#BookReview: The Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen @antti_tuomainen

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#BookReview: The Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen @antti_tuomainen

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for a book by an author new to me, Antti Tuomainen. I picked this book up through a BookBub deal and am so pleased I gave it a go >>>

Book cover for The Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen

About the Book:

A successful entrepreneur in the mushroom industry, Jaakko Kaunismaa is a man in his prime. At just 37 years of age, he is shocked when his doctor tells him that he’s dying. What is more, the cause is discovered to be prolonged exposure to toxins; in other words, someone has slowly but surely been poisoning him. Determined to find out who wants him dead, Jaakko embarks on a suspenseful rollercoaster journey full of unusual characters, bizarre situations and unexpected twists. With a nod to Fargo and the best elements of the Scandinavian noir tradition, The Man Who Died is a page-turning thriller brimming with the blackest comedy surrounding life and death, and love and betrayal, markinng a stunning new departure for the King of Helsinki Noir.

My Review:

A fantastic who-dunnit with wonderful dark humour throughout

“‘It’s a good job you provided a urine sample too.’ The oval face of the doctor sitting behind the desk exudes seriousness and gravitas.” … this opening line takes us straight into a terminal diagnosis, but it’s not the usual suspects that bring us an early death–no, it’s poisoning. And from here on in, the dying victim must determine who has been poisoning him longterm and why.

I connected with the characters immediately and cared what happened. Despite the potential for heaviness in this sort of read, a wonderful cushion of levity lifts the whole thing and brings the reader some wonderful noir humour. Some of the shenanigans bordered on the farcical and still remained wholly believable and enjoyable, which–to me–takes some skill to pull off.

So many lines stood out for me, that I struggle to offer just a few here …

“Even the shampoo has added protein. That’s what it says on the bottle. I can’t begin to imagine how the protein travels from your hair to your biceps, but I use plenty of it just in case.” … this one had me laughing aloud.

And … “The truth of the matter is that before long I won’t just be dead, I’ll be homeless too.”

And … “In a recessive and ageing community with high unemployment there are relatively few impulsive millionaires.”

I can’t say an awful lot more without giving away lots of spoilers. However, if you like fun, entertaining reads that bring you humour and keep you guessing, you’ll love this book. The Man Who Died gets a solid five stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.

4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.

3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.

2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.

1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

A quick note from me: I had gone to check out this author’s other eBooks but found they are priced at £4.99 and upwards, which for me, is a tad too pricey. Especially for an author I don’t know all that well. His other works, apparently, are much darker. So it looks as though I’ll be waiting for more deals before checking out more of his reads!

I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by