Author: Antti Tuomainen- Translated by David Hackston
Publisher: Orenda Books
Publishing Date: October 2021
Many Thanks to the publishing team and Random Things Tour for the digital copy and blog tour invite
Blurb
What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri
Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything
down to the very last decimal. Until he is faced with the
incalculable, after a series of unforeseeable events.
After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park
from his brother – its peculiar employees and troubling financial
problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to
originate from big loans taken from some dangerous men who
are very keen to get their money back.
All improbable and complicated problems. But what Henri really
can’t compute is love. In the adventure park, Henri crosses
paths with Laura, a happy-go-lucky artist with a chequered past,
whose erratic lifestyle bewilders him. As the criminals go to
increasingly extreme lengths to collect their debts and as Henri’s
relationship with Laura deepens, he finds himself faced with
situations and emotions that simply cannot be pinned down on
his spreadsheets...
My Thoughts
This was an immersive read and I am glad to know it is part of a trilogy.
Wonderfully written and in the present tense so you go through the full ride with Henri and his decisions making and the outcomes from that.
I really liked Henri's character; quirky and focused and his personality shone through. After not wanting to stay in his job due to changes he gets a new challenge with his deceased brothers amusement park. But unbeknown to him there are some financial gaps linked to gambling and the crime world. This unfolds a whole load of mayhem, chaos and choices. I liked the relationship and interaction with Henri and Laura and how it blossoms through the medium of art.
This book brings together a whole host of characters, some you like, some you don't. It is unexpectedly funny in parts but still holds that sinister, darkness feel. I feel the author did well to combine both in a clever manner.
I was pleasantly surprised that although the main premise is based on crime it also touches on love and hope and it adds a nice element to the book.
I am really looking forward to reading part 2 now.
Author
Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary
debut in 2007 as a suspense author in 2013, the Finnish press crowned
Tuomainen the ‘King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published.
With a piercing and evocative style, 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. A TV adaptation is in the works, and Jussi Vatanen (Man
In Room 301) has just been announced as a leading role. Palm Beach Finland
was an immense success, with Marcel Berlins (The Times) calling Tuomainen
‘the funniest writer in Europe’. His latest thriller, Little Siberia, was shortlistedfor the CWA International Dagger, the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Awards and the CrimeFest Last
Laugh Award, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. In total, Antti
Tuomainen has been short- and longlisted for 12 UK awards.
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