Sysipimeä

Studio #2

by Pekka Hiltunen

The second installment in the Studio series is an intelligent crime thriller pitting unlikely heroines against London's dark crime underworld

Ultra-violent videos of murder and torture are being uploaded to the internet and when bodies start showing up on the streets of London, it begins to seem that the videos may be real and that a gruesome, exhibitionist killer is on the loose. The news catches the attention of Mari and Lia. Mari and Lia are two Finnish women living in London. Despite bonding over their shared expat identity, they have rather different backgrounds. While Lia is a graphic designer, Mari runs the mysterious "Studio," a private crime fighting organization that considers itself above the law. Taking matters into their own hands, they take on cases where the police have failed or are indifferent. Lia has slowly found her place in among this mysterious, morally motivated group of people who are not above employing underhand tactics to make sure that justice is served. Backed by high-tech gadgets and their team of fiercely loyal experts, the two women set about trying to stem the recent surge of violence and track down the murderer. But the stakes are high and Mari will have to risk much, even the lives of her companions, if she is to bring the perpetrator to justice.

Genres: Finnish Literature, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense

362 pages, Hardcover

First published August 20, 2012

About the author

Pekka Hiltunen (b. 1966) is an author and journalist living in Helsinki. He works as the managing editor at the Mondo magazine.
Hiltunen was nominated for the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize for debut novelists, and was awarded the Kaarle Prize for 2012, the Clue of the Year Prize in 2012 and the Laila Hirvisaari Prize in 2012. He was also awarded the Writing Editor prize for 2010 and nominated for the Scandinavian Glass Key Prize 2013 and Impac Dublin Award 2015. One of Pekka’s literary role models is Peter Høeg, especially Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow.
Publishing rights in Pekka Hiltunen's psychological thriller Cold Courage (2011), which started his Studio-series, have been sold to seven countries. The second novel in the series, Black Noise (2012), got also excellent reviews and has been translated to English, German and Czech languages and will come out in French. Hiltunen writes also general fiction; his third book BIG, a novel on obesity, was published with enormous media buzz in Finland in 2013. In 2015, he publishes his fourth novel in Finnish, the third book in the Studio-series, called Fear Me.

Reviews

[Gretel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's all a bit silly.

Black Noise is the second instalment in the farfetched Studio series. While there isn't as much filler material than in Cold Courage, Hiltunen does go off on tangents, like the information about Mari's grandma and why her grandchildren literally call her Shit. Hiltunen doesn't really explore the whys and the motives of the Studio and Mari's work, and he doesn't explain how the fuck it's financially feasible, especially with the office being on Bankside of all places . (And does Lia have a flat or just a room in Hampstead? Because both are mentioned. I don't buy the nice kind landlord thing. London is expensive anyway, Hampstead prices are astronomical.) None of the main characters are very likeable and Lia and Mari's friendship isn't that convincing; the only thing they have in common is that they're Finnish (luckily Hiltunen doesn't spend paragraph upon paragraph reasoning why Finnish women are so great while listing attributes that most people in the world have, as he did in the previous book). The Studio's methods to solving crimes rely too much on chance and hunches, bordering on the ridiculous. And why would videos uploaded on YouTube of black noise make any waves in the press? I know there are slow news days, but come on. They could be uploaded by mistake by the channel owner.

I don't think too highly of this book. I hoped for more explanation behind the Studio, but I did appreciate learning about Mari's interesting childhood. And I do like how Londony the novel feels.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kotimaisten jännäreiden kärkeen!
Sopivan viihdyttävä, elokuvallinenkin, sopivan raflaava, raakuudella rohkeasti pelaava muttei mässäilevä, ajankuva, joka ei todennäköisesti kuitenkaan vanhene nopeasti, sillä julkisuuden ja netin uhat ja mahdollisuudet kuulunevat peruskuvastoomme tästä eteenpäin.
Pienenä soraäänenä hivenen vastenmielinen pääkaksikko, toinen kylmä, toinen viileä suomalaisnainen sekä muutenkin vähän stereotyyppinen hahmojoukko, mutta myönnettäköön, että samoista syistä Studion tyypit toimivat ja tarina rullaa mahtavana trilleriviihteenä, jossa on yhteiskunnallinen vivahde.

[Dimitris Passas (TapTheLine) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The correct rating is 3,5/5. This was a decent crime/thriller by the Finnish author Pekka Hiltunen, set in contemporary London and having as main protagonists two Finnish women, Mari and Lia. I haven't read the previous -first- book in the ''Studio'' series and I was not familiar with the characters, but this didn't spoil at any rate the reading experience of ''Black Noise'' which can be categorized as closer to the infamous ''Nordic Noir'' genre. The plot is simple and straightforward, though somehow disturbing, and the reader is witnessing the attempts of the ''Studio'' team to solve a gruesome case, involving homicides filmed and distributed in the social media. The main POV is Lia's, but Hiltunen allows also some other members of the team to narrate the story from their viewpoint. The main problem with this novel is that even though the characters individually are interesting, the team as a whole lacks the necessary chemistry between its members and, as a result, the reader cannot connect emotionally and care about the ''Studio'' team. The other issue has to do with the plot which at some points pushes the suspension of disbelief to its limits and a few scenes, especially those in the ending, lack credibility. Overall, I would say that ''Black Noise'' was a satisfying summer read and I can recommend it to the fans of Scandinavian crime fiction.

[Eetu Karppanen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kiteyttäen: sarjamurhaaja, joka tekee viharikoksia homomiehille ja luo näiden kuolemista taiteellisia videoita verkkoon. Kirja tuo näkökulmia teknologian vaikutuksista, erityisesti verkon vaikutuspiirin osalta.

Henkilöhahmot olivat mielestäni kivan syvät, mutta juonikulku oli vähän laiskaa ja satunnaisesti pitkäveteistä.

Ihan jees dekkari, mutta jäi silti jotenkin ontoksi.

[Salla Kylväjä · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tarina on ihan ok, mutta hahmot oli kyllä aika ärsyttäviä: kaikkitietäviä, aina oikeassa ja kaikki resurssit on aina saatavilla. Erityisesti Mamian ja Marin kyky suurinpiirtein lukea ajatuksia ärsytti. Juoni itessään on kuitenkin ihan mielenkiintonen, teemat harmillisen ajankohtasia yhä.

[Salla-Maria L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tämä matkalukemiseksi napattu dekkari oli oikein kiva ja viihdyttävä, ja piti kynsissään! Omaperäinen tarina, yllättäviä käänteitä, mielestäni myös hyvin tilanteita ja tunnetiloja kuvaellen. Mutta oli tässä jotain vähän "turhan helppoa" - ei niinkään juonen osalta vaan hahmojen. He kykenivät niin paljoon, niin yhtäkkiä ja tuosta noin vaan (tai siltä se ainakin tuntui) - olkoonkin, että suomalainen nainenhan kyllä pystyykin! :) Sysipimeää voi hyvillä mielin suositella kesädekkariksi, ja hyvin voisin tarttua tämän Studio-sarjan muihinkin tarinoihin.

[Noora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loistavaa viihdettä. Ei mikään syvällinen mestariteos, mutta jos lukija on valmis irtautumaan todellisuudesta ja lukemaan kirjan jännänä tarinana, se toimii oikein hyvin. Aikuisten Neiti Etsivä.

[Christine Van Heertum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mari est une jeune femme finlandaise surdouée. Elle a créé le Studio pour défendre les innocents, tel cet animateur de télévision accusé de viol par une adolescente en mal de reconnaissance. Mari agit dans l’ombre, avec quelques amis. Lorsque des comptes YouTube sont piratés pour faire circuler des vidéos de plus en plus macabres, laissant la police londonienne sur les dents, la jeune femme prend la décision d’intervenir avec son équipe. Traçant les vidéos avec tous les moyens à leur disposition, le groupe se heurte à un tueur en série à l’efficacité redoutable.
Un polar efficace, mettant en scène non pas un personnage principal, mais plusieurs. Le récit est fluide, l’intrigue intéressante, le suspense alterne avec des moments plus centrés sur l’équipe du Studio. Une belle découverte.

[Frederique Fremalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est définitif! Les scandinaves sont doués pour les thrillers.

On pourrait penser le thème très noir mais j'ai trouvé ce livre plutôt positif et plein d'espoir. La police a du mal à entrer dans l'enquête mais ces individus qui sont en fait "comme tout le monde" ou presque prennent les choses en main. Certes ce n'est pas très légal, mais ils ont des résultats. Bien qu'ils le pourraient, la vengeance n'est pas au programme et c'est là que je trouve le positif. Ils font les choses parce qu'ils le peuvent, sans rien en attendre en retour.

Une histoire bien ficelée que j'ai apprécié découvrir.

[Elsa Harrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Noise is a fictional crime novel with a fairly interesting plot and interesting characters. However I found that I simply could not get drawn into the story. The Studio didn't seem like a team and the only characters that are believable as friends, of any sort, were Berg and Lia and that was only because of the dog Gro. The story in itself was a brilliant idea, however the character development is lacking, in my opinion, and the bond between characters could have been portrayed better.

[tonetony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite liked it. I haven't read all that much in finnish lately, so it was very refreshing. I liked the beginning better than the actual ending. I found the ending a bit over the top, and some things just didn't make sense. This is the second part to the bookseries Studio, but it stood very well on it's own as well. Despite the plot being very unrealistic at times, I liked the characters and the bond between them:)

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting read. The internet is a bad place to be when you are on the receiving end of hate crime. Sad and shocking. The graphic detail had my imagination running riot. A fast paced storyline, it needed to be because time was running out as the brutal murders were adding up. Well written with creative characters. Recommended.

[Alvar von Koskull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Todella hyvä kirja, kiinostava ja kiehtova. Olen ehkä hieman nuori lukijoita ajatellen ja suosittelenkin kirjaa aikuisille enkä nuorisolle. Toki se voi sopia kaikille, mutta 30-vuotis kriisin kera tämä kirja maistuu hyvältä.

[Erika · Rating 1 out of 5]

A totally ridiculous book. What a disappointment.

[Olli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Random löytö, ei odotuksia, täydellisen viihdyttävä yllätys tuttavuus.

[Jeremy Megraw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review at Crime Fiction Lover

When someone starts hacking YouTube accounts and uploading strange videos, the fact that they consist of several minutes of dark silence is just creepy. But in this Finnish crime novel set in London, the strange phenomenon is really a prelude to horror when the vaguely unnerving videos are replaced with what appear to be genuine snuff films. Someone is kicking their victims to death and uploading the dreadful acts anonymously. As more videos begin to appear, and the police investigation turns into a hunt for a serial killer, the evil series has meanwhile gone viral.

At the center of this audacious drama is the mysterious firm known as The Studio. Based in London, it’s run by a mysterious Finnish woman named Mari Rautee, whose reserved demeanor belies an extraordinary resourcefulness and an uncanny ability to read people and fix situations. The Studio selectively and discretely offers their services pro bono in order to right wrongs wherever the police fail to bring justice.

When the book opens, The Studio has come to the aid of a popular radio announcer wrongly accused of sexual harassment. As they deal with restoring his reputation by subtly manipulating his public image, we learn how the crew operates through the specialties of its members. There’s Lia, who, like Mari is a Finnish transplant; Rico, a Brazilian hacker; Berg, a theatrical set designer, and the group’s emotional glue; Maggie, a fearless operator with encyclopedic abilities; and finally Paddy, a former cop.

The Studio learns of the horrific videos and quickly they discern that the police seem to be ignoring the fact that the murders are hate crimes – the victims are homosexual. They divine an essential pattern in the footage that corresponds to a certain pop culture phenomenon, another fact lost on the police. When their offer to help the police is snubbed, they take it further and seek to bring justice themselves, a decision that will change their lives in unexpected and permanent ways.

This suspenseful book has a lot going for it to sustain interest and engagement via the central mystery of the killer’s identity, as well as The Studio’s fascinating tactics. It is less a police procedural, as the police are peripheral, and it has everything to do with social media, ethics, and the cult of celebrity. We hate spoilers so let’s just say the key to the mystery involves everything we ever needed to know about a certain pop star. Events are related mainly through the eyes of Lia, whose day job is a designer at a popular magazine, after which she furtively heads back to The Studio.

As its newest member, we learn from Lia how she gets closer The Studios’ reserved but close-knit members. We know little about their emotional lives until tragedy strikes: one of the team gets too close to the killer and is killed. The mid section of the book deals thoroughly with the ensuing grieving process, and the teams’ soul searching slows down the tempo quite a bit before their resolve fuels them into action. The chase is on and it leads them to a far flung location for the final showdown.

Black Noise forms part of a series concerning The Studio that started with Cold Courage. In this second installment we learn about Mari’s past and upbringing, which explains her character and motivations. One of the strongest characters is Mari’s grandmother, whom we glimpse exclusively on Skype. The Studio’s hacking prowess and ability to skirt the authorities often strains credulity. The author also seems to hit us over the head at times in the attempt to characterise the emotional struggles of the team. I would prefer a slower reveal of The Studio’s mystique, but look forward to seeing what case they take on next.

[rameau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kirja oli fantasiaa siitä hetkestä, kun tajusin sen kertovan kahdesta Lontoossa asuvasta suomalaisnaisesta. Tämän jälkeen, fiktiivinen hakkerointi, laittomat aseradat, poliisin toimintaan sekaantuminen, sekä uskottavuuden rajoja koetteleva loppuratkaisu eivät tuntuneet missään. Näin sain vain nauttia hyvästä tarinasta.

Vaikka pidinkin rauhallisesti etenevästä juonesta ja pohdiskelevasta kerronnasta, olisi ainakin kirjan alkupuoliskoa voinut vielä hieman karsia. Turhaan toistetut yksityiskohdat rassasivat melkein yhtä paljon kuin Mamian ensimmäinen tarkoituksettomalta tuntunut nettipuhelu.

Nyt kaduttaa etten ole lukenut Hiltusen ensimmäistä kirjaa Viattomasti sinun, joka saattaisi selittää jotkut Lian hahmossa minua ärsyttäneet puolet. Kahdesta päähenkilöstä enemmän pidin Marista ehkä juuri etäisyytensä ja varautuneisuutensa takia. Hänen taustansa muuten livahti samalla syvälle sinne fantasia maailmojen mappiin.

Jos Hiltunen jatkaa sarjaa, toivoa sopii hänen hyödyntävän Rauteen sisaruksia sopivalla tavalla.

***

Let’s call it a modern fantasy mystery and leave it at that. There’s no magic involved, but the setting in itself forces me to suspend disbelief to an extent where there’s only a good fictive story left.

Although I enjoyed the slow pace in the beginning i thought it needed another round of edits. Repetition and Mamia’s first call felt pointless and annoying. At the time.

I wonder if reading the first book of the series would have explained some of Lia’s annoying qualities. I liked Mari as a character better perhaps because of her reticence. Her character history is included with the fantastical elements of this novel.

If Hiltunen continues writing for this series, I can only hope he’ll bring back the Rautee siblings in appropriate context.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, the book cover is one of my favorites from last year. Simple but beautiful design. The book itself was better than the first in the series with a plot that was more solid. Current themes were discussed from a new point of view and the revealing twist was somewhat unexpected. It is obvious Hiltunen has done a lot of research for this story and while at times it felt like he was just dropping facts, it didn't make the reading difficult. Some interesting charater development. Will be fascinating to see what the next book is going to be like.

[Aapo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tämä kirja löytyi sopivasti kaupan alehyllystä Lontoonmatkaa varten. Odotukset taisivat olla vähän turhan korkealla, vai onko niin, että tämä ei ihan yllä sarjan ensimmäisen teoksen tasolle? Vetävä kirja tämä oli, oikeastaan melkein harmitti, ettei lentomatka kestänyt kauemmin, että olisin saanut kirjan luettua loppuun asti. Mutta tässä ei ollut sitä erityislaatuisuutta, joka erottaisi tämän muista jännäreistä.

[Pihla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Miten voikaan olla päinvastainen kokemus! Jaarittelevan luennoimisen ja liian yksityiskohtaisten selostusten takia kirja vaikutti ajoittain enemmän oppikirjalta kuin romaanilta. Naurettava ja poukkoileva juoni, pahviset ja kaksiulotteiset hahmot (erityisesti poliisit -ja mitä tekemistä sillä Gerrishillä oli koko tarinan kannalta?) ja kaiken yllä raivostuttavan ylivoimaisena ja kaikkitietävänä Mari. Ja se loppu! EieieieieEIEIEIEI!

[Iina Allonen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ihanan höpöhöpöä ja silti todellisuuden rajoissa pysyttelevää. Henk.koht. pidin verkkaisesti etenevästä tarinasta ja kerronnan rytmistä, ja about puolenvälin jälkeen en malttanut enää laskea kirjaa käsistäni.
Mikään kohta ei kalskahtanut niin pahasti etteikö tarinaa olisi hyvillä mielin voinut jatkaa, vaikka yleensä jätän hanakasti paskat kirjat kesken. Ehdottomaksi lempparikseni salapoliisipömppäkategoriassa.

[Valen Rodriguez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the idea of the story, the YouTube thing, it made it look like a new way to deal with crime fiction.

Anyway there are a few things I didn't like at all. The complete idea of the "Studio" doesn't make too much sense. Are they being paid? How can you afford to keep everythi g up? The explanations about people involvement, skills, funds and everything around the Studio aren't enough for me. Also, the relation between Lia and Mamia looks very unreal.

[Anniina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tämä tarina meni ohi korvien, kirja oli lopussa kun vielä odottelin jotain punaista lankaa ilmaantuvaksi. Jotenkin yksinkertainen ja keskeneräinen, kaikki elementit irrallaan toisistaan ja teemat kaukaa haettuja. Tosin monesti sama fiilis yllättää, kun lukee suomalaisten kirjoittamia kirjoja ulkomaista. Ei ilahduttanut eikä yllättänyt.

[Pauliina Lassila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olin kuullut kehuja Pekka Hiltusesta ja reissussa tarttui tämä pokkari käteen. Vaikka oli toinen osa sarjasta, helposti pääsi mukaan henkilöiden elämään. Hyvin rakennettu juoni, joskisn taas kerran hieman liian raaka makuuni. Siksi vain neljä tähteä, hyvin kuitenkin piti otteessaan viettäessäni yötä Helsinki-Vantaan lentokentällä, matkalla kotiin Lontoosta :)

[Linnea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elokuvallinen jännityskirja suoraan Lontoosta suomalaisin maustein. Sysipimeä oli riittävän tapahtumarikas pitämään mielenkiinnon yllä ja sopivan älykäs joten ei tuntunut höttöiseltä. Mainio lisä kesälukemistoon.

[Janne Järvinen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moderni rikostrilleri Millennium-trilogian tyylisissä tunnelmissa. Alussa juonen aukeaminen on hyvin toteutettu. Tarina on mielenkiintoinen ja imee mukaansa tehokkaasti. Tärkein juonenpaljastus johtaa kuitenkin outoon suuntaan, ja viimeinen kolmannes on aikaisempia heikompi.

[Reetta Saine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiltunen kirjoittaa erilaisia dekkareita, joissa psykologinen silmä lepää. Julmat rikokset ja sujuvat juonet täydentyvät politiikalla, medialla, kriittisyydellä ja Lontoolla. Studio on kiehtova keksintö.

[Anne Holappa · Rating 4 out of 5]

well well, even better than the first one. Studio goes Mission Impossible. Cool.Finnish international action + women´s perspective. Recipe for fame and glory?

[Lechw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taitavasti kirjoitettu itsenäinen jatko-osa. Edeltäjäänsä synkempi ja syvempi. Toivottavasti jatkoa seuraa.

[Janne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Luettava, mutta ei tempaa mukaansa.