Fall Rights Guide 2025
Fall Rights Guide 2025
Fiction
Featured titles this season
New in Literary Fiction
HUOMENNA KERRON KAIKEN
Gummerus, June 2025, 348 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Tomorrow I’ll Tell You Everything
Passion shakes the very foundations of existence in Juha Itkonen’s new novel
✓ Latest novel by one of the most renowned and acclaimed Finnish authors of his generation
✓ A bittersweet love story in the spirit of classics such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Milan Kundera, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ford Madox Ford
✓ Instant bestseller – first print run sold out in days!
✓ For readers of Sally Rooney and Jonathan Franzen
Marja walks into Lasse’s secondhand bookstore on a cold and clear winter day. It’s an opportune moment for them both. Their romance long ago serves as the spark for a passionate relationship in which two hungry souls find their perfect match, and Lasse and Marja share everything with each other, their thoughts as well as their bodies.
Marja is estranged from her husband, an executive at Nokia, and is coming into her own in middle age. Lasse, who has always lived alone, understands the opportunity he’s been given: the unbearable lightness of love is within his reach, and yet something holds him back. Years later, Lasse returns to this turning point in his life. What happened and why?
Tomorrow I’ll Tell You Everything is a charged and elegant story that makes the readers ponder the greatest choices in life.
“When I first read Juha Itkonen’s novel Tomorrow I’ll Tell Everything, I was immediately mesmerized by its unique narrative voice – a voice that carries the layers of a long life, of all that was and all that could have been. This voice leads us into a sweeping story about love, passion, regret and the big choices in life. Itkonen’s elegant and emotionally charged psychological novel is the crowning achievement of his distinguished career so far, and it is a tremendous privilege to publish it.”
– Aleksi Pöyry, Publisher, Gummerus
“Itkonen offers his readers not only entertainment, messy relationships and surprising plot twists, but the narrator cuts himself mercilessly [–] it is insightfully exploring the “wonderful bundle of qualities” called human beings. I began to wonder about these traits in myself as I was reading and continued to do so for a long time afterwards. Therefore, I have to say that Juha Itkonen, in his fifties, has written an intense and wise psychological novel.”
– Helena Ruuska, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper
LUMENLAULAJA
Teos, August 2025, 320 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Snowsinger
The enchanting origin story of Louhi, the witch queen of Pohjola from the Finnish national epic Kalevala
✓ For readers interested in folklore and fantasy
✓ Emmi Itäranta’s award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (2012) is a classic and an international hit: published in 28 territories!
✓ Itäranta has been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Golden Tentacle Award! Included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award)!
✓ Emmi Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin!
Award-winning author Emmi Itäranta’s latest novel Snowsinger takes the readers to a mythological past, a world of magic and shapeshifting. Harmony and respect reign between humans, nature, and animals. Until the idyll is broken and the lust for power, the desire for revenge, and greed arise.
Lauha is living her childhood in Pohjola where strong women rule, each of them with their spell-shape, or animal form. When Lauha is nine, a foreign tribe attacks Pohjola and kills most of her family, while Lauha flees with her mother and two younger sisters. After many hardships, Lauha ends up in the safety of a women’s forest community known as Metsänpeitto, where she lives silently for years.
After a tragic incident, Lauha decides to have revenge on the conquerors of Pohjola and reclaim her home. Defending Pohjola and keeping her family safe shapes Lauha into Louhi, a woman feared by many. The painful memories of her escape drive Louhi to choices that have fateful consequences to the people of Pohjola and to Louhi herself.
JOUTSENLAULU
Otava, September 2025, 440 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Swan Song
The internationally acclaimed author’s masterpiece about the relationships between species and the limits of our senses in a world of hidden secrets
✓ New title from the highly acclaimed international superstar of Finnish speculative fiction
✓ Finlandia Winner and author of ten novels, translated in over 20 languages
✓ Sinisalo’s book TROLL, an international bestseller with rights sold to 19 territories and with a film adaptation in development, was the Winner of the Finlandia Prize of 2000 and Winner of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award of 2004!
✓ Johanna Sinisalo has won the Prometheus Award of 2017 and been nominated for the Nebula Award of 2008, the Prix Escapades of 2012, and the Grand Prix de L’Imaginaire of 2017!
Our near future is different than what we would have expected. When multibillionaires do what they want with their money, the world is changing.
Jane, born in Finland, lives in the United States of America and remotely rescues people from fires and avalanches. When she ends up with a dull-sounding scientific task and is introduced to an AI monitoring birds, she is caught up in an adventure that changes her life and, perhaps, the entire world.
Swan Song is a masterful story about language, consciousness, and how we choose not to see when our own interests and nature are pitted against each other.
POHJAKOSKETUS
Into, August 2019, 300 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Rock Bottom
A woman, a summer cottage in the winter, and a body of a man
The TV-series has been sold to the Nordic countries and Benelux countries, with negotiations in Greece, France and the UK
✓ A relationship hell and a survival kit with a touch of black humour
✓ For readers of Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies, and for fans of Émile Zola
✓ The TV-series L/OVER inspired by Rock Bottom with international distribution in 2026 and with world premiere at Canneserie 2025 in main competition!
They have had a long life together – a life you would not wish on anyone. Or is it reasonable that your spouse manipulates the whole family with his outbursts, decides what you wear, controls your every smile and every sentence and may start shouting in the middle of the street, no matter whether your child is still in the womb or already asleep in the pram?
It was wonderful in the beginning, but the last twelve years have been something else. The fundamentals are there. The man is a successful and respected writer. The woman is a hard-working photographer – or at least she used to be before she met him. Now she focuses on keeping herself together, the everyday life of the family on track and the children safe from the past. Something should also be done about the body of the man, already turning cold.
Nina Honkanen’s third novel moves between the past and the present. It portrays a hellish relationship, but is also a survival story infused with exuberance and black humour. The novel shakes readers to their core, but is also comforting and encouraging. It is never too late to stop being careful – even if the ice might break at times.
Nina Honkanen has written five novels, three non-fiction books, plays for theatre and radio, documentaries, columns and TV series. Now she is writing her sixth novel Heritage, Scent of Bakhoor movie and a play based on her book My Love, Vladimir.
“Rock Bottom was merciless, distressing and addictive, but certainly also gentle and how would you put it – humane. The novel reminded me of how hard it is to break away from your acquired habits, try to remember who you ultimately are and learn to like yourself as well. After devouring the novel I felt somehow astonished, because the reading experience was so intense – thank you!”
– Paula Jokimies, Yle Radio Suomi
NEW!
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Into (orig.)
FILM RIGHTS: Gutsy Pictures
SKUGGAS
Förlaget, March 2025, 219 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Swedish edition
A Heart With Two Minds
“What a fantastic love story!”
“A burning hot tale of passion with a surprising ending.” – Aftonbladet
✓ The perfect forbidden love story: in love with the enemy
✓ A searing tale of passion!
✓ For the readers of Robert James Waller (The Bridges of Madison Country), Torgny Lindgren and Selma Lagerlöf
Rut had loved two. Or loved. Loves. She had also loved her children, both the living and the dead, her parents, her grandmother, perhaps a friend or two. But two men.
The Continuation War rages in Finland, “a corner, one of the corners of the world”. Rut Blom is more than 40 years old, mother of three, and a farmer on Skuggas, a farm in Ostrobothnia that was her inheritance and from which she has never left. Her husband Verner and their 18-year-old son are fighting at the front line in Karelia and her unrest is constant. She finds it difficult to cope with all the work on the fields. A Soviet prisoner of war, Lieutenant Anton Demchenko from Ukraine, comes to her aid. He speaks the language of the enemy, but to Rut it sounds like a song.
Ann-Luise Bertell has secured her place as a great storyteller with her sensual, historical novels. She has been nominated for e.g. the Finlandia Prize and won the Svenska Yle Literature Prize. Her novels are often set in her native area of Ostrobothnia, are short in the number of pages but with an epic breadth. A Heart With Two Minds depicts an intense half a year in one human’s life.
“I don’t think I’ve ever read such a good description of sex or desire before.”
– HBL newspaper
“[Rut] speaks only Swedish, [Anton] only Russian, but despite that, they touch each other’s souls and a passion as strong as it is forbidden emerges, making them risk everything. A wonderful and completely immersive novel that makes you want to read EVERYTHING Ann-Luise has written.”
– Eva Åström, Expressen magazine
Förlaget, August 2022, 371 pp.
Reading material:
English edition
French edition
German edition
Swedish edition
Tangled Roots (aka Inherited Land)
Tangled Roots is an episodic work of literary fiction depicting human relationships with nature across generations, following in the tradition of family sagas like One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
The roots of people and forest are intertwined in the depths of the earth
✓ Winner of the Svenska YLE Literature Prize of 2022, the Thank You for the Book Award of 2023, the Young Aleksis Award of 2023, and the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize of 2024!
✓ Czech edition of Tangled Roots won the 2025 Magnesia Litera Award in the Best Translated category!
✓ A future classic – rights have been sold to 23 territories and counting!
✓ Fastest selling literary fiction title for Ahlback Agency!
✓ First adult novel by internationally bestselling and award-winning YA author Maria Turtschaninoff, whose The Red Abbey Chronicles have been sold to more than 30 territories!
An old soldier carves a croft out of the Finnish forest and calls it home, but try as he might to tame the land, its wild magic endures. For centuries his descendants will work the farm, through days of plenty and famine, love and war, their fates entangled with the rhythms of the ancient wilderness, where mysterious shapes flit between the trees and danger lurks in the treacherous fen…
Like dragonflies darting over the marsh, their lives glimmer briefly and then are gone: a young girl entranced by the forest folk, a faithless fiancé who meets his match beneath the age-old branches, a farmhand with a strange obsession…
What endures is the wild, and the certainty that wherever we put down roots, the land will grow roots in us too.
“The very beautiful [Tangled Roots] by the Finnish writer Maria Turtschaninoff [tells the story of] a cabin built four centuries ago by a soldier on the shores of the Gulf of Ostrobothnia, of the families that succeed one another and of a curse that awakens when the men of the family do not respect the promise is made to the creatures living in the bogs. An immersive reading experience guaranteed.”
– Isabelle Falconnier, Le Matin Dimanche, France
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Tammi (Finnish)
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: Izida
CHINA: Rentian Ulus
CROATIA: Hena Com
CZECHIA: Argo (print, e-book), OneHotBook (audio)
DENMARK: Alpha Forlag
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
FRANCE: Éditions Paulsen
GERMANY: Rowohlt
HUNGARY: L’Harmattan
ISRAEL: Hakibbutz Hameuchad – Sifriat Poalim
ITALY: Bompiani
NETHERLANDS: Atlas Contact
NORWAY: Bonnier Norsk Forlag
POLAND: Poznańskie
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
SWEDEN: Förlaget
TURKEY: Timas Yayinlari
UKRAINE: Old Lion Publishing House
UNITED KINGDOM & COMMONWEALTH: Pushkin Press
UNITED STATES & CANADA: Pushkin Press
WORLD ALBANIAN: Shkupi Publishing House
ERÄÄN KISSAN TUTKIMUKSIA
Otava, September 2023, 380 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Italian edition
German edition
The Investigations of a Certain Cat
Katja Kettu’s stunning novel spins through ages whilst surrendering to the wilderness of nature and the deep yearning for offspring
✓ A fascinating combination of autofiction and elements of magical realism!
✓ A critical success, a novel in which the power of words brings justice to the world, by one of Finland’s most internationally acclaimed authors!
✓ Rights sold to 11 territories!
✓ Katja Kettu’s works have been sold to 24 territories!
Can one find solace and meaning in life from the past once the future no longer exists?
An Author has a miscarriage and loses their ability to speak and write. From the Investigative Bureau of Heavens, a Detective is sent to the scene, but something goes awry. Soon, in the corner of the room, there appears Cat who starts examining a mysterious diary that once belonged to the Author’s Great Grandmother.
When a new life has been lost, the Author turns their gaze to the past and to the age-old words of creation in the old Finnish outskirts. The one who knows them, Great Grandmother, has the power of healers. The Great Grandmother’s diary sheds light on birth and death, love towards children, and the strength of heritage in one’s blood.
Combining autofiction and elements of magical realism, Katja Kettu’s latest novel also sheds light on the history of the Finnish frontiers.
“Katja Kettu has written a wonderful novel in which the power of words brings justice to the world. It isn’t harmless or beautiful, but the novel approaches words as a form of magic. [–] And what about the cat and its investigations? “Let the Cat come, let it take over my novel. I’m the one who’s weak here. Cats know a lot and care about little.” The Cat takes over the novel and is turned into a novel, and now it sticks out, funny and teasing, and difficult in so many ways.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Finland
“Katja Kettu’s raw, direct style remains moving, and the magical realism helps tell this personal story.”
– BÜCHER magazin, Germany
“Kettu’s language is raw and physical, the pain spills from the pages together with a touch of magic.”
– Katia Schingshandl, Buchkultur, Germany
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CZECHIA: ARGO
DENMARK: Lindhardt og Ringhof
ESTONIA: Koolibri
GERMANY: Weissbooks
HUNGARY: Gondolat
ITALY: Mondadori
NORWAY: Pax Forlag
POLAND: Swiat Ksiazki
ROMANIA: Humanitas Fiction
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers
36 UURNAA
Väärässä olemisen historia
Siltala, August 2023, 267 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Swedish edition
German MS
36 Urns
A History of Being Wrong
A beautiful, enchanting family saga: “It is a book for the head and the heart, with universal themes and a lot of light.”
✓ Winner of the Finlandia Prize of 2023! Nominated for the Runeberg Prize of 2024 and the Savonia Prize of 2023!
✓ Over 90,000 copies sold in Finland! Rights sold to 6 territories and counting!
✓ For readers of Elizabeth Strout, Tove Ditlevsen, Moa Martinson, and Natalia Ginzburg!
✓ Sirpa Kähkönen has been nominated for the Nordic Council Literary Prize and five times for Finlandia Prize, is the two-time winner of the Savonia Prize and has received the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s grand prize!
Author Sirpa Kähkönen’s mother Riitta (b. 1941) died in March 2022 after a long illness. In life, she struggled to accept love. “I do not grieve your death, I grieve your life,” Sirpa Kähkönen writes, knowing fully well that her mother wouldn’t like the phrase. Her mother rejected love, despite longing for it the most. Riitta was athletic, beautiful, and gifted. A traffic accident at the age of 16 changed the course of her life for ever.
Drawing on her mother’s diaries, Kähkönen depicts the life of a 1950s girl and the dramatic change that followed the accident. The novel talks about community dance halls, a broken mind, flowing hems, a 1960s mother, anxiety, anger and hate, addiction, and moments of psychosis. It talks about how wars and other crises become corporeal, how violence is inherited, and how the culture of discouragement and submission is passed down through the generations in sayings and attitudes, with the author clearly seeing herself as part of the tradition of anger and violence.
The novel is permeated by a fiery love, as if an ancient Finnish spell that, with the power of words, is capable of bringing loved ones back from the dead.
“In her very intimate and poetically told autofictional work 36 Urns, Sirpa Kähkönen deals with her mother’s death by trying to understand her mother’s life. During a single sleepless night, the daughter examines their complicated relationship through 36 objects and memories left behind by her mother. The understanding she gains this way is comforting, forgiving and helps her to gain new insights about herself. Kähkönen takes us from Helsinki in the year 2023 to the eastern Finnish province of the 1920s, to the age of wooden houses and steam locomotives, enlighten us on Finland’s conflict-ridden relationship with Russia, sheds light on the development years of the 1970s and finally returns to the present. It is a book for the head and the heart, with universal themes and a lot of light.”
– Dr. Silja Maehl, Fiction Editor, Wilhelm Heyne & Blessing Verlag (Penguin Random House Germany)
FINLANDIA PRIZE WINNER!
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Siltala (orig.)
AZERBAIJAN: Qanun
CZECHIA: Host s.r.o.
ESTONIA: Koolibri
GERMANY: Blessing (PRH)
HUNGARY: Polar
SWEDEN: Lind & Co
Tammi, November 2000, 268 pp.
Reading material:
English edition
Finnish edition
Troll: A Love Story
An intoxicatingly strange cult novel about queer desire and wildness, as a man unwittingly disrupts his life by opening his home to a peculiar troll
“A punk version of The Hobbit” – USA Today
✓ Feature film in development by Måns Mårlind (“The Bridge”) & Tuppence Middleton (“Downton Abbey: A New Era”)!
✓ New English edition published in December 2024 by Pushkin Press!
✓ Winner of the Finlandia Prize of 2000! Winner of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award of 2004!
✓ An international bestseller with rights sold to 19 territories!
✓ Johanna Sinisalo has won the Prometheus Award of 2017 and been nominated for the Nebula Award of 2008, the Prix Escapades of 2012, and the Grand Prix de L’Imaginaire of 2017!
Mikael, a young gay photographer, finds a small, man-like creature in the courtyard of his apartment block. It is a young troll, familiar from Scandinavian mythology: a demonic, wild beast. And it is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. Supposedly extinct, today it is regarded as a hairy, cuddly toy by Nordic children. Mikael gives the troll a name, Pessi, and takes him home and hides him.
The first thing Mikael does is research everything he can about trolls on the internet, from folklore, nature journals, and newspaper clippings. Despite his studies, Mikael does not learn that trolls exude pheromones that smell like a Calvin Klein aftershave and that this has a profound aphrodisiac effect on all those around him. Shooting an assignment for an ultra-hip brand of jeans, Mikael finds himself fast-tracked into a dangerous liaison with Martes, the sexually ambivalent art director of the advertising agency concerned, while a couple of his friends in turn fall in love with him because he carries the troll’s scent.
What Mikael fails above all to learn, with tragic consequences, is that Pessi the troll is the interpreter of man’s darkest, most forbidden impulses.
“Troll is a thrilling descent into the deep dark Finnish forest.”
– Emily Lawford, The Times
“Now smartly retitled as Troll: A Love Story, and with only the odd reference to Windows 98 and CD-Roms to show its age, Finnish novelist Johanna Sinisalo’s debut feels fresh and bright. It has a playfulness and charm that you can’t fake, and that’s worth celebrating.”
– John Self, The Guardian
“Originally published in Finland in 2001, Sinisalo’s debut novel won the prestigious Finlandia Award. With its focus on queer desire and ‘beasts’ of all kinds, this updated translation – which also nods to climate change and society’s othering of what it doesn’t know or understand – reads as if it could have been written yesterday. Clever, funny, dark and tender – it’s the love story you never knew you needed.”
– Catherine Jarvie, Editor’s Pick, Marie Claire
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press
UNITED STATES: Grove Atlantic
US & UK FILM & TV RIGHTS: Måns Mårlind & Tuppence Middleton
TROLL, A LOVE STORY has originally been published in 19 territories. Rights are currently available in: Estonia, Sweden, Italy, the Netherlands Spain, Japan, Hungary, Norway, Lithuania, Czechia, Romania, Albania, Latvia, etc…
LUMO
Otava, August 2022, 383 pp.
Reading material:
English edition and synopsis
German sample
Finnish edition
The Enchantment
This shiningly beautiful novel is an autopsy of girlhood and power. English edition available!
✓ Riikka Pulkkinen is a shining star in Finnish literature, an award-winning and bestselling author with international publishers in 19 territories!
✓ A literary masterpiece with topical themes: What’s the difference between identity and projection and what image of ourselves do we allow others to see, in real life and online?
✓ Selected as one of the best books of 2022 by Suomen Kuvalehti magazine!
✓ Full English Manuscript – World English rights sold to Scribe for publication in 2025!
Philippa Laakso was many things to many people. Caring and selfish. Kind to some, cruel to others. And now, she was dead.
When seventeen-year-old Philippa’s body is found in the yard outside her home, the police launch an invectigation. Everyone close to Philippa is questioned.
The elderly neighbour who discovered her body, who kept confusing Philippa with his late wife.
The bet friend, who hoards a secret stash of objects she’d stolen from Philippa over the years.
The ex-boyfriend, still reeling from their sudden break-up months before.
The mother whose children she babysat and who appears, enraged, in some of the strange videos Philippa filmed on her beloved PEN Olympus camera.
The older men she met via a dating app to whom she lied about her age.
Each tells a different story: she was confidant, a fantasy, a temptation, a problem, a mystery, a mirror. But did any of them truly know her? The Enchantment is a spellbielding literary mystery that explores the fragile boundary betweem truth and fiction and the uneasy terrain of girlhood, where one is always being watched, shaped, and judged by others. In it, Riikka Pulkkinen weaves a complex story of identity, desire, and the quiet violence of being defined by everyone but yourself.
“The skillful text carries different atmospheres and balances between them, holding the reader on a knife’s edge waiting what happens next. Pulkkinen’s text is rich with details that build a strong landscape both in the visual and physical sense. How can a text be this light and heavy at the same time? [–] Pulkkinen is an incredibly skillful, clever, deep author with a clear voice of her own, and she’s again managed to capture a great image on the pages with almost magical skills.”
– Heidi Heinonen, Kaleva newspaper, Finland
“The Enchantment is a deeply thought-out, psychological novel about the ways that we present ourselves, what we let others see and what we hide away. What seems at first like it could be a simple mystery about the unexpected death of a teenage girl becomes a fascinating dismantling of a well-worn trope, in which the ensemble cast reveal their own deepest fears and failings through their projections onto the central character of Philippa, who we never quite come to know in her own right.”
– Molly Slight, Publisher, Scribe UK
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
LATVIA: Janis Roze
WORLD ENGLISH: Scribe UK
WSOY, April 2024, 205 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
German sample
Finnish edition
Pine Bark
A densely atmospheric and arrestingly written novel about women’s fates in times of war, the difficulty of giving up, and how the proximity of death can change a person
✓ Winner of the Readers’ Favorite of the Finlandia Prize of 2024 and the Adlibris Prize of 2024!
✓ Over 60,000 copies sold in Finland! Rights sold to Japan and Estonia!
✓ Kinnunen’s books have sold over 400,000 copies in Finland!
✓ The sixth novel by one of Finland’s most award-winning, bestselling and internationally acclaimed authors with rights sold to 22 territories!
✓ Tommi Kinnunen has won the Best Book of 2014 Prize by the Grand Finnish Journalism Prize, the Readers’ Favorite of the Finlandia Prize of 2016, 2020, and 2024, the Minna Canth Prize of 2020, and the Giuseppe Acerbi Prize of 2023!
✓ Tommi Kinnunen has been praised for giving a voice to people whose stories have been kept untold
✓ A play of Pine Bark will premiere in Finland in 2026
A person cannot return to being who they once were without knowing who they have been.
In 2001, three siblings – Martti and twin sisters Eeva and Marja – meet in a small village in Northern Finland. Their mother Laina, an old woman who has been through the Second World War, is dying and the children have gathered to arrange the funeral. Even though the siblings have always been on good terms, Martti has always felt aloof, the odd man out. All of them reminisce about their childhood, but Martti remembers things slightly differently than the sisters.
As the novel progresses, the readers are transported through the decades and through Laina’s story, culminating in the Soviet partisan attack during the summer of 1944 that irrevocably changed Laina’s life. She has refused to recall the events and, at the same time, has denied her children the opportunity of remembering and recovering. “One can only talk about men’s war, as the women’s war is soundless and forbidden.”
“The book gives a voice to the forgotten victims of war, women and children, bypassing official war narratives. It describes, in a compact and carefully crafted manner, the impact of traumatic experiences on a person: what cannot be spoken of cannot be escaped; one must build a shield that also becomes a prison. Piece by piece, the work tensely unveils the tragedy that defines the characters’ lives and explores the multifaceted dimensions of the title motif.”
– Finlandia Prize jury praise
MORE INFO
DOWNLOAD ENGLISH MATERIALS
Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak
JAPAN: Shinchosha
VARGENS UNGE
Albert Bonniers/Förlaget, August 2024, 428 pp.
Reading material:
English sample, 27-page synopsis
Swedish edition
Finnish edition
Wolf Cub
An atmospheric literary crime novel about desire and fanaticism taking place in the Finnish forests near the Russian border, by an award-winning fiction author
✓ Johanna Holmström is the winner of the Karin Boye Literature Prize 2023, Svenska Dagbladets Literature Prize 2009, The Svenska Yles Literature Prize 2009 and was nominated for the Runeberg Prize in 2018 and in 2023
✓ Johanna Holmström’s works have been published in over 10 countries
✓ A sequel coming up in 2026
✓ Sold over 28,000 copies
One day, a dirty and unfamiliar little boy stands in Seija’s tulip bed. Upon seeing his wide eyes, her motherly heart overflows, but the boy refuses to say a word – only a memory card is found in his mouth. Police Inspector Minna and her sidekick Timo are called, but no one has reported a missing child. Who is the boy and where does he come from?
When the photographer Gloria moves into a collective in the forest, she feels that she has found her home. She enjoys the freedom and companionship, blind to what is going on around her. And when the truth is finally revealed, it is too late for her to escape.
This relentless thriller is set in Kuhmo, northern Finland, in a wilderness as wonderfully beautiful as it is terrifying. The novel contains explicit references to Finnish folklore, especially the national epic Kalevala.
Wolf Cub is the first part of a trilogy of stand-alone novels.
“Holmström has no problem with building suspense. But the strength of the novel is above all the depictions of people, nature and how the interaction works, along with its shortcomings.”
– Maria Näslund, Göteborgs-Postens newspaper, Sweden
Rights sold:
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers (orig.)
FINLAND: Förlaget (Finland-Swedish) & Otava (Finnish)
Tammi, August 2024, 672 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Author’s vision
The Saprophile
A brilliant novel that dives deep into the human psyche, explores themes such as power, passion, and the world of Ingmar Bergman, and is a reflection on being human through art
✓ Nominated for the 2024 Finlandia Prize in Fiction!
✓ International narrative art by critically acclaimed author of five novels
✓ For readers of Donna Tartt, Ali Smith, Maggie Nelson, and Rachel Kushner!
An island.
An author. Two women.
Ingmar Bergman.
The main characters of a film who are planning to escape.
The Saprophile is a hypnotic treatise on power and writing. It is the autopsy of a novel, a hybrid that seeks to go where genres end. It is a novel about Ingmar Bergman’s films, about a desire that refuses to obey, about an island, about how easy it is to lose yourself in another person, and how difficult it is to find your way back.
Like a saprophile, an organism that lives and thrives on dead or decaying organic matter, The Saprophile is like a literary organism that eats away at age-old concepts and structures.
“The Saprophile has everything I love in literature: a vibrant relationship with art, a changing form, and an energy that drives the text forward. The novel is incredibly rich yet surprisingly light to read. Reading The Saprophile is both unsettling and nourishing.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper
FINLAND: Tammi (orig).
New in Crime & Thrillers
ALEC
Otava, August 2025, 361 pp.
Reading material:
Finnish Edition,
Long English sample (80 pages!),
English synopsis
Crystal trilogy #1: Alec
Arttu Tuominen, Spiegel Bestselling Author
ALEC kicks off a new thriller trilogy from Arttu Tuominen, bestselling author of the River Delta series, taking the reader to the arctic fells of Lapland, deep into the world of crime, addictions, and the drug trade
✓ Arttu Tuominen is a Palle Rosenkrantz Prize-winner and a Spiegel Bestselling author!
✓ Shortlisted for the Glass Key Award 2021, a nominee for the BookBeat Finland’s Best Finnish Crime Author 2021–2023 and won the ‘Clue of the Year’ Crime Novel of the Year Award 2020
✓ His previous series, River Delta, sold over 230,000 copies in Finland and rights have been sold to 6 countries!
The destructive power of the criminal underworld meets vulnerable humanity in Arttu Tuominen’s new crime series the Crystal Trilogy!
During the economic recession of the 1990s, illegal businesses flow into Finland from across the eastern border. A drug war rages on Finnish soil, where human life has no value.
The quiet life of the village community in Lapland is shattered when more than a dozen partygoers are murdered at a remote farm. Fourteen-year-old Liina, who witnesses the massacre, is forced to grow up quickly as senseless violence invades her childhood world.
The photos that Liina took on the farm become highly sought after. Her father, Sami, a police officer, quickly realizes that the entire family is in grave danger. Sami and Liina must weigh the meaning of friendship and loyalty in a world ruled by money and greed.
Alec is an intense portrayal of people haunted by their own demons, struggling to survive in a world marked by ruthless crime where human life holds no value. It is also a story of friendship and trust – bonds strong enough to break through the walls built by fear.
Crystal Trilogy #2 (Otava, 2026)
A novel about the destructive power of money and addiction. Gambling-addicted bank manager Juhani Roine ends up in massive debt to drug cartels. Liina’s sister Julia, a flight attendant, helps Juhani, and their fates become intertwined with shocking consequences in a Parisian suburb.
Crystal Trilogy #3 (Otava, 2027)
A novel about the justification of revenge. At the center of the events is Liina Aho, who has a tragic past. Members of a notorious drug cartel are being murdered brutally in Helsinki, and Tommi Kivi, drowning in his own grief, believes he knows who is responsible and does everything he can to bring them to justice.
“…Arttu Tuominen is a world-class talent whose stories are gripping, characters psychologically rich, worlds vividly real, and prose powerful. It is both a joy and an honor for us at Otava to begin this collaboration and work to make his new series a major success in Finland.”
– Antti Kasper, Publishing Director at Otava
“Tuominen’s storytelling is cinematic, the plot moves at the speed of a snowmobile, and in the end, all the loose ends are beautifully tied together.”
– Mari Paalosalo-Jussinmäki, Eeva magazine
PETETTY
Tammi, September 2025, 352 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Milo #2: Betrayed
Max Seeck, New York Times Bestselling Author
How to survive in a world where nothing is as it seems?
✓ Max Seeck’s books have sold over 1 MILLION COPIES worldwide, 400,000 copies in Finland and the rights have been sold to 41 territories! Finland’s Bestselling Crime Author!
✓ The New York Times & Spiegel Bestselling Author Max Seeck has been included in Vogue’s list of the 19 best Nordic noir books of all time!
✓ Solar Films adapts Milo to an international TV series for global distribution, with production slated to commence in 2026!
✓ MILO 2 sold to 4 territories pre-publication!
✓ Rights sold to 9 territories for MILO 1 and over 45,000 copies sold in Finland!
✓ Max Seeck won the prestigious Glass Key Award 2023 for The Last Grudge (Jessica Niemi #3)!
They know your every step.
When a breathtakingly beautiful woman sits opposite art gallery owner Milo Perho on a terrace in Helsinki, Milo has no way of anticipating where their meeting leads. Soon, the Helsinki police are dealing with several murders and Milo is being chased by someone for whom Milo’s past is no mystery. A pursuit ensues where the hunter can be anyone and finding a place where to hide is impossible.
Milo #2: Betrayed is razor-sharp thriller, and part #2 of the Milo series.
NEW!
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Mera Editions
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
MERKITTY
Tammi, September 2024, 400 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
German edition
French edition
Finnish edition
Milo #1: Checkmate
Bodies with chess pieces in their mouth – Milo needs to understand the game of chess in order to catch a killer
✓ Max Seeck’s books have sold over 1 MILLION COPIES worldwide and 400,000 copies in Finland, rights have been sold to 41 territories! Finland’s Bestselling Crime Author!
✓ The New York Times & Spiegel Bestselling Author Max Seeck has been included in Vogue’s list of the 19 best Nordic noir books of all time!
✓ Solar Films adapts Milo to an international TV series for global distribution, with production slated to commence in 2026!
✓ Rights sold to 9 territories! Over 45,000 copies sold in Finland!
✓ Big in Japan! Max Seeck’s Milo #1: Checkmate will be published in Japan by Kodansha in 2026!
✓ Max Seeck won the prestigious Glass Key Award 2023 for The Last Grudge (Jessica Niemi #3)!
The game has only just begun.
On a cold November evening, a body is discovered on the shore of Seurasaari. The victim’s skin is covered with a thick layer of white paint, and during the autopsy, a chess piece is found lodged in its throat.
The police are baffled. Why would the murderer go to such lengths to disguise the body? And why wasn’t there any attempt to hide it?
Milo Perho, an art gallery owner specializing in profiling killers, is called in to assist. What follows is a nerve-wracking game where every move costs a life, and no one wants it to end in checkmate.
Milo is the gripping debut of the Milo series by internationally acclaimed author Max Seeck. Even before its release, the book’s translation rights were sold to numerous countries, and a TV series adaptation is already in the works.
“We are very honored to introduce the highly popular Max Seeck from Finland to Japan. Nordic mysteries is one of the most popular genre of crime fictions among Japanese readers, and we are very much looking forward to their reactions!”
– Yutaro Ichikawa, Editor, Kodansha, Japan
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Mera Editions
GERMANY: Bastei Luebbe
ITALY: Piemme
JAPAN: Kodansha Ltd.
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
UKRAINE: Laboratory LLC
RIGHTS FILM & TV: Solar Films
HUIJARI
Into, May 2025, 230 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Impostor
This twisted psychological thriller follows Rebekka, a young and attractive sociopath, who can charm anyone… and destroy them just as easily
✓ What happens when a highly skilled con artist picks the wrong mark?
✓ For the fans of Gillian Flynn, Emilie Schepp, Luke Jennings (Killing Eve), Jeff Lindsay (Dexter)
✓ Impostor is the first book in the Rebekka Nummi -series
✓ Tatiana Elf has been the head writer and creator of various popular crime drama series
Rebekka Nummi is a confident, curious, and completely fearless young woman. She has an exceptional superpower: she is a high-functioning sociopath. Rebekka hasn’t killed anyone, but she can break into her friend’s house or steal a car without feeling any guilt or shame. To tame her impulses, Rebekka goes to therapy. It has worked surprisingly well and she hasn’t done anything terribly bad. Yet.
Then Rebekka meets Alex. The man evokes warm feelings in Rebekka, feelings that she hadn’t even considered to be possible to feel. Alex is intelligent, funny, and, best of all, she doesn’t fear Rebekka.
But can a manipulative and unpredictable sociopath create a genuine connection to another person? Can one control one’s violent impulses? And what happens when Alex is revealed to have a secret that changes everything and forces Rebekka to cross a threshold from which there is no going back.
Rebekka is both charming and terrifying. The twists of the book leave no breathing space before the final page and make one thirst for more.
“An exceptional main character creates tension and opportunities. Elf seizes them beautifully. In addition to unusual characters, Elf’s story has good plot twists. […] It’s great that the author boldly does something new.”
– Asta Tenhunen, Keskisuomalainen newspaper
“The work is based on skillfully arranged unexpected twists. That is, even by crime novel standards, particularly unexpected and surprising ones. Describing the plot further would spoil the reading experience, and with Huijari, there is plenty of enjoyment.”
– Kai Hirvasnoro, Kirjoja hyllystäni book blog
VALHE
Otava, April 2025, 300 pp.
YKSIN
Otava, May 2024, 300 pp.
KOSTO
Otava, June 2023, 298 pp.
Reading material:
Full English manuscript and synopses (book #1-#3)
German edition of book #1: Revenge
English & German samples for book #1: Revenge
Series presentation
Finnish editions
The Kristinestad Murders #3: Lies
A bestselling crimance series with full English translations! The Kristinestad Murders series, which has captivated readers by tackling social issues, continues
✓ Crime & Romance – Crimance sensation from Finland!
✓ Full English translation of all 3 titles available!
✓ The Kristinestad Murders series has sold more than 50,000 copies in Finland!
✓ Rights for the series sold to Germany & Sweden!
✓ A crime novel series with a captivating romantic subplot: for fans of Viveca Sten’s The Sandhamn Murders, Mari Jungstedt and Åsa Larsson!
An idyllic summer evening in Kristinestad takes a chilling turn when a pool of blood is found on the steps of the Church of Ulrika Eleonora. Inspector Mats Bergholm interrupts his Midsummer celebrations to investigate the case and escape his distressing family situation.
Journalist Eevi Manner is adjusting to a new phase of life and being home from work, but can’t resist getting involved in the mystery that has gripped the town. At the same time, she worries about her new friend whose relationship is going sour.
Eevi and Mats cross paths again as the past is closing in with fatal consequences.
“Revenge starts with a wicked crime with a distressing motive [but] text has been written delicately. Fantastic work.”
– Satu Rämö, author (Hildur series)
The Kristinestad Murders is an atmospheric crime series set in a coastal town in Finland, with intriguing main characters and interpersonal relationships. The author Kaisu Tuokko combines the thrilling crime plots with societal issues, and the result hooks the reader. The first two books in the series have sold over 50,000 copies – and six installments are planned.
Also available:
The Kristinestad Murders #1: REVENGE
The body of a young man is discovered in the sea, and the criminal investigator Mats Bergholm is responsible for the case. At the same time, journalist Eevi Manner is sent to dig out a scoop of the event for the local newspaper. Both are surprised to find each other on the grim beach: the two have a past together – a past which they now need to set aside to solve the case.
The Kristinestad Murders #2: ALONE
An elderly woman is found dead in Kristinestad, malnourished, dirty, and abused. While Eevi uncovers harsh truths about the treatment of the elderly in Kristinestad, Mats and his team find another abused woman fighting for her life. Just as everything is heating up, Mats discovers a personal connection to the case he never saw coming.
“It’s rare to find the kind of emotion and warmth in a crime series that radiates from Kristinestad Murders. The story of the main characters, Mats and Eevi, is written with such warmth, skill, and addictive charm that after finishing Lies, you’re already craving the next installment. Fortunately, one is on the way.”
– @sivutuulta on Instagram
“Kaisu Tuokko perfectly balances the combination of a gorgeous, atmospheric setting and the aftermath of a terrible crime that exposes the eerie underbelly below the shiny surface of lovely Kristinestad. Mats and Eevi, a police investigator and a journalist, complement each other so well because one of them can always keep digging where the other one reaches their limits. And she proves that is no need for the character of the grumpy police officer. Her investigative team is capable and likeable – what more could you ask for?”
– Sarah Mainka, Editor, Aufbau Verlage, on The Kristinestad Murders #1: Revenge
FINLAND: Otava (orig.), Förlaget (Finnish-Swedish)
GERMANY: Aufbau Verlagsgruppe
SWEDEN: Förlaget
JÄRVI, JOKA MURTUI
Takamailla #4
Bazar, November 2025, 400 pp.
TUNTURI, JOKA ULVOI
Takamailla #3
Bazar, June 2025, 320 pp.
SUO, JOKA UPPOSI
Takamailla #2
Bazar, November 2024, 320 pp.
SAARI, JOKA REPESI
Takamailla #1
Bazar, February 2024, 400 pp.
Reading material:
Full English translations (books 2-3)
English sample (book 1)
English synopsis (books 1-2)
German sample (book 2)
Series presentation
Finnish editions (books 1-3)
The Outback Series #4: The Lake That Cracked
The Finnish Jens Lapidus! Full English translation of book 2 and 3!
✓ The Outback Series has sold more than 31,000 copies in Finland so far!
✓ An alternative to police procedurals – crimes as seen from the perspective of local people caught up in them
✓ The Outback Series has been compared to the TV series Fargo and the author has been hailed as the Finnish Jens Lapidus! Keskitalo also has been compared to Antti Tuomainen
✓ All books are standalones and can be read in any order
When Kari Kinnunen has made up his mind to cut down a forest, he cuts it down, no matter what endangered newt lives on his land. One can get rid of the creature by draining the waters of a small lake across the border as a nuisance for the Russians. But the water rushes in the wrong direction, destroys everything, and leaves Kari unable to speak. All that is left is a horrible find: four corpses lying on the lakebed.
The bodies found in the small lake remain a mystery for the people of Rautjärvi until a letter arrives at the office of the local newspaper. It also brings a new direction to the life of journalist Anna Vainikka who has been drifting aimlessly between her lover and her husband. The very same letter connects Anna to another fumbler – Kari – and the murderer behind the letter.
Also available:
The Outback Series #1: The Island Torn Apart
Korppoo: a place where many have died. It’s a beautiful place – serene, a little piece of paradise. A place where people offer apple pie to passers-by and lend their tractor to their neighbors. Where everyone greets each other, joys are shared and grudges are borne forever. Then, Jennifer from Helsinki buys a guest marina on the island and brings death with her.
Empty boats drift on the sea and a feeling of unease spreads among the islanders. Are these strange events just chance, or is everything somehow linked to Jennifer’s high-flying plans? Or is it the three Russians snapping up properties in the area at an ever-faster pace?
The Island Torn Apart promises the reader at least one thing – when the earth’s crust tears, things will be revealed that no one would have dared to dig out.
The Outback Series #2: The Swamp that Sank
17-year-old Maria would rather be dead than spend the evening at home with her family, waiting for information on whether the Kaski family will get a permit from the municipality to establish a competing gas station right next to theirs. When she manages to sneak onto the village road, the road brings her a Volvo Amazon and in it a forbidden fruit – Teemu Kaski, youngest of the Kaski siblings. The next morning, Maria remembers the taste of alcohol, the back seat of the car, Teemu, and her father’s rage. But not why she is covered in blood.
The events from years ago haunt Maria after she returns from prison to her home village of Revonlahti. The villagers do not celebrate her homecoming, and when new bodies are found in a nearby swamp, Maria is once again forced to try and find out what really happened.
The Outback Series #3: Howl of the Arctic Fell
Janita left the Muonio night to return home with a new love of her life. Nine hours later, she finds it hard to remember what it was about him that she fell in love with. But today, the mild aftertaste of a love adventure turns promisingly sweet.
Janita, aged 27, has been living out of control and has accumulated debts to every second person in Muonio. All that’s left is her own house with a backyard, next to which lives an old misanthrope called Odd. Despite the fiendish neighbour, Janita’s nocturnal chosen one offers to buy Janita’s house out of the blue. So all is for the better – or it would be if the property inspection wouldn’t produce a corpse as a by-product – and if Odd stayed on his own property.
In Joona Keskitalo’s The Outback Series, local communities across Finland investigate crimes with their own strength and questionable means, and each book is an independent narrative with its own inimitable characters.
“Keskitalo does completely his own thing. He is the most original of [Finland’s] thriller authors and now also shows that he is the most adaptable. [–] The narration is as dynamic and with switching points-of-view as in the previous titles. And the slow but inevitable tightening of the screw in terms of suspense keeps one hooked till the very end.”
– Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset newspaper, Finland
POISSA
WSOY, May 2025, 254 pp.
Reading material:
English synopsis & series presentation
Finnish edition
Follow the Butterfly series #3: Free
“FREE is one of the best crime novels of the spring, and the entire trilogy ranks among the finest ever written in Finland.”
– Taika Dahlbom in Helsingin Sanomat newspaper
✓ Third book in the international bestseller Follow the Butterfly trilogy!
✓ Rights to Follow the Butterfly have been sold to 16 territories, including UK & US and Film & TV adaptation in development by Legendary Tobis!
✓ Martta Kaukonen nominated for the Glass Key Award of 2024 and the Viktor Crime Award of 2024!
Is it worth it to dig up the truth?
The final installment of a critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling thriller series — a brilliant novel that deceives, hooks, and shakes you to the core
The year is 1995. Detective Chief Inspector Kerttu Leppänen and her husband Inspector Esko Koivuvyö are investigating the murder of a middle-aged woman. However, a mystery at the murder scene confounds the investigation: a bloody knife is lying on a pillow next to the body, even though it cannot possibly be the murder weapon.
Thirty years later, Ira wants to know the truth about her parents’ marriage. Why was her mother Marja afraid of her father Arto? And why does Arto refuse to answer Ira’s questions?
In different decades, Kerttu and Ira discover something very similar: if you unearth the truth, you must be prepared to face the consequences.
“Author Martta Kaukonen masterfully manipulates events in a way that keeps the reader constantly on alert. […] Her writing is carefully crafted yet effortlessly readable.”
– Maija Kääntä in Kulttuuritoimitus web magazine
“Free also works as a standalone, thanks especially to its well-crafted characters. [–] But the real highlight is how the novel disorients the reader — can you always trust the narrator? All in all, the story forms a clever web that manages to surprise.”
– Sari Toivakka, Keskisuomalainen newspaper
Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
GERMANY: Heyne
ICELAND: Storytel (audio & e-book)
TERAPIASSA
WSOY, March 2021, 471 pp.
HENGISSÄ
WSOY, December 2023, 271 pp.
Reading material:
English edition (books 1-2)
German edition (books 1-2)
Italian edition (book 1)
Finnish edition (books 1-3)
Follow the Butterfly
Can she cure a killer? An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn!
✓ Bestseller in Italy: over 20,000 copies sold! Published by Longanesi
✓ Film & TV Rights acquired by Legendary Tobis! English & German editions available! English edition available!
✓ Published in the UK & US in March 2024 to excellent reviews!
✓ An international bestseller by author and film critic Martta Kaukonen, sold in 16 territories!
✓ Nominated for the Glass Key Award of 2024 and the Viktor Crime Award of 2024!
Ira, 20, a serial killer who was abducted as a child, starts therapy with celebrity therapist Clarissa. Only one of them knows that they share a mutual secret from the past. Will the other one realize it before she gets murdered?
Clarissa is a middle-aged psychotherapist, the best in her field. Everyone’s seen her on TV and in glossy magazines. For her, every patient is a princess – and someone only she can save. Or can she? Clarissa already has one suicide to answer for; a teenage boy’s death never ceases to haunt her. Ira’s sessions with Clarissa begin a cat-and-mouse game where no one’s following the rules.
The kind of game that never ends well.
German series production company Legendary Tobis TV has acquired the rights to develop it into a German language series.
“We are very excited to start working on “Therapiert” (Follow the Butterfly) by Martta Kaukonen, which is one of the most thrilling debuts of this year. With its strong female characters and surprising twists, it is perfect for a series adaptation”, says Isabel Hund, CEO of Legendary Tobis.
Also available:
Book #2: Meet Me in the Darkness
Four years have passed since the events of Follow the Butterfly. Ira and Arto have teamed up, and both work as crime journalists for the Helsinki Today. Everything’s going nicely, until Ira starts suspecting there’s a serial killer on the loose in Helsinki.
The murders are investigated by Senior Crime Inspector Kerttu Leppänen, who leads the murder unit and eagerly waits for retirement. Unsolved cases haunt Kerttu, who is unable to forgive herself.
The past catches up with all of them – if they were ever free from its clutches in the first place…
“Breathlessly plotted, deviously constructed, and brought to vivid, twisted life by an antiheroine for the ages… An utterly beguiling debut. This isn’t just a thriller you sink your teeth into—it’s a thriller that sinks its teeth right back into you.”
– Elizabeth Little, author of Pretty as a Picture, US, on Follow the Butterfly
“Martta Kaukonen provides a modern psychological pacer, with Follow the Butterfly [—], a Finnish work about the psychoanalysis of a serial killer, a work with multiple narrators and a mass of puzzles as links between the characters are shaken in the kaleidoscope of the plot.”
– Jeremy Black, The Critic, UK, on Follow the Butterfly
“Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.”
– Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom
“Meet Me in the Darkness is brain gymnastics similar to a Sudoku puzzle, which makes even the most experienced reader of the genre stumble over their own feet.”
– Anette Joelsson, criminal psychologist, Psykologi magazine, on Meet Me in the Darkness
BESTSELLING!
Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECHIA: Kniha Zlin/Albatros
DENMARK: Falco
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne (2-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios
HUNGARY: Partvonal (2-book-deal)
ITALY: Longanesi
ICELAND: Storytel (3-book deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca (2-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press (2-book deal)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press (2-book deal)
WORLD ARABIC: Al Arabi Publishing
WORLD ENGLISH (Audio): Audible
RIGHTS FILM & TV: Legendary Tobis TV
LUMILEOPARDIN SYDÄN
Tammi, August 2025, 367 pp.
Reading material:
English sample + synopsis book 5-6
English editions books 1-3
Finnish editions 1-6
Bodyguard #6: The Snow Leopard’s Heart
The hunted becomes the hunter
✓ The New York Times Nordic Noir Guide recommends Lehtolainen’s Maria Kallio series!
✓ Finland’s bestselling female crime writer!
✓ Lehtolainen’s work has been translated to over 30 languages!
✓ Full English editions of books 1-3
✓ Each book can be read as stand alone
Hilja Ilveskero, the Bodyguard, is a woman of action who follows her own path, is openly sexual, takes a man when she wants, and lives alone without attachments.
Hilja Ilveskero is hired as a bodyguard to social media influencer Elise Selin. Selin has been receiving death threats since taking up commercial collaboration with a questionable company.
Hilja’s new employment takes her to Leysin in Switzerland, the majestic mountains of which are familiar to her from many years ago. Then, an accident occurs – or was it an attempted murder?
Having returned to Finland, Hilja is caught up in a mystery that forces her to confront her past and question everything she’s ever known. Who is ultimately the prey and who is the hunter? Has Hilja inadvertently gotten involved in events so complex that they are impossible to survive?
Also available:
Book #1: The Bodyguard (2009)
Book #2: The Lion of Justice (2011)
Book #3: The Devil’s Cubs (2012)
Book #4: The Eye of the Tiger (2016)
Book #5: The Lynx Factor (2021)
“Hilja Ilveskero is an intriguing exception in Finnish crime fiction, which certainly abounds with female police characters, but not with a woman of action like her — one who follows her own path, is openly sexual, takes a man when she wants, and otherwise lives alone without attachments.”
– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper (on Bodyguard #5)
NEW!
Rights sold to Bodyguard series: (rights reverted *)
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ARABIC: Al Arabi
*ARMENIA: Guitank Publishing (book 1)
*CZECH REPUBLIC: ARGO (books 1-3
*FRANCE: Hachette (books 1-3)
GERMANY: Rowohlt (books 1-5)
*NETHERLANDS: Unieboek (book 1-3)
RUSSIA: Azbooka-Atticus (books 1-3)
*SPAIN: Destino (books 1-3)
*TAIWAN: Linking Publishing books 1-3
*TURKEY: Nemesis Yayıncılık (books 1-3)
UNITED STATES: Amazon Publishing (books 1-3)
*rights reverted, Bodyguard series now available!
VIIDES ARTIKLA
Gummerus, October 2025, 450 pp.
Reading material:
English synopsis
Janne Peura series #2: Article 5
A secret plan is afoot that threatens the European financial system, while special forces prepare for a fight no one sees coming. For fans of espionage novels, thriller enthusiasts and those fascinated by today’s geopolitical tension and those who seek more than just action.
✓ Aamos Honka’s work with Finnish intelligence agencies gives him insider access to the world of national security and foreign intelligence
✓ His first book, Crimson Web, has been a critical success and an instant bestseller with more than 15,000 copies sold!
✓ For readers of Tom Clancy, David Baldacci, Jeffrey Archer and John Le Carré
✓ Second book in the extremely timely and realistic Janne Peura series
A strike team murders a banker in his castle on the Scottish moors. At the same time, hackers are close to breaching a bank’s security measures. A secret plan is afoot that threatens the European financial system.
In Finland, it has been noticed that Belarus is moving refugees and military equipment close to the border with Lithuania. Tiina Mäkelä, detective at the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service, is sent on a dangerous undercover assignment to find out what is going on.
Janne Peura has been assigned as a defence attaché in Washington, DC. The United States is on the brink of civil war and soon Janne finds himself in the middle of events that have a direct impact on the security of not only Finland, but the entire NATO alliance.
TO BE PUBLISHED: Janne Peura #2 is a modern thriller that combines espionage, technology, and international politics in a ruthless game. In this war, it’s not just about bullets being fired – it’s also about algorithms.
PUNAINEN VERKKO
Gummerus, January 2025, 489 pp.
Reading material:
English sample (chapters 1-6) and synopsis
German sample (chapters 7-12)
Finnish edition
Janne Peura series #1: Crimson Web
A frighteningly topical debut thriller from an insider in the intelligence world, revealing the hidden heart of secret ops and hybrid warfare
✓ Aamos Honka’s work with Finnish intelligence agencies gives him insider access to the world of national security and foreign intelligence
✓ Already a critical success and an instant bestseller – more than 15,000 copies sold!
✓ For readers of Tom Clancy, David Baldacci, Jeffrey Archer and John Le Carré
✓ The book reflects today’s geopolitical tensions, developments in AI technology and the impact of hybrid influence
✓ First book in the Janne Peura -series
Crimson Web is an international espionage thriller that gets to the heart of hybrid influence, cyber threats and the geopolitical game. The story interweaves personal tragedies, global tensions and technological threats. Events intertwine in Helsinki, Wuhan, and London as different actors approach the crisis from their own perspectives.
The focus is on Janne Peura, a hybrid threat expert at the Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency, and Laura, a cyber specialist at Supo (Finnish Security and Intelligence Service). They join forces to expose a large-scale international operation involving Chinese and Russian hybrid influence projects, as well as China’s AI-based influence efforts.
Once you read the book, the news headlines will never look the same to you.
“One rarely encounters as great a debut thriller as the 50-year-old Aamos Honka’s literary debut Crimson Web, published in January. [–] In his novel, Honka has succeeded in creating a thrilling and even authentic atmosphere that keeps [the readers] in its grip until the end.”
– Jari Olavi Hiltunen, Satakunnan Kansa newspaper, Finland
“The book delivers absolutely brilliant intensity. The thriller draws you in and keeps you tightly in its grip. At times, the pace is downright breathtakingly exciting.”
– Luetut.net book blog
“With his debut, Aamos Honka made my blood run cold. – When things get going, they do so with such speed and astonishment that even the most cynical reader is left breathless. – The series starts off quite powerfully, so expectations are high for what follows.”
– Kirsin kirjanurkka book blog
“A great book for fans of espionage novels.”
– Kuunneltua blog
Tammi, 2019, 395 pp.
PAHAN VERKKO
Tammi, 2020, 448 pp.
KAUNA
Tammi, 2021, 430 pp.
LOUKKO
Tammi, 2022, 358 pp.
Reading material:
English editions
Jessica Niemi series
New York Times Bestselling and Spiegel Bestselling series
✓ Hollywood News: The Faithful Reader, #1 in Jessica Niemi Series, adaptation moving to production for an English-language TV series with Greg Silverman/Stampede Ventures
✓ A New York Times Bestseller! Max Seeck’s books have sold over 1 million copies worldwide and sold 41 countries and Hollywood!
✓ Book #3 The Last Grudge won the Glass Key Award of 2023!
✓ Max Seeck’s books have sold over 400,000 copies in Finland!
Book #1: The Witch Hunter
Detective Jessica Niemi is called to investigate an unordinary murder case. The wife of a famous writer, Roger Koponen, seems to have been killed in a bizarre ritual. As more ritual murders occur, it becomes obvious that Jessica is after a serial killer. But the murders are not random – they follow a pattern taken from Roger’s bestselling trilogy. Has a fan gone mad, or is this case more personal?
“The Witch Hunter, translated with icy precision by Kristian London, is written in short, sharp, present tense chapters, a technique which adds to its relentless tension. Flashbacks to earlier episodes in Jessica’s life suggest that the strangeness currently unfolding is tied to her personal history. Discovering the how and why of it brings a resolution as bleak as anything Poe might have conjured.”
– The Wall Street Journal
Book #2: The Ice Coven
Detective Jessica Niemi and her team have a new mystery on the table: a young woman’s corpse has been found on an icy beach, and two famous Instagram influencers have gone missing at the same time. While following the clues that are hidden deeply in Instagram Jessica struggles to keep her head clear. She keeps having repeating nightmares about her mother. And she has a feeling that something really awful is approaching her from the darkness…
“A gripping page-turner. The novel’s compelling, exciting side cast of characters and the intense, twisting revelations of the case keep the pace of this book rushing forward to its climax. Thriller fans will finish The Ice Coven and be impatient to start the third, teased volume of the series.”
– Booklist, USA
Book #3: The Last Grudge
Prominent business executive Eliel Zetterborg is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Zetterborg gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process. But the murder motive becomes less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. As Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to be getting nearer and nearer…
“The Last Grudge combines a classic locked room mystery and an action plot with murders and all, thus reminding one of both the world of Peter Wimsey, by Dorothy L. Sayers, and of the media-sexy descriptions of a battle of power within a powerful family, as evidenced by HBO’s Succession series. The title is written in a gripping and exciting way, merging homeliness and horror in a way that’s very popular in crime literature at the moment.”
– Glass Key Award jury 2023
Book #4: Ghost Island
Jessica Niemi travels to a remote island in the Åland archipelago, hoping to be left alone. At the same time, three elderly visitors, the remaining ‘birds of spring’ – former refugees who fled Finland as children during World War II and lived together for a few months in an orphanage on the island – arrive on the island. When one of the ‘birds of spring’ is found dead and Jessica learns about two other deaths also connected to the orphanage, Jessica can’t be sure if she’s facing a killer or— like a legend says—the ghost of Maija, a girl in a blue coat who would stand on the pier, looking out at the dark water until disappearing one night, never to be seen again. Uncertain what is real and what is not, Jessica desperately searches for answers that she hopes will stop the murders and finally silence her own demons once and for all…
“The fourth installment of the Jessica Niemi series of detective novels is the best to date and proves Seeck’s mastery of the genre’s traditions.”
– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Finland, starred review
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers (World Arabic)
ARMENIA: Guitank
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BELGIUM, A.W. Bruna
BULGARIA: EMAS
CANADA: Berkley/Penguin Random House
CROATIA: Fokus (Book 1)
CZECHIA: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon (Books 1-2)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
GREECE: Livanis (Book 1-2)
HUNGARY: Animus
ICELAND: Forlagid
ISRAEL: Tchelet Books (Book 1)
ITALY: Piemme (Books 1-2)
KOREA: Cheongmirae
LATIN AMERICA: Editorial Maeva/Maeva Noir
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos (Book 1)
MACEDONIA: Matica (Books 1-3)
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga (Books 1-2)
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora (Books 1-2)
ROMANIA: Litera (Books 1-2)
RUSSIA: AST
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motýľ
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SPAIN: Editorial Maeva/Maeva Noir (Book 1)
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap
UKRAINE: Family Leisure Club
UNITED KINGDOM & COMMONWEALTH: Welbeck Publishing UK
UNITED STATES: Berkley/Penguin Random House
FILM & TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures (Greg Silverman)
KUKA PIMEÄSSÄ KULKEE
Otava, June 2025, 380 pp.
KUINKA KUOLEMA KOHDATAAN
Otava, April 2024, 400 pp.
ENNEN KUIN TULEE PIMEÄÄ
Otava, September 2022, 416 pp.
KUN JÄLJET KATOAVAT
Otava, May 2021, 428 pp.
KUN KUNINGAS KUOLEE
Otava, May 2020, 495 pp.
Reading material:
English synopsis (books 1–5)
English samples (books 1–3)
German editions (books 1–3)
French editions (books 1–2)
Finnish editions
Saana Havas #5: Who Wanders in the Dark
The fifth novel by the world-conquering Finnish crime novel queen is atmospheric suspense at its best!
✓ Elina Backman is one of Finland’s bestselling fiction authors!
✓ English-language TV series in development – rights sold in 17 territories
✓ Elina Backman’s books have sold over 150,000 copies in Finland!
✓ Tana French meets Jo Nesbo
The shared summer holiday of journalist Saana Havas and crime investigator Jan Leino is interrupted when the body of a 40-year-old man is found in the Katri Vala park in Helsinki. Next to the body is a letter addressed to Jani. When another body with another note is found in the Sofianlehto park, Jani is forced to confront his past mistakes.
Saana travels to the old industrial village of Mathildedal to be a dog sitter for her childhood friend. The villagers are shocked by the appearance of a sign bearing the name of a young woman who disappeared in the village a few years ago. Who has left the sign and what do they know about the missing girl?
Elina Backman’s Saana Havas series has charmed readers in Finland and abroad, selling to 17 territories. The main character of the series, Saana Havas, is a Finnish journalist who ends up solving crime cases and setting up true crime podcasts based on her cases. Backman’s debut, All the King’s Men, immediately prompted the press to call her a new star in the crime scene, and the atmospheric and elegant sequels have continued to captivate readers. The series has been compared to Tana French meeting Jo Nesbø and all books in the series have been bestsellers.
Also available:
Book #1: All the King’s Men
Saana has been fired from her job as a click-bait journalist, so she decides to spend a summer with her aunt in a small town named Hartola. It sounds like a perfect opportunity to take it easy and recover. But when Saana begins to dig into a case of a teenage girl who died 30 years earlier, the peace of the small town is shaken.
Meanwhile in Helsinki a fire-marked body is found at Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, and crime investigator Jan Leino and his team have a new case in their hands. However, the investigation isn’t going anywhere, and Jan fears that the murder at King’s Gate is just the beginning. Saana and Jan continue working on their own cases until their paths cross – for more than one reason.
Book #2: Still Waters Run Deep
Three young men are making a documentary film about a mystical hermit, living in the Isle of Sheep in Helsinki. First, one of them disappears, then another one. When one of them is found dead in the nearby nature reserve, the police becomes involved.
Saana Havas, recovering from burnout, hears that her colleague’s younger brother has gone missing and decides to set up a true crime podcast to help with the search. Meanwhile, police commissioner Jan Leino and his team are investigating the disappearance and possible murder of the documentary makers. When young men disappear and die, it’s often regarded as just an accident. But could it be that someone is actually hunting for them?
Book #3: Before the Polar Night Falls
A woman working for a law firm approaches Saana Havas to help with the mystery of her sister’s death. Her sister was found dead in a swamp near the Angeli village in Northern Lapland in 1998, and the murderer has never been caught. The police have given up on the case, no witnesses were ever found in the area of Lapland that covers hundreds of kilometers.
Saana promises to help her and receives all the material the client has collected. Part of this is a manuscript the woman wrote when investigating the case herself years ago. Saana travels to the North and investigates as the winter and polar night keeps creeping closer.
Book #4: How to Face Death
Saana Havas is spending midsummer with her Aunt Inkeri in Kaunissaari, Kotka, renovating her aunt’s friend’s villa and getting to know the mysterious neighborhood. When the midsummer celebrations end fatally, the dark history of the island begins to unravel.
The summer plans of Saana’s boyfriend, police officer Jan Leino, are changed by the murder of a Finnish art collector in Nice. The message left by the murderer puts Jan on his toes. Will there be more victims? And how is everything related to a long-forgotten death?
“The author manages to tell a well-woven, modern and varied story. The flashbacks to 1989, in particular, give the book depth and rhythm. The characters are worked out wonderfully and they are all Finnish weird in their own sympathetic way. As with any good read, you don’t want to put the book down at the end [—]. Looking forward to more…”
– E.Fischer on lovelybook.de
“Damn good detective crime, written by a very intelligent author! We’re talking here about Finland’s best crime writer in so many ways, and one of the Nordic countries’ most charming set of characters: journalist Saana and police investigator Jan. In this novel, which has a classical style throughout, intense violence is not the focus, and there are many indications we’re dealing with a mature author. She has convinced me that crime fiction doesn’t have to be filled with violence.”
– Simen Ingemundsen, Randaberg24.no, Norway
NEW!
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ALBANIA: Dritan (1 book)
CZECHIA: Grada (1 book)
DENMARK: Gyldendal (3 books)
ESTONIA: Varrak (2 books)
GERMANY: Piper Verlag (3 books)
FRANCE: HarperCollins France (2 books)
HUNGARY: Maxim (2 books)
ITALY: Newton Compton (3 books)
LITHUANIA: BALTO (1 book)
NETHERLANDS: De Bezige Bij/Cargo (2 books)
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm (2 books)
POLAND: Czarna Owca (2 books)
ROMANIA: Lebada Neagra (1 book)
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber (2 books)
SLOVAKIA: Arkus (3 books)
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken (3 books)
FILM & TV RIGHTS: Aurora Studios
LAVASTAJA
WSOY, August 2024, 320 pp.
VAPAHTAJA
WSOY, August 2023, 366 pp.
HÄVÄISTYT
WSOY, August 2022, 398 pp.
VAIETTU
WSOY, May 2021, 402 pp.
HYVITYS
WSOY, January 2020, 356 pp.
VERIVELKA
WSOY, May 2019, 408 pp.
Reading material:
English synopsis for books 1-6
English samples of books 1–5
German editions (books 1–4)
French editions (books 1–3)
Series presentation
Finnish editions (books 1-6)
River Delta Series
Henning Mankell meets Stephen King! Arttu Tuominen’s unique human touch and excellence in depicting characters combined with shocking horror elements brings originality to Nordic Noir
✓ Arttu Tuominen is a Palle Rosenkrantz Prize-winning and a Spiegel Bestselling author! He was shortlisted for the Glass Key Awards 2021, a nominee Book Beat Finland’s Best Finnish Crime Author 2021–2023 and won the ‘Clue of the Year’ Crime Novel of the Year Award 2020!
✓ The River Delta series has been sold to 6 territories!
✓ Over 230,000 copies sold in Finland!
The River Delta series is set in the city of Pori by the Gulf of Bothnia and focuses on a Finnish police unit that has to solve crimes that force them to consider their own acts and values. In turn, each of the officers of the unit is centered in the narration, having to face their own ghosts from the past. The River Delta series has seen commercial success and garnered praise from readers and critics alike, both at home and abroad. Each novel can be read as a standalone.
Books in the River Delta series:
River Delta #1: The Oath
A touching and engaging crime novel about secrets and guilt. Commissioner Jari Paloviita works on a murder case where the prime suspect is an old friend he feels indebted to.
River Delta #2: Jeopardy
The grenade attack on the restaurant claims casualties – and at the same time threatens to expose Chief Commissioner Henrik Oksman’s life-long secret.
River Delta #3: Silenced
Pori police detectives Jari Paloviita, Linda Toivonen and Henrik Oksman are faced with an exceptionally cruel series of crimes against elderly citizens. Soon they are dealing with international crime, and one of the taboos of the Finnish war story is connected to the investigation.
River Delta #4: Shamed
An investigation into a girl’s murder takes the police into the world of predators hiding on the Internet and becomes personal for Senior constable Linda Toivonen, whose daughter knew the young victim.
River Delta #5: The Liberator
The charred body of a man is discovered on a sports field in Pori. Suspicions are directed at a group of young adults known to have harassed rough sleepers in the past. When a second arson attack is caught on CCTV, the Pori police are forced to take the attacks seriously as rumours on the street talk of a ‘liberator’ offering the wretched eternal life and freedom from pain.
River Delta #6: The Stager
A family is watching TV together on a remote forest farm. What could be more idyllic? Except that they have all been killed and embalmed. Soon, another family is found, equally immortalized. Henrik Oksman, Jari Paloviita and Linda Toivonen of the Pori criminal police unit, under the leadership of Susanna Manner, quickly realize there’s a serial killer on the move who finds the presentation of the victims more important than the murders themselves. The police will find out they too have roles written for them in this cruel play. Will everyone make it to the end of the show?
“The River Delta series is certainly one of the most interesting European crime series at the moment. […] Arttu Tuominen proves once again that he is no longer an insider tip, but is currently one of the best Nordic suspense writers.”
– Thomas Gisbertz, Krimi-Couch, Germany on book #4, Shamed
“Arttu Tuominen, one of the rising stars of Nordic crime fiction. […] A captivating noir novel, with frightening flashbacks.”
– Le Figaro magazine, France
“Arttu Tuominen confirms his talent when it comes to sketching ambivalent characters, in which all the ambiguity of a society… and its history is reflected.”
– Télérama, France
Rights sold to River Delta Series:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
DENMARK: Modtryk (6 books)
FRANCE: La Martinière (4 books)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (6 books)
NETHERLANDS: De Fontein (6 books)
SLOVENIA: Litera (3 books)
SWEDEN: Lind & Co (3 books)
FILM & TV: Lucy Loves Drama
Swedish original manuscript, 82,000 words
Reading material:
Swedish manuscript
English sample and synopsis
Synopses of book #2 and book #3
The Last Word
Anne Hietanen, Michaela von Kügelgen
The Last Word is a novel about family, honour and keeping up appearances – at any cost
✓ First installment in a new Helsinki Noir crime trilogy by renowned journalist-writer team
✓ For fans of Lars Kepler – with a softer twist
✓ Rights to Helsinki Soft Noir Series sold in pre-empts in Denmark and Sweden
✓ Publication of The Last Word planned for 2026
During the Helsinki Book Fair, author David Berglund is found dead in the Helsinki harbour – the same day he was set to receive a literary prize. His wife Aurora is almost due to have their first child, and the family idyll he always dreamed of would finally become a reality.
Philip Koski, a national hockey hero whose career was cut short by an injury, just joined the Helsinki Police Department and is assigned to the case. Philip struggles to cope with his new job, along with the fact people see him as nothing more than a has-been.
At the same time, cultural journalist Tilde Björkqvist digs into David’s story. The last person to interview him, encountering a man whose words of joy and gratitude did not match his desperate appereance. At work, Tilde struggles against antiquated hierarchies – why are they impeding her investigation of the young writer?
Meanwhile, Åsa Stråhle, head of the Bohre Foundation, is beside herself with grief. After years of trying to conceive, she is still childless. David and his twin brother Adam are the closest thing to a family she has, but she lost contact with Adam after he immersed himself in society’s dark underbelly. Åsa tries to keep up her façade while everything around her is falling apart.
Upcoming titles in the series:
Book #2: Deep Water
Philip Koski feels pressure as a new police officer. When a young elite swimmer is found dead, and then another right after, Philip is thrown into the investigation, tearing open old wounds from his former life. Deep Water is about striving for success, whatever the cost.
Book #3: Deadly Contract
During a crisp September morning, Helsinki politician and businessman Bjarne Holmström is found dead in his home. His death reveals secret contracts and corruption both on political and business level. Deadly Contract is a novel about absolute power.
“The Last Word is a crime novel that grabs the reader from the very first page and never lets go. You can really feel that the authors had fun writing it! And Tilde and Philip are perfect as the main characters, a match made in heaven, just like the book’s authors.”
– Martin Welander, publisher, Schildts & Söderströms, Finland
“We are so happy to add Anne Hietanen and Michaela von Kügelgen’s captivating, well written and intelligent crime novels to our list. The Last Word will definitely appeal to the many readers and fans of Nordic crime novels in Denmark. The writing is sharp with believable characters in an atmospheric setting. We look forward to publishing the series and welcoming Anne Hietanen and Michaela von Kügelgen to the Gyldendal family.”
– Mette Bentholm, Wapi and Cicero/Gyldendal, Denmark
FINLAND: Schildts & Söderströms (orig. Finland-Swedish)
DENMARK: Cicero/Gyldendal (print), Word Audio Publishing WAPI (e-book & audio)
SWEDEN: Schildts & Söderströms
JÄLJET
Tammi, January 2025, 382 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis,
German sample,
Finnish edition
Traces
“Perfect suspense!” – Max Seeck, New York Times bestselling author
The opening of a gripping crime series set in trendy Tampere
✓ A fresh, psychologically perceptive crime novel
✓ A gripping story that takes the readers from industrial Tampere to the German island of Fehmarn and finally to the fells of Northern Finland
✓ Second book in the series coming in 2026!
✓ Over 10,000 copies sold in Finland!
There are secrets whose revelation will have fatal consequences. There is no escaping them, no matter how hard you try. Must one always pay for their mistakes?
A well-liked pharmacist is found murdered at his workplace. Suspicion falls on pharmacist Joanna Vihervuori, the last person to see her boss alive. Joanna insists she is innocent, but the case begins to twist around her in a strange way.
For Tampere Police Detective Inspector Taro Auramo, this murder investigation is the place to prove himself. The white dust on the dead pharmacist’s cheek raises doubts about whether his business is completely clean, and soon nothing will be as it seems.
Psychologically astute and utterly addictive, Traces is the first in the Taro Auramo crime series set in Tampere. Book #2 is slated to be published in 2026 and book #3 in 2027.
Book #2 LIFEBLOOD VAI BLEEDING
A sports legend dies of blood loss under mysterious circumstances, and just a few days later, another victim is found. Responsibility for investigating the crime spiral falls to Taro Auramo, who is also handling another unusual case. A traumatized boy has been found wandering near the city’s border, and no one is asking about him. The investigations become intertwined in an unexpected way. At the same time, Taro tries to settle into summery Pispala, area world-renowned for its picturesque wooden houses and its nature, and allow himself to fall in love.
Lifeblood / Bleeding is the second crime novel in the atmospheric Taro Auramo series.
“Harju demonstrates her prowess in creating captivating and atmospheric scenes…”
– Taika Dahlbom, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Finland
“Anna Harju turns out to be an expert at weaving plotlines together and so skillful a writer that the story carries the reader with it [–]. I didn’t guess the perpetrator nor the motive. [–] Anna Harju has all the prerequisites for [–] writing surprising, psychologically perceptive, and thrilling crime stories.”
– Kai Hirvasnoro, Kirjoja hyllystäni book blog
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
SULJETTU TALO
Otava, January 2025, 335 pp.
PAKENE ENNEN AAMUA
Otava, December 2023, 282 pp.
KÄÄRMEIDEN MAA
Otava, December 2022, 364 pp.
ONNELLISTEN SAARI
Otava, January 2022, 396 pp.
Reading material:
English synopses (books 1–4)
English sample (books #1 and #2)
Finnish editions
Ronja Vaara Series #4: The Cracked Facade
The Ronja Vaara crime series, which has captivated readers, returns to Lauttasaari
✓ The Ronja Vaara series has sold over 65,000 copies in Finland!
✓ Rights for the series have been sold to 5 territories!
The remains of a body are found under the floor of a hospital undergoing renovations in Helsinki. At the same time, a murder takes place in an estate known as Lauttasaari Young Economists’ Houses. Inspector Anton Koivu investigates both cases and, as the investigation progresses, surprising connections between them are revealed.
Journalist Ronja Vaara is interested in the murder because her mother, who has returned to Finland, knew people connected to the case in her youth. Ronja is puzzled by her mother’s strange behaviour: the woman’s carefully maintained front is cracking. Is she hiding something?
The popular Ronja Vaara series is addictive with surprising plot twists and endearing depictions of human relationships.
Also available:
Ronja Vaara #1: Murder on the Isle of Bliss
After living abroad for many years, thirty-something Ronja returns to her childhood home in Lauttasaari, Helsinki after her father is found murdered by the seaside. Welcoming her back are a group of old friends and the young police officer assigned to the case who does not seem to be doing his work properly. Using the skills she’s learned from working as a journalist, Ronja starts investigating herself.
Ronja Vaara #2: Land of Serpents
When the body of a young woman is found on Käärmesaari (Serpent Island) near Helsinki, Ronja’s new boss at the local newspaper senses an opportunity to make the newspaper the prime source for any information on the case. Reluctantly, Ronja contacts the chief investigator Anton Koivu, who is surprisingly willing to leak confidential information to Ronja – if she does him a favor in return. Soon, another death shocks the people of Lauttasaari and a surprising guest from the past throws the investigation off balance.
Ronja Vaara #3: Flee Before the Dawn
Ronja, Milla and Ansku together with their partners decide on a weekend getaway on the island of the historical Bengtskär lighthouse to enjoy time in the sauna and relax. Milla also wants to introduce her new partner, a celebrity businessman. The group barely has time to raise a toast before the mini getaway turns into a big nightmare. An autumn storm wreaks havoc, and Milla is missing as the women are meant to go to the sauna. The storm makes searching for Milla hard and cuts off the connection to the mainland. As the night advances, it becomes painfully clear that Milla’s disappearance is only the beginning.
“Eeva Louko’s Island of Bliss offers a highly atmospheric setting and an elaborate web of relationships that we, as readers, need to untangle in order to discover the dark truth behind the blissful façade. I love that everything in this book is personal and I’m convinced that this series has a huge potential to fascinate German readers.”
– Janina Dyballa, Editor, Heyne Verlag, Germany
“Eeva Louko has an excellent penmanship, the plot is fluid and the dialogues brilliant [–]. The analysis of the characters is perfectly centered, and they are well-rounded. I look forward to the next part.”
– Marina Toniolo on thrillernord.it, Italy
Rights sold to Ronja Vaara Series:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu (2 books)
GERMANY: Heyne (1 book)
ITALY: Newton Compton (1 book)
POLAND: Czwarta Strona (1 book)
New in Romance and Feel-Good
Schildts & Söderströms, June 2025, 285 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Swedish edition
Finnish edition
Summer at Villa Hilda
Many people dream of a second chance in life, but how many dare to take it?
✓ Film & TV rights acquired by Good Hand Production for an international TV show!
✓ Rights sold to 8 territories pre-publication! 3-book-deals to Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway! Publication in Sweden and Finland in June 2025!
✓ For fans of experiencing romance and hardships through people of different ages, a story set in the beautiful Swedish archipelago, told with warmth and humor
✓ Mamma Mia vibes on a remote Swedish island
✓ The latest novel by the Finland-Swedish author and journalist!
Far out in the Stockholm archipelago lies the island of Halsterö. Journalist Thomas and former celebrity chef Louise travel there to work at the Villa Hilda guesthouse. They are both broken after many setbacks and are hoping for a fresh start. But setting up a summer paradise is not as easy as one might think, not even on the idyllic Halsterö island.
One day Louise stumbles across a collection of old love letters. Who wrote them, and what stories does Villa Hilda hide in its dusty attic? And how will Thomas manage to take care of his dementia-stricken mother while setting up an archipelago guesthouse?
Summer at Villa Hilda is about how difficult it is to be human among other people, but also about how, with the help of others, one can find one’s way back to life.
This novel is the first part of the Villa Hilda series and will be published in June 2025. The following titles will concentrate on the people living on the picturesque Halsterö island and will tentatively be published in February 2026 and August 2026.
Villa Hilda #2 synopsis
Even as a child, Sanne had a plan: leave Halsterö and never return. She has lived in the center of Stockholm for many years, but longs to go even further away. When she snags her dream job in Oslo, she sees her chance to start over.
But in February, just before the move, her mother Birgit falls seriously ill, and Sanne is forced to return to Halsterö where she grew up. She and her son Max move into her childhood home, and everything she has worked so hard for slips through her fingers.
At first Sanne is angry and annoyed to be back on Halsterö, but in the company of people who live on the island, she is reminded that living on Halsterö wasn’t always awful. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll give love another chance.
“I could literally feel the sun, smell the delicious food, and now I’m longing to try the perfect cinnamon buns that Louise bakes for her guests. The writing is so warm and beautiful that it feels as if you’ve been there yourself – a book like a perfect summer vacation.”
– Heide Kloth, publisher, Aufbau Verlage, Germany
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Schildts & Söderströms (orig. Finland-Swedish, Finnish)
DENMARK: Lindhardt og Ringhof
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Aufbau Verlage
HUNGARY: Athenaeum
NETHERLANDS: Singel Uitgevers
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Schildts & Söderströms
FILM & TV: Good Hand Production
HELMISORMUS KIRJEKUORESSA
Bazar, January 2025, 444 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Pearl Ring, Enclosed
A captivating two-timeline novel contrasting the fast-paced life of a modern social media influencer from New York with the quiet, traditional rhythms of a small town in North Karelia, Finland, woven together by a mysterious pearl ring connected to the Titanic
✓ First book in the Yellow House Chronicles romantic feelgood series with a Finnish cultural setting
✓ Bestseller – Pearl Ring, Enclosed has sold over 13,000 copies in Finland!
✓ For the readers of Beth O’Leary, Mhairi McFarlane, Lucinda Riley, Jojo Moyes…
✓ Readers have praised the characters and their relationships as heart-warming
Two women, two choices, and a secret from a century ago. A fresh new Finnish romance series for fans of Lucinda Riley.
Mari Renko’s Pearl Ring, Enclosed is a delightful and charming novel that takes place in two different times, where the sparkling world of social media and boring everyday life come crashing together as a woman from New York sets out to trace the fascinating story of a ring that has been passed down in her family.
On the shore of Lake Pielinen in North-Eastern Finland stands a weathered yellow wooden house. The house is home to Henri Ikonen and his younger siblings, of whom he is taking care of. One day, Caroline Taylor steps onto the front yard of the house, wearing luxurious high heels and bringing with her an old letter and a pearl ring that she insists are related to the Ikonen family. Henri is not delighted to see this surprise guest, but this social media influencer and socialite turns Henri’s sawdust-smelling everyday life upside down. At the same time, Caroline’s own glamorous life in New York is in danger of slipping from her hands like an Instagram story.
In another time, in 1912, Anna has just married, left Nurmes behind, and steps onto the deck of the RMS Titanic with a singer’s career in her dreams. When Anna meets a handsome businessman on the ship, melodies of hope start sounding in her unruly heart.
Pearl Ring, Enclosed is an irresistible reading experience that takes the readers from the glittering Atlantic to the shores of rural Lake Pielinen in North Karelia. Each novel in this series focuses on the life and love of one of the Ikonen siblings.
“If you also love books where someone moves to a small town, unexpectedly falls in love with the locals, and realizes the place feels like home, then this is your book! A really solid start to the series and I’m eagerly looking forward to the continuation!”
–Karo, Lohja, Suomalainen Kirjakauppa book store staff recommendation
PITSIHUNTUUN KUISKATTU
Bazar, August 2025, 448 pp.
Reading material:
English synopsis
Finnish edition
Whispers in Lace
A tender two-timeline novel that contrasts the lives of strong women navigating love and challenges in a small North Karelian town, with the historical narrative taking readers back to 1939, when war transforms lives and sets the stage for a story filled with fragility and hope
✓ Second book in the Yellow House chronicles with a rich Finnish cultural setting
✓ Book three is being published in 2026!
✓ The first book in the series has sold over 13,000 copies in Finland!
✓ Romantic friends-to-lovers tale that resonates with contemporary readers
Two women of their own ways, same fragile dream
Mari Renko’s Whispers in Lace is a poignant novel that takes place in two different times and takes the readers to the familiar yellow wooden house on the shore of lake Pielinen, to the Ikonen family.
To everyone’s surprise, Kaarlo Ikonen, the prodigal son, has returned to Nurmes and signed up as a doctor at the local clinic. It quickly turns out that the bachelor has no plans to settle down. Kaarlo’s best friend Saana Lahtinen, who has lived next door to Kaarlo since they were children, has instead decided to turn a new page in her life and become a single mother. The fickle and inconstant doctor Ikonen suddenly feels that he is losing his friend. How will their relationship fare when Saana ends up asking the capricious Kaarlo for help?
In 1939, a nurse named Elsi, working in the Nurmes military hospital, finds out she is pregnant, and alone. A friend encourages her to get rid of her lovechild, but this is something Elsi is unable to do. Is she really left with only one option: finding a husband before anyone finds out her secret? As bombs rain down from the skies, Elsi whispers her frailest wish into a lace veil and squeezes it in the palm of her hand.
Whispers in Lace is an emotional story about women unto whose path time casts its shadow and dreams that, despite everything, pulse deep in one’s heart and make one question whether all is truly fair in love and war.
“A smoothly progressing page-turner charms with its irresistibly lovable characters and crisp imagery, and those craving romance are treated to a cute love story.”
– Ulla Onerva, author of Cotton Candy Dilemma, Kotiliesi magazine, on Pearl Ring, Enclosed
VARJOLIITTO
Varjopäivä #1
Tammi, October 2025, 200 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
The Shadow Bride
Siri Kolu’s latest work is dark and emotional romantasy for all readers hungry for scheming!
✓ New dark romance ROMANTASY title from Siri Kolu, whose previous books have been translated to 22 languages
✓ She is the winner of 2010 Finlandia Junior Prize, Topelius Prize and has been awarded in the Netherlands with Silver Slate Pencil Award
✓ First book in the Shadow Day trilogy!
✓ For readers of Victoria Aveyeard and fans of the romantic tension of Bridgerton
People whose shadows intersect each other on Shadow Day are proclaimed to be in a shadow marriage. A black ring stands as a symbol that the marriage can not be broken.
The life of Selja from Tar Block changes on Shadow Day. Her shadow intersects the shadows of both Senator Atticus and his son Laurion. Their shadow marriage is a triple marriage where scheming abounds. Father and son can’t stand each other and both have their own plans for the future of the capital, Aureus. Selja must choose whose version of the truth she believes. At the same time, she is carrying out her own secret task.
But what to do with old loves and your previous life that the shadow marriage has taken?
The Shadow Bride is part #1 of The Shadow Day trilogy.
MUSTAN TULEN LAULU
Moorna #2
Otava, October 2025, 420 pp.
Reading material:
English synopsis
Finnish edition
Moorna series #2: Song of Black Fire
Moorna has gained her freedom – but at what cost? The second part of the celebrated Finnish romantasy trilogy grows hotter and entwines one in their demonic embrace. For fans of Rebecca Yarros!
✓ Second book in the Moorna romantasy series, now with even more chilies!
✓ The first book in the series was the Winner of the Best Book of the Year Award of 2024 by Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, the biggest bookstore chain in Finland!
✓ The first book was also chosen by the readers as one of the Top 100 Finnish books of the 21st century!
✓ First book sold to Robert Laffont in France and Bonnier in Norway!
✓ For fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, Victoria Aveyard, and Jennifer L. Armentrout
Former escort Moorna and her travelling companion Caidas have ended up in Tuoni – demon territory. Nothing is well. Moorna’s magic that has just awoken has hurt her dear friend and Caidas’s sister Aiya has disappeared in the realm of Remena. Moorna’s feelings towards Caidas are unclear, even though he could offer her the comfort she yearns for.
The crisis is escalating in Remena as well. The power of the elves is waning and humans fear the return of the demons. Caidas must find Aiya soon, but sparks between him and Moorna occupy his thoughts.
“An addictive and titillating domestic fantasy novel that is just as good as all the hype suggests. Smooth storytelling, with just the right amount of plot twists and surprises. This book is on your mind when you can’t read it and you get sucked in as soon as you pick it up.”
– Kirjoihin kadonnut bookstagram on Moorna: Daughter of Two Bloods
NEW!
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
FRANCE: Robert Laffont (book1)
NORWAY: TNT / Bonnier Norsk Forlag (book 1)
KAHDEN VEREN TYTÄR
Moorna #1
Otava, August 2024, 509 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Moorna series #1: Daughter of Two Bloods
A debut enemies-to-lovers romantasy novel oozing with fae, demons, and hot romance.
✓ Sold to Robert Laffont in France and Bonnier in Norway!
✓ Winner of the Best Book of the Year Award of 2024 by Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, the biggest bookstore chain in Finland!
✓ Chosen by the readers as one of the Top 100 Finnish books of the 21st century!
✓ For fans of Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yattos, Victoria Aveyard, and Jennifer L. Armentrout
Remena is a land where humans and fae coexist, seemingly on equal terms. The elves who control magic live in their own territory in Keto under the authority of an elven ruler, even though the royalty of Remena is human. Since the fierce demons were banished to Tuoni at the end of the demon wars fought a thousand years ago, Remena has lived in peace… but the stirrings of danger loom on the horizon.
Moorna is a 21-year-old half-breed whose life as an escort to the capital’s aristocracy is harrowing. She wants to pay off her escort debt as quickly as possible and return home with her friend Malkra to live a life free from discrimination. When Moorna accidentally stumbles upon the annoyingly handsome fae, Caidas, she is torn from all that is familiar and safe, and quickly learns that nothing is as it seems.
Finland’s first romantasy continues to dominate the bestseller charts while the author is currently working on the next books of the series.
“We are so proud and so happy to welcome the talented S. K. Rostedt in our Young Adult imprint, Collection R. We love everything about her wonderful series, and how she appropriates beautifully the codes of fantasy and romantasy. We are so excited to introduce the French version to the readers next year and we already know that they will fall in love with it!”
– Publisher Dorothy Aubert, Robert Laffont, France
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
NORWAY: TNT / Bonnier Norsk Forlag
AMELIE
Tammi, August 2025, 400 pp.
VAPAAHERRATAR
Tammi, January 2024, 441 pp.
HAKOISTEN ANNA
Tammi, April 2022, 384 pp.
Reading material:
English synopses (books 1–3)
English sample (book 1)
Finnish editions (books 1–2)
Ladies of Haga Manor #3: Amelie of Haga Manor
The sensual Ladies of Haga Manor series culminates in Amelie’s story along the twists and turns of the second half of the 19th century. A historical novel series, The Ladies of Haga Manor, is based on thorough research on the lives and fates of real women who lived at the real Haga Manor. Author now lives in the Haga Manor.
✓ The final chapter of The Ladies of Haga Manor trilogy, detailing the fast changes in Finnish society and the life of the local nobility
✓ The series has sold over 40,000 copies in Finland!
Love doesn’t ask for permission.
It is the summer of 1856. Amelie can’t help falling deeply in love when she meets Hans Gustaf Boije af Gennäs, Baron of Haga Manor. Many consider Amelie as too modest for the heir of the estate, but the lovers are determined to have each other.
In Haga, the inexperienced bride faces the joys and responsibilities of marriage. Soon, the world around them changes as famine strikes and makes it clear that the fields alone cannot feed a nation. The estate’s new dairy school thrives, but Amelie’s own life is overshadowed by an illness creeping into the family, something about which one must be kept quiet. Is her dream of happiness still possible?
Also available:
Ladies of Haga Manor #1: Anna of Haga Manor
Anna of Haga Manor is an enchantingly sensuous historical novel that transports the reader to 18th century Finland, then part of Sweden, and into the middle of a love story.
Anna Magdalena Lilliebrunn, a noblewoman approaching her forties, has a stain on her reputation and the role of an old maid looms in her future. Everything is about to change, however, as the notoriously hot-tempered officer Karl Gustaf Uggla from the neighboring manor is chosen to be Anna’s husband.
At the Haga Manor, Anna is met by a frigid atmosphere. The reserved relatives and her husband’s lover make sure that the new daughter-in-law will neither feel at home nor become lady of the house. Will the tough and self-willed Anna be capable of living in the manner that she believes in?
Anna of Haga Manor is the masterful opening chapter of a new historical novel series, The Ladies of Haga Manor, which is based on thorough research on the lives and fates of real women who lived at the real Haga manor. The ambience of the past is expertly captured and the reader will want to savour every word.
Ladies of Haga Manor #2: The Baroness of Haga Manor
How much can love endure?
It is the autumn of 1790. Baroness Helena von Burghausen receives her husband Erik Leijonhufvud home from the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-1790. Her husband has changed, his joy and happiness are gone. When Erik buys Haga Manor from the lush lands of Häme/Tavastland, Helena puts all of her hopes on a new beginning. She craves love, just as her son Axel and daughters Louise, Erica, Margaret, and Hedda crave their father’s attention.
But there are already black clouds in the eastern sky: the Finnish War is coming and will soon spread its tentacles to every part and estate of the country.
“Riikka-Maria Rosenberg writes about the previous generations of the Haga Manor without added garnish and gilding, but beautifully and tastefully.”
– Riikka Happonen, Etelä-Suomen Sanomat newspaper, Finland, on Anna of Haga Manor
“Rosenberg’s strength is, above all, her skill in creating a credible picture [of the late 18th and early 19th century] along with all the delicate details. The meals, the parties, the journeys, the rooms and the buildings, the clothes and decorations are depicted so vividly that you can see them in your mind and experience them with other senses as well. [–] Anna of Haga Manor and Baroness of Haga Manor are high-quality, exceptional historical novels.”
– Kirsin kirjanurkka blog on Baroness of Haga Manor
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ELEONORA
Otava, 2025, 280 pp.
MARIAM
Otava, 2023, 450 pp.
HURMURIHERTTUA / ARABELLA
Otava, 2021, 384 pp.
KAMARINEITSYT / CHARLOTTA
Otava, 2020, 429 pp.
Reading material:
English samples books 1-3 and synopses books 1-4
Swedish edition books 1-2
Finnish editions
Series presentation
Silk Sisters #4: Eleonora
Glamor, the courtly life, beautiful dresses, and passion! Bridgerton meets Jane Austen’s Emma with Nordic heroines! Author draws inspiration for Silk Sisters from her doctoral dissertation on the education of noble girls in the 18th century
✓ Fourth book in the Silk Sisters series
✓ The Nordic version of Bridgerton
✓ Series rights sold in 6 territories and counting!
✓ Sara Medberg’s books have sold over 90,000 copies across all territories!
It’s 1826, Miss Eleonora Gray, an aspiring artist, lives with her younger sister, Miss Sophy, and their aunt Ada in Sunshine Cottage, a small house by the seaside near Bath. Eleonora is determined to make a name for herself in the male-dominated art world while also trying to raise Sophy to become a proper young lady. When the Royal English Art Academy offers her a residency to the North, her problems seem to be solved.
When they arrive in Skåne, an ancient castle awaits, surrounded by disturbing rumours of a mysterious horseman. When a colourful party from Stockholm turns up, hearts begin to beat not only with excitement but also with heightened emotions.
Also available:
Book #1: Charlotta
Seamstress Charlotta Silke is looking for her own Mr. Darcy in 19th century Åbo. When Baron Ridderlöw of Starfire Manor hires Charlotta as a lady’s maid for her sister, both their lives change for good. Charlotta gets her hands on Jane Austen’s newly published Pride and Prejudice, which alters the way she sees her role as a woman. But the book’s ideas of modern love, marriage and early feminism are put to the test as the bitter war-torn Baron Ridderlöw becomes romantically interested in Charlotta. Can an ordinary lady’s maid have it all – a meaningful life and the man of her dreams?
Book #2: Arabella
A story about the mistress of Blackthorn Castle, Arabella Öhrnmarck. She becomes widowed after an unhappy marriage and travels home to Stockholm to be near the Royal Court. But something strange is going on. Mystical incidents and threatening situations keep occurring. It seems that someone is out to silence her. What secret are they searching for? Then, a fascinating English duke begins to court Arabella…
Book #3: Mariam
Mariam, the daughter of a highborn Persian lady and a Swedish tradesman, moves to Porvoo in the midst of the Finnish War and becomes the talk of the whole city. When her brother is arrested in Sweden, Mariam doesn’t hesitate in running to his aid. She’s read Jane Austen’s new novel Emma, whose independent heroine encourages Mariam to act. A mysterious baron promises to help her, but can she trust him? And why do his silvery eyes remind Mariam of something?
Upcoming books in the Silk Sisters series:
Book #5: The Unruly Baroness (working title) (2025)
Baroness Morgenstierne has decided not to let conventions rule her life! She arranges a contest for her hand, to find a husband. But when admirers besiege the baroness, things get more complicated than she had envisioned and there’s an unforeseen turn of events…
Book #6: The King’s Beloved (working title) (2026)
Oslo, Norway, anno 1817. Crown prince Carl Johan of Sweden appears at palace maid Mariette’s cottage. A diary has been found, secrets come to light, Mariette is transferred to the Stockholm court. But will she always only be a rich man’s mistress?
Sara Medberg’s series from the Nordic manors and courts of the 19th Century is as fascinating as it is entertaining. The author’s knowledge about the historical period makes a solid base for the story, but does not stop the excitement, drama and desire from flowing through the pages. I am thrilled to be able to share these books with Norwegian lovers of historical feelgood and romance.
– Anja Gustavson, editor, Kagge Forlag, Norway
MORE INFO
AUTHOR VIDEO
360° VIEW OF CHARLOTTA
DOWNLOAD ENGLISH MATERIALS
Rights sold
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
DENMARK: People’s Press (books 1-3)
ESTONIA: Varrak
NORWAY: Kagge Forlag (books 1-3)
POLAND: Świat Książki (books 1-2)
SWEDEN: Norstedts Förlag (books 1-2)
HATTARADILEMMA
Oikukkaiden romantikkojen piiri
Tammi, February 2025, 336 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Cotton Candy Dilemma
Let the romantic rebellion begin!
✓ A new, fresh feel-good series about romance and literature
✓ Inspired by the timeless classics from Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë
✓ For the fans of Emily Henry, Holly Bourne, and Ali Hazelwood
A witty feel-good novel about Emma, named after Jane Austen’s heroine, who defends romantic literature but is drawn to an insufferable hater of romance.
Emma’s first love has left her at the school dance and her feelings for her ex-boyfriend have not completely faded by the start of senior year. Instead of pining, Emma immerses herself in romance books, even though the rest of the world seems to despise her favourite genre.
When a morose writer publishes a seething critique of romance and feel-good literature in a magazine and the school curriculum does not include romantic titles, Emma revolts. She sets up the Club of Quirky Romantics, a group dedicated to improving the appreciation of romance literature and dispelling the stigma associated with reading romance. It’s no easy task, as the circle is fueled by hate and love alike, and Emma finds herself in a worse mess than the heroines of her favourite romance novels.
Ulla Onerva’s debut novel Cotton Candy Dilemma is the first title in The Quirky Romantics Series, a humorous commercial trilogy that cleverly weaves the romantic classics of Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë into the modern day. The trilogy is perfect for anyone who refuses to hide their love of romance books!
The Quirky Romantics Series will continue with book #2 in Spring 2026 and book #3 in Spring 2027.
“Cotton Candy Dilemma is a charming debut novel that exudes the vibes of western YA and represents one of the most popular tropes of romantic literature (enemies to lovers) while tenderly laughing at the clichés of love stories. I was delighted by the intertextuality of the book: right on the first page there is a reference to Pride and Prejudice, and Emma’s name comes from a Jane Austen book. I also sensed the series Never Have I Ever in the mood of Cotton Candy Dilemma and a kindred spirit to the wonderful book Better Than the Movies. [–] Emma’s unconditionality as a conscious feminist and the stumbles that it causes in her group of friends were also interesting. Congratulations to Ulla Onerva on a great debut novel!”
– Lue meille äitikulta book blog
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
DOTTER AV JORD
World Audio Publishing International, 2021, 316 pp.
Reading material:
Full English PDF of book 1
English synopses of books 1–3
Swedish edition
Series presentation
Earthborn #1: Daughter of Earth
What if Outlander, A Discovery of Witches, and the Brothers Grimm had a wild night out and birthed a rebellious and utterly irresistible love child?
✓ #1 on the Swedish Fantasy Council’s rank of top fantasy series in 2024
✓ Awarded Series of the Year 2023 and Debut of the Year 2022 by Sweden’s Fantasy Chamber!
✓ For fans of Juliet Marillier, Madeline Miller, and Rebecca Ross
The year is 1649, and war ravages Europe. In occupied Ireland, we meet Ailea, a young woman whose clairvoyance evokes both envy and fear. Compelled to seek refuge in Scotland with her family, Ailea’s path crosses with Magy Cullane, a sage woman with connections to the enigmatic Order. Thus does Ailea plunge into a realm of intrigue and millennia-old secrets.
Meanwhile, on the continent, in the Italian city of Bologna, the young hot-tempered soldier Roderic begins his military training at the war school. Guided by the charismatic master Muccio, Roderic is honed for battle, but is he truly prepared for the grim reality of war? After stumbling upon a mysterious necklace in the mountains, a fair-haired girl begins to haunt his dreams – Ailea. A timeless bond, stretching across centuries, unbreakable even by death.
In the distance, dark forces begin to stir, as a secret brotherhood known as The Summoned seek a prophetess, a vessel of ancient blood, to fulfill their plans. Driven by an obsession to overthrow the throne and mold the world to their whims, they spare no means to achieve their goals. But what secrets lurk in the shadows, and what is their true plan for Ailea? Both Ailea and Roderic must confront their pasts and the menacing forces threatening to destroy all they hold dear.
Also available:
Earthborn #2: Night of Omen
The year is 1655. Ailea is to be taught the mystical teachings at the Order’s secret school. It is here she becomes aware of her predestined fate, to marry the Sicilian prince, Aaron.
Earthborn #3: Legacy from the East
The Order tightens its grip around Ailea, but she continues stubbornly to resist. However, the price for freedom from her own fate is devastatingly high.
“Mattsson has studied both history and literary science, which is evident in well-thought-out language and thorough research. She not only demonstrates an awareness of the everyday affairs and societal complexities of the past but also skillfully portrays both characters and environments.”
– Sara Dahlgren, BTJ Magazine, Sweden
“The author draws us into a historical novel with elements of witchcraft. We encounter war, love, and magic in such a beautifully vivid and utterly captivating language. Mattsson’s way of weaving the characters’ development into the plot makes one emotionally involved, and the book is constantly driven forward with a captivating ending that leaves one completely empty and in shock, awaiting the sequel.”
– Fantasy Chamber Series of the Year Award jury motivation
SWEDEN: World Audio Publishing International (orig.)
DENMARK (audio & e-book): World Audio Publishing International (Books 1–3)
POLAND (audio & e-book): World Audio Publishing International (Books 1–2)
Backlist – Literary Fiction
ØRJA
Otava, January 2023, 395 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Swedish edition
Finnish edition
Ørja
A fateful novel about friendship, passion and secrets buried in the sea from the end of the occupation of Norway till the 1970s
✓ For fans of Karin Smirnoff and Kerstin Ekman!
✓ Sold to Norstedts in Sweden in a pre-empt!
1952. A gigantesque mail carrier lives on the island of Ørja with her boat-building father. His last boat is left unfinished, and the daughter takes on the task. The boat is sold to an island-dweller who is the subject of many chilling rumors.
1976. Tine arrives in Ørja to put up a traveling cinema. But what is even more interesting than the projector, is the wire recorder she finds in the shed. It talks of a tragic past that the island community has kept silent about.
A rebel. A spouse. A savior. A friend. A lover. How many lives can one person live? What happens when they collide?
“Sandberg’s portrayal of nature and people is fantastic. The forces of nature are powerful and constantly influence the lives and relationships of the characters. The story unfolds like a tapestry, with a pattern that only becomes clear at the novel’s end.”
– Agneta Warheim, BTJ, Sweden
”The novel is filled with fantastic nature descriptions. The author has written it with such detail, that the reader can sense the rippling of waves on the pier and the stormy swelling of the sea against the harsh rocks. [–] The colourful nature descriptions accompany the bleak human destinies which the reader follows with excitement until the end.”
– Jari Olavi Hiltunen in Satakunnan kansa newspaper
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig)
SWEDEN: Norstedts / Brombergs
Otava, October 2024, 335 pp.
Reading material:
English sample
Finnish edition
Push, Pace, Position, Pray
Miika Nousiainen’s hilariously witty new novel about a man’s entry into sprint running via midlife crisis
✓ Czech rights sold to Host pre-publication!
✓ A feel-good race and a hilarious novel by the award-winning author of six humorous novels
✓ Miika Nousiainen’s titles have been sold to 10 territories!
When a man turns 50, he must either get a motorcycle or start training for the 400-meter run.
For Miika Nousiainen, who doesn’t have a driver’s license and isn’t interested in being a rebel, the choice is a lap on the track, with the goal set for the World Championships in Gothenburg.
The novel’s title, Push, Pace, Position, Pray references sprinter Michael Johnson’s approach to the 400-meter race, divided into four key phases:
- Push: A strong start off the blocks, reaching near top speed in the initial 100 meters.
- Pace: A steady speed maintained along the backstretch.
- Position: Strategically positioning around the third curve.
- Pray: A hopeful, tenacious push through the final homestretch to the finish line.
Can the author transform himself into a real lightweight, high-frequency runner? Perhaps even the record-holder for his age group in Finland?
The author delves ever deeper into a world built on concepts like dorsiflexion, wall drives, MCT oil, and recovery. And his biggest external threat? The Swedish athlete Mattias Sunneborn.
“Push, Pace, Position, Pray is a very funny book about an amateur runner who, by the end of the book, is possibly almost a professional athlete. [–] Nousiainen’s narration is knowledgeable, humorous and often makes you laugh.”
– Maija Kääntä, Kulttuuritoimitus culture website
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CZECHIA: Host
WSOY, 2014, 335 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Where Four Roads Meet
A delicately perceptive novel about people who build their dreams to forbidden heights
✓ Winner of the Best Book of 2014 Prize by the Grand Finnish Journalism Prize, the Young Aleksis Award 2015, the Thank You for the Book Medal of 2015, and the Giuseppe Acerbi Prize of 2023!
✓ Nominated for the Finlandia Prize and the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize! Shortlisted for the Europese Literatuurprijs of 2016!
✓ Rights sold to 22 territories!
✓ Close to 100,000 copies sold in Finland!
✓ Has been performed at seven different theaters in Finland
✓ An opera based on the novel premiered in 2017
A young midwife named Maria arouses suspicion among the villagers. Diligently taking care of difficult childbirths, she finally gains the respect she craves for, but fails to notice that she has become a prisoner of her own longing.
Maria’s daughter Lahja, born out of wedlock, wants to incorporate into her own life all that her mother has rejected as ballast. A refugee returning to the north scorched by war, she yearns for contact in her marriage, while her husband, war hero Onni, wanders the cities, seeking fleeting, forbidden moments of happiness.
Decades later, Kaarina is decorating her mother-in-law Lahja’s house, now devoid of dreams, and wants to tear down what others have built to remain silent.
“Where Four Roads Meet is a touching and strong story of tenacious women. The novel is both about being different and of the change of the Finnish society. The altering voices of the narrators of the story make the structure of the novel particularly successful and keep the reader captivated. The writing is beautiful, the description of the protagonists is skillful, and their individual fates are fascinating, the novel is a well-balanced and a refined whole. Where Four Roads Meet is a brilliant and timeless debut novel.”
– Thank You for the Book Prize jury
MODERN CLASSIC!
MORE INFO
DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS
Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
AZERBAIJAN: Agac LLC
CHINA (simplified): Chinese International Radio Press
CROATIA: Hena Com
CZECHIA: Argo
DENMARK: Rosinante
ESTONIA: Varrak
FRANCE: Albin Michel
GERMANY: DVA / Random House
HUNGARY: L’Harmattan
ICELAND: Bjartur
ITALY: Edizioni ETS
JAPAN: Shincho-sha
LATVIA: Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA: Alma Littera
NETHERLANDS: Prometheus
NORWAY: Pax
POLAND: W.A.B.
SLOVENIA: Cankarjeva Založba
SWEDEN: Norstedts
TURKEY: Bencekitap
VIIMEINEN YHTEINEN LEIKKI
Otava, August 2024, 411 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Our Last Game
An ingeniously fascinating novel about the power of medicine, friendship and a person’s desire to find a cure for life
✓ The eighth novel by Riikka Pulkkinen, who is a shining star in Finnish literature, an award-winning and bestselling author with international publishers in 19 territories!
✓ World English rights Riikka Pulkkinen’s earlier novel The Enchantment sold to Scribe for publication in 2025!
Eelis says he’s going to the emergency room for dizziness, but then disappears without a trace. His wife Mai is at wit’s end until a woman who knows Eelis appears at the door, bearing memories of Eelis’s and her childhood – and the things that happened to them.
The two women go on a road trip that leads them to gas stations, the wedding suite of an airport hotel, and a hospital where children once played Love and Death at summer camps. Our Last Game is a wonderful novel about a person’s desire to find a cure, not only for diseases but also for life.
– Kaisa Kurikka, Turun Sanomat newspaper, Finland
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
HYEENAN PÄIVÄT
Tammi, March 2024, 281 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
Hyena Days
Is it possible to have a child and retain one’s own identity?
✓ The fourth novel by the award-winning author!
✓ For readers of Rachel Cusk and Sheila Heti
✓ More than 12,000 copies in Finland!
✓ Saara Turunen’s works have been translated into 16 languages!
Hyena Days is a precise and straightforward story about childlessness and the contradictory nature of having a child. It depicts the hopes for a child and the unpredictability of procreation, the shame related to one’s body, and the demands placed on the female body. The novel delves into a discussion of compatibility between artistry and motherhood but, above all, it depicts the physical dimension of human life.
Turunen handles the subject matter of the novel in a wistful and a light manner. The short and bright sentences paint a precise portrait of life’s many contradictions, of dreams and their becoming fulfilled in a different way than imagined. The narration flows effortlessly and transports the reader to a fascinating world full of both personal and universal questions.
“The start and end of a lifeline, birth and death, are simultaneously massively big things and completely ordinary. It is this intersection of the ordinary and extraordinary that Saara Turunen writes from. In the novel, both those with children and the childless are like citizens of different countries. Turunen writes in a way that forces the reader to position themselves with regards to the reality portrayed in the title.”
– Eleonoora Riihinen, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Finland
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
Förlaget, April 2024, 240 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Swedish edition
How We Met Your Mother
An autobiographical story about a gay couple’s journey to co-parenting
✓ Nominated for the 2024 Finlandia Prize!
✓ The latest work from the award-winning author, playwright and columnist
✓ Kaj Korkea-aho’s works have been translated into 7 languages and nominated for the Runeberg Prize and the Nordic Council Literature Prize!
After eight years together, Kaj and Niko, living in Helsinki, decide to try to become parents. They start “dating” women, but the search for a co-parent seems impossible at first. How do you get to the place where you can trust a complete stranger? Whose sperm cells should be used? How do you plan the future of such an unconventional family in a society that is still coded heterosexually?
Kaj Korkea-aho’s autobiographical text about how three parents had a child is irresistibly touching, painful, and humorous. It bears traces of all forms of expression mastered by Korkea-aho – novel, podcast, blog, and drama – and can also be used as a kind of handbook for others in the same life situation. The book grabs the reader like a baby with its little hand and doesn’t let go until the book has been finished and we witness the wonder of life through their eyes.
“One of the best books of the year. It is vividly told and touching, a bright account of one of the most exciting projects in a person’s life, namely having a child. [Korkea-aho] has found a level of honesty, but also of distance and focus, which gives the reader space and time to go through his own thoughts about partnership and rainbow families, about family formation in general.“
– Taika Dahlblom, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Finland
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish)
FINLAND: Otava (Finnish)
Like, June 2023, 295 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
A Disobedient Girl
An honest and authentic debut novel by the winner of the Refugee Woman of the Year Award, a novel that shakes the reader to their core
✓ Winner of the BookBeat Newcomer of the Year Award and the Young Aleksis Award!
✓ Nominated for the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize of 2023 and the Savonia Prize of 2023!
✓ More than 30,000 copies sold in Finland!
✓ A story of an Arab woman who wants to live freely, change the world, and advance human rights of girls
A mother is escorting her daughter, trembling with fear, to the wedding suite door. This is what she’s been raised for ever since she was little, kept in wrapping paper like a precious sweet. This is the reason why she was brought back from Finland to Iraq.
“You shouldn’t have abandoned the headscarf”, her siblings say. “He is your husband now”, her mother says.
A Disobedient Girl is an astonishingly honest and authentic story about the history of subjugating and silencing women, about abandoning one’s faith, honour violence, forced marriage, Islamic purity culture, the price of freedom, and the desperate desire for the right to self-determination. Above all, it is about a fearless woman who wants to survive and change the world.
“Based on her own experiences, Sara Al Husaini’s novel A Disobedient Girl should be on the reading list of as many people as possible. It is an eye-opening and hopefully heart-opening story – or rather a document of sorts – about how the right to, among others, one’s own body is not everyone’s privilege.”
– Kaisa Koski, Hämeen Sanomat newspaper, Finland
WSOY, August 2023, 227 pp.
Reading material:
Finnish edition
Full English translation
The Logbook of Love
What’s love all about? In Elina Hirvonen´s new novel, The Logbook of Love, conversations about love form a sea of connections among people from wildly different backgrounds and places.
✓ A novel for fans of Rachel Cusk, Jenny Offill and Deborah Levy
✓ Elina Hirvonen’s debut novel When I Forgot was nominated for the Finlandia Prize and the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize of 2005 – and made the front page of The New York Times Book Review
✓ In 2023, Elina Hirvonen received the WSOY Literary Foundation Award, recognizing the artistic independence and high standards of her writing
✓ Full English manuscript available! World Arabic rights sold!
What’s love all about?
When Elina Hirvonen’s literary debut When I Forgot (Tin House/Portobello Books) was published in English, it made the cover of the New York Times Book Review in 2009 – extremely rare for a first novel in translation. Fast forward to 2023, and the award-winning author and filmmaker’s novel The Logbook of Love was published in Finnish to rave reviews.
The first in a trilogy, The Logbook of Love takes readers on a compelling journey into the restorative powers of love from Finland to Zambia, Iraq, Afghanistan and points further afield.
In Helsinki, a city silenced by the global pandemic, the narrator tries to ward off the darkness as she walks through the empty streets by gathering people’s stories of love. Searching for meaning, hope and joy, she meets with friends and strangers, moves between the past and present, shifts from country to country. Everywhere she goes, she talks with others about love: romantic love, the love for justice and human rights, marital love, parental love, the love that can bind friends from different cultures and backgrounds – and the love that, no matter how powerful it is, sometimes fails to bridge the gaps between people.
“That fall I began to fear my growing sense of depression would take away my ability to find meaning and I would no longer be able to write. For if I lose written words, what will I be left with? As I search for something that feels important, the word ‘love’ comes to mind. Could I ward off my dark thoughts by writing about love in all of its forms? What are all the things that love could be in this world? As darkness falls, I search for light by opening the file I’ve saved as ‘The Logbook of Love.’”
The trilogy will continue in 2026 with book #2, The Logbook of Beauty, and book #3, The Logbook of Space to follow in 2028.
In The Logbook of Beauty, the present days when the greatest number of children since World War II live amidst violent conflicts bring the narrator’s own memories of childhood and adolescence violence back to her mind.
The last part, The Logbook of Space, will deal with how time passes for humans and the world.
“This struggle between love’s sadness and ecstasy, between love’s brightness and shadows, is felt in every chapter of the book. Hirvonen writes about people beautifully and touchingly, greatly appreciating each and every one. The narrative is documentary-like, but it is beautified by a sense of relevance, warmth and presence. Despite the grim, heavy world it depicts, The Logbook of Love is joyful and light.”
– Outi Hytönen, Suomen Kuvalehti magazine, Finland
Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
WORLD ARABIC: Logha Publishing
Teos, November 2019, 240 pp.
Reading material:
English edition
Finnish edition
My Friend Natalia
A bold and brave novel about a young woman’s sexuality, the power of narration, and identity
✓ International bestseller – Laura Lindstedt’s books have been translated into 18 languages!
✓ Together with author Sinikka Vuola, she has authored 101 Ways to Kill Your Husband, which has been nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize of 2024
✓ Laura Lindstedt’s previous novel Oneiron won the Finlandia Prize of 2015 and was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize of 2017
Natalia cannot stop thinking about sex.
Narrated by an unnamed, ungendered therapist who leaps at the chance to employ their most experimental methods, My Friend Natalia offers a gripping examination of the power dynamics always present but rarely ever spoken about in therapy.
At first, Natalia seems to play along with the rules of therapy. She partakes in the therapist’s pain-displacement exercises, word games, and even produces a few anatomical illustrations. She muses on the art of pornography, and boldly examines seminal figures like Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, about whom she poses the question, “Did Jean-Paul consider Simone a woman at all? Or was she nothing but a pencil sharpener?”
By combining philosophy and literature, repressed childhood memories and explicitly unrepressed erotic experiences, the sessions quickly shed all inhibitions. Still, the therapist can’t help but wonder: What does Natalia really want?
“This is the book’s tease, that Natalia — eccentric, unruly, compelling — will be definitively “solved.” But she’s not a dramatic principal, not a thing able to fire real bullets. This was her psychologist’s figure of speech and as such probably tells us more about the psychologist than the patient. The deeper, indeed more layered, mystery is, it emerges, the novel’s chimerical narrator. — Laura Lindstedt’s sly, intriguing novel.”
– Hermione Hoby, New York Times
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
GERMANY: DTV
HUNGARY: Scolar
ITALY: Elliot Edizioni
LITHUANIA: BALTO
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: De Bezige Bij
NORWAY: Oktober
ROMANIA: Humanitas
SWEDEN: Norstedts
UNITED STATES: W.W. Norton & Company
Like, February 2024, 348 pp.
Reading material:
English synopsis
Finnish edition
Treatment
Trainspotting meets Requiem for a Dream in this gritty, literary thriller
✓ Nominated for the 2024 Finlandia Prize in Fiction!
✓ Hanna-Riikka Kuisma has received both the Satakunta Arts Council’s Art Prize and the Nortamo Prize for Literature, and her previous novel High-Rise was nominated for the 2019 Finlandia Prize in Fiction
A chillingly perceptive story about the drug wave that swept over Finland during the recession of 1990s and its veterans.
The life of a man who has succeeded in breaking free from drug circles is shaken up when he hears news of his little sister, who disappeared decades ago. Will the painful memories drag him back to the ruthless drug world of an industrial city, or will he manage to hold on to the new life he has worked so hard to build?
The novel, which takes place in two time frames, is an arrestingly realistic deep dive into the world of addiction, the shadows of our society, and the stages of drug policy from the 1990s to the present day.
This work impressively depicts the protagonist’s internal confusion over the span of a few days. The view shifts from the present to the past, playing with the depiction of time to present a wide range of what kind of human trajectories could be hidden behind statistics. The gallery of characters is both recognisable and new in its humanity. The work’s relationship to its subject is analytical and empathetic.
– 2024 Finlandia Prize jury
FINLAND: Like (orig.)
Backlist – Crime & Thrillers
KOTKA
Otava, April 2024, 361 pp.
MIEKKA
Otava, September 2022, 363 pp.
ROIHU
Otava, January 2021, 523 pp.
Reading material:
English sample book 3 and synopses books 1-3
Finnish edition
Leo Koski series
Tuomas Oskari aka Tuomas Niskakangas
A fast-paced and high-stakes international thriller series!
✓ For fans of Dan Brown and David Baldacci
✓ Inspired by the author’s years in Washington, D.C. as the US correspondent for the largest newspaper in Finland.
✓ Book #1 was chosen as BookBeat Newcomer of the Year 2021!
Perfect for anyone looking for a series of smart and fast-paced thrillers, the Leo Koski series is a trilogy of independent titles where the main character is Leo Koski, the young Finnish Prime Minister.
Books in the Leo Koski series:
Leo Koski #1: Their Turn to Burn
A fast-paced political thriller taking place over the course of 25 hours. An economic crisis is dividing Finland and young Prime Minister Leo Koski is caught in a dangerous power play where the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Leo Koski #2: The Act of Gladius
The refugee crisis following the economic collapse is pushing tensions in Europe to the extreme. Former Finnish Prime Minister Leo Koski thinks he is an insignificant pensioner at the age of 36, but soon finds himself in the center of a dangerous undercover mission to stop a far-rights extremist group – but who is pulling the strings?
Leo Koski #3: The Eagle
As the populist US president Chester Tyler is withdrawing the United States from NATO, former Prime Minister Leo Koski is forced to return to the White House for one more meeting. Things unravel when the president is poisoned. Koski is faced with a horrible choice between his daughter’s life and the security of Europe. With the New York Times reporter Ashley Pegula by his side, Koski has only a few hours to find out who poisoned the president. And why?
“The third Leo Koski thriller is a great albeit austere adult tale of power and saviours. In the exceptionally great work, the best part is the way Niskakangas dances with cliches, even against them. Who has ever analysed how a male politician, or the protagonist of an action thriller, deals with childcare? And, as opposed to a basic thriller, the cast of characters is gratifyingly versatile.”
– Taika Dahlbom, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Finland
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (3 books)
WSOY, July 2022, 276 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition
In Your Shadow
The great post-#MeToo thriller
✓ A gripping page-turner about past trauma and the hunger for justice!
✓ Yomi Adegoke’s The List meets Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot
✓ A new thriller by the internationally bestselling author Martta Kaukonen, whose debut Follow the Butterfly has been sold to 16 territories, including UK & US!
✓ You can trust no one in this psychological thriller full of unexpected twist by “Finland’s Gillian Flynn” !
The harassment of women should be kept silent no longer, a small group of activists declares and demands justice. But at what price?
When #metoo spread through the media like wildfire, many victims of harassment felt hopeful – now we can talk about it, now the change begins. But the fire died, and things did not change. Traumas did not disappear, and justice is yet to come.
Sixty-year-old Anne hosts meetings for a group of people who will not be silenced. They start rehearsing a performance as an apology to the victims of harassment. Among them are acclaimed actress Minna who has spoken about her experiences publicly, former straight-A student Suvi who doesn’t want to leave her home anymore out of fear, and performance artist Roni who’s looking to upgrade his feminism from words to actions. Can they trust each other? Are they driven by a desire for justice or a wish for revenge?
In this novel, each member of the working group takes turns to be the narrator. Kaukonen touches on several current societal and cultural trends, particularly from the arts and culture. Kaukonen, who also works as a film critic, uses overkill as a styliststic choice, which results in exaggeration in the most delicious way. Sometimes there’s horror, sometimes parody. As Kaukonen pushes and stretches the boundaries and edges of the activism of the characters in her novel, the reader wonders to what point the group is prepared to continue their performance.
– Anni Valtonen, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Finland
Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
Tammi, 1993-
Reading material:
English editions books 1-11
German editions 1-16
English samples & synopses books 12-16
Maria Kallio series
Leena Lehtolainen has sold over 2,5 million copies worldwide and been translated into 30 languages!
✓ Maria Kallio turned into an international TV series, sold to 10 territories and counting!
✓ The New York Times Nordic Noir Guide recommends Maria Kallio series!
✓ Finland’s bestselling female crime writer!
✓ English editions available for Maria Kallio books #1-11, published in the US by Amazon
Finland’s most popular crime series, the Maria Kallio mysteries, follows the career of a tough, down-to-earth and emotionally intelligent police officer who starts working in the Helsinki violent crimes unit. Every book centers around murder, but there are also elements of social issues, and Maria’s personal development is present throughout the series, as we follow her struggle to balance police work and motherhood.
The Maria Kallio series has been turned into an international TV series, the rights to which have been sold to 10 territories and counting! The series is produced by Jarowskij Finland and each episode is based on a Maria Kallio crime novel of the same name.
Book #16: A Crossing in the Darkness
The City of Espoo is being menaced by the Biris gang that steals designer clothing, phones, and jewelry from other youth. One night, one of the members is stabbed to death, in a case which seems clear. Maria’s unit is investigating while being threatened by a cut in funding.
Maria’s home feels empty as her children have left the nest. An acquaintance contacts Maria regarding sexual harassment, and Maria tries to help – but her intervention seems to make things worse. And as a boy goes missing from a children’s home and Biris threatens with revenge, Maria has her hands full.
Also available:
#1: My First Murder
#2: Her Enemy
#3: Copper Heart
#4: Snow Woman
#5: Death Spiral
#6: Fatal Headwind
#7: Before I Go
#8: Below the Surface
#9: The Nightingale Murder
#10: Derailed
#11: Where Have All the Young Girls Gone
#12: The Iron Triangle
#13: A Stroke of Sadness
#14: The End of Innocence
#15: The Ripple Effect
International Sales of TV Series:
Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, United Kingdom & Ireland, Italy & Italian Speaking Territories, Portugal & Portuguese speaking Territories, North America, Germany & German speaking Europe, Latin America, and Middle East
“Finland’s answer to Henning Mankell.”
– Brigitte magazine, Germany
Rights sold to Maria Kallio series 1-16:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
GERMANY: Rowohlt
FILM & TV RIGHTS: Jarowskij Finland (MTV3/CMore)
Maria Kallio Series Rights available in most territories worldwide!
KONTTI
Otava, May 2021, 304 pp.
KIIKKU
Otava, October 2022, 304 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
German edition of book 1
Finnish edition
Paula Pihlaja series
A fast-paced and addictive Nordic Noir series!
✓ A. M. Ollikainen is a pseudonym for the author duo Aki and Milla Ollikainen
✓ Cargo was the writers’ first novel together and the winner of a National Crime Novel Competition
✓ Rights sold in 15 languages!
Book #1: Cargo
A cargo container is found, washed up on the shore in Helsinki with a dead body inside.The property where the container is discovered, belongs to one of the most notorious businessmen in Finland. As Police Commissioner Paula Pihlaja begins to investigate the case, traces lead back to the businessman’s family, revealing decades of suspicious business ventures in Africa.
Meanwhile, Paula’s own personal life is shaken by old memories that are now surfacing following recent events.When she was younger, she had to give her baby up for adoption. The boy, her son, is now in his twenties and facing a murder charge. Not only is Paula tormented by her own guilt about the adoption, she is also worried about what will become of her son.
Book #2: Swing
An old woman is found hanged in a forest. Paula finds out that she had terminal cancer and had almost emptied her apartment, knowing to die soon. Her death is considered a suicide, but Paula is not satisfied with it. There is something wrong in the picture.
A famous mountain climber is found hanging above a seesaw in a playground. On the other end of the seesaw Paula finds sand that is far too fine to be natural – the same kind of sand that was found at the forest. Paula realizes that the victims have been forced to balance on a seesaw before death, fighting for their lives. Paula Pihlaja has barely started the investigation when a third body turns up – a teenage boy, at another playground, hanged. A serial killer is on the loose.
Coming in 2026 – book #3: Dugout
A man wanders in the summer forest and is looking for a suitable tree from which to hollow out a boat. During early spring, he returns to cut the tree down. In the darkness of autumn, a dugout boat with a body frozen to death drifts to the shores of Helsinki.
However, the tree that was cut down in spring provided three logs and the man has carved three dugout boats from them, one for each of his victims.
Police Commissioner Paula Pihlaja is tasked with the case, but the ranks of her team threaten to break and not only because it is getting harder for Paula to hide the state of her health. Will she succeed in catching the killer before all the dugouts are launched?
“Finland is the new Mecca of crime fiction. You need proof? Just read the first novel by A.M. Ollikainen. I couldn’t imagine a better start for a series. CARGO is outstanding.”
– Marco Schneiders, Publishing Director, Bastei Lübbe
MORE INFO
AUTHOR VIDEO
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Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CZECHIA: Host (2 books)
DENMARK: Svane & Bilgrav (2 books)
ESTONIA: Varrak (2 books)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (2 books)
HUNGARY: Animus (2 books)
LATVIA: Zvaigzne (2 books)
LITHUANIA: Baltos Lankos (5 books)
NETHERLANDS: HarperCollins Holland (2 books)
NORWAY: Aschehoug (2 books)
POLAND: Czarna Owca (2 books)
RUSSIA: Gorodets (2 books)
SLOVENIA: Didakta (2 books)
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken (2 books)
TURKEY: April (2 books)
Backlist – Romance, Feel-Good and Fantasy
Teos, 2013, 305 pp.
EHTOOLEHDON PAKOLAISET
Teos, 2014, 256 pp.
EHTOOLEHDON TUHO
Teos, 2015, 280 pp.
Reading material:
English editions
Finnish editions
Sunset Grove Trilogy
“A very funny detective story starring two elderly ladies with the combined age of about 180 and Miss Marple-esque tendency to solve crimes.”
✓ International TV series now streaming in Finland and the UK!
✓ An international hit! Rights sold in 18 territories!
✓ Miss Marple meets The Golden Girls! For the fans of Richard Osman and A Man Called Otto by Fredrik Backman!
#1 Death in Sunset Grove
Who could imagine that anything illegal – whether it be suspicious deaths, thefts or the covert trading of medications – could happen in Sunset Grove retirement home? Its 90-year-old residents Siiri and Irma certainly can’t.
The lives of Siiri, Irma, and other Sunset Grove inhabitants are filled mostly with empty time punctuated by glasses of red wine, tram rides and funerals. Investigating the sudden strange occurrences at Sunset Grove, however, proves to be a more interesting pastime than playing cards with the ambassador and the woman in the wide-brimmed hat – not to mention the never-ending arts and crafts sessions, gym classes or accordion evenings (which the residents of the house attend mostly out of pity towards the employees).
#2 Escape from Sunset Grove
Sunset Grove retirement home turns into a kind of hell when it is taken over by foreign construction workers cursing fluently in Finnish. The noise is deafening, a hole appears in the wall, things disappear and residents have to use a portable toilet.
Residents Siiri, Irma and Anna-Liisa, all older than 90, decide to move into a shared apartment in the exotic neighbourhood of Hakaniemi. All three have their own habits and quirks, and life together isn’t entirely free of friction. The women also learn about the sad differences in quality with at-home assistance, and are forced to become familiar with terminal care and questions surrounding euthanasia.
Our heroes also can’t help looking into the suspicious plumbing project at Sunset Grove. As the mystery unfolds, they begin to find out that few people in this world have a fully clean record.
#3 The End of Sunset Grove
The final part of the trilogy marks a return to the retirement community. But the place no longer feels like home, and has turned into a state-funded, technology-driven pilot project in elderly care. The conclusion brings together characters lost along the way, and murky details are brought to light. Legal justice is also served – in unexpected ways. A natural, long-awaited death finally collects some, but still not all, of our main characters.
“Lindgren perfectly captures the universal confusions (Siiri and Irma attend the funeral of the wrong person) and uncertainties of old age (how many of their friends will still be alive in a week to attend a reunion luncheon?) in the service of a captivating plot. Readers will eagerly await the sequel.”
– Publishers Weekly, United States
MORE INFO
360° VIEW
DOWNLOAD ENGLISH MATERIALS
Rights sold
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
CZECHIA: Albatros Media
DENMARK: Jensen & Dalgaard
ESTONIA: Varrak
FRANCE: Calmann-Lévy
GERMANY: Kiepenheuer & Witsch
GREECE: Enalios
HUNGARY: Kossuth
ISRAEL: Yedioth Books
ITALY: Marsilio
LATVIA: Petergailis
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
SLOVAKIA: Albatros Media
SPAIN: Penguin Random House
SWEDEN: Norstedts
UNITED KINGDOM: Pan Macmillan
UNITED STATES: Pan Macmillan
WORLD ARABIC: Al Arabi
FILM & TV RIGHTS: Aurora Studios
Otava, October 2024, 330 pp.
UMPIHANGESSA ALTTARILLE
Otava, October 2023, 336 pp.
Reading material:
English sample and synopsis for book #1
English sample for book #2
Finnish edition
A Downhill Wedding
Christmas Wedding Series #2
An uncontrollably funny and wonderfully mischievous romantic comedy about wedding preparations in the middle of Lapland – and about chaos
✓ For readers of Alexandria Bellefleur, Sophie Kinsella and Casey McQuiston!
Jesse can’t wait to have Arttu as his husband. It’s not long until the perfect Christmas wedding of their dreams. His plan: Find the perfect gift and keep away from the wedding preparations. How it turns out: Lose the perfect gift in the fells and try to stop the groom from finding out about a small mistake that may have happened during the bachelor party…
In the second part of this entertaining romcom series, the lives of the soon-to-be wedded couple and Jesse’s siblings are also mixed up by a surprising life change made by their parents.
Also available:
Book #1: Arctic Wedding Nightmare
Mila is a star vlogger, whose husband-to-be dumps her two weeks before the dream Christmas-time wedding of the century. For Mila, the idea of canceling the wedding is a disaster. And what’s even more important is to finish the wedding video series that her followers are eagerly waiting for!
To solve this, Mila persuades her former teenage crush to be her pretend fiancé. Soon Mila’s siblings, Jesse and Laura, also find themselves caught within the web of lies weaved by their sister.
The wedding preparations in beautiful Lapland start to resemble a nightmarish undercover operation. Will the lies hold until Christmas Eve? Will Santa Claus get kissed on the altar? For whom do the sleigh bells eventually ring?
Arctic Wedding Nightmare proves that [thrillerist] Jenni Multisilta talent extends to rom-coms. The author writes a series of events which will make you laugh out loud repeatedly. Is Multisilta’s YouTube-related novel something about the present state of humanity and society, where so many things are evaluated in terms of clicks and likes? The author tackles this without sparing words, producing an engaging survival story.“
– Jari Olavi Hiltunen, Satakunnan Kansa newspaper, Finland
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
Backlist – Speculative Fiction
Teos, September 2020, 336 pp.
Reading material:
English edition
Finnish edition
The Moonday Letters
A scifi mystery and a love story that bends space, time, myth and science
✓ Third novel by internationally bestselling and award-winning author
✓ Longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award of 2024 and the British Science Fiction Association Awards of 2023!
✓ Winner of the Tähtivaeltaja Award of 2021!
✓ English edition available, written by Emmi Itäranta and published by Titan Books!
The Moonday Letters has elements of clifi, elements of suspense, and feels Golden Age-y in its imagination of how space has been colonized in the wake of Earth’s transformation.
Lumi is an Earth-born healer whose Mars-born spouse Sol disappears unexpectedly on a work trip. As Lumi begins her quest to find Sol, she delves gradually deeper into Sol’s secrets – and her own.
While recalling her own path to becoming a healer under the guidance of her mysterious teacher Vivian, she discovers an underground environmental group called Stoneturners, which may have something to do with Sol’s disappearance. Lumi’s search takes her from the wealthy colonies of Mars to Earth that has been left a shadow of its former self due to vast environmental destruction. Gradually, she begins to understand that Sol’s fate may have been connected to her own for much longer than she thought.
Part space-age epistolary, part eco-thriller, The Moonday Letters is also a love story between two individuals from very different worlds.
“This tour of the solar system – including an ecologically ravaged Earth, where an economic underclass maintains a few habitable regions as tourist destinations – is reminiscent of Kim Stanley Robinson. But Itäranta weaves a distinctive thread into her tapestry: Lumi is a shamanic healer whose pursuit of Sol takes her to the spirit realm as well as to celestial bodies, along the way re-examining their marriage in all its strengths and faults. The resulting narrative brilliantly weaves together its two central questions: whether one marriage can survive, and whether humanity can find a way to thrive that does not ultimately rest on exploitation and inequality.”
– The Guardian
MORE INFO
AUTHOR VIDEO
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Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)
CZECHIA: Kniha Zlin/Albatros
HUNGARY: Metropolis
WORLD ENGLISH (print, e-book): Titan Books
WORLD ENGLISH (audio): Recorded Books
Teos, September 2012, 266 pp.
Reading material:
English edition
Finnish edition
Memory of Water
A story of growing up, of the power of friendship – and, above all, undying hope in a wrecked world
✓ International hit: rights sold to over 25 territories!
✓ Winner of the Young Aleksis Prize of 2013 and the Kalevi Jäntti Prize of 2012!
✓ Nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Golden Tentacle Award! Included on the Honor List of the Otherwise Award (formerly James Tiptree, Jr. Award)!
✓ International Feature film premiered in Finland in September 2022! Distribution in Germany, Italy, Sweden confirmed with more territories to come!
✓ Emmi Itäranta’s writing has been compared to that of Ursula K. Le Guin!
The story is set in a drought-ravaged, war-ridden future world where fresh water has become the privilege of a few and tea masters have been keepers of natural springs for centuries, Memory of Water tells the story of seventeen-year-old Noria, set to become the next tea master in her village. When her father dies, she finds herself alone with the dangerous responsibility of guarding a hidden spring that can save lives – or provoke people to kill.
As war spreads into her homeland, Noria’s loyalties are torn between keeping her duty and helping her dearest friend Sanja, whose family can barely survive on their water rations. Together the girls unearth knowledge about the past that has remained buried too long and begin to plan a journey to the Lost Lands, forbidden areas that might hold unexplored water resources.
Yet the web of the military is closing in on Noria’s secret. Sanja disappears mysteriously, and Noria is placed under house arrest. Knowing her own life is in danger, Noria must face a choice in order to secure the hidden information for others.
“The writing is gorgeous and delicate in this dystopian, award-winning debut, which is unique in both its setting and the small scale the Finnish author Itäranta employs. A larger world, with huge problems, is hinted at, but not shown. Because the reader stays with the beautifully-realized character of Noria and the village she inhabits, the tension is high even though the pacing remains measured.”
– Library Journal, starred review, US
MORE INFO
360° VIEW
DOWNLOAD ENGLISH MATERIALS
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.),
ALBANIA: Dituria,
ARABIC: Dar al Muna,
BRAZIL: Editora Record Ltda,
BULGARIA: Perseus Publishing House,
CHINA: Sichuan People’s Publishing House Co., Ltd.,
CROATIA: VBZ,
CZECH REPUBLIC: Albatros Media a.s./ Plus Publishers,
ESTONIA: Koolibri Publishers,
FRANCE: Presses de la Cite,
GEORGIA: Palitra L Publishing,
GERMANY: Reihe Hanser,
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group Kft.,
ITALY: Sperling & Kupfer,
JAPAN: Nishimura Co., Ltd.,
LATVIA: Jana Rozes Apgads,
LITHUANIA: Nieko Rimto/ Publishing House Nothing Serious,
NETHERLANDS: Uitgeverij Atlas Contact,
NORTH MACEDONIA: Sakam Knigi,
NORWAY: Gresvik Forlag AS,
RUSSIA: TEXT,
SERBIA: Heliks,
SOUTH KOREA: The Book In My Life,
SPAIN: Ediciones B,
SWEDEN: Modernista,
THAILAND: Library House,
TURKEY: DOĞAN KİTAP,
UNITED STATES: HarperVoyager
UNITED KINGDOM: HarperVoyager
FILM RIGHTS: Bufo Oy
Teos, November 2013, 340 pp.
Reading material:
English edition
Finnish edition
The Core of the Sun
From the queen of “Finnish weird,” a captivating and witty speculative satire of The Handmaid’s Tale-esque welfare state where women are either breeders or outcasts, addicts chase the elusive high of super-hot chili peppers, and one woman is searching for her missing sister
✓ Rights sold to 12 territories!
✓ Winner of the Prometheus Award of 2017!
✓ Feature film in development in Los Angeles!
Set in an alternative historical present, in an “eusistocracy”—an extreme welfare state—that holds public health and social stability above all else, The Core of the Sun follows a young woman whose growing addiction to illegal chili peppers leads her on an adventure into a world where love, sex, and free will are all controlled by the state.
The Eusistocratic Republic of Finland has bred a new human sub-species of receptive, submissive women, called eloi, for sex and procreation, while intelligent, independent women are relegated to menial labor and sterilized. How did Finland turn into the North Korea of Europe?
Johanna Sinisalo’s tautly told story of fight and flight is also a feisty, between-the-lines social polemic—a witty, inventive, and fiendishly engaging read.
“Written with wit and grace—Sinisalo describes depression as “a smooth-walled cavity, an open, echoing cave with a darkness living in it deeper than the space between the stars”—the novel maintains an impressive grasp on plot and suspense, easily luring the reader into taking its characters, politics, and striking story to heart.”
– Kirkus Reviews
MORE INFO
DOWNLOAD ENGLISH MATERIALS
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CHINA: CITIC Press
CZECHIA: Euromedia
DENMARK: Jensen & Dalgaard
FRANCE: Actes Sud
GERMANY: Klett-Cotta
HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group Kft.
LATVIA: Izdevnieciba Petergailis SIA
SPAIN: Roca Editorial
TURKEY: Ithaki Yayinlari
UNITED STATES: Grove Atlantic USA
WORLD ARABIC: Al Arabi
