Son by Johana Gustawsson & Thomas Enger

I was so excited for this book coming out because it's written by two of my favourite people who have come together to write a new series, and this is the first book in that collection. And I wasn't disappointed. Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Son, the first Kari Voss mystery, by Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger. Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy. I will be buying my own hardback copy.

 

The Blurb

Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo BOOKS Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on his birthday, seven years earlier.

Still grieving for her dead husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.

When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well…

With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one – including the victims – are what they seem. And that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son’s disappearance, but Kari's own life, too…

My Review

When I saw the title I initially thought the book was going to be about a son. But whilst there are a few sons in the book, the title is actually the name of the Norwegian town where a brutal crime takes place. Two young girls are murdered in a horrible way. A young man is arrested for the crime and the case seems to be cut and dried. But Kari Voss, a psychologist who is often consulted by the police, is not convinced, and begins her own investigation. And she finds out more than she bargained for about the people she thought she knew...

I loved Kari. Still grieving her dead husband and carrying the pain of missing her son Vetle, who disappeared seven years ago, aged nine, she has picked up the pieces with the help of her father, the retired police chief, and has a successful career lecturing and consulting on memory and body language. She's warm and kind, but determined when she needs to be, as demonstrated here when she believes differently from the police about the way the case is going. In fact, she risks alienating people she cares about in order to convince people of the truth, at least as she sees it. But we also see her struggling with her decisions and choices, and her own mental health suffering as she looks into what happened. I liked her dad, and the close relationship they have and the support he gives her. We all need someone in our corner and he is definitely in Kari's. Finally, I should mention Ramona Norum, the police superintendent leading the murder investigation and Kari's friend of many years. At different stages in the book we see the two women in harmony and also at loggerheads, to a degree. I loved that the authors portrayed a very real friendship - like with any relationship, it can't be rainbows and sprinkles all the time.

The investigation is satisfyingly twisty and turny. We meet some of the young people in the neighbourhood and their parents too, and almost everyone is carrying a secret about something. I really enjoyed all the technical sciencey stuff about body language and memory - it was super interesting and presented in a very accessible way, slotting neatly into the story, and not once does it feel clunky or out of place. The denouement is tense and bloody, and ultimately very sad. But it all fits.

I'm always amazed when two different writers, with potentially different styles, collaborate. Here there is the added layer of two different nationalities and languages, Norwegian and French. And I don't see the name of a translator, which, I think, means the authors translated their own work, or wrote in English in the first place. Either way, I am in awe. I don't know what their writing process was but if there are joining seams, I can't find them - the whole book runs smoothly, and feels like it was one voice. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised - they are both brilliant authors in their own right, so why wouldn't they be brilliant together?

Son is a well written story of secrets and lies, and murder, with an engaging central character. I don't think I've read anything before featuring someone with the skills Kari has, so that was great. I know this is the first book in a planned series, which I was super thrilled about anyway because I'm keen to read more. But I really can't wait now, having read the last few lines of the book! Highly recommend.


The Authors

Known as the Queen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson is one of France's most highly regarded, award-winning crime writers, recipient of the prestigious Cultura Ligue de
l`Imaginaire Award for her gothic mystery Yule Island. Number-one bestselling books include Block 46, Keeper, Blood Song and her historical thriller, The Bleeding. Johana lives in Sweden with her family. A former journalist, Thomas Enger is the number-one bestselling author of the Henning Juul series and, with co-author Jørn Lier Horst, the international bestselling Blix & Ramm series, and one of the biggest proponents of the Nordic Noir genre. He lives in Oslo. Rights to Johana and Thomas’s books have been sold to a combined fifty countries and, for the first time, two crime writers, from two different countries, writing in two different languages, have joined forces to create an original series together.

The Weekenders by David F Ross

I've been unwell this week and had to miss a few things. Unfortunately, one of them was my blog tour stop in Tuesday for The Weekenders by David F Ross. Sincere apologies to David, Danielle and every one at Orenda for the delay, but I'm now recovering and pleased to share my review today. My thanks to Danielle Price for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy. 

The Blurb

Glasgow, 1966: Stevie 'Minto' Milloy, former star footballer-turned-rookie reporter, finds himself trailing the story of a young Eastern European student whose body has been found on remote moorland outside the city. How did she get there from her hostel at the Sovereign Grace Mission, and why does Stevie find obstacles at every turn?

Italy, 1943: As the Allies fight Mussolini's troops, a group of young soldiers are separated from their platoon, and Glaswegian Jamesie Campbell, his newfound friend Michael McTavish at his side, finds himself free to make his own rules…

Glasgow, 1969: Courtroom sketch artist Donald 'Doodle' Malpas is shocked to discover that his new case involves the murder of a teenage Lithuanian girl he knows from the Sovereign Grace Mission. Why hasn't the girl's death been reported? And why is a young police constable suddenly so keen to join the mission?

No one seems willing to join the dots between the two cases, and how they link to Raskine House, the stately home in the Scottish countryside with a dark history and even darker present – the venue for the debauched parties held there by the rich and powerful of the city who call themselves 'The Weekenders'.

Painting a picture of a 1960s Glasgow in the throes of a permissive society, pulled apart by religion, corruption, and a murderous Bible John stalking the streets, The Weekenders is a snapshot of an era of turmoil – and a terrifying insight into the mind of a ruthless criminal…

My Review

The Weekenders is gritty, not afraid to get down and dirty. It centred on three men - ex footballer turned sports reporter Stevie, court sketch artist Doodle, and local businessman Jamesie Campbell. Stevie and Doodle are fully fleshed out characters,and we see them at their best and their worst : it's very real. We learn a lot about Jamesie's background, some of which is quite tough to read, but whilst we see him with his public facing face on, the rest of his current life is somewhat shrouded in mystery - deliberately. But we do know he married into money and is now the owner of Raskine House, home to the fabled Weekenders parties.

Stevie Millroy was a footballer on his way to stardom until his career was ended by a deliberate injury. He's just beginning a new job as a sports reporter for the Star, but is inexplicably paired up with veteran crime reporter Jock Meikle to learn how it's done. At his first press conference he learns about The murder of a young girl, and he just can't get the crime out of his head...

A few years later, Douglas 'Doodle' Malpas is illustrating a court case when he realises the victim is someone he knew at the Christian mission he attends, run by a local minister.

Featuring in both of these segments, and with some of his own back story in the middle, is local businessman Jamesie Campbell. In public, Jamesie is full of bonhommie, but we learn much more about what he's really like. It's fair, I think, to say he's not a very nice man. His back story is a hard read in places - the author has not shied away from giving raw, gritty details. And we get a real sense of the man.

The three segments all tie in together perfectly and it's well written - I had to consult a dictionary several times and learned loads of great new words! 😀 But, being serious, The Weekenders is about crime and corruption in Glasgow in the 1960s, and the links between criminals, businessmen, the church, sport and the police. It's a messy business and it's laid bare here. I look forward to reading the forthcoming books that will make up The trilogy, and learning more about the secrets of Raskine House.


The Author

David F. Ross was born in Glasgow in 1964 and now lives in Kilmarnock. In 1992, he graduated from the Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow and is now Design Director of one of Scotland's largest, oldest and most successful practices.

His critically acclaimed debut novel, The Last Days of Disco, was long-listed for the Best First Novel Award by the Author’s Club of London. National Theatre Scotland acquired dramatic rights for the book in 2015.

He completed a trilogy of Ayrshire-based books with The Rise & Fall of the Miraculous Vespas and The Man Who Loved Islands. All three novels have been translated into German, published by Heyne Hardcore (Random House). Welcome to The Heady Heights - his fourth for Orenda Books – was published in March 2019.

There's Only One Danny Garvey was shortlisted for Scottish Fiction Book of the Year 2021. It has been called 'a brilliant, bittersweet story that captures the rawness of strained relationships.'

David F. Ross is a regular contributor to Nutmeg and Razur Cuts magazines, and in December 2018 was chosen to contribute a poem commemorating the 16th anniversary of the death of Joe Strummer for the publication Ashes to Activists. In 2020 he wrote the screenplay for the film ‘Miraculous’, based on his own novel.

The Weekenders is David's seventh novel and the first in the Raskine House Trilogy.

The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter #blogathon

We've arrived at the first stop of our epic thirteen month blogathon celebrating the Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter. And as you would expect we're starting at the beginning with the first book in the series, The Crucifix Killer. Many thanks to Teach Fenton for the invitation to be involved. I read from my own Kindle copy of the book.

 

The Blurb

When the body of a young woman is discovered in a derelict cottage in Los Angeles, Robert Hunter is thrown into a nightmare case. The victim suffered a terrible death, and on the nape of her neck has been carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer.

But that's impossible. Because two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this therefore be a copycat killer? Or could the unthinkable be true? Is the real killer still out there, ready to embark once again on a vicious and violent killing spree, selecting his victims seemingly at random, taunting Robert Hunter with his inability to catch him?

Hunter and his rookie partner, Garcia, need to solve this case, and fast.

My Review

I've had the first eight Robert Hunter books on my Kindle, unread, for an embarrassingly long time - this blogathon was the perfect excuse for me to finally get into them. I went into The Crucifix Killer expecting dark, but what I got was DARK! Chris Carter has got some imagination! Fortunately, I like my crime on the dark side (not sure what that says about me!) - this certainly fits that brief! 

Hunter and Garcia are called to a murder scene in the wee small hours of night. The deserted house is creepy enough, but the body they find is...well, in a horrific state. But what's really terrifying is that the dead woman bears the mark of a killer who is no longer around. Or so everybody thought... A new nightmare begins for Hunter, Garcia and their colleagues. 

The Crucifix Killer opens with one heck of a bang! It sets you up and draws you in and certainly gives you a feel of what's to come. Then it's time to draw a (very quick) breath before you'll be back in the thick of the action. There is a sense of urgency throughout the book, certainly from the point of view of the police. And the reader, I think - there certainly was for me. From the killer's point of view, the urgency is less pronounced but they clearly have an agenda. Similarly, there's a sense of dread throughout. And it is quite chilling - I might have left the landing light on for a couple of nights when I was reading this...

Robert Hunter is a really interesting character. Youthful, attractive and fiercely intelligent. A child prodigy, he whizzed through education, and read all he could lay his hands on, it would seem. But he doesn't seem to have a big head, which I liked, and he is an honest cop, with a loyalty to his partner and the wider team. His department deal with the nastiest murder cases and we do see the toll that takes on both him and Garcia. The police work in this book is not glamorised in any way. And I loved the facts that are provided as part of the narrative but presented seamlessly - I found them really interesting. The only thing I didn't particularly like was that descriptions of people tended to be almost a list of their features, outfits, etc, all in a sentence of two. I don't know, it just felt like too much tell, not enough show. But this was a teeny niggle. 

The storyline is tense throughout, and the author doesn't hold back on the graphic details of the murders. It's not for the fainthearted. As a result, this book, and series, won't be for everyone. But it certainly got my heart racing and kept me hooked. I did guess the killer just before it was revealed, but hadn't worked out the reasons why. 

The Crucifix Thriller is a cat and mouse thriller, a  heart thumping race against time, a far cry from the usual police procedural. Robert Hunter is an engaging central character, (although I also loved Garcia) and it's great to see the author's own background in criminal psychology come through the writing. A really exciting read, I'm stealing must ahead of the next one!

The Author

Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and rriminal behaviour in the USA. As a member of the District Attorney's Criminal Psychology team, and working together with the Police Department in numerous cases, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions. He now lives in London, UK.

Small Fires by Ronnie Turner

I know I'm a bit absent at the moment - I keep meaning to write a post about that - but I am still here! And today is my stop on the blog tour for Small Fires by Ronnie Turner. I was mesmerized reading this book, it drew me in. Big thanks to Danielle Price at Orenda Books for the invitation and my review copy. You can see what I thought of it below. 

The Blurb

Evil runs through this cursed island.

And these wicked sisters are about to make it burn…

When sisters Lily and Della Pedley are persecuted for the shocking murder of their parents, they flee from their home in Cornwall to a remote and unnamed island in Scotland – an island known for its strange happenings, but far away from the whispers and prying eyes of strangers.

Lily is terrified of what her sister might do next, and she soon realises that they have arrived at a place where nothing is as it seems. A bitterness runs through the land like poison, and the stories told by the islanders seem to be far more than folklore.

Della settles in too easily, the island folk drawn to her strangeness, but Lily is plagued by odd and unsettling dreams, and as an annual festival draws nigh, she discovers that she has far more to fear than she could ever have imagined. Or does she…?

Chilling, atmospheric and utterly hypnotic, Small Fires is a contemporary gothic novel that examines possession, generational trauma, female rage, and the perilous bonds of family – an unsettling reminder that the stories we tell can be deadly…

Midsommar meets Midnight Mass in a folk horror, modern gothic masterpiece.

Small Fires is published by Orenda Books and will be released on 27th February 2025. 

My Review

Ronnie Turner was a new author to me as I hadn't read So Pretty so I wasn't really sure what to expect. Despite its title, Small Fires is a chilling read, with an ever present sense of dread. 

Lily and Della have fled as far as they can from the rumours they murdered their parents. They've come to a small island off the coast of Scotland. It doesn't have a name but the people on the mainland refer to it as The God-Forgotten. They never go there and the islanders never come to the mainland, apart from two men, always the same two men, who come for supplies. The Folk, inhabitants of the island have strange habits and rituals, and strange, ingrained beliefs. Della settles straight away, Lily is always fearful, scared of the foreboding aura the island gives off and the stories of carries. She befriends Silas, who is the kindest, most welcoming of the Folk, and that makes things more bearable. Until people start dying...

Lily is easy to warm to, a gentle soul, terrified of her sister. She is a little strange, as is Della, and everyone else in the island. Silas is also easy to like, a kind and warm soul, trying to look out for Lily, but also decide what's best for the Folk - his family have been there for a very long time. Della is hard to warm to. Very different to her sister, the Folk accept her quickly, in a way they don't for Lily, but for the reader, she's hard for the reader to like. We hear the stories she used to tell Lily when they were young, and those that Silas's sister used to tell him, and we see these are damaged people. And the stories that the island holds, that the Folk believe, are powerful. 

There is a hypnotic, kind of ethereal, feel to this book - it's hard to put it down. I loved the writing, both in the narrative and dialogue - it's very evocative. I picked out a couple of examples: 

'Tears slip down my cheeks. I wipe them away, hide them in my pocket. My pocket will be wet through. It will drip with all my tears.'

'You are interesting, girl. You with your scars and your mouthful of words you do not say.'

'He tells me a story about a boy lost on the moors and the worry rises in my chest. I listen, and I am an ocean of it.'

Wonderful. 

This is a really interesting, well written read, full of tension and dread. The story builds and builds until everything gets turned on its head. So much goes on even when it seems nothing is happening. The denouement is unexpected and unsettling. Small Fires is a tale of many things but particularly the power of words and stories. Prepare to get lost in it.

The Author

Ronnie Turner grew up in Cornwall, the youngest in a large family. At an early age, she discovered a love of literature. She now works as a Senior Waterstones Bookseller and barista. Ronnie lives in the South West with her family and three dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and taking long walks on the coast.


Author Social Media Links

Twitter: @Ronnie_ _Turner
Facebook: @RonnieTurnerAuthor
Instagram: @RonnieTurner8702
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40169201-lies-between-us

Into Thin Air by Ørjan Karlsson (translated by Ian Giles)

For my first post of this new year, I'm sharing my review of a Norwegian crime novel, set in the rugged north of the country and the islands off its coast. Into Thin Air by Ørjan Karlsson, and translated into English by Ian Giles, is the first in a new crime series featuring Chief Investigator of Nordland Police, Jakob Weber. My thanks go to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy. 

The Blurb

When nineteen-year-old Iselin Hanssen disappears during a run in a popular hiking area in Bodø, Northern Norway, suspicion quickly falls on her boyfriend. For investigator Jakob Weber, the case seems clear-cut, almost unexceptional, even though there is some suggestion that Iselin lived parts of her life beneath the radar of both family and friends.

But events take a dramatic turn when another woman disappears in similar circumstances – this time on the island of Røst, hundreds of miles off the Norwegian coast, in the wild ocean.

Rumours that a killer is on the loose begin to spread, terrifying the local population and leading to wild conspiracies. But then Jakob discovers that this isn’t the first time that young women have vanished without a trace in the region, and it becomes clear that someone is hiding something.

And another murderous spree may have just begun…

Into Thin Air is published by Orenda Books and came out on 16th January 2025. 

My Review

Ørjan Karlsson was a new author to me. I'm not sure if any of his previous work has been translated into English (and sadly my Norwegian is somewhat (!) lacking) but I will be keeping an eye out for it now, and will be pleased to catch up with Jakob Weber when the time comes for his next adventure. 

But first, to this one. When a young woman goes missing on a run leaving seemingly no trace, the small investigation team of the Nordland Police are stumped, especially as it happens soon after an unexplained death. Told from multiple points of view the story unfolds slowly, with plenty of possible suspects. One of the viewpoints is that of the perpetrator, giving us an uneasy understanding of some of his methods and the thought processes behind them. 

Jakob is a uncomplicated, straightforward man, with a strong sense of right and wrong. He hasn't long lost his wife, giving him an understandable air of sadness. And there are some complications in his personal life. Noora, freshly transferred to the team from Kripos, brings a fresh pair of eyes, but also secrets of her own. And I loved the description of the team's boss, and his perfect nickname, 'The Crow'. 

Although the investigation seems slow moving, the story isn't, with the multiple view points and changes of scene keeping it fresh. And talking about location, can we just talk about how stunning northern Norway sounds? Seems like somewhere I'd like to visit, although not sure I'd cope so well with The midnight sun! But the beautiful scenery and often isolated locations play their own part in building this story.

Into Thin Air is a brilliant start to a new series - an engaging collection of main characters (whilst it might be a Weber story, it's a team effort), an interesting storyline, a frightening denouement,  a couple of possible story arcs/subplots put in place, all come together to make a very satisfying whole. And I liked that I still had questions at the end... Would recommend. 

The Author

Ørjan Karlsson (b. 1970) grew up in Bodø, in the far north of Norway. A sociologist by education, he received officer training in the army and has taken part in many missions overseas. He has worked at the Ministry of Defence and is now head of department in the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection. He has written a wide range of thrillers, sci-fi novels and crime fiction, and been shortlisted for or won numerous awards, with a number of his books currently in production for the screen. He lives in Nordland, where the Jakob Weber crime series is set, and Into Thin Air is the first book in his first detective/police procedural series.

 

Victim by Jørn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger (translated by Megan Turney)

Firstly, an apology. I have been pretty non existent on the blogging front in recent weeks and months. Partly life stuff, partly just having lost my mojo a bit. So apologies if you missed me. And if you didn't, that probably shows I haven't been around enough for a while. Working on that. But I am back today with my review for Victim, the new book in the Blix and Ramm series by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger, translated into English by Meagan Turney. I am so thrilled to see this pair back (both authors and protagonists) as I love this series! Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy. I will be buying my own paperback copy. 

The Blurb

Two years ago, Alexander Blix was the lead investigator in a missing person’s case where a young mother, Elisabeth Eie, was kidnapped. The case was never solved.

Blix’s career in law enforcement is now over, but her kidnapper is back, leaving evidence of Elisabeth's murder in Blix’s mailbox, as well as hints that there are other victims.

At the same time, Emma Ramm has been contacted by a teenage girl, whose stepfather has been arrested on suspicion of killing a childhood friend. But there is no body. Nor are there any other suspects…

Blix and Ramm can rely only on each other, and when Blix’s fingerprints are found on a child’s drawing at a crime scene, the present comes uncomfortably close to the past.

A past where a victim has found their own, shocking form of therapy.

And someone is watching...

 

My Review

This is the fifth book in the series featuring, policeman (now ex-policeman) Alexander Blix and young journalist (now ex-journalist) Emma Ramm, following Death Deserved, Smoke Screen, Unhinged and Stigma, and I think the collection get s better. Across the previous four books our protagonists have fair been through the wringer and nothing changes here. No longer in the police, an old case comes back to haunt Blix and someone is making things very personal. Emma, meanwhile, is curious after teenager Carmen asks for help proving her much loved stepfather is not guilty of the murder of which he is accused. 

Emma's case is intriguing for the reader as she follows various lines of enquiry. Her investigative journalistic background is very evident and I suspect she's picked up a few tips from Blix. And she brings him on board to help her. But she knows how to follow a trail of clues, and can think creatively. This storyline is suitably twisty and ultimately pretty sad. 

But, in this book, it's Blix's storyline that provides the meat and, of course, Emma gets involved here too. This is a personal case for him, a crime that remained unsolved when he left the police. But the apparent perpetrator is targeting Blix personally. Very personally. And it's frustrating for Blix that now he's no longer on the force, his former colleagues are unwilling to share the details of the investigation with him. But he carries out his own enquiries to bring him closer to the truth. But those enquiries take him places he really doesn't go... There is a feeling of dread throughout and the tension increases as events move towards the explosive denouement. 

I loved the glimpses we got into Alexander Blix's personal life. He's a private, closed man, but we see into the sessions he has with his psychologist and the relationship with his father  and we get a peak at a possible happiness. It all helps the reader view him as a rounded character. And I'm excited as it looks like things are changing or Blix and Emma as they go forward. Hopefully it means many more books! 

I'm always amazed when two people can write a book together. I can't get my head around how it works and how they can deliver a seamless book which feels like it was written by a single author. It's such a skill. And these two are both skilled writers in their own right so it's a joy when they come together, always a cause for celebration. And I can't go without mentioning Megan Turney, the translator - I am so grateful to her because without her efforts I wouldn't be able to read these books at all.  

Victim is a well written, well plotted crime thriller full of dread and rising tension featuring two brilliant protagonists who have such an interesting connection and dynamic. And as someone who has followed this series from the beginning, I have really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. I hope Lier Horst and Enger continue with this excellent series for a long time to come! 

The Authors

Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger are both internationally bestselling Norwegian authors. Jørn Lier Horst first rose to literary fame with his no. 1 bestselling William Wisting series. A former Detective Chief Investigator in the Norwegian police, Horst imbues all his works with an unparalleled realism and suspense. Thomas Enger is the journalist-turned-author behind the acclaimed Henning Juul series. Enger’s trademark is his dark, gritty voice paired with key social messages and tight plotting. Besides writing fiction for both adults and young adults, Enger also works as a music composer. Death Deserved, the first book in the Blix & Ramm series, was Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger’s first co-written thriller, and all five books in the series have hit no. 1 on bestseller lists worldwide.

The Burning Stones by Antti Tuomainen (translated by David Hackston)

Anyone who has been following my blog for a while will know I'm a fan of Finnish writer Antti Tuomainen - search under his name on the blog and you will see my previous reviews. So I was delighted to have the opportunity to read his new book, The Burning Stones, translated into English by David Hackston. Big thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invite and to the publisher for my review copy. I will be buying a paperback copy of my own in due course. 

The Blurb

Saunas, love and a ladleful of murder…

A cold-blooded killer strikes at the hottest moment: the new head of a sauna-stove company is murdered … in the sauna. Who has turned up the temperature and burned him to death?

The evidence points in the direction of Anni Korpinen – top salesperson and the victim’s successor at Steam Devil.

And as if hitting middle-age, being in a marriage that has lost its purpose, and struggling with work weren’t enough, Anni realizes that she must be quicker than both the police and the murderer to uncover who is behind it all – before it’s too late…

My Review

As I mentioned earlier I'm a big fan of Antti's work and absolutely loved The Rabbit Factor trilogy. Here we have a very different setting and completely different characters, but the quirkiness of the individuals is still there, and I love that. And his trademark humour is there but I do feel The Burning Stones has a darker feel than his recent books. 

Steam Devil is a successful company selling sauna stoves. It's a small company with just a few staff and it's just been announced that Ilmo Räty will take over the running of the company as founder Erkki 'The Stove King' Ruusula stands down. Until Ilmo is murdered, quite creatively, I might add. Suspicions fall in the rest of the cast but particularly saleswoman Anni Korpinen, who is now most likely to succeed Erkki. The evidence too, is pointing towards Anni, and she needs to find out who the real killer is... It's potentially dangerous stuff. And Anni's carrying a secret of her own and some shared history with someone else involved in the enquiry which kinda complicates things a little bit. 

I liked Anni, although she perhaps doesn't come across as the warmest character. Maybe I was drawn to her because she's a similar age to me and I like the whole idea of middle aged women having adventures! Although I'm sure Anni isn't enjoying the particular adventure she finds herself in. She's Steam Devil's top salesperson and there is not much she doesn't know about sauna stoves and saunas in general. She's very focused and driven in her work, and that's maybe because her home life is a bit of a mess. Husband Santeri is uncommonly obsessed with Formula One motor racing. I mean, obsessively so, pretty much to the expense of all else. I was not a Santeri fan, and spent much of the book wanting to shake some sense into him! 

All the staff at Steam Devil are quirky and interesting, as Tuomainen's characters often are, eccentric, maybe, and it was fun trying to imagine them in my head. But I think my favourite character was Steam Devil customer, Lauri Kahavouri, with whom Anni is trying to complete a big sales deal. Kahavouri becomes very interested in the murder case and subsequent investigation, maybe even a little bit obsessed and decides to undertake his own under into Ilmo Räty's death. 

As more evidence comes to light (someone please tell me that bumlets are a thing!) which puts suspicion firmly on Anni, she comes into contact with policeman Janne Piirto with whom she hasn't spoken in many years and clearly has some history so that's an interesting addition to the story and fleshes Anni out a bit more. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, there is plenty of dry humour to be found here, the tone of the whole thing felt darker. Maybe it's the setting.

So let's talk about that for a moment. The Finnish countryside sounds beautiful, full of forests and lakes. But this little community does feel quite isolated, with the houses situated in woodlands, overlooking lakes. It's prime country for someone to creep about and Antti uses the setting to help increase the tension, emphasising the dark and denseness of the forest, the expanse of the lake. It works. 

The storyline is great - creepy and tense in places, a little comical in others, full of interesting, eccentric characters. And Antti Tuomainen does what he does so well - taken a very ordinary person and put them in an extraordinary situation. Recently I heard him speaking at a book festival where he said The Burning Stones walkabout 'saunas and middle age'. He's right, of course, it is, but as the blurb says there's also a little bit of love. And death. And a whole lot of suspicion and mistrust. A cracking story which is well worth checking out. 

The Author

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. In 2011, his third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for Best Finnish Crime Novel and shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime-genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards and is now a Finnish TV series. Palm Beach, Finland (2018) and Little Siberia (2019) have both been adapted for the screen, airing shortly, and also shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA

International Dagger, and winning the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The international bestselling Rabbit Factor trilogy is filming now for Amazon Studios, starring Steve Carrell. Antti lives in Helsinki with his wife.