The Roy and Castells series by Johana Gustawsson

So, you’re a bookworm. And suddenly, you find you have the time to read as much as you’ve always wanted to. What better time to start catching up on series than right now?! I thought I’d offer some tips over the next few days/weeks/months (? Yikes!)

Today, I’m shining the spotlight on the Roy and Castells series by Johana Gustawsson.

• 

• 

• 

| ABOUT THE ROY AND CASTELLS SERIES |

Profiler Emily Roy joins forces with true crime writer Alexis Castells in pursuit of some of the most depraved murderers you’ll ever encounter.

Trust me when I tell you that this isn’t your average run-of-the-mill crime fiction series. Each book has its roots fixed firmly in the past and somehow those events are connected to the present day chapters and murders. Figuring out how is only half the fun. Along the way, you realise you’re actually learning something too but without the agony of having to sit through a boring history lesson with a teacher who’d rather be somewhere else. That may just have been my school experience but you know what I mean.

Few crime fiction series leave me feeling like I’ve been punched in the gut numerous times, wanting to curl up into a tiny ball under my duvet, but Johana Gustawsson manages it every single time. She is a remarkable talent and I continue to be absolutely impressed by the way she manages to combine modern crime fiction with some of history’s most shocking eras and the atrocious things humans are capable of. Concentration camps during World War II, the Victorian era when Jack the Ripper roamed the streets of Whitechapel and Franco’s regime in Spain … few things are darker and grittier than these topics.

This series currently stands at three books and all three are intensely gripping and utterly addictive. All three are extremely compelling page-turners, wrapped up in fabulous writing and with characters that will get under your skin.. But also harrowing, heartbreaking and devastating. Every single one has left me reeling. Basically the Roy and Castells series just has everything I look for in a book. I can’t recommend these books enough. As far as I’m concerned, it’s crime fiction from the top shelf and I can’t wait for the next instalment.

My original reviews for each book :

Block 46
Keeper
Blood Song

Affiliate link : Bookdepository
Other retailers : Amazon UK | Hive UK | Kobo | Waterstones

| ABOUT THE AUTHOR |

Born in Marseille, France, and with a degree in Political Science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French and Spanish press and television. Her critically acclaimed Roy & Castells series has won the Plume d’Argent, Balai de la découverte, Balai d’Or and Prix Marseillais du Polar awards, and is now published in nineteen countries. A TV adaptation is currently underway in a French, Swedish and UK co-production. 

Johana lives in London with her Swedish husband and their three sons.