Will Dean is certainly the master of suspense. 'Ice Town' is his latest unputdownable murder mystery. It is set in Northern Sweden during winter time. When Tuva hears that a deaf teenager has gone missing in a small town, she travels there to investigate. But more people disappear and are found dead. Esseberg is a close community with many possible suspects responsible for this killing spree. The writing is very atmospheric, you can really feel the cold and the suspense.
This is my first time meeting the deaf journalist Tuva Moodyson. As a big fan of Nordic Noir I am looking forward to reading about her previous cases and hopefully future ones.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Staughton for the review copy.

Please check Trigger warnings before reading - the descriptions of the killings are very graphic. Will Dean is an excellent author and the book was very well written - the plot twist was a little predictable but it was still a decent thriller.

I love Tuva, she’s one of my favourite characters in a series ever (can’t wait for the screen adaptation) and although this can be read as a stand-alone novel, I appreciated the little touches which made it recognisable as part of the series, like the troll-carving sisters. You could definitely read this without any previous knowledge, and if it’s your first Tuva book or, heaven forbid, your first Will Dean book, you’ll have a wonderful time reading the rest of the series.
This time, deaf reporter Tuva has ventured even further north than Gavrik to investigate a missing deaf teenager. The only way into Esseberg is through a tunnel, which means it’s easy to get cut off. The dead body count soon begins to climb, without any sign of the missing teenager. Is he the victim or perpetrator? And if he’s not the killer, what on Earth is going on in this tiny, icy town?
I jokingly said on Twitter (or X if you must) that I’ve started to feel like Will Dean is working his way though a list of things I’m scared of, book by book. I was delighted to find a chair lift in this book, as I already hate them. He does an excellent job of making me even less likely to want to go on another one, ever. The chair lift leads to a creepy old hotel, and this setting suggests that there are some personal developments ahead for Tuva - so I’m looking forward to book 7.
The setting is great. You can almost feel the cold as you are reading, and the isolation of the community is well-drawn. As usual, there are a lot of slightly odd characters populating the book. I didn’t guess the killer, which is unusual for me, so that’s a win for Will Dean.
Highly recommended.

When Tuva hears that a deaf teenager has gone missing in thr northern town if Esseburg she tells her editor and friend, Lena, that she must go to write an investigate. It is nearly the middle of winter and it’s bitterly cold. When bodies are found in the freezing snow, ir is first thought Peter, the missing boy killed them, but then another body is found exonerating Peter. Tuva feels compelled to keep putting herself in harms way. This had me guessing!

This was such a thrilling read, right away I felt hooked by this book and the twists and turns were really well done,

I haven't read any of this series so was really glad to have an opportunity of a way in. And will definitely be going back to find the others.
I've seen many people who are fans of Will Dean. I'm obviously very late to the party. But gladly joining now.
This is a really atmospheric and well paced plot. It really lends itself to getting you involved. The descriptions of the surroundings. Everything that starts happening really grabs you in deeper to the story.
A really good introduction to this authors books. Highly enjoyable.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’ve read a few standalone Will Dean books which have been brilliant and wasn’t aware this was part of a series. For the most part I was fine without any backstory but I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the standalone ones.

I was totally immersed in the world of Ice Town. I have been a Tuva Moodyson fan since the very first book and it was great to be back with her in this wonderfully tense and atmospheric thriller. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pacy and enjoyable, this kept me guessing right up to the end. The sense of isolation is such a key factor in a good murder thriller, and this had it in spades. I'll read more by this author now. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

A superb book!

I loved the setting and main character! The author is commended for a natural flowing plot that sustained a feeling of mystery and menace. I will definitely look forward to reading more books in the Tuva series. What an interesting character.

A book about a serial killer - with a difference! Has there been a murder? Or lots of murders? Who is a a friend - who is a suspect. Nothing was clear or obvious to me. That was an unusual feature. I felt that the author managed to depict Nordic-noire style books with ease. Full credit to @WillDean.

There is so much in this book that provides lessons to society on diversity and relationships! Much to admire!

A deaf teenager has gone missing in Esseberg, a small mountainside town in Sweden. Out of town journalist, Tuva Moodyson, decides to join the search party, as being deaf also, she will be able to communicate with him on a different level. Esseberg a.k.a. ‘Ice Town‘ has one tunnel which leads in and out of the town, and which closes at night. As more bodies turn up, it’s clear that there is a killer amongst them.

This is the sixth book in the Tuva Moodyson series, but my first read, though it can be read as a stand-alone. I’m a huge fan of Nordic crime dramas, and Skandi noirs, and this was the perfect read for me, with a likeable MC, a murder spree, and an small town, in the middle of nowhere, which has less daylight hours, and in which the residents have to fend for themselves, once the tunnel is closed at night.

All the way through this book, I was guessing who the killer could be, but I was in complete shock, once the killer was revealed…didn’t see that one coming, at all!! This is an unputdownable thriller, which keeps you guessing until the very end, with a ‘killer’ ending, and I devoured each and every page. Now, I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the author, Hodder & Stoughton, and NetGalley for providing me with this free ARC, with which I leave a voluntary review.

4 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson books. Ice Town is billed as a Tuva Moodyson stand-alone, but the whole series is so good, you’ll want to read the others.

Tuva Moodyson is a deaf journalist, working in the small Swedish town of Gavrik for the local newspaper. Tuva is bright and tenacious and she gets on very well with her Editor, Lena, who knows how good Tuva is and allows her some latitude because she always delivers.

Ice Town takes Tuva from her Gavrik base of operations to Esseberg. Esseberg is only accessible through a mountain tunnel shared by drivers and trains; this tunnel is closed at night. It is a place surrounded by snow and ice, cut off from the nearest town at night, leaving the residents snowbound and in the dark. Dean’s writing is strong and evocative as he describes the geography of the town.

‘The mountains darken, as if retreating. Later this month – solstice, Christmas week – this town will reach peak winter. A few hours of milky daylight buttressed by long, inescapable stretches of gloom. A settlement lost in the base of a valley; the opening of the tunnel like some mythological beast’s eye gazing wearily from the bedrock.’

Tuva has decided to go to Esseberg, because she’s read a missing person’s report. A teenage boy has gone missing and he is deaf. Tuva, who has recently been through major emotional upheavals, including a significant bereavement, is still feeling her loss and is raw and hurting. She is consumed by the thought that she can help find this missing teenager and that because they share the experience of being deaf, he will communicate with her; letting her know exactly what caused him to vanish.

So, she hares off to Esseberg, a long journey of quite a few hours. What she finds is a very small town, which was once a thriving ski resort, but which has been overshadowed by modern and more accessible resorts. This has left the town’s only hotel towering above it on the peak of the mountain, understaffed and largely without guests most of the year. The hotel is only accessible via a shoogly old chairlift which involves a certain degree of risk and bravery to undertake.

Tuva takes one of only two rooms in the town’s B&B which also doubles as a tanning salon. Equipping herself with breakfast staples – chocolate digestives – she immediately starts to find out the lie of the land and to discover the places where this community gathers.

Will Dean excels in drawing a mental picture of this town with its church community, its biker bar, coffee shop and general store.

There are some great characters whom Tuva meets as she sets out to speak to everyone she meets, gathering a picture in her mind of what the missing Peter was like and how he was perceived in this town.
As she does so, Dean invites the reader to consider them all; could one of these people be responsible for Peter going missing? Not everyone welcomes her questions and at first the Police are very wary of her intrusive style.

Everything hots up though when a dead body is found, then more deaths occur. Soon the town is the focus of a major murder hunt and the media are following Tuva to Esseberg with their own questions.

Esseberg has become famous for all the wrong reasons and everyone in it is now a suspect. Dean is especially strong in depicting the way the residents of Esseberg react to these unfolding murders. As the days get shorter and the darkness is all pervasive, the local biker gang serve as the town’s security patrol and villagers won’t go out unaccompanied. There’s only a lonely furrow for Tuva, however and she seems really vulnerable as she pursues her story.

Will Dean does a great job in singling out some very distinctive characters for the reader to consider as he ramps up the tension and the atmosphere chills the air, causing my heart to pound a little faster as Tuva increasingly looks to be in danger.

There are some real surprises in this murder mystery, and some fantastic interactions. I really liked the Sami policewoman and the way she described what her life as a member of the Sami community has been like.

Verdict: With chilling settings, a compelling plot and a fabulous mix of well fleshed out characters, this murder mystery is both thrilling and emotive. My heart always warms to Tuva and this time she’s put through the wringer in a way that makes me want to hug her tight.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

I still love Tuva but unfortunately this wasn't the page turner I was expecting!! I found the read a bit slow and took me ages to get into the book.

However I will still go for the next book!!

This book is great. It had me hooked from the very start and I was also very curious to find out what happened to Noosa.
The author has written this book in way that makes you feel as though you are there in the Ice Town, locked in at night. You can feel the cold and the tension of the people in the town.
The story is clear and the main characters are lovely people.
The end was great and explained everything in fine details

Tuva Moodyson returns and this time she's heading north to Ice Town to report on a missing man. Ice Town is reached through a tunnel and is cut off from the rest of the world when the tunnel closes at night. As more bodies are discovered, Tuva becomes deeply involved in the investigation.
This book is very cleverly set - you feel both the claustrophobia of Ice Town, and the vastness of Sweden.
Will Dean is a fantastic writer and this book is no exception.

Tuva is one of the best lead characters around and this stand alone book proved my point. Atmospheric and chilling but I did think there ended up being far too many strands that ended up as red herrings.
If nothing else you get a feel for the vastness of Sweden. Made me have a good look at my atlas.

I had not realised I had read the first in this series ... and I had not been as keen as I am on his stand alone books. This tale has encouraged me to look back at the earlier books in the series. Although this was a slow starter, the scenes where Tuva is alone and in the freezing conditions are very tense ... I even felt myself shiver! Clever plot, well paced once it got going and a surprising perpetrator. Tuva is an interesting character, a journalist with a conscience. Can definitely be read as a stand alone tale.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Will Dean/Hodder & Stoughton for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Well, it's Will Dean so you know it;s going to be good. This was even better than I hoped for. A remote place that gets cut off in the bad weather. That was quite the thrill! Great characterisation and again, great to have a deaf character at its heart. This writer is definately one that keeps on giving!

The next chapter in deaf journalist Tuva Moodyson’s career takes her to a very small town at the end of a one way tunnel which isolates it from the rest of Sweden at night when it closes. A deaf teenager has gone missing in the snow and Tuva feels she can help and get a story for her newspaper so she goes to the town to investigate. Its location at the foot of a mountain and the struggling hotel at the top of the ski lift evoke fear in Tuva but she remains strong in the pursuit of a good story even when murder cannot be ruled out.
I find Will Dean’s Tuva novels are his best writing and this one continues to grip, scare and transport the reader to a place out of the comfort zone.

Many thanks to the publishers for the ARC.

How wonderful it is to discover a book with such an excellent likable main character and then to discover there’s a whole series with Tuva Moodyson. I’m happy this title can be read as a stand alone though; there is enough background information to get acquainted with Tuva soon but not so much that you’ve got the idea you’re reading not one book but several.
I like my books dark and thrilling and Ice Town delivered that in spades. First of all the location, an almost hidden town in a valley that can only be reached by a tunnel that’s closed at night. And of course, the whole town and the horrible winter weather play a big part in this story. As so many people, I like skiing – and as so many people, I like my slope tracks to be smooth and preferable sunny. No such thing for Tuva in this thrilling story – I could almost feel her fear, the cold and the general feeling of being somewhere where you might meet your death.
There are some interesting characters in this story and there are lots of surprises. I enjoyed the book from cover to cover and will certainly try and read more of this series.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this review copy.