“Readers should be prepared to keep the lights on at night after finishing this unnerving collection.”
- Publishers Weekly
Helsinki Noir introduction by James Thompson:
“Finland, the myths and truths.
Internationally, it has a reputation as perhaps the best place in the
world to live. A great economy. A low crime rate. Good and nearly
cost-free health care. The needy are provided for by the state and live
in reasonable comfort. Finns: peaceful and quiet people, living in the
perfect example of a social democracy functioning as it should. A
tourist, or even a person who has lived here for a length of time, might
well view Finland as such. There is some truth to this, but like every
country, Finland has many truths . . .
Finland is, like the theme so often explored in Star Trek,
a parallel universe in which, on the surface, all seems normal, but
under that shell lie vast differences . . . As this book demonstrates,
Finland is a noir nation [and] this anthology is, I believe, the best
representation of Finnish noir ever offered to the international
community. Every word rings true. It holds Finland up in a way that not
only exposes this wonderful and fascinating country to the world, but
acts as a mirror that reflects its people and culture in a way every
Finn will recognize, vocalizing those truths that are so seldom spoken
here amongst ourselves.”
Purchase online: Akashicbooks.com
