Helsinki White (Inspector Kari Vaara, #3)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Helsinki White (Inspector Kari Vaara #3)

by James Thompson (Goodreads Author)

3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 · rating details · 348 ratings · 108 reviews

Two days after their daughter is born, Kari Vaara drops a bombshell on his American wife, Kate: He has a brain tumor . . . and he's been handpicked to run a rogue black-ops unit, using crime to fight crime.

After recovering from surgery, he gets to work. The black-ops unit is small, and reports directly to Finland's national chief of police. They have secrecy, autonomy, and...more

Hardcover, 326 pages

Published March 15th 2012 by Putnam Adult

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Upcoming Books of 2012 & 2013

403rd out of 1,887 books — 2,946 voters

The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

My Favorite Reads of 2012

2nd out of 30 books — 8 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,081)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jul 08, 2012 Leighton Gage rated it 5 of 5 stars

"There’s a great myth believed by nearly everyone that Finland is corruption-free. Police and politicians are scripture pure, dedicated to the good of the nation beyond all things. Foreigners even write about it in travel guides for tourists." That’s Kari Vaara, telling us about his country in the first pages of James Thompson’s new novel, Helsinki White. Shortly thereafter, he goes on to say, "I run a heist gang. I’m a police inspector, shakedown artist, strong-arm specialist and enforcer…Three...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jun 12, 2012 Kenneth Fredette rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a extremely good read. Jim Thompson my hat goes off to you. How are you going to top this? What's the name of the next book for us readers, or is it undecided?

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 28, 2012 Naomi rated it 4 of 5 stars

POSSIBLE SPOILERS...POSSIBLE SPOILERS...POSSIBLE SPOILERS

I must say that I have had a really rough time with reviewing this book. This is my second review. I have even gone outside to others to seek feedback. Here is why...

I, on average, read over 400 books per year. In those 400 books, I would say that 90% of the time after I have read them, they are out of sight out of mind with the ability to pull up a very basic synopsis, if needed. However, I have a couple of characters and authors whom I h...more POSSIBLE SPOILERS...POSSIBLE SPOILERS...POSSIBLE SPOILERS

I must say that I have had a really rough time with reviewing this book. This is my second review. I have even gone outside to others to seek feedback. Here is why...

I, on average, read over 400 books per year. In those 400 books, I would say that 90% of the time after I have read them, they are out of sight out of mind with the ability to pull up a very basic synopsis, if needed. However, I have a couple of characters and authors whom I have grown particularly fond of. Really for the most part, these are limited to Alex McKnight by Steve Hamilton; Louis Kincaid by P. J. Parrish and Tony Hill by Val McDermid and, of course, Kari Vaara by Jim.

Now, why did I have such a hard time with it? Is it that it is a poorly written novel? Absolutely not, I have never seen Jim put out anything other than high quality, absolutely gripping writing. Is it the political stuff that the storyline is built around. Nope, in reflection, all of Jim's books have a tinge of them in it. This book, it was a bit more open. I must say I did have a bit of a rough time with some of the language in the book, but again, I recognized it was detrimental to the storyline so, although I cringed each time I saw it, I knew I had to overlook it.

So, why in the beginning was I so pissed off at this book to give it one star until further reflection and insight. Because I was really ticked off at the way Jim did a total 180 on Kari, a character that I am particularly fond of. Although, he is gruff, that is simply his exterior. He is dedicated to "good"/justice and dedicated to his family. I have never had to face that before with any of my other authors. I found Kari doing things that I absolutely felt were outside his realm of decency and character on many levels. It totally blew my perception of him. I had a wise person respond to me, after describing a particularly negative incident in his life, "You never see someone the same way again after an incident like that. I think that happened to you with Kari." (see I was "listening") Thing is...he was dead on!

So, Jim has assured my group that Kari will redeem himself in Book 4 of the series and, as usual, I will be stalking him until it comes out!
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 21, 2012 Jared Prebish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another great installment in this series. But be careful-the book gets violent and political. If you get squeamish easily, this might not be for you. Also interesting are the views on immigration and racism in Finland (and even other northern European countries). Hopefully the series will continue as I look forward to more from James Thompson

1 like · like · see review

Apr 22, 2012 Art rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: true-crime

The first two novels in this series was first rate, this one had a totally different feel. I just couldn't get into the whole black bag of tricks sort of thriller theme. Lots of things didn't really work for me and I admit to me it felt a bit rushed. I really like James Thompson but this one was just not my cup of tea.

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Anita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, psychological-thriller

Themes of racial hatred, drug wars and political manipulation and wrongdoings are the background for Inspector Kari Vaara's new job as leader of a black-ops group in Helsinki, Finland. Vaara is a new father who is recovering from surgery for a brain tumor as he begins his job with his cohorts Milo and Sweetness. I found the political messages and the racial intolerance overwhelmed the story, so much so that the resolution of the murder of a well-known immigrants' rights activist and the kidnappi...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

HELSINKI WHITE
JAMES THOMPSON
Thompson’s trilogy (so far), set in Finland, is not like other crime novels set in Scandinavia. Thompson is an American living in Finland and his writing style is more like Tony Hillerman than Henning Mankell – all three are excellent writers, with just a different story to tell. Like Hillerman, Thompson is fascinated by the area he lives in and the interesting customs and lifestyles of this foreign place. Each of his books are packed with little facts and figures abo...more HELSINKI WHITE
JAMES THOMPSON
Thompson’s trilogy (so far), set in Finland, is not like other crime novels set in Scandinavia. Thompson is an American living in Finland and his writing style is more like Tony Hillerman than Henning Mankell – all three are excellent writers, with just a different story to tell. Like Hillerman, Thompson is fascinated by the area he lives in and the interesting customs and lifestyles of this foreign place. Each of his books are packed with little facts and figures about the people of Finland but he works it in so you don’t think about what you are learning while enjoying these hard boiled police procedurals.
Central character Inspector Kari Vaara, is a sensitive man. He worries that he is not being “fair” to his wife because of the demands and dangers of his police work. He wants to be able to help people, not just arrest them. Each case he is involved in seems to get blown out of proportion and become a crisis with people dying. This too, worries him.
He is ripe for picking when Jyri Ivalo, the national chief of police, comes to him with an offer. He wants Kari to head up a black ops, along with his team of two misfits, Milo and Sulo. They are assigned the job of robbing from Helsinki’s mobsters – the drug and prostitution lords – stealing their guns, drugs and money. After keeping out what he needs for running the operation, the remainder of the money is passed on to Ivalo, supposedly to be used for “police work”, but Kari figures out pretty quickly that he is just paying corrupt politicians, and, with the drugs being removed from the streets, the shortage is causing chaos.
Complicating the issue of fighting crime, Finland is in the grip of an extreme Right contingent that is anti-immigration, anti-foreigner, and spreading hate. A politician known as sympathetic to the immigration cause, is murdered and her head is sent to Finnish Somalia Network. The President of Finland wants Kari on the case.
The drug war, the extreme Right hate mongers, the murdered politician and the unsolved kidnapping of a billionaire’s children, threatens to collide as Kari and his men begin to put the puzzle together.
Very good reading, and amazingly informative about Finland. Read in order! Snow Angels, Lucifer’s Tears, Helsinki White
Barbara
(less)

like · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, bookcrossing

First a recommendation for anyone new to Jim's books: read the Inspector Vaara series in order (Snow Angels, Lucifer's Tears, then Helsinki White. And then hopefully a lot more books to follow). The characters grow and change a lot in each book.

Even if the book and the story would work a standalone, each book will show you a different Finland.
A wild, very exotic Lapland (which was very exotic to someone who grew up in Helsinki too), then a classic Kallio/Helsinki with modern issues, and now He...more First a recommendation for anyone new to Jim's books: read the Inspector Vaara series in order (Snow Angels, Lucifer's Tears, then Helsinki White. And then hopefully a lot more books to follow). The characters grow and change a lot in each book.

Even if the book and the story would work a standalone, each book will show you a different Finland.
A wild, very exotic Lapland (which was very exotic to someone who grew up in Helsinki too), then a classic Kallio/Helsinki with modern issues, and now Helsinki White... which not only is a crime story, but it also captures the political feel of Finland for the past few years. Corruption, racism, 'Real Finns' party... all 300 pages reflect some of the reasons why I'll never have desire to live in that country again. The political atmosphere and so many people's attitudes are captured well. They are also things that no one is supposed to see and talk about in Finland - a foreigner even less. It's all supposed to be still the image created on the times of Kekkonen, the worker's paradise, with ... well, I guess happy people and where all the things the state does are for the good of its people. And I thought the racism was bad in the '90s.

So before I even go to the story, here's my recommendation: I'd say not just the book but the whole series is definitely recommended for anyone who likes or is interested in Finland, and especially for anyone who wants to go to live there for any reason. The 'Real Finns' party and how popular it apparently is isn't unfortunately just fiction - it's the other part of the white country up there in the North that you're not supposed to see and not supposed to talk about. It's not supposed to be there. It's time someone in Finland did a version of 'Black Like Me', John Howard Griffin style - make it 'Somali Like Me'. Instead of the dark and very honky Mississippi, visit the Alabama of Europe (Joensuu region) as a Somali with perfect Finnish skills. Please, someone, do it, film it, and write it - I want to see that things have changed, that the racist memory of that country only belongs in the past and imagination. Until I see it, I don't believe it.

At the end of Lucifer's Tears the Vaaras had their first daughter. Helsinki White continues from just a few days after that. Kari drops Kate the bomb: brain tumor. Which will change him, and make his character ~~more Finnish~~ colder, void of most emotion. His morals seem to change too, and he becomes in a short time a rotten cop in his new role "cleaning" the city from its worst criminals. "How does it feel being married to a famous cop?", asks a girl who's got a crush with Kari from Kate; "Like being married to Tony Soprano."
He's called to investigate a murder of a Swedish-speaking Finnish politician whose head is found at the Finnish Somalia Network headquarters.
Add more politics, more racist politics, corruption, corrupt politicians, Milo's and Sulo's take on some surveillance, drugs, drug dealers, an ex-Finnish servant of the French secret police, a missing politician's son and another child of the same politician murdered, and stir. Keep adding more racist and political stuff, more drugs, more corruption, and some sexy spy and cop gear, and stir more. Oh, and add alcohol, and stir more.

Suggested pairing for the book: vodka. Any decent one you can drink without getting a morkkis or a hangover, on doses you can manage.

The next Vaara will need again a Fresh new take on Finland, a few new characters, and then a few hundred more twists and turns (to hit the spot for all the Nesbø fans). Can't wait.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2012 Mysterytribune rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: scandinavian-crime

James Thompson, a native of eastern Kentucky and current resident of Helsinki, has written three novels so far as part of a popular series in Finland featuring Inspector Vaara.

His debut novel, Snow Angels, was selected as a Booklist Best Crime Novel Debut of the Year and was nominated for the Edgar, the Anthony, and the Strand Magazine Critics award. Helsinki White is his new Vaara novel.

A Brief Summary:

Two days after their daughter is born, Kari Vaara drops a bombshell on his American wife, Ka...more

like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Kathleen Minde rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: detective-series

Having read, and loved, the first two books in the Inspector Vaara series, by James Thompson, I was excited to receive a copy of the latest book, "Helsinki White". Inspector Vaara is a complex, fascinating character; a stoic man of principle, married to an American ex-pat, living and working in the harsh winter environment of Finland. The political atmosphere rivals that of the elements. Finland is experiencing an onslaught of immigrants from Somalia, the Arab nations, and muslims. And this pred...more Having read, and loved, the first two books in the Inspector Vaara series, by James Thompson, I was excited to receive a copy of the latest book, "Helsinki White". Inspector Vaara is a complex, fascinating character; a stoic man of principle, married to an American ex-pat, living and working in the harsh winter environment of Finland. The political atmosphere rivals that of the elements. Finland is experiencing an onslaught of immigrants from Somalia, the Arab nations, and muslims. And this predominantly insular nation finds itself needing police enforcement to curb the angry, sometimes violent, manifests against these immigrants.

And that is why I liked the character of Inspector Vaara. In the first 2 books he solved the heinous murders of Somalians and saved a school of children from a psycho with a gun. He's a national hero; not an angel, by no means, but a decent cop and loving family man. Until this book.

A new father, recently diagnosed with a benign brain tumor, Vaara is offered a dream job running a black ops unit to fight human trafficking. He can't resist. He and his partner, Milo, a talented computer hack, and a two-fisted civilian goon strangely named "Sweetness" make up the unit. They break into the homes of criminals, steal their money and drugs, bug their phones and computer software, leave incriminating evidence, share the profits with the their police commissioner and Vaara goes home to change his daughter's diapers. His unit is quite effective but he has become, as his wife succinctly points out, a dirty cop.

This new Vaara, commiting crimes to fight crime, is acceptable until he has his brain surgery. It unfortunately leaves him emotionally and empathetically vacant. He is unable to feel love or happiness for his family and must practice smiling in front of a mirror to maintain any pretense of the former Vaara. When Sweetness pounds a dealer until he is bloody and his teeth are on the ground, Vaara feels no revulsion. And he definitely feels no remorse for the increasingly criminal behavior of his unit. The man has lost his moral compass and this vacant shell with antisocial tendancies is what makes him intolerable to the reader.

Yes, there are times he has doubt about his actions and lack of emotion, but it is fleeting and superficial. He can tell his wife the bloody details of everything the unit does and she even benefits from the outcome, but he can't tell her the surgery has left him joyless and indifferent. If Vaara was truly torn by the political violence in his country and the reprehensible acts commited by his team, his character would be sympathetic and flawed. "Helsinki White" makes him a sociopath.

Thompson's comprehension that Finns no longer "hate in silence" and have become a nation of social and political xenophobes is the background of his novels, especially this one. His adopted country's aggressive stance against immigration mirrors that of America, including even the existence of a growing political party that unfortunately resembles the Teabaggers. This element fleshes out the story significantly, it helps the reader understand why a good cop would want to fight against this growing tide of racial hatred. But it does not justify why a national hero and loving family man becomes a morally repugnant rogue with a badge.

I know the series will continue and I want to read the next book, I need to see if Vaara realizes what he has lost and if he will rectify his actions. He may be able to fight the criminal element, but I would rather he not be part of the problem.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 19, 2012 Luanne Ollivier rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5
I devoured the first two books in James Thompson's Inspector Vaara series. and was eager to pick up the latest - Helsinki White.

Vaara has never been a follow the rules kind of cop - instead he bends them, but only to see that justice was served.

But, in Helsinki White, Vaara has become the leader of a 'black-ops' unit, comprised of himself, Milo and Sweetness, his two odd, but lethal associates. All this is done at the request of his immediate superior. The idea is to fight crime with crime...more 3.5/5
I devoured the first two books in James Thompson's Inspector Vaara series. and was eager to pick up the latest - Helsinki White.

Vaara has never been a follow the rules kind of cop - instead he bends them, but only to see that justice was served.

But, in Helsinki White, Vaara has become the leader of a 'black-ops' unit, comprised of himself, Milo and Sweetness, his two odd, but lethal associates. All this is done at the request of his immediate superior. The idea is to fight crime with crime, with an eye to the good. But that isn't the way it's turned out...

"I run a heist gang. I'm a police inspector, shakedown artist, strong-arm specialist and enforcer. Three months ago, I was an honest cop. I'm not sure I care how or why, but I reflect on how I could have undergone such a drastic change in such a short time."

And I'm not sure either. Vaara has undergone surgery for a brain tumour. One of the side effects is that he no longer feels emotion. Perhaps this is a contributing factor? But from the second book to this one, Vaara is a radically different character. And I'm not too sure what I think of him now....

In Snow Angels, Vaara pursues a case that is racially charged - the murder of a Somali woman. In Helsinki White, the issue of racial intolerance, prejudice and hate is a tangible, ugly truth. The racist rhetoric made me feel sick. Thompson has borrowed from headlines in Finland to create a multi layered plot involving extreme xenophobia, political corruption at the highest levels and more. Vaara pursues justice, but it is obtained by vicious and selective means.

The tone of Helsinki White is very dark and noir. The violence and situations are extreme. The characters are of course, Thompson's to manipulate, but I have to be honest, I didn't like where he took them. Vaara's American wife Kate has agreed to Vaara heading the black ops group. But, she is aware of the escalating violence, is present for some of it, all while toting along her three month old baby.

Vaara's tumour has left him without emotion and operating on a base level....

"I don't seem to care about what I do, either. My existence is binary. Want/don't want. Like/don't like. Will/won't. I have no shades of gray."

...and the writing seems to echo that - the prose are short and terse. Except for the long descriptions of the guns and equipment obtained by Milo, that I found myself skimming.

I applaud Thompson's tackling of a very real issue, but Vaara's solutions makes him no better than those he is pursuing. Will I read the next in the series? Yes, I want to where Thompson takes Vaara, but it won't be at the top of the pile.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 13, 2012 Joe Young rated it 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable story that features a team of police detectives that become a Black Operations unit, set to rob criminals and drug distributors on a national scale, sharing their loot with the National Police chief and Interior Minister while funding their operations. An interesting assortment of characters that range from former straight arrow policemen to Finnish members of the French Foreign Legion. The story offers a window into a culture that is at odds with the tourists book view of Finland. The...more

like · see review

Mar 06, 2012 S.D. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Kari Vaara is a cop in Finland whose wife, Kate, just had a baby girl and he is recovering from surgery to remove a brain tumor. The operation has left him with a loss of emotion, something his brother assures him will pass. Now that he is back at work, his boss wants him to run a rogue unit and he is allowed to pick his own team. Sweetness is the muscle of the group while Milo is the computer expert. They fall easily into their job of stealing drugs, guns and money from thugs, putting trackers...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 28, 2012 Bonnie Brody rated it 3 of 5 stars

What has happened to Kari Vaara, the hero of the Helsinki police force? "After being shot twice in the line of duty and being decorated for bravery both times - and especially since Milo and I stopped a school shooting and were glorified in the press for saving the lives of children - I'm a nationally respected figure." He has fallen a long way since Thompson's two previous Vaara novels. In this noir and bleak novel, Kari is morally corrupt and bankrupt

Without any spoilers, the novel starts out...more What has happened to Kari Vaara, the hero of the Helsinki police force? "After being shot twice in the line of duty and being decorated for bravery both times - and especially since Milo and I stopped a school shooting and were glorified in the press for saving the lives of children - I'm a nationally respected figure." He has fallen a long way since Thompson's two previous Vaara novels. In this noir and bleak novel, Kari is morally corrupt and bankrupt

Without any spoilers, the novel starts out with Kari and his wife becoming parents for the first time. Kate gives birth to a lovely girl, Anu. Shortly after this, Kari is asked to join a black ops division which reports directly to the chief of police. The idea is that Kari and his two henchmen (one a crazy genius and the other an alcoholic dimwit) will steal from the bad guys, keep part of the proceeds themselves, give some to the boss, and use the rest to fund the unit. Kari rationalizes to himself that he can make a positive difference by getting pimps, dealers, and all-around bad guys busted. He can do it high-tech, too, without violence - or so he thinks, despite both of his colleagues having a penchant for violence. However, Kate, his wife, says to him "That makes you a dirty cop." And she is right. However, in Kari's mind 'We're not going to war with the criminals of Helsinki, we're going to steal them broke and put them out of business."

Another problem that Kari has is that he has a brain tumor that needs immediate surgery. First there needs to be a biopsy and then the actual surgery which comes with many risks, some quite severe. Kari's brother is a neurologist and he speeds up the process at the hospital so that Kari gets first priority. In Finland, there is no cost for medical treatment and this whole surgery is free!

On the country's political side, a dark horse party is quickly gaining ground. This is called the Real Finn party, "like a more virulent strain of American Teabaggers." However, Real Finns practice hatred toward immigrants. "Other than hate, their agenda wasn't clear." Finland is in dire financial straits with nearly 20% of the population living below the poverty line. Jobs are being outsourced to other countries, inflation is high and wages are stagnant. It is a good petrie dish for a hate agenda.

When the head of Lisbet Soderlund is sent to the Finnish Somalia Network, all hell breaks loose. The Finnish Somalia Network represents Somali immigrants in Finland. Soderlund is a past member of the European parliament and, at the time of her death, is the minister of immigration and European affairs. Jyri, Kari's boss, asks him to work on the murder. They want Kari specifically to work on this murder because he solved the murder of the first high-profile black person ever murdered in Finland - the Sufia Elmi murder.

The book deals a lot with Kari's conflicting feelings about what he's doing, the fall-out from the murder investigation, and the corruptness found everywhere in Finland. There is a lot of talk about weapons and technology that I found boring, and the book proceeds with uneven pacing. There is a lot missing in this book compared to Thompson's two previous novels.
(less)

like · see review

Jan 29, 2012 Jacqui rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller-mystery

American author James Thompson's Helsinki White (G.P. Putnam Sons 2012) is as much about Finnish politics as it is about heroine, crime, and catching the bad guys with unorthodox methods. What caught my attention when I selected the novel was that it's based in Finland, a country that isn't often the setting for detective stories, and it's told from the first person present tense of Inspector Kari Vaara, a Finnish law enforcement officer. I know nothing about what drives Finland's government, ec...more American author James Thompson's Helsinki White (G.P. Putnam Sons 2012) is as much about Finnish politics as it is about heroine, crime, and catching the bad guys with unorthodox methods. What caught my attention when I selected the novel was that it's based in Finland, a country that isn't often the setting for detective stories, and it's told from the first person present tense of Inspector Kari Vaara, a Finnish law enforcement officer. I know nothing about what drives Finland's government, economics or culture, so was fascinated by this peek behind the curtains. Since Vaara is married to an American, I got explanations throughout the story of what was Finnish and how it differed from America.

Briefly, Vaara is asked to lead a black ops group tasked with turning the tide of a crime wave sweeping the country. Funding for this endeavor comes from money they steal from the criminals. The only rule: Succeed. There are no limits on how. Vaara's rogue group is so successful and so discreet that the criminals start fighting each other in an effort to stop the crime busters. This escalates and sparks political consequences that were never imagined when the group was formed. As the personal danger increases, Vaara realizes that his only way out is to solve the political roots and hope he survives.

Much of the book deals with a graphic display of the violence and racial hatred that were both cause and result of the group's operations. I was startled by how far Vaara veered from 'legal' to catch his bad guys. I would have found it hard to believe a law enforcement officer could swing that far to the dark side except that Thompson set Vaara up early in the story with a brain injury that erased his emotions, and conceivably his conscience. As a result, the book offers some intriguing insights into the human condition--"Nothing has intrinsic meaning. We give meaning to the things important to us". Plus, the story's supporting characters are fully as warped as Vaara becomes, reveling in the crime and violence they commit without any barometer for how far off center they are. Overall, these characters are not the sort I would hang out with. Vaara seems to figure out that he's gone too far when he says,

"So, between January 26th, the day I asked Kate [his wife] if I could become a more effective cop, a man empowered to truly help people by bending the rules of engagement in the war against crime, and today... I've gone from, if not a paragon of virtue, a cop who mostly observed the rules governing my profession, to a man who has no qualms about breaking any law, committing almost any act, to achieve my own ends."

As the book progresses, it focuses more on the racism that seemed to be drowning Finland. Though Vaara isn't racist, he does an expert job of sharing the vileness of the extreme xenophobic Finnish groups and enveloping you in their evil taste and feel.

Overall, this is a unique approach to the noir crime stoppers genre, made even more so by a strong author with the ability to weave a fast-moving, intricate plot that never lets you go. I recommend it, with the reservation that its themes are in-your-face. If you're weak of stomach, you might want to skip it.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 13, 2013 Ceren Ünlü rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wuhuuuu bu seriyi özlemişim ! :-)

James Thompson'un yazdığı ''Beyaz Helsinki'' okundu, bitti. Öncelikle belirtmeliyim ki kitabın kapağı çok hoşum gitti.
Beyaz Helsinki, Kari Vaara serinin üçüncü kitabı. Son duraktan bir önce. :-) Kari'yi özlemişim. Manyahhh herif. :-) :-) :-) Kitapta yeni maceralar, türlü türlü yeni olaylar olsa da Kari'nin hayatı ikinci kitapta kaldığı yerden devam ediyordu. Kate ile Kari'nin kızları doğdu... Beyin ameliyatını oldu... Bu ameliyatın yan etkilerinden nasibini de pe...more

like · see review

Jan 29, 2013 Oceansword rated it 2 of 5 stars

It's rare to feel such a sense of relief in finishing a book. I really enjoyed all the previous Inspector Kari Vaara books but this one...not so much. While violence has always been prevalent in the series, this one took things to a level that made me feel uncomfortable as a reader. The racist language, the violence against women, the extreme violence in general...it felt so grim that I wanted to rush through just to reach the end.
(view spoiler)...more

like · see review

Jul 25, 2012 Phil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries

Helinki White is one l-o-n-g roller-coaster ride. I do not like roller-coasters; I do not like putting myself in situations where I may vomit or worse. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I neglected to mention in my comments on his earlier books, Lucifer's Tears, that Thompson deftly crosses genre borders, going from police procedural, to popular historian and social commentator. Add "political thriller" to that list, for Helinki White is very much that.

In the three Inspector Vaara novels, the...more

1 like · like · see review

May 25, 2012 Rebecca Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: global-detective-fiction

This is a really ugly book involving Finnish hate groups and anti-immigrant activities. And Vaara himself is shown to be capable of almost equally horrid actions.

Let me back up. In this book, #3 in the series, Vaara has just become a father and he is recovering from surgery. Most notable in the characterization of the inspector is the fact that his surgery has left him with very flat emotions. Thus, we are expected to believe, he can do anything he's asked to do without the tweaks of conscience...more

like · see review

May 03, 2013 Melis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yorumun aslı: http://kordugumhayaller.blogspot.com/...

Yok arkadaş yok, bana böyle sert polisiyeler yaramıyor. Okurken tipten tipe giriyor, okuduktan sonra ise "nasıl yane?" diyerek şöyle bir kalıyorum! Bu kitapta da aynen böyle oldu. Gerçi bunun nedeni serinin 3. kitabını okumuş olmam olabilir ama okurken de diğerlerinin eksikliğini pek hissetmemiştim O.o

Kitaba ilk başladığımda gayet iyi gidiyorduk. Kari ve eşini, yaşadıklarını, kızlarını ve önceki kitaplarda neler olduğunu okurken diğer kitapla...more Yorumun aslı: http://kordugumhayaller.blogspot.com/...

Yok arkadaş yok, bana böyle sert polisiyeler yaramıyor. Okurken tipten tipe giriyor, okuduktan sonra ise "nasıl yane?" diyerek şöyle bir kalıyorum! Bu kitapta da aynen böyle oldu. Gerçi bunun nedeni serinin 3. kitabını okumuş olmam olabilir ama okurken de diğerlerinin eksikliğini pek hissetmemiştim O.o

Kitaba ilk başladığımda gayet iyi gidiyorduk. Kari ve eşini, yaşadıklarını, kızlarını ve önceki kitaplarda neler olduğunu okurken diğer kitapları okumasam da bir sorun olmadı bu bağlamda. Çünkü yazar daha öncekileri çok detay vermese de bilmemiz gereken bilgileri bize gayet güzel bir şekilde açıklamış. Özellikle bunu kitabın akışını bozmadan yapmasını sevdim. Yani okurken kopmuyorsunuz olaydan, sadece geçmişi düşünüp şimdiye geliyor ve olaya bağlıyorsunuz bu bilgileri.

Ama gelgelelim kitap ilerledikçe
sevdiklerim bile sıkmaya başladı beni. Ve tabi yazar da anlatımını sertleştirdi biraz. Başlarda daha çok olaydan bahsettiği için alışkın olduğum bir anlatımlaydı. Ve tabi polislik olayları da hafif bir düzeydeydi. Ama ilerledikçe kitabımızın konusunu oluşturan olaya geldik. Bundan sonra ise kitap biraz kafamı karıştırmaya ve kahramanımız Kari'nin hem işinin hem de aile hayatının birbirine girmesiyle de beni zorlayıp sıkmaya başladı. Zorladı çünkü, daha teknik terimler kullanıldı hem de bolca. Tamam, polislik yapıyorlar ama bu kadar silah, tekne vb. konularda teknik bilgileri bize bu kadar yüklemeleri gerekmezdi. Açıkçası benim çok da ilgi alanım olmadığı için hem de bu kısımlar yazılırken uzun tutulduğu için okurken sıkıldım ve yoruldum.

Kafamı karıştıran kısımlar ise, olayların çok hızlı ve birden gerçekleşmesi oldu. Gerçi aile hayatında olacakların gidişatını yazar bize iyi bir şekilde ve tahmin etmemiz, kendimizi hazırlamamız için yavaş bir şekilde veriyor. Ama bunu diğer konularda pek yapamıyor ne yazık ki. Çünkü okurken -çok zorlu olan bir görev de bile- olayların hemen halledilmesi olsun, aile-iş arasındaki ya da sahnelerin arasındaki geçişler olsun çok hızlı bir şekilde olması beni hem afallattı hem yordu. Belki de bunun sebebi okuduğum kitaplarda genelde böyle bir olay olduğunda o konu üzerinde fazlaca durması, enine boyuna düşünmesi ve bize de tahmin etmek için seçenekler bırakmasıydı. Ama bu kitapta yazarımız bunu yapmak yerine gayet hızlı bir hayat tarzını benimsemiş. Kim bilir, belki de seriyi ilk kitaptan okusaydım bu kadar yadırgamazdım :D

Kitabımız, Kari Vaara'nın Finlandiya'nın meşhur bir meydanında amiri Jyri ile buluşması ve bu buluşmadan sonra görev değişikliği ile hayatının değişmesi sonucu başlıyor. Ama asıl değişim, Kari'nin tam da mutlu olacağı zamanlar -kızı yeni doğmuştur- beyninde bir tümör olduğunu öğrenmesi ve daha sonra ameliyat olması ile değişir. Çünkü ameliyat olduktan sonra, ameliyat sonucu oluşan bir takım sorunlar nedeniyle eskisi gibi değildir. Eskisi gibi olmaması yeni görevinde işe yarasa da aile hayatını gün geçtikçe mahvetmektedir. Üstüne bir de ülkeyi karıştıran bir cinayetin patlak vermesiyle işler iyice karışır. Ahh, bir de Moreau denen gizemli birinin ortaya çıkması her şeyi daha da karıştırır. Üstelik dost mu düşmen mı olduğu da belli değildir ama onda bir iş olduğu açıktır. Peki sizce kahramanımız Kari tüm bu dertlerin üstesinden gelebilecek mi? Her şeyi düzeltmek mümkün mü yoksa bir yerden düzeltirken bir yerden de batmak kanunun bir parçası mı?? Tüm cevaplar ve serinin devamı için kitabımızı okumanız gerekmektedir ;)

Son olarak şunu diyebilirim ki, kitabımız tüm bu sayfalar boyunca ciddi, kafa karıştırıcı ya da sıkıcı değildi. Okurken yer yer güldüm de oldu -özellikle başlardaki bir raporu okurken krize girdiğimi itiraf ediyorum. Uzun süre etkisinden çıkamadım :D Ve okurken yer yer de ağladığım ve üzüntü yaşadığım sahnelerde vardı. Aslında bunun olacağını düşünmezdim. Çünkü üzüldüğüm karakteri çok tanımıyordum ama yazar bana onu kısa sürede sevdirdi. Ölünce de gerçekten üzüntü duydum :( Bir başka üzüldüğüm nokta ise, gerçekleşmesinin iyi mi yoksa kötü mü olduğuna karar veremediğim bir noktaydı. Ama bir sonraki kitapta o konuda neler olacağını merak etmiyorum da değilim :)

Sonuç olarak, çok farklı ve garip bir anlatımı olan, orta şeker denebilecek tarzda şaşırtıcı bir kitaptı. Ama ne yazık ki kendileriyle uyuşamadık.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Lili rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-fiction, hardback, thriller, nordic-noir, a

Helsinki White presents a terrifying and frightening view of racial hatred and anti-immigration groups in Finland. Inspector Kari Vaara has been asked to set up an elite squad to run a black-ops unit to fight crime. However following brain surgery Kari loses his way.

James Thompson writes an incredibly dark book interspersed with suspense, brutality and fear. I wonder how will Kari recompense in the next of the series.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 06, 2012 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finland, books-in-a-series

I have enjoyed this mystery series, set in Finland, since its very first installment. Each book has had something of an ominous ending, making me eager to read the next in the series as Kari Vaara continues to develop. This book, however, was a much darker read than any in this already fairly grim series. His career takes quite a turn, and as the plot builds, one thing leads to another, making Vaara a different man than the one I at least first grew to like in the series' debut, Snow Angels.
The...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookcrossing, fiction-general, crime-thriller

Wow, what a different side of Inspector Vaara we saw in this book -- much more of a bad-boy -- but hey, I liked it. He was already gritty, now he's even more gritty. Sure, some of his behavior was a bit shocking, but it was explainable, and was something a bit different from the norm.

As with other books in this 'series', the story and the crimes were interesting, and the writing is very good. I admit that I'm not so much interested in all the political goings-on in Finland, but I was able to sk...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 28, 2013 Krystal Hickam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I would like to first thank the author, publisher and goodreads for allowing me to win this first reads copy of Helsinki White. To fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, you will love this book. It starts a little slow then picks up briskly and before you know it, the book has ended and you want to read what happens to the Inspector and his family and cohorts. The main characters are flawed but all likable and the setting is foreign but close to home as well. I was not expecting all the racial...more

like · see review

Jun 18, 2012 Ishmael Seaward rated it 2 of 5 stars

Disappointing. I expect a detective novel to take me on a trail of discovery rather than a mish-mash of events that don't really seem to tie together, until the villain (who was no real surprise) confesses all at the end.

What was interesting to me was the description of Finland, the dislike of immigrants, the neo-nazis, the corruption of the police, and the cover up of all this by the media. None of this I expected. Thompson includes a short afterword, called "Beyond the Story", where he explain...more

like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 Fizzycola rated it 1 of 5 stars

Sigh, I didn't like it.

The thing that made me come back to the Kari Vaara books was Kari Vaara himself. He wasn't in this book, not the Kari Vaara I liked.

Sadly, I think this wasn't a thriller at all. It was a political book with an agenda. Very, very Americanized. It's clearly aimed at American public. A Finn like me just gaped at the interpretation of our country and its people. Okay, I know it's fiction but I was insulted by the picture painted of some thinly disguised politicians. It just wa...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Heidi rated it 2 of 5 stars

I loved Snow Angels, which presented an unusual protagonist, who had become who is both because of and in spite of his upbringing in a small, rural town in northern Finland. Kari Vaara was an unusual and interesting character. By this third book, even if it was through using the literary device of brain surgery, Kari has become kind of creepy, and Thompson couldn't seem to get enough of reporting all the racist and misogynistic thoughts of every character through Kari's unfeeling persona. I didn...more

like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Number 3 in this series by American-born author, James Thompson, follows Inspector Vaara as he becomes involved in a world of drug-dealers and kidnappers, set against a background of rampant anti-foreigner xenophobia. Although, our tale involves his black-ops unit trying to solve a murder and kidnapping, where the body count of connected individuals continues to mount, the real story is the cultural battle between Nordic Finns and the immigrants as borders become porous within the European Union...more

like · see review

Mar 30, 2013 Ellen Keim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Like many other reviewers I didn't quite know what to make of the new Kari Vaara, the main character of this series. It will be interesting to see what happens with him in the next book, Helsinki Blood. I hope the author brings back some of Vaara's former personality--I don't much care for this one.

However, I still liked the book, because I like Thompson's writing and I think he does a good job of presenting the dark side of Finland. In his note at the end he explains his reasons for writing th...more

like · see review

Mar 25, 2012 judy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Three stars is simply picking the middle ground because I don't know what to think about this book. I know the author was telling us important things about Finland--bearing witness might be the correct term. For me, this made a painful read since there was so clearly truth beneath the fiction. Beyond that there was a particular scene with violence creative enough that I actually (amazingly)felt sick. Given my intense reactions throughout the book, I can't evaluate it in reviewer fashion. I've re...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 36 37 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Creative Reviews: Win an ARC of Helsinki White by James Thompson	0	3	May 01, 2012 09:33am
Pulp Fiction: Win an ARC of Helsinki White by James Thompson	1	9	May 01, 2012 09:29am
Bloggers Unite™ : Win an ARC of Helsinki White by James Thompson	1	2	May 01, 2012 09:26am
Book Bloggers Ano...: Win an ARC of Helsinki White by James Thompson	1	4	May 01, 2012 09:25am
Scandinavian and ...: Helsinki White by James Thompson is our second read of March	25	38	Apr 21, 2012 02:13am
Scandinavian Crim...: A Look at Helsinki White	1	12	Mar 22, 2012 10:23am

combine
Other Editions (3)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

15 users

Mystery > Crime

5 users

Thriller

4 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

3 users

European Literature > Scandinavian Literature

2 users

Suspense

2 users

Mystery > Noir

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About James Thompson

With his first internationally published novel, Snow Angels, James Thompson proved himself Finland’s best and most popular representative in the rise of Nordic noir. It was selected as one of Booklist’ s Best Crime Novel Debuts of the Year and nominated for an Edgar Award, an Anthony Award, and a Strand Critics Award. His novel, Lucifer’s Tears, has received critical acclaim from all quarters, inc...more

More about James Thompson...

Books by James Thompson

Lucifer's Tears (Inspector Kari Vaara, #2)

Helsinki Blood (Inspector Kari Vaara, #4)

Moral Formation According to Paul: The Context and Coherence of Pauline Ethics

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Helsinki White

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Helsinki White
avg rating	preview: Helsinki White Goodreads rating: 3.58 (348 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11890815-helsinki-white?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322666676l/11890815.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11890815-helsinki-white?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Helsinki White by James Thompson[/url]

Helsinki White (Inspector Kari Vaara #3)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website