(Translated by David Hackston.)
Published by Orenda Books,
10 October 2017.
ISBN: 978-1-910663- 84-7 (PB)
10 October 2017.
ISBN: 978-1-910663- 84-7 (PB)
The
story opens with Jaakko Kaunismaa receiving his death sentence. His doctor
informs him that he is not suffering from the after-effects of a virus but that
he has been poisoned by a toxin. The poisoning has been going on for a
considerable period of time and the damage is irreversible and fatal. It is not
clear how long Jaakko has to live – days, weeks or months.
Three and a half years ago, when Jaakko and his
wife, Taina, were both made redundant, they moved from Helsinki to the small
Finnish town of Hamina and started up a new business, picking, drying and
packaging the matusake, the pine mushrooms that grow in abundance in the
forests around Hamina. The Japanese are particularly fond of these mushrooms
and Jaakko has built up a good client list and is the head of a successful small
business.
Jaakko is determined to discover who has
murdered him. Pine mushrooms are not toxic, and Jaakko knows that they could
not have caused his illness, but he believes that the mushrooms, or at least
the mushroom business, may be the reason that he is dying. He suspects the
motive for his murder is to dispose of him and gain control of his business,
but he does not know who is to blame. Jaakko’s main suspects are his unfaithful
wife and her young lover, but he also distrusts the owners of the new mushroom
business that has just started in Hamina and is run by some very shady and
ruthless characters.
Jaakko becomes obsessed with saving his business
and discovering who has murdered him. His investigations lead him into some
dangerous, indeed lethal, situations before he finally discovers the truth.
The Man Who Died is a beautifully
written and skilfully translated book and the reader wishes Jaakko to discover
who has poisoned him and save his business so that he can achieve some kind of
peace in his final days. It is a black comedy with some points of extreme,
graphic violence and a strong vein of very dark humour. The Man Who Died is a worthy and exciting addition to the Nordic
noir tradition.
------
Reviewer: Carol Westron
Finnish author Antti
Tuomainen
was born in Helsinki, Finland where he lives with his wife. He was an
award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense
author. The critically acclaimed My Brother's Keeper was published two
years later. In 2011 Tuomainen's third novel, The Healer, was awarded
the Clue Award for 'Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011' and was shortlisted for
the Glass Key Award. The Finnish press labelled The Healer - the story
of a writer desperately searching for his missing wife in a post-apocalyptic
Helsinki - 'unputdownable.' Two years later in 2013 they crowned Tuomainen 'The
King of Helsinki Noir' when Dark as My Heart was published. With a
piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen is one of the first to challenge the
Scandinavian crime genre formula.
Carol Westron is a successful short
story writer and a Creative Writing teacher.
She is the moderator for the cosy/historical crime panel, The Deadly
Dames. Her crime novels are set both in contemporary
and Victorian times. The Terminal
Velocity of Cats is the first in her Scene of Crimes novels, was published
July 2013. Her latest book The Fragility
of Poppies was published 10 June 2016.
Read a review of Carol’s latest
book
The Fragility of Poppies
The Fragility of Poppies
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