What do you think?
Rate this book
The Burning Stones
‘ The funniest writer in Europe' The Times
Saunas, love and a ladleful of murder...
A cold-blooded killer strikes at the hottest the head of a sauna-heater company is murdered ... in the sauna. Who has turned up the temperature and burned him to death?
The evidence points in the direction of Anni Korpinen – top salesperson and potential successor at Puhti Saunas. And as if hitting middle-age, being in a marriage that has lost its purpose, and struggling with work weren' t enough, Anni realizes that she must be quicker than both the police and the murderer to uncover who is behind it all – before it' s too late...
International bestselling author, Antti Tuomainen, returns with a darkly funny, delightfully tense new thriller that showcases humanity at its most bare – in middle age, suspected of murder and, of course, in a sauna...
Saunas, love and a ladleful of murder...
A cold-blooded killer strikes at the hottest the head of a sauna-heater company is murdered ... in the sauna. Who has turned up the temperature and burned him to death?
The evidence points in the direction of Anni Korpinen – top salesperson and potential successor at Puhti Saunas. And as if hitting middle-age, being in a marriage that has lost its purpose, and struggling with work weren' t enough, Anni realizes that she must be quicker than both the police and the murderer to uncover who is behind it all – before it' s too late...
International bestselling author, Antti Tuomainen, returns with a darkly funny, delightfully tense new thriller that showcases humanity at its most bare – in middle age, suspected of murder and, of course, in a sauna...
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2023
92 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Antti Tuomainen
27 books596 followersAntti Tuomainen (b. 1971) is one of Finland’s most acclaimed and award-winning crime fiction writers. To date, Tuomainen’s works have been translated into more than 25 languages. Crowned “The King of Helsinki Noir,” Tuomainen’s piercing and evocative style has never stopped evolving.
In The Man Who Died, Tuomainen displays a new side of his authorship and unveils his multifaceted ability in full. The novel, which combines Tuomainen’s trademark suspense with a darkly tinged humor, has won the hearts of readers and critics alike, and secured him the new title of King of Noir Comedy. The Man Who Died also became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards.
Palm Beach Finland was an immense success, with Marcel Berlins (The Times) calling Tuomainen 'the funniest writer in Europe'.
His latest thriller, Little Siberia, was shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger, the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Awards and the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.
In The Man Who Died, Tuomainen displays a new side of his authorship and unveils his multifaceted ability in full. The novel, which combines Tuomainen’s trademark suspense with a darkly tinged humor, has won the hearts of readers and critics alike, and secured him the new title of King of Noir Comedy. The Man Who Died also became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards.
Palm Beach Finland was an immense success, with Marcel Berlins (The Times) calling Tuomainen 'the funniest writer in Europe'.
His latest thriller, Little Siberia, was shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger, the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Awards and the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
April 7, 2025
Saunas Can Be Fatal...
THE BURNING STONES
by Antti Tuomainen
No spoilers. 3 stars. Anni Korpinen is first in line to take over as the new Stove King at the Steam Devil Stove Company...
Erkki Ruusula...
The old Stove King is retiring due to his age and failing cognitive health. He has initiated a contest between all of his employees...
To see who will succeed Erkki as the CEO at Steam Devil...
Ilmo Raty was the first first pick, but...
That was before Ilmo was murdered in his sauna. Someone had super glued his butt to the sauna's bench, then cranked up the heat...
The death of Ilmo put Anni in as next in line to ascend the throne as the new Stove King of the company...
But...
It also made her the prime suspect in Ilmo's
murder. Did she do the crime, or was it one of several other people involved with the company?...
Who knew that saunas could be so fatal?
This was an interesting, entertaining, and at times, humorous whodunit murder mystery with the usual suspects to be found in one of this author's novels.
The trouble with this story is that the bar was set so high with Tuomainen 's THE MAN WHO DIED and THE RABBIT FACTOR series that this one just didn't measure up to his storytelling standards. This novel wasn't bad. It just wasn't as good as his previous mysteries. Even so, it was still one of the best books I've read so far this year.
THE BURNING STONES
by Antti Tuomainen
No spoilers. 3 stars. Anni Korpinen is first in line to take over as the new Stove King at the Steam Devil Stove Company...
Erkki Ruusula...
The old Stove King is retiring due to his age and failing cognitive health. He has initiated a contest between all of his employees...
To see who will succeed Erkki as the CEO at Steam Devil...
Ilmo Raty was the first first pick, but...
That was before Ilmo was murdered in his sauna. Someone had super glued his butt to the sauna's bench, then cranked up the heat...
The death of Ilmo put Anni in as next in line to ascend the throne as the new Stove King of the company...
But...
It also made her the prime suspect in Ilmo's
murder. Did she do the crime, or was it one of several other people involved with the company?...
Who knew that saunas could be so fatal?
This was an interesting, entertaining, and at times, humorous whodunit murder mystery with the usual suspects to be found in one of this author's novels.
The trouble with this story is that the bar was set so high with Tuomainen 's THE MAN WHO DIED and THE RABBIT FACTOR series that this one just didn't measure up to his storytelling standards. This novel wasn't bad. It just wasn't as good as his previous mysteries. Even so, it was still one of the best books I've read so far this year.
March 10, 2025
The Burning Stones is the first Antti Tuomainen novel I’ve read. His name has been among authors recommended by some Goodreads friends and, consequently, I placed a few of his books in my “Want To Read” list—a list that has grown so long that I’ll never complete it. When The Burning Stones appeared on my NetGalley list, with a description suggesting that it had a humorous tone, I requested it. At the time I needed to read a humorous novel.
The book does not begin with a comical scene. In fact the first scene is exceptionally dark—the slow torture of Elmo Raty, newly appointed CEO of Steam Devil, glued to his sauna bench. Someone keeps adding wood to the stove, and the temperature keeps rising, until the structure catches fire.
But then the POV switches to Anni Korpinen, a top salesperson at Steam Devil, and a sauna devotee herself. She is a bit quirky, with her sauna obsession, suppressed memories of a long-ago stabbing, repressed attraction to her former fiancé, Police Constable Janne Piirto, and tolerance of her wacky husband, Santeri. Santeri spends all his time reliving long-gone Formula One races and collecting memorabilia from said races—an obsession that defines his entire existence.
The scene then changes to the offices of Steam Devil, and Anni’s work colleagues, all of whom exhibit eccentric characteristics. I did get a bit lost in this section of the book, as it was difficult to remember which foreign name was associated with which odd behaviour. Shortly after encountering these colleagues, I found my interest in the story declining because of rambling comments made by the retiring founder of Steam Devil, Erkki ‘Stove King’ Ruusula, about aging, interspersed with long introspectional ramblings by Anni, also on the topic of aging. It seemed to me that the plot was split between (1) dealing with an aging mentality and (2) the murder investigation—two separate themes.
The narrative shifts again, to accusations that Anni is the murderer—accusations made by the head of police, Reijo Kiimalainen, a man who hates Anni because years ago her now deceased father shot the elk that Reijo himself had coveted. The evidence against her—her sauna bumlet found at the scene of the crime. Yes, a “bumlet”, and no, I’ve never heard of such things either before reading this novel.
Anni knows she is innocent but evidence keeps pointing her way. As she is the frontrunner to take over the helm at Steam Devil, it appears likely that one of her colleagues is framing her. So, Anni begins investigating, although she admits she is no Sherlock Holmes.
The absurdist elements keep piling up, and although I am not a fan of absurdist literature, I couldn’t stop reading. And, in the end, the mixture of (1) a murder mystery—a whodunnit, (2) satire, and (3) a philosophical discourse on “aging” do converge into a satisfying finale.
I enjoyed this novel even though I personally hate saunas; I’ve tried them and can’t understand why Finnish people are so enamoured by them. I also didn’t understand why so many of the characters in this story were in childless marriages; I assume that children do not fit into the absurdist world that author Tuomainen has created. But bumlets, a collapsing giant stove, wacky work colleagues, and Anni’s marriage to a nonentity captured me.
Thanks to the Independent Publishers Group for providing an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.
The book does not begin with a comical scene. In fact the first scene is exceptionally dark—the slow torture of Elmo Raty, newly appointed CEO of Steam Devil, glued to his sauna bench. Someone keeps adding wood to the stove, and the temperature keeps rising, until the structure catches fire.
But then the POV switches to Anni Korpinen, a top salesperson at Steam Devil, and a sauna devotee herself. She is a bit quirky, with her sauna obsession, suppressed memories of a long-ago stabbing, repressed attraction to her former fiancé, Police Constable Janne Piirto, and tolerance of her wacky husband, Santeri. Santeri spends all his time reliving long-gone Formula One races and collecting memorabilia from said races—an obsession that defines his entire existence.
The scene then changes to the offices of Steam Devil, and Anni’s work colleagues, all of whom exhibit eccentric characteristics. I did get a bit lost in this section of the book, as it was difficult to remember which foreign name was associated with which odd behaviour. Shortly after encountering these colleagues, I found my interest in the story declining because of rambling comments made by the retiring founder of Steam Devil, Erkki ‘Stove King’ Ruusula, about aging, interspersed with long introspectional ramblings by Anni, also on the topic of aging. It seemed to me that the plot was split between (1) dealing with an aging mentality and (2) the murder investigation—two separate themes.
The narrative shifts again, to accusations that Anni is the murderer—accusations made by the head of police, Reijo Kiimalainen, a man who hates Anni because years ago her now deceased father shot the elk that Reijo himself had coveted. The evidence against her—her sauna bumlet found at the scene of the crime. Yes, a “bumlet”, and no, I’ve never heard of such things either before reading this novel.
Anni knows she is innocent but evidence keeps pointing her way. As she is the frontrunner to take over the helm at Steam Devil, it appears likely that one of her colleagues is framing her. So, Anni begins investigating, although she admits she is no Sherlock Holmes.
The absurdist elements keep piling up, and although I am not a fan of absurdist literature, I couldn’t stop reading. And, in the end, the mixture of (1) a murder mystery—a whodunnit, (2) satire, and (3) a philosophical discourse on “aging” do converge into a satisfying finale.
I enjoyed this novel even though I personally hate saunas; I’ve tried them and can’t understand why Finnish people are so enamoured by them. I also didn’t understand why so many of the characters in this story were in childless marriages; I assume that children do not fit into the absurdist world that author Tuomainen has created. But bumlets, a collapsing giant stove, wacky work colleagues, and Anni’s marriage to a nonentity captured me.
Thanks to the Independent Publishers Group for providing an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.
October 13, 2024
The Burning Stones, by Antti Tuomainen
3.5 Stars
Dear readers, if you’re an aficionado of the sauna world, and even if you aren’t, then come on in! Don’t forget to grab your ladles and whisks as this novel is a very steamy read!
Let’s review the benefits of taking a sauna in Antti Tuomainen’s world:
* Pain relief: You’ll be pain free after fatally hot steam envelops you for the last time!
* Stress Reduction: Sit on your bumlet as the heat relaxes your muscles. They're tense from all your coworkers believing you to be a brutal killer!
* Depression Relief: Middle age sucks. Light some fire to those depressing thoughts!
* Anxiety Relief: All worked up because an ahole police chief is on your tail for a murder you didn’t commit? Come on in!
* Improved Cardiovascular Health: You’re going to need it as you run through forests looking for that sob who is framing you!
* Asthma Relief: Perfect for when that man shows up who lights your stove and takes your breath away again and again! The man who you heartlessly dumped 30 years ago and is now a police officer investigating you! Are those cuffs for arresting you or for something else?
It’s this sauna world that gets the reader hooked from the start. Here is where we find the recently appointed CEO of Steam Devil meeting his end after someone throws one too many logs into the stove. The core staff of his company were all competing to become the CEO, and they are all now people of interest. Especially suspected is Anni Korpinen, who is the company’s sales guru and in the lead of the race to become the victim’s successor. She must find the real culprit before a police chief, who is all grumpy about an elk, arrests her for murder.
The book is a solid read with a plot that keeps the reader engaged. I was a little disappointed, however. While there are some quirky elements, such as Anni’s husband who rewatches 40-year old car races, the novel for the most part lacks the absurdity that can be found in Tuomainen’s other books, such as ‘Palm Beach, Finland’ and ‘The Rabbit Factory’ trilogy. (I’m still waiting for that fabled Rabbit Factor TV show starring Steve Carell, by the way!!) Also absent are Tuomainen’s usual dark noir elements, with really only a handful of suspenseful scenes that are not really all that horrifying. If you’re looking for Tuomainen’s brand of Nordic Noir, you’re going to find very little of it here.
Rather, the book is a captivating whodunit. Each character is unique, and any one of them could be the killer. You’ll find the protagonist who struggles with her past and with facing middle-age, a topic that is explored well. There are also frequent descriptions of Finland’s natural beauty, and Tuomainen effectively uses manifestations of sunlight, water and trees to color his narrative. In all, I really enjoyed reading this novel as the story unfolded.
‘The Burning Stones’ is a textbook example of writing craft. All the ingredients are there. When considered as a novel in its own right, it’s quite good. But when placed alongside Tuomainen’s other novels that show what he’s really capable of, then this book falls short, missing his signature ‘je ne sais quoi’.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed this book, and I definitely recommend it for you to check out. Just don’t get yourself stuck inside any saunas, and you’ll have a good time! Oh, avoid having a giant sauna stove in the sky fall on top of you as well. That’s important.
3.5 Stars Books that receive a 3.5-star rating from me are enjoyable and well-crafted, showing substantial development of creativity, character development, or thematic exploration. They might have a compelling narrative or unique style that sets them apart, though they may still have minor flaws or elements that prevented them from being truly impactful. This rating is for books that are on the cusp of being great but didn't fully realize their potential.
3.5 Stars
"What if this is, you know, a serial killer who's just getting started on his series? I mean, it's always a possibility. That's all I'm trying to say... It could be me... You know, saunas can be fatal."
Dear readers, if you’re an aficionado of the sauna world, and even if you aren’t, then come on in! Don’t forget to grab your ladles and whisks as this novel is a very steamy read!
Let’s review the benefits of taking a sauna in Antti Tuomainen’s world:
* Pain relief: You’ll be pain free after fatally hot steam envelops you for the last time!
* Stress Reduction: Sit on your bumlet as the heat relaxes your muscles. They're tense from all your coworkers believing you to be a brutal killer!
* Depression Relief: Middle age sucks. Light some fire to those depressing thoughts!
* Anxiety Relief: All worked up because an ahole police chief is on your tail for a murder you didn’t commit? Come on in!
* Improved Cardiovascular Health: You’re going to need it as you run through forests looking for that sob who is framing you!
* Asthma Relief: Perfect for when that man shows up who lights your stove and takes your breath away again and again! The man who you heartlessly dumped 30 years ago and is now a police officer investigating you! Are those cuffs for arresting you or for something else?
It’s this sauna world that gets the reader hooked from the start. Here is where we find the recently appointed CEO of Steam Devil meeting his end after someone throws one too many logs into the stove. The core staff of his company were all competing to become the CEO, and they are all now people of interest. Especially suspected is Anni Korpinen, who is the company’s sales guru and in the lead of the race to become the victim’s successor. She must find the real culprit before a police chief, who is all grumpy about an elk, arrests her for murder.
The book is a solid read with a plot that keeps the reader engaged. I was a little disappointed, however. While there are some quirky elements, such as Anni’s husband who rewatches 40-year old car races, the novel for the most part lacks the absurdity that can be found in Tuomainen’s other books, such as ‘Palm Beach, Finland’ and ‘The Rabbit Factory’ trilogy. (I’m still waiting for that fabled Rabbit Factor TV show starring Steve Carell, by the way!!) Also absent are Tuomainen’s usual dark noir elements, with really only a handful of suspenseful scenes that are not really all that horrifying. If you’re looking for Tuomainen’s brand of Nordic Noir, you’re going to find very little of it here.
Rather, the book is a captivating whodunit. Each character is unique, and any one of them could be the killer. You’ll find the protagonist who struggles with her past and with facing middle-age, a topic that is explored well. There are also frequent descriptions of Finland’s natural beauty, and Tuomainen effectively uses manifestations of sunlight, water and trees to color his narrative. In all, I really enjoyed reading this novel as the story unfolded.
‘The Burning Stones’ is a textbook example of writing craft. All the ingredients are there. When considered as a novel in its own right, it’s quite good. But when placed alongside Tuomainen’s other novels that show what he’s really capable of, then this book falls short, missing his signature ‘je ne sais quoi’.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed this book, and I definitely recommend it for you to check out. Just don’t get yourself stuck inside any saunas, and you’ll have a good time! Oh, avoid having a giant sauna stove in the sky fall on top of you as well. That’s important.
3.5 Stars Books that receive a 3.5-star rating from me are enjoyable and well-crafted, showing substantial development of creativity, character development, or thematic exploration. They might have a compelling narrative or unique style that sets them apart, though they may still have minor flaws or elements that prevented them from being truly impactful. This rating is for books that are on the cusp of being great but didn't fully realize their potential.
January 3, 2026
4.5★s
The Burning Stones is the seventh stand-alone novel by award-winning Finnish author, Antti Tuomainen. It is translated from Finnish by David Hackston. The audio version is narrated by Imogen Church.
Ilmo Raty is quite surprised that he’s about to be appointed CEO of Steam Devil, an independent maker of custom sauna stoves in Puhtijarvi. After all, his recent indiscretions with a young ski instructor have seen the departure of his wife and ostracism by his adult children. He’s even more surprised to find himself glued to his sauna bench, while a black-clad, masked intruder repeatedly loads up the fire chamber with wood.
Apart from the last six lean months, fifty-three-year-old Anni Korpinen has successfully sold Steam Devil sauna stoves for twenty-two years. But Lauri Kahavouri, a prospective buyer of sixty-four units for his semi-detached chalet conglomerate, is suddenly baulking at the final step. He’s convinced that Ilmo Raty was murdered by a serial killer, and wants that cleared up so his customers won’t be anxious about sitting near their Steam Devils.
As a true-crime buff, he has some fixed ideas on the characteristics of the murderer and, while Anni didn’t believe her colleagues, each still competing to become CEO, could have killed Ilmo, what Lauri describes could apply to any of them, even her. The fact that her boss, Erkki “Stove King” Ruusala reveals her as his preferred successor puts the police spotlight right on her.
The village’s Senior Constable has long held a grudge against her father over a particular elk hunt, so when a piece of evidence turns up at the scene that elevates her as a definite suspect, he’s delighted, and Anni knows she can’t expect any special treatment from his colleague, her ex-fiance, Janne Piirto.
But then another Steam Devil colleague is murdered, and suspicion again falls on Anni. She knows she needs to find the murderer before Senior Constable Reijo Kiimalainen puts her into prison and throws away the key. She researches the background of her colleagues, checks their shared diaries, trips and expenses, talks to Erkki about them, but possible motives and any sort of proof are unconvincing.
Tuomainen has a talent for writing quirky characters with unusual habits or obsessions, and he manages to pack into his tale a hint of industrial espionage, extra-marital affairs, guilt over a decades-ago assault, jealousies, theft, dancing, fraud, model kits, possible dementia, and quite a bit about saunas. Entertaining Helsinki noir.
The Burning Stones is the seventh stand-alone novel by award-winning Finnish author, Antti Tuomainen. It is translated from Finnish by David Hackston. The audio version is narrated by Imogen Church.
Ilmo Raty is quite surprised that he’s about to be appointed CEO of Steam Devil, an independent maker of custom sauna stoves in Puhtijarvi. After all, his recent indiscretions with a young ski instructor have seen the departure of his wife and ostracism by his adult children. He’s even more surprised to find himself glued to his sauna bench, while a black-clad, masked intruder repeatedly loads up the fire chamber with wood.
Apart from the last six lean months, fifty-three-year-old Anni Korpinen has successfully sold Steam Devil sauna stoves for twenty-two years. But Lauri Kahavouri, a prospective buyer of sixty-four units for his semi-detached chalet conglomerate, is suddenly baulking at the final step. He’s convinced that Ilmo Raty was murdered by a serial killer, and wants that cleared up so his customers won’t be anxious about sitting near their Steam Devils.
As a true-crime buff, he has some fixed ideas on the characteristics of the murderer and, while Anni didn’t believe her colleagues, each still competing to become CEO, could have killed Ilmo, what Lauri describes could apply to any of them, even her. The fact that her boss, Erkki “Stove King” Ruusala reveals her as his preferred successor puts the police spotlight right on her.
The village’s Senior Constable has long held a grudge against her father over a particular elk hunt, so when a piece of evidence turns up at the scene that elevates her as a definite suspect, he’s delighted, and Anni knows she can’t expect any special treatment from his colleague, her ex-fiance, Janne Piirto.
But then another Steam Devil colleague is murdered, and suspicion again falls on Anni. She knows she needs to find the murderer before Senior Constable Reijo Kiimalainen puts her into prison and throws away the key. She researches the background of her colleagues, checks their shared diaries, trips and expenses, talks to Erkki about them, but possible motives and any sort of proof are unconvincing.
Tuomainen has a talent for writing quirky characters with unusual habits or obsessions, and he manages to pack into his tale a hint of industrial espionage, extra-marital affairs, guilt over a decades-ago assault, jealousies, theft, dancing, fraud, model kits, possible dementia, and quite a bit about saunas. Entertaining Helsinki noir.
September 16, 2024
I was thrilled to find out a new Antti Tuomainen novel was on the horizon, and The Burning Stones turned out to be exactly what I’d hoped and expected it would be: a suspenseful, quirky and fun thriller / mystery.
In The Burning Stones, we follow the events from the point of view of Anni. At first glance, Anni seems rather well put together, she’s happy at her job with a huge promotion within reach and happy in her marriage even if it’s not perfect.
And then a co-worker is murdered and Anni is at the top of the suspect list and her whole world crumbles around her. She’s not guilty, but obviously, she’s the only one who can know that for sure. She not only has to prove her innocence to the police, she has to outsmart the killer as well: if they are picking off the people who are in the running for becoming the new CEO, she may be next. Meanwhile, an old spark rekindles between Anni and one of the investigating officers and Anni starts to realise a thing or two about her hubby and her marriage.
The thing about Anni, even as her world crumbles, she’s resilient, she’s got moxie, and I loved her for it. This story could easily have acquired a bit of a woe-is-me angle, but not in the hands of Antti Tuomainen, who always keeps up the pace and has his protagonist look at herself and her own dire situation with a dry sense of humour.
Always: shout-out to translator David Hackston for bringing The Burning Stones to an English-speaking audience while staying true to the author’s voice.
With characters that are somehow simultaneously larger than life and understated, and a rather unique string of sauna-related murders, The Burning Stones is another fun thriller in that unique Antti-style that I’ve been trying – and failing – to put into words for years now. Recommended.
Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the digital review copy. All opinions are my own.
In The Burning Stones, we follow the events from the point of view of Anni. At first glance, Anni seems rather well put together, she’s happy at her job with a huge promotion within reach and happy in her marriage even if it’s not perfect.
And then a co-worker is murdered and Anni is at the top of the suspect list and her whole world crumbles around her. She’s not guilty, but obviously, she’s the only one who can know that for sure. She not only has to prove her innocence to the police, she has to outsmart the killer as well: if they are picking off the people who are in the running for becoming the new CEO, she may be next. Meanwhile, an old spark rekindles between Anni and one of the investigating officers and Anni starts to realise a thing or two about her hubby and her marriage.
The thing about Anni, even as her world crumbles, she’s resilient, she’s got moxie, and I loved her for it. This story could easily have acquired a bit of a woe-is-me angle, but not in the hands of Antti Tuomainen, who always keeps up the pace and has his protagonist look at herself and her own dire situation with a dry sense of humour.
Always: shout-out to translator David Hackston for bringing The Burning Stones to an English-speaking audience while staying true to the author’s voice.
With characters that are somehow simultaneously larger than life and understated, and a rather unique string of sauna-related murders, The Burning Stones is another fun thriller in that unique Antti-style that I’ve been trying – and failing – to put into words for years now. Recommended.
Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the digital review copy. All opinions are my own.
March 3, 2025
I like the way Antti set up how Elmo Räty made his murder in the sauna appear to take away how the murderer was brutal. It took a very knowledgeable person to figure out how to keep a person glued down and keep adding wood to the stove in order to make it catch fire. Now what happened to make this killing so. We have a woman in the running to become the CEO named Anni Korpinen. Erkki Ruusula is the Stove King who is 75 years old and wants to retire. Elmo Räty was the winner at first until he was murdered. Then it goes back to the beginning. But the police have several objects from Anni's and the senior policeman keeps bringing up how her father killed an Elk that was suppose to be his. Her father died and the antlers were buried with him and he keeps this up saying he is going to place her under arrest. Read this story for yourself and you'll like the ending. Antti makes the story go the way you believe it should go.
December 3, 2024
This is my fourth Tuomaninen and time now I think for us to part company. The relationship began well with The Man Who Died, but his style has changed since, pandering more to the masses oustide Finland.
This is certainly that, a very light-hearted murder mystery with the crimes taking place in a sauna, or with sauna implements. I think some of it is supposed to be humorous, but it comes over far too much like a Midsomer Murder mystery.
This is certainly that, a very light-hearted murder mystery with the crimes taking place in a sauna, or with sauna implements. I think some of it is supposed to be humorous, but it comes over far too much like a Midsomer Murder mystery.
February 10, 2025
I love Antti Tuomainen's novels and I was very happy to dive into this one. We meet Anni, a fifty-year-old who sells saunas. She races with her colleagues to take over the company when one of her colleagues is murdered in his sauna.
Well to start, I'm not ready to go to a sauna after this reading which put me off a bit. I enjoyed reading it: the investigation is gripping, the character of Anni is as always a real anti-hero (her marriage is rocky, she gets taken in and led up the garden path at will) but yet she is endearing and we quickly feel sorry for her.
I really liked the descriptions of rural Finland, where everyone has their own sauna and takes a dip in the lake when they wake up in the summer. What a dream.
Well to start, I'm not ready to go to a sauna after this reading which put me off a bit. I enjoyed reading it: the investigation is gripping, the character of Anni is as always a real anti-hero (her marriage is rocky, she gets taken in and led up the garden path at will) but yet she is endearing and we quickly feel sorry for her.
I really liked the descriptions of rural Finland, where everyone has their own sauna and takes a dip in the lake when they wake up in the summer. What a dream.
November 4, 2023
Antti Tuomaisen uusimmasta romaanista Palavat kivet (2023) tuumin samaa kuin Hesarin kriitikkokin eli Antti Tuomaisen mittapuulla ei hänen parhaimpiaan. Tuomaiselta odottaa aina keskinkertaista kirjailijaa enemmän. Ei tämä missään nimessä huonokaan ole ja kuten Hesarin kriitikko toteaa, loppua kohti lisätään taas kierroksia ja tuttu Tuomainen pääsee ainakin välillä vauhtiin. Silti jotakin tästä jäi puuttumaan, kun vertaa Tuomaisen aiempiin teoksiin.
Mielenkiintoista on, että teoksen päähenkilö on tällä kertaa 53-vuotias nainen. Äkkiseltään en muista, että onko Tuomaisen kirjoissa ollut aiemmin yhtä selvästi naispäähenkilöä. Lähtöasetelmahan on lähes yhtä kutkuttava kuin Jäniskerroin-trilogiassa: nyt vain seikkailupuisto on vaihtunut Puhtikiuas-yritykseen, joka valmistaa käsintehtyjä puukiukaita. Pari murhaa tapahtuu ja epäilys kohdistuu Puhtikiukaan uudeksi johtajaksi tarjolla olevaan viisikymppiseen Anniin.
Mainittakoon vielä, että näin tähän teokseen liittyvää unta viime yönä. Olin jossain ihmepaikassa, jossa oli todella ison saunan molemmin puolin miesten ja naisten pukuhuoneet (tämä on suoraan romaanista) ja saunassa oltiin talvivaatteet päällä. Pukuhuoneesta näki myös muuten avantouintipaikalle, jossa oli porukkaa pyöräilyhaalareissa avantouimassa (romaani sijoittuu pääosin elokuulle, joten romaanissa uitiin vain loppukesäisessä järvessä).
Seuraavaa Tuomaista odotellessa, tälle arvioksi 3,3/5.
Mielenkiintoista on, että teoksen päähenkilö on tällä kertaa 53-vuotias nainen. Äkkiseltään en muista, että onko Tuomaisen kirjoissa ollut aiemmin yhtä selvästi naispäähenkilöä. Lähtöasetelmahan on lähes yhtä kutkuttava kuin Jäniskerroin-trilogiassa: nyt vain seikkailupuisto on vaihtunut Puhtikiuas-yritykseen, joka valmistaa käsintehtyjä puukiukaita. Pari murhaa tapahtuu ja epäilys kohdistuu Puhtikiukaan uudeksi johtajaksi tarjolla olevaan viisikymppiseen Anniin.
Mainittakoon vielä, että näin tähän teokseen liittyvää unta viime yönä. Olin jossain ihmepaikassa, jossa oli todella ison saunan molemmin puolin miesten ja naisten pukuhuoneet (tämä on suoraan romaanista) ja saunassa oltiin talvivaatteet päällä. Pukuhuoneesta näki myös muuten avantouintipaikalle, jossa oli porukkaa pyöräilyhaalareissa avantouimassa (romaani sijoittuu pääosin elokuulle, joten romaanissa uitiin vain loppukesäisessä järvessä).
Seuraavaa Tuomaista odotellessa, tälle arvioksi 3,3/5.
December 4, 2024
Antti Tuomainen has taken the concept of the whodunnit, and stood it on its ear with his signature brand of quirkiness. Outside of Midsomer Murders, I haven't come across such diverse methods of dispatching a person. Hats off to you Antti, for shaking things up. 👏
The murder weapons of choice in The Burning Stones, are all sauna related, hence the title. If using a sauna is your thing, I'm pretty sure you have nothing to worry about. 🔥
A great cast of characters made The Burning Stones a fun and engaging read. The story is told from the POV of Anni, who works at sauna company Steam Devil, and is in the frame for the murder of the company's new CEO. Can Anni clear her name? Well, there's only one way to find out, so what are you waiting for?! If its quirky you're after, you'll not go wrong with this one. 🔥
The murder weapons of choice in The Burning Stones, are all sauna related, hence the title. If using a sauna is your thing, I'm pretty sure you have nothing to worry about. 🔥
A great cast of characters made The Burning Stones a fun and engaging read. The story is told from the POV of Anni, who works at sauna company Steam Devil, and is in the frame for the murder of the company's new CEO. Can Anni clear her name? Well, there's only one way to find out, so what are you waiting for?! If its quirky you're after, you'll not go wrong with this one. 🔥
October 16, 2023
3,5 ⭐
March 18, 2025
Newest book from my favorite (and only) Finnish author. A woman who sells sauna stoves for a living is up for promotion to run the company when the former CEO is murdered -- in his sauna. All evidence points to her having done the deed. When a second employee, who is also a contender for the promotion, is likewise murdered and the evidence is damning, she realizes that she is being framed. If she doesn't solve the murder herself, she is going to be arrested as a serial killer. Keeps you guessing up to the end.
December 30, 2025
alright for a freebie
October 13, 2024
Anni Korpinen is the star saleswoman at sauna stove maker Steam Devil.
But is Anni also a serial killer?
All the facts seem to suggest it. Anni's colleagues have her down as a cold-blooded killer (albeit one who employs hot steam for her murders) and local police chief Kiimaleinen is determined to make charges stick.
Only one person believes in Anni's innocence - herself. But can she really hold out in the teeth of the evidence?
The Burning Stones was a fun book to read. It's described as comedy crime, but I think the truth is more nuanced than that - while the story does has its humorous aspects, it's a very dark humour, and the comedy arises from a desperate human predicament. The crime we see is also very, very gruesome. And the eventual revelation of who the killer is and what their motives are points less at human wickedness but at small, rather pathetic and plaintive motives - certainly compared with the nature of the killings. So it's equally a rather sad book, the record of a few days that turn Anni's world upside down, stressing all her relationships and breaking some behind repair.
I enjoyed the way that Tuomainen throws the burden of proving her innocence on a woman who manifestly has no special talents in that line, as she repeats several times, she is a saleswoman (and a very good one) not a detective. Anni's attempts at tracking down the real killer often seem apt to land her in more trouble, and there's a murky secret in her past that make sit hard for her to be frank with (possibly) sympathetic policemen who might be willing to help - so she's very much on her own, surrounded by colleagues who mistrust and who, lets be plain, all have questions to answer themselves.
Anni does though have one resource to fall back on - the peace she gains from her regular sauna sessions and swimming in the local lake. many time sion the story she retreats to ponder matters in the steam. But might even this be evidence of guilt?
A real mystery, an involving and enjoyable story with well drawn and plausible characters and a tale with ratcheting tension, as Anni waist for that knock on the door, this is a book I'd strongly recommend. It's also a window onto Finnish sauna culture which was enlightening to say the least! I'd never, for example, heard about the concept of a "bumlet" (you'll just have to read the book!) I think that David Hackston's translation is brilliant here, it's as though Tuomainen is deliberately posing challenges, using colloquialisms, songs and jingles, technical terms and very specific language for which clearly, there are no direct English equivalents and which require words to be created. Hackston deals with all this and more with aplomb and gives us a very readable text besides.
But is Anni also a serial killer?
All the facts seem to suggest it. Anni's colleagues have her down as a cold-blooded killer (albeit one who employs hot steam for her murders) and local police chief Kiimaleinen is determined to make charges stick.
Only one person believes in Anni's innocence - herself. But can she really hold out in the teeth of the evidence?
The Burning Stones was a fun book to read. It's described as comedy crime, but I think the truth is more nuanced than that - while the story does has its humorous aspects, it's a very dark humour, and the comedy arises from a desperate human predicament. The crime we see is also very, very gruesome. And the eventual revelation of who the killer is and what their motives are points less at human wickedness but at small, rather pathetic and plaintive motives - certainly compared with the nature of the killings. So it's equally a rather sad book, the record of a few days that turn Anni's world upside down, stressing all her relationships and breaking some behind repair.
I enjoyed the way that Tuomainen throws the burden of proving her innocence on a woman who manifestly has no special talents in that line, as she repeats several times, she is a saleswoman (and a very good one) not a detective. Anni's attempts at tracking down the real killer often seem apt to land her in more trouble, and there's a murky secret in her past that make sit hard for her to be frank with (possibly) sympathetic policemen who might be willing to help - so she's very much on her own, surrounded by colleagues who mistrust and who, lets be plain, all have questions to answer themselves.
Anni does though have one resource to fall back on - the peace she gains from her regular sauna sessions and swimming in the local lake. many time sion the story she retreats to ponder matters in the steam. But might even this be evidence of guilt?
A real mystery, an involving and enjoyable story with well drawn and plausible characters and a tale with ratcheting tension, as Anni waist for that knock on the door, this is a book I'd strongly recommend. It's also a window onto Finnish sauna culture which was enlightening to say the least! I'd never, for example, heard about the concept of a "bumlet" (you'll just have to read the book!) I think that David Hackston's translation is brilliant here, it's as though Tuomainen is deliberately posing challenges, using colloquialisms, songs and jingles, technical terms and very specific language for which clearly, there are no direct English equivalents and which require words to be created. Hackston deals with all this and more with aplomb and gives us a very readable text besides.
October 31, 2023
Arto Paasilinna -tunnelmissa aloin tätä lukemaan. Aika tylsähän tämä oli, joskin toi kivasti kesämökkifiilistä miljöineen. Mutta ilman murhia 🙂 Ehkä pitää kuitenkin jossain välissä lukea se kehuttu Jäniskerroin 🤔
October 23, 2024
I think I went in with too high expectations having enjoyed ‘the Man who Died’ immensely. In a nutshell - this story is about a lady who sells saunas. Someone is murdered in one of the saunas and she becomes a suspect. It’s a quirky romp of a story but was not to my taste unfortunately.
April 27, 2025
A little disappointing
Having read other books by this author, I was hoping for another great read. Unfortunately, this book falls short of my expectations.
Having read other books by this author, I was hoping for another great read. Unfortunately, this book falls short of my expectations.
October 1, 2024
The Burning Stones is a delightful fiction involving the middle class and the middle aged doing rather disastrous murdering things to workers of a top Finnish Sauna Company. Steam Devil is a brand name to be prized. Its saunas are artisanal, carry a heat proof handle which outdoes any of its rivals and Anni Korpinen, the head salesperson, knows her saunas inside out, as well as having the ability to to read her customers well, which is why she is so successful.
There’s nothing Anni loves better at the end of a long day than retreating to her sauna and baking in 90% heat before a cooling swim in the lake. It’s not a luxury that her husband enjoys though; he would rather spend his time acquiring Formula One memorabilia, which he hopes one day to sell for a fortune, and re-watching classic Formula One races. None of that is attractive to Anni, so they live pretty separate lives.
When the new CEO of Steam Devils is found murdered in his own sauna, suspicion falls on members of the senior team at the company. As Anni quickly finds out, on her way to seal a big order, there is gossip among clients and the industry about who could have done such a thing and what the motive might be. Unfortunately for Anni, the client she is seeing has his own theories, being a bit of a true crime fan, and she realises she’s not going to get her sale any time that day…
I’ve been trying to put my finger on what makes this book work so well and have come to the conclusion that what Antti Tuomainen does is to observe people whose lives are, to some extent, empty. People whose lives are so wrapped up in their work that they forget their domestic arrangements are less than perfect. People who find that they live for their work and so work takes on more importance than is healthy and their obsession diverts itself into office gossip, rivalry and sometimes internecine strife.
This is true not just for Anni, whose life is at something of a crossroads, but the corporate culture at Steam Devil is to live, breathe and now it seems, die for stoves. There’s a point in the book, after the second death when, after a short reflection on the recently murdered man, the conversation turns to who is going to take on aspects of his role.
Kaarlo volunteers and Susan remarks:
“Dreadful thinking about stoves under such circumstances”
“We’ve got to”, said Kaarlo “Blood spills and flesh singes, but stoves are eternal.”
Unfortunately for Anni Korpinen, not only is she now the preferred candidate for CEO, though still in competition with the rest of the top team, but this preferred status gives her a motive for murder. Covert glances and conversations rapidly cut short when Anni enters a room all serve to fuel the fire of suspicion between the team. Tuomainen cleverly offers clues and misdirects so that it is hard to know who has the best motive for the murders.
It’s impossible not to be drawn to Anni. She’s bright and attractive, hard working and regretful. She deserves more than the loveless, stale marriage she lives in. While she looks back and wishes she could change the past, she knows that to move forward she will have to share what she has been afraid to voice for decades.
There are some lovely riffs in this book about sauna culture. I’ve never heard of ‘bumlets’ being used as a key evidential plot point before. And as the Steam Devil Chairman, Erkki, says of a recently departed colleague;
“I’m sure (he) is looking down on us from the great sauna in the sky, enjoying some heavenly steam and whacking himself with an Almighty whisk.”
David Hackston’s translation is, as ever, remarkable in its ability to capture the dry, and sometimes dark, humour. This is not a sardonic piece, there’s nothing caustic about Tuomainen’s portrayal of these characters. Rather it is more of a reflection on how lost people can get without ever realising it, and how it’s never too late to wake up and, as they say, smell the coffee.
Verdict: There are places where you may laugh out loud, but overall, this is a beautifully written, sensitive novel that derives its humour from observations on the world of work, the importance of a work-life balance and the bravery required to break out of a mould you have created for yourself. I loved it. Gentle, funny and so beautifully written – The Burning Stones is a fantastic read!
There’s nothing Anni loves better at the end of a long day than retreating to her sauna and baking in 90% heat before a cooling swim in the lake. It’s not a luxury that her husband enjoys though; he would rather spend his time acquiring Formula One memorabilia, which he hopes one day to sell for a fortune, and re-watching classic Formula One races. None of that is attractive to Anni, so they live pretty separate lives.
When the new CEO of Steam Devils is found murdered in his own sauna, suspicion falls on members of the senior team at the company. As Anni quickly finds out, on her way to seal a big order, there is gossip among clients and the industry about who could have done such a thing and what the motive might be. Unfortunately for Anni, the client she is seeing has his own theories, being a bit of a true crime fan, and she realises she’s not going to get her sale any time that day…
I’ve been trying to put my finger on what makes this book work so well and have come to the conclusion that what Antti Tuomainen does is to observe people whose lives are, to some extent, empty. People whose lives are so wrapped up in their work that they forget their domestic arrangements are less than perfect. People who find that they live for their work and so work takes on more importance than is healthy and their obsession diverts itself into office gossip, rivalry and sometimes internecine strife.
This is true not just for Anni, whose life is at something of a crossroads, but the corporate culture at Steam Devil is to live, breathe and now it seems, die for stoves. There’s a point in the book, after the second death when, after a short reflection on the recently murdered man, the conversation turns to who is going to take on aspects of his role.
Kaarlo volunteers and Susan remarks:
“Dreadful thinking about stoves under such circumstances”
“We’ve got to”, said Kaarlo “Blood spills and flesh singes, but stoves are eternal.”
Unfortunately for Anni Korpinen, not only is she now the preferred candidate for CEO, though still in competition with the rest of the top team, but this preferred status gives her a motive for murder. Covert glances and conversations rapidly cut short when Anni enters a room all serve to fuel the fire of suspicion between the team. Tuomainen cleverly offers clues and misdirects so that it is hard to know who has the best motive for the murders.
It’s impossible not to be drawn to Anni. She’s bright and attractive, hard working and regretful. She deserves more than the loveless, stale marriage she lives in. While she looks back and wishes she could change the past, she knows that to move forward she will have to share what she has been afraid to voice for decades.
There are some lovely riffs in this book about sauna culture. I’ve never heard of ‘bumlets’ being used as a key evidential plot point before. And as the Steam Devil Chairman, Erkki, says of a recently departed colleague;
“I’m sure (he) is looking down on us from the great sauna in the sky, enjoying some heavenly steam and whacking himself with an Almighty whisk.”
David Hackston’s translation is, as ever, remarkable in its ability to capture the dry, and sometimes dark, humour. This is not a sardonic piece, there’s nothing caustic about Tuomainen’s portrayal of these characters. Rather it is more of a reflection on how lost people can get without ever realising it, and how it’s never too late to wake up and, as they say, smell the coffee.
Verdict: There are places where you may laugh out loud, but overall, this is a beautifully written, sensitive novel that derives its humour from observations on the world of work, the importance of a work-life balance and the bravery required to break out of a mould you have created for yourself. I loved it. Gentle, funny and so beautifully written – The Burning Stones is a fantastic read!
October 15, 2024
And so we return to the baffling and absurdist world of Antti Tuomainen, and a wonderfully bizarre, but life affirming, standalone novel, The Burning Stones. As I have commented previously on Tuomainen’s delighfully unique writing style, “He has more than proved his innate talent for bringing the absurdity to an almost state of normalcy, and enveloping us in another world of wonderful escapist delight,” and I am thrilled to report that this new book does not disappoint. Working once again with translator David Hackston, who as usual loses none of the wit and verve from the original text, this is a book that will give you all the feels, some cosy, some murderous, and some completely insane…
Before we delve deeper into the characters and plot, I would like to show my appreciation for the way that Tuomainen brings a wonderfully naturalistic style of writing, to draw us into this stunning, panoramic landscape in this small corner of rural Finland. His descriptions of the landscape, peppered with forest and lakes is hugely visual, and as his main character Anni also has an instinctive appreciation of the wilderness around her, we too begin to view this idyllic backdrop as a significant part of the book. Equally the pace of life here is tied to the scenery too, and so when murder and mayhem infiltrate the community, there is more than one shock in store to upset the equilibrium of the characters’ formerly peaceful rural retreat.
I think the absolute delight of Tuomainen’s writing is the way that he puts still, small lives at the heart of his book, and taps into many of the emotional and physical struggles that defines us as human, with such a compassionate touch. Anni is a middle-aged woman, married to a man who quite frankly is a waste of space and oxygen, and quite rightly she is beginning to feel a growing sense of dissatisfaction with her life in general. Although her work life is showing signs of improving, with the not untimely murder of a colleague promoted above her, her trials and tribulations increase as she becomes the prime suspect. With a bitter and twisted police officer on her back, her work colleagues growing increasingly suspicious of her, as she is of them, and a boss spiralling into dementia, Anni sets out on her own investigation, throwing her back into the path of a former lover. I loved her character so much, grappling with her self-questioning, her age and how to avoid prison, as the net of suspicion on her grows ever tighter. The author captures perfectly the doubt and sense of self that all middle-aged women deal with, forcing Anni to grow stronger, stand her ground, and carve out a new life for herself.
Throw into the mix Anni’s work colleagues, who all exhibit peculiar characteristics, in common with workplaces across the globe, a long standing dispute of a felled elk, the maiming of a gangster with a perfectly placed fish lure, a collapsing giant stove, a couple of weird murders, with a string of possible suspects for these, and the stage is set for a book exhibiting all of Tuomainen’s knack for the absurd. This book moved me, made me laugh out loud, whilst all the while endearing me to the strange group of individuals inhabiting its pages, and their lives in the simmering cesspool that is the sauna selling industry. Who knew the sauna business could be so downright dirty and duplicitous?
Tuomainen’s books are always a freakishly enjoyable experience, and The Burning Stones is no exception to this. Once again this is the story of an unassuming individual becoming immersed in strange and threatening circumstances, but taking on the world and redefining their own perceived limitations. I always have a sense of anticipation as to the world of absurdity that Tuomainen will unleash next, and this one more than satisfied, and as ever am looking forward to his next book already. Definitely recommended.
________________________________________
Before we delve deeper into the characters and plot, I would like to show my appreciation for the way that Tuomainen brings a wonderfully naturalistic style of writing, to draw us into this stunning, panoramic landscape in this small corner of rural Finland. His descriptions of the landscape, peppered with forest and lakes is hugely visual, and as his main character Anni also has an instinctive appreciation of the wilderness around her, we too begin to view this idyllic backdrop as a significant part of the book. Equally the pace of life here is tied to the scenery too, and so when murder and mayhem infiltrate the community, there is more than one shock in store to upset the equilibrium of the characters’ formerly peaceful rural retreat.
I think the absolute delight of Tuomainen’s writing is the way that he puts still, small lives at the heart of his book, and taps into many of the emotional and physical struggles that defines us as human, with such a compassionate touch. Anni is a middle-aged woman, married to a man who quite frankly is a waste of space and oxygen, and quite rightly she is beginning to feel a growing sense of dissatisfaction with her life in general. Although her work life is showing signs of improving, with the not untimely murder of a colleague promoted above her, her trials and tribulations increase as she becomes the prime suspect. With a bitter and twisted police officer on her back, her work colleagues growing increasingly suspicious of her, as she is of them, and a boss spiralling into dementia, Anni sets out on her own investigation, throwing her back into the path of a former lover. I loved her character so much, grappling with her self-questioning, her age and how to avoid prison, as the net of suspicion on her grows ever tighter. The author captures perfectly the doubt and sense of self that all middle-aged women deal with, forcing Anni to grow stronger, stand her ground, and carve out a new life for herself.
Throw into the mix Anni’s work colleagues, who all exhibit peculiar characteristics, in common with workplaces across the globe, a long standing dispute of a felled elk, the maiming of a gangster with a perfectly placed fish lure, a collapsing giant stove, a couple of weird murders, with a string of possible suspects for these, and the stage is set for a book exhibiting all of Tuomainen’s knack for the absurd. This book moved me, made me laugh out loud, whilst all the while endearing me to the strange group of individuals inhabiting its pages, and their lives in the simmering cesspool that is the sauna selling industry. Who knew the sauna business could be so downright dirty and duplicitous?
Tuomainen’s books are always a freakishly enjoyable experience, and The Burning Stones is no exception to this. Once again this is the story of an unassuming individual becoming immersed in strange and threatening circumstances, but taking on the world and redefining their own perceived limitations. I always have a sense of anticipation as to the world of absurdity that Tuomainen will unleash next, and this one more than satisfied, and as ever am looking forward to his next book already. Definitely recommended.
________________________________________
April 5, 2025
Finished reading: April 5th 2025
"It was a good thing I'd already begun my own investigation, although it had got off to a jittery start. But I was a middle-aged stove retailer, not Sherlock Holmes."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Orenda Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
REVIEW
November 2, 2024
Antti Tuomainen has a true gift for devising uniquely horrible ways to commit murder and then to make his readers laugh while madness and mayhem inevitably ensues. The Burning Stones opens with death by sauna, which is as awful as it sounds, particularly when the unfortunate victim, Ilmo Räty realises why he is unable to remove himself from the wooden bench he is sitting on. This is a very Finnish book – not only is protagonist and main suspect, Anni is a sauna-stove salesperson, there is also a cameo role for Mika Häkkinen's autographed socks but with thanks also going to David Hackston for his seamless translation, Antti Tuomainen once again proves that humour and murder crosses boundaries, and this is another unmissable gem of a book.
Anni quickly learns that she now heads the list to be the next CEO at Steam Devil; a role originally intended for Ilmo but it proves to be somewhat of a poisoned chalice as it means she immediately becomes the main suspect in his murder. To make matters worse, the local police chief holds a long-held grudge against her family and eagerly looks forward to arresting her. With the evidence stacked against her, she realises that she will have to investigate the case itself if she has any chance of clearing her name.
Antti Tuomainen always excels at amassing a cast of eccentric characters but while we can't help but laugh at their interactions with one another, his humour never feels cruel and the book is imbued with empathy throughout. As Anni's personal and professional life reaches a crisis point, The Burning Stones is also a perceptive exploration of middle-age. Still racked with guilt over events from years ago and in a marriage which is the epitome of stale, she recalls her past with regret and faces an uncertain future.
The amalgamation of laugh-out-loud moments and poignant observations is perhaps most obviously seen with Anni's boss Erkki. 'The Stove King' founder of Steam Devil is headed toward retirement but with a killer on the loose, he may not have anyone to hand over the reins to. In one of my favourite scenes, he pays tribute to another victim of the murderer; it's genuinely funny but tinged with sadness, especially as Anni begins to understand why his own behaviour grows more unpredictable.
Although Anni is the frontrunner to take over the helm, Erkki insists that the race to succeed him is still on. It means that any of her colleagues could be engaged in a deathly plot to see off their rivals while cleverly framing her. The small-town setting lends itself perfectly to the interplay between the characters which despite being heightened for comic effect remains believable. Ambition, obsession, love and lust collide in a novel which is a wry, insightful exploration of humanity as well as a gripping murder mystery.
With its razor-sharp characterisation, vivid sense of place and a plot which effortlessly switches between droll humour and compulsive race against time, The Burning Stones is Antti Tuomainen at his warm and witty best. I loved this book and cannot recommend it highly enough.
Anni quickly learns that she now heads the list to be the next CEO at Steam Devil; a role originally intended for Ilmo but it proves to be somewhat of a poisoned chalice as it means she immediately becomes the main suspect in his murder. To make matters worse, the local police chief holds a long-held grudge against her family and eagerly looks forward to arresting her. With the evidence stacked against her, she realises that she will have to investigate the case itself if she has any chance of clearing her name.
Antti Tuomainen always excels at amassing a cast of eccentric characters but while we can't help but laugh at their interactions with one another, his humour never feels cruel and the book is imbued with empathy throughout. As Anni's personal and professional life reaches a crisis point, The Burning Stones is also a perceptive exploration of middle-age. Still racked with guilt over events from years ago and in a marriage which is the epitome of stale, she recalls her past with regret and faces an uncertain future.
The amalgamation of laugh-out-loud moments and poignant observations is perhaps most obviously seen with Anni's boss Erkki. 'The Stove King' founder of Steam Devil is headed toward retirement but with a killer on the loose, he may not have anyone to hand over the reins to. In one of my favourite scenes, he pays tribute to another victim of the murderer; it's genuinely funny but tinged with sadness, especially as Anni begins to understand why his own behaviour grows more unpredictable.
Although Anni is the frontrunner to take over the helm, Erkki insists that the race to succeed him is still on. It means that any of her colleagues could be engaged in a deathly plot to see off their rivals while cleverly framing her. The small-town setting lends itself perfectly to the interplay between the characters which despite being heightened for comic effect remains believable. Ambition, obsession, love and lust collide in a novel which is a wry, insightful exploration of humanity as well as a gripping murder mystery.
With its razor-sharp characterisation, vivid sense of place and a plot which effortlessly switches between droll humour and compulsive race against time, The Burning Stones is Antti Tuomainen at his warm and witty best. I loved this book and cannot recommend it highly enough.
December 6, 2024
The joys of another novel from the crazy mind of Antti Tuomainen, a perfect blend of hilarity, moments of the bizarre and at times rather touching added to a crime story. This is one author whose storyline you cannot predict. With little chance of guessing what comes next you just have to join his flights of fancy, enjoy the ride and get ready for some big laughs.
The story revolves around a Finish way of life, the sauna, with a little bit of hunting thrown in for good measure. Erkki’s search for a successor leads to a murder hunt that is set against a backdrop of tongue in cheek workplace satire. There is a great deal of absurdity in modern business life, particularly in the office and here much of it is played out for our amusement. From the pedantic accountant to the personal assistant taking full control of the diary, every target is keenly observed and perfectly skewered.
The characters are typical of the authors creative mind, quirky and highly amusing. He teases out one particular trait, which is exaggerated to just short of absurdity such as they don’t quite become complete caricatures. We have all met some people like this, but the author turns the dial up to 11. Perhaps best illustrated by Anni’s husband Santeri whose Formula 1 interest moves from hobby to complete obsession, collecting bits that have fallen of Formula 1 cars and trading them until he drifts into selling goods that have ‘fallen off the back of a lorry.’ His life revolves around the sport rewatching old races on VHS throughout the day, to the frustration to his ignored and put upon wife. When another interest of his is revealed, it comes as a complete shock to the reader.
In amongst the mayhem and laughter the theme is the passing of time and how it affects us as our life progresses. Youth is for enjoying ourselves and making the mistakes we learn from, but as we get older, we reflect more. Anni regrets part of her past, something that hurts more because of her current position. She wishes she could turn back time and discovers she is not alone. Erkki, who is starting with dementia, wants to pass on the business to safe hands and enjoy the time he has left. Head of police Reijo Kiimalainen is a man who can hold a grievance over a great many years and will bring it to bear at the appropriate time.
The murders are wonderfully inventive, in keeping with the theme and incorporate an almost cartoonish element. These are far from ordinary despatches, and you might find yourself hooting with laughter (I did). He has even added a touch of the knowing, as it is remarked that the ridiculousness of murders happening in a village mirroring a fictional British TV one. The story fizzes along with great energy and even within such a confined environment moves around to interesting locations.
Special mention to the translator David Hackston, who manages to capture the spirit of a lively text. Not an easy job I would guess but here it is faultless with the perfect English phrase when needed.
The story revolves around a Finish way of life, the sauna, with a little bit of hunting thrown in for good measure. Erkki’s search for a successor leads to a murder hunt that is set against a backdrop of tongue in cheek workplace satire. There is a great deal of absurdity in modern business life, particularly in the office and here much of it is played out for our amusement. From the pedantic accountant to the personal assistant taking full control of the diary, every target is keenly observed and perfectly skewered.
The characters are typical of the authors creative mind, quirky and highly amusing. He teases out one particular trait, which is exaggerated to just short of absurdity such as they don’t quite become complete caricatures. We have all met some people like this, but the author turns the dial up to 11. Perhaps best illustrated by Anni’s husband Santeri whose Formula 1 interest moves from hobby to complete obsession, collecting bits that have fallen of Formula 1 cars and trading them until he drifts into selling goods that have ‘fallen off the back of a lorry.’ His life revolves around the sport rewatching old races on VHS throughout the day, to the frustration to his ignored and put upon wife. When another interest of his is revealed, it comes as a complete shock to the reader.
In amongst the mayhem and laughter the theme is the passing of time and how it affects us as our life progresses. Youth is for enjoying ourselves and making the mistakes we learn from, but as we get older, we reflect more. Anni regrets part of her past, something that hurts more because of her current position. She wishes she could turn back time and discovers she is not alone. Erkki, who is starting with dementia, wants to pass on the business to safe hands and enjoy the time he has left. Head of police Reijo Kiimalainen is a man who can hold a grievance over a great many years and will bring it to bear at the appropriate time.
The murders are wonderfully inventive, in keeping with the theme and incorporate an almost cartoonish element. These are far from ordinary despatches, and you might find yourself hooting with laughter (I did). He has even added a touch of the knowing, as it is remarked that the ridiculousness of murders happening in a village mirroring a fictional British TV one. The story fizzes along with great energy and even within such a confined environment moves around to interesting locations.
Special mention to the translator David Hackston, who manages to capture the spirit of a lively text. Not an easy job I would guess but here it is faultless with the perfect English phrase when needed.
October 25, 2024
When Ilmo Rӓty, heir apparent at the illustrious Steam Devil, is burned to a crisp in his home sauna, top salesperson Anni Korpinen, next in line as head of the steam-stove company, falls under suspicion as the cold-blooded murderer. The thing is, Anni knows she is innocent, despite the damning evidence stacking up against her. Middle-aged Anni acknowledges she is not cut out to be a sleuth, but if she does not find out who really killed the unfortunate Ilmo from among her rivals fast, then she is in big trouble...
An Antti Tuomainen novel is always a breath of Finnish fresh air, full of dark humour and heart-felt emotion, weaving through a cracking crime story, and this is no exception. The story unfurls from the point of view of fifty-something Anni, who has spent the last twenty years working her way up to the top of the ladder selling the fine steam-stoves installed in the world's best saunas. She enjoys her job, which takes her away from the cares of a marriage that is long past its sell-by date, to a husband more interested in Formula one racing than her.
Finding herself in the spotlight as number one suspect in a very odd murder, especially as she is now the likely successor to her boss, Erkki 'Stove King' Ruusula, Anni is up against it - but she is more of a Sherlock Holmes than she thinks herself to be. Digging into the shenanigans of her fellow employees at Stove Devil, she comes across some intriguing clues that might put her on the trail of the real killer... if she can stay alive long enough, of course.
All the delightfully absurd situations and characters I have come to expect in one of Tumainen's books are here, cleverly sprinkled throughout the story to provide Anni with perplexing trials to overcome - deliciously awkward conversations, ridiculous planted evidence (I give you enchantingly named, stolen 'bumlets', and sauna ladles in places they were never intended to be), a steam-stove client fixated on true crime, mambo-loving Erkki, and a police detective unable to let an old grudge about an enormous elk go... such fun! There is so much poignancy in many of these situations and relationships too, that Tuomainen touches on with tenderness in that gentle way he has - particularly around marital troubles, dementia, and second-chance love. And, as always, there is a left-of-field mystery that keeps you guessing right until the end. Excellent translation work from David Hackston once again too!
I loved Anni, and the way she transforms herself throughout this story, making her way out of the middle-aged rut she has fallen into, and reigniting the fire in her belly like the steam-stoves she sells, to battle the odds, banish her ghosts and find the happiness she deserves.
Nordic noir the Antti Tuomainen way is an absolute joy.
An Antti Tuomainen novel is always a breath of Finnish fresh air, full of dark humour and heart-felt emotion, weaving through a cracking crime story, and this is no exception. The story unfurls from the point of view of fifty-something Anni, who has spent the last twenty years working her way up to the top of the ladder selling the fine steam-stoves installed in the world's best saunas. She enjoys her job, which takes her away from the cares of a marriage that is long past its sell-by date, to a husband more interested in Formula one racing than her.
Finding herself in the spotlight as number one suspect in a very odd murder, especially as she is now the likely successor to her boss, Erkki 'Stove King' Ruusula, Anni is up against it - but she is more of a Sherlock Holmes than she thinks herself to be. Digging into the shenanigans of her fellow employees at Stove Devil, she comes across some intriguing clues that might put her on the trail of the real killer... if she can stay alive long enough, of course.
All the delightfully absurd situations and characters I have come to expect in one of Tumainen's books are here, cleverly sprinkled throughout the story to provide Anni with perplexing trials to overcome - deliciously awkward conversations, ridiculous planted evidence (I give you enchantingly named, stolen 'bumlets', and sauna ladles in places they were never intended to be), a steam-stove client fixated on true crime, mambo-loving Erkki, and a police detective unable to let an old grudge about an enormous elk go... such fun! There is so much poignancy in many of these situations and relationships too, that Tuomainen touches on with tenderness in that gentle way he has - particularly around marital troubles, dementia, and second-chance love. And, as always, there is a left-of-field mystery that keeps you guessing right until the end. Excellent translation work from David Hackston once again too!
I loved Anni, and the way she transforms herself throughout this story, making her way out of the middle-aged rut she has fallen into, and reigniting the fire in her belly like the steam-stoves she sells, to battle the odds, banish her ghosts and find the happiness she deserves.
Nordic noir the Antti Tuomainen way is an absolute joy.
July 31, 2025
Murder mystery set in rural FINLAND
The Burning Stones by Antti Tuomainen is an intense and darkly funny murder mystery novel. I devoured it in one sitting and particularly enjoyed the contrast of the drama with the descriptions of the story’s setting; the sights, sounds and sensations of life in rural Finland. The author has already shown in his previous novels that he has a wonderfully well-developed sense of the ridiculous. While this isn’t entirely lacking in The Burning Stones, it is slightly toned down from the levels in the Moose Paradox trilogy, to a delicious wry humour. (You don’t need to have read previous books to enjoy this one.)
The book’s protagonist is Anni Korpinen, a 53-year-old sales representative. She and her husband live in a fictional village, where nothing much happens. She works for Steam Devil, a Finnish company that manufactures market-leading stoves to heat saunas. Her long career with the company has also been mostly uneventful. But everything changes when her colleague is hideously murdered in his own sauna. What could be more Finnish? Anni begins to question how well she knows those she works with. Could one of them be the murderer?
Anni takes a closer look at each of her colleagues. The task becomes even more urgent when she falls under suspicion herself and evidence against her begins to stack up. Then there’s the question of the murderer’s motive – is it some kind of rivalry? If so, it might not just be her freedom that is at stake: there’s a possibility that Anni might be targeted next.
It’s typical of Tuomainen’s main characters that they feel isolated and out of sync with the rest of the cast and Anni is no exception. She takes solace in her peaceful surroundings and in her sauna, but she is aware that she needs support from those around her, which is sorely lacking. To put the tin lid on it, the police officer in charge of the investigation has been nursing a grudge against Anni’s family for many years. He is disinclined to believe in her innocence. Can she identify the murderer in time to save herself?
For those who love Tuomainen’s sense of humour, there’s plenty to be found in this book. There’s Anni’s husband, the obsessive collector of Formula One memorabilia, such as racing driver’s old socks. Then there’s Anni’s client, an amateur sleuth whose thoughts about the perpetrator of the murders cast even more suspicion on Anni herself. And there’s a giant statue – of course there is! In this book it’s a huge Steam Devil stove that dominates the car park at the company’s headquarters. In summary, this is a witty and original murder mystery that will appeal to fans of Antti Tuomainen’s writing and hopefully win over an absolute army of new readers.
The Burning Stones by Antti Tuomainen is an intense and darkly funny murder mystery novel. I devoured it in one sitting and particularly enjoyed the contrast of the drama with the descriptions of the story’s setting; the sights, sounds and sensations of life in rural Finland. The author has already shown in his previous novels that he has a wonderfully well-developed sense of the ridiculous. While this isn’t entirely lacking in The Burning Stones, it is slightly toned down from the levels in the Moose Paradox trilogy, to a delicious wry humour. (You don’t need to have read previous books to enjoy this one.)
The book’s protagonist is Anni Korpinen, a 53-year-old sales representative. She and her husband live in a fictional village, where nothing much happens. She works for Steam Devil, a Finnish company that manufactures market-leading stoves to heat saunas. Her long career with the company has also been mostly uneventful. But everything changes when her colleague is hideously murdered in his own sauna. What could be more Finnish? Anni begins to question how well she knows those she works with. Could one of them be the murderer?
Anni takes a closer look at each of her colleagues. The task becomes even more urgent when she falls under suspicion herself and evidence against her begins to stack up. Then there’s the question of the murderer’s motive – is it some kind of rivalry? If so, it might not just be her freedom that is at stake: there’s a possibility that Anni might be targeted next.
It’s typical of Tuomainen’s main characters that they feel isolated and out of sync with the rest of the cast and Anni is no exception. She takes solace in her peaceful surroundings and in her sauna, but she is aware that she needs support from those around her, which is sorely lacking. To put the tin lid on it, the police officer in charge of the investigation has been nursing a grudge against Anni’s family for many years. He is disinclined to believe in her innocence. Can she identify the murderer in time to save herself?
For those who love Tuomainen’s sense of humour, there’s plenty to be found in this book. There’s Anni’s husband, the obsessive collector of Formula One memorabilia, such as racing driver’s old socks. Then there’s Anni’s client, an amateur sleuth whose thoughts about the perpetrator of the murders cast even more suspicion on Anni herself. And there’s a giant statue – of course there is! In this book it’s a huge Steam Devil stove that dominates the car park at the company’s headquarters. In summary, this is a witty and original murder mystery that will appeal to fans of Antti Tuomainen’s writing and hopefully win over an absolute army of new readers.
September 25, 2025
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
Antti Tuomainen’s The Burning Stones is a gleefully twisted gem of Nordic noir, where murder meets middle management and existential dread simmers beneath the steam of a sauna empire. Tuomainen, long celebrated for his genre-defying blend of crime and comedy, delivers another offbeat thriller that’s as sharp as a sauna ladle and as warm as a cedar bench—until the heat turns deadly.
The novel centers on Anni Korpinen, a mid-level executive at Puhti Saunas, a Finnish company specializing in high-end sauna heaters. When the newly appointed CEO is found dead—grilled to a crisp in one of the company’s prototype models-Anni becomes the prime suspect. Her engraved ladle is found at the scene, and her recent disagreements with the victim don’t help her case.
But Tuomainen isn’t interested in writing a conventional whodunit. Instead, he uses the murder as a springboard into a surreal corporate satire, where boardroom politics, wellness culture, and personal reinvention collide. The result is a mystery wrapped in absurdity, laced with dry humor and unexpected tenderness.
At its heart, The Burning Stones is about transformation—both literal and metaphorical. The sauna, a place of purification and rebirth, becomes a crucible for Anni’s unraveling and reawakening. Tuomainen explores how people cling to rituals (corporate, cultural, personal) to make sense of chaos, even as those rituals become complicit in the very madness they’re meant to soothe.
The novel also skewers the commodification of wellness, with Puhti’s marketing team pitching sauna stones as spiritual talismans and executives debating the feng shui of steam. It’s hilarious, biting, and eerily plausible.
Anni is a standout protagonist—wry, weary, and quietly courageous. Her internal monologue is a masterclass in deadpan humor, and her journey from passive employee to reluctant sleuth is both satisfying and emotionally resonant. The supporting cast includes a conspiracy-theorist janitor, a detective with a poetry habit, and a rival executive who speaks in motivational slogans. Each character is delightfully odd, yet Tuomainen never sacrifices emotional truth for quirk.
The Burning Stones is a sauna-scented fever dream of a thriller—funny, poignant, and utterly original. Tuomainen continues to prove that crime fiction can be both entertaining and existential, absurd and profound. If you’re tired of formulaic mysteries and crave something with steam, soul, and satire, this one’s worth sweating over.
Antti Tuomainen’s The Burning Stones is a gleefully twisted gem of Nordic noir, where murder meets middle management and existential dread simmers beneath the steam of a sauna empire. Tuomainen, long celebrated for his genre-defying blend of crime and comedy, delivers another offbeat thriller that’s as sharp as a sauna ladle and as warm as a cedar bench—until the heat turns deadly.
The novel centers on Anni Korpinen, a mid-level executive at Puhti Saunas, a Finnish company specializing in high-end sauna heaters. When the newly appointed CEO is found dead—grilled to a crisp in one of the company’s prototype models-Anni becomes the prime suspect. Her engraved ladle is found at the scene, and her recent disagreements with the victim don’t help her case.
But Tuomainen isn’t interested in writing a conventional whodunit. Instead, he uses the murder as a springboard into a surreal corporate satire, where boardroom politics, wellness culture, and personal reinvention collide. The result is a mystery wrapped in absurdity, laced with dry humor and unexpected tenderness.
At its heart, The Burning Stones is about transformation—both literal and metaphorical. The sauna, a place of purification and rebirth, becomes a crucible for Anni’s unraveling and reawakening. Tuomainen explores how people cling to rituals (corporate, cultural, personal) to make sense of chaos, even as those rituals become complicit in the very madness they’re meant to soothe.
The novel also skewers the commodification of wellness, with Puhti’s marketing team pitching sauna stones as spiritual talismans and executives debating the feng shui of steam. It’s hilarious, biting, and eerily plausible.
Anni is a standout protagonist—wry, weary, and quietly courageous. Her internal monologue is a masterclass in deadpan humor, and her journey from passive employee to reluctant sleuth is both satisfying and emotionally resonant. The supporting cast includes a conspiracy-theorist janitor, a detective with a poetry habit, and a rival executive who speaks in motivational slogans. Each character is delightfully odd, yet Tuomainen never sacrifices emotional truth for quirk.
The Burning Stones is a sauna-scented fever dream of a thriller—funny, poignant, and utterly original. Tuomainen continues to prove that crime fiction can be both entertaining and existential, absurd and profound. If you’re tired of formulaic mysteries and crave something with steam, soul, and satire, this one’s worth sweating over.
January 3, 2026
4.5★s
The Burning Stones is the seventh stand-alone novel by award-winning Finnish author, Antti Tuomainen. It is translated from Finnish by David Hackston. The audio version is narrated by Imogen Church.
Ilmo Raty is quite surprised that he’s about to be appointed CEO of Steam Devil, an independent maker of custom sauna stoves in Puhtijarvi. After all, his recent indiscretions with a young ski instructor have seen the departure of his wife and ostracism by his adult children. He’s even more surprised to find himself glued to his sauna bench, while a black-clad, masked intruder repeatedly loads up the fire chamber with wood.
Apart from the last six lean months, fifty-three-year-old Anni Korpinen has successfully sold Steam Devil sauna stoves for twenty-two years. But Lauri Kahavouri, a prospective buyer of sixty-four units for his semi-detached chalet conglomerate, is suddenly baulking at the final step. He’s convinced that Ilmo Raty was murdered by a serial killer, and wants that cleared up so his customers won’t be anxious about sitting near their Steam Devils.
As a true-crime buff, he has some fixed ideas on the characteristics of the murderer and, while Anni didn’t believe her colleagues, each still competing to become CEO, could have killed Ilmo, what Lauri describes could apply to any of them, even her. The fact that her boss, Erkki “Stove King” Ruusala reveals her as his preferred successor puts the police spotlight right on her.
The village’s Senior Constable has long held a grudge against her father over a particular elk hunt, so when a piece of evidence turns up at the scene that elevates her as a definite suspect, he’s delighted, and Anni knows she can’t expect any special treatment from his colleague, her ex-fiance, Janne Piirto.
But then another Steam Devil colleague is murdered, and suspicion again falls on Anni. She knows she needs to find the murderer before Senior Constable Reijo Kiimalainen puts her into prison and throws away the key. She researches the background of her colleagues, checks their shared diaries, trips and expenses, talks to Erkki about them, but possible motives and any sort of proof are unconvincing.
Tuomainen has a talent for writing quirky characters with unusual habits or obsessions, and he manages to pack into his tale a hint of industrial espionage, extra-marital affairs, guilt over a decades-ago assault, jealousies, theft, dancing, fraud, model kits, possible dementia, and quite a bit about saunas. Entertaining Helsinki noir.
The Burning Stones is the seventh stand-alone novel by award-winning Finnish author, Antti Tuomainen. It is translated from Finnish by David Hackston. The audio version is narrated by Imogen Church.
Ilmo Raty is quite surprised that he’s about to be appointed CEO of Steam Devil, an independent maker of custom sauna stoves in Puhtijarvi. After all, his recent indiscretions with a young ski instructor have seen the departure of his wife and ostracism by his adult children. He’s even more surprised to find himself glued to his sauna bench, while a black-clad, masked intruder repeatedly loads up the fire chamber with wood.
Apart from the last six lean months, fifty-three-year-old Anni Korpinen has successfully sold Steam Devil sauna stoves for twenty-two years. But Lauri Kahavouri, a prospective buyer of sixty-four units for his semi-detached chalet conglomerate, is suddenly baulking at the final step. He’s convinced that Ilmo Raty was murdered by a serial killer, and wants that cleared up so his customers won’t be anxious about sitting near their Steam Devils.
As a true-crime buff, he has some fixed ideas on the characteristics of the murderer and, while Anni didn’t believe her colleagues, each still competing to become CEO, could have killed Ilmo, what Lauri describes could apply to any of them, even her. The fact that her boss, Erkki “Stove King” Ruusala reveals her as his preferred successor puts the police spotlight right on her.
The village’s Senior Constable has long held a grudge against her father over a particular elk hunt, so when a piece of evidence turns up at the scene that elevates her as a definite suspect, he’s delighted, and Anni knows she can’t expect any special treatment from his colleague, her ex-fiance, Janne Piirto.
But then another Steam Devil colleague is murdered, and suspicion again falls on Anni. She knows she needs to find the murderer before Senior Constable Reijo Kiimalainen puts her into prison and throws away the key. She researches the background of her colleagues, checks their shared diaries, trips and expenses, talks to Erkki about them, but possible motives and any sort of proof are unconvincing.
Tuomainen has a talent for writing quirky characters with unusual habits or obsessions, and he manages to pack into his tale a hint of industrial espionage, extra-marital affairs, guilt over a decades-ago assault, jealousies, theft, dancing, fraud, model kits, possible dementia, and quite a bit about saunas. Entertaining Helsinki noir.
October 25, 2024
Who knew the artisanal sauna stove business could be so cutthroat? Not me before I read this book, for sure, but then saunas aren’t such a big thing in the UK as they are in Finland which, given how dangerous they prove in The Burning Stones, is possibly just as well.
Someone who certainly takes saunas very seriously is Anni Korpinen, top salesperson at Steam Devil, the sauna-stove company at the heart of this story. Anni lives and breathes saunas, both at work and at play, which is just as well as her personal life is non-existent. Or maybe that is why her personal life is non-existent, you will have to read the book and draw your own conclusions. What is for sure is that her marriage is on the rocks but she has barely noticed, so discordant are her and her husband’s lives. This was one of my favourite aspects of the story, the insight into how marriages can go off the rails, not in a blaze of fury but in a slow fizzle while no one is looking. Antti does such an amazing job or portraying the slow atrophy of a marriage in this book through just the way the couple talk to each other, it is so subtle but powerful that it is quite beautiful.
The issue of the succession within Steam Devil is also destined to shake up Anni’s life, not only because she is second in line to take over, but also because the race takes a murderous turn. Someone is desperate to get rid of the competition and will go to the most vicious lengths to do it. And the prime suspect must be the person who has just get rid of the competition, surely? Becoming a murder suspect has a surefire way of derailing your routine, especially when the chief of police has a vendetta against your family and his assistant is your ex-fiance. Anni has no choice but to get on the case because she can’t trust anyone else to clear her name. I have to say, I had my own suspicions about her innocence throughout the book, such is the genius of the writing, Antti keeps you guessing right to the end.
For fans of this author’s work, you will find the same blend of dark humour suffusing this story as made The Rabbit Factor trilogy such a delight, but the characters and setting here are very different and present a whole new world in which to immerse yourself. The isolated setting against the backdrop of lakes and forests lends its own air of darkness to the story and a sense of peril to Anni’s investigative efforts; she is truly on her own in every respect. We have another gang of idiosyncratic colleagues for the protagonist to interact with but this bunch are a lot less loveable than the employees of YouMeFun turned out to be. Anni shouldn’t expect any help from this quarter, she can’t trust anyone.
I’d just like to mention again the excellent translation by David Hackston; you’d never know this was not written in English, it flows so seamlessly.
The Burning Stones is a worthwhile read, full of dark humour, intrigue and insightful commentary on where a middle-aged woman might find herself when she tries to juggle career and romance in a male-dominated world. Fans on this author won’t be disappointed and those new to his work will surely be hooked with all the delights of his excellent back catalogue to come. I’m not at all jealous…
Someone who certainly takes saunas very seriously is Anni Korpinen, top salesperson at Steam Devil, the sauna-stove company at the heart of this story. Anni lives and breathes saunas, both at work and at play, which is just as well as her personal life is non-existent. Or maybe that is why her personal life is non-existent, you will have to read the book and draw your own conclusions. What is for sure is that her marriage is on the rocks but she has barely noticed, so discordant are her and her husband’s lives. This was one of my favourite aspects of the story, the insight into how marriages can go off the rails, not in a blaze of fury but in a slow fizzle while no one is looking. Antti does such an amazing job or portraying the slow atrophy of a marriage in this book through just the way the couple talk to each other, it is so subtle but powerful that it is quite beautiful.
The issue of the succession within Steam Devil is also destined to shake up Anni’s life, not only because she is second in line to take over, but also because the race takes a murderous turn. Someone is desperate to get rid of the competition and will go to the most vicious lengths to do it. And the prime suspect must be the person who has just get rid of the competition, surely? Becoming a murder suspect has a surefire way of derailing your routine, especially when the chief of police has a vendetta against your family and his assistant is your ex-fiance. Anni has no choice but to get on the case because she can’t trust anyone else to clear her name. I have to say, I had my own suspicions about her innocence throughout the book, such is the genius of the writing, Antti keeps you guessing right to the end.
For fans of this author’s work, you will find the same blend of dark humour suffusing this story as made The Rabbit Factor trilogy such a delight, but the characters and setting here are very different and present a whole new world in which to immerse yourself. The isolated setting against the backdrop of lakes and forests lends its own air of darkness to the story and a sense of peril to Anni’s investigative efforts; she is truly on her own in every respect. We have another gang of idiosyncratic colleagues for the protagonist to interact with but this bunch are a lot less loveable than the employees of YouMeFun turned out to be. Anni shouldn’t expect any help from this quarter, she can’t trust anyone.
I’d just like to mention again the excellent translation by David Hackston; you’d never know this was not written in English, it flows so seamlessly.
The Burning Stones is a worthwhile read, full of dark humour, intrigue and insightful commentary on where a middle-aged woman might find herself when she tries to juggle career and romance in a male-dominated world. Fans on this author won’t be disappointed and those new to his work will surely be hooked with all the delights of his excellent back catalogue to come. I’m not at all jealous…
August 10, 2025
Whenever I pick up a book by Antti Tuomainen, I know that I am guaranteed to be swept up in something that will involve murder, dark humour and a very unexpected setting. The Burning Stones does not disappoint, and it kept me turning page after page. After all who knew the world of the Sauna could be so dangerous.
When the newly appointed CEO of the Steam Devil Sauna company is murdered in one of his own Saunas the question is not just who killed him but why. Anni Korpinen is touted to be the next successor for the job after owner Erkki Ruusula announces that there will be a competition between all staff and it is not long before the focus shifts to her as being the person behind the murder. She is adamant that it was not her. The question is, is she lying or is she telling the truth and is someone else framing her to take her out of the running, and if so, who?
Anni has worked hard for her position in the company and had not liked the direction Ilmo Räty was considering taking the company in, but she was not a killer, and she was determined to conduct her own investigation to prove it. She has got her work cut out for her as the lead detective is convinced it’s her but it’s quite clear that the grudge he holds against her father is clouding his judgement. If this isn’t enough of a problem for her, she also has to deal with her dysfunctional marriage to an F1 fanatic and coming face to face with someone from her past where things had not ended well. In her shoes I would have probably just given up and hoped that the truth would come out, but I think the tenacity that had made her a top salesperson is what kept her going.
I like Anni, she is making the best of her life and succeeding in a very male dominated company so of course the knives would be out for her, after all there would only be one way a woman could rise to the top (OK 2 if you count being a murder suspect). She is clearly not happy in her marriage, but I don’t think she has the energy to deal with it so it’s easier to just let it limp along. I can relate to dealing with someone who loves motorsport (although thankfully not to that extreme… mine just goes racing and gives me peaceful weekends). There is a glimmer of hope for her though as long as she is not arrested for murder.
Antti Tuomainen has a way of creating characters that you will love and those that you will loathe and even some that are there to provide those little bursts of entertainment but will still have you invested in all of them. As for me I found myself chuckling over the most random thing that is apparently a thing in the world of saunas … a bumlet… and it pops up a lot in this book and yes at times I can be that easily amused. I can’t wait to see what is next but whatever it is I am sure I will be glued to it from start to finish
When the newly appointed CEO of the Steam Devil Sauna company is murdered in one of his own Saunas the question is not just who killed him but why. Anni Korpinen is touted to be the next successor for the job after owner Erkki Ruusula announces that there will be a competition between all staff and it is not long before the focus shifts to her as being the person behind the murder. She is adamant that it was not her. The question is, is she lying or is she telling the truth and is someone else framing her to take her out of the running, and if so, who?
Anni has worked hard for her position in the company and had not liked the direction Ilmo Räty was considering taking the company in, but she was not a killer, and she was determined to conduct her own investigation to prove it. She has got her work cut out for her as the lead detective is convinced it’s her but it’s quite clear that the grudge he holds against her father is clouding his judgement. If this isn’t enough of a problem for her, she also has to deal with her dysfunctional marriage to an F1 fanatic and coming face to face with someone from her past where things had not ended well. In her shoes I would have probably just given up and hoped that the truth would come out, but I think the tenacity that had made her a top salesperson is what kept her going.
I like Anni, she is making the best of her life and succeeding in a very male dominated company so of course the knives would be out for her, after all there would only be one way a woman could rise to the top (OK 2 if you count being a murder suspect). She is clearly not happy in her marriage, but I don’t think she has the energy to deal with it so it’s easier to just let it limp along. I can relate to dealing with someone who loves motorsport (although thankfully not to that extreme… mine just goes racing and gives me peaceful weekends). There is a glimmer of hope for her though as long as she is not arrested for murder.
Antti Tuomainen has a way of creating characters that you will love and those that you will loathe and even some that are there to provide those little bursts of entertainment but will still have you invested in all of them. As for me I found myself chuckling over the most random thing that is apparently a thing in the world of saunas … a bumlet… and it pops up a lot in this book and yes at times I can be that easily amused. I can’t wait to see what is next but whatever it is I am sure I will be glued to it from start to finish
October 17, 2024
It is almost ten years since I read my first Antti Tuomainen novel. That was The Mine back in 2016, I was so impressed by that first read and have devoured all of his translated works ever since.
You know how sometimes you only have to hear one chord played by a guitarist and you know immediately who it is? Well, this is how I feel about Tuomainen's writing. As soon as you begin to read, it screams Antti at you. He is unique and just one of a kind.
Being Finnish, this author knows a lot about saunas, and in The Burning Stones we are treated to an opening chapter that shows just how dangerous sitting amongst red hot coals can be. Ilmo Räty has recently been made head of Steam Devil; a long standing company that supplies sauna stoves throughout the country. Sitting back to enjoy a sauna, Ilmo has no idea what is in store. He doesn't leave the sauna. An intruder makes sure of that, and Ilmo is welded to the bench as the temperatures rise. Dead.
Steam Devil is a company doing well, with a small but very eclectic group of staff. Erkki 'The Stove King' Ruusula, founder and main shareholder of the business is standing down and every one of his staff are in line to take over, now that Ilmo is no longer around. Fifty-three year old Anni Korpinen, super saleswoman, is the favourite to take over his role and is now the lead suspect in the murder of Ilmo.
We follow Anni as she tries her best to prove her innocence and also does her own investigation into what really took place that day. Anni is a complex character, she loves a sauna, she's married to a man who is far more interested in Formula One racing and she often looks back on her past, with regret.
This is a laugh out loud hilarious story at times. Tuomainen's characters are wonderfully formed, each and every one of them are totally unique, and their interactions with each other are so fabulous to follow.
Once more, this talented, original, funny and very fine author has delivered a story to savour. One to chuckle at, one to discover the world of the sauna business and one to experience the wonders of the Finnish landscape. Recommended by me.
You know how sometimes you only have to hear one chord played by a guitarist and you know immediately who it is? Well, this is how I feel about Tuomainen's writing. As soon as you begin to read, it screams Antti at you. He is unique and just one of a kind.
Being Finnish, this author knows a lot about saunas, and in The Burning Stones we are treated to an opening chapter that shows just how dangerous sitting amongst red hot coals can be. Ilmo Räty has recently been made head of Steam Devil; a long standing company that supplies sauna stoves throughout the country. Sitting back to enjoy a sauna, Ilmo has no idea what is in store. He doesn't leave the sauna. An intruder makes sure of that, and Ilmo is welded to the bench as the temperatures rise. Dead.
Steam Devil is a company doing well, with a small but very eclectic group of staff. Erkki 'The Stove King' Ruusula, founder and main shareholder of the business is standing down and every one of his staff are in line to take over, now that Ilmo is no longer around. Fifty-three year old Anni Korpinen, super saleswoman, is the favourite to take over his role and is now the lead suspect in the murder of Ilmo.
We follow Anni as she tries her best to prove her innocence and also does her own investigation into what really took place that day. Anni is a complex character, she loves a sauna, she's married to a man who is far more interested in Formula One racing and she often looks back on her past, with regret.
This is a laugh out loud hilarious story at times. Tuomainen's characters are wonderfully formed, each and every one of them are totally unique, and their interactions with each other are so fabulous to follow.
Once more, this talented, original, funny and very fine author has delivered a story to savour. One to chuckle at, one to discover the world of the sauna business and one to experience the wonders of the Finnish landscape. Recommended by me.
October 18, 2024
I think it will take me some time to get the images of the first murder out of my head. I’m not going to say any more. I don’t want to be reminded.
Then there are the sprats. I ate them once as a child and was immediately sick, and I have never eaten them since. The thought of them still fills me with horror!
Finally we have the ‘bumlet’. It’s a square of folded linen designed for hygiene purposes. I wasn’t sure if it’s an actual ‘thing’ or just created for the story. Of course I googled it and apparently the Finns (who invented the sauna) also like the extra protection from the heat. They take their saunas much hotter than we do in the UK.
But we also don’t really do naked in the UK. And if we did, we would sit on a neatly folded towel, with another one over any naughty bits. In the case of our first victim, it would have taken more than a double thick bumlet or a folded towel to save him from overheating.
Anni Korpinen is our narrator. Following the impending retirement of Erkki ‘The Stove King’ Ruusulu and the horrific murder of his successor Ilmo Räty, she is now in line to be the next CEO of Steam Devil sauna stoves. She is also the number one suspect in the murder as she has motive, means and opportunity. Chief of police Kiimalainen couldn’t care less about any of these – he is gunning for her because of an age old feud with her father over an Elk. I kid you not.
Anni is married to Santeri who is obsessed with Formula One and former racing drivers’ old socks. Thirty years ago she was engaged to police officer Janne who she jilted, but that’s a whole separate story.
Incidentally, the translation is seamless. Hard to believe The Burning Stones was written in a foreign language, especially as Finnish is considered one of the hardest languages to learn.
I loved this book. It’s very different from the Adventure Park trilogy, where our intrepid hero Henri Koskinen was an actuary. Anni Korpinen is a sauna stove salesperson, though I’m not sure that’s any more exciting. And she doesn’t have a cat. If there’s a follow up can she have one of Schopenhauer’s kittens please.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
Then there are the sprats. I ate them once as a child and was immediately sick, and I have never eaten them since. The thought of them still fills me with horror!
Finally we have the ‘bumlet’. It’s a square of folded linen designed for hygiene purposes. I wasn’t sure if it’s an actual ‘thing’ or just created for the story. Of course I googled it and apparently the Finns (who invented the sauna) also like the extra protection from the heat. They take their saunas much hotter than we do in the UK.
But we also don’t really do naked in the UK. And if we did, we would sit on a neatly folded towel, with another one over any naughty bits. In the case of our first victim, it would have taken more than a double thick bumlet or a folded towel to save him from overheating.
Anni Korpinen is our narrator. Following the impending retirement of Erkki ‘The Stove King’ Ruusulu and the horrific murder of his successor Ilmo Räty, she is now in line to be the next CEO of Steam Devil sauna stoves. She is also the number one suspect in the murder as she has motive, means and opportunity. Chief of police Kiimalainen couldn’t care less about any of these – he is gunning for her because of an age old feud with her father over an Elk. I kid you not.
Anni is married to Santeri who is obsessed with Formula One and former racing drivers’ old socks. Thirty years ago she was engaged to police officer Janne who she jilted, but that’s a whole separate story.
Incidentally, the translation is seamless. Hard to believe The Burning Stones was written in a foreign language, especially as Finnish is considered one of the hardest languages to learn.
I loved this book. It’s very different from the Adventure Park trilogy, where our intrepid hero Henri Koskinen was an actuary. Anni Korpinen is a sauna stove salesperson, though I’m not sure that’s any more exciting. And she doesn’t have a cat. If there’s a follow up can she have one of Schopenhauer’s kittens please.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews