Another great thriller featuring Swedish journalist Tuva Moodyson. This time she is investigating the death of a young girl who worked for a strange group of people, self-styled survivalists, on an isolated farm which had already been the scene of murder many years ago.
All the hallmarks of the Moodyson series are here: creepy characters, Tuva’s difficult personal life, danger, chilling atmosphere. They all combine to give a dark, tense novel.

Emotional, nerve-wracking, packed with dramatic tension and nail-biting scenes ... Wolf Pack is everything that you would want and expect from a Tuva Moodyson novel and more. Starting some time after the jaw-dropping ending to Bad Apples, we find our favourite reporter, Tuva, in quite a melancholy and troubled place. Now if you have not read Bad Apples, I would absolutely suggest that you do as what happens in that book, both in terms of that ending, and some of the characters we meet in this latest episode, are crucial to understanding (and avoiding spoilers) when reading Wolf Pack. It's perhaps the one time I would advise that you do this, as the stories are all largely self contained, but as this series is (sort of) following the life and times of Tuva and her friends, the fall out from the previous book makes a very significant impact on the tone and progression of this story in a way that it is impossible not to reference throughout. If you're not bothered about spoilers, tuck in, but you have been warned.

Now the opening to this book may seem familiar (although I can hear the outcry now given I now where it is going to lead), but given where Tuva lives, in Northern Sweden, her driving alone through a remote area is not really a surprise. What is more of a surprise is where this particular journey is going to lead her - to investigate the disappearance of a young woman who was last seen working at a farm which has a very particular reputation around the area. And it's not unfair to say that to gain a reputation around places like Gavrik and Visberg is no mean feat! These are communities that seem to specialise in weird and unusual, so to be singled out in any way takes some doing.

The reason that the farm has gained such a reputation if you like, is that it is run by 'Preppers' - survivalists - people who are readying themselves for a state of emergency, be it war, alien invasion or perhaps even the end of the world as we know it. Now the community at Rose Farm are not so far gone that they are expecting an alien invasion (at least I don't think they are), but they are a very self sufficient and closeted community who grown their own food, hunt and train to defend themselves against the outside world. Will Dean has done a brilliant job of drawing us into their world, making each of the characters we meet stand out, but not in a crazed, fanatic kind of way. In fact, with the exception of the reclusive Abraham who we never really meet, they are almost conspicuous by how normal they are - how down to earth, if a little insular. We get to see them as Tuva does, trying to understand their motivations for living as they do and what, if any, link this has to the missing woman>

I really like this series, like the quirkiness of it and the tension which flows through every book. It is not a fast paced series, nor should it be as that would not fit the setting. It is atmospheric, the author using the landscape and, in this case, the seasons to full effect. The book is set towards the end of the really cold season, but there is still that sense of the darkness that envelops everything, setting a kind a of moody and eerie tone that when coupled with a community of people who can hunt and shoot with a stealth that cannot be matched, it really sets you on edge, not sure what to expect or when. There are certainly a lot of surprises in the book, as well as some elements which seem almost inevitable, and be prepared to be caught unaware when the truth of what happens is revealed as, in true Will Dean style, he takes us right to the edge with a high stakes, jeopardy laden ending that really gets the pulse pumping.

The two elements which really made this book for me though sit at opposite ends of the narrative scale. One is the character of Luka Kodro. Far from just being the owner of Visberg's most popular restaurant, the Visberg Grill, he has a real history, a terrifying and stark backstory which Will Dean explores and utilises in this book, as Tuva calls on Luka to help in getting to the truth of the case. Luka is a fascinating individual and you can sense the quiet power behind his personality, something I am certain we will see again in the not to distant future. The other thing which stood out, which is hard to talk about, is the emotional aspect of the story. It links back to Bad Apples and what happened, but its impact on Tuva is hard to ignore. She has never really been a character who is swimming in happiness, but you can feel her paid, the sadness which colours and taints every single day, and it really gives the book a kind of mournful edge, so much so that they ending comes as quite a jolt - perhaps exactly what Tuva needs.

I love this series, love the setting, the unique characters and the way in which a sense of folklore and mysticism feeds into every story. Will Dean has done a superb job this time, creating yet again a believable if somewhat unusual set of circumstances that place Tuva in the path of danger, but in a way that intrigued and engrossed me in the story. And those closing pages? Tragedy aside, there was a real moment of hope and heart which is hard to forget. Definitely recommended.

Another great instalment in the splendid Tuva Moodyson series! Will Dean is an excellent writer and the way in which he evokes the feeling of stark and bleak rural Sweden is exemplary. Tuva has had more than enough devastation in her life and yet she carries on stoically, investigating crime for her newspaper. Her own life is in danger on more than one occasion before she gets to the bottom of deaths in a local enclosed community. Brilliant!

From the opening with its staccato alliteration, you can feel that Tuva is brittle and tense. The aftermath of Bad Apples is still suffusing Tuva’s soul and she is drowning in grief. But her job as Deputy Editor of the Gavrik News in Northern Sweden means that she has to find a way to carry on even if she has little appetite for the day to day stories that make up the bulk of her work.

So when she comes a hunter with connections to Rose Farm, a close knit community of survivalists who guard their farm with some hefty firepower and she learns that a missing girl, Elsa Nyberg worked in the café there, Tuva throws caution to the winds and begins a mission to infiltrate this group, to get them to trust her and thus to try and find out what happened to Elsa.

There are some who see Rose Farm and its inhabitants as a cult, led by a seldom seen, mysterious figure called Abraham Viklund. Whatever the truth, this is a group of people well prepared for combat, who practice regularly with serious weapons and who are not messing around when it

Tuva begins to look for ways of inserting herself into the life of Rose farm and its inhabitants, something she does with scant attention to her own well-being. Finding out what happened to Elsa becomes like a crusade for her – a way of redeeming what went before, if only such a thing were possible.

Will Dean uses the dark and foreboding Swedish landscape to maximum effect here as the isolation of the farm and its proximity to the dangerous Snake River all add to a deepening sense of recklessness and imminent danger which builds tension and makes the reader deeply concerned for Tuva’s safety.

Tuva’s research leads her to discover that Rose Farm has a brutal and bloody history, though whether and how this is connected to Elsa’s disappearance seems unclear. As Tuva finds an innovative way to penetrate the farm’s defences, she becomes a key player in the search for information playing the role of broker between those who live and work on the farm and the Gavrik and Visberg Police who are not trusted by this cloistered community and have no way of getting information from them.

So Tuva becomes privy to information that only the police have and with no thought for her own safety, she courts the survivalists, playing to their intense need for readiness in the face of any onslaught that they may meet.

Just as Dean has populated Gavrik and Visberg with some weird and wonderful characters, so Rose Farm has its own memorable dwellers. Andreas Olsson is a giant of a man who walks around the farm laden down with a massive plank of wood around his neck. These are serious survivalists and Tuva will be called upon to demonstrate her commitment to their cause as she is tested by them in a way that once more puts her life in danger and produces one of the scariest scenes in the books so far.

Will Dean has written a heart-breaker here. This is a grief laden story and you can’t help but feel Tuva’s pain and heart aching loneliness. Her isolation, always present because of her deafness, is amplified here and it is palpable. There is warmth too, from her friendship with Tammy and her love for the Dan, the son of her next door neighbour in whom she can take some comfort. Lena, her editor is always there if she needs support and the police have confidence in her despite what happened to their colleague, Noora.

But this is a battered and heart-weary Tuva who is throwing herself in front of danger with little regard for her own safety and it is hard to see her in such despair. But she is determined that she will get justice for Elsa and her family, even if that means sacrificing herself.

Verdict: Beautifully written, this is a tense and emotional read that has depth and intensity and draws on all the great characters that make the Tuva Moodyson series so memorable as well as using the natural landscape to maximum effect. It’s a brilliant and impactful addition to this unmissable series.

Wolf Pack by Will Dean in the 5th book in the wonderful series featuring Tuva Moodyson and whilst all the books can be read as standalones, personally I would recommend reading them in order especially as book 4 Bad Apples ends on a cliff hanger and this book picks up several months later.

Something AWFUL happened in Book 4 (see my review here) and I’m not going to spoil it for you, but the reader finds out in Wolf Pack and now Tuva is struggling in so many ways both personally and professionally and has lost her way dealing with the fall out of the awful event.

In Wolf Pack, Tuva finds herself right in the centre of the search for a missing girl, last seen at an isolated farm run by a group of survivalists who are wary of outsiders. Tuva is far more vulnerable now, yet her behaviour is reckless which puts her at danger throughout the book.

To me this series is less about the “crimes” and more about the characters and the tiny Toytown in Sweden that Will Dean brings to life. I feel that I know Gavrik so well that I don’t even need a SatNav to get from the The Grimberg Liquorice Factory to Snake River.

There is something almost comforting reading about Tuva Moodyson and when I pick up a book in the series I always know I will be entertained and shocked in equal measures. I’ve said it before and I will say it again “Atmospheric, creepy, tense, dark, descriptive, gripping and beautifully written”.

Will Dean has written another great instalment to the Tuva Moodyson series and one not to be missed. Tuva is a deaf reporter who seems to get herself into all sorts of scrapes whilst investigating stories. This latest book is as good as all the others and I would highly recommend. I would say it is best to have read the other books but can be read as a stand-alone

An enjoyable read in a great setting. Tuva is an agreeable companion on the journey through the story and although I hadn't read the series to date I had no problem following along. The twists and turns kept me guessing and I wasn't prepared for the ending.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication.

With his Tuva Moodyson series, Will Dean has created a likeable, contemporary female character and some very atmospheric settings.

Wolf Pack is the latest offering and once again we find profoundly deaf Tuva searching for the truth as a local reporter and getting herself into a few close shaves along the way. Once more she is also battling her own issues and demons, but refuses to give up the fight; in fact, she is spurred on as she seeks to make a difference to her community because her work is the only way in which she can make a positive impact in her life.

I don't think it's a spoiler to reveal that Tuva is struggling to make sense of her life and perhaps this is why Wolf Pack has a more downbeat feel compared with earlier books in the series. In addition, the long explanations about survivalist planning contribute to the slightly flat tone in one or two parts of the book. However, that said, Wolf Pack is still a great book with some very original writing and a great sense of place. Dean manages to hit the right note as he juxtaposes the details of Tuva's day-to-day humdrum life with the extraordinary events happening around her small town.

Recommended!

When I started this book i did not realise it was part of a series and it was a good few chapters before I discovered that Tuva Moodyson was in fact a woman! That’s me stereotyping people again, Tuva is tough, resilient and has a girlfriend so ergo must be a man.
Tuva is a great character. She is a reporter who also happens to be deaf and her girlfriend is a police officer, now being kept alive by machines in her parents home.
When a young woman, goes missing inside the boundaries of Rose Farm, Tuva starts to look for clues and forms an alliance of sorts with the police to help gather facts. Rose Farm is run by a group of survivalists who have been completely cut of from the outside world until the missing girl brings police to their door. When the girls body is found on the property the group clam up and Tuva uses all her wiles to unmask the murderer. The deeper she digs the more danger she puts herself in from the inhabitants of Rose Farm who after all live like a wolf pack.
The last half of the book really gathered momentum to a satisfying end.

#WolfPack #NetGalley

Tuva Moodyson is back for the 5th time in the latest in the series from Will Dean.

Fans of the series will know all about Tuva, but for those who don't know, she is a deaf journalist living and working in a small town in Sweden. Since the first book the author introduced us to her as a strong, independent, yet flawed protagonist but she has grown into so much more over the course of the series. The author showcases his ability to make the environment the books take place in a character too. Throughout the series a sense of isolation can be felt through the pages. If you want to go back to where it all began check out Dark Pines - the first book in the series.

While this book can definitely be read as a standalone do be aware that it references a lot of content from the previous books, but it doesn't name any names in terms of who did what.

Tuva is trying to write a report on a missing person, and as part of this report she needs to interview a group of survivalists who are doing all they can to live off grid and prepare for the bad times ahead. In trying to investigate Tuva needs to ingratiate herself into the group, and try and get them to open up to her. The more she does this, the more that is revealed about the group until we reach an epic conclusion.

Will Dean certainly knows how to write a thriller, and when it comes to a Tuva mystery it feels like you are tight there in the dirt with her. There were times during this book that I could feel my heart rate shooting up. A brilliantly crafted story that brings Tuva to the edge and back on numerous fronts.

I really enjoyed this, and can't wait to see more from Tuva. Recommended to fans of suspense filled thrillers.

Will Dean gets better and better. A rural farm community full of preppers, a missing woman, a girlfriiend in a coma...some dark things in this book but with Will Dean's attention to detail and clever atmospheric writing, you would still want to go and live there.

Another Tuva Moodyson thriller that as in previous episodes delivers. A young girl discovered in undergrowth close to a farm run by a mysterious survivalist group where everyone becomes a suspect. All the characters from the earlier stories are once again involved or briefly mentioned as Tuva investigates, full of clever twists and turns the pace never lets up all leading to an exciting climax. Look forward to the next one!

I’ve been #teamtuva from the beginning and enjoyed all her investigations and didn’t think they could get any better but this is one the best so far. This atmosphere of the story feels more mature and darker and deeper than the previous ones. Over this series of books we’ve watched Tuva’s life change and her character evolve so it feels right that the feel of this story has also changed. I think any new reader to this series would benefit from reading the whole series to really appreciate this book or at least the one before this.

Will Dean is one of my auto read authors and I love his Tuva series. I love his style of writing, the atmospheric setting and his quirky characters. However It was good to get away from the woods in this story, and the creepy sisters, though i do find them very compelling when we hear about them and their “dolls”. This book kept us gripped until the end as always and the backstory of Tuva and Noora is an added guessing game too. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this early copy

After deaf journalist Tuva Moodyson’s girlfriend, policewoman Noora Ali was shot in her apartment and left in a coma, Tuva is struggling with her grief, loneliness and inability to help Noora. Back at work on the small town newspaper in northern Sweden where she lives, she throws herself into investigating the disappearance of a young woman, Elsa Nyberg. This takes her to Rose Farm, a closed community where a group of survivalists live and work on a farm preparing to isolate themselves from the outside world as soon as the disaster they know is inevitable strikes. Elsa worked in the restaurant on the farm that is open to the public and hadn’t been seen for a few days and Tuva feels sure that someone on the farm knows what happened to her and sets out to discover all she can about the farm and the people living on it.

Although not quite as dark as earlier books in the series (except for one terrifying scene that may give claustrophobics a panic attack), the ruggedness and remoteness of the landscape still plays a role in setting the atmosphere and feeling of isolation. Tuva may know the two small towns of Visberg and Gavrik well now and is even becoming more comfortable with the vast areas of dark, dense forest around them, but there is still a sense of almost gothic foreboding when she goes off alone in her Hilux to visit a remote location. The characters, both Tuva’s colleagues and the police as well as those on the farm are also complex and idiosyncratic, with their own reasons for living in such an extreme environment. I enjoyed the plot and Tuva’s determination to solve the mystery, although found the resolution a little disappointing. However, on top of a good mystery, it’s the in-depth detail of life in an isolated area of northern Sweden and Tuva’s interactions with the people who live there that I find so appealing makes this series stand out.

A really good mystery by one of my favourite authors. Keeps you on your toes with lovable characters. Plenty of twists too. Really enjoyed it xx

Will Dean is a favourite of mine and he's done it again. Great plot that kept me guessing. Another page turner. Will be recommending this for sure ..thanks for the arc

3/5 Good

Another Tuva mystery and another one that just fails to hit the target with me. After the excellent Bad Apples I hoped for a continuation but what we get is a bit of a cardboard cut out scooby doo mystery mixed with an emotional back story involving Tuva and her partner.

But in saying that, Will Dean does keep me going back to his books, and I do enjoy many aspects of his Fargo-esque Swedish backwater town.

The characters often make me smile.

There is again an element of repetition that I’ve touched on in previous reviews but then that is probably the same of any long running series, it’s just feels more prominent here.

For fans of Tuva, this will be lapped up, for new fans I guess the back story is ok to pick up on and the story itself if a new reader is good.

It is good, Will I carry on to the next Tuva, it’s very likely.

Set in rural Sweden, this a good, atmospheric mystery. When a girl goes missing on a strange farm commune, Tuva, a local journalist starts to ask questions and uncovers more than she thought possible.

Oh, my! Will Dean, you’ve done it again, except for me, even better. I can’t quite believe that this is the fifth book in the series. For those who haven’t read the others, this can absolutely be read as a fabulous stand alone thriller. However, I bet you’ll want to go back and learn more…

Tuva is a deaf newspaper reporter in a remote town who is dealing with a grief and loss that is heartbreaking to read. There’s murder, suspicion and suspense and I ate up every page. The ending is fantastical and I loved it. Fabulous characters, many whom I feel I know as they return from earlier books, some who are new and all interesting.

Congratulations. I loved it.

Thanks so much to OneWorld Publications and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this fabulous read.