The Moose Paradox by Antti Tuomainen translated by David Hackston
Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again.
More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction?
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Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late.
My Review
Just a quick recap as this is book two in the series. In book one Henri Koskinen lost his job as an actuary. He just wasn’t moving with the times. He couldn’t get his head round all the modern, team-building crap his boss spouted about, so he was out on his ear. Then his brother Juhani died and left him an adventure park called YouMeFun, plus all his debts.
Henri’s only real friend is his cat Schopenhauer, in whom he confides. Schopenhauer always understands, though he is not always sympathetic. I like this cat. He’s aloof and sensible. All four paws furrmly planted on the ground.
Henri also inherited the staff. Kristian reminds me of a cross between Joey Essex and Pooh Bear, all muscle and little brain. Esa is the park’s head of security who wants surveyance drones in the air, Minttu K is the marketing and sales manager and reeks of gin and cigarettes. Samppa is in charge of play, while Johanna runs the Curly Cake Cafe and has spent time behind bars – and I don’t think we mean the ones in pubs. And then there’s the artist Laura Helanto. Their relationship didn’t quite work out in book one so we’ll have to see what happens this time.
By the end of the first book, everything was back on the straight and narrow, notwithstanding a body or two, but then a face from the past turns up and it’s all chaos again.
The park’s equipment supplier Toy of Finland Ltd has been taken over by a shady trio, and they are refusing to sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it to boost the park’s finances. They want him to have the redundant Crocodile Canyon instead, at a ludicrously inflated price.
I found The Moose Paradox hilarious in a deliciously dark way. At one point Henri is reminiscing about his parents’ funeral – only one of whom was in a coffin.
‘They went to find another coffin,’ explains Henri’s brother Juhani, but, ‘there was a misunderstanding about the price….I had to decide between the fish terrine and the coffin, but by then most of the terrine had been eaten.’
‘You swapped our mother for a cake?’ spluttered Henri.
Now for some people this may all be in rather bad taste (and I’m not talking about the fish terrine here). But for those of us who cut our teeth on Dave Allen’s coffin race sketch amongst others, it’s all very funny. I can’t wait for book three – I hope there is one.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author in 2013, the Finnish press crowned Tuomainen the ‘King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died 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’. Little Siberia (2020), 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. The Rabbit Factor (2021), the first book in Antti’s first ever series, is in production by Amazon Studios with Steve Carell starring. The Moose Paradox, book two in the series is out in 2022.
Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.
