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John’s Year In Books

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John Swallow

Goodreads Author

Born

The United Kingdom

Website

https://raumastories.blogspot.com

Genre

Crime, Thriller, Paranormal

Influences

Ian Fleming, John Grisham, Henning Mankell, Colin Dextor, Bill Bryson.

Member Since

January 2018

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I am originally from Yorkshire, England and have had the privilege to have lived in countries such as Scotland, Argentina, Latvia and now Finland. Today, I live in the coastal city of Rauma, in the county of Satakunta.

My first novel was published in June 2020, entitled: 'The Paintings of Rauma.' It is an exciting crime adventure, featuring a new Nordic Noir hero, Police Officer Jussi Alonen. Based in Rauma, Finland, Jussi also travels to various other places around the world as part of the fight against crime.

My second book was published in November 2020, entitled: 'The Waves of Helsinki.' It is a sequel to the first book and the second in the 'Jussi Alonen Detective Adventures' series. In this story, Jussi moves to Helsinki to train as a D I am originally from Yorkshire, England and have had the privilege to have lived in countries such as Scotland, Argentina, Latvia and now Finland. Today, I live in the coastal city of Rauma, in the county of Satakunta.

My first novel was published in June 2020, entitled: 'The Paintings of Rauma.' It is an exciting crime adventure, featuring a new Nordic Noir hero, Police Officer Jussi Alonen. Based in Rauma, Finland, Jussi also travels to various other places around the world as part of the fight against crime.

My second book was published in November 2020, entitled: 'The Waves of Helsinki.' It is a sequel to the first book and the second in the 'Jussi Alonen Detective Adventures' series. In this story, Jussi moves to Helsinki to train as a Detective and finds himself thrown into even more exciting adventures.

My third novel was published in May 2021 and is entitled: "The Heat of Havana." This is the third in the series of Jussi Alonen novels. In this story, Jussi travels to Cuba to help an old flame who has been kidnapped; International crime once again follows him back to Finland.

My next book, published in October 2021, immerses the reader in the paranormal. It was co-written with Saana Jaakkola, a local ghost tour guide and travel writer It is a collection of stories about Rauma entitled: The 'Ghosts of Rauma.' It is also available in Finnish as: 'Aaveiden Rauma.' The medieval city of Rauma has a fascinating history and ten haunted buildings are described, together with tales and documented experiences. This hard cover book is available directly from me, or many of Finlands book retailers. If you like ghost stories - this one is for you!

In November 2022, I launched a new series, beginning with a novel entitled: Murder in Helsinki. Set amid a Finnish winter, this story begins with the discovery of a frozen corpse, and continues with a beguiling young widow. More crimes follow and Detective Superintendent Topias Torikka is challenged to solve the case before anyone else dies.

One year later, in November 2023, I published a sequel to Murder in Helsinki, entitled The Final Breath - Another Murder in Helsinki. This one is a bit different, so you'll have to read it to see where I took my inspiration. Topias Torikka is the protagonist, once more.

My latest work, UnFinnished (sorry about the pun) explores the culture and lifestyle of Finland. As I have lived here for the past fifteen years, I thought it was about time that I did. In this book, I explore many aspects of Finland in a lighthearted attempt to discover the country's essence.

All of my work so far is based in Finland or involves it somehow. Some stories are inspired by Rauma and the surrounding area. if you haven't been to Rauma yet or even Finland, may I propose that you add it to your list of future destinations? There is something special about it. The amazing countryside, distinct seasons, countless lakes and beautiful places to spend time in.

I hope you enjoy reading my books,

John ...more

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John Swallow’s books

Average rating: 3.81 · 358 ratings · 26 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors

	Murder in Helsinki 3.91 avg rating — 110 ratings — published 2022 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Paintings of Rauma: Nordic Noir from Finland (The Jussi Alonen Mysteries Book 1) 3.49 avg rating — 105 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Waves of Helsinki: Nordic Noir from Finland (The Jussi Alonen Mysteries Book 2) 3.72 avg rating — 50 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Heat of Havana: Nordic Noir from Finland (The Jussi Alonen Mysteries Book 3) 3.97 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2021 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Final Breath: Another Murder in Helsinki 4.40 avg rating — 25 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Aaveiden Rauma by John Swallow (Goodreads Author), Saana Jaakkola 3.96 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 1 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	UnFinnished: Lighthearted Personal Reflections on the Culture of Finland 4.15 avg rating — 13 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Haunted Mansion: A Short Story from Finland it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Trip to Finland: A Fictional Short Story of Attraction 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ghost of Rauma: A Short Story from Finland 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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John Swallow's Blog

Murder in Helsinki

Murder in Helsinki Cover Art
Hello Folks!
I'm a few days late with this post, as I've been busy working on all kinds of things, including the launch of my new novel (above). As you've no doubt noticed, the working title of 'Helsinki Chills', evolved into the final title of 'Murder in Helsinki'.
The book launched quietly (as I had little time to arrange the marketing) on Saturday Read more of this blog post »

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Published on November 17, 2022 05:54

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John Swallow wants to read A Very Bookish Murder (Ally McKinley Mystery #3) by Dee MacDonald	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Swallow wants to read Murder at the Loch (Ally McKinley Mystery #2) by Dee MacDonald	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Aug 21, 2025 07:57AM · like
John Swallow made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — My book has been allocated to another author with the same name topic " Hello, My name is John Swallow, and my new book: The Shadows Beneath, has been added to another 'John Swallow''s bookshelf. The details are: B0F7KG4FW ...more "
May 06, 2025 11:28AM
John Swallow rated a book it was amazing The Book Swap by J.E. Rowney (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Swallow rated a book it was amazing The Final Breath: Another Murder in Helsinki by John Swallow (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 02, 2025 11:28AM · like
John Swallow rated a book it was amazing UnFinnished: Lighthearted Personal Reflections on the Culture of Finland by John Swallow (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 02, 2025 11:27AM · like
John Swallow finished reading The Final Breath: Another Murder in Helsinki by John Swallow (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Swallow finished reading UnFinnished: Lighthearted Personal Reflections on the Culture of Finland by John Swallow (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 02, 2025 11:27AM · like
John Swallow liked Esther Dan's review of UnFinnished: Lighthearted Personal Reflections on the Culture of Finland: "Happiest People on Earth A fun & inspirational read on to live like a Finnish, the ins & outs of the life in Finland. I am glad I picked up this book. It was educational "
Sep 09, 2024 10:24PM · see review

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