Bagge / Fagerholm / Hämäläinen / Hiekkapelto / Hiltunen / Jansson / Järvelä / Joensuu / Jokinen / Lampi / Lehtolainen / Mäki / Nykänen / Sariola / Sipila / Tervo / Thompson / Tuomainen / Wagner / Westö
Bagge, Tapani
Author of darkly comic novels set in his hometown of Hämeenlinna. He has translated many US crime writers’ works into Finnish, including Elmore Leonard. His style is hardboiled and unusually violent compared to other Finnish writers. His five novels to date tend to focus more on criminals than on detectives.
Short Stories
“The Face in the Concrete” in The Thrilling Detective, 2005
translated by Minna Haapio
Fagerholm, Monika
A Finnish writer who writes in Swedish, Fagerholm was born in 1961 and lives in Helsinki, She has won many awards for her fiction, which includes literary novels, short stories, and crime fiction. Her stories involving crime are often classes more as literary fiction than genre fiction.
Books
The American Girl (Den amerikanska flickan) Finland 2005; US 2010
translated by Katarina E. Tucker
The Glitter Scene (Glitterscenen) Sweden 2007; US 2010
translated by Katarina E. Tucker
Hämäläinen, Karo
Born in 1976, Hämäläinen is the author of many children’s books (including a series that is a collaboration with Tapani Bagge), several works of non-fiction, and a half-dozen novels. He is also a journalist and literary critic.
Books
Cruel is the Night (Ilta on julma) Finland 2013; US 2017
translated by Owen Witesman
Hiekkapelto, Kati
A Finnish author born in 1970 who describes herself as “a writer, punk singer and performance artist living on the island of Hailuoto, Northern Finland.”
Books
The Hummingbird (Kolibri) Finland 2014; UK 2014; US 2014
translated by David Hackston
The Defenceless (Suojattomat) Finland 2014; UK 2015
translated by David Hackston
The Exiled (Tumma) Finland 2016; UK 2017
translated by David Hackston
Hiltunen, Pekka
Born in 1966, Hiltunen is a journalist and magazine editor as well as an award-winning crime novelist.
Books
Cold Courage (Vilpittömästi sinun) Finland 2011; UK 2013
translated by Owen F. Witesman
Black Noise (Sysipimeä) Finland ; UK 2014
translated by Owen F. Witesman
Born in Helsinki in 1914, Janson is best known for her popular children’s books about Moomins, soft-hearted trolls whose exploits are familiar to children around the world. There is s Moomin museum in the Tampere public library. She also has published comic books and novels for adults, one of which is a work of psychological suspense.
Books
The True Deceiver (Den Arliga Bedragaren) Sweden 1982; UK 2008; US 2009
translated by Thomas Teal
Järvelä, Jari
Author of novels, plays, short stories, and essays, Järvela lives in Kotka, His work has received several awards, and his first novel to be translated into English and the first in a trilogy is being made into a film, to be shot in Kotka.
Books
The Girl and the Bomb (Tyttö ja pommi) Finland 2014; US 2015
translated by Kristian London
Joensuu, Matti Yrjänä
Born in 1948, Joensuu is known for tacking difficult social issues. His fictional alter ego, who made his first appearance in the late 1970s, is Detective Sergeant Timo Harjunpaa, who has featured in several mysteries that are a mix of police procedural and psychological thriller. The author himselr worked as a police officer in Helsinki. He died in 2011.
Books
The Stone Murders / apa Harjunpaa and the Stone Murders (Harjunpää ja poliisin poika) Finland 1983; UK 1986; US 1987
tranlated by Raili Taylor
The Priest of Evil (Harjunpää ja pahan pappi) Finland 2003; UK 2006
translated by David Hackston
To Steal Her Love UK 2008
translated by David Hackston
Kirstila, Pentti
Born in 1948, Kirstila worked as a journalist before writing fiction. He is the author of a series of police procedurals set in Tampere and Helsinki featuring sergeant Lauri Hanhivaara.
Short Stories
“Brown Eyes and Green Hair,” in The Oxford Book of Detective Stories, 2000
translated by Michael Garner
Jokinen, Seppo
Born in 1949, Jokinen’s award-winning police procedural series, numbering 19 novels published between 1996 and 2014,is set in his home town of Tampere.
Books
Wolves and Angels (Hukan Enkelit) Finland 2001; US 2012
translated by Owen Witesman
Lampi, Heimo
Born in 1920, Lampi was a lawyer, newspaper columnist, and a fighter pilot during World War II. He died in Helsinki in 1998.
Books
Death Stalks Meteora (Kuolema kulkee Meteoralla) Finland 1981; US1995
Lehtolainen, Leena
Born in 1964, Lehtolainen is the author of the Maria Kallio series which began in 1993. It is, to date, the only police procedural series written by a woman and featuring a female protagonist. She has also written a trilogy about a body guard and many other books, including works for children. She herself began her writing career early, publishing her first book at the age of twelve. Critic Paula Arvas has described her work as “a combination of the police procedural, the classical clue-puzzle, and hard-boiled feminist crime fiction.”
Books
The Maria Kallio series
My First Murder (Ensimmäinen murhani) Finland 1993; US 2012
translated by Owen F. Witesman
Her Enemy (Harmin paikka) Finand 1994; US 2012
translated by Owen F. Witesman
Copper Heart (Kuparisydän) Finland 1995; US 2013
translated by Owen F. Witesman
Snow Woman (Luminainen) Finland 1996; US 2014
translated by Owen F. Witesman
Death Spiral (Kuolemanspiraali) Finland 1997; US 2015
translated by Owen F. Witesman
Fatal Headwind Finland 1998; US 2016
translated by Owen F. Witesman
Bodyguard series
The Bodyguard (Henkivartija) Finland 2009; US 2014
translated by Jenni Salmi
The Lion of Justice (Oikeuden jalopeura) Finland 2011; US 2015
The Devil’s Cubs (Paholaisen pennut) Finland 2012; US 2016
translated by Jenni Salmi
Mäki, Reijo
Born in 1958, Mäki published his first novel in 1985. He has published 26 volumes in a series featuring Turku private investigator Jussi Vares, several of which have been made into films. He was awarded the Finnish crime novel of the year for The Sheriff, the first in a trilogy. It was made into a popular feature film.
Books
The Sheriff (Sheriffi) Finland 2012; US 2015
translated by Katriina Kitchens
Born in 1953, Nykänen was a crime reporter for Helsingin Sanomat before becoming a fulltime crime fiction author. His books focuse on the lives of criminals and the most popular of them feature Raid, a principled hitman. Raid has been featured in a film and a 12-part television series.
Books
Raid series
Raid and the Blackest Sheep (Raid ja mustempi lammas) Finland 2001; US 2010
translated by Peter Ylitalo Leppa
Raid and the Kid (Raid ja poika) Finland 2003; US 2012
translated by Peter Ylitalo Leppa
Ariel Kafka series
Nights of Awe (Ariel) Finland 2004; UK 2012
translated by Kristian London
Behind God’s Back (Jumalan selän takana) Finland 2009; UK 2015
translated by Kristian London
Sariola, Mauri
Born in 1924 in Hattula, Sariola worked in a bank, at a law firm, and as a teacher before becoming a crime reporter for Helsingin Sanomat. He published his first mystery in 1956. One of them, The Helsinki Affair, was awarded a French prize, the Prix du Roman d’adventure. By the time of his death in 1985, he had published nearly 80 books, some of them under the pseudonym Esko Laukko.
Books
The Helsiki Affair (Lavean tien laki) Finland 1961; US 1970
translated by Alan Blair
The Torvick Affair (Punainen kukon laulu) Finland 1963; US 1972
translated by Alan Blair
Sipila, Jarkko
A Finnish journalist who has covered crime news for both television and the Hensingin Sanomat newspaper and has written eleven novels, nine of them in a procedural series with Detective Lieutenant Kari Takamaki as the lead. Helsinki Homicide won the 2009 Crime Fiction of the Year award.
Books
Nothing but the Truth (Mitään salaamatta) Finland 2006; US 201
translated by Peter Ylitalo Leppa
Cold Trail (Kylmä jälki) Finland 2007; US 2013
translated by Kristian London
Helsinki Homicide: Against the Wall (Seinaa Vasten) Finland 2008; US 2009
translated by Peter Ylitalo Leppa
Vengeance (Prikaatin kosto) Finland 2009; US 2010
translated by Peter Ylitalo Leppa
Darling (Muru) Finland 2011; US 2014
translated by Katriina Kitchens
Tervo, Jari
Born in 1959, Tervo is a prominent figure in Finland, host of a popular television program and author of a number of novels, some humorous and others in the crime fiction genre, sometimes combing elements of both. He is particularly well known for his down-to-earth and affectionate picture of life in rural northern Finland.
Books
Among the Saints (Pyhiesi yhteyteen) Finland 1995; US 2014
translated by Daniel H. Karvonen
Thompson, James
Born in Kentucky, Thompson attended university in Finland and then settled there for over a decade. He published three novels in Finland that were composed in English and translated into Finnish before he was published in his original Language by a US publisher. He died unexpectedly in 2014, just after editing the short story anthology, Helsinki Noir.
Books
Snow Angels (Lumienkelit) Finland 2009, UK 2010, US 2010
Lucifer’s TearsUS 2011
Helsinki White US 2012
Helsinki Blood US 2013
Tuomainen, Antii
Born in 1971, Tuomainen’s first profession was in advertising before he turned to crime fiction, publishing his first thriller in 2007. His third novel won the Clue award for best Finnish crime novel in 2011.
Books
The Healer (Parantaja) Finland 2010; UK 2013; US 2013
translated by Lola Rogers
Dark as My Heart (Synkkä niin kuin sydämeni) Finland 2013; UK 2015
translated by Lola Rogers
Wagner, Jan Costin
Though a German national, Wagner spends half the year as a resident of Finland, which is the setting of his fiction. He was born in 1972 and won the Marlow Prize for his first novel,Nachtfahrt. Ice Moon is his second book.
Books
Ice Moon (Eismond) Germany 2003; UK 2006 ; US 2007
translated by John Brownjohn
Silence (Das Schweigen) Germany 2007; UK 2010
translated by Anthea Bell
The Winter of the Lions (Im Winter der Löwen) Germany 2008; UK 2011
translated by Anthea Bell
Light in a Dark House Germany (Das Licht in einem dunklen Haus) Germany 2011; UK 2013
translated by Anthea Bell
Westö, Kjell
Born 6 August, 1961, in Helsinki, Westö has published poetry, short stories and novels, as well as journalism. He writes in Swedish and was awarded the Finlandia prize in 2006.
Books
Lang (Lang) Finland 2002; UK 2005; US 2006
translated by Ebba Segerberg
The Wednesday Club (Hargring 38) Finland 2013; UK 2016
translated by Neil Smith
Scandinavian Crime Fiction in English Translation 