My huge thanks to Anne Cater, for inviting me to join this amazing blog tour for the third of Will Dean’s books – Black River, published by Point Blank.
FEAR
Tuva has been living clean in southern Sweden for four months when she receives horrifying news. Her best friend Tammy has gone missing.
SECRETS
Racing back to Gavrik at the height of Midsommar, Tuva fears for Tammy’s life. Who has taken her, and why? And who is sabotaging the small-town search efforts?
LIES
Surrounded by dark pine forest, the sinister residents of Snake River are suspicious of outsiders. Unfortunately, they also hold all the answers. On the shortest night of the year, Tuva must fight to save her friend. But who will be there to save Tuva?
It may be Midsommar in Gavrik, but this is the most chilling episode yet in the acclaimed Scandi thriller series from British writer Will Dean.
AN ELECTRIFYING RETURN FOR REPORTER TUVA MOODYSON
FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF DARK PINES AND RED SNOW
‘For all those who loved Dark Pines, I can tell you that …RED SNOW is even better. Scandi Noir meets Gormenghast. JUST WONDERFUL. Can’t get enough of Tuva Moodyson…’ MARK BILLINGHAM
WILL DEAN grew up in the East Midlands and had lived in
nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After
studying law at the LSE, and working in London, he settled
in rural Sweden, where he built a house in a boggy clearing
at the centre of a vast elk forest. His debut novel, Dark
Pines, was selected for Zoe Ball’s Book Club, shortlisted for
the Guardian Not the Booker Prize and named a Telegraph
book of the year. The second book in the series, Red Snow,
is now out in paperback.
Ah, Tuva, it’s so good to have you back.
Tuva Moodyson, a journalist, is feisty and self reliant. She’s a one woman force of nature and she’s back on form again here in Black River.
Black River, the third instalment in the Tuva Moodyson series. Sees Tuva back in Gavrik, Sweden. The town she left to start afresh, stop drinking and now she’s back. The town is next to a thick canopied forest and its vast darkness sends a fear into Tuva, as Tammy Yamnim, her best friends missing. its like trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack. No clues and no sign that Tammy would have left of her own accord. Where do you start? Tuva is convinced Tammy is being held, and its a race to find her.
No-ones really interested until Lisa Svensson , a Z rated celebrity – destined to be a star- another woman from the town goes missing, her parents are wealthy and can fund a large reward and the game steps up a notch. Search parties are formed and rewards are offered for both women. There’s more interest in Lisa, than there is in Tammy. Although Tammy is of Thai decent, she is Swedish and yet people seem like she wasn’t a local and of less importance, yet everyone knew her because she ran a popular food van. This really riles Tuva, and it doesn’t take much to do that. She’s tolerant of others, but doesn’t really like them,
During their search a body is located, police quickly erect a tent and start its removal. A Police conference is called, it’s getting serious.
Tuva encounters several characters during the book that I am sure she would readily avoid, if she could, that Tammy dated! Karl-Otto who lives out by Snake River and ‘foot-fetish Freddy’ seem like they know more than they are letting on to Tuva and she keeps having to go back to ask more questions. The feeling of threat worsens each time and she’s struggling to cope with all the feelings and emotions this is making her feel. Axel and Alexandra – the cousins too. Tammy is like the sister she never had and she’s desperate to find her. This is helped though by the generous gift of a stun-gun from Benny Bjornmossen which lessens the fear she’s feeling and gives her strength.
Another body is found a few towns away, panic sets in and Tuva needs answers, now.
The fact its Midsommar (A kind of Sweish May Day, held in June. May Poles and festivities occur). So everyone is out with their families around the lake. But Noova, Tuva’s ex, has come back from her teach-detox camp and wants to help Tuva as much as she can find Tammy. As the only trained officer to be able to work the drones the police use, Noova is on duty when Tuva finds her and they start to search.
This book is literally breath taking, the depth of detail is over whelming, you can feel the pine needles under your feet and smell the pine of the forest. Tuva may be deaf, but she certainly isn’t incapable and refuses to give up looking for Tammy. I adore her determination and will her to search quicker, to find her. I feel myself gasping for air too. This book, honestly will safely see Will Dean in the genre that is ‘Scandi-Noir’ books for life. If you haven’t read Dark Pines, or Red Snow – you must, must, must, must read them, because if you don’t you are the one that’s missing out. I mean if anyone knows about isolation and can explain the feel of the forest more than anyone, its Will Dean, who’s nearest neighbour lives two miles away from his remote cabin in Sweden.
I have had the pleasure to meet Will Dean at Capital Crime last year, and he is nothing like Tuva, he is very pleasant and courteous and even tolerated a few females bothering him for photos.
To buy Black River: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Black-River-by-Will-Dean-author/9781786077110
Dark Pines https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Dark-Pines-by-Will-Dean-author/9781786073853
Red Snow https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Red-Snow-by-Will-Dean-author/9781786076175
@willrdean @PtBlankBks #BlackRiver @annecater
