Palm Beach Finland by Antti Tuomainen

Palm Beach Finland

Antti Tuomainen

A dead body, an ace detective, a key suspect - the essential components of Nordic crime are present, but this story really plays around with the genre. Palm Beach Finland has to be one of the tackiest seaside resorts I've come across, however beyond the gaudy beach huts and plastic palm trees the real Finland is there. Told from the perspective of an eclectic cast of characters, this is a mystery which doesn't take itself too seriously.

Extract
'The beach is up there with the best,' said Leivo. 'Whatever they've got in St Tropez, we've got too, only better: canoes, pedalos, rowing boats, surfboards, Optimist dinghies, deckchairs - brand-new deckchairs; a hundred and twenty of them. You'd better reserve one before they're all gone. Okay, it looks like there's only one in use right now, but it really depends on the day. Volleyball, tennis, mini golf. Three holes, so Tiger Woods would approve. Dancing classes - our instructor's been to Mexico, so we're talking world-class salsa. There's the restaurant offering a la carte and all kinds of delicacies, plus seafood, pizzas and craft beers you can't even get in Germany. Happy people. It's a top-notch beach experience for a five-star clientele ....'
Parallels
  • Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen
  • Viva La Madness by J. J. Connolly