LINCHPIN, 2026

A collection of nine (ten, for a lucky few) dark and unsettling stories exploring fear, human vulnerability, and the unknown. Each story stands on its own, yet together they form a chilling portrait of the fragile line between reality and what lies beneath the surface. It brilliantly blends psychological tension with disturbing themes such as death, grief, trauma, obsession and the fragility of the human mind. 

​

Through the separate stories, ordinary moments take unsettling turns, drawing them into experiences marked by loss of control and distorted perception.

The Ugly Man, 2025 (Styggemannen)

The novel follows a group of siblings haunted by a figure from their childhood - The Ugly Man (Styggemannen) - once dismissed as imagination, but never truly gone. As they grow older, each of them is affected in different ways, shaped by the same shared fear. When subtle signs begin to suggest that something may have followed them into adulthood, the past resurfaces, forcing them to confront whether it was ever just a childhood illusion. 

​

This is a gripping novel centered on a figure that embodies fear itself. Through a character-driven narrative, the story explores how early experiences shape perception, identity, and behavior later in life. As past and present begin to intertwine, the novel builds a steady sense of unease - focusing less on shock, and more on the psychological weight of what cannot be escaped.

The Viktoriahaven trilogy 

The Gallows Dance, 2020 (Galgedans)

This story follows Jenny Ness, who is no ordinary girl. She carries something inside her, something dark. The quiet Theodor Ness lives in what appears to be a loveless marriage with his wife Margareth. When their daughter Jenny is born, she becomes the center of all his affection. But Jenny is not like other children. She is often alone and never quite fits in. A presence begins whispering to her in her bedroom, and within her, something cold and dark starts to grow. One summer day, when Jenny is twelve, everything takes a sudden and macabre turn. The forces unleashed that day will forever change the lives of the small family - and everyone living in Viktoriahaven. 

​

This is a dark and nerve-wracking horror novel where shadows and secrets are woven together with striking effect. Every page is so intense it leaves you breathless. 

​

In Galgedans, Håvardsen moves between poetic, character-driven portrayals and shimmering, pitch-black horror. At the same time, the story hits a raw nerve close to reality. Who do we really share our lives with?

​

Viktoriahaven, 2021 (Viktoriahavn)

The novel returns to the isolated island community of Viktoriahaven, where the brutal Ness-murders of 2012 are still under investigation. As strange and increasingly violent events begin to unfold, both the local priest and police struggle to understand what is happening. When a powerful storm cuts off all connections to the mainland, old sins and long-buried secrets resurface - awakening something that town has tried to forget for generations...

Viktoriahaven is a dark and expansive novel that deepens the world introduced in The Gallows Dance (Galgedans). Combining crime, horror and psychological drama, the story explores how violence, belief and hidden history can infect an entire community. With an increasing focus on the supernatural and a wide cast of characters, the novel builds relentless tension, turning a small coastal town into a closed, claustrophobic stage where something ancient and destructive is set loose.

Benjamins Cross, 2022 (Benjamins Kors)

The novel follows Edward, now old and nearing the end of his life, as he is haunted by nightmares and memories from childhood. As fragments of the past begin to resurface, he is forced to revisit a defining moment from a long-ago summer, when he and his friends encountered something they could never understand nor escape. 

​

As reality and memory begin to blur, objects from the past start appearing in the present, suggesting what happened was never truly over. Moving across multiple timelines, the story gradually reveals how childhood events, hidden violence, and long-buried secrets are connected - bringing the truth behind Viktoriahaven to light. 

​

The final installment in the Viktoriahaven-trilogy, combining psychological horror with a broader, multi-layered narrative. The novel ties together the threads from the previous books, expanding both the timeline and the scope of the story. With its focus on memory, consequence, and the origins of evil, it delivers a dark and uncompromising conclusion where past and present collide - and nothing remains buried. 

​

​