After binge watching Supernatural and reading this, let's just say, every noise had me on edge. I will be double checking the locks before I go to bed.

Heard lots of great things about this book and it did not disappoint. The perfect book to draw the curtains and keep cosy with while you get lost in the mysterious woodlands. Kept me guessing throughout as chock full of intriguing characters.

An interesting take on the Scandinavian Noir and police procedural, using the reporter from the local newspaper as narrator and investigator.
The small town, remote location adds to the tension and sense of foreboding, giving us lots of unconventional characters as potential suspects as the bodies of hunters start turning up in the dark forest.
As the investigation proceeds the town closes ranks, identifies the most likely murderer and the story twists and turns as secrets past and present of the close knit community are revealed.
Great pace and some delightful character development make this an interesting debut.

A very appropriate title for this as it is dark reading and there are certainly plenty of pines with the majority of the book set in a large pine forest in Sweden.
I wasn't too sure about the start of this as, although I've never personally confronted an elk, the description just somehow seemed a tad unrealistic. However, I'm glad I stuck with it as it became increasingly compelling.
Dean's use of a journalist, Tuva, as the main character trying to uncover the mystery of the murders provided a more interesting, yet believable, approach. My niggling problem with the book as a whole was that, whilst fully appreciating that the details about Tuva's hearing problems gave her character more definition and was necessary for the final outcome, I did find the constant references to cleaning and switching on her hearing aids was perhaps included too often and this began to annoy me.
This isn't just a straightforward solving of a murder as we become involved in the personal life of the main character and this ensures we feel her fears and anxieties as they arise.
Dean certainly packs a punch at the end and I doubt I'll be able to look at a sealable plastic bag's contents for a while without remembering this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Point Blank (Oneworld Publications) for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fascinating characters and a gripping story. This is the first time I've read a book with a deaf protagonist (Tuva), and the first time reading one set in Sweden. The author brings the Swedish forest to life and I love his secondary characters almost as much as Tuva. Looking forward to book two in the series.

This was a clever and engaging novel, and I really enjoyed the things that made it stand out from the norm - its atmospheric setting and the fact of the main character being deaf. Tuva is a great character, and I can completely understand how she will carry a series.

Gripping tale of murder in a small town surrounded by nothing but woodland for 30km in any direction. Wonderfully crafted main characters and succeeds in giving a true feeling of isolation. Twin Peaks meets The girl with the dragon tattoo and that's not a bad thing at all.

A brilliant Scandi-Noir thriller set in Sweden ,will keep you on your toes as the tension mounts. Just when you thought Scandi crime had it's day, Will Dean hits you with a punch. Can't wait for the next.

Thankyou to NetGalley, One world Publication, Point Blank and Will Dean for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Dark Pines.
I thought this book was a good read. The storyline was well thought out and fast paced. It was a chilling read.
Well worth a read for fans of the genre.

It may seem a little odd to be reading a Scandi-noir thriller set in a deep, dark forest during the summer months, but I couldn't wait any longer to read this one! I've been pretty open about my up and down (mostly down) relationship with thrillers on this blog, but I knew I could trust Bethany and Alice's recommendation on this one - and I was not disappointed. In fact, I think this might be the best thriller I have ever read; it genuinely kept me guessing right until the end, and despite the sunshine blazing outside my window, I felt truly immersed in the little town of Gavrik and the atmospheric wilderness of Utgard forest.

Tuva Moodyson is working as a reporter at the local paper in the small Swedish town of Gavrik, where she relocated from London to care for her mother, when a body turns up in the woods. Similarities to the infamous 'Medusa' murders of the 90s strike fear into the heart of the locals, and Tuva, sensing the opportunity to beef up her CV for when she eventually escapes small-town life, begins investigating and is soon entangled in the hunt for a serial killer...

It's hard to pin down which is a bigger strength of this thriller: the tight plot which maintains the intrigue right until the final moments, or the strong personalities of both Tuva and the supporting cast of characters. I'm excited that Will Dean seems to be writing more of Tuva's adventures because I warmed to her so much; her own backstory is woven throughout and provides real motivation as she buries herself in the story. She's also queer and deaf, and it's so refreshing that, although those facts about her obviously feature and colour her experiences, it's not what the book is centred on. There's so many vivid characters in this book, from Tuva's friend Tammy, who runs a Thai food truck and keeps a gun for protection against racist customers, to the people who live in the forest and form the basis of Tuva's suspicions - the wood-carving sisters, the tree-hugging hoarder, the reclusive ghostwriter, the creepy taxi driver, and the Stepford-style rich couple. They were all painted so perfectly and, with some heart-stopping moments and constant about-faces thrown in for good measure, this is the thriller I didn't even know I was looking for.

Plot: In the forest of an isolated Swedish town during hunting season, with gunshots ringing left, right and centre, a body is found. And this isn’t a first: the town was home to the “Medusa” murders in the 1990s where bodies turned up with their eyes missing. Tuva is a deaf reporter who hates the forest and longs to return to the city, but this is a story that could make her career. Are the murders connected and can she find the root of it all?

My thoughts: I know a lot of people love this and it’s been very popular, but I’m sorry – I just wasn’t a massive fan! Normally I love isolated landscapes like this but I think I struggled to identify with someone who found the setting in the forest scary rather than somewhere to explore and who longed to be back in the city, and that’s so much unlike me. I can totally understand the fear of a murderer being out there in the woods, but most of the time the fear was of the woods themselves not the murderer. I also love a good murder mystery or crime thriller, but this didn’t hold enough intrigue for me – I ended up not even all that fussed about knowing who the murderer was! I tried hard to take my time and get into it at first but I ended up rushing through parts as I got further in as I just wasn’t really connecting. I can understand why people like it, but sadly just not for me!
There were of course some good parts: the medley of characters throughout were certainly interesting, from the sisters who make trolls in the woods to the strange taxi driver with a young son. I also enjoyed having a main character who differed from the usual, being a deaf reporter but not forcing this as a plot device.

Tuva is a deaf reporter investigating the murder of a man found in the woods with his eyes missing. Cases like this happened years before. Is it a copycat or is the Medusa Killer back for a second try. Can she figure out who is behind it all without losing her own life.

This was a good read. Some good twists to the plot and a great build up to the ending. I enjoyed the story and the ending. I had figured out certain things but the killer did surprise me which I really liked. The plot was very steady until the last few pages. The writing is very descriptive and detailed. A good thriller that built to an interesting ending.

I liked Tuva but at times I wanted to scream at some of her decisions. I liked the detail of her being deaf and the differences it added to the plot.

Not quite the book for me. It was beautifully written in some places with very different metaphors but annoyingly repetitive in others where Tuva drives backwards and forwards past the homes of the strange residents of the village in the forest. I had to check out the author to make sure the book was not a translation.

I don't think Tuva being deaf brought anything to the story apart from being irritated that her batteries seemed to need replacing far too often.

Nevertheless, many thanks to Netgalley/Will Dean/Oneworld Publications for a digital copy of this publication. All opinions expressed are my own.

I read two books simultaneously this week: both set in sinister forests, both vastly different, both absolutely brilliant. (The other one was Uprooted by Naomi Novik). On the surface Dark Pines is a Scandinavian murder mystery, but I liked the way the author gave the rural Swedish village setting a slight fairy tale quality, with very quirky (sometimes downright oddball) inhabitants. A kind of Nordic noir crossed with Twin Peaks.

Twenty years ago a serial killer murdered three hunters in Utgard Forest, removing their eyes; now it appears he's back. Tuva Moodyson, a reporter for the town paper, is hoping to use this story to kickstart her career. She's interviewing the locals, hoping to learn how this series of tragedies is affecting their lives, but is the killer hiding amongst them?

I loved this book! I adored Tuva and the way the author took his time to create the world she lives in. I did work out the identity of the bad guy pretty quickly, but then I do read a lot of crime fiction. It didn't stop me enjoying the story and appreciating how clever the author was in setting up each clue and red herring. The writing is good, each eccentric character fairly leapt off the page, and I loved all the little details about life in rural Sweden - even the descriptions of the mosquitoes and ticks!

Dark Pines would appeal to anyone who likes the kind of murder mystery where they can solve a puzzle. There is little violence and nothing too gruesome - provided you don't mind the occasional mention of that serial-killer-who-removes-eyeballs thing. I really enjoyed it, have no hesitation in recommending it, and I'm really looking forward to reading the next one in the series.


Thank you to Will Dean and Point Blank (Oneworld) for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

I very much enjoyed this book and found it hard to believe that it was a debut novel. The story is set in a small Swedish town and centres around a young deaf newspaper reporter called Tuva Moodyson. During the elk hunting season (something very important to a lot of the townsfolk) two hunters are murdered and these deaths have many similarities to three old historic cases. Tuva reports on these crimes, hoping that she will make her name with the national papers. This makes her unpopular with the locals who want to preserve the good name of the town and puts her in a certain amount of danger. The author really captures how lonely and frightening it can be to be alone in the dense forest and does a good job of creating a cast of eccentric local characters and suspects. Although the story moves along at a good pace there is no sense of being rushed and it makes for a good read. This book is described as "Tuva Moodyson Mystery 1" so I am hopeful there will be more in the series. Recommended.

Tuva was a very interesting character, and I hope I'll get to read more books with her as the central character. Will Dean's description of Gavrik made it feel like the most inhospitable place on earth! Certainly not somewhere I'd like to visit. Brilliantly, everyone is a suspect, and they all make very believable murderers, making Gavrik even less like a place anyone would chose to live! The denouement is a real wide-eyed, jaw-dropping, OMG moment. Dark Pines does not come across as Mr Dean's debut novel. Extremely atmospheric, face paced and clever. I can't wait to read more from this author.

This is a really good thriller. Set in atmospheric Sweden the setting is described brilliantly and this adds to the suspense of the plot. The suspense builds throughout and the ending is really clever. This is a really dark thriller that had me gripped the whole way through. This is a book that I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Newspaper reporter Tuva Moodyson takes a job in Gavrik to be close to her dying mother. Its the elk season and a couple of hunters have been found dead in the spruce forest. There's no way this is an accident as their eyes are missing. Tuva is given the job of covering the story. Some say its linked to the 90's when the same thing happened back then. As she interviews people, some of the locals are not too impressed at the way she's reporting it. Is she getting too close to not just the truth but to revealing who the killer is? One things for sure, she needs to be careful as without realising it, she's putting her own life in danger.
Although I would recommend this thriller I did find it a bit drawn out at times. It gets four stars from me. Many thanks to Oneworld Publications for my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest and unbiased review

In the 1990s three hunters were found dead, their eyes removed. No one was ever charged with the crime and now the killer appears to be at it again, as two bodies missing eyes are recovered. Journalist Tuva is looking for a big story, one that will make her career, and she knows this is it. But can a woman who is terrified of the forest where the killer is believed to be hiding out track the killer?

I really enjoyed this book and read it very quickly! A mystery set in Sweden, that takes us to a dark place. Very clever, with a great protagonist, I would definitely recommend this book!