Palm Beach Finland by Antti Tuomainen translated by David Hackston ** Blog Tour Review & Giveaway**

We're back on the Orenda  Blog Tour, this time for Palm Beach Finland by the King of Helsinki Noir, Antti Tuomainen. I also have a great International Giveaway- details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.

Sex, lies and ill-fitting swimwear … Sun Protection Factor 100

Jan Nyman, the ace detective of the covert operations unit of the National Central Police, is sent to a sleepy seaside town to investigate a mysterious death. Nyman arrives in the town dominated by a bizarre holiday village – the ‘hottest beach in Finland’. The suspect: Olivia Koski, who has only recently returned to her old hometown. The mission: find out what happened, by any means necessary. 

With a nod to Fargo, and the darkest noir, Palm Beach, Finland is both a page-turning thriller and a wicked black comedy about lust for money, fleeing dreams and people struggling at turning points in their lives … from the 'King of Helsinki Noir’. 

My Thoughts

The most striking thing about Palm Beach Finland has to be its tone. There is a seam of black humour which runs throughout, in stark contrast to the murder and mayhem which is happening. There are some genuinely funny moments and comedic characters who give the whole story colour and quirkiness. The story has an individuality which makes it a pleasure to read.

    All of the characters are at a stage of their lives where they are wanting more. They all have flaws and make mistakes but there is a hopeful air to the story as they are on the lookout for better things. It is clever to have an undercover policeman embedded into the community as he observes others trying to sort out the truth just as he is. You feel that you are there too, inside some of the characters' heads, especially Jan and Olivia. The incongruity of the Palm Beach Finland itself is not lost on the reader, a Finnish sleepy village with pretensions of being like the acid coloured resort of the real Palm Beach. 

In short: Black humour meets black noir crime.

     

About the Author

Finnish Antti Tuomainen 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. Two years later, 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.

You can follow Antti here: Website   |  Twitter   |  Instagram

                                           | Facebook  

Book links: Amazon UK

Thanks to Antti Tuomainen, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the Blog Tour.

Check out these great bloggers! 

Giveaway (International)

To win a paperback copy of Palm Beach Finland, just follow and retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings.

 Closing date is 28th October 2018 and there is one winner.