The Widows

Pascal Engman (b. 1986) is a Swedish crime author who debuted in 2017. He is today the most read Swedish author of his generation. The critics emphasize the strength of Engman's research work and the contemporary topicality of his books, two characteristics founded in his own journalistic background. Engman's ability to portray human destinies from different parts of society in a nuanced way, combined with a remarkable sense for drama and tempo, has meant that his books are today published in more than twenty countries worldwide.

He has written six books and has been acclaimed by Peter James, Camilla Läckberg, David Lagercrantz, The Swedish Crime Writers' Academy, Fredrik Backman and others as a rising star of Swedish – and international – crime fiction. Engman, who resides in his native Stockholm, was born to a Swedish mother and a Chilean father.

In 2021, the Pascal Engman Foundation was founded, which works to promote reading. The foundation annually awards a scholarship to an individual who has excelled through reading promotion activities. Its activities has made the foundation a national agenda-setter in the public debate about reading and literacy in Sweden.

His books have been translated to various languages, including German, Spanish and Polish. But it is not until now he has been translated into English. His book Femicide, part of the Vanessa Frank series, will be launched in the UK by Legend Press on September 15, 2022.

Unlike most other prominent examples of Scandinavian crime literature, Engman’s Vanessa Frank series takes place in an urban environment, in present-day Stockholm, portraying a different Sweden — that of organised crime, terrorism and extremism, far from tranquility. A side of Sweden which has also been featured in global news reporting in the past few years.

Engman’s writing being profoundly realistic, close to current affairs and contemporary society, is no coincidence. He started his career as a news reporter and worked for Swedish evening newspaper Expressen before he became an author. His journalistic background characterises the research process when he approaches new book projects. Whether his books cover right-wing extremists, islamists or incels, he approaches real-life subjects representing these phenomena to be able to tell his story in an authentic way.