** “If you turn over a rock that’s been in the same spot for many years, you will find living creatures beneath it. Some will shy away from the light, scurry on to the next dark hole to hide in. And some will attack. Be careful the rocks you turn over.” **

Originally written in Swedish and translated by Eva Apelqvist, Johan Rundberg’s “The Lost Ones” is an intriguing mystery for young readers with a plucky heroine.

Mika still helps to oversee the other orphaned children living at the Public Children’s Home in Stockholm. Because she has extremely strong powers of observation, she still is also working with Constable Valdemar Hoff to solve difficult cases.

Valdemar brings her into his latest case, being hired by the Douglas family to search for their missing daughter Beatrice. What Mika doesn’t realize is the connection this case has to her unknown story and origins. Will she finally find out who her parents are, and just who and what is the enigmatic and evil Dark Angel?

As usual, Rundberg does an incredible job of creating a plot filled with lots of suspense and harrowing moments, as well as developing intriguing characters, including the spunky and daring Mika and the bumbling but lovable Valdemar. He also offers great themes, like we are all important and worth fighting for; we can dig deep and find the strength we need to get through anything; “even the unthinkable can become a habit”; the power of loyalty and friendship; and you can’t protect anyone by hiding the truth.

Fans of characters like Nancy Drew and Young Sherlock and Enola Holmes will love “The Lost Ones,” which is due out Jan. 7. One word: the book is supposed to be for children ages 10 to 14, but I really would not recommend it for those on the younger end of the scale … perhaps starting at 12 or 13, as there are a couple of mild curse words and some mature themes. Adults will also enjoy this series, which should be read in order.

Five stars out of five.

Amazon Crossing Kids provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Johan Rundberg has done it again with the third installment in The Moonwind Mysteries series. Mika, the precocious and daring orphan, is presented with the most challenging and darkest mystery yet. It is handled with care and it is incredibly heavy, please check content warnings before reading this with or letting your young reader read it independently.

This third novel centers on the disappearance of a teenage daughter from a very wealthy family. But with no ransom or note, the pieces don't add up. Mika is on the case with Detective Hoff and as they solve this case, she will learn more about her family of origin than she imagined.

"Mika will do what it takes to make sure there are no more lost ones - and to bring the infamous killer, the Dark Angel, out into the light.

It's summer in 1880 Stockholm, and the city bakes in the heat - but the heat on twelve-year-old Mika is lifting. After lying low following the dramatic blast at the jail, Mika's relieved to learn her name is finally cleared. And it's not a moment too soon - because Detective Hoff has a perplexing case involving the disappearance of a local teen. The girl's wealthy family wants to make sure things stay quiet. Why would a girl who has everything want to run away? And why is her family so afraid to go public?

Then Tekla reaches out to Mika with a truly chilling discovery at a construction site in the city - a discovery that might hit a little too close to home for Mika. Could it be the work of the Dark Angel?

As the summer heats up, Mika will make some tough choices as she works to uncover these mysteries, including the biggest mystery of all: her own family. Join Mika and Detective Hoff in this thrilling new installment of the Moonwind Mysteries series!"

I mean... There's an Enola Holmes shaped hole in all our lives and this seems to be a nice read-alike.

In the sweltering summer of 1880 Stockholm, twelve-year-old Mika’s life is finally returning to normal after the fallout from a dramatic incident at the jail. With her name cleared, she’s ready to move on—until Detective Hoff presents her with a new mystery. A local teenage girl has disappeared, and her wealthy family is eager to keep the situation quiet. Mika is drawn into the case, questioning why a girl who seemingly has everything would run away, and why her family is so determined to avoid public attention. As Mika uncovers secrets, she begins to unravel a deeper, more troubling story.

As a new author to me, I can't wait to read more book!

Published on Goodreads 11/11/2024
Rating: 🙂/5
Review: This is the third in this series. Mika is such a wonderful character and so freaking smart! Her relationship with Voldemort is beautiful and complicated. So glad I found this series.
Format: 👩🏻‍💻
Source: #netgalley

Fabulous story. It took me a bit to get through the first chapter (perhaps not realizing that this is a series). However, after that, I was hooked. The story follows Mike, who is now one of the older children living at an orphanage in the city of Stockholm. The local police inspector asks Mika to join her on a visit to a family that has reported the disappearance of their daughter, as he values her insights. In searching for the girl, Mika stumbles back on a connection with the 'Dark Angel" and unwanted children. There are lots of twists and turns and well-written characters. While this is tagged as being children or YA, it is equally good as an adult read.

I am now going back to read the first two books in the series. Definitely recommended. A Swedish-Noir light.

The Lost Ones is the third book in the Moonwind Mysteries series. Books one and two (The Night Raven and The Queen of Thieves, respectively) are both currently part of KU. I highly recommend all three books. I would read these in order because The Lost Ones builds off of certain plot lines from books one and two.

The series follows orphan Mika Moonwind and police detective Valdemar Hoff as they solve crimes throughout Stockholm in the 1880s. In this book, Mika and Hoff team up to find a missing teenage girl. Her parents claim she disappeared without a trace, but Mika suspects she's run away from home. Buy why?

While investigating Beatrice's disappearance, Mika uncovers another mystery at a construction site, which in turn brings up questions about Mika's own past. As she investigates further she realizes this may be her most dangerous case yet!

I love that this book provides more information on Mika's history, as well as the Dark Angel from the first book. Mika has grown as a character throughout the series, and there are some touching (and sad!) moments that make me feel for her. I caught myself tearing up more than once.

While this is technically written for children it deals with a lot of adult themes. The mood is a mixture of mysterious and dark, which is described in the synopsis as Nordic Noir. Since it's written for kids this was a faced paced, quick read. I genuinely adored book three and the series as a whole! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Johan Rundberg for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Lost Ones coming out January 7, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I need to read the first two books in the series. I was intrigued that it was a Swedish book. I loved the Victorian setting. This is obviously a book geared for young middle school age readers, but there were some more mature themes to the book due to the time period it’s set in. I loved the characters and the mystery. I would definitely read more books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Victorian mysteries!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for a copy of the book.

This was hard to enjoy and I don't know if it was because I didn't read the other book but the story was hard to follow and the characters were hard to connect with. I don't think I would go back and read the other one and would not read any others unfortunately.

It’s summer in 1880 Stockholm, and the city bakes in the heat—but the heat on twelve-year-old Mika is lifting. After lying low following the dramatic blast at the jail, Mika’s relieved to learn her name is finally cleared. And it’s not a moment too soon—because Detective Hoff has a perplexing case involving the disappearance of a local teen. The girl’s wealthy family wants to make sure things stay quiet. Why would a girl who has everything want to run away? And why is her family so afraid to go public?

Great premise but because I did not read the first two books, I did not engage with the characters the way I probably would have if I started following them in book 1. I could follow the plot line and backstory but again, the book did not draw me in on an emotional level.

Summer is heating up for Mika when Detective Hoff comes for her help on a missing persons case. After meeting the family new questions arise and when Mika is taken to a construction site a larger conspiracy is unearthed.

I loved this one and read it in one day. I adore these characters and even though this one wraps up many story lines I am still hopeful that more books will be added to this series. Perfect for any adventure loving kid or even an adult, The Lost Ones is a fun ride.

Third book of the series. Enjoyed this one. Moments of light in a dark setting. Love the connections throughout the series.
Can’t wait for book four now. Hope it gets translated. 😩

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to preview this book!

Mika and her partner Constable Hoff set out to find a missing girl and find a long line of missing children. Once meeting the parents of missing Beatrice Douglass, Mika realizes quickly that the story is not as simple as the Douglases report. When Mika’s friend shows her a mass grave with the skeletons of children, along with the info that has been collected, Mika is able to connect it all to the Dark Angel.

This story was a quick read and a wonderful story. When I first picked it up I did not realize it was the third in a series, but it was great nontheless.

Haunting and atmospheric, "The Lost Ones" by Johan Rundberg is a gripping mystery that delves into the dark corners of human nature. With evocative prose, Rundberg masterfully weaves together a complex tale of trauma, identity, and redemption. Eva Apelqvist's translation perfectly captures the nuances of the original text. This chilling narrative will keep you on the edge of your seat, questioning what lies beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives. A mesmerizing read

The latest in a compelling series of books set in 1880s Stockholm, this continues the story of a young girl named Mika, whose unusual intelligence and deductive capacities have brought her into contact with a policeman who now seeks her assistance with his latest case.

But even if Constable Hoff respects Mika's talents, to the rest of the city she remains an orphanage rat who has little to no status.

Yet when a young girl from a wealthy family goes missing it is Mika who notices inconsistencies in the story that the couple are telling about their missing daughter. And as she and Constable Hoff investigate further, they discover that the truth is far more terrible and complicated then they could ever have imagined...

Entertaining and engaging, this intelligent historical YA series is not to be missed.

For all readers who have read The Blackthorn Key, this is a similar story. It’s the story of a twelve year old girl in Stockholm who has helped a detective solve a few cases. She was wrongly arrested and went to prison. In the second book someone made a hole in the wall of the jail cell and freed her. Now, she must help the detective with a new case about a teen girl gone missing. While reading this book, I realized that this is part of a series. A few things didn’t make sense to me because of this, but it shouldn’t be too confusing. In case you do want to read the first two books, they’re called The Night Raven and The Queen of Thieves. 👍


Thankyou NetGalley for giving me this book for my honest review.

(Review by a ten year old)

** I will post the review on my blog after the publication date on 01.07.25**

From the Publisher: Mika will do what it takes to make sure there are no more lost ones—and to bring the infamous killer, the Dark Angel, out into the light. It’s summer in 1880 Stockholm, and the city bakes in the heat—but the heat on twelve-year-old Mika is lifting. After lying low following the dramatic blast at the jail, Mika’s relieved to learn her name is finally cleared. And it’s not a moment too soon—because Detective Hoff has a perplexing case involving the disappearance of a local teen. The girl’s wealthy family wants to make sure things stay quiet. Why would a girl who has everything want to run away? And why is her family so afraid to go public?Then Tekla reaches out to Mika with a truly chilling discovery at a construction site in the city—a discovery that might hit a little too close to home for Mika. Could it be the work of the Dark Angel?As the summer heats up, Mika will make some tough choices as she works to uncover these mysteries, including the biggest mystery of all: her own family. Join Mika and Detective Hoff in this thrilling new installment of the Moonwind Mysteries series!

My Thoughts:
Where do I begin? I loved the book! The whole series in fact! I was first hooked when I discovered Johan Rundberg's The Night Raven (Book 1) on Kindle. I was so excited for book 2, The Queen of Thieves that I ended up buying the physical copy! No regrets :) And then I had the opportunity to read The Lost Ones as Kindle ARC. It was the perfect combination of a cozy, uplifting and mystery book for me.

This time the story is about finding the Dark Angel, the main villain in the series. The plot was very intriguing and the writing was engaging that kept me hooked. I adore Vlademar/Const. Hoff and Mika and their detective duo like pairing. More like reluctant/caring father daughter. With Mika being such a strong character, you cannot help but fall in love with her. I love her bravery even in the face of most dangerous situations. The author Johan Rundberg did a great job bringing her childhood story to close. I think she needed that to find herself. I also liked how we get a glimpse of Vlademar's past to get to know him better. The best part was "The Plan" with Beatrice. It put me on edge! It was nerve-wracking in a good way! Finally a small part, but I loved Tekla and the girls throughout the whole series. Just reading their names again put a smile to my face. Other than Mika, they are also the brave heroines of the story. I would also like to praise the Translator for translating the story so well! Just like the previous books in the series, this one will also receive a five star from me. It's one of the most fun, caring and a great mystery read for me this year. And it's not even fantasy genre!

I don't think there will be a book 4 but if there is one I would love to read it. Otherwise, the ending itself was perfect.

Thank you so much NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I found this book to be a quite interesting and dark read for a children's book - while I wouldn't have deemed this a fit read for the average kiddo in the 10-13 age range, I think with proper parent perusal of the content and open-communication with a mature child, I think this would be a great read for a young teen with interests in more "adult" topics without introducing them to adult content. The writing and translation are very well done and descriptive, keeping me interested in the story and main character. The pacing was also very well done, making the 33 chapters go by so quickly.

It’s summer in 1880 Stockholm, and the city bakes in the heat—but the heat on twelve-year-old Mika is lifting. After lying low following the dramatic blast at the jail, Mika’s relieved to learn her name is finally cleared. And it’s not a moment too soon—because Detective Hoff has a perplexing case involving the disappearance of a local teen. The girl’s wealthy family wants to make sure things stay quiet. Why would a girl who has everything want to run away? And why is her family so afraid to go public?

Quality, but dark | I've been reading this series since the first book was translated, so I knew going into this entry that the writing would be excellent. This has a different translator from the first two, but it's been done very well and there's no sense of a change in voice. I don't recall Amelia having been referred to as a "houseparent" before, and the phrase was a little strange, but that minor note and one line that misstates the reason Mika was imprisoned in the previous book were the only differences. Readers will need to have read the other books, this is not a series that can be read out of order. I would caution caregivers and educators to know the young person you give this one to, don't just check the age range and assume it'll be fine. I would have had no troubles with the themes as a child, but some young readers will; this is a Swedish book, and Nordic Noir is not just present in adult novels. The series has always discussed serial killers, poverty, starvation, lots of difficult topics, and this entry adds large-scale murder of newborn babies in order to preserve social status. Our protagonist is a mature 12, but if your young reader is not ready to read about unplanned pregnancy and dozens of baby skeletons, put this one on the back burner for another year. It's definitely worth the read, just be prepared. At any rate, just like the rest of the series, the writing is descriptive and well-paced, the book reads quickly and retains the attention, and the characters feel like real people. Two more entries have been released in Sweden, hopefully the translations will continue, as I'm eager to see where the story goes next.