Nights of Awe

Name: Nights of Awe
ISBN: 9781904738923

Harri Nykänen and Kristian London, Translator

During the Days of Awe leading up to Yom Kippur, Ariel Kafka, inspector in the Violent Crime Unit of the Helsinki police and one of two Jewish policemen in Finland, is confronted with the most difficult case of his career. Two Arabs are killed near the capital and shortly after Kafka discovers two more bodies at an Iraqi-owned garage. Are these deaths evidence of gang warfare or international terrorism? When it transpires that an Israeli minister will make an unofficial visit to Helsinki, matters become truly complicated. The Finnish Security Police and Mossad all have a role to play and Kafka is on a trail that leads back to his youth.

“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 calendar? 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

"Professional responsibility and ethnic affiliation clash in Nykänen's intriguing first novel. The resolution will satisfy noir fans." —Publishers Weekly

"Ariel Kafka wins the award for most intriguing name for a fictional detective, and it suits this impressively labyrinthine mystery series." —Time Out

About the Authors

Harri Nykanen (born in Helsinki in 1953 ) is a detective novel writer and was a long-time crime journalist for the largest Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. He won the Finnish crime fiction award "The Clue" both in 1990 and in 2001. His stories expose the underworld through the eyes of the criminal, the terrorist and, more recently, from the point of view of an eccentric Helsinki police inspector. He writes four different crime series and has written over 30 novels.

Kristian London lives in Helsinki. Translator of prose, including Nights of Awe by Harri Nykänen and The Trap by Marko Leino, and poetry.