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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
As always, Will Dean creates a very atmospheric book that just draws you in from beginning to end. Tuva fascinates me and I love the other recurring characters. This is dark and creepy and I loved reading it in the dark and looking out at my woods and feeling like I was in the story. Thanks to the author and publisher for this early copy for review:)
“I was never one of these girls; my deafness was so isolating at that age. I stayed indoors much of the time. Out and about I always stayed close to Dad’s leg. When I was the same page as these weed-clad carefree girls, I was still trying to make sense of the world. Nothing much has changed.” P.212
Will Dean is a master of the Scandi Noir genre. For a non-native Scandinavian, growing up in the East Midlands, Dean now lives in rural Sweden in a clearing in the centre of a vast elk forest, and clearly he draws on this location and his life there to create a story and series that has every element of the genre that gets my juices going.
Tuva Moodyson is back in Gavrik after leaving (at the end of book 2) to pursue a new place and space. She is drawn back urgently at the news that her best friend, Tammy Yamnesen has disappeared. Tuva seems to have a sixth sense or perhaps it’s a pessimistic outlook that seems to convince her that this disappearance is no innocent thing.
Tuva is deaf and uses hearing aids to access sound. She became deaf at a young age and I love how Dean maintains consistency of this attribute and defining feature throughout. Deaf identity is critical and deafness is isolating as Tuva reiterates in a range of ways over and over. The opening paragraph lifted from the book resonated with me.
One of the things I love about Dean’s writing is the mosh mash of eclectic characters he creates. The first two books took us to the outskirts of the Utgard Forest and introduced us to some wild characters, who still feature in this book. However, in Black River we meet a cast of crazies who inhabit the tiny hamlet of Snake River (new name for the Black River area), a makeshift community who live in all manner of shipping containers. It’s kind of like Scandi hillbilly central and these eclectic individuals play front and centre roles in this slow burn, page turner.
Black River is set in the Midsommar week in Sweden where summer solstice is celebrated, revered, with all of Scandinavia in the great outdoors to honour the sun and revel in days of maximum light. Dean makes full use of this time of the year in creating an atmosphere of intrigue through every page.
Excellent book. Great third instalment. 4 midsommar stars.
Will Dean is a master of the Scandi Noir genre. For a non-native Scandinavian, growing up in the East Midlands, Dean now lives in rural Sweden in a clearing in the centre of a vast elk forest, and clearly he draws on this location and his life there to create a story and series that has every element of the genre that gets my juices going.
Tuva Moodyson is back in Gavrik after leaving (at the end of book 2) to pursue a new place and space. She is drawn back urgently at the news that her best friend, Tammy Yamnesen has disappeared. Tuva seems to have a sixth sense or perhaps it’s a pessimistic outlook that seems to convince her that this disappearance is no innocent thing.
Tuva is deaf and uses hearing aids to access sound. She became deaf at a young age and I love how Dean maintains consistency of this attribute and defining feature throughout. Deaf identity is critical and deafness is isolating as Tuva reiterates in a range of ways over and over. The opening paragraph lifted from the book resonated with me.
One of the things I love about Dean’s writing is the mosh mash of eclectic characters he creates. The first two books took us to the outskirts of the Utgard Forest and introduced us to some wild characters, who still feature in this book. However, in Black River we meet a cast of crazies who inhabit the tiny hamlet of Snake River (new name for the Black River area), a makeshift community who live in all manner of shipping containers. It’s kind of like Scandi hillbilly central and these eclectic individuals play front and centre roles in this slow burn, page turner.
Black River is set in the Midsommar week in Sweden where summer solstice is celebrated, revered, with all of Scandinavia in the great outdoors to honour the sun and revel in days of maximum light. Dean makes full use of this time of the year in creating an atmosphere of intrigue through every page.
Excellent book. Great third instalment. 4 midsommar stars.
I love this Swedish mystery series, which is a kind of cross between Twin Peaks and Midsomer Murders, so I was thrilled to get my hands on an early copy of Black River.
Journalist Tuva Moodyson thought she'd seen the back of rural and decidedly creepy Gavrik, where she used to be a reporter on the local newspaper. But as her best friend has gone missing, and no one seems to be taking the disappearance seriously, Tuva returns to investigate. She has plenty of suspects to choose from (the inhabitants are decidedly...eccentric, to say the least) but someone seems determined to sabotage her efforts. Then a second girl vanishes...
Tuva is utterly brilliant. I love her! She's one of my favourite 'detectives'. The Swedish setting is incredibly atmospheric, although all those bugs and insects are a little too authentic, and the part where Tuva heads into the deep dark woods is just like a Grimm fairy tale. We meet some of the kooky characters from the previous books and a whole lot of new ones (hello, Snake Lady!). Every time I thought I was one step of Tuva, the clue would turn out to be a red herring. I hadn't a clue who the villain was, although I was rather hoping it might be - but no, I mustn't spoil it for you!
Black River puts a modern and slightly surreal spin on the traditional murder mystery. You don't need to read the other books in this series but you would get more from the story if you do. With the weird and wonderful characters, I can certainly see it appealing to fans of Midsomer Murders and Twin Peaks. Thoroughly recommended!
Thank you to Will Dean and Point Blank for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.
Journalist Tuva Moodyson thought she'd seen the back of rural and decidedly creepy Gavrik, where she used to be a reporter on the local newspaper. But as her best friend has gone missing, and no one seems to be taking the disappearance seriously, Tuva returns to investigate. She has plenty of suspects to choose from (the inhabitants are decidedly...eccentric, to say the least) but someone seems determined to sabotage her efforts. Then a second girl vanishes...
Tuva is utterly brilliant. I love her! She's one of my favourite 'detectives'. The Swedish setting is incredibly atmospheric, although all those bugs and insects are a little too authentic, and the part where Tuva heads into the deep dark woods is just like a Grimm fairy tale. We meet some of the kooky characters from the previous books and a whole lot of new ones (hello, Snake Lady!). Every time I thought I was one step of Tuva, the clue would turn out to be a red herring. I hadn't a clue who the villain was, although I was rather hoping it might be - but no, I mustn't spoil it for you!
Black River puts a modern and slightly surreal spin on the traditional murder mystery. You don't need to read the other books in this series but you would get more from the story if you do. With the weird and wonderful characters, I can certainly see it appealing to fans of Midsomer Murders and Twin Peaks. Thoroughly recommended!
Thank you to Will Dean and Point Blank for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.
Another excellent Swedish thriller featuring Tuva Moodyson from Will Dean. Again, the audiobook was read brilliantly by Maya Lindh. I will definitely continue with the series!
Despite seeing Tuva head off to the city at the end of the last book, it’s great to find her back in Gavrik, the small town with the big crime rate. So it’s “ hej again” to Lena, Thord and Noora but not Tammy, because Tammy has gone missing!
This is the third in the series and I’ve come to expect weird and fascinating characters and a detailed and believable setting. Will Dean writes a very convincing Swede - the only way you know that this isn’t a translated novel is because he takes the trouble to explain Swedish culture. The previous books were set in the seemingly interminable winter but, in Black River, it’s summer, with round-the-clock light and a Midsommer festival full of folklore.
My only gripe is that there always seems to be some unresolved mysteries in the story.
I rarely read series’ but I’ll stick with this one despite the unresolved plotlines, rather than because of them.
This is the third in the series and I’ve come to expect weird and fascinating characters and a detailed and believable setting. Will Dean writes a very convincing Swede - the only way you know that this isn’t a translated novel is because he takes the trouble to explain Swedish culture. The previous books were set in the seemingly interminable winter but, in Black River, it’s summer, with round-the-clock light and a Midsommer festival full of folklore.
My only gripe is that there always seems to be some unresolved mysteries in the story.
Spoiler
This time, it was the unexplained lit candle. In my review of the first book, Dark Pines, I mention an unresolved red-herring that actually crops up again here but I still didn’t feel I understood the full story .I rarely read series’ but I’ll stick with this one despite the unresolved plotlines, rather than because of them.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Tuva belongs up north, no matter how much she tries to fight it!
The series is really finding its feet now and I really enjoyed this one.
The series is really finding its feet now and I really enjoyed this one.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tuva is back and better than ever as she returns to Gavrik to join the hunt for her missing friend Tammy.
But Tammy isn’t the only person to have gone missing, another young woman has also disappeared escalating the man hunt to desperate levels. With no clues to go one apart from a small splatter of blood found outside Tammy’s work place the community comes together to search the inhospitable Utgard forest.
Packed to the brim with some of the shadiest characters in recent fictional history and some of the most spectacular settings, this book is jam-packed full of atmosphere and tension. On top of that it has one of my favourite female protagonists in recent history.
This has been one of my favourite books in the whole of 2019 and a brilliant book to mark the start of a new year.
My review maybe lacking but the book most certainly is not!
Be prepared to enter the dark, creepy depths of Utgard forest and come face to face with some characters that match their surroundings.
If you have read the first two books in this series then you will know what to expect with the knowledge that this is his best book so far, but if you are new to this series then don’t fear, there is enough backstory to make this read just as well as a standalone novel. However, saying that, I can not recommend all three books highly enough and all three need to be on everyones tbr pile!
Black River is due to be published on 12 March 2020 and is available to preorder now from the link below or your local bookshop.
A massive thank you to the author Will Dean, publishers Oneworld Publications and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and independent review.
But Tammy isn’t the only person to have gone missing, another young woman has also disappeared escalating the man hunt to desperate levels. With no clues to go one apart from a small splatter of blood found outside Tammy’s work place the community comes together to search the inhospitable Utgard forest.
Packed to the brim with some of the shadiest characters in recent fictional history and some of the most spectacular settings, this book is jam-packed full of atmosphere and tension. On top of that it has one of my favourite female protagonists in recent history.
This has been one of my favourite books in the whole of 2019 and a brilliant book to mark the start of a new year.
My review maybe lacking but the book most certainly is not!
Be prepared to enter the dark, creepy depths of Utgard forest and come face to face with some characters that match their surroundings.
If you have read the first two books in this series then you will know what to expect with the knowledge that this is his best book so far, but if you are new to this series then don’t fear, there is enough backstory to make this read just as well as a standalone novel. However, saying that, I can not recommend all three books highly enough and all three need to be on everyones tbr pile!
Black River is due to be published on 12 March 2020 and is available to preorder now from the link below or your local bookshop.
A massive thank you to the author Will Dean, publishers Oneworld Publications and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and independent review.