Reviews

• “In the field of Finnish crime fiction, Antti Tuomainen is the phenomenal star of the 21st century. One novel after another, he constructs a set-up so intense that the mounting suspense is infallible. This holds true also for the new The Man Who Died. /…/ The picture of a small town in July, the extravagant patios, and the comically clumsy criminals are all skillfully and deliberately crafted contrasts to noir expectations.”

• “Antti Tuomainen’s black comedy is a close bulls eye. /…/ Tuomainen is breaking new ground. The Man Who Died contains numerous excellent insights into the gray area between life and death, and the Finnish character also gets its share. The stance of the narrator gives rise to many a laugh.”

• “Antti Tuomainen’s new novel The Man Who Died skips the foreplay and gets down to business in a way that has you hooked immediately. /…/ The Man Who Died is extremely well written. Tuomainen’s strength, in addition to the story, is strong sentences with well thought out content.”

• “Known for his dark stories, Antti Tuomainen surprises by writing a truly funny crime novel. More intriguing even than finding the murderer is to follow the main character: the man awaiting his own death as the result of poisoning, his self-reflection and preparation for the inevitable. The humor arises from the insane situations in which the man who searches for his own killer finds himself.”

• “Tuomainen places this breathless adventure in sweltering [Finnish town of] Hamina, and the story includes mushrooms, a samurai sword, secrets, and the inevitable, impending death of the main character. You just can’t let go of this book!”

• “[…] Thus begins The Man Who Died, yet another brilliant and original crime novel by Antti Tuomainen. /…/ In his six novels, Antti Tuomainen has created his very own unique style wherein the suspense rises to the top without a single ordinary crime novel cliché. /…/ [The Man Who Died] is a first-rate performance. A manifestation of Tuomainen’s skills and ability to transform.”

• “[A] delightful mad caper of a story, which will make readers snort out loud with laughter and would have made an excellent 1930s screwball comedy directed by Frank Capra. Yet there is a serious undercurrent too of ambition, betrayal and choosing your priorities in this all too brief life. In this respect, it is more reminiscent of the grim humour of early Coen Brothers films. /…/ Congratulations to the author for embarking on such a departure from the usual Scandinavian crime fiction style, and hooray for publishers who encourage this. It is exciting to follow a favourite author into entirely new territory, while losing none of his crisp, clear prose.”

• “The deadpan ice sensibility of Nordic noir is combined here with warm-blooded, often surreal, humour. Like the death cap mushroom, Tuomainen’s dark story manages to be as delicious as it is toxic.”

• “Finnish author Tuomainen has come up with an irresistible crime comedy caper /…/ More than just a whodunit, but a gripping tale of self-loathing, investigation and desperate floundering /…/ Both a thriller and a dark laugh a minute journey that will keep you hanging on to the end. The story of a man investigating his own death has been done before but not with such gusto.”

• “Comparisons have been made with Carl Hiassen and the Coen Brothers, but Tuomainen is his own man; liberally salted with macabre, improbable incidents of violence, The Man Who Died is deftly plotted, poignant and perceptive in its wry reflections on mortality and very funny.”

• “[A] rollercoaster read in which the farce – there are some wonderful car chase sequences, as well as deadly slapstick involving samurai swords, saunas, lost clothes and corpse disposal – has some serious and surprisingly philosophical underpinnings. /…/ extraordinarily poignant.”

• “A comical reading experience which awakens the spirits despite the macabre topic.”

• “Very funny.”

• “Extremely well done. This thriller offers on a meta level a macabre and witty treatise on the subject of death, partially embedded in a poetic-philosophical formulation.”

• “Full of wonderful twists and surprisingly action-packed, quirky and funny. Even the Coen brothers could learn from that.”

• “Poetic, quiet and incredibly exciting. The story moves with an irresistible flow.”

• “This one is a winner right from the first sentence. /…/ An offbeat jewel.”

• “Up there with the best.”

• “The Man Who Died is a bizarre, twisty, darkly comic novel about a man investigating his own murder. It’s a tightly paced Scandinavian thriller with a wicked sense of humor and a bumbling ne’er-do-well at its center. ”

• “[A] wonderfully darkly comedic crime novel /…/ Marvelous is the only way to describe this novel.”

• “The Man Who Died is more than a crime novel – it’s twisted, dark, macabre as well as humorous, and iconic like a Finnish tango. Deeply philosophical. Highly recommend it!”

• “Kaurismäki meets Tarantino”

• “Tuomainen’s smart and poignant story delivered the perfect blend of thrills, investigation, character development, and comedy to keep me engaged from the first page to the last. /…/ Heartbreaking, darkly funny, and wholly engaging, The Man Who Died will be a welcome and unique addition to any crime fiction reader’s collection. ”

• “An enjoyable and poignant crime novel taking place in the heart of beautiful Finland, with an extremely charming main character.”

• “Offbeat, relentlessly funny crime novel from Tuomainen. /…/ Full of black ironies, this welter of suspicions, revenge, and hilarious physical and verbal combat makes some pungent reflections on life and death. Tuomainen probes the chilliest depths of noir comedy as he explores the question of what to do when loved ones suddenly become the enemy.”

• “Anti Toumainen returns with a raging, poignant and terribly funny Finnish crime novel. /…/ Heavy doses of dark humor. /…/ The Man Who Died is thoroughly worth the read. It’s thrilling, at times outright hilarious. Dark humor does not always make one smirk after all, but here I find myself laughing out loud several times while reading it.”