Red Snow

Longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, 2020

Red Snow is the eagerly awaited follow-up to Dark Pines, selected for ITV's Zoe Ball Book Club

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?

Review:

'Terrific second outing for Scandi crime author Will Dean. Who doesn't love a lead character called Tuva Moodyson!'

* Dermot O'Leary *

'A complex plot suffused with the nightmarish quality of Twin Peaks and a tough-minded, resourceful protagonist add up to a stand-out read.'

* Guardian *

'For all those who loved Dark Pines by Will Dean I can tell you that the forthcoming sequel, Red Snow is even better. Scandi noir meets Gormenghast. Just wonderful. Can't get enough of Tuva Moodyson...'

* Mark Billingham, author of the Tom Thorne Novels *

'With a sense of menace that fairly snaps at your heels, this is a truly fabulous read... The dark, twisty and somewhat quirky plot kept me on constant alert from start to finish. Red Snow is edgy, intricate, and right up there for me, this is Scandi-noir with brass knobs on!'

* LoveReading *

'Makes the blood run even colder than Dark Pines: Will Dean goes from strength to strength.'

* Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said *

'A treat... Total Scandi vibes, a cracking plot and a hugely likeable heroine: the dream.'

* Grazia *

'Will's writing is so original and just incredibly elegant. I LOVED Dark Pines and Red Snow is even better.'

* Joanna Cannon, author of Three Things About Elsie *

'This is a crime novel of poise and polish, peopled with utterly compelling characters. Claustrophobic, chilling and as dark as liquorice. Brilliant.'

* Fiona Cummins, author of Rattle *

'Thoroughly enjoyed Red Snow... Great Scandi noir with an excellent heroine. Though beware - liquorice will never taste the same again.'

* Ruth Ware, author of In a Dark, Dark Wood *

'Dean masterfully ramps up the tension and claustrophobia throughout the story's sinister series of events before delivering an unexpected and satisfying finale. Tuva is a wonderful creation and Dean's series is not to be missed.'

* Daily Express *

'Even better than the original... Dean couldn't have a finer talent for ingenious metaphorical description of snowy landscapes as if he were an Inuit. His feeling for place is matched by the quality of his characterizations, and his book is blessed with one of those wonderful multi-layered plots in which a dozen mysteries large and small are finally connected at the end with a craftsman's skill. This is just what crime fiction readers want: the old magic formula made to seem fresh.'

* The Telegraph, best thrillers and crime fiction of 2019 so far *

'An ice-cold chiller, deeply layered, humorous and beautifully finessed. I adored Dark Pines, Red Snow is even better.'

* Chris Whitaker, author of Tall Oaks *

'The book... has angst and snow in spades.'

* Crime Review *

'It takes Scandi noir and mashes it together with the Gothic sensibilities of an art-house movie. The resulting book is dark and decidedly strange in the best possible way.... Frosty Gavrik is as brilliantly realised as forties LA were to Chandler... This is a book that brims with promise from a writer who has the potential to be one of the significant voices of his generation.'

* Shots Magazine *

'A satisfyingly gruesome style, fast pace and, most importantly, he has, in Tuva Moodyson, a compelling central character... Smart observations abound.'

* Irish Independent *

'Utterly absorbing, breathlessly atmospheric and stunningly written.'

* Jo Spain, author of The Confession *

'A creepy, compulsive, atmospheric thriller that chilled me even in this weather.'

* Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl of Ink & Stars *

'Dean masterfully ramps up the tension and claustrophobia throughout the story's sinister series of events before delivering an unexpected and satisfying finale.'

* International Express *

'Most cleverly, by changing gears and writing a different kind of crime novel altogether (Dark Pines being a serial killer tale, Red Snow being more of a mystery story), he's shown that he's an author that's adaptable and varied.'

* New Books Magazine *

'Chilling, tense and darkly atmospheric - Will Dean's Red Snow grips the reader and doesn't let go.'

* Isabel Ashdown, author of Glasshopper *

'Bravo! What a rollercoaster... I absolutely loved it. Super characterization and enough intrigue to keep me up at night. Loved the weirdness. So bloody good. Who will play Tuva in the TV series?'

* Liz Nugent, author of Skin Deep *

'With the atmosphere and setting ringing perfectly true, Red Snow delivers a unique character and a chilling thrill.'

* Weekend Sport *

'What an epic series this promises to be, and what a fine heroine. I am hungry for Tuva's next case. Will Dean is truly a master storyteller.'

* Elizabeth Haynes, author of Into the Darkest Corner *

'After a thrillingly good debut in Dark Pines, journalist Tuva Moodyson returns in Red Snow - a sophomore novel that exceeds expectations, and truly secures Tuva a spot as a heroine readers will be seeking to read more of for a very long time.'

* The Bookbag *

'The real power of this title is in the sense of place and characterization.'

* Crime Novel Reader blog *

'Red Snow is engrossing, chilling and original, and Tuva Moodyson is the kind of protagonist I'd follow anywhere!'

* Helen Sedgwick, author of The Comet Seekers *

'This Swedish-set thriller reminds me of Anne Cleeves' Shetland series: both are characterised by an immersive, fully-realised sense of place, and a powerful evocation of life in a small isolated community... Tuva Moodyson is uncompromising, dogged and vividly drawn.'

* Francesca Haig, author of The Fire Sermon *

'Buried myself in Red Snow last night and can confirm it was appropriately dazzling and chilling as well as tautly written and brilliantly creepy. Liquorice has never been so sinister.'

* Anna Mazzola, author of The Unseeing *

'Tense, twisty and with a sense of place that draws you in and refuses to let you go until the last page. Bravo Will Dean, Red Snow is a cracker...'

* Neil Broadfoot, author of Falling Fast *

'Moodyson is an engaging character... And the whole atmosphere of the little town of 9,000 souls is very well evoked.'

* The Tablet *

Prizes: Winner of Best Independent Voice 2019 (UK). Long-listed for Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2020 (UK).