I am a HUGE fan of Dark Pines. This book is everthing I hoped it would be and more. It’s a very unique read with a setting and lead character which are just so different to what I’ve read before. First of all, we’re thrust deep into the dark forests of sweden in the middle of elk season.Now I was lucky enough to attend a gathering where people were out shooting in the woods and the noises, the feeling, the excitement and fear are brilliantly evoked here. The sense of darkness and claustrophobia tingles your senses and the book just gets better from here. A great newness to this novel is the man character who is deaf and uses hearing aids. Again, more claustrophobia but this was more than that – I really got to feel part of her world and experience her world of silence and sounds – so through the ears of a character this time as well as her eyes. She is very much her own person – her disability is not her weakness. You don’t mess with this lady. The mystery which takes place initially off the page with that gunshot in the woods ramps up big style and the ending is just perfect for the story.But oh my,what a journey it takes you on first. Through those dark unforgiving woods, the eerie shades of the dark pines cast shadows on the actions being played out below. It’s a backdrop to a theatre show where the actors are mere silhouettes – the forest rules here. Brilliant in every way. I loved the little touches of Swedish humour and history – the ICA supermarket, the Prins Polo sweets…I hugged the book when I’d finished it. Highly recommended. Will Dean I need book two NOW!

I'd heard a lot of buzz about this book and decided to make it my first holiday read. I was immediately gripped by this nordic style thriller (albeit written by an Englishman) and I honestly couldn't put it down. I had to ration it to make it last as I really didn't want it to end. I loved Tuva, the heroine of the piece and there was an unusual slant to the story in that her doggedness isn't diminished by the fact that she is deaf. It certainly adds to the drama and there are many tense moments for her throughout the story. If you like crime thrillers with a twist you will love this book. I thought it Was stunning and can't wait for Tuva's next outing in 'Red Snow' the next in what I hope becomes a long series. Mark

Tuva Moodyson has moved to Gavrik to be near her ill mother. The small Swedish town is surrounded by huge pine forests. The trouble is, Tuva isn’t a fan of the woods. Her ideal scenery would be the bright lights of a big city. She spends her days writing about the small news of a small town. Then a body is found in the forest, a man, shot, and with his eyes removed. It echoes back to 20 years ago when three bodies with similar injuries were found. Can Tuva find out who’s been hunting more than Elk before more bodies turn up? There is very much a closed room feel to Dark Pines, despite it being set in the vastness of the pine forest. The many trees begin to feel oppressive, the fact that anything could be hiding just out of sight helps to ratchet up the tension. There’s also a limited number of suspects which again aids to increase the unease. Tuva is a great character. Tenacious, driven, with a genuine understanding that the news matters, and that it is important to report it well. It was refreshing to realise that the reader doesn’t really know much about Tuva but is still drawn to her. We know that something happened in London when she lived there, though not what. We know she is deaf, and how that deafness came about. We find out about her difficult relationship with her mother after the death of her father. But we are never really told what she looks like, except her age and that she has hair long enough to put in a pony tail. The reader is left to create Tuva in their own conjured image. There are an eclectic group of characters in Dark Pines, from the hoarder, to the lonely taxi driver and the troll whittling sisters. All add to the story, driving it along to it’s satisfying conclusion. I was also endeared towards Tuva when I saw her diet of digestive biscuits for breakfast, supplemented by Thai food and wine gums, which mirrored my own favoured food groups. I had figured out quite early on in the story who the killer was. However it was fun to sit back and see the story unfold. And it allowed me to indulge in worrying about whether Tuva would submit her stories in time, would she ever remember to replace the batteries in her hearing aid and whether she’d have the whole case wrapped up in time to visit her mother. Sometimes an author paints such a picture of the world their story is set in that the reader becomes enmeshed in it. I was rather disappointed to turn the final page and realise I was not actually stuck in the middle of a Swedish pine forest. Though this was of course tempered by the fact that I was also not in the crosshairs of a hunting rifle. However, the book should come with a warning that it is extremely grippy. And that you’ll need some wine gums to eat whilst you read. In Dark Pines Will Dean has created a vibrant, refreshing and engaging new protagonist and has firmly cemented himself as one of my new favourite authors. I impatiently await Red Snow, the next book in the Tuva Moodyson series. Highly recommended. Now where are those wine gums I bought…

I have to admit to really loving book covers as there are times when a book cover just screams at you and with the debut thriller Dark Pines by Will Dean it really does just encapsulate everything this exciting debut is all about. Journalist Tuva Moodyson is sent to investigate a series of murders in the small Swedish town of Gavrik, being a reporter here mean you generally report on small town issues for Tuva who moved back to Gavrik from London to be closer to her mother who is very ill. Being a reporter in a big city meant being on call for major news stories happening all the time but in Gavrik not much was happening until now that is. Now with the discovery of a mutilated body deep in the pine woods all that changes for Tuva. A killer is out there and could strike again. This could be such an important break for Tuva is she can find a link between this murder and three other murders from years back then she could be on to finding clues to the killer and if there is a link then the killer could strike again. But there is one thing about Tuva that you should know. Tuva is deaf and in the bid expanse of the woods this could pose a real danger to her. As soon as I realised this my pulse rate rocketed as you can almost realise and sense the danger that she could find herself in. What a real character Tuva is she is now one of my favourites in crime novels. There is something about how she goes about investigating the murder and the local communities close to the scene of the crime. She uncovers some strange locals including two creepy sisters. Add into the mix a series of red herrings as the police move closer to their potential ‘target’. This is going to be a massive hit with any reader who loves Nordic crime noir as this is a dark and at times foreboding tale. How Will Dean describes the locality and the dark pine forest is totally bang on. I really could not put Dark Pines down and when I did I just wanted to go straight back as I felt I was missing something. A gripping and haunting debut crime novel and I just hope Will Dean is now busy writing book two with Tuva at its heart. I want to read more of our new heroine. Dark Pines is a must read Winter fireside crime novel and launches 2018 with a bang. I have a feeling this is already one of my big hits for this year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 336 Pages.

Dark Pines by Will Dean ..Welcome Tuna Moodyson,an excellent new protagonist. She is deaf (has a passion for wine gums) & in a small Swedish Town, against an immense back-drop of near impenetrable pine forest, she is working as a reporter .Tuva wants one big story-line .Which could make her career. And in a way she could not have imagined, and certainly would not have wished for, this opportunity that suddenly arises . Two bodies,eyes missing, are discovered deep in the forest. Where Will Dean excels is in the layers of suspense he creates throughout the story. And especially towards the end. Phew, made me sweat..