Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
TWO BODIES. One suicide. One cold-blooded murder. Are they connected? And who’s really pulling the strings in the small Swedish town of Gavrik?
TWO COINS. Black Grimberg liquorice coins cover the murdered man's eyes. The hashtag #Ferryman starts to trend as local people stock up on ammunition.
TWO WEEKS. Tuva Moodyson, deaf reporter at the local paper, has a fortnight to investigate the deaths before she starts her new job in the south. A blizzard moves in. Residents, already terrified, feel increasingly cut-off. Tuva must go deep inside the Grimberg factory to stop the killer before she leaves town for good. But who’s to say the Ferryman will let her go?
Will Dean created a really fascinating main character in Tuva Moodyson, an ambitious deaf reporter who works for a small-town community newspaper in rural Sweden. So it was great to see Tuva return for more adventures in RED SNOW, a year after Dean's really fine debut DARK PINES.
From early on in his crime writing career Dean, also known as 'the forest author' due to his real life in the Swedish woods, showed a particularly adroit touch for character and setting, infusing his mysteries with lots of texture beyond the tense storylines and plot twists. (Most recently he's published an intense, claustrophobic standalone thriller, THE LAST THING TO BURN, which is a deep character study.)
In RED SNOW we get to learn more about Tuva as the action unfolds, and through her interactions with her fellow townsfolk. One of the things I enjoy most about Dean's writing - and there are many - is the world he has created. Gavrik is an intriguing small town in rural Sweden, with the looming Utgard Forest that gives off Grimm Brothers vibes. There's a creepiness and a quirkiness here.
Sort of Twin Peaks-ish.
There's darkness - both literally and figuratively - and bleak weather but these are not bleak tales. There's a wee zing, a crackle, and some freshness and light thanks to some memorable characters and they way they go through life. Tuva and her Tammy, great friends but sometimes at odds. Anna-Britta, Karin and Cici; the three generations of Grimberg women. Frustrated author David Holmqvist.
Dean writes with personality, building a mystery that's absorbing and tense rather than helter-skelter. It's a tad slower burn than some crime readers may be used to, and RED SNOW like DARK PINES before it shines brightest with its heroine, supporting cast, and the overall sense of place. Character-centric crime from an author who's brought a great main character to crime fiction.
RED SNOW not only showed that Will Dean wasn't a one-hit wonder, it cemented his status as a rising star of the crime scene. A very good read.
Dean writes with personality, building a mystery that's absorbing and tense rather than helter-skelter. It's a tad slower burn than some crime readers may be used to, and RED SNOW like DARK PINES before it shines brightest with its heroine, supporting cast, and the overall sense of place. Character-centric crime from an author who's brought a great main character to crime fiction.
RED SNOW not only showed that Will Dean wasn't a one-hit wonder, it cemented his status as a rising star of the crime scene. A very good read.
Craig Sisterson is a lawyer turned features writer from New Zealand, now living in London. In recent years he’s interviewed hundreds of crime writers and talked about the genre on national radio, top podcasts, and onstage at books festivals on three continents. He has been a judge of the Ned Kelly Awards and the McIlvanney Prize, and is founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards. You can heckle him on Twitter.
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