The Writing in the Water

A Thriller (Bloodstorm, Book 1)

By: John Ajvide Lindqvist, Michael Meigs - translator

Narrated by: Laura Jennings

In this sweeping and suspenseful start to the Bloodstorm series, an ex-cop turned crime writer teams up with a mysterious hacker to solve a murder—and uncovers corruption along the way.

Julia Malmros is thriving. A former police officer making her way in the world of crime fiction, she’s turning popularity into fame by writing the next book in a world-renowned suspense series.

To help her research, Julia connects with Kim Ribbing. More hacker than man, Kim bears a dark past that’s the very antithesis of the promising future she has planned for herself. They share an undeniable spark—yet it’s likely to implode.

That’s the least of Julia’s worries.

Hounded by publicity, Julia retreats to her cottage in the Stockholm archipelago. It’s there that she begins to reevaluate her life, reunite with Kim…and return to her investigative roots after tragedy unfolds on a nearby pier. The victim: a billionaire, her childhood friend.

Julia’s ex, Jonny, leads the official investigation, but Julia knows there’s no such thing as coincidence. And as she and Kim follow the trail of cash, corruption follows dangerously close behind.

©2022, 2025 by John Ajvide Lindqvist. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Translation © 2025 by Michael Meigs.

Critic reviews

“Lindqvist plays the book’s metafictional notes softly enough that they never become distracting, and the chemistry between his leads is electric. Readers will be eager for the sequel.”—Publishers Weekly

Contemporary thriller from renowned horror author

Mr Lindqvist is one of my all time favorite authors. This is this first dip into another genre, and it hits and misses. The characters are well drawn and engaging, but the plot sags a bit in the middle with the convoluted money trail.
I feel like JAV is getting warmed up to this type of story, and I'll certainly be grabbing the next in the series, and the next...
There were certainly turns here that were shocking, making me realize I was indeed invested in the outcome. The narrator is excellent.
I'm pleased audible offers this. They should fill in his backlog of novels - there are some grievous absences, but luckily the physical books are out there.

Disappointing

It pains me to drop a negative review as I’ve always loved Lindvists’ writing.
The use of the Millennium Series as a template is obvious but by doing so, he falls flat with his protagonists.
This Kim character ,(a Salander substitute) is nothing but loathsome. And the Blomqvist stand in is just boring. (Although there’s an attempt to liven her up when she performs an act of heroism at the end.
I’m convinced that JAL can write crime fiction, but I’ll wait until this trilogy (gag) has long since past.
Thank you.