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.

My thanks to Orenda Books and Anne Cater for my review copy and the chance to join the blog tour

Last year I included Johana Gustawsson’s Block 46 in my end of year round-up of my favourite books – much anticipation here at Grab This Book over the new Emily Roy/Alexis Castells thriller Keeper.

Having read nothing but Keeper for the last couple of days I am delighted to confirm it is another ripper (pun intended).  The story shifts between modern day London and Falkenberg in Sweden but also has a fascinating side story which starts in Whitechapel, London in 1888…Jack The Ripper is at large and in the middle of his murderous spree.

The modern day story is a chiller in its own right. Bodies of women are being found. They have all been mutilated in the same way and there are other similarities in the manner of their initial disappearance which gives profiler Emily Roy much to ponder. Her initial conclusions will lead to a shock for her friend Alexis Castells when the clues in the current investigation will connect to a case which was very personal to Alexis.

Keeper kept me gripped. It is story brilliantly spun, delightfully dark and with some extremely unsettling scenes for readers to ponder.  Johana Gustawsson knows how to keep her readers entertained and Keeper reaffirms my assurance that she is very much an author to watch out for. More, much more, of these please.

Keeper is published by Orenda Books and is available in digital format and paperback from 28 April 2018.  You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keeper-Roy-Castells-Johana-Gustawsson-ebook/dp/B078GZMJ4H/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523902007&sr=8-1&keywords=keeper+johana+gustawsson