by Antti Tuomainen (T. David Hackston)
SYNOPSIS
Henri Koskinen, intrepid insurance mathematician and adventure-park entrepreneur, firmly believes in the power of common sense and order. That is until he moves in with painter Laura Helanto and her daughter…
As Henri realises he has inadvertently become part of a group of local dads, a competing adventure park is seeking to expand their operations, not always sticking to the law in the process…
Is it possible to combine the increasingly dangerous world of the adventure-park business with the unpredictability of life in a blended family? At first glance, the two appear to have only one thing in common: neither deals particularly well with a mounting body count.
In order to solve this seemingly impossible conundrum, Henri is forced to step far beyond the mathematical precision of his comfort zone … and the stakes have never been higher…
Warmly funny, quirky, touching, and a nail-biting triumph of a thriller, The Beaver Theory is the final instalment in the award-winning Rabbit Factor Trilogy, as Henri encounters the biggest challenge of his career, with hair-raising results…
REVIEW
I never imagined that the adventure park industry could be so cut-throat, but Henri and his capers have made me look at this world in a whole new light. For the final book in the trilogy, the dangerous competition is coming from newly opened Somersault City who are determined to run Henri out of business, and they don’t take kindly to his logical suggestions about their business plans. At the same time Henri has to try and navigate the strange new world of ‘Dad’s Club’ and it’s impossible to say which one is harder for Henri to understand. It’s no secret that I love Henri Koskinen and despite being sad to know that this was the last time I would be visiting YouMeFun, the idea of him inadvertently becoming part of a local 'Dads Group' was so hilarious, I couldn’t wait to start. I read the first instalment of this series The Rabbit Factor when I was pregnant with my daughter so it seems apt that he would end up as a family man despite how unlikely this seemed back at the beginning of the series. Despite the fact that the whole trilogy takes place over one year, the personal progression Henri has made in that short amount of time is extremely commendable. However, fans of the first two books will be glad to know that the old Henri is still present. No matter how much he enjoys family life, it's clear that his trademark quirks will never fade entirely. The thing that I love the most about this series is that in amongst the surreal imagery of the park and Henri’s idiosyncrasies, there are some really beautiful descriptions of the area/landscape and of Henri’s feelings which really ground a story that could otherwise be seen as quite implausible. I never thought I’d enjoy reading a detailed description of someone’s particular methods of loading items into a dishwasher but that’s what Henri does to you. Once he has you under his spell, there’s no going back. He’s definitely the most captivating protagonist I’ve read for a long time - his manner, his quirks and his outlook are so endearing and every inch of me wants him to succeed - even if he ends up on the wrong side of the law in doing so.
This might be the end of the trilogy but I am very much looking forward to going back to the beginning and seeing how Henri translates for TV. Congratulations to Antti Tuomainen -definitely one to keep an eye out for.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author in 2013, the Finnish press crowned Tuomainen the 'King of Helsinki Noir' when Dark as My Heart was published. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland was an immense success, with Marcel Berlins (The Times) calling Tuomainen 'the funniest writer in Europe'. Little Siberia (2020), was shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger, the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Awards and the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. The Rabbit Factor (2021), the first book in Antti's first ever series,is in production by Amazon Studios with Steve Carell starring.The Moose Paradox, book two in the series is out in 2022.
David Hackston is a British Translator of Finnish and Swedish literature and drama. Notable publications include The Dedalus Book of Finnish Fantasy, Maria Peura’s coming-of-age novel At the Edge of Light, Johanna Sinisalo’s eco-thriller Birdbrain, two crime novels by Matti Joensuu and Kati Hiekkapelto’s Anna Fekete series (which currently includes The Hummingbird, The Defenceless and The Exiled, all published by Orenda Books). He also translates Antti Tuomainen’s stories. In 2007 he was awarded the Finnish State Prize for Translation. David is also a professional countertenor and a founding member of the English Vocal Consort of Helsinki. Follow David on Twitter @Countertenorist
Thanks to Anne Cater - @RandomTTours, Antti Tuomainen - @antti_tuomainen, and Orenda Books - @OrendaBooks for the opportunity to read and review
Fiction: Finnish Noir / Nordic Noir / Dark Comedy
Publisher: Orenda Books
ISBN: 978-1914585968
Pages: 272pp
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