Crime fiction set in Sweden – Black River by Will Dean

Submitted: 11th March 2020

Back to Gavrik with Tuva Moodyson

A very special book this one. Book three in the series about reporter Tuva Moodyson who works in small town Sweden. She’s been a stand out character from the start as her attitude, determination and take no prisoners stance in life has really stood out. She’s also deaf so has more challenges than most in going about her daily life and job. I love Tuva – she’s an unassuming dog with a bone; she seems quiet and not the most obvious kind of person you would expect to be a roving reporter. However, you don’t dare underestimate her! Cross her at your peril!

The setting of a fictional, small town in Sweden is gripping and it contains lots of awful people who you love seeing what they get up to. How a small community can turn in on itself, hide dark secrets under that snow and how the woods that surround it really cut it off from the outside world…

BookTrail Travel to the locations in Black River

Setting: A small Swedish town

BookTrail Travel to the locations in Black River

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Can this series get any better? Tuva Moodyson is BACK and even though she’s moved down to Malmö, she’s raced back to Gavrik to join the search for her missing friend Tammy.

Gavrik has been through the seasons in this series and this time it’s the height of summer – Midsummar to be precise. That thick blanket of snow might have gone which muffled the entire town, but now the challenges of a hot and humid summer are upon us. This is not just any summer though; it’s one where bees, wasps, mosquitoes and all kinds of other creatures come out in force. The buzz in this town comes from the insects and….SNAKES! Oh my word, there are snakes in this novel and it doesn’t get much creepier than that. It also has more than its fair share of quirks and quirky characters (wait until you meet the man who works with said snakes!)

Tuva is emotionally invested this case and that really brings out her character even more. I felt as close to her in this book as it’s possible to be with a fictional character. Just as well she’s there as she seems to be the only one who’s serious about finding the missing girls. Since it’s midsummer, it’s supposed to be a time of celebration, dancing, summer evenings….but then here we have the dark and foreboding Utgard Forest and Snake River….I swear I was scratching reading this. The guy from the shoe shop also make my skin crawl.

This book gave me the shivers and then BANG towards the end, although I was already a nervous wreck, I was floored by developments. Aaargh! I yelled. Not a good idea when in a public place.

I had a strong Swedish style coffee when I finished. Partly to recover and partly to toast another success in the Tuva series.I have learnt a lot about Swedish/forest habits in this book. Lots of fun snippets about language and forest environments. Might try and cook some roadkill with hog fat now. Never going to play snakes and ladders again though.

Highly recommended book and series. Can’t wait to see this on the TV!