Cold Courage

By: Pekka Hiltunen

Narrated by: Candida Gubbins

Nominee: Glass Key Award for Nordic Crime Fiction 2013

Winner: Finnish Booksellers Laila Hirvisaari Grant 2012

Winner: Finnish Whodunnit Society Clue of the Year Award 2012

Winner: Kaarle Prize 2012, Nominee: Helsingin Sanomat Debut Prize 2012

Cold Blood. Cold Case. Cold Courage. The body of a young woman body is abandoned in a car boot in the middle of London as a warning to others. The police have no leads and no clues as to the identity of the victim. As weeks go by and the story drops from the headlines, it seems that Lia, who saw the discovery of the body from the bus on her way to work, is the only one who refuses to let the murderer go unpunished.

A chance encounter with the mysterious Mari gives Lia fresh hope that she can unravel the mystery. But just who is Mari? Can Lia trust her? Can Lia afford not to trust her?

In Lia and Mari, Finnish journalist Pekka Hiltunen has created two characters to care about. The London setting is detailed and contemporary. The mix of detection, moral dilemma and thriller adds a whole new sub-genre to 'Nordic Noir'.

©2011 Pekka Hiltunen (P)2013 Strathmore Publishing Ltd

Critic reviews

"'Rich in details, sure in its descriptions of London, and smoothly written – a stylish debut" (Turun Sanomat)

"Confident, unique and captivating" (Kaleva)

"Pekka Hiltunen hooks the reader of his new thriller from the very first page. The characters are likeable and credible. A very topical novel." (Apu)

"A quirky, unusual psychological thriller – evil gets its just rewards in a way which, while complex, is also often amusing and touching." (Kirjavinkit)

Plodding, implausible

The real mystery is how this ever got published. A weak and plodding attempt at a teenage version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, maybe? The narrator certainly seems to be reading to children. An implausible, rambling plot littered with unoriginal philosophy explained in wearying detail. My patience wore out in the first half - in which very little happened.