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Tuva Moodyson Mystery #4
Bad Apples
It only takes one...
A murder
A resident of small-town Visberg is found decapitated
A festival
A cultish hilltop community ‘celebrates’ Pan Night after the apple harvest
A race against time
As Visberg closes ranks to keep its deadly secrets, there could not be a worse time for Tuva Moodyson to arrive as deputy editor of the local newspaper. Powerful forces are at play and no one dares speak out. But Tuva senses the story of her career, unaware that perhaps she is the story…
A murder
A resident of small-town Visberg is found decapitated
A festival
A cultish hilltop community ‘celebrates’ Pan Night after the apple harvest
A race against time
As Visberg closes ranks to keep its deadly secrets, there could not be a worse time for Tuva Moodyson to arrive as deputy editor of the local newspaper. Powerful forces are at play and no one dares speak out. But Tuva senses the story of her career, unaware that perhaps she is the story…
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2021
34 people are currently reading
897 people want to read
About the author
Will Dean
22 books1,593 followersWill Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. He was a bookish, daydreaming kid who found comfort in stories and nature (and he still does). After studying Law at the LSE, and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden. He built a wooden house in a boggy clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it's from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. He is the author of Dark Pines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
August 20, 2021
Will Dean returns us to the horror nightmare that is the remote Swedish town of Gavrick, featuring his deaf protagonist, the newspaper journalist, Tuva Moodyson. She has returned to the Gavrick Posten, now promoted to Deputy Editor by Lena, delighted to be back in the company of friend, Tammy, local cop Thord, and the woman she is in a relationship with, Noor. She has a new apartment with arguing neighbours with a young son, Dan. With what unfolds in the dark forests, echoing with constant gunfire, it is elk hunting season, with the secrets harboured in the hill town of Visberg, and characters that would fit right into the darkest of fairytales, you have to wonder what Tuva was thinking in coming back. It all begins with Tuva thrashing through the foggy forests, following the ghostly sounds of a screaming woman, finding her covered in blood, next to a decapitated dead man.
The victim turns out to be plumber Arne Gustav Persson, a resident of the creepy town and closed community of Visberg, where everyone knows and is related to everyone, with its strict divisions between the wealthy Edlands and the rest of the locals. The stench of rotting apples pervades the place in the approach to Halloween, as Tuva endeavours to get to know the people and embed herself as the go to person and primary contact, hoping to be privy to the secrets and gossip, and the below the radar shadowy adult celebrations of Pan Night, an ancient cult like darkness. The makers of gruesome trolls, Cornelia and Alice Sorlie have opened a pop up shop, where Tuva acquires a mask to infiltrate the pagan and demonic Pan celebrations, the chanting, the bladder balloons, wild sex, and so much more, a people let off the leash for one night, to be uninhibited and glorying in becoming savages. Once again Tuva is to find herself in danger, being shot at, with worse to come.
Dean has written the perfect spine chilling read for the dark Autumn and Winter nights, particularly Halloween, the narrative heaves with atmosphere, and the location is a menacing and malevolent character in its own right. His wide array of characters that inhabit the story are inspired, the strange and offbeat locals, new and old, ensure that the series will remain a favourite with readers. This is for those who want their crime fiction to be at its darkest, a fright fest to savour. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
The victim turns out to be plumber Arne Gustav Persson, a resident of the creepy town and closed community of Visberg, where everyone knows and is related to everyone, with its strict divisions between the wealthy Edlands and the rest of the locals. The stench of rotting apples pervades the place in the approach to Halloween, as Tuva endeavours to get to know the people and embed herself as the go to person and primary contact, hoping to be privy to the secrets and gossip, and the below the radar shadowy adult celebrations of Pan Night, an ancient cult like darkness. The makers of gruesome trolls, Cornelia and Alice Sorlie have opened a pop up shop, where Tuva acquires a mask to infiltrate the pagan and demonic Pan celebrations, the chanting, the bladder balloons, wild sex, and so much more, a people let off the leash for one night, to be uninhibited and glorying in becoming savages. Once again Tuva is to find herself in danger, being shot at, with worse to come.
Dean has written the perfect spine chilling read for the dark Autumn and Winter nights, particularly Halloween, the narrative heaves with atmosphere, and the location is a menacing and malevolent character in its own right. His wide array of characters that inhabit the story are inspired, the strange and offbeat locals, new and old, ensure that the series will remain a favourite with readers. This is for those who want their crime fiction to be at its darkest, a fright fest to savour. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
October 11, 2021
EXCERPT: An arm catches around my neck. I fall.
A body on top of me. Heavy. Smells of waxed jacket. A forearm to my face.
'Get off me!'
'Please,' she says.
I roll away and she is staring at me, her eyes bulging and red, her fingers bloody.
'Please.'
'Who are you?' I ask, the fog managing to drift between us, her face breaking up behind the static.
She gets to her knees and stands and I see her jeans are red. Stained. Splattered.
I pull my knife from my bag and she says, 'No' and puts her palms to her face, and she says, 'No, no, no.'
I take a deep breath of forest air, dense with spores and rotten leaves. It's thick autumn air laced with the tang of rot and decay.
'Over there,' she says, pointing into the mists.
I swallow hard and stand up and move to where she's pointing. A fallen pine, its root system flat and sprawling like a metro map. A dash of colour behind. A coat? I clamber over the pine, its rough bark scratching at my trousers like the nails of a grasping hand.
Two boots.
And two legs.
'Dead,' she says.
ABOUT 'BAD APPLES': It only takes one...
A murder
A resident of small-town Visberg is found decapitated
A festival
A cultish hilltop community ‘celebrates’ Pan Night after the apple harvest
A race against time
As Visberg closes ranks to keep its deadly secrets, there could not be a worse time for Tuva Moodyson to arrive as deputy editor of the local newspaper. Powerful forces are at play and no one dares speak out. But Tuva senses the story of her career, unaware that perhaps she is the story…
MY THOUGHTS: Dark. Intense. Spine chilling. Unsettling. Gory. Almost nightmarish. And set at Halloween.
I read Bad Apples, my first book by Will Dean, with a kind of fascinated horror. I was constantly on edge, at times not daring to breathe as I read.
The setting is the fictional towns of Gavrik and Visberg, a few hours north of Karlstad, a real city, in Sweden. Surrounded by the Utgard Forest, the winters are cold and dark, the animals wild, the towns sparse, insular, and isolated. Even the difference in the inhabitants of Gavrik and the even more isolated Visberg is noticeable.
The characters are outstanding and many exude an air of mystery and menace. There is a pair of elderly sisters who carve trolls, adorning them with animal parts; a clock maker with a macabre basement museum; a mother and son who run a strange storage facility; a Bosnian pizzeria owner reputed to be a war criminal; and twins who run an eerie 24 hour gaming parlour. There are many more characters who range from eccentric to downright scary, so there's no shortage of suspects, and there's plenty of red herrings to exercise those little grey cells.
But there are tender moments too, such as with Danny, the delightful and lovable small child of the warring couple who live next door to Tuva. There is definitely something about this couple, and I am sure that they will feature more in future books.
While Dean may lack the finesse of Mr King, he still knows how to create an atmosphere.
I haven't read any of the previous books in this series, but that is something I intend to remedy. I didn't have any problem with continuity, and Bad Apples is easily read as a stand-alone.
Bad Apples ends on a cliffhanger, but I am sure that there is more to come.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.3
#BadApples #NetGalley
I: @willrdean @oneworldpublications
T: @willrdean @OneworldNews
#contemporaryfiction #crime #murdermystery #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. He was a bookish, daydreaming kid who found comfort in stories and nature (and he still does). After studying Law at the LSE, and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden. He built a wooden house in a boggy clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it's from this base that he compulsively reads and writes.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Oneworld Publications, Point Blank, for providing a digital ARC of Bad Apples by Will Dean for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
A body on top of me. Heavy. Smells of waxed jacket. A forearm to my face.
'Get off me!'
'Please,' she says.
I roll away and she is staring at me, her eyes bulging and red, her fingers bloody.
'Please.'
'Who are you?' I ask, the fog managing to drift between us, her face breaking up behind the static.
She gets to her knees and stands and I see her jeans are red. Stained. Splattered.
I pull my knife from my bag and she says, 'No' and puts her palms to her face, and she says, 'No, no, no.'
I take a deep breath of forest air, dense with spores and rotten leaves. It's thick autumn air laced with the tang of rot and decay.
'Over there,' she says, pointing into the mists.
I swallow hard and stand up and move to where she's pointing. A fallen pine, its root system flat and sprawling like a metro map. A dash of colour behind. A coat? I clamber over the pine, its rough bark scratching at my trousers like the nails of a grasping hand.
Two boots.
And two legs.
'Dead,' she says.
ABOUT 'BAD APPLES': It only takes one...
A murder
A resident of small-town Visberg is found decapitated
A festival
A cultish hilltop community ‘celebrates’ Pan Night after the apple harvest
A race against time
As Visberg closes ranks to keep its deadly secrets, there could not be a worse time for Tuva Moodyson to arrive as deputy editor of the local newspaper. Powerful forces are at play and no one dares speak out. But Tuva senses the story of her career, unaware that perhaps she is the story…
MY THOUGHTS: Dark. Intense. Spine chilling. Unsettling. Gory. Almost nightmarish. And set at Halloween.
I read Bad Apples, my first book by Will Dean, with a kind of fascinated horror. I was constantly on edge, at times not daring to breathe as I read.
The setting is the fictional towns of Gavrik and Visberg, a few hours north of Karlstad, a real city, in Sweden. Surrounded by the Utgard Forest, the winters are cold and dark, the animals wild, the towns sparse, insular, and isolated. Even the difference in the inhabitants of Gavrik and the even more isolated Visberg is noticeable.
The characters are outstanding and many exude an air of mystery and menace. There is a pair of elderly sisters who carve trolls, adorning them with animal parts; a clock maker with a macabre basement museum; a mother and son who run a strange storage facility; a Bosnian pizzeria owner reputed to be a war criminal; and twins who run an eerie 24 hour gaming parlour. There are many more characters who range from eccentric to downright scary, so there's no shortage of suspects, and there's plenty of red herrings to exercise those little grey cells.
But there are tender moments too, such as with Danny, the delightful and lovable small child of the warring couple who live next door to Tuva. There is definitely something about this couple, and I am sure that they will feature more in future books.
While Dean may lack the finesse of Mr King, he still knows how to create an atmosphere.
I haven't read any of the previous books in this series, but that is something I intend to remedy. I didn't have any problem with continuity, and Bad Apples is easily read as a stand-alone.
Bad Apples ends on a cliffhanger, but I am sure that there is more to come.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.3
#BadApples #NetGalley
I: @willrdean @oneworldpublications
T: @willrdean @OneworldNews
#contemporaryfiction #crime #murdermystery #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. He was a bookish, daydreaming kid who found comfort in stories and nature (and he still does). After studying Law at the LSE, and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden. He built a wooden house in a boggy clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it's from this base that he compulsively reads and writes.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Oneworld Publications, Point Blank, for providing a digital ARC of Bad Apples by Will Dean for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
October 15, 2021
I have read and enjoyed the previous three books in the Tuva Moodyson series but was unprepared for dark, creepy, and spine-chilling this one was. It veered into the horror category, with its gory, nightmarish, and macabre storyline. I appreciate a horror/mystery story when it is well done, and this was well written with shocks, menace, twists, and disturbing passages galore.
I appreciate the feisty, resolute, strong-willed but vulnerable Tuva and her determination to help the police find the truth. She is a well-rounded reporter who is profoundly deaf. She has just returned to the remote Swedish town of Gavrick, anxious to be reunited with her friends and the policewoman who is her true love. She has been promoted to deputy editor of the Gavrick newspaper and will also be covering stories in the nearby hilltop town of Visberg. Some of the local characters were introduced in earlier books, but this works well as a standalone.
Gavick is an isolated town surrounded by the thick, dark, foggy Utgard forest. The ground is often swampy, muddy, and covered by treacherous tree roots. The time is close to Haloween, imparting an extra eerieness. It is hunting season, and gunshots echo through the forest. The woods have always made Tuva feel uneasy.
Shortly after arriving, Tuva finds herself running and stumbling through the dreaded forest after hearing a woman screaming for help. She finds the woman covered in blood and beside her the body of a man whose head has been severed and missing. Police arrive, and the body is finally identified as that of Arne Persson from the hilltop town of Visberg. This is a closed, wealthy community controlled by Elands's large, extended family with their lavish homes and golf club. The working folk lives in a different section of this divided society. Tuva goes to Visberg to learn as much as possible about the murdered man.
While meeting some of the inhabitants, she is aware of the stench of rotten apples strewn everywhere and left to decay. She learns this is a peculiar custom of the community following apple harvest, and the mess will not be cleaned up until following Haloween. Tuva learns of an adult celebration prior to Haloween called Pan Night, but no one wants to talk about it. This is an ancient ritual where the masked adults revel in a night of debauchery and bizarre added customs. Tuva is determined to infiltrate and witness the weird ceremony. She obtains a mask from the popup shop of two eccentric, weird sisters. They make grotesque troll dolls using parts from dead animals and also masks from stretching animal heads. After watching some strange and vile behaviour, the head of Arne Perssons is found displayed in the town square, minus the teeth. The police arrive and put an end to the cultish celebrations.
Suspects for the murder range from the odd and eccentric to the scary. This is a macabre murder case, but things are destined to become even spookier as Haloween approaches. Tuva had already been shot at when she emerged from the forest after finding the dead body. The police believed she was mistaken. Now she is in mortal danger, but she is unaware of the magnitude of the risk or who to trust. There are some intense, ghastly scenes near the book's conclusion when the case is finally solved. But Wow! it ends with a shocking, mind-boggling cliffhanger.
This was a frightening, gripping story with vivid, well-developed characters. The writing had the power to transport the reader to the communities and the cold forested area by its atmospheric prose. This was a place I never want to visit, but it was a compelling read.
.
I appreciate the feisty, resolute, strong-willed but vulnerable Tuva and her determination to help the police find the truth. She is a well-rounded reporter who is profoundly deaf. She has just returned to the remote Swedish town of Gavrick, anxious to be reunited with her friends and the policewoman who is her true love. She has been promoted to deputy editor of the Gavrick newspaper and will also be covering stories in the nearby hilltop town of Visberg. Some of the local characters were introduced in earlier books, but this works well as a standalone.
Gavick is an isolated town surrounded by the thick, dark, foggy Utgard forest. The ground is often swampy, muddy, and covered by treacherous tree roots. The time is close to Haloween, imparting an extra eerieness. It is hunting season, and gunshots echo through the forest. The woods have always made Tuva feel uneasy.
Shortly after arriving, Tuva finds herself running and stumbling through the dreaded forest after hearing a woman screaming for help. She finds the woman covered in blood and beside her the body of a man whose head has been severed and missing. Police arrive, and the body is finally identified as that of Arne Persson from the hilltop town of Visberg. This is a closed, wealthy community controlled by Elands's large, extended family with their lavish homes and golf club. The working folk lives in a different section of this divided society. Tuva goes to Visberg to learn as much as possible about the murdered man.
While meeting some of the inhabitants, she is aware of the stench of rotten apples strewn everywhere and left to decay. She learns this is a peculiar custom of the community following apple harvest, and the mess will not be cleaned up until following Haloween. Tuva learns of an adult celebration prior to Haloween called Pan Night, but no one wants to talk about it. This is an ancient ritual where the masked adults revel in a night of debauchery and bizarre added customs. Tuva is determined to infiltrate and witness the weird ceremony. She obtains a mask from the popup shop of two eccentric, weird sisters. They make grotesque troll dolls using parts from dead animals and also masks from stretching animal heads. After watching some strange and vile behaviour, the head of Arne Perssons is found displayed in the town square, minus the teeth. The police arrive and put an end to the cultish celebrations.
Suspects for the murder range from the odd and eccentric to the scary. This is a macabre murder case, but things are destined to become even spookier as Haloween approaches. Tuva had already been shot at when she emerged from the forest after finding the dead body. The police believed she was mistaken. Now she is in mortal danger, but she is unaware of the magnitude of the risk or who to trust. There are some intense, ghastly scenes near the book's conclusion when the case is finally solved. But Wow! it ends with a shocking, mind-boggling cliffhanger.
This was a frightening, gripping story with vivid, well-developed characters. The writing had the power to transport the reader to the communities and the cold forested area by its atmospheric prose. This was a place I never want to visit, but it was a compelling read.
.
May 30, 2021
Easily my favourite Tuva to date, Bad Apples is beautifully written, dark, creepy and unpredictable with an absolute killer ending. Perfect Halloween reading and it will be out in October. Full review then. Highly recommended.
August 29, 2021
If you’re looking for a creepy thriller with a gloomy, atmospheric setting this Halloween, then look no further! Noone writes a creepy forest better than Will Dean.
I’ve been a fan of the Tuva Moodyson series since the start and snapped up the book as soon as I could press “request” on Netgalley (thank you so much for granting me my wish!). Tuva, a journalist in a small remote Swedish town, stumbles once again into disaster when she comes across a decapitated corpse in the creepy forest surrounding the town. Even though it’s hard to believe, things go even further downhill from here. I love the way Dean’s mind works, and how he manages to create sinister scenes out of seemingly harmless everyday situations. For example, the image of the child biting into a rotten apple (mind the book’s title) was so creepy I am still thinking about it, and this was nothing compared to Dean’s other creations: the sinister trolls carved by the two creepy sisters, the balloons made out of animal intestines, the stuffed animals with dental work, a forest teeming with slugs and poisonous mushrooms etc etc. Dean writes in a way that brings all these nightmarish images to life like a dark creepy movie, and I loved every minute of it!
Dean has run with the Halloween topic and made it firmly his own. Though Halloween is celebrated by the children in Gavrik, the small neighbouring hilltown of Visberg has their own dark tradition: Pan Night. It makes Halloween a candyland paradise in comparison, because the happenings on Pan Night, to which only locals are invited, are very sinister indeed. And of course Tuva, who can never resist putting herself in danger, manages a sneak peak that will almost be her undoing.
Tuva is one of my favourite characters in crime fiction. Even though she is one tough cookie, Dean also manages to paint her vulnerable side: the grief for her deceased parents, her addictions, her deafness, her struggles with her sexuality. I was happy to see that she has not only made some great friends in Gavrik, but has also found love with Noora, grounding her somewhat. Being a journalist rather than a detective, Tuva leads us into the murder investigation from a completely different angle, which makes this series extra special to me.
All in all, BAD APPLES is another deliciously dark instalment in Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson series, and maybe his creepiest yet? And even though he ending was wayyyyy out there, I loved the reel of dark and spooky images the book created in my mind. Coming out just in time for Halloween it’s the perfect spooky read to get into the spirit of the season – if you haven’t discovered this series yet, what are you waiting for?
Thank you to Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
I’ve been a fan of the Tuva Moodyson series since the start and snapped up the book as soon as I could press “request” on Netgalley (thank you so much for granting me my wish!). Tuva, a journalist in a small remote Swedish town, stumbles once again into disaster when she comes across a decapitated corpse in the creepy forest surrounding the town. Even though it’s hard to believe, things go even further downhill from here. I love the way Dean’s mind works, and how he manages to create sinister scenes out of seemingly harmless everyday situations. For example, the image of the child biting into a rotten apple (mind the book’s title) was so creepy I am still thinking about it, and this was nothing compared to Dean’s other creations: the sinister trolls carved by the two creepy sisters, the balloons made out of animal intestines, the stuffed animals with dental work, a forest teeming with slugs and poisonous mushrooms etc etc. Dean writes in a way that brings all these nightmarish images to life like a dark creepy movie, and I loved every minute of it!
Dean has run with the Halloween topic and made it firmly his own. Though Halloween is celebrated by the children in Gavrik, the small neighbouring hilltown of Visberg has their own dark tradition: Pan Night. It makes Halloween a candyland paradise in comparison, because the happenings on Pan Night, to which only locals are invited, are very sinister indeed. And of course Tuva, who can never resist putting herself in danger, manages a sneak peak that will almost be her undoing.
Tuva is one of my favourite characters in crime fiction. Even though she is one tough cookie, Dean also manages to paint her vulnerable side: the grief for her deceased parents, her addictions, her deafness, her struggles with her sexuality. I was happy to see that she has not only made some great friends in Gavrik, but has also found love with Noora, grounding her somewhat. Being a journalist rather than a detective, Tuva leads us into the murder investigation from a completely different angle, which makes this series extra special to me.
All in all, BAD APPLES is another deliciously dark instalment in Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson series, and maybe his creepiest yet? And even though he ending was wayyyyy out there, I loved the reel of dark and spooky images the book created in my mind. Coming out just in time for Halloween it’s the perfect spooky read to get into the spirit of the season – if you haven’t discovered this series yet, what are you waiting for?
Thank you to Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
November 24, 2023
I am scarred for life!
Set in the remote Swedish town of Gavrick, deaf journalist Tuva Moodyson investigates the decapitation death of a local man. All the familiar characters appear in this instalment, friend -Tammy, local cop Thord, and policewoman Noora. What unfolds is horrific and is set against the gothic backdrop of the dark wintery forests, echoing with constant elk hunting gunfire. There are secrets and rituals, fairytales and myths! And a creep factor second to none.
It felt like I was there, in the fog, with the stench of rotting apples, with the shadows and creepiest of festivals I've ever read about...Pan Night, an ancient cult-like practice before Halloween. Cue the return of the makers of awful trolls, Cornelia and Alice Sorlie. I'll never imagine troll dolls the same!
Totally Stephen King in the spine chilling department. Dean writes an atmospheric, dark and petrifying read. His characterisation is brilliant, the setting inspired, and the series just keeps getting better.
I may not sleep tonight, but such a good read!
Set in the remote Swedish town of Gavrick, deaf journalist Tuva Moodyson investigates the decapitation death of a local man. All the familiar characters appear in this instalment, friend -Tammy, local cop Thord, and policewoman Noora. What unfolds is horrific and is set against the gothic backdrop of the dark wintery forests, echoing with constant elk hunting gunfire. There are secrets and rituals, fairytales and myths! And a creep factor second to none.
It felt like I was there, in the fog, with the stench of rotting apples, with the shadows and creepiest of festivals I've ever read about...Pan Night, an ancient cult-like practice before Halloween. Cue the return of the makers of awful trolls, Cornelia and Alice Sorlie. I'll never imagine troll dolls the same!
Totally Stephen King in the spine chilling department. Dean writes an atmospheric, dark and petrifying read. His characterisation is brilliant, the setting inspired, and the series just keeps getting better.
I may not sleep tonight, but such a good read!
February 2, 2022
Another unpopular opinion here.
I requested this before I realised it was part of a series that I hadn't read. Not a bad thing, I thought. I can tell readers if it can be read as a standalone, if the previous stories are explained enough for the reader to catch up where they left off.
I have to say, it was harder to follow for me, I didn't know who Tuva was as a character and I certainly struggled initially. I personally think I'd be better starting the series from book 1.
That said, Will Dean wrote The Last Thing to Burn which is one of my favourite thrillers of recent years. He can write seriously dark books! That one damaged me. So as far as the plot of Bad Apples goes, it is a very gripping book but not on the same scale as The Last Thing in my opinion.
Would I read book 5? Possibly, but I would have to read books 1-3 first.
I requested this before I realised it was part of a series that I hadn't read. Not a bad thing, I thought. I can tell readers if it can be read as a standalone, if the previous stories are explained enough for the reader to catch up where they left off.
I have to say, it was harder to follow for me, I didn't know who Tuva was as a character and I certainly struggled initially. I personally think I'd be better starting the series from book 1.
That said, Will Dean wrote The Last Thing to Burn which is one of my favourite thrillers of recent years. He can write seriously dark books! That one damaged me. So as far as the plot of Bad Apples goes, it is a very gripping book but not on the same scale as The Last Thing in my opinion.
Would I read book 5? Possibly, but I would have to read books 1-3 first.
March 26, 2022
For his latest adventure starring reporter Tuva Moodyson, Will Dean once again evokes the spirit of Midsommar, albeit this time transposed to the season of “mists and mellow fruitfulness”. Well, not so much mellow in this case as downright rotten.
Tuva is immediately thrown into the action when, driving up a long, steep, fog-enshrouded hill towards the remote town of Visberg, she discovers a decapitated corpse.
Visberg is very much a law unto itself where feudalism seems to have hardly disappeared . A community ruled over for the past two centuries by the wealthy and highly dysfunctional Edlund family. During the autumn it reeks of decaying apples and has its own sinister variation of Halloween, called “Pan Night”. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, it is during these depraved festivities that the missing head reappears.
Tuva soon finds herself in mortal danger as she attempts to discover the truth behind the decapitation. There are powerful people with dark secrets they wish to keep buried.
All in all, this is an enjoyable enough novel with a thrilling finale. Perhaps a little short on originality. Imagine a young Stephen King being Swedish and you’ll get the general idea.
Tuva is immediately thrown into the action when, driving up a long, steep, fog-enshrouded hill towards the remote town of Visberg, she discovers a decapitated corpse.
Visberg is very much a law unto itself where feudalism seems to have hardly disappeared . A community ruled over for the past two centuries by the wealthy and highly dysfunctional Edlund family. During the autumn it reeks of decaying apples and has its own sinister variation of Halloween, called “Pan Night”. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, it is during these depraved festivities that the missing head reappears.
Tuva soon finds herself in mortal danger as she attempts to discover the truth behind the decapitation. There are powerful people with dark secrets they wish to keep buried.
All in all, this is an enjoyable enough novel with a thrilling finale. Perhaps a little short on originality. Imagine a young Stephen King being Swedish and you’ll get the general idea.
September 25, 2021
Firstly, I need to confess that Will Dean is one of my favourite authors in real life, he’s an absolute gentleman and a star and everyone should read his books. Whenever Will releases a new book either from his brilliant Tuva Moodyson series or his new standalones I admit that I wet myself a little bit in excitement and beg/bribe or threaten whoever is in charge of his blogtours to give me a place.
Bad Apples is the latest in the atmospheric, claustrophobic, extremely creepy and gripping Tuva Moodyson series and if you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Tuva yet, then you are in for a treat. The books should definitely be read in order and the pretty little graphic above my review shows the order of publications.
Bad Apples has a stunning cover and fits very nicely in my colour coded bookshelf with the other green books and that’s just one of the reasons you should read it!
Following on from Black River (book 3), Tuva is back in toytown (Gavrick) and this times she choose to be return because she’s got a job promotion, is in a relationship with Noora, the local police officer and her best friend Tammy is home safe and sound after her horrific experience in the previous book.
Now I’ve never been to Sweden and to be honest I don’t think the Swedish Tourist Board should ask Will Dean to advertise on their behalf, because he really doesn’t sell it well as a holiday hotspot. Unless, you fancy taking up elk hunting, freezing your dangly bits off and get embroiled in some very weird and gruesome murders, then I would suggest sticking to the Costa Del Sol instead.
Back to Tuva, she’s still one of my favourite feisy females and nothing seems to phase her, even discovering the headless body of a man in the wood in an isolated town called Visberg. Determined as ever to solve the crime, Tuva is tasked by the newspaper to investigate the people and town of Visberg which is full of the creepiest, strangest characters and is steeped in ancient and dark traditions.
If you’ve read the first 3 books, then you won’t be disappointed at all… in fact I do think that each book in this series is better than the last. The ONLY complaint I have Mr Dean is the ending! Seriously?
Bad Apples is the latest in the atmospheric, claustrophobic, extremely creepy and gripping Tuva Moodyson series and if you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Tuva yet, then you are in for a treat. The books should definitely be read in order and the pretty little graphic above my review shows the order of publications.
Bad Apples has a stunning cover and fits very nicely in my colour coded bookshelf with the other green books and that’s just one of the reasons you should read it!
Following on from Black River (book 3), Tuva is back in toytown (Gavrick) and this times she choose to be return because she’s got a job promotion, is in a relationship with Noora, the local police officer and her best friend Tammy is home safe and sound after her horrific experience in the previous book.
Now I’ve never been to Sweden and to be honest I don’t think the Swedish Tourist Board should ask Will Dean to advertise on their behalf, because he really doesn’t sell it well as a holiday hotspot. Unless, you fancy taking up elk hunting, freezing your dangly bits off and get embroiled in some very weird and gruesome murders, then I would suggest sticking to the Costa Del Sol instead.
Back to Tuva, she’s still one of my favourite feisy females and nothing seems to phase her, even discovering the headless body of a man in the wood in an isolated town called Visberg. Determined as ever to solve the crime, Tuva is tasked by the newspaper to investigate the people and town of Visberg which is full of the creepiest, strangest characters and is steeped in ancient and dark traditions.
If you’ve read the first 3 books, then you won’t be disappointed at all… in fact I do think that each book in this series is better than the last. The ONLY complaint I have Mr Dean is the ending! Seriously?
January 23, 2022
Warning: might contain minor spoilers for earlier books in the series.
After the first three instalments of the Tuva Moodyson series, I'd already pegged it as one of the grittiest I'm reading, but this latest book, Bad Apples, takes it to another level. A shade or two darker, with characters almost off the weirdo-charts, and a distinct horror vibe especially if you're nervous about dentists. Give me more!
With a promotion at the Posten to sweeten the deal, Tuva is back in Gavrick. Her new reporting patch includes the small town of Visberg, on a hill, up a treacherous road some way outside of Gavrick. Soon after arriving back in Värmland, Tuva is making her way home in her fancy new Hilux, down that road, when she stops to provide assistance to a woman in distress. The two find a decapitated body and suddenly Tuva has a new mystery to sink her teeth into (wink, wink).
This one presents Tuva with some new and unexpected challenges. She doesn't yet know the town or the people, she's not familiar with their exclusive, adults-only Pan Night festival that falls (or officially doesn't) a week before Halloween, and there are also some international complications with a suspected war criminal in the mix. But keeping her grounded, back in Gavrik she has her grateful buddy Tammy, slowly recovering from the trauma of her previous abduction, and Noora, the love interest. All the other regulars appear too, even the troll-sisters who have opened a pop-up shop in Visberg to cash in on the late October festivities.
As we have learned in the earlier books, literally anyone could turn out to be the baddie, and it's no different this time. In a way, that's my only criticism, and the reason I didn't rate it higher. Having read the entire series in a short period I think I have a feel for how the author's mind works now, and some aspects of the plot were not too difficult to predict. Although to be fair, I think of this as being reliable storytelling, rather than predictable per se.
Bad Apples ends on a cliffhanger (one I certainly did NOT predict), so I hope Will Dean already has #5 well and truly underway.
Once again I opted for the audiobook edition to enjoy the excellent narration by Maya Lindh. She is Tuva.
After the first three instalments of the Tuva Moodyson series, I'd already pegged it as one of the grittiest I'm reading, but this latest book, Bad Apples, takes it to another level. A shade or two darker, with characters almost off the weirdo-charts, and a distinct horror vibe especially if you're nervous about dentists. Give me more!
With a promotion at the Posten to sweeten the deal, Tuva is back in Gavrick. Her new reporting patch includes the small town of Visberg, on a hill, up a treacherous road some way outside of Gavrick. Soon after arriving back in Värmland, Tuva is making her way home in her fancy new Hilux, down that road, when she stops to provide assistance to a woman in distress. The two find a decapitated body and suddenly Tuva has a new mystery to sink her teeth into (wink, wink).
This one presents Tuva with some new and unexpected challenges. She doesn't yet know the town or the people, she's not familiar with their exclusive, adults-only Pan Night festival that falls (or officially doesn't) a week before Halloween, and there are also some international complications with a suspected war criminal in the mix. But keeping her grounded, back in Gavrik she has her grateful buddy Tammy, slowly recovering from the trauma of her previous abduction, and Noora, the love interest. All the other regulars appear too, even the troll-sisters who have opened a pop-up shop in Visberg to cash in on the late October festivities.
As we have learned in the earlier books, literally anyone could turn out to be the baddie, and it's no different this time. In a way, that's my only criticism, and the reason I didn't rate it higher. Having read the entire series in a short period I think I have a feel for how the author's mind works now, and some aspects of the plot were not too difficult to predict. Although to be fair, I think of this as being reliable storytelling, rather than predictable per se.
Bad Apples ends on a cliffhanger (one I certainly did NOT predict), so I hope Will Dean already has #5 well and truly underway.
Once again I opted for the audiobook edition to enjoy the excellent narration by Maya Lindh. She is Tuva.
September 1, 2021
I've read all of the Tuva Moodyson books and I absolutely love them all. This book is no exception and Will Dean continues to develop this series in the best way possible, I love the way Will Dean writes and how he constantly keeps the reader on edge. The book is dark, atmospheric and gripping filled with interesting and weird characters. All in all, this is another dark instalment in the Tuva Moodyson series with an ending that blew me away.
I highly recommend this book and series. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy
I highly recommend this book and series. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy
January 13, 2024
Bad Apples #4 Tuva
This one is dark, scary and a pageturner.
What a thrill!
Book 1 and 4 are my favorites so far.
Can't wait to read the 5th. Expecting to be delivered next week. Yay!
This one is dark, scary and a pageturner.
What a thrill!
Book 1 and 4 are my favorites so far.
Can't wait to read the 5th. Expecting to be delivered next week. Yay!
August 26, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for an advance copy of Bad Apples, the fourth novel to feature Swedish journalist Tuva Moodyson.
Tuva is back in Värmland with a promotion and an extended beat. She will now be covering the remote hillside town of Visberg, where after her first visit she discovers the body of a murdered man. This is not the last strange event in the closed, insular community of Visberg.
I enjoyed Bad Apples, which has an interesting take on morality and small insular communities. It is told entirely from Tuva the outsider’s point of view and as she’s quite nosy she is perfectly placed to investigate the murder.
The plot is quite slow but never less than interesting and often cedes its place at the centre of the novel to the atmosphere. This is where I fail because I found it hard to take Visberg seriously. The town is ruled by a rich elite and there is a physical divide between them and the regular working folk, each keeping to their own side of town. Then there are the inhabitants, one stranger than the next. Finally there is the Pan festival where the town is sealed off and basically becomes an orgy of bad behaviour. All this is overlaid by the smell of rotten apples that aren’t cleaned up. It has the makings of horror fiction. Nevertheless Tuva continues to investigate, and that, stripped of the extraneities, is good. The mystery of what has happened and the ongoing baffling incidents is quite compulsive and full of misdirection. The solution comes out of left field, is totally unexpected and ends up being quite tense. Job done or so the reader thinks until a final cliffhanger.
I like Tuva Moodyson as she is smart and dedicated. She’s not afraid to express her emotions, often fear, despite her hang ups and has a nice line in sarcastic asides. She is profoundly deaf, but seems to navigate the world well. As I know nothing about deafness I don’t know how accurate this portrayal is.
Bad Apples is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Tuva is back in Värmland with a promotion and an extended beat. She will now be covering the remote hillside town of Visberg, where after her first visit she discovers the body of a murdered man. This is not the last strange event in the closed, insular community of Visberg.
I enjoyed Bad Apples, which has an interesting take on morality and small insular communities. It is told entirely from Tuva the outsider’s point of view and as she’s quite nosy she is perfectly placed to investigate the murder.
The plot is quite slow but never less than interesting and often cedes its place at the centre of the novel to the atmosphere. This is where I fail because I found it hard to take Visberg seriously. The town is ruled by a rich elite and there is a physical divide between them and the regular working folk, each keeping to their own side of town. Then there are the inhabitants, one stranger than the next. Finally there is the Pan festival where the town is sealed off and basically becomes an orgy of bad behaviour. All this is overlaid by the smell of rotten apples that aren’t cleaned up. It has the makings of horror fiction. Nevertheless Tuva continues to investigate, and that, stripped of the extraneities, is good. The mystery of what has happened and the ongoing baffling incidents is quite compulsive and full of misdirection. The solution comes out of left field, is totally unexpected and ends up being quite tense. Job done or so the reader thinks until a final cliffhanger.
I like Tuva Moodyson as she is smart and dedicated. She’s not afraid to express her emotions, often fear, despite her hang ups and has a nice line in sarcastic asides. She is profoundly deaf, but seems to navigate the world well. As I know nothing about deafness I don’t know how accurate this portrayal is.
Bad Apples is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
April 11, 2025
“Sometimes you spend all your energy getting away from a place only to realise you have to go back”.
Tuva a Moodyson is back in a deliciously dark Scandi Noir instalment from the sensational Will Dean. Bad Apples is a page turning thriller that sees Tuva take on journalistic responsibilities for the small town of Visberg, a short drive deeper into the pine forests outside of Gavrik, ,’Toytown’. In Dean’s inimitable style, Visberg is full of characters who are both weird and wonderful, eccentric and enigmatic and before long Tuva is knee deep in apple sludge that she struggles to Wade through. A headless corpse, a ritualistic Pan Night pre Halloween night of debauchery, and a dental theme that will make you think twice before your next root canal, are all the ingredients of book number 4 in this series.
4 stars for book 4. Will Dean is a phenomenon of the Scandi genre.
Tuva a Moodyson is back in a deliciously dark Scandi Noir instalment from the sensational Will Dean. Bad Apples is a page turning thriller that sees Tuva take on journalistic responsibilities for the small town of Visberg, a short drive deeper into the pine forests outside of Gavrik, ,’Toytown’. In Dean’s inimitable style, Visberg is full of characters who are both weird and wonderful, eccentric and enigmatic and before long Tuva is knee deep in apple sludge that she struggles to Wade through. A headless corpse, a ritualistic Pan Night pre Halloween night of debauchery, and a dental theme that will make you think twice before your next root canal, are all the ingredients of book number 4 in this series.
4 stars for book 4. Will Dean is a phenomenon of the Scandi genre.
August 13, 2022
I’m sorry Will, I’ve been such a fan up till now. But this!? It felt like a descent into collective madness. I love Tuva and her gang of small town Swedish misfits but I couldn’t love this particular outing.
November 21, 2021
Will Dean has such a talent for writing so descriptive that you feel as if you’re in the forest with Tuva! Another great installment in this series although maybe a tad bit darker
September 1, 2021
I've read all of the Tuva Moodyson books and I absolutely love them all. This book is no exception and Will Dean continues to develop this series in the best way possible, I love the way Will Dean writes and how he constantly keeps the reader on edge. The book is dark, atmospheric and gripping filled with interesting and weird characters. All in all, this is another dark instalment in the Tuva Moodyson series with an ending that blew me away.
I highly recommend this book and series. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy.
I highly recommend this book and series. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy.
December 13, 2024
Another nail biting thriller. Probably the best And the cliffhanger ending! Will likely pick up the next instalment after Christmas to see what comes next.
Very enjoyable.
Very enjoyable.
August 15, 2021
Oh my! What an amazing, fabulous, spooky, thrilling, scary ride. Loved every page!
I'll start by saying that I'm a massive fan of this amazing author and have, to date, read all of his books. This is one in a series of Tuva Moodyson mysteries, but, it can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone and in my opinion is the best in the series. Although, if you haven't read the earlier books, please do as they set up this book brilliantly.
Tuva is such an interestingly well written character and I've grown to love her. It's a book set in a remote Swedish town and it's so well written that you feel you know the area and the inhabitants, but, I'll definitely not be booking a visit anytime soon! It's got; murder, weirdness, fabulous characters, spooky tales and absolutely hooked me from the first page to the last.
I'll miss the fabulous characters and I feel that I know that mountain drive, but, please read after you've seen your dentist!
A fabulous full 5* for this cracker of a murder mystery and I cannot recommend highly enough. Congratulations to Will Dean and thanks so much to Goodreads and the publishers OneWorld Publications for the honour of previewing post publication. To anyone to loves a thrilling mystery; order now, you'll love it!
I'll start by saying that I'm a massive fan of this amazing author and have, to date, read all of his books. This is one in a series of Tuva Moodyson mysteries, but, it can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone and in my opinion is the best in the series. Although, if you haven't read the earlier books, please do as they set up this book brilliantly.
Tuva is such an interestingly well written character and I've grown to love her. It's a book set in a remote Swedish town and it's so well written that you feel you know the area and the inhabitants, but, I'll definitely not be booking a visit anytime soon! It's got; murder, weirdness, fabulous characters, spooky tales and absolutely hooked me from the first page to the last.
I'll miss the fabulous characters and I feel that I know that mountain drive, but, please read after you've seen your dentist!
A fabulous full 5* for this cracker of a murder mystery and I cannot recommend highly enough. Congratulations to Will Dean and thanks so much to Goodreads and the publishers OneWorld Publications for the honour of previewing post publication. To anyone to loves a thrilling mystery; order now, you'll love it!
October 6, 2021
Welcome to Creepyville! I mean, Visberg. Honestly, if you thought the residents of Gavrid were a tad on the weird side, you’ve seen nothing yet!
Tuva has been promoted to deputy editor of the local newspaper and the small hilltop community of Visberg is part of her new beat. But the residents of this rather cultish village aren’t exactly the most welcoming people you’ll find. Especially not on a night they’ve dubbed “Pan Night”, a … well … celebration of sorts between the apple harvest and Halloween. It involves pans. Kind of. Hard to explain.
Before all of that though, a decapitated body is found in the woods. Pretty gruesome. Could it have been a hunting accident gone wrong? A tree felling accident gone wrong? Something else that involves swinging a chainsaw around in the middle of a forest? All will be revealed in time. Some of it on that most mysterious of nights called Pan Night. I don’t even know where to begin to describe Pan Night. Think of the most outrageously eccentric things you’ve ever seen and multiply to infinity. My head was entirely blown and my face has had the world’s most intensive facial exercises as I went from sheer disbelief to utter disgust and back again. Pretty sure none of this is mentioned in the Swedish tourist brochures.
In the middle of all this creepiness, one must obviously solve a murder. And Tuva has to find a way to get these residents to trust her and confide in her so she has stories to write for the newspaper. That isn’t as easy as it sounds. There are many secrets lurking behind the facades of this town, many loyal residents willing to protect those secrets, no matter what. Luckily, Tuva is as fierce and determined as she’s always been but could she be putting her apples in the wrong basket? (see what I did there? 😏)
There are new characters to get used to but a few of the old ones also make an appearance, including our favourite twisted Gavrid sisters. It all makes this fourth book feel ever so refreshing. If you’re new to the series, you should be okay to start here and treat this book as a stand-alone, although why you would want to I don’t know because you’re missing out. If, like me, you’ve been with this series from the start, there is so much to enjoy about this story. Tuva’s world may have grown bigger but that sense of claustrophobia and isolation remains and it’s one of my favourite things.
‘Bad Apples‘ is dark and twisted and honestly takes creepy to a whole new level. There are certain things that make me incredibly squeamish and I couldn’t believe how terribly lucky I was that Will Dean has opted to put that into this story. (Note the sarcasm.) Believe me, if this “thing” happens to be a phobia of yours, I’m sorry to say you’re totally screwed. Full of mystery, suspects, and the smell of rotten apples, ‘Bad Apples‘ is a fantastic addition to the series and dare I say the best one yet. I’m convinced Visberg still has so much more to offer too.
To top it all off, Will Dean leaves the reader wanting more in the best way possible. This isn’t just a cliffhanger, people. This is more like dangling from a rope in space and it’s just … mean! That’s all I’ll say. Well, that and if I could have book 5 tomorrow that’d be grand because I might just die of anticipation.
Tuva has been promoted to deputy editor of the local newspaper and the small hilltop community of Visberg is part of her new beat. But the residents of this rather cultish village aren’t exactly the most welcoming people you’ll find. Especially not on a night they’ve dubbed “Pan Night”, a … well … celebration of sorts between the apple harvest and Halloween. It involves pans. Kind of. Hard to explain.
Before all of that though, a decapitated body is found in the woods. Pretty gruesome. Could it have been a hunting accident gone wrong? A tree felling accident gone wrong? Something else that involves swinging a chainsaw around in the middle of a forest? All will be revealed in time. Some of it on that most mysterious of nights called Pan Night. I don’t even know where to begin to describe Pan Night. Think of the most outrageously eccentric things you’ve ever seen and multiply to infinity. My head was entirely blown and my face has had the world’s most intensive facial exercises as I went from sheer disbelief to utter disgust and back again. Pretty sure none of this is mentioned in the Swedish tourist brochures.
In the middle of all this creepiness, one must obviously solve a murder. And Tuva has to find a way to get these residents to trust her and confide in her so she has stories to write for the newspaper. That isn’t as easy as it sounds. There are many secrets lurking behind the facades of this town, many loyal residents willing to protect those secrets, no matter what. Luckily, Tuva is as fierce and determined as she’s always been but could she be putting her apples in the wrong basket? (see what I did there? 😏)
There are new characters to get used to but a few of the old ones also make an appearance, including our favourite twisted Gavrid sisters. It all makes this fourth book feel ever so refreshing. If you’re new to the series, you should be okay to start here and treat this book as a stand-alone, although why you would want to I don’t know because you’re missing out. If, like me, you’ve been with this series from the start, there is so much to enjoy about this story. Tuva’s world may have grown bigger but that sense of claustrophobia and isolation remains and it’s one of my favourite things.
‘Bad Apples‘ is dark and twisted and honestly takes creepy to a whole new level. There are certain things that make me incredibly squeamish and I couldn’t believe how terribly lucky I was that Will Dean has opted to put that into this story. (Note the sarcasm.) Believe me, if this “thing” happens to be a phobia of yours, I’m sorry to say you’re totally screwed. Full of mystery, suspects, and the smell of rotten apples, ‘Bad Apples‘ is a fantastic addition to the series and dare I say the best one yet. I’m convinced Visberg still has so much more to offer too.
To top it all off, Will Dean leaves the reader wanting more in the best way possible. This isn’t just a cliffhanger, people. This is more like dangling from a rope in space and it’s just … mean! That’s all I’ll say. Well, that and if I could have book 5 tomorrow that’d be grand because I might just die of anticipation.
November 12, 2022
I could really just copy/paste my review from the previous, 3rd book of the series and it wouldn't matter.
As with the previous 3 books then, this is also very atmospheric, well-written, the main character is very likable, but also a bit cringe but that's ok ☺️
Now, since this book ends on a cliff hanger, I need to get my hands on the 5th book of the series and carry on reading!
As with the previous 3 books then, this is also very atmospheric, well-written, the main character is very likable, but also a bit cringe but that's ok ☺️
Now, since this book ends on a cliff hanger, I need to get my hands on the 5th book of the series and carry on reading!
June 11, 2021
Discover the setting of Bad Apples
Will Dean has one dark and twisted mind. Haha Jeepers, that forest, the decapitation and the stench of rotting apples.....There's even a scene at the dentist..I know right? Oh and the balloons...I've never liked the regular ones but these......
The novel starts with a grim scene. Tuva is back on top form and stumbles on a case which she then becomes even more involved with. Trouble is - Visberg is one strange place. On hill, with people who seem very different to those of Gavrik or the rest of Sweden.
Set at Halloween or Pan Night as it's called here, there are some scary traditions to be experienced. I was nervous for Tuva as the build up to the night becomes ever stranger. The locals who work in the gun shop, the watch shop and the place they call The Hive...jeepers would not want to meet any of these on a dark night. Sadly, Tuva has to.....I had a keen sense of foreboding as I read.
What a reading experience! Tuva has gone to the dark side in a way. Those trolls are back. The town goes wild...it's as if something is taking it over. Just don't look in the pans....
My stomach did recover at some point as the mention of a crayfish pizza caught my attention. However, I will stay clear of apples for now.
Moral of this story - Never approach Will Dean close to Halloween. Haha it rhymes. Almost sounds like a slogan. It's definitely good advice after reading Bad Apples. ;)
November 5, 2021
Ooh I do enjoy a Will Dean book and always look forward to new ones coming out. Bad Apples is another creepy, dark and addictive read from this talented author which, in my opinion, is his best book yet.
It was great to be back with Tuva and the characters from previous books. It was really evident how much Tuva had grown in this book and I like the new, confident more street wise Tuva we see in this book. She’s definitely a very brave lady as there were a few situations in this book I’d have run away, screaming from. There are some familiar faces from previous books including the fabulous troll sisters who I was pleased to see make an appearance. There are also some new faces which helped bring a new element to the story and were fun to learn more about.
The author has included some fascinating facts about Halloween, or Pan night in Sweden, traditions which make English traditions seem rather tame. It was interesting to learn more about them and these help to create some of the atmosphere and intrigue in the book which I thought was clever. Through these Tuva finds herself in some unusual situations which were a bit of an eye-opener to be honest.
Overall I really enjoyed this book which is perfect for reading on the run up to Halloween. It’s very twisty with the book often going in directions I wasn’t expecting. There’s lots of misdirection too and I couldn’t figure out who was guilty which I always find really fun. The ending was brilliant and I can’t wait to read more from this fabulous series.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Point Blank for my copy of this book. Highly recommended!
It was great to be back with Tuva and the characters from previous books. It was really evident how much Tuva had grown in this book and I like the new, confident more street wise Tuva we see in this book. She’s definitely a very brave lady as there were a few situations in this book I’d have run away, screaming from. There are some familiar faces from previous books including the fabulous troll sisters who I was pleased to see make an appearance. There are also some new faces which helped bring a new element to the story and were fun to learn more about.
The author has included some fascinating facts about Halloween, or Pan night in Sweden, traditions which make English traditions seem rather tame. It was interesting to learn more about them and these help to create some of the atmosphere and intrigue in the book which I thought was clever. Through these Tuva finds herself in some unusual situations which were a bit of an eye-opener to be honest.
Overall I really enjoyed this book which is perfect for reading on the run up to Halloween. It’s very twisty with the book often going in directions I wasn’t expecting. There’s lots of misdirection too and I couldn’t figure out who was guilty which I always find really fun. The ending was brilliant and I can’t wait to read more from this fabulous series.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Point Blank for my copy of this book. Highly recommended!
October 13, 2021
Come on! You can’t end a book like that – there are cliffhangers and then there are specific methods of torture designed to bring pain to bookworms. Arrgh!
This is the fourth installment in the fabulously riveting Tuva Modyson series, and this one isn’t just another cracking read, it’s a fast-paced smorgasbord of criminal aptitude and deviancy. Dean never disappoints and always delivers the goods.
Tuva returns to Gavrick – yeh we have no idea why she would be so foolish either – to restart in a new location with old friends and new characters. The combination of the isolated, dense and often overpoweringly menacing surroundings and the crime story unfolding around Pan Night is both terrifying and a stroke of genius, from a crime perspective.
The people of Gavrick give their hidden passion, otherwise controlled impulses and perhaps criminal inclinations free reign during this time. It makes it difficult for Tuva to find a ruthless and vicious killer, who thinks nothing of adding to their bloody repertoire.
This series just keeps getting better, indeed the same can be said about Dean’s work in general. I can’t wait to see this on-screen. I do hope they get the atmosphere and casting right.
*I received a courtesy copy*
This is the fourth installment in the fabulously riveting Tuva Modyson series, and this one isn’t just another cracking read, it’s a fast-paced smorgasbord of criminal aptitude and deviancy. Dean never disappoints and always delivers the goods.
Tuva returns to Gavrick – yeh we have no idea why she would be so foolish either – to restart in a new location with old friends and new characters. The combination of the isolated, dense and often overpoweringly menacing surroundings and the crime story unfolding around Pan Night is both terrifying and a stroke of genius, from a crime perspective.
The people of Gavrick give their hidden passion, otherwise controlled impulses and perhaps criminal inclinations free reign during this time. It makes it difficult for Tuva to find a ruthless and vicious killer, who thinks nothing of adding to their bloody repertoire.
This series just keeps getting better, indeed the same can be said about Dean’s work in general. I can’t wait to see this on-screen. I do hope they get the atmosphere and casting right.
*I received a courtesy copy*
September 15, 2021
That Gavrick (and now neighbouring Visberg) is one hell of a dark town. Tuva (and her close friends) seem to be the only sane & normal people living there - everyone else appears to be from Creep City!
Tuva is a small town journalist and, quite honestly, she seems to do more investigating than the local police do. She also gets herself into some right pickles, doing things she knows she shouldn’t be doing but, heck, who doesn’t like a feisty female character who knows her own mind eh?
This is the fourth book in the #TeamTuva series & they’ve all been pretty dark but this one is a bit of a monster. It’s based around Pan Night, which is similar to Halloween (but rather more bizarre) so it’s perfect for an autumnal read.
Creepy, makes-you-cringe weird, strange, spooky, fast-paced, and left-on-a-cliffhanger-can’t-wait-for-the-next-one-already brilliant!!
Tuva is a small town journalist and, quite honestly, she seems to do more investigating than the local police do. She also gets herself into some right pickles, doing things she knows she shouldn’t be doing but, heck, who doesn’t like a feisty female character who knows her own mind eh?
This is the fourth book in the #TeamTuva series & they’ve all been pretty dark but this one is a bit of a monster. It’s based around Pan Night, which is similar to Halloween (but rather more bizarre) so it’s perfect for an autumnal read.
Creepy, makes-you-cringe weird, strange, spooky, fast-paced, and left-on-a-cliffhanger-can’t-wait-for-the-next-one-already brilliant!!
April 26, 2023
Couldn’t praise it enough! I meet the author last year at Capital Crime Festival in London and it’s funny as it is written through the voice of a women Tuva, hence it makes me wonder how much of it is through the author own experience or autobiographical experience… it’s just such an incredible experience this book! It’s got crime, gore and hot sex scene (or enough for your imagination.. ;) Very very good author! Can’t wait for whatever books he will gift us in the future
June 23, 2021
Another excellent read from Will Dean. The fourth in this series, but can be read as a standalone.
I love our protagonist, deaf journalist Tuva Moodyson. Typical for this series, we have Tuva and her likeable friends, and then a mix of other characters, some eccentric, some strange, some downright scary. All interwoven into an addictive plotline involving a macabre series of killings.
I love our protagonist, deaf journalist Tuva Moodyson. Typical for this series, we have Tuva and her likeable friends, and then a mix of other characters, some eccentric, some strange, some downright scary. All interwoven into an addictive plotline involving a macabre series of killings.
January 4, 2022
Dark thriller set in the heart of SWEDEN
TripFiction's Book of the Month, October 2021
Bad Apples is the fourth book in Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson crime thriller series set in fictional Gavrik in the actual Värmland area of central Sweden. It is every bit as good as – if not better than – the first three. [Read our reviews of Dark Pines, Red Snow, and Black River].
Tuva Moodyson, the feisty, deaf, bi-sexual reporter (now promoted to Deputy Editor of the local Gavrik paper) is again embroiled in a ritual killing. She is given the hill top town of Visberg – a few miles from Gavrik – as her patch. It is a very strange, but also pretty rich, place. The money comes from the Edlund family who owned the steel mill in this once thriving town. They now own an exclusive golf club (from which most of the townsfolk are indeed excluded). A middle aged resident of the town is found – by Tuva who heard a cry for help – shot and decapitated in the forest between Gavrik and Visberg. The lady who had discovered the body and made the cry for help then disappears. Tuva takes it upon herself to help the police in their investigation. Visberg is a sinister and mysterious place with many secrets. Pan Night – a kind of medieval orgy for the adult population – precedes Halloween for the young. Masks and disguises abound. In the middle of proceedings, the head of the decapitated man is placed in the town square. Someone is mocking the police…
The book progresses to a very frightening and violent conclusion. Tuva is is great danger…
What is brilliant about Will’s writing is how familiar we are with some of the characters – in addition to the police force in Gavrik and Tuva’s co-workers on the paper – we again encounter in Visberg the weird troll-making sisters from Dark Pines, who have a pop up shop ahead of Pan Night and Halloween. In parallel, there is a continuity in Tuva’s personal life. The Vietnamese owner of a mobile restaurant, Tammy, who is Tuva’s best friend and who was kidnapped in Black River, again features as does Noora – Tuva’s lover and an officer in the local police force. The whole book is familiar but different. Will also very cleverly expands the geography away from Gavrik itself. In Bad Apples we discover Visberg – in Black River we were introduced to Snake River, a strange encampment at the side of the forest. We are constantly given a bigger playground in which to interact with our favourite characters.
Will’s Tuva Moodyson / Gavrik crime thriller series is a great addition to Nordic Noir. Will is up there with the best – all the more ‘surprising’ because he is a Brit (albeit one who now lives, with his family, in an isolated cabin in a Swedish forest).
PS: Don’t turn off before you read the last two lines of the book – even i! you think the mystery is solved!
TripFiction's Book of the Month, October 2021
Bad Apples is the fourth book in Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson crime thriller series set in fictional Gavrik in the actual Värmland area of central Sweden. It is every bit as good as – if not better than – the first three. [Read our reviews of Dark Pines, Red Snow, and Black River].
Tuva Moodyson, the feisty, deaf, bi-sexual reporter (now promoted to Deputy Editor of the local Gavrik paper) is again embroiled in a ritual killing. She is given the hill top town of Visberg – a few miles from Gavrik – as her patch. It is a very strange, but also pretty rich, place. The money comes from the Edlund family who owned the steel mill in this once thriving town. They now own an exclusive golf club (from which most of the townsfolk are indeed excluded). A middle aged resident of the town is found – by Tuva who heard a cry for help – shot and decapitated in the forest between Gavrik and Visberg. The lady who had discovered the body and made the cry for help then disappears. Tuva takes it upon herself to help the police in their investigation. Visberg is a sinister and mysterious place with many secrets. Pan Night – a kind of medieval orgy for the adult population – precedes Halloween for the young. Masks and disguises abound. In the middle of proceedings, the head of the decapitated man is placed in the town square. Someone is mocking the police…
The book progresses to a very frightening and violent conclusion. Tuva is is great danger…
What is brilliant about Will’s writing is how familiar we are with some of the characters – in addition to the police force in Gavrik and Tuva’s co-workers on the paper – we again encounter in Visberg the weird troll-making sisters from Dark Pines, who have a pop up shop ahead of Pan Night and Halloween. In parallel, there is a continuity in Tuva’s personal life. The Vietnamese owner of a mobile restaurant, Tammy, who is Tuva’s best friend and who was kidnapped in Black River, again features as does Noora – Tuva’s lover and an officer in the local police force. The whole book is familiar but different. Will also very cleverly expands the geography away from Gavrik itself. In Bad Apples we discover Visberg – in Black River we were introduced to Snake River, a strange encampment at the side of the forest. We are constantly given a bigger playground in which to interact with our favourite characters.
Will’s Tuva Moodyson / Gavrik crime thriller series is a great addition to Nordic Noir. Will is up there with the best – all the more ‘surprising’ because he is a Brit (albeit one who now lives, with his family, in an isolated cabin in a Swedish forest).
PS: Don’t turn off before you read the last two lines of the book – even i! you think the mystery is solved!
November 25, 2021
Fourth in the Tuva series, each book gets better and darker. I love this series, particularly this book.
Nordic noir with the added fascinating elements of Nordic paganism. The characters are marvelous; from the old sisters who carve wooden trolls that are adorned with animal teeth and parts, to Tuva herself.
The writing is deeply atmospheric, bringing alive the menace of the pine forest and the Swedish weather, you can well imagine the sights and smells of apples rotting on the ground during the secret festival of Pan night.
The narrator, Maya Lindh is Tuva Moodyson for me, she is amazing.
Nordic noir with the added fascinating elements of Nordic paganism. The characters are marvelous; from the old sisters who carve wooden trolls that are adorned with animal teeth and parts, to Tuva herself.
The writing is deeply atmospheric, bringing alive the menace of the pine forest and the Swedish weather, you can well imagine the sights and smells of apples rotting on the ground during the secret festival of Pan night.
The narrator, Maya Lindh is Tuva Moodyson for me, she is amazing.
May 12, 2022
Well that was exceptional and that ending, gave me shivers. Wonderful stuff!
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