noveldeelights's review against another edition
5.0
In my review of the previous Roy & Castells book, Block 46, I may have uttered the words “sheer perfection”. Quite frankly, I didn’t think Johana Gustawsson could top that and I wouldn’t need to worry about coming up with an even bigger statement than the one I made at the time. I was wrong. So very, very wrong. Because somehow Johana Gustawsson raised the bar even higher and completely blew me away!
If you’ve read Block 46 (and if you haven’t, I may just have to hurt you), then you know Johana Gustawsson combined crime fiction with events set in World War II, which just happens to be one of my favourite topics to read about. In Keeper, she does it again, by seamlessly and effortlessly combining yet another firm favourite of mine, Victorian era Jack The Ripper murders with current events in Sweden and England. How are these connected, I hear you ask? Well, you’ll just have to pick up the book, won’t you?
I will tell you that what follows is a dark, disturbing and deliciously gruesome tale. From the very first page, Keeper had me in a chokehold and wouldn’t let go. Forget sleep! Seriously! Either you’ll be up all night reading, or you will be haunted by nightmares. I gasped, I felt shocked, I even may have felt a little nauseous at times, uttered the words “bloody hell” and sank a little deeper into my sofa, felt somewhat breathless and most definitely speechless. This is what I look for in my books. An insanely awesome experience, a thrill a minute that has me completely absorbed and leaves me desperately wanting more.
Keeper is intensely gripping, utterly addictive and a compelling page-turner like no other. The relatively short chapters urge you on to read just one more, and then another. Johana Gustawsson’s writing is razor sharp and the investigation will keep you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails, frantically trying to figure out the clues. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the evil mastermind that is Johana Gustawsson (and really, she looks so sweet!) comes up with an absolutely fantastic conclusion that left me spinning as if I’d just gone on a rollercoaster about twenty times in a row.
In short, I loved it and highly recommend you pick this one up! It is of the sheerest perfection (😉) and will without a doubt be in my top 10 at the end of the year! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find a thesaurus. Odds are I’m going to need it for the next instalment in the series.
If you’ve read Block 46 (and if you haven’t, I may just have to hurt you), then you know Johana Gustawsson combined crime fiction with events set in World War II, which just happens to be one of my favourite topics to read about. In Keeper, she does it again, by seamlessly and effortlessly combining yet another firm favourite of mine, Victorian era Jack The Ripper murders with current events in Sweden and England. How are these connected, I hear you ask? Well, you’ll just have to pick up the book, won’t you?
I will tell you that what follows is a dark, disturbing and deliciously gruesome tale. From the very first page, Keeper had me in a chokehold and wouldn’t let go. Forget sleep! Seriously! Either you’ll be up all night reading, or you will be haunted by nightmares. I gasped, I felt shocked, I even may have felt a little nauseous at times, uttered the words “bloody hell” and sank a little deeper into my sofa, felt somewhat breathless and most definitely speechless. This is what I look for in my books. An insanely awesome experience, a thrill a minute that has me completely absorbed and leaves me desperately wanting more.
Keeper is intensely gripping, utterly addictive and a compelling page-turner like no other. The relatively short chapters urge you on to read just one more, and then another. Johana Gustawsson’s writing is razor sharp and the investigation will keep you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails, frantically trying to figure out the clues. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the evil mastermind that is Johana Gustawsson (and really, she looks so sweet!) comes up with an absolutely fantastic conclusion that left me spinning as if I’d just gone on a rollercoaster about twenty times in a row.
In short, I loved it and highly recommend you pick this one up! It is of the sheerest perfection (😉) and will without a doubt be in my top 10 at the end of the year! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find a thesaurus. Odds are I’m going to need it for the next instalment in the series.
halfpotato_halfcheese's review against another edition
2.0
In not having read her first novel I feel like I missed a chunk of character development necessary to understand a couple of the main players. My overall feeling on this is that the storyline was overly complicated for what was needed, far too many characters to keep track of it such a short amount of time. The plot twist at the end was good, but seemed rushed and under developed.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.5
Finished reading: August 27th 2019
"The news had hung in mid-air for a moment, a millisecond of incomprehension and doubt when reality only existed in words, as if it were gearing up to hit you where it hurts."
And it happened again... As with the first book of the Emily Roy & Alexis Castells series, I've been struggling to get a word on paper after finishing Keeper last week. Such is the power of these books! Many fellow bloggers have recommended this series to me over time, and I've definitely become a fan. Keeper has only reconfirmed my love for this series, and even a week after I'm still recovering from the shock of this absolutely brilliant and without doubt disturbing read. But it's time for me to stop procrastinating as I really want to dive into my copy of Blood Song, so let's see if I can put together a somewhat coherent review...
Like in the first book, the first thing that stands out in Keeper is the combination of two of my favorite genres: historical fiction and crime fiction. And not just any historical period: this sequel involves the infamous Jack The Ripper! That alone is a huge bonus for me, but having both genres merged so successfully really turns this series into something special. Both past and present are excellently developed and Johana Gustawsson has a way of making you feel like you are right there next to the characters. The historical chapters are described realistically and in great detail; I really loved how she incorporated the Jack The Ripper references into the plot as well. The historical chapters give this crime thriller an unique touch and once again really enhanced the reading experience for me.
Another thing I loved is the international setting. Having part of the story set in Sweden definitely added more dept to the story, especially with similar murders being discovered in both London and Sweden. Descriptions of both the Swedish setting and culture are thorough and give you the perfect backdrop for this blood chilling read. Because there is one thing for sure: you will have to prepare yourself for a particularly harrowing and brutal read...Trigger warnings are in place for themes including (child) abuse, addiction and (extreme) violence. Oh yes, this is not just another 'simple' serial killer case, and the things you will learn about the past and present will leave you flabbergasted. Keeper is definitely a keeper, but only for those with a strong stomach! You will get some relief though in the form of new favorite characters Emily Roy and Alexis Castells. Apart from the fact that I love that they are not the typical detective leads, but instead are a profiler (Emily Roy) and a true-crime writer (Alexis Castells), I really like both their dynamics and their personal development in this sequel. There was another character that really stood out for me in Keeper though: Aliénor. She really added a little something extra to the present chapters set in Sweden and I hope we will see more of her in the future... That said, the other characters are likewise well developed and it was fascinating to learn more about the who, how and why behind the murders as well as trying to discover how it could be connected to the events in 1888.
The structure of the plot is complex and has multiple POVs, flashbacks and different settings. This only adds to the richness of this story and it is one of the reasons this series in general is one of my favorite new discoveries this year. The chapters are well balanced despite the multiple POVs and settings... Since you already know quite a lot of characters from Block 46, it is really easy to just dive in, forget about pending chores and fully immerse yourself into the story. The writing is simply beautifully and the pace is just right; it was hook, line, and sinker from the very first chapter and I finished this briliant read in no time at all, albeit with a few fingernails less than before. Why? I can guarantee that the excellently developed plot twists, well placed moments of suspense and shocking paragraphs will have you biting your nails and checking your blood pressure repeatedly in no time at all.
In short, if you enjoy a well written, expertly crafted and unique crime thriller with a historical twist, you should definitely schedule yourself a meeting with Emily Roy and Alexis Castells. Both Block 46 and Keeper are exceptional books I can highly recommend to any fan of the genre.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
5.0
Visit the locations in the novel
If an epic novel that will blow your mind is what you want, then this is it.
There's a lot to get your teeth into - murders in Sweden 2015 linking back to Jack the Ripper? A killer with a sick sense of justice. Family secrets. Murder and more secrets. Oh and some of the sharpest writing, sharpest plotting and fall off your seat OMG moments I've read in a while!
This book is very very clever.The present day plot is twistier than a very twisty thing. The links to the past stories are inspiring and fascinating to the extreme. Lots of povs/shifts in time to keep track of but this falls into place before you realise as the strength of the story supercedes everything else.
This really has to be read with little understanding of the plot to fully appreciate the intricate plotting and deliciously dark twists and turns. It's the kind of books you grimace at some scenes (graphic is not the word) and then rub your hands with glee at others - but you champion both for the way the words slap you in the face
Now after reading book two I am in awe of Johana. I've been lucky enough to meet her on several occasions now and she is the loveliest, warmest person ever! What goes on in that mind of hers? Haha total respect.
This is an early review granted but it's that good I couldn't help myself. It's out on kindle in Feb anyway and paperback in April. Devour this one!!
Merged review:
If an epic novel that will blow your mind is what you want, then this is it.
There's a lot to get your teeth into - murders in Sweden 2015 linking back to Jack the Ripper? A killer with a sick sense of justice. Family secrets. Murder and more secrets. Oh and some of the sharpest writing, sharpest plotting and fall off your seat OMG moments I've read in a while!
This book is very very clever.The present day plot is twistier than a very twisty thing. The links to the past stories are inspiring and fascinating to the extreme. Lots of povs/shifts in time to keep track of but this falls into place before you realise as the strength of the story supercedes everything else.
This really has to be read with little understanding of the plot to fully appreciate the intricate plotting and deliciously dark twists and turns. It's the kind of books you grimace at some scenes (graphic is not the word) and then rub your hands with glee at others - but you champion both for the way the words slap you in the face
Now after reading book two I am in awe of Johana. I've been lucky enough to meet her on several occasions now and she is the loveliest, warmest person ever! What goes on in that mind of hers? Haha total respect.
This is an early review granted but it's that good I couldn't help myself. It's out on kindle in Feb anyway and paperback in April. Devour this one!!
ljwrites85's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second in the Roy and Castells series, which I didn’t realise when I started reading this and it works fine as a stand-alone but I would probably recommend reading the first book Block 46 just to get a better understanding of the characters.
It’s quite a complicated storyline with two narratives running throughout. One is set in 2015 which is all about the discovery of a body in Sweden which links back to murders in Tower Hamlets, London, ten years previously and the kidnap of actress Julianne Bell. The second goes back to Jack The Rippers rein of terror back in the 19th century which to me seems well researched and doesn’t hold back when describing the poverty people lived in back then.
I enjoyed the sort of opposites of Emily Roy and Alexis Castells. Roy comes across as blunt and rude and Alexis is more emotional, the more ‘human’ of the two. I loved the Swedish trainee Aliénor who is on the autistic spectrum, who injects a little humour (intentional of course) into the story.
The story has plenty of twists and turns with an ending that truly surprised me, which I can I tell you is quite difficult!
This is not a book for the faint of heart, it’s graphic, intense and quite disturbing at times. There is also a large cast of characters which occasionally I found hard to keep track of.
Overall a great mix of historical and mystery which will keep you on your toes. I can’t wait to see what is next for this series.
It’s quite a complicated storyline with two narratives running throughout. One is set in 2015 which is all about the discovery of a body in Sweden which links back to murders in Tower Hamlets, London, ten years previously and the kidnap of actress Julianne Bell. The second goes back to Jack The Rippers rein of terror back in the 19th century which to me seems well researched and doesn’t hold back when describing the poverty people lived in back then.
I enjoyed the sort of opposites of Emily Roy and Alexis Castells. Roy comes across as blunt and rude and Alexis is more emotional, the more ‘human’ of the two. I loved the Swedish trainee Aliénor who is on the autistic spectrum, who injects a little humour (intentional of course) into the story.
The story has plenty of twists and turns with an ending that truly surprised me, which I can I tell you is quite difficult!
This is not a book for the faint of heart, it’s graphic, intense and quite disturbing at times. There is also a large cast of characters which occasionally I found hard to keep track of.
Overall a great mix of historical and mystery which will keep you on your toes. I can’t wait to see what is next for this series.
meloches's review against another edition
5.0
Last year, I read Block 46, a new novel in a French Noir series by Johana Gustawsson, and was completely blown away. Historical fiction collided with mystery and suspense bringing a fast-paced plot with memorable characters that kept me up late into the night and recommend it to all my friends and coworkers. So, when I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for Gustawsson’s second novel featuring the same detectives as Block 46, Keeper, I enthusiastically agreed!
Once again, Gustawasson combines past with the present as her story unfolds. Just as dark as Block 46 but in a completely different time period, this time we are transported back and forth from London/Sweden in 2015 and the Jack the Ripper murders which terrorized London in the 1800s. We follow profiler Emily Roy and true crime writer Alexis Castells as they struggle to see how these cases fit together, a copycat killer on the loose and family secrets. Once again, I found myself seriously impressed with how effortlessly the plot was weaved between the time periods.
It is extremely hard to discuss this book without giving anything away but the twist at the end was mind-blowing! Actual jaw-dropping. I was, once again, left reeling by this novel! Who knew that I would love this French Noir genre so much?! Overall, I loved the follow up to Block 46 and Keeper had me up late into the night, devouring pages! I cannot wait to see what Gustawasson will come up with next!
Highly, highly recommended.
Once again, Gustawasson combines past with the present as her story unfolds. Just as dark as Block 46 but in a completely different time period, this time we are transported back and forth from London/Sweden in 2015 and the Jack the Ripper murders which terrorized London in the 1800s. We follow profiler Emily Roy and true crime writer Alexis Castells as they struggle to see how these cases fit together, a copycat killer on the loose and family secrets. Once again, I found myself seriously impressed with how effortlessly the plot was weaved between the time periods.
It is extremely hard to discuss this book without giving anything away but the twist at the end was mind-blowing! Actual jaw-dropping. I was, once again, left reeling by this novel! Who knew that I would love this French Noir genre so much?! Overall, I loved the follow up to Block 46 and Keeper had me up late into the night, devouring pages! I cannot wait to see what Gustawasson will come up with next!
Highly, highly recommended.
steph1rothwell's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn’t wait to see what Johana Gustawsson would write after the marvellous Block 46, so as soon as it landed on my kindle I started to read. I purposely didn’t read the blurb, I didn’t want to know too much about what I would be reading.
It takes place in London and Sweden in 2015 and also in 1888. This account is one that follows the same family into modern-day. The first few years of this was quite sad, reading how the events that occurred changed circumstances so much for Freda.
Anybody who is familiar with Jack the Ripper, the killer who terrified women, particularly prostitutes, in the late 1900s will enjoy this. Reading about the murders from the point of view of a woman who knew the victims was chilling. Johana has done a great job of humanising the victims, and the people who lived in the vicinity. Most of what I have read is from a policeman’s point of view or those from the upper classes, and they have never moved away from the view that the woman deserved to die because of their profession. That it didn’t matter, because it would never touch somebody like them. This is proved in the way that Freda is almost gleefully questioned by her employer.
I was pleased to see Emily and Alexis both reappear, they are very strong characters who have both suffered trauma in the past. More is revealed about what happened to Alexis, how it still affected her and how she tried to move on. Emily’s past is still hinted at but there are no real details. Other characters from the previous books also reappear. Some I was glad to see, some not, but I liked a newcomer Alienor very much.
I don’t think I have ever read a book that shows evil people in the way that Johana does. They are people who make you cold and at times nauseous. I couldn’t even begin to think what else that might be capable of. Each time I thought I had solved it I was proven wrong and the ending was one of the bigger surprises I have had when reading a crime novel.
A great follow-up, I was wondering how she would follow Block 46, because that book had a brilliant storyline but I wasn’t disappointed. Unique, compelling and it took over my life until I had finished it. First class crime fiction.
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
5.0
Keeper is the second book in the Roy & Castells series. I wouldn’t say it was a necessity to read them in order but I highly recommend reading Block 46 solely because it is a great read.
I wasn’t sure if the author could top Block 46. The author has a way of combining past with present to deliver a truly dark and deliciously disturbing reading experience. If at all possible, I loved Keeper even more.
As soon as I read the blurb and Jack the Rippers name is mentioned I was already sold on this book. Who could not be fascinated with the brutal murders in an historical case that has never been solved? I was really interested to see how the author would work this in with a modern day crime story and I have to say it worked perfectly.
The story flicks from past to present of which each time scale was as fascinating as the other. The murders that take place in both are horrific and gruesome. We start off in a court room of which the person on trial sings a song in his head which just set the bar well and truly high for what gruesome things as a reader we can look forward to.
Emily and Alexis yet again work tirelessly in trying to solve the case and I was well and truly fascinated with how they go about it. I have to say I am quite fascinated with profilers so Emily’s side of the investigation was especially gripping stuff.
Keeper is just a truly awesome read. It is dark and twisted and I absolutely loved every minute of it. This is one unputdownable, spine chilling read and an absolute must read for crime fans.
My thanks to Orenda and Anne Cater for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
I wasn’t sure if the author could top Block 46. The author has a way of combining past with present to deliver a truly dark and deliciously disturbing reading experience. If at all possible, I loved Keeper even more.
As soon as I read the blurb and Jack the Rippers name is mentioned I was already sold on this book. Who could not be fascinated with the brutal murders in an historical case that has never been solved? I was really interested to see how the author would work this in with a modern day crime story and I have to say it worked perfectly.
The story flicks from past to present of which each time scale was as fascinating as the other. The murders that take place in both are horrific and gruesome. We start off in a court room of which the person on trial sings a song in his head which just set the bar well and truly high for what gruesome things as a reader we can look forward to.
Emily and Alexis yet again work tirelessly in trying to solve the case and I was well and truly fascinated with how they go about it. I have to say I am quite fascinated with profilers so Emily’s side of the investigation was especially gripping stuff.
Keeper is just a truly awesome read. It is dark and twisted and I absolutely loved every minute of it. This is one unputdownable, spine chilling read and an absolute must read for crime fans.
My thanks to Orenda and Anne Cater for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
damppebbles's review against another edition
5.0
Keeper is the second book in the Roy & Castells series written by Johana Gustawsson and is published in paperback by Orenda Books later this month (nothing to stop you from grabbing a copy of the eBook now though!).
I read the first book in the series, Block 46 last year. I really liked it, many others absolutely loved it and it made regular appearances on the ‘top books of 2017’ lists. Rightly so. Knowing this added to the pre-read build up for me. I was excited, expectant and a little apprehensive.
For those new to Gustawsson’s books, they are set in the present day (if you can call 2015 present!) but with a historical twist to them. The story’s tentacles reach back in time to real-life crimes. The reader gets to see how the evil of the past affects and manipulates the evil of the present. It’s a highly original concept, one that I haven’t found elsewhere and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I bow down to those that are able to write convincing fiction, but I grovel on the floor before those that include a fair amount of accurate historical fact (I assume it’s accurate by the way, I am certainly no historian!). In Block 46 we had the despicable and abhorrent treatment prisoners of war were subjected to by the detestable Nazi’s. In Keeper, we are plunged into the world of the infamous serial killer, Jack the Ripper. Now I’m no Ripperologist but Jack the Ripper has always fascinated me. I’ve read a few books on the subject, some fact and some fiction. As far as the fictional ones go, this is by far the best.
I adored this book. Plain and simple. If Keeper doesn’t make it to my top three books of the year then there is something seriously wrong with me. Regular visitors to the blog will be fully aware that I like my crime thrillers a little more on the dark side. Keeper is one heck of a dark read. Picture the scene, there I was merrily reading away thinking to myself, ‘yup, it’s another good one – probably four stars at the moment but we’ll see how things go’. Then all of a sudden Gustawsson stepped things up a notch (or two). My jaw hit the table and I was utterly smitten with the author’s story. One of those, ‘WOAH’ moments that I absolutely live for.
Keeper will take you places you never expected. It’s exactly the kind of novel I want to read and it’s going to stay with me for a very, very long time. My love for Emily Roy has grown. She’s such a likeable oddball character. She does have competition for my affections though as I also really liked intern, Aliénor Lindbergh. Such an interesting character and I hope we see more of her in the future. The dynamic between the two characters really worked for me.
I also love the international flavour of Gustawsson’s books. The reader gets taken on a whirlwind journey from London to Falkenberg in Sweden, and back again. The characters also bring a welcome international flair to proceedings. For example, at one point Alexis Castells is having a dreaded ‘meet the parents’ moment (her parents are meeting her partner). They don’t all speak the same language so some are conversing in English, others in Swedish, her parents are chatting in French and there’s a bit of Spanish thrown in for good measure too. One of my favourite scenes in the book.
Would I recommend this book? Most definitely. Strong characters, astonishing twists and really quite perfect. There’s not a single thing I can think of that I didn’t like, and that’s saying something! Totally gratifying, deliciously dark and WHAT a thrill-ride. Yeah, I loved this one. You really should read Keeper.
Five out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an eARC of Keeper. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
I read the first book in the series, Block 46 last year. I really liked it, many others absolutely loved it and it made regular appearances on the ‘top books of 2017’ lists. Rightly so. Knowing this added to the pre-read build up for me. I was excited, expectant and a little apprehensive.
For those new to Gustawsson’s books, they are set in the present day (if you can call 2015 present!) but with a historical twist to them. The story’s tentacles reach back in time to real-life crimes. The reader gets to see how the evil of the past affects and manipulates the evil of the present. It’s a highly original concept, one that I haven’t found elsewhere and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I bow down to those that are able to write convincing fiction, but I grovel on the floor before those that include a fair amount of accurate historical fact (I assume it’s accurate by the way, I am certainly no historian!). In Block 46 we had the despicable and abhorrent treatment prisoners of war were subjected to by the detestable Nazi’s. In Keeper, we are plunged into the world of the infamous serial killer, Jack the Ripper. Now I’m no Ripperologist but Jack the Ripper has always fascinated me. I’ve read a few books on the subject, some fact and some fiction. As far as the fictional ones go, this is by far the best.
I adored this book. Plain and simple. If Keeper doesn’t make it to my top three books of the year then there is something seriously wrong with me. Regular visitors to the blog will be fully aware that I like my crime thrillers a little more on the dark side. Keeper is one heck of a dark read. Picture the scene, there I was merrily reading away thinking to myself, ‘yup, it’s another good one – probably four stars at the moment but we’ll see how things go’. Then all of a sudden Gustawsson stepped things up a notch (or two). My jaw hit the table and I was utterly smitten with the author’s story. One of those, ‘WOAH’ moments that I absolutely live for.
Keeper will take you places you never expected. It’s exactly the kind of novel I want to read and it’s going to stay with me for a very, very long time. My love for Emily Roy has grown. She’s such a likeable oddball character. She does have competition for my affections though as I also really liked intern, Aliénor Lindbergh. Such an interesting character and I hope we see more of her in the future. The dynamic between the two characters really worked for me.
I also love the international flavour of Gustawsson’s books. The reader gets taken on a whirlwind journey from London to Falkenberg in Sweden, and back again. The characters also bring a welcome international flair to proceedings. For example, at one point Alexis Castells is having a dreaded ‘meet the parents’ moment (her parents are meeting her partner). They don’t all speak the same language so some are conversing in English, others in Swedish, her parents are chatting in French and there’s a bit of Spanish thrown in for good measure too. One of my favourite scenes in the book.
Would I recommend this book? Most definitely. Strong characters, astonishing twists and really quite perfect. There’s not a single thing I can think of that I didn’t like, and that’s saying something! Totally gratifying, deliciously dark and WHAT a thrill-ride. Yeah, I loved this one. You really should read Keeper.
Five out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an eARC of Keeper. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
booksnbrains's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75