The Winter Job

by Antti Tuomainen, David Hackston (Translator)

A desperate father's Christmas promise sparks a wild Finnish road trip involving an antique sofa, unexpected passengers and danger … A darkly humorous and warmly touching suspense novel about friendship, love and death, The Winter Job flies at 120 kilometres an hour straight into the darkest heart of a Finnish winter night.

Sofas, secrets and a snowbound road to trouble…

Helsinki, 1982. Recently divorced postal worker Ilmari Nieminen has promised his daughter a piano for Christmas, but with six days to go – and no money – he's desperate.

A last-minute job offers a transport a valuable antique sofa to Kilpisjärvi, the northernmost town in Finland.

With the sofa secured in the back of his van, Ilmari stops at a gas station, and an old friend turns up, offering to fix his faulty wipers, on the condition that he tags along. Soon after, a persistent Saab 96 appears in the rearview mirror. And then a bright-yellow Lada.

That's when Ilmari realises that he is transporting something truly special.

And that's when Ilmari realises he might be in serious trouble…

A darkly funny and unexpectedly moving thriller about friendship, love and death – The Winter Job tears through the frozen landscape of northern Finland in a beat-up van with bad steering, worse timing, and everything to lose…

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Audiobook, Nordic Noir

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2024

About the author

Antti 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.

Reviews

[Kath B]

Antti Tuomainen's books are always bizarre featuring characters who are ordinary people put into extremely stressful and, often, dangerous situations. This one is no different.

The main protagonist is Ilmari Nieminen, a man desperate to buy a piano for his daughter for Christmas. He takes on what seems like a simple task (transporting a sofa across the country) to earn the money for it. Of course, that task becomes far from simple with three different groups chasing the whereabouts of the sofa and putting Ilmari's life well and truly on the line. During the course of his journey, Ilmari meets up with Antero Kuikki, an acquaintance from his past. There is some bad blood between the two of them but we are not told exactly why this is until well into the novel.

Ultimately, this book explores the concepts of friendship and trust. Ilmari's and Antero's journey gives them opportunities to revisit past misdemeanours and misunderstandings and allows them to forgive and move forward, but not without having to contend with some hair-raising adventures beforehand.

The author does a marvellous job in setting the scene for this story; a very cold and wintery Finland which plays a significant part in the plot. You can almost feel the icy conditions yourself as you are reading.

I didn't enjoy the book quite as much as others I've read by this author which is why I've rated it 3 stars (Good) rather than my maximum 4 (Excellent). It was much darker than previous books, and, although humorous in places, there were very few of his trademark laugh out loud moments that he manages to provide even during the most desperate times. Still, a very good read, however. Recommended for readers who are looking for something quirky from a very imaginative writer.

[Doreen]

3.5 Stars

This book is being described as a darkly funny crime caper and, as marketed, it does indeed remind me of the Coen Brothers’ black comedy crime film Fargo. This is not a genre I read often but this novel has its moments.

Christmas 1982 is approaching. Ilmari Nieminen wants to give his daughter a piano as a Christmas gift, but he has no money. Desperate, he takes a job to transport a valuable antique sofa from Helsinki to Kilpisjärvi, the northernmost town in Finland. By chance, he meets a childhood friend, Antero Kuikka, who repairs the wipers on the old, not totally road-worthy van Ilmari is driving on the condition he be able to travel north with him. The two set off but soon discover that they are being followed by a man in a Saab 96 and a couple in an egg-yolk-yellow Lada who are all intent on taking the sofa. Of course, it turns out that Ilmari and Antero are transporting more than a sofa.

The point of view shifts among the occupants of the three vehicles. Ilmari and Antero, as they travel in a light-blue British van, reconnect after not having seen each other for over two decades. In the Lada are two communists, Anneli Kukkorinne and Erkki Liljalampi, who want to steal the sofa to sell it and use the proceeds to promote their cause. The two have worked many missions together but Anneli starts to suspect that her partner may not be totally committed. In the Saab is Otto Puolanka, a psychopath who made me think of Anton Chigurh in the Coens’ film No Country for Old Men. His chapters always open with his thoughts about the place through which he is travelling, thoughts which indicate his personality: “Pitäjänmäki was like a massive fanny: dark, slippery and a mystery to mankind” and “Sparsely populated areas were like parts of the body suffering from an advanced sexually transmitted disease: all sensation had died long ago.”

Readers who enjoy crime capers will find the characteristic elements. There’s generally a light-hearted tone, though there are violent scenes. The fate of Salminen would certainly be appropriate in a Coen Brothers’ film. There’s a misfit crew. Ilmari and Antero are an odd couple but so are Anneli and Erkki. And, of course, things do not go as planned for anyone and these misadventures lead to both tension and humour.

I’m not a fan of physical comedy. There are funny scenes, but for me it’s the more subtle humour that appeals. There are statements like “the Lada’s front tyre met its Soviet maker” and “seeing the sofa in the back of the van was like stumbling upon the Koh-I-Noor diamond in a sweaty changing room.” I enjoyed the music references and the discussions of the soap opera Dallas.

But there are also poignant moments. Ilmari and Antero do have some conversations about family, friendship, and trust. The journey becomes a journey of self-discovery; someone he encounters even tells Ilmari, “’I hope the journey has given you guidance in more than just a geographical sense.’” Ilmari, for instance, admits to how his behaviour led to the breakup of his marriage. Even Anneli comes to see things from a different perspective. And I love the ending: “It was time for a new song.”

This is not the type of book I would ordinarily read, but it will definitely appeal to readers who enjoy a blending of dark humour, suspense, and poignant reflection.

Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) or substack (https://doreenyakabuski.substack.com/) for over 1,200 of my book reviews.

[Јордан Kocevski)]

I thought I'm not going to read another Tuomainen book, but when I began to read this one I just couldn't stop.
This is a great story of being a father and promises made, about what it means to be a friend, and how a journey can change people.

When you read this book, you may find the communication and dialogues between the characters a bit stiff, unusual or unnatural, but having met and talked to some Nordic authors I came to understand that that way of communicating is natural for their environment.

I still don't like Antti sense of humour based on comparation, but there were a lot of funny situations in this book. That also goes for his descriptions in action scenes, he is either vague or focused on unnecessary details. Another thing that bothered me was how easy characters came to conclusions and often different characters to the same description/ conclusion.

But I really enjoyed the story, the adventure, the characters, this epic quest of bringing a sofa from point A to point B. Loved the antagonists.

[Kati]

3,5 ⭐

[Leena]

Tämä oli minulle ainakin kahdeksas Antti Tuomaisen kirja, ja maistui selkeästi välityöltä. Tyyli oli toki ennallaan, samoin huumori, joka oli välillä hyvinkin mustaa ja vahvan ironian sävyttämää. Enempää ei tähtiä liikene, koska liiallinen toiminnallisuus, yksioikoinen juoni ja varsinaisen mysteerin puute....

[Ron Musgrove]

Some cardboard cutout people enact a haphazard sequence of tiresome bog-standard road thriller tropes. There is some sickly sentimentality to serve as a diversion when this all gets tired (which it does, frequently). Apparently it's 'quirky'.

What an honour to be reading this on World Book Day.

[Anni Majander]

Mun ensimmäinen Tuomainen eikä varmaankaan viimeinen.
Sujuvaa huumoridekkaria eli juuri sopivaa autossa kuunneltavaa. Jos tästä tehtäisiin leffa, en olisi katsomossa sen verran oli turpaanvetoa.

[Juha Viitanen]

Antti Tuomaista tituleerataan "Euroopan hauskimmaksi kirjoittajaksi". Tätä uutuusta lukiessani tulee taas mieleeni, että kannattaisi monen lukea ne Tuomaisen neljä ensimmäistä kirjaa - ja että Tuomainen välillä palaisi niiden romaanien Nordic noiriin (Tappaja, toivoakseni, Veljeni vartija ja Synkkä niin kuin sydämeni) tai suoranaiseen scifiin (Parantaja).

Tuomaisen uusin romaani on road trip (road movie), tien päällä -tarina. Postinlajittelija Ilmari saa keikan viedä pakettiautolla toimitus Helsingistä Kilpisjärvelle. Mukaan tulee sattumalta Ilmarin lapsuudenystävä Antero. Matkalla poiketaan Ilomantsissa, Vaasassa ja Rovaniemellä. Matkalla jutellaan, tavataan erilaisia ihmisiä ja kuunnellaan musiikkia. Peräänsä Ilmari ja Antero saavat kaksikin eri takaa-ajajaa, jotka ovat kiinnostuneita Ilmarin ja Anteron kuljettamasta lastista.

Takaa-ajajia sekä Ilmarin ja Anteron kuljettamaa lastia ei oikeastaan missään vaiheessa avata sen kummemmin, ei edes lopussa. Tuomaisen fokus on ennen kaikkea Ilmarin tarinassa. Mikäs siinä, toimii se näinkin. Ei tämäkään sitä parasta Tuomaista ole, mutta toimii ihan OK. Olen lukenut kaikki Tuomaiset ja tulen lukemaan seuraavatkin. Palaisitko, Antti, juurillesi ja kirjoittaisit seuraavaksi ensimmäisten romaaniesi kaltaisia tarinoita?

Arvioksi 3,4/5
Antti Tuomainen: Tappokeli (2024).

[Kerry]

I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I started reading The Winter Job, but I really enjoyed it!
Antii Tuomainen is a new-to-me author, and I like his writing style.
Ilmari Nieminen takes on a one-off job to deliver a sofa to earn enough money to buy his daughter the piano he has promised her for Christmas. What could possibly go wrong!?
Ilmari is a likable character, and his journey turns out to be far more eventful than he could have possibly imagined. He doesn’t expect to bump into an old friend who ends up tagging along and he certainly doesn’t expect to find himself being followed. Turns out there’s more to this sofa than meets the eye and there are others who want it too. He is determined to deliver it to the destination he has been given though otherwise he won’t get paid and his daughter won’t get her piano. He’s a recently divorced father who wants to fulfil his promise to his daughter. Woe betide anyone who tries to get in his way.
Set in Finland in 1982 this is a brilliant story, full of suspense, and peppered with dark humour. I was rooting for Ilamari the whole way through. The ending really made me smile.

** Many thanks to Orenda Books for my digital review copy **

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2025/11/0...

[Karen Cole]

Antti Tuomainen takes us back to 1982 in The Winter Job for a thriller which revels in its dark humour and ludicrous characters but ultimately proves to be a surprisingly heartwarming tale that's perfect for the festive season.
The perennial reports of parents desperately fighting over the last must-have toy of the year in the shop have nothing on the lengths Ilmari Nieminen has to go to after he promises his daughter a piano for Christmas. He manages to persuade the salesman in the instrument store to hold the piano for him until Christmas Eve but with just six days to go and no money, the odds seem stacked against Helena's wish coming true. It's no surprise then, that he should accept the offer of a job to transport an antique sofa to Kilpisjärvi, the northernmost town in Finland but right from the start, it becomes obvious that this isn't going to be a straightforward delivery. After picking the sofa up from a complete chancer of a dealer, he quickly runs into a problem when the old Ford Thames that has been assigned to him doesn't have functioning windscreen wipers. It looks as though his journey will already face a delay until a voice offers to help. The good Samaritan on the forecourt turns out to be Antero Kuikka, a childhood friend of Ilmari's and his timely intervention comes only with the condition that he join him on the trip north Ilmari and Antero have unfinished business following an incident years ago but nevertheless, they set off with the sofa in the back and a sports bag filled with music cassettes in the front.
Shortly after Ilmari departs, deranged hardman Otto Puolanka arrives at the antique dealer's property and soon shows just how unpredictably violent he can be. He is undoubtedly a very dangerous man but this is an Antti Tuomainen novel and so the violence is often almost Tom-and-Jerry cartoon-like. Otto is by turns brutal, hilarious and pathetic; his mood swings are lethal, he listens to Eye of the Tiger on repeat and he just seems to keeps coming, regardless of the pain he endures as he doggedly pursues the sofa – but a scene where he believes he has found a friend is oddly poignant.
Otto isn't the only person on the tail of Ilmari and Antero as they are also being followed by Erkki and Anneli, a pair of Communists in an egg-yolk yellow Lada. Erkki is the senior of the two but his recent behaviour – not least his love of the TV show, Dallas and J.R. Ewing in particular – has led to Anneli growing increasingly suspicious that he may not be as dedicated to the cause as he should be. Nevertheless, they soon make their presence felt and so Ilmari begins to question just what is so desirable about this sofa.
After he makes his shocking discovery, this compulsively absurdist caper becomes even more ridiculously action-packed as Ilmari and Antero face near-misses, breathtaking chases and a deeply unpleasant search in the snow. They make a good team and yet their history means there's an element of doubt between them which adds a further layer of intrigue to the chaotic proceedings. Can Ilmari really trust Antero? Meanwhile, Anneli's doubts about Erkki underlines how trust is one of the main themes of The Winter Job.
In Ilmari Nieminen, Antti Tuomainen has another of the everyman characters he so excels at creating to explore the human condition, through a skilful combination of humour and pathos. Loneliness and the need for connection is the most important topic examined in The Winter Job and there are some touching scenes amidst the wild chases and snowy mayhem. The atmospheric descriptions of the inclement weather conditions as the characters engage in their frenetic Wacky Race from Helsinki to Kilpisjärvi adds further drama to proceedings and as always, Antti Tuomainen's vivid prose is a sheer delight throughout. A word of thanks here too, of course, for David Hackston's work in translating the novel.
With its pitch-perfect timing, gripping plot, first-rate characterisation and a nostalgic early 80s' soundtrack, I loved this brilliantly funny cat-and-mouse thriller. The Winter Job is a standalone novel but I'm sure I won't be the only reader hoping Antti Tuomainen might be persuaded to write another series. Very highly recommended!

[Peter Fleming]

Ilmari has screwed up his marriage, he knows as much, his former wife has a new man in her life. That ship may have sailed, but at least he can maintain his relationship with his daughter Helena. She is a budding musician and together they have set their hearts on a piano for her Christmas present, expensive but it will be worth it. He wouldn’t normally be able to afford it but after a colleague was unavailable to do it, a lucrative job ‘on the side’ has presented itself. It seems a simple enough task, to transport a valuable antique sofa, a surprisingly heavy sofa, up to the far north. They are even going to provide the transport. Come Christmas Eve he will be in the snooty music store with a fist full of cash and his promise fulfilled. What could possibly go wrong? Well, the reader is about to join Antti Tuomainen on another of his sublime flights of fancy where nothing is straightforward or as it seems. So, fasten your seat belt it could be a bumpy ride.

The storyline is a variation of the classic road trip, so popular in the 1960s and 1970s, where the central characters have new, enlightening experiences on a journey of self-discovery. Just to add more flavour this is done in triplicate and simultaneously, as this sofa proves to be a very popular piece of furniture. What ensues is a cross-country chase, albeit hampered by severe weather and the vehicles being early 1980s ones.

The lead vehicle is a pale blue Ford Thames van in which Ilmari is carrying the precious cargo. He is joined by Antero, a friend from his childhood, who is hitching a lift anywhere, in exchange for doing a repair to the van when Ilmari was desperate. Antero provides the soundtrack to the trip, thanks to the many tapes in his capacious bag. Who doesn't enjoy the hits of the 80s on a snowbound journey.

Hot on their tail in a dark-green Saab 96 is Otto, a bad-tempered man who is a prolific smoker and hard drinker. The soundtrack to his life is The Eye of the Tiger, Survivor’s classic theme song from Rocky III, which is constantly on cue. His background is unclear, but if he was able to show a little more humanity, he might be an assassin or hit man…

Bringing up the rear, in a egg-yolk-yellow Lada 1200 is Erkki and Anneli, who could pass for father and daughter but are members of a revolutionary communist cell that has anarchist leanings. Capturing the sofa would be a major prize, though Anneli is unsure exactly why. Ilmari has a head start, but Erkki is sure they can catch up in their ‘fine socialist sports car’, hmm.

The route taken is far from direct, the reasons why seemingly bizarre on the surface, but with deeper meaning. This ensures that there is plenty of incidents on route and a sprinkling of violence. When I say sprinkling, it is more like the practical joke where somebody loosens the top of the salt cellar, as there are regular explosions of cartoon like violence. Expect objects to be clanged off heads, pointy things to stick in and remarkable recoveries made. Here the author is in his element.

As always, he writes with a big heart, here touching on what it means to have a family and friends, and their importance in combating loneliness and isolation. Considering all that goes on the finale is quite uplifting, but it is a Christmas story, I guess.

Once again, the translator, David Hackston does a wonderful job in keeping the individuality and quirkiness in the prose. This extends to the first sentence of each new chapter which is often a oddly vivid description or a totally outrageous simile.

Captivating crime caper.

[Mandie]

Everyone has their favourite authors, the ones they will pre order the moment they find out about the next book and Antti Tuomainen is right up there as I know no matter what I will be entertained from start to finish by his deliciously dark humour and moments of the unexpected and imaginative ways that people are dealt with.
Ilmari Nieminen is determined to buy a piano for his daughter for Christmas and has agreed to pick up a sofa and deliver it across country to make the money needed to achieve his goal. Simple and straightforward you may think but then that would make for a very short story. Things don’t go well from the start as the van he is given to use as transport has clearly seen better days and with the weather slowly getting worse the lack of working windscreen wipers is a major concern. As he stops for petrol he bumps into an old friend who manages to fix the issue in return for a lift. From here on the road trip becomes hazardous and not just because of the weather.
For reasons that become apparent during the journey there appears to be several people interested in the sofa and for very different reasons and they will stop at nothing to get their hands on the cargo including taking each other out. Even though they are technically the “bad guys”, I found myself invested in their actions and couldn’t wait to see what they would resort to next whilst still hoping that Ilmari and his friend Antero would manage to complete the journey.
Antti Tuomainen has once again created a colourful cast of characters that come with their own unique personalities and morals that may not be conventional, but you can’t help but like them no matter which side they are on. There is a theme of friendship and trust running through this book and its not something any of the characters find easy even those that are working together to achieve their goal and it is these moments that bring a little calm in the chaos. I have to also mention the descriptions of some of the places that the characters drive through as they are the things that probably made me chuckle the most and certainly gave me a vivid picture in my head.
After the brilliance of his last series of books, I did wonder what he would follow up with and I can honestly say that The Winter Job met my expectations and more.

[Niko-Janne Vantala]

The Times -lehden "Euroopan hauskimmaksi kirjailijaksi" nimeämän Antti Tuomaisen tuorein romaani Tappokeli (2024) ei ole niin kaavamainen kuin kirjailijan moni edeltävä teos, mutta se ei onnistu myöskään olemaan kovin hauska tai kiinnostava. Lupaavan alun jälkeen kerronta jämähtää hieman laahaavaksi, eikä henkilöhahmoihinkaan saada oikein tarpeeksi syvyyttä. Tuntuu hieman, että Jäniskertoimen (2020) jälkeen parhaat paukut ja ideat on käytetty. Romaanin parhaaksi anniksi jääkin vuoden 1982 nostalginen ajankuva ja päähenkilöä aatteen ohjaamina vainoava kommaripariskunta.

Vastaeronnut postimies Ilmari Nieminen tekee rahapulassaan hieman hämäräperäisen diilin ja lähtee kuskaamaan arvokasta antiikkisohvaa Pohjois-Haagasta Kilpisjärvelle ankarissa talviolosuhteissa. Kaiken ylittävänä motivaationa on, että Ilmari on luvannut tyttärelleen Aleksanterinkadun musiikkikaupan kalliin pianon joululahjaksi. Jo alkumatkasta mukaan autoon tuppaantuu vanha, oudonoloinen lapsuudenystävä, ja pian kaksikon perässä on vihreällä Saab 69:llä kaahaava alamaailman torpedo sekä keltaista Lada 1200:sta ajava väkivaltainen kommunistipari. Välillä pohditaan elämänvalintoja ja ystävyyden merkitystä.

Tappokelissä ei ole Tuomaisen onnistuneimpien ja hauskimpien romaanien vaivatonta lennokkuutta ja imua, eikä hetkeksikään tule tunnetta, että on parhaillaan lukemassa jotain täysin uutta tai omaperäistä. Tällainen tunne tuli romaaneista Jäniskerroin (2020) ja Mies joka kuoli (2016).

Arvioni: 2,9 tähteä viidestä.

[Jose Sbuck]

This is a light, funny Finnish road novel with a surprisingly warm heart. Ilmari, a divorced dad, takes a slightly shady transport job from Helsinki up to Lapland because he needs the money for one specific thing: a decent piano for his daughter’s Christmas present. The setup is more than a little desperate.

He’s doing the trip in a battered van that’s barely alive, and the destination (Kilpisjärvi) is a long, long haul. Ilmari isn’t the type to quit, though, even when the road keeps finding new ways to punish him.

On the way he runs into an old friend, Antero, at a gas station (by coincidence, one wonders). Ilmari agrees to give him a ride, and that’s when the story really kicks off. From there it’s mishap after mishap, the kind that starts out annoying and quickly turns into "okay, this is getting out of hand."
The cargo turns out to be worth real money, and before long Ilmari and Antero figure out they’re being followed. Not by one person, either. At least two. They’re not polished action heroes, but they’re stubborn, practical, and willing to get their hands dirty when they have to.

Overall, it’s an easy read and a fun little snack of a book: quick, entertaining, and not pretending to be deeper than it is. Still, it does land a couple of simple points. Friendship matters, but it doesn’t survive without trust. And if you can own your mistakes (actually own them, not just say you do), you get a shot at making things right.

Recommended to readers who want something Finnish, but hopeful and light.

[Mary Polzella]

I love discovering new authors and really enjoyed this book set in Finland in the amazing 1980s with its awesome music tracks mentioned throughout the story!

Christmas is rapidly approaching and all Ilmari wants to do is buy a piano for his daughter. In order to earn some $$$ he takes on a mysterious job transporting an antique sofa across the country. Along the way he meets an old friend who helps with him with the task, which proves to be more challenging than he could have imagined as there are others who will do everything to get hold of this sofa! Although there are dark moments to this story, it's quite a quirky and funny story about these two characters trying to get this job done in unusual circumstances.

Ilmari is a likeable and sympathetic character, a father just wanting to earn enough money to buy a gift for his daughter for Christmas, who somehow manages to get tangled up in something he could not have anticipated. There are poignant moments between Ilmari and his friend adding a heartwarming element to this unusual read. I look forward to reading more from this author who is one of Finland’s most acclaimed and award-winning crime fiction writers.

Thank you @randomthingstours for introducing me to an author I'd not read before, and for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Angi Plant]

This is a fantastic read. Antti Tuomainen makes you wonder every time, what would I do? How far would I go? And the thing is it’s so hard to find answers because you feel for his characters. This one is in way over his head. Ilmari wants to give his daughter the one thing she wants for Christmas, a piano. His one sticking point is money. He has none. The story doesn’t only ask questions but has dark humour sprinkled liberally throughout as the situation the character is in escalates way out of control. This is like watching a dark crime novel and a slapstick comedy welded together. I do mean watch as all of his stories are incredibly cinematic. They keep you glued as they build.
You will feel for the characters as the story never goes across the line from absurd into ridiculous. And it never gets so dark that it switches you off from feeling for the characters. I loved it.
With thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.

[Lilja Oja]

Putting my Antti-goggles on, I join yet another thrilling ride of experiencing a moment of someone else's life in a "tube" of occurrences. The main characters arch of working towards having an effect on things that happen to them, sometimes is more successful in other books.
Antti's books' characters have similarities to "The Maid" by Nita Prose and it would be interesting to see how Antti would introduce a different type of main character from book to book as there is a slight repetitiveness now on the social-skill-impaired/relationship-pickled middle aged man/woman.

[Jade Leanne]

Such a brilliant, and easy to read story! Set in Helsinki which may I add is a very snowy place, we follow Ilmari, Ilmari is just trying to get his daughter a piano for Christmas, who takes a job hauling an antique sofa north, I mean what could possibly go wrong?!
Next thing he knows he’s got old friends tagging along, cars tailing him, until he realises he’s carrying something much more special, and dangerous than he ever thought!
Perfect mix of warm, funny and tense, I totally loved the vibe.

[Leanne]

This story is about Ilmari a father who is desperately trying to keep a promise made to his daughter. It takes him on a long winded journey of adventure, danger and self discovery. I found the dry humour to be enjoyable throughout the plot and it had me feeling refreshed. I appreciate the characters plight but I think he went overboard with how to achieve what was needed. There was a bit of twisty moments and overall I found it to be a uniquely written story that keeps the reader interested.

[Helena]

Olen tykännyt monista Tuomaisen kirjoista, mutta vaikka tämä jollain tavalla niitä aiempia lukemiani muistutti, en tällä kertaa päässyt tämän pakettiauton kyytiin. Kuuntelin äänikirjana, ja tipahtelin juonesta monen monta kertaa, huumorikaan ei tällä kertaa purrut. Sitkeästi kuuntelin kuitenkin loppuun saakka.

[Päivi P.]

Ilmari on rahaton ja ottaa kuljetuskeikan saadakseen rahat tyttärensä joululahjaan. Sohvakuljetus Helsingistä Ilomantsin ja Vaasan kautta Kilpisjärvelle osoittautuu haasteelliseksi, jopa vaaralliseksi, kun pakettiautoa seuraakin kaksi epämääräistä seuruetta. Matkakumppaniksi sattumalta mukaan tarttunut vanha lapsuudenkaveri Antero osoittautuu vaaran paikoissa luottokaveriksi, vaikka vanhat asiat painavatkin miesten välejä. Hulvaton mustaa huumoria roppakaupalla sisältävä roadtrip.

[Davinia Hinde]

I loved this book. It's hilariously darkly funny and so atmospheric I thought I was in Finland. The plot is a bit bonkers but that makes the book all the better for it.

Fantastic characters and an addictive story line make it an absolute must read with its fast pace it makes it a book you won't want to put down.

Very highly recommended

[Heli Y]

Ilmari ottaa sohvan kuljettamisen tehtäväkseen ja vanha kaveri ilmestyy samalle reissulle. Takaa-ajajia ilmestyy monta porukkaa. Olisihan tämä voinut olla enemmän mukaansatempaava mutta menihän se näinkin

[Fiona Widd]

A dark comedy with a very sense of humour throughout. Set in a white frozen landscape, the journey goes through several scrapes and the backdrop adds to the isolated feeling of despair in this comically depressive novel.


I enjoyed it but it was a little dry for my liking

[ukkindlecustomer]

In the Land of the Midnight Sun

Darkly funny caper with bizarre road trip to deliver more bizarre item to unlikely recipients, at the same time giving classic antihero a chance of redemption. Also, an over the top villain worthy of Carl Hiassen.

[Stephanie Cleaver]

This is amazing!!

Darkly comical, wonderfully drawn characters, and the typically utterly bonkers but completely gripping storyline.

So fast paced I read in one sitting, then was instantly cross with myself for doing so. This is gently heartwarming and utterly brilliant!

[Helena Ketonen]

Hervottoman hauska romaani. En muista milloin olisin nauranut ääneen tätä kuunnellessani. Eipä ole turhaan myös maailmalla niin suosittu.

[Pasi Rautio]

Kuuntelin äänikirjana. Käänteitä riittävästi, huumoria sopivalla tavalla.

[Barondestructo]

While it hit all the right beats the language read a little stiff. Still the characters and flashes of humor managed to shine through. 3.5/5

[Jane]

I really enjoyed this clever and unique tale, it is so different from anything I've read recently; fun and humorous in all the right places.