Title:	The Sandman
	Author:	Lars Kepler
	Published:	March 6, 2018, Knofp
	No. of Pages:	464
	Cover Price:	$27.95 Hardcover, $9.99 Kindle

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Husband and wife team Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril who write under the pseudonym Lars Kepler, have released another spellbinding novel in their bestselling Joona Linna series. The Sandman is set in Stockholm, and begins as Mikael Kohler-Frost, is found wandering. He has been missing for thirteen years, and, along with his sister, who is still missing, was thought to be a victim of Jurek Walters, a notorious serial killer who has been locked up in a mental institution due to the efforts of Joona Linna. Mikael tells Linna that his sister is still alive, but like Mikael, who is being treated in the hospital, most likely has Legionnaires disease and doesn’t have much time to live. Others have gone missing since Walters has been locked up, and Linna is convinced that he has an accomplice on the outside. Walters has the reputation of being able to manipulate those around him, and has proven himself over and over with law enforcement and others. Linna knows that he must find someone to go undercover into the mental hospital – someone strong enough to withstand his manipulations – to get enough information to rescue Mikael’s sister and apprehend the accomplice. Saga Bauer is most likely the only one with the skills, and agrees to the dangerous and potentially deadly task.

Kepler is a master storyteller; the book draws you in immediately and keeps you on edge throughout. The suspense is palpable, and the story is unique. Kepler’s characters are well-developed, and the Scandinavian background and ambience give the novel aspects that may be unfamiliar to many readers. The unexpected twists and turns don’t stop, and some parts are a bit scary, as serial killers can be.

Although The Sandman can be read as a standalone novel, readers will surely pick up the previous novels when they finish. This is an excellent novel and part of an excellent series. Highly recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.