Kari's attractive American wife Kate manages the ski resort in the area, and the couple are happily expecting twins.
As the story opens it's December 16th and Kittilä is experiencing kaamos (polar night), which means the town won't see daylight until Christmas. Kaamos is difficult for most Finns, who are described as "a bunch of depressed hard drinkers freezing in an endless night."
On this December day, Kari gets a call from Officer Valtteri, saying there's been a murder. The victim is gorgeous Black movie star Sufia Elmi, a Somali immigrant who made several films in Finland.
Sofia's HORRIBLY mutilated body is lying in the icy field of a reindeer farm, with a racial slur carved into her abdomen. (Warning: Sofia's mutilation is described in detail.)
Vaara and his officers investigate Sofia's homicide and - within two days - identify a suspect and arrest him.
As it happens, Vaara has a history with the suspect, who ran off with Kari's then wife over a decade ago. This complicates the murder investigation and puts Kari in a tricky position. There are suggestions that Vaara recuse himself from the case, but the police chief refuses.
The plot thickens when Vaara learns that Sofia was having affairs with at least two men, and has several kinds of DNA on her body. As evidence accumulates, the police inquiries branch out into many directions, and Kari spends a lot of time thinking about possible scenarios for Sofia's homicide. In my view, Vaara obsesses too much about who might have done what rather than going out - boots on the ground - investigating. (Warning: Sofia's sexual activity is described in detail.)
Meanwhile, Sofia's parents fly in from Helsinki and Sofia's father - a devout Muslim who cites the Koran in almost every sentence - puts immense pressure on Vaarra to get justice for Sofia.
At the same time a pushy journalist publishes sensational articles about Sofia's murder, which incite the public and disturb Sofia's family.
After various suspects are arrested, released, and arrested again, and new information comes to light, Vaara determines the truth about Sofia's murder. The story's denouement is violent and tragic, and leaves Vaara with a choice about his future.
Note: The Finnish legal system seems to be different from that in the United States; in this book, suspects can be held for three days without being officially charged, and during that time the arrestees don't get access to a lawyer. This gives the authorities a lot of leeway in the realm of questioning and pressuring possible offenders.
As the story unfolds we learn a good deal about Kari's difficult past. When Kari was a child, his beloved sister died in tragic circumstances, and Kari blames himself.
In addition, Kari's father was a heavy drinker who regularly beat Kari with a belt while his mother stood helplessly by. This resulted in long-lasting psychic scars.
I learned a good deal about Finland from this book, not all of it good. It appears that covert racism, alcoholism, mental illness, and domestic abuse are rampant in Finland. In fact people - especially men -are EXPECTED to drink heavily. Finland is also brutally cold in winter, with a temperature of minus 15 degrees Celsius being considered 'warm.' If you can take the cold, there's good skiing and interesting food, like reindeer and berries; porkbelly sauce over potatoes; and delicious pastries.
Note: It appears the Finnish language is especially difficult for non-natives. Kari constantly mentions that foreigners who speak Finnish sound like Donald Duck or toddlers. 🙂
I like Scandinavian noir, and this book is a good addition to the genre. I plan to read more books in the Kari Vaara series.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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