‘Nykänen's twist on Nordic crime fiction may be the most inventive of the year. Ariel Kafka, a middle-aged bachelor, is a detective in Helsinki (think early Harry Hole) and, as far as he knows, the only Jew on the entire Helsinki police force, which is why he's picked to head up the investigation of a series of murders that began with two Arabic-looking men who may have been shouting Jewish obscenities as they died. Set during the days leading up to Yom Kippur, this complex tale moves quickly, as Ari attempts to figure it all out. With pressure from his colleagues, police administration, his brother, and the local Jewish community, can he uncover everything before the holiest day in the Jewish calender? The clever combination of classic Jewish themes with the traditions of Nordic crime makes for a refreshing tale with wide appeal. And the subtle humor, combined with a hero who is not completely depressed and alcoholic, makes it even better. Not just for readers of Nordic fiction, this should also be suggested to those who relate to New York Jewish detectives, including Lenny Briscoe (from Law & Order) and John Munch (from Homicide and Law & Order: SVU), as well as readers who enjoy the black humor of Stuart MacBride.' Booklist

Harri Nykänen, born in Helsinki in 1953, was a well-known crime journalist before turning to fiction. He won the Finnish crime writing award The Clue in 1990 and in 2001. His fiction exposes the local underworld through the eyes of the criminal, the terrorist, and, most recently, from the point of view of an eccentric Helsinki police inspector.

• We started tracking this book on January 3, 2012.
• This book was $9.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 152 times in the past 4,986 days.
• The current price of this book is $10.77 last checked 6 hours ago.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past 90 days is $9.99.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past six months is $9.95.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is $9.72.
• The lowest price to date was FREE last reached on April 17, 2020.
• This book has been FREE one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $14.99 last reached on April 27, 2018.
• This book has been $14.99 2 times since we started tracking it.

• Literature & FictionUnited StatesJewish American
• Literature & FictionWorld LiteratureJewish

• Publication Date: March 20, 2012
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 258 Pages
• File Size: 605 KB