Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for this eCopy to review
The Sleepwalker is everything I want in a Nordic thriller dark, disturbing, and utterly relentless. From the blood-soaked crime scene in a deserted Stockholm campsite to the psychological depths of trauma and memory, this novel gripped me from the first page and didn’t let go. It’s a story about sleep, secrets, and the terrifying things we’re capable of when we’re not even awake.
🧠 Plot Summary
When police respond to a late-night emergency call at a closed campsite, they find a scene straight out of a nightmare: a man brutally dismembered, blood everywhere, and a teenage boy, Hugo Sand sleeping beside a severed arm. Hugo, the son of a famous author, suffers from a rare form of somnambulism triggered by nightmares. He remembers nothing.
Enter Joona Linna, who enlists hypnotist Erik Maria Bark to unlock Hugo’s memories. But what begins as a search for truth quickly spirals into a hunt for a killer who is not only active but escalating. As Joona digs deeper, he uncovers a chilling pattern and realizes that Hugo may not be the only one sleepwalking through horror.
🔍 What Worked
The Premise: The idea of a sleepwalker possibly committing murder is both horrifying and fascinating. Kepler uses it to full effect, blending science and suspense.
Joona Linna: As always, Joona is a compelling lead—relentless, intuitive, and haunted by his own past.
Pacing: The short chapters and cliff hanger endings make this a compulsive read. I flew through it in two sittings.
Psychological Depth: The exploration of sleep disorders, memory repression, and trauma adds a rich layer to the procedural elements.
Atmosphere: Cold, clinical, and claustrophobic—Kepler’s Sweden is a place where danger lurks in every shadow.
Final Thoughts
The Sleepwalker is a chilling, high-stakes thriller that blends forensic detail with psychological suspense. It’s not for the faint of heart, some scenes are very gruesome and genuinely disturbing, but if you’re a fan of dark crime fiction, this one’s for you.