What do you think?
Rate this book
Among the Saints: A Novel from the Lapland Series
A Lapland hometown hoodlum named Marzipan Räikkönen is killed near his home. But the who, why, and how of the murder no one knows, not even the victim himself.
His death launches a series of events recounted in the first person by thirty-five different people touched by Marzipan’s murder. The witty story line cleverly connects the dots among the personalities, including the ambulance drivers, detectives, family members, neighbors, two-bit criminals, and even the minister officiating at the funeral, to finally reveal the killer.
This fast moving crime novel, full of wry Finnish humor, deepens into a multilayered panorama about society, its people, and ultimately justice. Originally published in Finland, the critically-acclaimed novel quickly became a best seller and was made into a popular movie.
Jari Tervo (b. 1959), a native of Lapland, is one of the most prominent and popular names in Finnish literature. The former reporter has gained a national reputation for his critically-acclaimed novels and as a television personality. Tervo has an inimitable style and voice, much admired by critics. The public knows him as an omniscient quiz show guest and sardonic commentator on current events, and also follows his literary output with appreciation and admiration. He received the award for Finland’s Best Crime Novel in 2000, and he has been repeatedly on top of the Finnish best seller lists ever since.
His death launches a series of events recounted in the first person by thirty-five different people touched by Marzipan’s murder. The witty story line cleverly connects the dots among the personalities, including the ambulance drivers, detectives, family members, neighbors, two-bit criminals, and even the minister officiating at the funeral, to finally reveal the killer.
This fast moving crime novel, full of wry Finnish humor, deepens into a multilayered panorama about society, its people, and ultimately justice. Originally published in Finland, the critically-acclaimed novel quickly became a best seller and was made into a popular movie.
Jari Tervo (b. 1959), a native of Lapland, is one of the most prominent and popular names in Finnish literature. The former reporter has gained a national reputation for his critically-acclaimed novels and as a television personality. Tervo has an inimitable style and voice, much admired by critics. The public knows him as an omniscient quiz show guest and sardonic commentator on current events, and also follows his literary output with appreciation and admiration. He received the award for Finland’s Best Crime Novel in 2000, and he has been repeatedly on top of the Finnish best seller lists ever since.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
12 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 13, 2017
Crude and vulgar, August 25, 2016
This review is from: Among the Saints: A Novel from the Lapland Series (Kindle Edition)
At 10% I quit. That entire 10% of the book was crude, vulgar and unpleasant about people who are the same. I lived in Finland for 6 weeks, studying law enforcement and the health care system. I did not meet the people in this book. Finland does have its dark side but it is not as dark or widespread as in most countries. Of course I was there in the late spring and early summer when the Finns are at their happiest.
This review is from: Among the Saints: A Novel from the Lapland Series (Kindle Edition)
At 10% I quit. That entire 10% of the book was crude, vulgar and unpleasant about people who are the same. I lived in Finland for 6 weeks, studying law enforcement and the health care system. I did not meet the people in this book. Finland does have its dark side but it is not as dark or widespread as in most countries. Of course I was there in the late spring and early summer when the Finns are at their happiest.
January 8, 2023
Monta kertojaa, monta näkökulmaa, yksi tarina. Henkilöt ovat enimmäkseen vastenmielisiä tavalla tai toisella, ja tissien puristelua on enemmän kuin tarpeeksi. Ei mikään suuri lukunautinto, mutta jollain tavalla piti kuitenkin otteessaan. Ei kuitenkaan jäänyt suurta himoa lukea lisää samalta tekijältä.
April 11, 2023
C’e at un polar extrêmement bien construit et par moment hilarant si on arrive à faire abstraction de la vulgarité du langage et de la cruauté de certaines situations.
Encore un livre indique dans le Routard, en revanche là dur de voir l’intérêt pour un voyageur qui part en vacances en Finlande. Bref bref…
Encore un livre indique dans le Routard, en revanche là dur de voir l’intérêt pour un voyageur qui part en vacances en Finlande. Bref bref…
October 20, 2023
Tavoitteena lukea kaikki Finlandia-palkintoehdokkaat:
(1984-1994: 94/94)
1995: 6/6
1984-2022: 100/262
4+/5. Sadas luettu teos! 4+:n ja 4,5:n välillä kulkee itselläni se – joskus ehkä hiuksenhienokin – raja, että minkä teoksen luen kertaalleen ja minkä taas haluaisin hankkia ihan omaksikin ja kenties lukea joskus myöhemmin uudemmankin kerran. No, tämä Pyhiesi yhteyteen on ehkä yksi niistä teoksista, joka tulee hyvin lähelle 4,5:ta yltämättä kuitenkaan lopulta aivan sinne asti. Rakennehan on hieno, omintakeinen ja jopa nerokaskin. Kirjassa on 35(?) lukua, jotka kaikki on nimetty eri henkilön ja samalla todistajan mukaan. Heti ensimmäisen luvun ensimmäisissä sanoissa itse Marsipaani Räikkönen ilmoittaa omasta murhastaan – ja sitten seuraavien 34 luvun aikana keritään yhtä monen todistajan suulla auki sitä mysteeriä, että kuka Räikkösen lopulta tappoi. Huumori on mielestäni aina – tai ainakin lähes aina – plussaa. Tässä teoksessa olisi ehkä pärjätty vähemmilläkin farssimaisilla piirteillä, koska kyseessä ei nyt kuitenkaan ollut mikään farssi, vaan ihan vakavasti otettava teos. Farssimaista nyt oli vaikkapa se, että ihan jokainen kirjan henkilöhahmo oli nimetty mahdollisimman oudosti – ei vain Marsipaani Räikkönen. Eikä ne farssimaiset piirteet tainneet jäädä ihan vain tähän nimeämiseen. (Tämä oli viimeinen lukemani vuoden 1995 Finlandia-ehdokas, joten kirjoitan voittaneen teoksen – Hannu Mäkelän Mestari – yhteyteen, mikä olisi omasta mielestäni ansainnut palkinnon parhaiten.)
(1984-1994: 94/94)
1995: 6/6
1984-2022: 100/262
4+/5. Sadas luettu teos! 4+:n ja 4,5:n välillä kulkee itselläni se – joskus ehkä hiuksenhienokin – raja, että minkä teoksen luen kertaalleen ja minkä taas haluaisin hankkia ihan omaksikin ja kenties lukea joskus myöhemmin uudemmankin kerran. No, tämä Pyhiesi yhteyteen on ehkä yksi niistä teoksista, joka tulee hyvin lähelle 4,5:ta yltämättä kuitenkaan lopulta aivan sinne asti. Rakennehan on hieno, omintakeinen ja jopa nerokaskin. Kirjassa on 35(?) lukua, jotka kaikki on nimetty eri henkilön ja samalla todistajan mukaan. Heti ensimmäisen luvun ensimmäisissä sanoissa itse Marsipaani Räikkönen ilmoittaa omasta murhastaan – ja sitten seuraavien 34 luvun aikana keritään yhtä monen todistajan suulla auki sitä mysteeriä, että kuka Räikkösen lopulta tappoi. Huumori on mielestäni aina – tai ainakin lähes aina – plussaa. Tässä teoksessa olisi ehkä pärjätty vähemmilläkin farssimaisilla piirteillä, koska kyseessä ei nyt kuitenkaan ollut mikään farssi, vaan ihan vakavasti otettava teos. Farssimaista nyt oli vaikkapa se, että ihan jokainen kirjan henkilöhahmo oli nimetty mahdollisimman oudosti – ei vain Marsipaani Räikkönen. Eikä ne farssimaiset piirteet tainneet jäädä ihan vain tähän nimeämiseen. (Tämä oli viimeinen lukemani vuoden 1995 Finlandia-ehdokas, joten kirjoitan voittaneen teoksen – Hannu Mäkelän Mestari – yhteyteen, mikä olisi omasta mielestäni ansainnut palkinnon parhaiten.)
October 8, 2024
Underwhelming, very crass language and jumping from ppl to ppl hard to keep up with
January 10, 2015
A novel told from 35 different perspectives set in Finnish Lapland detailing the death of local bad boy Marzipan Räikkönen. Out of the 35 narratives, some are inevitably more compelling and reliable than others. I wouldn't say this plot device was totally successful, as the story veers off on tangents from time to time. 35 different narrators makes it pretty easy to forget who is who and who is relevant. One of the characters I really did like was Vertti, and I wish he was in the story more.
Funny at times, it is evident that Tervo has a good sense of humour, but there is a lot of room for improvement in this book.
Funny at times, it is evident that Tervo has a good sense of humour, but there is a lot of room for improvement in this book.
June 18, 2018
La couverture ne m'inspirait guère (c'est pas celle qu'on voit sur la page, c'est une autre avec un costume de père noël dans la neige) mais en fait la couverture n'a absolument rien à voir avec le livre, et je me suis retrouvée embarquée dans un récit plutôt drôle, léger, une sorte de polar à la narration très chouette et bien foutue, aux divers rebondissements bienvenus. Ça s'essoufle un peu à force, mais pas assez pour ne pas apprécier la lecture jusqu'au dénouement.
October 30, 2014
Marzipan is found dead on a trail. And speaking of unreliable narrators, Among the Saints is littered with them! The many first person chapters come together to eventually explain how the murder transpired with lots of random glimpses of life in Finland along the way, including adulterous sex in a toilet stall, vodka for breakfast, and a shopkeeper who naps in a coffin.
September 11, 2016
Excellent novel, unusual
This is an unusual murder mystery, told by the family and friends of the victim. It can be confusing to keep them sorted out because they have first, last and nicknames used interchangeably, each giving a piece of the story. These saints are not ever honest, I suppose the author is say there is no virtue in this life.
This is an unusual murder mystery, told by the family and friends of the victim. It can be confusing to keep them sorted out because they have first, last and nicknames used interchangeably, each giving a piece of the story. These saints are not ever honest, I suppose the author is say there is no virtue in this life.
October 6, 2014
I just read this book on a flight to Phoenix. I wasn't sure the plot device would work - it's written in 35 chapters, from 35 different perspective. It works fabulously.
January 8, 2015
It was a pretty messed up story, you would start reading a chapter and not know who was talking. It was easy to figure out the real criminal, she was in the
very beginning.
very beginning.
October 11, 2015
Each chapter of the book is the first-person account of an individual person who is somehow touched by the murder of one person. This is a witty who-dun-it and a good vacation read.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews