The discovery of a body with all the hallmarks of the serial killer who struck the same area 20 years ago makes suspects of all kinds of people, and Tuva Moodyson, a local reporter itching at the constraints of the small, rural Swedish town to which she has found herself reluctantly bound, determines to get to the truth. Even, it seems, as the community quietly close ranks against her… I think I held my breath for the entire time that I was reading this. Will Dean steers this novel with great command, and the plot feels steady and measured. Make no mistake though – the chapters are moreish. I felt that I was walking faster into the threat at the heart of the story than my mind was managing to caution me against, and that is a deliciously unnerving reading experience. A heavy oppression comes from a rich cast of potential murderous psychopaths, and from the landscape itself. Those ‘Dark Pines’ are a threatening character in their own right, and like all of Garvik’s inhabitants - watchful, protective, concealing and often very, very eerie indeed. As the daughter of a deaf parent, I saw so many truths in this central character. Thank you, Will Dean, for portraying a disability as merely a difference that has its own benefits, too. (My mum also likes to ‘switch off the world’ at will.) Dark Pines is a first-rate read, and an astonishingly accomplished debut. Highly recommended reading.

I've had this book on my shelf for a little while now if I have to be honest; I suppose I was waiting until winter to dig into it. Set in cold Scandinavia, I'd imagined it hard to enjoy and appreciate sweltering under the mid-day sun waiting for one or other of my two small children to cannonball over and squirt me with water. Luckily (?!) the sun has now done one, and the weather is closing in and looking like the whole "winter" thing is going to happen despite me trying to will it to be otherwise. I really liked the characters in this book; everyone seems ordinary, well-drawn and believable. Ordinary people aren't the usual receipt for a good book, but when it comes to people being killed and you not knowing who has done it by page three, this is a good thing. The main character is a bit deaf, a feature which seems to enhance the mood without drawing attention to it, like a 90-year-old's purple rinsed hair. If you've read any of my previous reviews, you'll know I don't like plot lines that move like glaciers in neutral gear. This book is well-paced and keeps momentum. Stephen King writes and imagines small town set-ups and Will has some of that gift. The people live and interact well in this small winter town. You can imagine how you might slot in yourself. If you like a detective thriller, without the detective (Tuva is a journalist) and some nice character, colour, and chilly, raingy setting in the dark woods, then this is going to light your fire. I've moved straight onto the next one in the series without a pause.

This author is English but lives in Sweden, I have read a couple of his books and they do not disappoint. This is a great read.

I read this debut last year and have since told everyone I know about it. Tuva Moodyson is the best new character I’ve discovered in years. The book is such a page-turner, and the writing is beautifully descriptive. Scandi noir at its very best.

Thank you to the publishers for the lovely review copy. I have challenged myself to read all of the Zoe Ball picks this summer, this is the third one I have read out of the ten. All three have impressed me so far! So is this a serial killer? Is it the same one that struck 20 years ago? Or is it a copy cat killer? It is tense, dark, gripping and will most certainly have you on the edge of your seat all the way from beginning to end! Definitely recommend this and just tell me how long do I have to wait before I can get my hands on book 2?