If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers that keep you up far past your bedtime, mark your calendars. The Shadowhunter series by Sarah J. Naughton has officially arrived in North America, and it’s bringing a uniquely dark, cross-continental chill with it.
A New Kind of Hero (or Anti-Hero?)
The series introduces us to Axel Prefect, a psychology student whose understanding of the human mind is his greatest asset—and perhaps his most dangerous trait. Axel is brilliant, ambitious, and, as Naughton hints, perhaps not as “stable” as a hero should be.
“He is close to being a psychopath. Perhaps he is a psychopath… he realizes those traits he considered his greatest assets are actually what makes him quite dangerous.” — Sarah J. Naughton
Alongside his friend Evie, Axel is thrust into the underbelly of London, a city Naughton describes not as a tourist destination, but as a “brutalist, edgy” landscape where danger lurks just off the main thoroughfares.
The Mystery of the “Sleep Road”
In Book 1, Sleep Road, Axel and Evie investigate a terrifying suicide network at a London university. Inspired by real-life online “help clubs” that tragically encourage vulnerable people to harm themselves, Naughton crafts a cult-like mystery that feels uncomfortably close to home.
The Scandinavian Connection
While the setting is London, the DNA of the series is pure Nordic Noir. The Shadowhunter series was commissioned by Stockholm-based Storytel and features chilling ties to the infamous Silfverbielke series—the iconic Scandinavian saga about a high-society serial killer.
In the sequel, Tyrannus (releasing May 20th), the stakes escalate as Axel joins the National Crime Agency. As he delves into the “Keepsake Killer” case, the shadows of his own past—and his questionable “birthright”—begin to close in.
Watch: Behind the Pages with Sarah J. Naughton
Ever wonder what fuels a thriller writer? Sarah sat down to answer some of our burning questions about Axel’s psyche, her “mudlarking” treasures from the River Thames, and the one snack that keeps her writing (hint: it involves a jar of chocolate spread and a teaspoon).
Check out the full interview below!
Start the Journey Today
Don’t miss out on the series that critics are calling “London Noir with a Scandi heart.”
Listen to Book 1: Get invested in the first in the series, Sleep Road.
Jump right into Book 2: Tyrannus drops May 20th (today!), so you won’t have to wait to hear what’s next for Axel and Evie.
Are you ready to walk the Sleep Road?
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