About
Two masters of atmospheric crime fiction come together for a compelling conversation on place, violence, and the human psyche. Johana Gustawsson and Kevin Hardcastle discuss their novels Scars of Silence and County Road Six, and explore the rural landscapes and buried secrets that shape their haunting novels. From isolation and brutality to resilience and survival, they discuss their creative processes, inspirations, and the challenges of writing stories that linger long after the final page.
Twenty-three years ago, a young woman was murdered on the Swedish island of Lidingö.
The island has kept its silence.
Until now…
As autumn deepens into darkness in Lidingö, on the Stockholm archipelago, the island is plunged into chaos: in the space of a week, two teenaged boys are murdered. Their bodies are left deep in the forest, dressed in white tunics with crowns of candles on their heads, like offerings to Saint Lucia.
A taut, propulsive family drama steeped in mystery, menace and a long-buried secret from award-winning author Kevin Hardcastle.
It has been years since Mara O’Hare has come home to North Simcoe County. But she is forced to return after her father’s death.
Born in Marseille, Johana Gustawsson's Roy & Castells series – Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song – won the Plume d’Argent, Balai de la découverte, Balai d’Or and Prix Marseillais du Polar awards and is published in 26 countries. The Bleeding was a No. 1 bestseller in France and Yule Island won Book of the Year with France’s biggest retailer, Cultura. Scars of Silence won the prestigious Maison de la Press Award in 2025, and the same year Johana teamed up with Norwegian crime-writer Thomas Enger, to write the international bestselling mystery, SON.
Kevin Hardcastle is the award-winning author of the debut story collection Debris, which won the Trillium Book Award and the ReLit Award for Short Fiction and was a finalist for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. His critically acclaimed debut novel, In the Cage, has been published in France and Germany.
Dates & Times
This event has ended.
Fri, June 5, 2026
4:30pm
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5:30pmA book signing will follow this event
Passes
3-Day Pass
Early Bird
$70 + HST
(Available until April 30)
Regular
$79 + HST
Under 30
$39 + HST
Friday Pass
Regular
$24 + HST
Under 30
$15 + HST
Venue
Victoria College Chapel
91 Charles St W, Toronto, ON M5S 2C7