress long after the last page has turned’ Lancashire Post‘Utterly compelling’ Woman’s Own‘A bold and audacious debut from a very talented writer. Heralds the beginning of a thrilling new series’ R J Ellory‘Viscerally brutal yet delicately beautiful, like blood spatter on fresh snow. An unbelievable debut’ Matt Wesolowski‘A truly unique and chilling blend of Nordic Noir’s dark atmosphere … gritty, bone-chilling, and harrowing – it’s not for the faint of heart, and not to be missed’ Crime by the Book‘A real page-turner, I loved it’ Martina Cole’A great serial-killer thriller with a nice twist … first rate’ James Oswald‘Cleverly plotted, simply excellent’ Ragnar Jónasson‘A must-read’ Daily Express‘There’s a touch of Hannibal Lector in this one, and the final plot twists are harsh and sudden. You’ll want to double check the door locks and keep a few extra lights on, as you read … the suspense is brutal’ Kingdom Books

An abduction in London and the discovery of a body on the west coast of Sweden lead criminal profiler Emily Roys and true-crime writer Alexis Castells back to Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel, as they hunt a serial killer. Book two in the explosive, award-winning Roy & Castells series.‘A terrific, original duo’ Marcel Berlins, The Times‘Gritty, bone-chilling, and harrowing – it’s not for the faint of heart, and not to be missed’ Crime by the Book‘A relentless heart-stopping masterpiece, filled with nightmarish situations that will keep you awake long into the dark nights of winter’ New York Journal of Books___________________Whitechapel, 1888: London is bowed under Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror.London 2015: Actress Julianne Bell is abducted in a case similar to the terrible Tower Hamlets murders of some ten years earlier, and harking back to the Ripper killings of a century before.Falkenberg, Sweden, 2015: A woman’s body is found mutilated in a forest, her wounds identical to those of the Tower Hamlets victims.With the man arrested for the Tower Hamlets crimes already locked up, do the new killings mean he has a dangerous accomplice, or is a copy-cat serial killer on the loose?Profiler Emily Roy and true-crime writer Alexis Castells again find themselves drawn into an intriguing case, with personal links that turn their world upside down.Following the highly acclaimed Block 46 and guaranteed to disturb and enthral, Keeper is a breathless thriller from the new queen of French Noir.___________________‘A bold and intelligent read’ Guardian‘A satisfying, full-fat mystery’ The Times‘Assured telling of a complex story’ Sunday Times ‘Dark, oppressive and bloody but also thought-provoking, compelling and very moving’ Metro‘A real page-turner, I loved it’ Martina Cole‘Cleverly plotted, simply excellent’ Ragnar Jónasson‘A must-read’ Daily Express‘Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying. Utterly compelling’ Peter James‘Bold and audacious’ R. J. Ellory‘A great serial-killer thriller with a nice twist … first rate’ James Oswald‘Thought-provoking, challenging, and an absolute knock-out … I’m still in shock’ LoveReading‘A great addition to the world of noir novels, and lives alongside the best...’ TripFiction

The action swings from London to Sweden, and then back into the past, to Franco’s Spain, as Roy & Castells hunt a monstrous killer … in the latest instalment of Johana Gustawsson’s award-winning, international bestselling series.***Longlisted for the CWA International Dagger***‘Historical sections highlight, in distressing detail, the atrocious treatment of mothers-to-be in Franco’s Spain … A satisfying, full-fat mystery’ The Times‘Assured telling of a complex story’ Sunday Times  ‘Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying. Utterly compelling’ Peter James_________________Spain, 1938: The country is wracked by civil war, and as Valencia falls to Franco’s brutal dictatorship, Republican Therese witnesses the murders of her family. Captured and sent to the notorious Las Ventas women’s prison, Therese gives birth to a daughter who is forcibly taken from her.Falkenberg, Sweden, 2016: A wealthy family is found savagely murdered in their luxurious home. Discovering that her parents have been slaughtered, Aliénor Lindbergh, a new recruit to the UK’s Scotland Yard, rushes back to Sweden and finds her hometown rocked by the massacre.Profiler Emily Roy joins forces with Aliénor and soon finds herself on the trail of a monstrous and prolific killer. Little does she realise that this killer is about to change the life of her colleague, true-crime writer Alexis Castells. Joining forces once again, Roy and Castells’ investigation takes them from the Swedish fertility clinics of the present day back to the terror of Franco’s rule, and the horrifying events that took place in Spanish orphanages under its rule.Terrifying, vivid and recounted at breakneck speed, Blood Song is not only a riveting thriller and an examination of corruption in the fertility industry, but a shocking reminder of the atrocities of Spain’s dictatorship, in the latest, stunning instalment in the award-winning Roy & Castells series._________________‘French novelist Johana Gustawsson writes novels of startling originality. Blood Song [is] truly horrifying’ Sunday Times‘Her sleuths tracking a monstrous killer, transporting us from modern-day fertility clinics in Sweden to the abuses of Spanish orphanages under the brutal rule of General Franco … a truly European thriller’ Financial Times‘Gritty, bone-chilling, and harrowing – it’s not for the faint of heart, and not to be missed’ Crime by the Book‘A relentless heart-stopping masterpiece, filled with nightmarish situations that will keep you awake long into the dark nights of winter’ New York Journal of Books‘Emotional and atmospheric’ New Books Magazine‘Intricately plotted, visceral and emotional the author ramps up the tension and the unfolding keeps the reader guessing to the very end. Scenes are raw, vivid and gripping’ Promoting Crime‘I don’t think there’s a crime writer who writes with such intelligence, darkness and deep sadness as Johana Gustawsson. This was extraordinary’ Louise Beech‘Blood Song caught and has held onto my thoughts, it is clever, provocative, and a seriously good read’ LoveReading‘A fascinating and engrossing read, but also one that I found intensely harrowing, deeply intimate and which made me cry’ Live & Deadly‘A real page-turner, I loved it’ Martina Cole‘Cleverly plotted, simply excellent’ Ragnar Jónasson‘A must-read’ Daily Express‘Bold and audacious’ R. J. Ellory

Queen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson returns with a spell-binding, dazzlingly dark gothic thriller that swings from Belle Époque France to 21st-century Quebec, with an extraordinary mystery at its heart … FIRST in a bewitching new series  **Shortlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger**  `A wonderfully dark, intricately woven historical thriller spanning three generations … it will have you hooked from the very first page' B A Paris  `A gripping story of murder and black magic …Gustawsson slowly weaves together three seemingly disparate strands of her narrative with a skill that shows why she is such an admired crime writer in her native France´ The Times BOOK OF THE MONTH  `Intriguingly dark and vivid, and so cleverly told through three different time frames´ Essie Fox  ________________  Three womenThree erasOne extraordinary mystery…1899, Belle Époque Paris. Lucienne’s two daughters are believed dead when her mansion burns to the ground, but she is certain that her girls are still alive and embarks on a journey into the depths of the spiritualist community to find them.  1949, Post-War Québec. Teenager Lina’s father has died in the French Resistance, and as she struggles to fit in at school, her mother introduces her to an elderly woman at the asylum where she works, changing Lina’s life in the darkest way imaginable.  2002, Quebec. A former schoolteacher is accused of brutally stabbing her husband – a famous university professor – to death. Detective Maxine Grant, who has recently lost her own husband and is parenting a teenager and a new baby single-handedly, takes on the investigation.  Under enormous personal pressure, Maxine makes a series of macabre discoveries that link directly to historical cases involving black magic and murder, secret societies and spiritism … and women at breaking point, who will stop at nothing to protect the ones they love…  _________________  `This novel is a whirlpool that draws you irresistibly into levels of darkness so much deeper than you can possibly be ready for´ Ambrose Parry  `I found myself racing through the book, always wanting one more page, one more chapter. A wonderfully creepy, unsettling read, with a superb twist in its tail´ James Oswald  `Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying. Utterly compelling´ Peter James  `I was hooked from the first page – a stunning and beautifully written gothic thriller full of atmosphere, intrigue and delight´ Alexandra Benedict  `Brilliant … the last chapters knocked me sideways, and it’s a long time since that’s happened´ Lisa Hall  `A dark world of elegance and grotesque … mesmeric´ Matt Wesolowski  `Harrowing, compelling, haunting, vivid, twisty and shocking! ´ Noelle Holten  `A powerful page-turner´ Livres Hebdo  ***NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER IN FRANCE***  FOR FANS OF Laura Purcell, Stacey Halls, Bridget Collins, Anna Mazzola, Essie Fox,  Ambrose Parry and Laura Shepherd-Robinson  Praise for Johana Gustawsson  `A satisfying, full-fat mystery´ The Times  `Assured telling of a complex story´ Sunday Times  `A real page-turner, I loved it´ Martina Cole  `A bold and intelligent read´ Guardian  `Utterly compelling´ Woman’s Own  `Cleverly plotted, simply excellent´ Ragnar Jónasson  `A must-read´ Daily Express  `Gritty, bone-chilling, and harrowing – it’s not for the faint of heart, and not to be missed´ Crime by the Book  `A relentless heart-stopping masterpiece´ New York Journal of Book

Queen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson returns with a spell-binding, dazzlingly dark gothic thriller that swings from Belle Époque France to 21st-century Quebec, with an extraordinary mystery at its heart … FIRST in a bewitching new series  **Shortlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger**  `A wonderfully dark, intricately woven historical thriller spanning three generations … it will have you hooked from the very first page' B A Paris  `A gripping story of murder and black magic …Gustawsson slowly weaves together three seemingly disparate strands of her narrative with a skill that shows why she is such an admired crime writer in her native France´ The Times BOOK OF THE MONTH  `Intriguingly dark and vivid, and so cleverly told through three different time frames´ Essie Fox  ________________  Three womenThree erasOne extraordinary mystery…1899, Belle Époque Paris. Lucienne’s two daughters are believed dead when her mansion burns to the ground, but she is certain that her girls are still alive and embarks on a journey into the depths of the spiritualist community to find them.  1949, Post-War Québec. Teenager Lina’s father has died in the French Resistance, and as she struggles to fit in at school, her mother introduces her to an elderly woman at the asylum where she works, changing Lina’s life in the darkest way imaginable.  2002, Quebec. A former schoolteacher is accused of brutally stabbing her husband – a famous university professor – to death. Detective Maxine Grant, who has recently lost her own husband and is parenting a teenager and a new baby single-handedly, takes on the investigation.  Under enormous personal pressure, Maxine makes a series of macabre discoveries that link directly to historical cases involving black magic and murder, secret societies and spiritism … and women at breaking point, who will stop at nothing to protect the ones they love…  _________________  `This novel is a whirlpool that draws you irresistibly into levels of darkness so much deeper than you can possibly be ready for´ Ambrose Parry  `I found myself racing through the book, always wanting one more page, one more chapter. A wonderfully creepy, unsettling read, with a superb twist in its tail´ James Oswald  `Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying. Utterly compelling´ Peter James  `I was hooked from the first page – a stunning and beautifully written gothic thriller full of atmosphere, intrigue and delight´ Alexandra Benedict  `Brilliant … the last chapters knocked me sideways, and it’s a long time since that’s happened´ Lisa Hall  `A dark world of elegance and grotesque … mesmeric´ Matt Wesolowski  `Harrowing, compelling, haunting, vivid, twisty and shocking! ´ Noelle Holten  `A powerful page-turner´ Livres Hebdo  ***NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER IN FRANCE***  FOR FANS OF Laura Purcell, Stacey Halls, Bridget Collins, Anna Mazzola, Essie Fox,  Ambrose Parry and Laura Shepherd-Robinson  Praise for Johana Gustawsson  `A satisfying, full-fat mystery´ The Times  `Assured telling of a complex story´ Sunday Times  `A real page-turner, I loved it´ Martina Cole  `A bold and intelligent read´ Guardian  `Utterly compelling´ Woman’s Own  `Cleverly plotted, simply excellent´ Ragnar Jónasson  `A must-read´ Daily Express  `Gritty, bone-chilling, and harrowing – it’s not for the faint of heart, and not to be missed´ Crime by the Book  `A relentless heart-stopping masterpiece´ New York Journal of Book

An art expert joins a detective to investigate a horrific murder on a Swedish island, leading them to a mystery rooted in Viking rites and Scandinavia's deepest, darkest winter. The Queen of French Noir returns with a chilling, utterly captivating gothic thriller, based on a true story. FIRST in the The Lidingö Mysteries series.  ‘Scarier than anything … a dark, dark slice of atmospheric Scandi Noir’ HeatHeat magazine *Book of the Month*  ‘The pace steadily accelerates as Gustawsson orchestrates her plot with breathless ingenuity. A successful page-turner from a rising star’ Financial Times‘Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying’ Peter James   ** Winner of the Livre de Poche Readers Crime of the Year and Cultura Ligue de l’Imaginaire Award**________Don’t  Art expert Emma Lindahl is anxious when she’s asked to appraise the antiques and artefacts in the infamous manor house of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, on the island of Storholmen, where a young woman was murdered nine years earlier, her killer never found.   Emma must work alone, and with the Gussman family apparently avoiding her, she sees virtually no one in the house. Do they have something to hide?  Trust  As she goes about her painstaking work and one shocking discovery yields clues that lead to another, Emma becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the house and its occupants.  When the lifeless body of another young woman is found in the icy waters surrounding the island, Detective Karl Rosén arrives to investigate, and memories of his failure to solve the first case come rushing back. Could this young woman’s tragic death somehow hold the key?  Anyone  Battling her own demons, Emma joins forces with Karl to embark upon a chilling investigation, plunging them into horrifying secrets from the past – Viking rites and tainted love – and Scandinavia’s deepest, darkest winter…  ________  PRAISE FOR JOHANA GUSTAWSSON‘Remember her name. Johana Gustawsson has become a leading figure in French crime fiction [and] Yule Island is impossible to put down’ Le Monde‘Wonderfully dark and intricately woven … will have you hooked from the very first page’ B A Paris  ‘Johana Gustawsson has become the queen of the French thriller genre’ Le Point  ‘Intriguingly dark and vivid, and so cleverly told’ Essie Fox  `A gripping story of murder and black magic …Gustawsson slowly weaves together three seemingly disparate strands of her narrative with a skill that shows why she is such an admired crime writer in her native France´ The Times   ‘A wonderfully creepy, unsettling read, with a superb twist in its tail‘ James Oswald  ‘Bewitching and wonderfully gothic’ Sunday Express  ‘Johana Gustawsson brilliantly illuminates the depths of the human heart’ Le Figaro  `A whirlpool that draws you irresistibly into levels of darkness so much deeper than you can possibly be ready for´ Ambrose Parry  ‘Ethereal, romantic and as cold as death, this nerve-shattering and powerful novel immerses us in a cruel and thrilling Nordic tale where love smashes against the rocks of madness’ La Fringale culturelle  ‘A stunning and beautifully written gothic thriller’ Alexandra Benedict  ‘Johana Gustawsson has no equal when it comes to hooking us with stunning twists and unexpected leaps in time’ Les Echos  'A bold and intelligent read' Guardian  'Utterly compelling' Woman's Own  `Brilliant … the last chapters knocked me sideways, and it’s a long time since that’s happened´ Lisa Hall  `A dark world of elegance and grotesque … mesmeric´ Matt Wesolowski  'Cleverly plotted, simply excellent' Ragnar Jónasson'A must-read' Daily Express

Psychologist and expert on body language and memory, Kari Voss investigates the murder of two teenaged girls in the small Norwegian town of Son, as suspicion is cast on multiple suspects. A mesmerisingly dark, twisty start to a nerve-shattering new series by two of the world’s finest crime writers…‘A breathtaking thriller with a complex plot and twist to die for. Simply brilliant’ Express‘Gustawsson and Enger deliver a one-two punch that’s a stone-cold knockout’ Alexandra Sokoloff & Craig Robertson‘A pacy, gripping read that marks the start of an exciting new series. The best Nordic noir I’ve read in ages. Spectacular!’ Tariq Ashkanani‘The disturbing consequences of this are fully explored in a haunting tale that concludes with a sickening double twist. Son is everything a crime novel should be – and more’ Sunday TimesThe International BestsellerShortlisted for the Prix Le Point du Polar Européen and the Sølvkniven Award – Norwegian Crime Novel of the Year_______________________Everyone here is lying…Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on his birthday seven years earlier.Still grieving for her dead husband and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well…With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one, including the victims, is what they seem, and that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son’s disappearance, but Kari’s own life too…For fans of Harlan Coben, Lars Kepler, Jo Nesbo and Jorn Lier Horst … and The Mentalist_______________________‘Written by one of France’s leading crime writers and one of Norway’s best-selling authors, the story introduces a truly original character that we will hear much more of’ Daily Mail‘Two prime exponents of international crime fiction … this is Franco-Nordic Noir delivered with total authority’ Financial Times‘Follows in the grand tradition of Nordic thrillers, but with a profoundly human dimension. This is a book that doesn’t just frighten; it touches the heart … the first instalment of a series that is already shaping up to be essential reading’ Cosmopolitan‘Twisty and moving, with abundant psychological insight, this investigation of blood ties, in all meanings of the word, is superb crime-writing’ Antti Tuomainen‘Blown away by this cracking thriller and I was already loving it before they hit me with THAT ending. Bravo!’ Trevor Wood‘Utterly gripping and brilliantly layered … kept me hooked from start to the twisty finish – Nordic Noir as it should be’ Lilja Sigurðardóttir‘This is the perfect thriller’ Michael Wood‘A potent reminder of just how powerful crime fiction can be. An absorbing, original and deeply affecting novel that grips with a fierceness and masterfully drags the reader into the darkest places. Brilliant in all senses of the word’ Rob Parker‘A body-language expert with a grief of her own, a devastated community full of secrets, and a final sentence that leaves you reeling’ Sam Holland

Psychologist and expert on body language and memory, Kari Voss investigates the murder of two teenaged girls in the small Norwegian town of Son, as suspicion is cast on multiple suspects. A mesmerisingly dark, twisty start to a nerve-shattering new series by two of the world's finest crime writers…  ‘A breathtaking thriller with a complex plot and twist to die for. Simply brilliant’ Express  ‘Gustawsson and Enger deliver a one-two punch that's a stone-cold knockout’ Alexandra Sokoloff & Craig Robertson  ‘A pacy, gripping read that marks the start of an exciting new series. The best Nordic noir I've read in ages. Spectacular!’ Tariq Ashkanani  ‘The disturbing consequences of this are fully explored in a haunting tale that concludes with a sickening double twist. Son is everything a crime novel should be — and more’ Sunday Times  _______________________  Everyone here is lying…  Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on his birthday, seven years earlier.  Still grieving for her dead husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.  When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well…  With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one – including the victims – are what they seem. And that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son's disappearance, but Kari's own life, too…  For fans of Harlan Coben, Lars Kepler, Jo Nesbo and Jorn Lier Horst … and The Mentalist  _______________________  ‘Written by one of France’s leading crime writers and one of Norway’s best-selling authors, the story introduces a truly original character that we will hear much more of’ Daily Mail  ‘Two prime exponents of international crime fiction … this is Franco-Nordic Noir delivered with total authority’ Financial Times  ‘Twisty and moving, with abundant psychological insight, this investigation of blood ties, in all meanings of the word, is superb crime-writing’ Antti Tuomainen  ‘Blown away by this cracking thriller and I was already loving it before they hit me with THAT ending. Bravo!’ Trevor Wood  ‘Utterly gripping and brilliantly layered … kept me hooked from start to the twisty finish – Nordic Noir as it should be’ Lilja Sigurðardóttir  ‘This is the perfect thriller’ Michael Wood  ‘A potent reminder of just how powerful crime fiction can be. An absorbing, original and deeply affecting novel that grips with a fierceness and masterfully drags the reader into the darkest places. Brilliant in all senses of the word’ Rob Parker  ‘A body-language expert with a grief of her own, a devastated community full of secrets, and a final sentence that leaves you reeling’ Sam Holland  ‘When two excellent writers collaborate, you know it's going to be good, but SON surpassed expectations. Great premise, great characters and, simply put, a great book’ Yrsa Sigurðardóttir  ‘SON had me gripped from the first page to the last. A perfect slice of Scandi Noir, and that ending! More, please!’ Lisa Hall  ‘It has everything I look for in a crime novel. Clever, intriguing, atmospheric’ Michael J. Malone

When two teenagers are found brutally murdered on the island of Lidingö, dressed in white tunics and wearing crowns of candles, former French police officer Maïa Rehn joins local Commissioner Aleksander Storm to unravel a mystery with a shockingly dark heart. The highly anticipated sequel to the international bestselling gothic mystery, Yule Island.‘A horrific, baffling crime startles a small Swedish community. This is perfect Scandi Noir, dripping with atmosphere. The writing shines, and the story is impossible to resist. Gustawsson is a master’ Shari Lapena‘This revenger’s tragedy begins with a bang … a typically Scandi tale of beautiful interiors and ugly emotions that twists and turns like a snared mink’Sunday Times‘A gripping mystery simmering with social outrage – this is what crime fiction should be’ Alexandra Sokoloff‘Johana Gustawsson is an extraordinarily talented storyteller, with a beautiful, eloquent writing style. Scars of Silence unfolds at a breathless pace, and the climax is devastating’ Kate Rhodes___________Twenty-three years ago, a young woman was murdered on the Swedish island of Lidingö. The island has kept its silence. Until now…As autumn deepens into darkness in Lidingö, on the Stockholm archipelago, the island is plunged into chaos: in the space of a week, two teenaged boys are murdered. Their bodies are left deep in the forest, dressed in white tunics with crowns of candles on their heads, like offerings to Saint Lucia.Maïa Rehn has fled Paris for Lidingö after a family tragedy. But when the murders shake the island community, the former police commissioner is drawn into the heart of the investigation, joining Commissioner Aleksander Storm to unravel a mystery as chilling as the Nordic winter.As they dig deeper, it becomes clear that a wind of vengeance is blowing through the archipelago, unearthing secrets that are as scandalous as they are inhuman.But what if the victims weren’t who they seemed? What if those long silenced have finally found a way to strike back?How far would they go to make their tormentors pay?And you – how far would you go?_______‘Haunting, human and wholly unputdownable … unforgettable characters caught in the web of a chilling mystery, set against the stark, mesmerising backdrop of Sweden. Few writers balance heart and horror so masterfully – this is Scandi Noir at its finest’ Thomas Enger'A shockingly cold slice of Scandi noir that combines the darkness of folk horror with a sharp-eyed exploration of consent’ Sarah Hilary‘Relevant and timely, Scars of Silence is compulsive whodunnit, with a strong and important message, tackling issues of great relevance in today’s world. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop – utterly addictive’ Sam Holland‘Magnificent! So chilling and atmospheric … I was utterly gripped. Johana Gustawsson gets better and better with every book’ Lisa Hall‘A page-turner full of twists and turns, told with devastating tenderness; I felt bereft when it ended. Scars of Silence is a masterclass in Nordic Noir’ Heidi Amsinck‘Scars of Silence is incredible – powerful, timely, superb – with layers of emotion even in the darkness. Such a talent!’ Louise Swanson‘Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying’ Peter James‘One of the true stars of Nordic Noir … this top notch thriller displays a talent to disturb and fascinate’ CrimeTime‘Gustawsson masterfully weaves past and present, painting the Lidingö setting so vividly that we can almost feel the cold as the snow begins to fall – her storytelling is as chilling as it is compelling … this is crime fiction at its most human and haunting’ Nordic Watchlist