Block 46 by Johana Gustawsson

In Falkenberg, Sweden, the mutilated body of talented young jewellery designer Linnea Blix is found in a snow-swept marina. In Hampstead Heath, London, the body of a young boy is discovered with similar wounds to Linnea’s. In Buchenwald Concentration Camp in 1944,  Erich Hebner will do anything to see himself as a human again.

Are the two murders the work of a serial killer, and how are they connected to shocking events at Buchenwald? Emily Roy, a profiler on loan to Scotland Yard from the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, joins up with Linnea’s friend, French true-crime writer Alexis Castells, to investigate the puzzling case. They travel between Sweden and London, and then deep into the past, as a startling and terrifying connection comes to light.

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Wow what a powerful read. I’m shocked that this is a debut novel because it has everything and it is written so beautifully! In current day, there are multiple crimes and bodies that span over 2 countries. There is a pattern, but jewellery designer Linnea, is a very odd piece in this puzzle. Also back in 1944, Erich Hebner is living through the brutal conditions of being a German Jew in Buchenwald Concentration Camp.

I wondering through most of the novel how the 2 storylines would connect. Gustawsson does an incredible job describing the horrors of life in a concentration camp and doesn’t hold anything back. It was very tough to read those chapters as I had so many emotions. I was surprised not once, but twice on the conclusion of the book. I love it when an author leads you down one path and then flips the switch!

I only have one small negative and that was the character of Alexis Castells. She is one of the main characters and a close friend of the deceased Linnea. Maybe I missed it, but I didn’t understand why she was so linked to the investigation. I’m surprised that the police force would let her be so involved. Again, I could of totally skipped something important, but the whole time I was questioning why she was there.

4 calculators out of a potential 5. Read this book! Such an incredibly beautifully sad mystery that won’t leave my mind for the next little bit. So happy that this is a series!!

 

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