Authors: Harri Nykanen
Behind God's Back (27 page)
NIGHTS OF AWE
Harri Nykänen
The first in the Inspector Ariel Kafka series
During the Days of Awe that lead up to Yom Kippur, Ariel Kafka, inspector in the Violent Crime Unit of the Helsinki police and one of two Jewish policemen in Finland, is confronted with the most difficult case of his career. Two Arabs are killed in the capital and, shortly afterwards, Kafka discovers two more bodies at an Iraqi-owned garage.
Are these deaths evidence of gang warfare or of international terrorism? When it transpires that an Israeli Minister will make an unofficial visit to Helsinki, matters become truly complicated. The Finnish Security Police and the Mossad both have a role to play, and Kafka sets out on a trail that leads back to his youth.
“Nykänen's twist on Nordic crime fiction may be the most inventive of the year. The clever combination of classic Jewish themes with the traditions of Nordic crime makes for a refreshing tale with wide appeal. And the subtle humor, combined with a hero who is not completely depressed and alcoholic, makes it even better.”
Booklist
“Wins the award for most intriguing name for a fictional detective, and it suits this impressively labyrinthine mystery. A cool debut for Kafka, with the promise of more to come.”
Time Out
“Deadpan humor and a thrilling ability to sustain narrative pace on little but routine details, personal interactions and professional observations. A worthy successor to Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, the supreme masters of Scandinavian crime writing.”
Buffalo News