Helsinki Blood (Inspector Kari Vaara #4), by James Thompson

Eight stars

With a series that pulls no punches and remains highly addictive, I turned to James Thompson’s next novel in this Finnish police procedural collection. The story gains momentum from the previous three, as Kari Vaara tries to get back on his feet, with many things going against him. The streets of Helsinki are anything but safe and criminals are out to get their revenge, pitting Vaara against some of the most violent folk out there. With a new baby, a ragtag group on his black-ops team, and crippling physical injuries, Kari Vaara will have to show his abilities in short order, or face certain limitation. James Thompson does well in this gritty Nordic Noir novel!

Kari Vaara has been through a great deal over the last while, not least of which the physical and emotional injuries suffered when working the Lisbet Söderlund case. His American wife, Kate, is highly distraught and has been showing signs of traumatic stress, which has her wanting to make significant changes. While Inspector Vaara heals, he is approached with a new and equally dangerous case by an Estonian woman. Her daughter, Loviise, has come to Finland for a new life, but has since disappeared with no trace.

Loviise, a woman with Down’s Syndrome, may be just another statistic for the Helsinki Police Department, but she is a case that Kari Vaara cannot ignore, as this may be his way back onto the right side of the law. His black-ops group has been breaking the law to uphold a control over criminals, but that backfired miserably for him. Kate has fled and left their newborn daughter with Vaara, his friends are inching away and only those who are as dirty as he is remain close at hand.

Inspector Vaara begins his search amongst the high-end clubs and locales in Helsinki, wondering if Loviise might have taken up as an escort or prostitute, which is not illegal in the country. However, things take a dark turn and Loviise’s captors surely have plans for her, though Vaara can only wonder what they might be. With a mother relying on him and a desire to prove himself, Inspector Kari Vaara will have to do all he can to save Loviise, himself, and the life he lost recently. Thompson does a fabulous job putting it all together once more.

These novels have proven to be stunning in their depiction and development, all in short order. Thompson uses his great writing skills to present a story the reader can enjoy with ease, though they are subjected to a myriad of despair while doing so. Pulling back the curtain on Finland in the mid-2010s, Thompson educates and entertains in equal measure, with his strong narrative foundation and quick developments. The momentum of the story cannot be stopped as things are not as they appear, providing insight into Finland, its criminal underbelly, and racial undertones that shape the country from within. Kari Vaara and his colleagues have different perspectives and provide something fresh for the reader to discover.

The tension in his piece seeps out in every chapter, all of which are easy to digest as the story takes hold. Twists in the plot occur from the outset and pile on to create something completely shocking for the reader to enjoy and Inspector Vaara to despise. There is something about the story that pulled me in, partly the depth of despair and constant changes to the piece that Thompson weaves into the collection. I am so eager to see what is to come for Inspector Kari Vaara and how things will progress for him, with sub-plots bubbling on the back burner.

Alas, while a fifth novel was in the works and promotions with teaser ‘dust jacket blurbs’ appeared, James Thompson died suddenly before the book could be finished. While many authors have been able to pass their work along to others (few can capture a successful takeover), no one has done this with the Helsinki series, so it lays unfinished. No one knows what happened to Kari Vaara and it would seem, a decade later, no one will. I will keep my eyes open to see if anyone picks up the thread of this series, at least to tie things off, but for now, the greatest mystery of the series remains what happened after this book and where did things end up settling for those involved.

Kudos, Mr. Thompson, for a stunning series, You will be missed!

Helsinki White (Inspector Kari Vaara #3), by James Thompson

Nine stars

Interested in reading more of the series, I turned to James Thompson’s next novel in this Finnish police procedural collection. He keeps things edgy in Helsinki, providing a great deal of context for the social and political sentiments about immigration, crime, and the diluting of Finnish nationals within the country’s borders. There is also a significant turn away from ‘above the board’ policing, as Kari Vaara assembles a team to work for high-ranking political figures, with a newborn at home and recent brain surgery. The action is never ending and Thompson continues to showcase many of the interesting perspectives that non-Finnish readers will likely enjoy.

It is only a few days after his daughter’s birth that Kari Vaara has news for his wife, Kate. He admits that his migraines and dilated pupils are more than he thought, as he has a brain tumour. Worried this will push her over the edge, Vaara does his best to soldier on, but needs emergency surgery, which he is able to obtain after pulling some strings.While waiting to go under the knife, Vaara is approached by the head of the national police to run a rogue unit that focuses on ending crime sprees in less than legal ways. Vaara has no doubt that he will be able to accomplish this, but must keep this away from Kate, who has enough on her plate already.

With the backing of the highest ranking politicians in the country, this ragtag group has the secrecy needed to function, complete autonomy, and cash to purchase whatever they need to baffle the country’s hardened criminals. As they begin their work, various mobster groups are sabotaged and looted, though there is a stink left and retribution is high on the list of those who have been attacked, placing Kari Vaara and his team in danger.

All the while, Finland is falling apart internally, as the country is pushed to the brink with newly-elected far right parliamentarians who find their way into government portfolios with little agenda, save exacerbating xenophobia. After the country’s leading immigrants’ rights activist is decapitated and her head sent to a Somali group, Vaara is called in to investigate the murder and find a killer. What follows is a battle for truth in a place where it is hidden behind racist sentiment and long-standing issues with anyone of the pure white race. Kari Vaara will have to overcome this, while protecting his wife and new daughter, who rely on him to come home each night. Thompson does well to keep the reader engaged and uncomfortable as truths surface repeatedly.

These novels are gems hidden amongst a vast collection of books in the genre. They are not simply Nordic Noir, but truly powerful police procedurals that tackle the underbelly that is Finland in its present form. James Thompson pulls no punches as he tries to show the reader what is going on, with a strong narrative that pushes the story forward, even with the many road bumps that are reality trying to make itself known. The story morphs from simply being about crime and into something deeper and more powerful, at least for the reader who wishes to oversee the ongoing debate about race. With great characters and an ever-increasing rawness to Kari Vaara, Thompson has done well to provide the perfect protagonist for a series that is as dark as it is intense.

The plot is full of tension and twists from the outset and in each chapter. One can never know exactly where Thompson will take things and this provides an even better story to enjoy. While I am by no means a supporter of these xenophobic sentiments, it is interesting to see a country I always considered so peaceful drip with hated and divisiveness when it comes it its purity, Neo-nazi movements in the countries once occupied by Germany are apparently on the rise and Thompson gives his attentive readers a glimpse here. 

Kudos, Mr. Thompson, for another fascinating read!

Lucifer’s Tears (Inspector Kari Vaara #2), by James Thompson

Eight stars

Eager to explore more of this series, I turned to the next novel in James Thompson’s Finland series. He presents a great police procedural set in Helsinki, injecting a great deal of Finnish life and history into the larger storytelling. Thompson uses the contrasts between Finland and many other countries to fuel the story while presenting a few investigations that require his protagonist to take action. Filled it great writing and some sharp storylines, Thompson ha impressed me once more in a story that is sure to take many dark twists before too long.

After solving the Sufia Elmi case, Inspector Kari Vaara could no longer cope with the aftereffects. The deep scar on his face, the constant insomnia coupled with a migraine that will not go away, and the loss of his twins as his wife, Kate, miscarried, all weigh heavily on his mind. Things piled up and so he was granted a transfer from Finland’s far north the the gritty streets of Helsinki. Vaara hated Helsinki the first time and things have not changed much, but it is for his family that he left, now having returned to set up roots once more.

A year later, Vaara is about to be a father and will ensure Kate has all she needs. He works the graveyard shift with a partner who is quite green to homicide, trying to show him the ropes and bide his time before the birth of his daughter. Vaara is called to his superior’s office and told to investigate rumours that a ninety-year-old Finnish war hero was actually a war criminal. The country would be shocked and the president would have a great deal of egg on his face, so this must be handled and the accused is to be convinced that he is a hero or face extradition to Germany to face war crimes for his work during the Second World War. Vaara wants nothing to do with it, but since the man had a connection to his own grandfather, there might be something worth exploring.

Vaara and his partner, Milo, catch the case of a tortured woman, Iisa Filippov, whose philandering husband may present the best motive of all. Her body is destroyed by cigarette burns and a whipping.The reasons for her death mount the more that Vaara and Milo poke around. However, nothing is quite as it seems, forcing Vaara to confront the dark world of S&M sex acts and how Mr. Filippov has unique tastes and other loves who fuel them. What’s worse, there is protection from above and Vaara is handed a suspect, told to arrest him and tie everything off before it leaks to the press. Vaara has never been a follower and he senses a cover-up here that he wants to investigate.

Pushing to get to the truth, Kari Vaara will stop at nothing to ask all the awkward questions needed to find truth amongst the various means of blocking him. He is a passionate investigator who is plagued with many personal issues. He wants nothing more than to find his niche and make it work, though no one else seems to care. When the truth is revealed, it could cost him everything, but Vaara is happy to do so, as it means he might finally get the time with his wife he so desperately wants, while she struggles to bring this child to term. Thompson does a masterful job at developing this series that I cannot wait to continue reading.

These novels caught my attention years ago, but I never got started ow that I have I am kicking myself for not having tried them sooner. James Thompson proves well worth my time, as I learn a great deal about policing, the angst of the protagonist, and Finland in general. There is much to discover in the pages of this book and Thompson does not hold back. He delivers a strong narrative that flows well, full of the struggles that Kari Vaara discovers as he tries to make sense of all before him. The narrative builds and keeps clipping along before all is revealed with a great flourish, with. surprise cliffhanger. Thompson’s historical references have me wanting to know more about Finland and some of the things posited within the pages of this book. The added benefit of strong characters made this an even more exciting read, as I discover more about Kari Vaara, Kate, and some of the minor characters who graced the pages.

The plot is thick with tension from the get-go and does not wane until all is laid out for the reader. Thompson has a way of weaving things together easily and keeping the tension high until the last page. His twists throughout keep the reader on edge and provides a much needed jolt on occasion as well. James Thompson has crafted a strong series and uses Kari Vaara as a pawn on the chessboard to push things along without appearing too forceful. This only adds to the depth and flavouring of this piece, making me want to learn more. I will forge onwards to see what else James Thompson has to say and how I can become more attached to this great collection.

Kudos, Mr. Thompson, for another great novel in this series.

Snow Angels (Inspector Kari Vaara #1), by James Thompson

Eight stars

Eager to enjoy this debut thriller by James Thompson, I finally got around to reading it. Thompson offers up a stunning story set in the north of Finland, where darkness pervades the skies this close to Christmas. The murder of a foreign actress has many on edge, especially Inspector Kari Vaara, head of the rural police force. While Vaara tries to track down a killer, he’s faced with other daunting events that weigh heavily on his mind. Thompson proves himself with this great debut novel.

Kaamos is at its darkest just before Christmas. It’s in the Lapland area of Finland, located above the Arctic Circle, where cold has a new meaning. This level of darkness is sure to push anyone to the brink, where murderous thoughts occur with greater regularity.

Inspector Kari Vaara is the head of the rural police force in the region, trying to get used to the cold, the dark, and the way it changes residents. When he is called out to the scene of a brutal murder on a reindeer farm, Vaara can only expect the worst. A Somali actress has been brutally killed and a racial slur etched into her abdomen. Vaara is under great pressure to solve the crime, as the world soon learns of it and answers are not only needed, but demanded The young woman’s parents arrive from Helsinki, spouting their own form of demands and using their Muslim faith to fuel added fires. Vaara begins his investigation with few leads, though some forensics might help open up pathways. The cold has, oddly, preserved bodily fluids and Vaara uses this to come up with a list of suspects.

It would seem that the actress had been living a secret life, one few knew about, prospering in ways tat would have the tabloids raging. This ignites added pressure from the nation’s capital, where news travels fast and the Finnish police system is put under the microscope. Vaara will have to find a suspect and arrest them before things spin too far out of control.

With memories of his past washing over him while he works, Vaara’s American wife begins to doubt her choice to move so far out in the wilderness. Pregnant with their first child, she wonders if she ought to return to the America she knows well, even tough she knows this will push Vaara over the edge. As events around him begin to spin out of control, Inspector Kari Vaara will have to get a handle on it and make the most of the situation while a killer remains on the loose. His job and livelihood depend on it, with time slipping away. Thompson does a masterful job with this thriller and has an entire series for me to enjoy, as time permits.

While these novels caught my attention a few years ago, I never got around to reading them. James Thompson proves well worth the wait, as I dove right in and found myself transported back to Finland, a place I enjoyed visiting years ago, The description and development of the northern Finnish area makes for great scenes and adds a depth in the darkened days that pass while the crime is being investigated. Strong storytelling helps push things along, complemented greatly by characters that have a wonderful Finnish flavour to them. There is a great struggle for Inspector Kari Vaara throughout, which leaves the reader wanting to know more. I am eager to see how these faces and names will come to develop throughout the series, as Kari Vaara evolves.

The plot finds a way to develop effectively and provides the reader with some great twits throughout the piece. There are moments of linear movement, but much is unexpected and takes the reader on an adventure. The local customs and traditions are woven into the story and the non-Finnish reader will surely have to acclimate to them in order to fully understand the impact felt by the characters and plot developments. I am eager to see how James Thompson will tackle this in the novels to come and cannot wait to get my hands on the next novel in this series.

Kudos, Mr. Thompson, for a. Wonderful break from my usual reading fare.