April 2018 Book of the Month
Oh wow, this is a slicing, chilling, whammy of a read that has left me reeling. In 2015 an actress is abducted, the case has all the hallmarks of a murderer who was locked up in Broadmoor ten years previously, then a body appearing to link to the abduction and murders is found in Sweden. The second in the 'Roy and Castells' series continues with sharp, fast-paced drama. I really do recommend starting at the beginning with the fabulous ‘Block 46’, you need to get to know the characters, as to try to step into the middle of the storyline would be almost impossible. The translation is spot on, at no time did I stop to consider this originated in a different language. Set in two countries, and two storylines, with one story steadily advancing through the years, I found myself on full alert and at times racing to keep up. There are sections that are so horrifyingly descriptive they are almost impossible to read, yet the story is so gripping, it is impossible not to. Johana Gustawsson delivers morsel upon morsel of information, and stomach-churning shivers raced down my body. An inkling of what is happening zipped into my thoughts, however I couldn’t have even begun to imagine the final outcome. ‘Keeper’ isn’t an easy read, it isn’t meant to be, it is thought-provoking, challenging, and an absolute knock-out…I’m still in shock - highly recommended.
| Primary Genre | Crime and Mystery |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
I can honestly say "I've never read a book like this before!”
It said on the back of the book, it was a page-turner and I can agree.
I liked the fact that the chapters were so short and had a time and place at the beginning of each.
As to the story - bloodcurdling - does not do it justice. It frightened the wits out of me, I felt like a small child again needing to hide behind the settee when Dr. Who was on the TV. I was frightened of holding the book! Would the murderer jump out of the pages and get me?
It was a quick moving story having English and Swedish detectives vying with each other to solve the crime. It was a strange case with many twists and turns. But it was solved.... Read Full Review
The Keeper is a hauntingly descriptive tale with multiple side stories culminating in a unique ending, will have readers going one way, completely caught off guard by the twists that take place.
The Keeper is a hauntingly descriptive tale with multiple side stories culminating in a unique ending, will have readers going one way, completely caught off guard by the twists that take place. Johana picks the reader apart and dives into our deepest darkest nightmares, providing a true horror story and murder mystery. Detectives are dumbfounded by the similarity of murders in Sweden and London.
There are plenty of interesting characters, Detective Karla Hansen, her husband, the criminal profiler Emily Roy, Freda, a prostitute of Swedish origin trying to make a living in 1880s Whitechapel.
This story is filled with grim tales of adultery, deception, treachery while all being presented in a way that builds very slowly but brilliantly up to a climax that will keep the reader invested from the onset. Detective Karla Hansen in Halmstad, finds the damaged corpse of a young woman.... Read Full Review
The setting is in the UK and Sweden with multi characters intrinsically linked by horrific crimes. It was gripping with twist and you wanted to piece the clues together to work out the killer.
The beginning was at a slow pace as there were so many characters and locations however once the characters were established the story began to get very exciting. Now I was trying to keep up with the constant change of setting and introduction of new character.
I found the novel gripping, I devoured it wanting to know more. I was trying to guess the identity of the killer by piercing the clues together and with each snippets of clues that I collected I thought I knew who the killer was until a new twist in the story, I couldn’t keep up.
This novel is different from others as you don’t really hear much about the killer.... Read Full Review
