According to the archives of the Soviet Special Forces in which he once served, Viktor Krpp has the look of a killer. Except he really isnt one, notwithstanding his ability to sever a mans windpipe. Despite his messy past, Krpp now has an orderly life as an entrepreneur in Helsinki. His girlfriend Marja, an academic, also prefers a peaceful existence.Krpp helps members of the downtrodden Ingrian communityethnic Finns emigrating from Russiaadjust to their new surroundings. Thus his dream of tranquility is regularly thwarted by Finns and Russians on both sides of the law who know too much about him.When he agrees to find an antique dealers missing wife, Krpp discovers the woman is the sister of a notorious gangster so begins his descent into a criminal underworld replete with drug lords, former KGB operatives, and other heavies.Suddenly nothing is as it wasnot least with Marja, now aware that her mans line of work is unlikely to bode well for a healthy relationship . . .Matti Rnks intelligent way with the crime genre reveals hidden worlds within Finland, wrapping a compelling plot around these dark places and inserting into them his hapless antihero, a tough guy yearning for a second chance.Matti Rnk is a Finnish TV journalist and novelist. He is the only Finn to have received the prestigious Glass Key Award for writers of Nordic crime fiction. He has anchored a daily news program since 2003, earning the nickname Suomen ni Voice of Finland.
