Johan Theorin

Amid the deep forests of northern Småland, by the shores of Lake Råsjön, lies an old cabin village. Once, it was a campsite where people would swim, bask in the sun, and stay out long into the summer nights. Now, the small red cabins stand deserted, visited only by the occasional passer-by. Few who come here know of its darker history—but for Pernilla Stål, the shadows are all too real. Every autumn, she returns, trying to silence a worry that won’t leave her be—one that has haunted her ever since the deaths occurred here when she was a teenager.

This year, a violent storm has swept through the region, isolating the cabins and the few nearby neighbours. A young businesswoman, Ranja Lindgren, has arrived on behalf of an eccentric property tycoon to check in on his reclusive uncle. Hiding near the village is also Richard Lanner, a professional robber on the run from the police after a cash-in-transit heist gone wrong. Every now and then, echoes of distant hammering can be heard from the cabin village—and as darkness falls, every soul must protect themselves.

The Cabins is an eerie thriller and ghost story set in the dark woods of Småland, where ancient legends take shape—and come for those who dare to disturb them.

In 2007, Johan Theorin made a remarkable debut with Skumtimmen (Echoes from the Dead)—the first in a series of crime mysteries set on the island of Öland, where the weather and landscape play a central role, shaping both the atmosphere and the fates of the characters.

Across the six novels published to date—Skumtimmen (2007; Echoes from the Dead), Nattfåk (2008; The Darkest Room), Blodläge (2010; The Quarry), Rörgast (2013; The Voices Beyond), Benvittring (2021; Weathered Bones), and Ristmärken (2023; Carvings)—readers follow the elderly skipper Gerlof Davidsson as he draws on his keen perception and rich memories to uncover the truth behind disappearances and murders.

The series explores themes of grief and loss, revenge and redemption, eerie legends and superstition. The characters are at the mercy of the fickle moods of the island’s austere landscape, the surrounding sea, and its ever-changing weather. In the tension between old and new, islanders and mainlanders, and local traditions versus encroaching tourism, almost-forgotten folklore bleeds into the modern world—making the Öland Series a haunting and unforgettable reading experience.

Blending crime, ghost stories, and family drama, Theorin’s novels—rich with original characters, evocative settings, and plots that are both sorrowful and gripping—have left a lasting mark on Swedish crime fiction.

"Even as an infant, I was taken on the ferries across to Öland to visit relatives. Once I had teeth, I was offered my first kroppkaka, and after learning to ride a bike, I began exploring the flat, luminous landscape with my friends. Now and then, I stayed indoors just long enough to listen to my grandfather Ellert’s tales of adventures, ghosts, and misfortunes at sea." 

‍Tales from Öland is a collection of fifteen short stories—ranging from ghost encounters to crime mysteries, from horror to tall tales—all set on the legendary island of Öland. The stories unfold on the desolate Stora Alvaret—a vast, barren limestone plain of renowned enigmatic beauty, along the windswept coasts and out on the fickle Baltic Sea. Many feature the skipper Gerlof Davidsson in a leading role—a beloved protagonist familiar from Johan Theorin’s bestselling Öland Series.

We encounter restless spirits, eerie dogs, murderous swans, dying archaeologists, terrified tour guides, naked eel fishermen, and many other unforgettable characters. This collection is a vivid and entertaining tribute to Öland’s storytelling tradition—one Johan Theorin grew up with and that has nourished his writing ever since.

Jan Hauger arrives in a mid-sized town on the Swedish west coast to work at a preschool. But the Dell is no ordinary preschool. Situated just outside the walls of St Patricia—also called St Psycho—it lies in the shadow of a high-security asylum for violent and mentally disturbed criminals. Alongside typical preschool duties, Jan has an unusual responsibility: escorting the children through an underground passage that connects the Dell to the clinic, allowing them to have closely supervised visits with their parents, confined within the institution.

Jan is a great teacher, and well-liked by the children. But he also carries secrets. He has never told anyone about what happened nine years ago, when a young boy vanished from his previous workplace. Nor has he told anyone the true reason for seeking the job at St Patricia. It all leads back to Alice Rami, a gifted, wayward singer Jan has been obsessed with since his teenage years. He knows Alice is a patient at the asylum—could one of the Dell’s children be hers? Jan is not permitted to ask, yet the temptation to infiltrate the closed wards and see Alice again proves to be irresistible. One night, with the children fast asleep, Jan unlocks the basement door and begins his descent into the dark underworld of St Patricia’s.

The Asylum is a chilling psychological thriller with masterfully slow-burning suspense and haunting revelations.