Reviews

Bad Apples by Will Dean

akaasia's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

lucyatoz's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Bad Apples is the 4th book I have read by Will Dean featuring Tuva Moodyson, a deaf woman who is a newspaper reporter in a small town in Sweden, where murders  seem to always occur on her doorstep. 

This novel started with a gruesome murder of a local resident at the height of the hunting season, however he was not just shot, he had lost his head, literally. This is another slow burner with a crazy twist at the end, which I did not see coming at all! This book is not for the light hearted, it is dark in places, and incredibly so, and not a story that you can read before bed...

On a lighter note, Will's social media does feature his wonderful St Bernard, Bernie, who truly believes himself to be a lapdog. 

I borrowed this from Taunton Library and listened to it on BorrowBox. I read this for prompt 3, more than 40 chapters, for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Confinement, Blood, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content

saraholiver's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

its_me_mar_p's review against another edition

5.0

Well, that was horrifying. But I absolutely devoured it. The first one in the series that I've read by audiobook but it was just as much of a "page turner" that way. Tuva is such a great character.

dogearedandfurry's review against another edition

4.0

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. I have grown to love the Tuva series more with each book. This one branches out to include nearby Visberg, which I think is a wise move as you can’t keep finding murderers in a small town like Gavrik... Will writes very evocatively, so you really felt in the cold autumn with apples all around, and a new creepy town. I didn’t see the main ending coming, and I had let my heart rate return to normal for the last few pages, only to find Will made it shoot up on the very last page. Damn you, Dean!

searlait_carolinehoey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

thebooktrail88's review

5.0

Discover the setting of Bad Apples

Will Dean has one dark and twisted mind. Haha Jeepers, that forest, the decapitation and the stench of rotting apples.....There's even a scene at the dentist..I know right? Oh and the balloons...I've never liked the regular ones but these......

The novel starts with a grim scene. Tuva is back on top form and stumbles on a case which she then becomes even more involved with. Trouble is - Visberg is one strange place. On hill, with people who seem very different to those of Gavrik or the rest of Sweden.

Set at Halloween or Pan Night as it's called here, there are some scary traditions to be experienced. I was nervous for Tuva as the build up to the night becomes ever stranger. The locals who work in the gun shop, the watch shop and the place they call The Hive...jeepers would not want to meet any of these on a dark night. Sadly, Tuva has to.....I had a keen sense of foreboding as I read.

What a reading experience! Tuva has gone to the dark side in a way. Those trolls are back. The town goes wild...it's as if something is taking it over. Just don't look in the pans....

My stomach did recover at some point as the mention of a crayfish pizza caught my attention. However, I will stay clear of apples for now.

Moral of this story - Never approach Will Dean close to Halloween. Haha it rhymes. Almost sounds like a slogan. It's definitely good advice after reading Bad Apples. ;)

monte_cristo's review

4.0

I could really just copy/paste my review from the previous, 3rd book of the series and it wouldn't matter.
As with the previous 3 books then, this is also very atmospheric, well-written, the main character is very likable, but also a bit cringe but that's ok ☺️
Now, since this book ends on a cliff hanger, I need to get my hands on the 5th book of the series and carry on reading!

amread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

kymisan's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0