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The Man Who Died
A dark, page-turning thriller, brimming with black comedy, from the King of Helsinki Noir
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, marking a stunning new departure for the King of Helsinki Noir.
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, marking a stunning new departure for the King of Helsinki Noir.
245 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2016
About the author
Antti Tuomainen
26 books521 followersAntti Tuomainen (b. 1971) is one of Finland’s most acclaimed and award-winning crime fiction writers. To date, Tuomainen’s works have been translated into more than 25 languages. Crowned “The King of Helsinki Noir,” Tuomainen’s piercing and evocative style has never stopped evolving.
In The Man Who Died, Tuomainen displays a new side of his authorship and unveils his multifaceted ability in full. The novel, which combines Tuomainen’s trademark suspense with a darkly tinged humor, has won the hearts of readers and critics alike, and secured him the new title of King of Noir Comedy. The Man Who Died also 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'.
His latest thriller, Little Siberia, 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.
In The Man Who Died, Tuomainen displays a new side of his authorship and unveils his multifaceted ability in full. The novel, which combines Tuomainen’s trademark suspense with a darkly tinged humor, has won the hearts of readers and critics alike, and secured him the new title of King of Noir Comedy. The Man Who Died also 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'.
His latest thriller, Little Siberia, 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 582 reviews
January 3, 2018
Warning: "The Man Who Died" is a highly addictive and exceedingly hard to put down thriller!
Who'd have thought that a story involving a Finnish mushroom industry could be so entertaining? I was instantly hooked and just knew this was going to be highly enjoyable and would be read from cover to cover virtually in one sitting.
We learn straight away that thirty seven year old mushroom entrepreneur Jaakko Kaunismaa is hit with an emotional steam roller only to be hit with a further one in the next chapter. Knowing he is dying from prolonged exposure to toxins, Jaakko is determined to find out who has 'murdered' him whilst trying to stop his business being overtaken by mushroom competitors.
Unlikely hero Jaakko is a superb character that you can't help but endear to and root for throughout the story. The predicaments he gets into are truly funny and his way of dealing with the news that he is dying is so darkly humorous you can't resist smiling.
I loved all the bizarre and unique characters, the author has a brilliant way of describing them so well, they could literally be standing right in front of you!
Dry, dark and witty humour makes this book so entertaining and with an unusual and original story this is a guaranteed page turner.
Excellently translated from Finnish by David Hackston there is nothing lost in translation with this book - like so many are - and it was evident just how professionally this book has been published.
I haven't read anything by the highly rated author Antti Tuomainen before and I'm glad I've been introduced to him now, as I really do love his creative imagination, writing style, black humour and descriptive prose. I will be reading more by him in the future and it obviously goes without saying that I highly recommend this gripping book to readers of all ages, you won't be disappointed - it's a fabulous read that I wholeheartedly enjoyed!!
The full glowing 5 stars!
Who'd have thought that a story involving a Finnish mushroom industry could be so entertaining? I was instantly hooked and just knew this was going to be highly enjoyable and would be read from cover to cover virtually in one sitting.
We learn straight away that thirty seven year old mushroom entrepreneur Jaakko Kaunismaa is hit with an emotional steam roller only to be hit with a further one in the next chapter. Knowing he is dying from prolonged exposure to toxins, Jaakko is determined to find out who has 'murdered' him whilst trying to stop his business being overtaken by mushroom competitors.
Unlikely hero Jaakko is a superb character that you can't help but endear to and root for throughout the story. The predicaments he gets into are truly funny and his way of dealing with the news that he is dying is so darkly humorous you can't resist smiling.
I loved all the bizarre and unique characters, the author has a brilliant way of describing them so well, they could literally be standing right in front of you!
Dry, dark and witty humour makes this book so entertaining and with an unusual and original story this is a guaranteed page turner.
Excellently translated from Finnish by David Hackston there is nothing lost in translation with this book - like so many are - and it was evident just how professionally this book has been published.
I haven't read anything by the highly rated author Antti Tuomainen before and I'm glad I've been introduced to him now, as I really do love his creative imagination, writing style, black humour and descriptive prose. I will be reading more by him in the future and it obviously goes without saying that I highly recommend this gripping book to readers of all ages, you won't be disappointed - it's a fabulous read that I wholeheartedly enjoyed!!
The full glowing 5 stars!
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September 4, 2021
Think of Scandinavian noir, Stieg Larsson, Jo Nesbø, Arnaldur Indriðason, Jussi Adler-Olsen - harsh language, disturbing hyperviolence, multiple violations against humanity. If we liken the above authors' crime fiction to bitter chocolate, then a novel by Antti Toumainen would be a delicious chocolate bar. I mean this in the most positive, generous way possible. Antti Toumainen of Finland writes captivating crime fiction seasoned with unexpected sweetness and tenderness.
On the opening pages of The Man Who Died, our thirty-seven-year-old narrator/protagonist, lovable Jaakko Kaunismaa, co-owner with his wife of a highly successful mushroom company, is about to receive a shock: his doctor informs him he's been poisoned little by little and, considering the buildup of toxins in his system, it's something of a miracle he's still alive.
Facing the inevitability of taking his last breath today, tomorrow, or next week, Jaakko walks out of the doctor's office as a man on a mission: to discover who poisoned him and why.
Rather than returning to his own office, Jaakko heads home where he received the second shock of the day - Taina, his wife of seven years, is out on the back patio engaged in a furious round of lovemaking with Petri, their first full-time employee, their main driver, a handsome lad who looks as if he could be featured in a bodybuilding magazine.
"Taina has her back to me. Her broad back is gleaming with sweat, her round, strong buttocks glow like a pair of ruddy cheeks. She is riding Petri as though she were trying to climb a mountainside on horseback: her feet are placed firmly on the patio decking and her hips are pumping, encouraging the horse to give all it's got. It's an impressive sight."
Does Jaakko rush the couple wielding the iron bar that's now leaning against the side of the woodshed? Decidedly 'no' - Jaakko isn't that type of guy, not at all, and, besides which, Jaakko needs material evidence to prove his wife is the one who poisoned him. Additionally, in his weakened state, Jaakko desperately craves the cool air of his car's air conditioner. Thus he retreats and drives off.
As if his doctor's verdict and watching his wife screwing Petri isn't enough, on the very same morning Jaakko initiates action that will prompt a series of violent encounters - he enters the empty building of a recent competitor, The Hamina Mushroom Company (the novel's setting is in and around Hamina, a town along the Southeastern coast of Finland).
Sure enough, shortly thereafter, the three men who head up The Hamina Mushroom Company confront Jaakko. Watching and listening to this trio in action, I'm reminded of those three crude, rude, nasty, murderous farmers from Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox - Boggis, Bunce and Bean, one fat, one short, one lean. This to say, Antti Toumainen injects hefty helpings of black humor into his tale.
We follow Jaakko as he takes on the role of amateur detective searching out the truth. One key employee Jaakko must deal with is Sanni. To share a taste of Antti Toumainen's charming storytelling, here's Sanni sitting on her front steps though the eyes of Jaakko:
"Her long auburn hair covers her face and gleams in the sunshine like a new copper roof. As she ties her shoe laces her fingers are quick, agile, seemingly used to finding things, assessing and picking them. Sanni is the same age as me. She is our harvest coordinator; she knows the local terrain like the back of her hand and makes sure our pickers are efficient, able to exercise quality control by themselves, and that they work where they are supposed to. Sanni is divorced and now lives alone, and to my knowledge she is perfectly content with that situation."
Of course, in addition to discovering who's the poisoner and his role as manager, Jaakko must also face the reality of his own mortality. In this way The Man Who Died is not only a thriller but a deeply moving meditation on life and death. As we turn the pages we feel more and more for sweet Jaakko in his plight as victim. Thus the novel takes on a poignancy not usually encountered in crime fiction. As by way of example, here's Jaakko musing on his mushroom company and his brief time on Earth:
"This is my creation. Not only mine, of course, but this is what I have spent years buildings. And with things as they are at the moment, this is my life, my purpose. I have no heirs and I don't have much time. What I have now is all that will be left of me.
The mushrooms."
The Man Who Died - a touching tale, a rewarding, satisfying read.
September 22, 2022
“I sometimes think about death, but even thinking about it is all but impossible - especially your own death. A second later I’m thinking about something different altogether: today’s shopping list, the business’s outgoings”. P9
Antti Tuomainen is touted as the King of Finnish Noir, and having read a number of his books I would have to say I agree. Mind you, I’ve read very few Finnish authors so I don’t have much to compare with but as far as the Scandi Noir authors I’ve read, Tuomainen is certainly up there with the best in a genre that he has added his own unique flavour to.
The Man Who Died is a dark, comedic, and slightly absurd story centring around Jaako Kaunismaa, a successful mushroom entrepreneur. Not knowing much about mushroom harvesting, in particular the sought after matsutake mushroom, naturally I was compelled to do a little research, soon realising that this mushroom is an absolute delicacy, has fetched extraordinarily high prices, and is found in Finnish pine forests among other places around the world.
The story starts with Jaako receiving the news that he has been poisoned unwittingly by various toxins and that he has days to live. This had slight echoes for me of Paulo Coelho’s Veronica Wants to Die, albeit a very different story. There are many moment of reflection on what it is like to approach your own death, but certainly not in the usual way this notion is written about or featured in movies. I found some of the paragraphs quite poignant and I wrote lots of them down.
Without spoiling the plot Jaako becomes aware that his poisoning is not accidental and this propels him on an investigation that soon becomes entwined completely in the mushroom industry, his personal life and his work community.
An invigorating read, a few laughs along the way along with many sobering moments written in Toumainen’s minimalistic, present moment and provocative style. Loved it. 4.5 stars.
Antti Tuomainen is touted as the King of Finnish Noir, and having read a number of his books I would have to say I agree. Mind you, I’ve read very few Finnish authors so I don’t have much to compare with but as far as the Scandi Noir authors I’ve read, Tuomainen is certainly up there with the best in a genre that he has added his own unique flavour to.
The Man Who Died is a dark, comedic, and slightly absurd story centring around Jaako Kaunismaa, a successful mushroom entrepreneur. Not knowing much about mushroom harvesting, in particular the sought after matsutake mushroom, naturally I was compelled to do a little research, soon realising that this mushroom is an absolute delicacy, has fetched extraordinarily high prices, and is found in Finnish pine forests among other places around the world.
The story starts with Jaako receiving the news that he has been poisoned unwittingly by various toxins and that he has days to live. This had slight echoes for me of Paulo Coelho’s Veronica Wants to Die, albeit a very different story. There are many moment of reflection on what it is like to approach your own death, but certainly not in the usual way this notion is written about or featured in movies. I found some of the paragraphs quite poignant and I wrote lots of them down.
Without spoiling the plot Jaako becomes aware that his poisoning is not accidental and this propels him on an investigation that soon becomes entwined completely in the mushroom industry, his personal life and his work community.
An invigorating read, a few laughs along the way along with many sobering moments written in Toumainen’s minimalistic, present moment and provocative style. Loved it. 4.5 stars.
July 21, 2021
на самому початку роману головний герой — експортер найкращих у фінляндії грибів мацутаке* — дізнається, що його отруїли.
не в сенсі «ось вам антидот, і промиймо шлунок про всяк випадок», а в сенсі «вас так давно годують отрутою, що органи почали відмовляти, то ось вам трошки знеболювальних і телефон психолога». але герой іде не до психолога, а додому, до коханої дружини, яка посеред робочого дня не те щоб його чекає, а скоріше навпаки.
після такої зав'язки здається, що ясно не тільки whodunit, а й howdunit, і треба лише дорозплутувати більш-менш очевидне whydunit, мимохідь вигадавши яку-небудь вишукану помсту, — але, звісно, все заплутаніше й феєричніше, ніж на перший погляд. і гриби для сюжету вкрай важливі, проте не так, як можна подумати.
гумор тут вугільно-чорний і градус абсурду викручений, як ми любимо; навіть нагод погигикати про «яке прикре самогубство» є далеко не одна. перші двісті сторінок відволікають від сну, роботи й чищення зубів. але автор так натхненно розкладає оселедці різних відтінків червоного, що наприкінці просто не встигає їх позбирати, тож у фіналі залишається купа непояснених збігів. шкода, страх як шкода.
*аааа, ви бачили в українській вікіпедії ілюстрацію до пункту «практичне застосування» у статті про мацутаке? редактори — бóгі.
не в сенсі «ось вам антидот, і промиймо шлунок про всяк випадок», а в сенсі «вас так давно годують отрутою, що органи почали відмовляти, то ось вам трошки знеболювальних і телефон психолога». але герой іде не до психолога, а додому, до коханої дружини, яка посеред робочого дня не те щоб його чекає, а скоріше навпаки.
після такої зав'язки здається, що ясно не тільки whodunit, а й howdunit, і треба лише дорозплутувати більш-менш очевидне whydunit, мимохідь вигадавши яку-небудь вишукану помсту, — але, звісно, все заплутаніше й феєричніше, ніж на перший погляд. і гриби для сюжету вкрай важливі, проте не так, як можна подумати.
гумор тут вугільно-чорний і градус абсурду викручений, як ми любимо; навіть нагод погигикати про «яке прикре самогубство» є далеко не одна. перші двісті сторінок відволікають від сну, роботи й чищення зубів. але автор так натхненно розкладає оселедці різних відтінків червоного, що наприкінці просто не встигає їх позбирати, тож у фіналі залишається купа непояснених збігів. шкода, страх як шкода.
*аааа, ви бачили в українській вікіпедії ілюстрацію до пункту «практичне застосування» у статті про мацутаке? редактори — бóгі.
October 23, 2017
The Man Who Died – A Thriller full of Black Humour
When you see on the blurb that this is the literary version of Fargo, you just smile and think not possible. Well Antti Tuomainen has successfully turned The Man Who Died into the Finnish version of Fargo. Mixed with the best of Scandinavian Noir and some very dark humour this thriller will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.
Jaakko Kaunismaa is a successful mushroom entrepreneur, who is able to export his product to Japan where the mushrooms were highly regarded. The problem is that he is dying, he has been poisoned and his death will happen at any time. There is nothing that his doctor can do to help him, but he decides he will find out who wants him dead.
Life is also going to get tougher as another company has set up in competition to him and wants to take all his custom away from him. He finds out at the same time that his wife is having an affair with his delivery driver, and becomes convinced they want him dead. It does not help that he has upset his new competitors whom want to take him to task, literally.
As Jaakko begins his investigation into who wants him dead and why, he embarks on a journey that turns into a rollercoaster ride. What we get is from the bizarre to the sublimely weird customers, a cast of decidedly weird characters who will make you laugh out loud. There are some wonderful twists and turns, that you cannot see coming and do not know where it is going. At times reading this can be like driving a car blindfolded, you may know the road you just do not know what is coming up on you.
This really is a fantastic read, a thriller that will keep you gripped while making you laugh. Who knew a death could be funny?
When you see on the blurb that this is the literary version of Fargo, you just smile and think not possible. Well Antti Tuomainen has successfully turned The Man Who Died into the Finnish version of Fargo. Mixed with the best of Scandinavian Noir and some very dark humour this thriller will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.
Jaakko Kaunismaa is a successful mushroom entrepreneur, who is able to export his product to Japan where the mushrooms were highly regarded. The problem is that he is dying, he has been poisoned and his death will happen at any time. There is nothing that his doctor can do to help him, but he decides he will find out who wants him dead.
Life is also going to get tougher as another company has set up in competition to him and wants to take all his custom away from him. He finds out at the same time that his wife is having an affair with his delivery driver, and becomes convinced they want him dead. It does not help that he has upset his new competitors whom want to take him to task, literally.
As Jaakko begins his investigation into who wants him dead and why, he embarks on a journey that turns into a rollercoaster ride. What we get is from the bizarre to the sublimely weird customers, a cast of decidedly weird characters who will make you laugh out loud. There are some wonderful twists and turns, that you cannot see coming and do not know where it is going. At times reading this can be like driving a car blindfolded, you may know the road you just do not know what is coming up on you.
This really is a fantastic read, a thriller that will keep you gripped while making you laugh. Who knew a death could be funny?
October 22, 2017
When reading a book about a man who is dying from poisoning, the last thing you expect is for the story to be funny. However that is the thing that stood out the most in this book. The story is laced with dark humor the whole way through and had me laughing out loud at numerous occasions. The main Character’s actions, thoughts and observations are so bizarre, over the top and astute that it’s hard not to find them hilarious. This helps lighten some otherwise intense situations throughout the book.
I really like the main character Jaakko. I found him to be a very relatable guy who you can’t help feeling sorry for, whilst simultaneously routing for him to get the answers that he wants and hope that he has a happier outcome then expected. His reaction to his diagnosis is quite a brave one as is his determination to solve his own murder and get some answers. It’s fair to say he is not a natural detective and his attempts to find out the truth and to manipulate situations to his advantage are very funny. You can’t help feeling slightly affectionate towards him when things don’t go according to plan for him. He also decides to try and sabotage the competition which leads to some funny situations as he finds himself in some dodgy situations.
The book includes some beautiful descriptions of Finland’s natural beauty. I felt i could really picture the scenery in my mind’s eye and would love to visit there at some point. There is also some information about the mushroom industry which was interesting to read about as i hadn’t thought much about what was involved.
Despite the humor there is a lot of action and tension in the book as Jaakko attempts to find out the truth about his poisoning and the tricky situations he finds himself in whilst trying to sabotage the competition. There are a lot of twists and turn that keep the reader guessing and wanting to keep reading to find out what is happening.
This isn’t Antti tuomainen’s first book but it is the first one I’ve read, though it definitely won’t be my last. If you like unusual thrillers with some dark humor you will enjoy this book.
Huge thanks to Karen at Orenda Books and Anne Cater for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.
I really like the main character Jaakko. I found him to be a very relatable guy who you can’t help feeling sorry for, whilst simultaneously routing for him to get the answers that he wants and hope that he has a happier outcome then expected. His reaction to his diagnosis is quite a brave one as is his determination to solve his own murder and get some answers. It’s fair to say he is not a natural detective and his attempts to find out the truth and to manipulate situations to his advantage are very funny. You can’t help feeling slightly affectionate towards him when things don’t go according to plan for him. He also decides to try and sabotage the competition which leads to some funny situations as he finds himself in some dodgy situations.
The book includes some beautiful descriptions of Finland’s natural beauty. I felt i could really picture the scenery in my mind’s eye and would love to visit there at some point. There is also some information about the mushroom industry which was interesting to read about as i hadn’t thought much about what was involved.
Despite the humor there is a lot of action and tension in the book as Jaakko attempts to find out the truth about his poisoning and the tricky situations he finds himself in whilst trying to sabotage the competition. There are a lot of twists and turn that keep the reader guessing and wanting to keep reading to find out what is happening.
This isn’t Antti tuomainen’s first book but it is the first one I’ve read, though it definitely won’t be my last. If you like unusual thrillers with some dark humor you will enjoy this book.
Huge thanks to Karen at Orenda Books and Anne Cater for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.
May 21, 2019
4.5, rounded up
Well, this is definitely a first - I read this not for the author, nor for the story ... but because I was so enamored by the translator's work on the two novels of Pajtim Statovci, that I wanted to see if the gorgeous prose from those stemmed from the original author - or were the work of his talented translator. The answer is ... kind of BOTH! Tuomainen's style is very, very different from that of Statovci, but Hackston renders it in equally fluid and exciting prose.
As to the book itself: the comparisons to the work of Wes Anderson, Carl Hiassen, the Coen Bros., and particularly 'Fargo' are all apt - this is a quirky noir with some extremely funny sequences in amongst the mayhem. It would make a great film - especially if someone could convince George Clooney to play the supporting role of Olli - since it's a running gag that the character looks exactly like him (presumably, his dialogue could/would have to be dubbed into Finnish).
The plot concerns a hapless mushroom exporter who learns in the opening sequence that he has been ingesting a slow acting poison that has rendered his organs to be irreparably damaged, so that he only has a limited amount of time to figure out who has murdered him ... and it has one of the all time great first lines: 'It's a good job you've provided a urine sample too'! A fun and fast read, and I definitely look forward to reading Hackston's other translations of this author.
Well, this is definitely a first - I read this not for the author, nor for the story ... but because I was so enamored by the translator's work on the two novels of Pajtim Statovci, that I wanted to see if the gorgeous prose from those stemmed from the original author - or were the work of his talented translator. The answer is ... kind of BOTH! Tuomainen's style is very, very different from that of Statovci, but Hackston renders it in equally fluid and exciting prose.
As to the book itself: the comparisons to the work of Wes Anderson, Carl Hiassen, the Coen Bros., and particularly 'Fargo' are all apt - this is a quirky noir with some extremely funny sequences in amongst the mayhem. It would make a great film - especially if someone could convince George Clooney to play the supporting role of Olli - since it's a running gag that the character looks exactly like him (presumably, his dialogue could/would have to be dubbed into Finnish).
The plot concerns a hapless mushroom exporter who learns in the opening sequence that he has been ingesting a slow acting poison that has rendered his organs to be irreparably damaged, so that he only has a limited amount of time to figure out who has murdered him ... and it has one of the all time great first lines: 'It's a good job you've provided a urine sample too'! A fun and fast read, and I definitely look forward to reading Hackston's other translations of this author.
September 19, 2020
‘The Man Who Died’ made it to my ‘want to read’ shelf after reading Goodreads friend’s, Doug’s, review.
The scenery and architecture of Southern Finland provide a glorious backdrop for Antii Tuomainen’s comedy thriller, narrated by Jaakko, a 37-year-old mushroom exporter. A doctor informs Jaakko that he’s consumed enough poison to knock out a hippopotamus, that internal organs are shutting down and that the damage is irreversible.
As if that’s not unsettling enough, a group of hoodlums establish an operation to poach his business and he catches his naked wife in flagrante straddling an athletic young buck.
Jaakko can’t save his own life, but through a series of raucous escapades, he sets out to save his company and find his ‘murderer’. He reflects upon his past, present and potentially short future, accepts his death with grace, seeing it as a wake-up call.
The pace of the story is slowed down by beautifully descriptive prose that you would never know was translated from the original Finnish.
A unique piece of entertaining dark humour that’s worthy of five stars.
The scenery and architecture of Southern Finland provide a glorious backdrop for Antii Tuomainen’s comedy thriller, narrated by Jaakko, a 37-year-old mushroom exporter. A doctor informs Jaakko that he’s consumed enough poison to knock out a hippopotamus, that internal organs are shutting down and that the damage is irreversible.
As if that’s not unsettling enough, a group of hoodlums establish an operation to poach his business and he catches his naked wife in flagrante straddling an athletic young buck.
Jaakko can’t save his own life, but through a series of raucous escapades, he sets out to save his company and find his ‘murderer’. He reflects upon his past, present and potentially short future, accepts his death with grace, seeing it as a wake-up call.
The pace of the story is slowed down by beautifully descriptive prose that you would never know was translated from the original Finnish.
A unique piece of entertaining dark humour that’s worthy of five stars.
September 28, 2020
Scandinavian (Finnish) noir. In the opening scene, we find our protagonist Jaakko Kaunismaa in a doctor's office being told he has been poisoned over a sustained period and will soon die. Jaakko is a Finnish mushroom entrepreneur, based in a small town, who has built a successful business selling to the Japanese. In short order, he finds out that he has substantial problems in his personal life and his professional life: in both cases, an invasive competitor. Jaakko is determined to expose the murderer before he dies, breaking into his business competitor's office, where there are security cameras, causing suspicion by a detective, who is puzzled as the owner-brothers start disappearing in ways very reminiscent of the movie Fargo. Irreverent and enjoyable.
December 3, 2021
The Man Who Died - Antti Tuomainen
تبدأ الرواية بتلقي ياكو أخبارًا سيئة حول تعرضه للتسميم الممنهج وأن الوضع ميؤوس منه ولا شيء يمكن القيام به لإنقاذه .
وياكو رجل أعمال رائد في بلدة فنندية صغيرة وأسس مع زوجته منذ عامين عملًا مثمرًا في قطف الفطر وتصديره لليابان . ولكن لا تنتهي الأخبار السيئة هنا، قبل نهاية اليوم يتلقى ياكو صدمات أخرى تفقده توازنه وثقته بكل من حوله.
نعم، لا يبلغ ياكو الشرطة بما يجري معه، لأن تحقيقهم سيكون مضيعة للوقت حسب تعبيره، ويبدأ بتأمل الحياة والتفكر بالموت وتناول الكثير من المثلجات والسكريات والتحقيق حول من يريده ميتًا ويبدأ بكتابة قائمة قصيرة للمشتبه بهم.
وفي خضم كل هذا يبدأ ياكو في طرح أسئلة فلسفية جادة على نفسه ولأنه وإن كان الموت حتميًا فلازالت هناك لحظات مدهشة لا تعد في الحياة يمكن اختبارها مع كل يومٍ جديد .
حسنًا... كانت هذه رواية بسيطة الحبكة ولكن مسلية لدرجة تفوق الوصف؛ حتى وإن بدت غير واقعية أحيانًا أو مبالغًا في أحداثها.
تبدأ الرواية بتلقي ياكو أخبارًا سيئة حول تعرضه للتسميم الممنهج وأن الوضع ميؤوس منه ولا شيء يمكن القيام به لإنقاذه .
وياكو رجل أعمال رائد في بلدة فنندية صغيرة وأسس مع زوجته منذ عامين عملًا مثمرًا في قطف الفطر وتصديره لليابان . ولكن لا تنتهي الأخبار السيئة هنا، قبل نهاية اليوم يتلقى ياكو صدمات أخرى تفقده توازنه وثقته بكل من حوله.
نعم، لا يبلغ ياكو الشرطة بما يجري معه، لأن تحقيقهم سيكون مضيعة للوقت حسب تعبيره، ويبدأ بتأمل الحياة والتفكر بالموت وتناول الكثير من المثلجات والسكريات والتحقيق حول من يريده ميتًا ويبدأ بكتابة قائمة قصيرة للمشتبه بهم.
وفي خضم كل هذا يبدأ ياكو في طرح أسئلة فلسفية جادة على نفسه ولأنه وإن كان الموت حتميًا فلازالت هناك لحظات مدهشة لا تعد في الحياة يمكن اختبارها مع كل يومٍ جديد .
حسنًا... كانت هذه رواية بسيطة الحبكة ولكن مسلية لدرجة تفوق الوصف؛ حتى وإن بدت غير واقعية أحيانًا أو مبالغًا في أحداثها.
June 6, 2019
"I am alive. Everybody should die at least once, if only to see how beautiful the morning can be."
We all think about our inevitable demise, yet the majority of us will never know how that will come to pass. Jaakko, the main character, finds out that he is dying and through reflection and a chance encounter he figures out how and why (he thinks). Throughout the book, Jaakko is not focused on the fragility of his existence and impending death: He loses things, yet finds them elsewhere and that makes his life worth living for the short term.
The twists and turns that this noir takes are both exciting and unpredictable. I was a little unsatisfied with the main twist, but all-in-all, this is suspenseful and well-written.
We all think about our inevitable demise, yet the majority of us will never know how that will come to pass. Jaakko, the main character, finds out that he is dying and through reflection and a chance encounter he figures out how and why (he thinks). Throughout the book, Jaakko is not focused on the fragility of his existence and impending death: He loses things, yet finds them elsewhere and that makes his life worth living for the short term.
The twists and turns that this noir takes are both exciting and unpredictable. I was a little unsatisfied with the main twist, but all-in-all, this is suspenseful and well-written.
December 13, 2017
“Because yesterday was the day I died. Because yesterday I finally came to life.”
Who’d have thought the world of mushrooms could be so complicated? Poison, adultery, murder, betrayal! “The Man Who Died” is set around a dried mushroom outfit which is unusual to say the least!
I really felt for our main character, from the start we know he’s dying and from that point onwards his life is turned upside down both by his nearest and dearest and those further afield.
I don’t know if it’s me, but I’ve found the Scandinavian novels that I’ve read so far aren’t as fast paced as some of their modern UK or US cousins. This is far from a bad thing. It simply changes my reading style, I slow down so I can absorb the narrative.
This is the first book I’ve read by Antti Tuomainen but it won’t be the last. I heard him read an extract from The Mine at an Orenda event earlier this year which also piqued my interest. I have to say despite this being crime fiction, it has humour thrown into the mix. Quite dark humour really which was a distinct change for me. I’ll definitely be reading some of Mr Tuomainen’s other novels!
Huge thank you to the amazing Karen Sullivan of Orenda Books for sending me a copy of The Man Who Died!
Who’d have thought the world of mushrooms could be so complicated? Poison, adultery, murder, betrayal! “The Man Who Died” is set around a dried mushroom outfit which is unusual to say the least!
I really felt for our main character, from the start we know he’s dying and from that point onwards his life is turned upside down both by his nearest and dearest and those further afield.
I don’t know if it’s me, but I’ve found the Scandinavian novels that I’ve read so far aren’t as fast paced as some of their modern UK or US cousins. This is far from a bad thing. It simply changes my reading style, I slow down so I can absorb the narrative.
This is the first book I’ve read by Antti Tuomainen but it won’t be the last. I heard him read an extract from The Mine at an Orenda event earlier this year which also piqued my interest. I have to say despite this being crime fiction, it has humour thrown into the mix. Quite dark humour really which was a distinct change for me. I’ll definitely be reading some of Mr Tuomainen’s other novels!
Huge thank you to the amazing Karen Sullivan of Orenda Books for sending me a copy of The Man Who Died!
February 28, 2019
I enjoyed this quirky book full of dark humour. The narrator has just found out he is dying from a toxic mixture of natural products where the combined effect is to shut down his organs. Naturally he is shattered as he has a loving wife, a successful business and faithful employees. Then he realises his wife is having an affair, his business is under threat from competition and his employees are either having sex with his wife or planning to work for the opposition. Before he dies he is determined to find out who has killed him and who is trying to kill his business. Black humour dominates the narration and it is a fun read.
December 11, 2018
If they are giving out an award for the most unexpected crime fiction novel, then THE MAN WHO DIED would have to be an odds on favourite.
Narrated by Jaakko Kaunismaa, this is the story of a Finnish mushroom entrepreneur, based in a small town, building a successful business after being made redundant in his last career. He has a beautiful home, a thriving business, faithful employees, a loving wife who cooks elaborate meals for him, and a perfect life.
Until he finds they have mysterious competitors just around the corner, when a new mushroom export business with very odd owners in charge starts up, and immediately tries to poach his markets and his very best employees. He then discovers his loving wife is screwing the company delivery boy, just after he is told that somebody has been slowly but surely poisoning him and that he will die.
What ensues is, as the blurb puts it, part Fargo and part noir, but it forgets to mention surreal. THE MAN WHO DIED is black comedy that takes a lot of leads from the Knights Who Say "Ni!", with just enough caper at points to have readers laughing, even though it's distinctly uncomfortable to be laughing with a man who does constantly remind you that he is dying. And can't do anything about it.
Now obviously, with his wife's indiscretions with the delivery boy, and then the odd goings on with long-term Japanese customers, and the fact that she is always so keen to provide hearty, rich meals for him, Kaunismaa is pretty sure he knows the likely source of his poisoning. It's hard to decide if he's most annoyed that he's being killed, or that his business is being undermined though. Meanwhile the police are very interested in his interactions with the owners of the new mushroom factory, a stolen sword (which wasn't) and the disappearances of a couple of the aforementioned owners. Then there's the whole business with the sauna and the borrowed car, and a night at the posh hotel when a new mushroom variety is served and, well this was amazingly engaging.
Having listened to the audio version, at the very beginning, with a flat, laid back sort of delivery in use, there were more than a few moments when a "What The" moment had me diving for the rewind button. This was without a doubt, one of the most intriguing books I've encountered this year and it reminded me, yet again, that Antti Tuomainen is a writer who deserves (and now has) a much higher position on the must read list.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Narrated by Jaakko Kaunismaa, this is the story of a Finnish mushroom entrepreneur, based in a small town, building a successful business after being made redundant in his last career. He has a beautiful home, a thriving business, faithful employees, a loving wife who cooks elaborate meals for him, and a perfect life.
Until he finds they have mysterious competitors just around the corner, when a new mushroom export business with very odd owners in charge starts up, and immediately tries to poach his markets and his very best employees. He then discovers his loving wife is screwing the company delivery boy, just after he is told that somebody has been slowly but surely poisoning him and that he will die.
What ensues is, as the blurb puts it, part Fargo and part noir, but it forgets to mention surreal. THE MAN WHO DIED is black comedy that takes a lot of leads from the Knights Who Say "Ni!", with just enough caper at points to have readers laughing, even though it's distinctly uncomfortable to be laughing with a man who does constantly remind you that he is dying. And can't do anything about it.
Now obviously, with his wife's indiscretions with the delivery boy, and then the odd goings on with long-term Japanese customers, and the fact that she is always so keen to provide hearty, rich meals for him, Kaunismaa is pretty sure he knows the likely source of his poisoning. It's hard to decide if he's most annoyed that he's being killed, or that his business is being undermined though. Meanwhile the police are very interested in his interactions with the owners of the new mushroom factory, a stolen sword (which wasn't) and the disappearances of a couple of the aforementioned owners. Then there's the whole business with the sauna and the borrowed car, and a night at the posh hotel when a new mushroom variety is served and, well this was amazingly engaging.
Having listened to the audio version, at the very beginning, with a flat, laid back sort of delivery in use, there were more than a few moments when a "What The" moment had me diving for the rewind button. This was without a doubt, one of the most intriguing books I've encountered this year and it reminded me, yet again, that Antti Tuomainen is a writer who deserves (and now has) a much higher position on the must read list.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
October 20, 2023
Death Only Comes Once in a Lifetime...
THE MAN WHO DIED by Antti Tuomainen
No spoilers. 5 Stars. Warning: The names of persons and places in this novel will remind you of shopping at IKEA...
Jaakko and his wife Taina...
... own a small business in the town of Haima in Finland. Their livelihood is harvesting matusake mushrooms...
... and selling them to their Japanese clients. It has been a profitable business for the couple...
Jaakko has just been told by his doctor that he is dying. He has been slowly poisoned by someone over a long period of time, and...
... has only days or weeks to live. He goes home to discuss these findings with Taina but catches her having sex on their patio with Petri, one of their employees...
He decides that...
... the last thing that he will really apply himself to before he dies is finding his killer... and right now, Taina and Petri are on top of his list as well as... on top of each other...
As this dark mystery progresses...
There are many more suspects added to the list: Raimo (the Purchasing Manager), Sami, Tomi, and Asko (Jaakko's competitors in a nearby mushroom exporting warehouse...
Or could his killer be...
Ollie (who Jaakko confides in about Taina's infidelity) or Suvi and Sanni (2 of Jaakko's female employees)...
I told you that IKEA would come to mind...
This noir whodunit is also very humorous. Death only comes once in a lifetime; it's the only thing that one can really trust, and Jaakko trusts it wholeheartedly.
THE MAN WHO DIED by Antti Tuomainen
No spoilers. 5 Stars. Warning: The names of persons and places in this novel will remind you of shopping at IKEA...
Jaakko and his wife Taina...
... own a small business in the town of Haima in Finland. Their livelihood is harvesting matusake mushrooms...
... and selling them to their Japanese clients. It has been a profitable business for the couple...
Jaakko has just been told by his doctor that he is dying. He has been slowly poisoned by someone over a long period of time, and...
... has only days or weeks to live. He goes home to discuss these findings with Taina but catches her having sex on their patio with Petri, one of their employees...
He decides that...
... the last thing that he will really apply himself to before he dies is finding his killer... and right now, Taina and Petri are on top of his list as well as... on top of each other...
As this dark mystery progresses...
There are many more suspects added to the list: Raimo (the Purchasing Manager), Sami, Tomi, and Asko (Jaakko's competitors in a nearby mushroom exporting warehouse...
Or could his killer be...
Ollie (who Jaakko confides in about Taina's infidelity) or Suvi and Sanni (2 of Jaakko's female employees)...
I told you that IKEA would come to mind...
This noir whodunit is also very humorous. Death only comes once in a lifetime; it's the only thing that one can really trust, and Jaakko trusts it wholeheartedly.
October 8, 2017
One of the most unique books I’ve ever read! This had me constantly trying to figure out the whodunnit and rolling on the couch chuckling at the same time. This is one of those books you’re sad to see end bc you’ll never get to discover it for the first time again. Fabulous and entertaining read.
Thanks to Orenda for this copy in exchange for review:)
Thanks to Orenda for this copy in exchange for review:)
October 20, 2020
3 Samurai Swords for Oddest book I have read in 2020
My brother loaned this to me without telling me why. If he ever reads this...I am still wondering why. There will be mushrooms/poisoning by unexpected/infidelity/wildly weird characters and plot.
Oh...and its Finnish, a first for me.
Kindle Loan
My brother loaned this to me without telling me why. If he ever reads this...I am still wondering why. There will be mushrooms/poisoning by unexpected/infidelity/wildly weird characters and plot.
Oh...and its Finnish, a first for me.
Kindle Loan
November 8, 2017
Read my full review here: http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2017/1...
Quirky, clever, darkly humorous crime fiction fun! This book is not as dark as the author’s previous book, but it’s not intended to be.
Quirky, clever, darkly humorous crime fiction fun! This book is not as dark as the author’s previous book, but it’s not intended to be.
December 17, 2022
дуже специфічна книжка, десь так я і уявляю сучасну фінську літературу. я не в захваті, але не шкодую про прочитане
February 27, 2024
Kolejna udana książka Anttiego Tuomainenena. Chociaż Fin właściwie w każdej powieści eksploruje ten sam motyw: przeciętny mężczyzna w średnim wieku, brutalnie wypchnięty ze swojej życiowej strefy komfortu, jest zmuszony do walki o przetrwanie, to ja ten motyw za każdym razem kupuję.
November 28, 2017
Occasionally the premise of a book is so strong that it screams out to be read as soon as possible, and that premise is so strong that it shares the attention of the reader throughout. In the last couple of years I can think only of Mallock’s ‘A Cemetery Of Swallows’ (“I killed him because he killed me”) that manages this as well as Tuomianen’s book.
Finnish mushroom entrepreneur Jaakko narrates the story having just been told by his doctor that he has been systematically poisoned over the last months and is dying, and that it is irreversible. In his battle to find his murderer, he is a type of antihero, overweight, with an unhealthy lifestyle and relationship with his wife and several work colleagues that is breaking down.
Aside from the driving theme, it is the dark humour of the author that makes the read so satisfying. I’ve read a previous book of his, Dark As My Heart , which was readable and enjoyable but didn’t have the same quality that shows shades of the greats of ‘noir with the twist of humour’, Pascal Garnier and Magnus Mills (in Restraint of Beasts .
Finnish mushroom entrepreneur Jaakko narrates the story having just been told by his doctor that he has been systematically poisoned over the last months and is dying, and that it is irreversible. In his battle to find his murderer, he is a type of antihero, overweight, with an unhealthy lifestyle and relationship with his wife and several work colleagues that is breaking down.
Aside from the driving theme, it is the dark humour of the author that makes the read so satisfying. I’ve read a previous book of his, Dark As My Heart , which was readable and enjoyable but didn’t have the same quality that shows shades of the greats of ‘noir with the twist of humour’, Pascal Garnier and Magnus Mills (in Restraint of Beasts .
April 21, 2024
Murder, mystery, mayhem, and mushrooms. These are the key ingredients Finnish author Antti Tuomainen’s 2017 novel “The Man Who Died” (TMWD) (translated by David Hackston).
Jakko Kaunismaa has just found out he’s dying…worse than that he’s found out he’s being slowly murdered with naturally occurring toxins. With his limited time remaining Jakko is determined to solve his own murder all while trying to protect his mushroom export business from some slightly questionable competitors.
Tuomainen’s free flowing style beautifully captures the darkest elements of traditional noir. But it’s the elements of humour injected with sensational comedic timing (you will never consume a bowl of creamy mushroom soup the same way again!) that really sets TMWD apart.
The characters are fun and interesting to read and the plot will keep you guessing until the final reveal.
With themes of revenge, love, betrayal, justice, and protection TMWD is a great fusion of Nordic noir and traditional black comedy. It is a clever and incredibly amusing tale that will keep the reader engaged from first page to last.
TMWD gets 4 punnets of matsutake mushrooms out of 5.
Jakko Kaunismaa has just found out he’s dying…worse than that he’s found out he’s being slowly murdered with naturally occurring toxins. With his limited time remaining Jakko is determined to solve his own murder all while trying to protect his mushroom export business from some slightly questionable competitors.
Tuomainen’s free flowing style beautifully captures the darkest elements of traditional noir. But it’s the elements of humour injected with sensational comedic timing (you will never consume a bowl of creamy mushroom soup the same way again!) that really sets TMWD apart.
The characters are fun and interesting to read and the plot will keep you guessing until the final reveal.
With themes of revenge, love, betrayal, justice, and protection TMWD is a great fusion of Nordic noir and traditional black comedy. It is a clever and incredibly amusing tale that will keep the reader engaged from first page to last.
TMWD gets 4 punnets of matsutake mushrooms out of 5.
October 29, 2023
Це дуже дивна книга, нагадує якусь тупу комедію/детектив/бойовик, але часто заставляла мене з цього абсурду усміхатись, тому 3,5/5.
Рівень гумору наступний:
"Поточні проєкти: моя смерть
Заплановані проєкти: залишитися живим"
"Але ж я помираю один раз."
"... в роті неприємний солодкий присмак [після морозива]. Він нагадує шкарпетки, що промокли в молоці."
"- Я думав, що ми спільники, що ми по один бік барикад.
- Та як же ми можемо бути по один бік, коли ти мене вбив?!"
Рівень гумору наступний:
"Поточні проєкти: моя смерть
Заплановані проєкти: залишитися живим"
"Але ж я помираю один раз."
"... в роті неприємний солодкий присмак [після морозива]. Він нагадує шкарпетки, що промокли в молоці."
"- Я думав, що ми спільники, що ми по один бік барикад.
- Та як же ми можемо бути по один бік, коли ти мене вбив?!"
June 27, 2024
The premise for this book is so original, you cannot fail to be pulled into it. Jaakko Kaunismaa, Chief Executive of a mushroom supply firm in Finland, finds out from his doctor that the stomach pains and fainting spells he's been experiencing are not because he is run down with a temporary virus, but are due to the fact that he has been slowly and consistently poisoned over a number of months.
The prognosis for Jaakko is not good; he cannot be saved; the toxins have already done too much damage and he is a dying man. What is a man who knows he has limited time left supposed to do with that time? Well Jaakko doesn't want to spend it in a dusty police station, answering questions that may or may not get a murder investigation underway that's for sure. He determines instead to solve his own murder.
What follows is a frenetically paced action packed series of events as Jaakko has to also come to terms with the fact that a lot of things in his life are not all they seem. In the course of his investigation, he has to take on a sinister rival company looking to put him out of business, handle a tenacious police officer, work out if his wife still loves him and strengthen his company to be ready for a future without him. All this while handling his own body falling apart on him.
This potentially tragic story, however, is laced with humour from the start. The author does an amazing job of keeping the story light and wonderfully low key.
Despite the desperate situation that Jaakko finds himself in, he is also able to see beauty in every day situations and experience the joy of what still being alive for a new day is all about which is really refreshing. There are great supporting characters too, both good and bad, and the plot never slows down. It's literally a race against time for Jaakko and you're with him all the way. A cracking read.
The prognosis for Jaakko is not good; he cannot be saved; the toxins have already done too much damage and he is a dying man. What is a man who knows he has limited time left supposed to do with that time? Well Jaakko doesn't want to spend it in a dusty police station, answering questions that may or may not get a murder investigation underway that's for sure. He determines instead to solve his own murder.
What follows is a frenetically paced action packed series of events as Jaakko has to also come to terms with the fact that a lot of things in his life are not all they seem. In the course of his investigation, he has to take on a sinister rival company looking to put him out of business, handle a tenacious police officer, work out if his wife still loves him and strengthen his company to be ready for a future without him. All this while handling his own body falling apart on him.
This potentially tragic story, however, is laced with humour from the start. The author does an amazing job of keeping the story light and wonderfully low key.
Despite the desperate situation that Jaakko finds himself in, he is also able to see beauty in every day situations and experience the joy of what still being alive for a new day is all about which is really refreshing. There are great supporting characters too, both good and bad, and the plot never slows down. It's literally a race against time for Jaakko and you're with him all the way. A cracking read.
September 25, 2022
Is there a 10 stars so I can put them for this book? Ok so I read three pages and then ( I open few books at the same time) I left for a while, day before yesterday evening, I said I must finish it as we have the discussion soon. Guess what? It’s in my hand, cannot put it down, so gripping and this is from a person that hates thrillers, suspense and crime books, but this one is not that. It’s about a person who was poisoned and the events have a domino effect.
It’s my first read for this Finnish writer, I guess it’s not going to be my last. He seems to be well acclaimed in the book industry ( see the note below). I must visit the town that he was describing in the novel, maybe I will see some of that mushroom.
The mushroom picking reminded me of my trip to Stockholm in 1993, my first ever visit to a Scandinavian country. I really liked the industrial look of the city. Anyway, one day I took the kids yo a shop and they had mushrooms to see, the woman said that it’s from the Forrest and she pointed to it, I said wow, maybe I will visit with the children. She said wait, she went inside and came back with a book on mushrooms, she said look at the pictures before picking as some might be poisonous. Which we did.
In this book a type of mushroom was used as a poison so the woman in that shop came from different layers in my mind to the fore and that book too. I can see the poisonous mushrooms with their yellow spots even now. I am surprised that I didn’t forget this information even after almost 30 years.
I wish everyone would read the book.
Excerpts
I’m happy that I’m not dead. I don’t know what happiness is, but I imagine it must be intrinsically linked to being alive.
Life is new all the time, every minute is an adventure
Notes:
Finnish author Antti Tuomainen (b. 1971) was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. The critically acclaimed My Brother’s Keeper was published two years later. In 2011 Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011 and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. The Finnish press labelled The Healer – the story of a writer desperately searching for his missing wife in a post- apocalyptic Helsinki – ‘unputdownable’. Two years later, in 2013, they crowned Tuomainen the King of Helsinki Noir when Dark as My Heart was published. The Mine, translated by David Hackston and published in 2016, was an international bestseller. Several of his books have been optioned for TV/film. With his piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen is one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and The Man Who Died sees him at his literary best.
It’s my first read for this Finnish writer, I guess it’s not going to be my last. He seems to be well acclaimed in the book industry ( see the note below). I must visit the town that he was describing in the novel, maybe I will see some of that mushroom.
The mushroom picking reminded me of my trip to Stockholm in 1993, my first ever visit to a Scandinavian country. I really liked the industrial look of the city. Anyway, one day I took the kids yo a shop and they had mushrooms to see, the woman said that it’s from the Forrest and she pointed to it, I said wow, maybe I will visit with the children. She said wait, she went inside and came back with a book on mushrooms, she said look at the pictures before picking as some might be poisonous. Which we did.
In this book a type of mushroom was used as a poison so the woman in that shop came from different layers in my mind to the fore and that book too. I can see the poisonous mushrooms with their yellow spots even now. I am surprised that I didn’t forget this information even after almost 30 years.
I wish everyone would read the book.
Excerpts
I’m happy that I’m not dead. I don’t know what happiness is, but I imagine it must be intrinsically linked to being alive.
Life is new all the time, every minute is an adventure
Notes:
Finnish author Antti Tuomainen (b. 1971) was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. The critically acclaimed My Brother’s Keeper was published two years later. In 2011 Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011 and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. The Finnish press labelled The Healer – the story of a writer desperately searching for his missing wife in a post- apocalyptic Helsinki – ‘unputdownable’. Two years later, in 2013, they crowned Tuomainen the King of Helsinki Noir when Dark as My Heart was published. The Mine, translated by David Hackston and published in 2016, was an international bestseller. Several of his books have been optioned for TV/film. With his piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen is one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and The Man Who Died sees him at his literary best.
October 11, 2017
This book was just pure reading pleasure from the topsy-turvy story line to the bizarre characters that I giggled about at the most inopportune moments. Jaakko had everything to live for before he went to the doctors. A beautiful wife, who was also his partner in their thriving mushroom business and a very comfortable life that would be the envy of many. When he left the doctors he began to realise just how much he had taken for granted, but wouldn’t everyone at just 37? Someone had murdered him and he was sure as hell not going to lay down in any grave until he found out who it was!
Now Jaakko just grows and grows on you from the first time you meet him and probably does more living in a few weeks than he has done in years, well living is probably not the right word, feeling, taking chances and being bold are probably better. All things that he really lacked in before but what the Hell, what did it matter now anyway if he made a fool of himself, it’s not like he was going to stick around too much longer anyway.
Jaakko turns into a real super sleuth with hobnail boots because he doesn’t exactly creep around and he certainly hasn’t time to take lessons. This leads into some of the funniest action in the book. You know that there are those paragraphs in some books that you have to read a couple of times to grasp, well in this book I had to re-read out of pure enjoyment as some bits were just so funny and second time round were just as brilliant! Oh Lordie, Jaakko isn’t the only casualty in the story, there are some more that didn’t know that their lives would come to an abrupt end and it is here that I laughed. It was wonderful, can’t believe I am saying that but it was.
Now I have a terrible sense of good and bad guys and this ability of mine didn’t let me down while reading this book. There were so many that could have been guilty of his “near death experience”, a very literal statement in this case, but the individual story lines fan out like a spider’s web! These all have to be dealt with so the culprit can be found. What a super cast of vibrant characters, just loved it, but ………………………
I wanted the impossible, I wanted Jaakko to be cured but no one can live forever but characters can be made immortal when a book comes to the end.
Now Jaakko just grows and grows on you from the first time you meet him and probably does more living in a few weeks than he has done in years, well living is probably not the right word, feeling, taking chances and being bold are probably better. All things that he really lacked in before but what the Hell, what did it matter now anyway if he made a fool of himself, it’s not like he was going to stick around too much longer anyway.
Jaakko turns into a real super sleuth with hobnail boots because he doesn’t exactly creep around and he certainly hasn’t time to take lessons. This leads into some of the funniest action in the book. You know that there are those paragraphs in some books that you have to read a couple of times to grasp, well in this book I had to re-read out of pure enjoyment as some bits were just so funny and second time round were just as brilliant! Oh Lordie, Jaakko isn’t the only casualty in the story, there are some more that didn’t know that their lives would come to an abrupt end and it is here that I laughed. It was wonderful, can’t believe I am saying that but it was.
Now I have a terrible sense of good and bad guys and this ability of mine didn’t let me down while reading this book. There were so many that could have been guilty of his “near death experience”, a very literal statement in this case, but the individual story lines fan out like a spider’s web! These all have to be dealt with so the culprit can be found. What a super cast of vibrant characters, just loved it, but ………………………
I wanted the impossible, I wanted Jaakko to be cured but no one can live forever but characters can be made immortal when a book comes to the end.
March 24, 2018
I can't express just how much I truly hated this book. Credit where credits due, the interactions between the main and his wife were unsettling...
...
Of course all of that is undone as soon as you find out she isn't the one responsible for his death. This idea had so much potential. A victim solves their own murder. Except I think he spent maybe two chapters actually doing this. In the meantime he ends up indirectly killing multiple people, tries to lose weight (even though he could die in the next WEEK) and attempts to get with a coworker who for some reason is interested in this overweight middle aged guy with a bald spot (meanwhile she's a hot...actually I don't know because no one in this book is developed at all!).
The guy doesn't even end up dying in the end. So many unnecessary things were brought simply to be brought up. A lot of time was spent on this mushroom company he owns but did I care? Of course not! Why the hell do I care about mushrooms? Maybe if I'd heard more about the dishes they made out of it I would have but god forbid this author do any kind of imagery in their book.
The actual answer to who poisoned him was so...lazy. I hate it when a character suddenly turns crazy and more or less into a completely different person the second you find out they're the villain. All the characters other than maybe Petri were honestly the most boring sacks of nothing I've ever read about.
Conclusion is this. I hated the MC, I HATED the reveal and I despised all the subplots.
...
Of course all of that is undone as soon as you find out she isn't the one responsible for his death. This idea had so much potential. A victim solves their own murder. Except I think he spent maybe two chapters actually doing this. In the meantime he ends up indirectly killing multiple people, tries to lose weight (even though he could die in the next WEEK) and attempts to get with a coworker who for some reason is interested in this overweight middle aged guy with a bald spot (meanwhile she's a hot...actually I don't know because no one in this book is developed at all!).
The guy doesn't even end up dying in the end. So many unnecessary things were brought simply to be brought up. A lot of time was spent on this mushroom company he owns but did I care? Of course not! Why the hell do I care about mushrooms? Maybe if I'd heard more about the dishes they made out of it I would have but god forbid this author do any kind of imagery in their book.
The actual answer to who poisoned him was so...lazy. I hate it when a character suddenly turns crazy and more or less into a completely different person the second you find out they're the villain. All the characters other than maybe Petri were honestly the most boring sacks of nothing I've ever read about.
Conclusion is this. I hated the MC, I HATED the reveal and I despised all the subplots.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2017
I had never read a book written by a Finnish author, but seeing this unusual, intriguing cover (reminiscent of some medical book) and reading this book's title and blurb, I was immediately intrigued and decided to give it a go.
"How much time do I have?"
Visiting his doctor with what he thought a simple bout of the flu, successful mushroom entrepreneur Jaako Kaunismaa, is horrified to learn that his days are numbered. He's dying. The reason? He had unknowingly been administered poison over a prolonged period of time. Sadly, now it's simply too late to reverse the effect of the poison on his body. All his body organs have been severely damaged and will soon start to shut down. But how did this happen? Who would hate him so much to do such a horrible thing to him? Why?
In spite of the doctor's prognosis, and apart from the occasional unexpected wave of nausea, Jaako feels quite well. But he doesn't want to waste time. He decides to spend the days he's got left to carry out his own investigation and find out who has literally 'murdered' him. Will he have enough time and energy to get to the bottom of this baffling mystery? Will he find out who has been doing or is still doing this to him?
Well, this is a book that immediately draws the reader in from the first chapter. My heart went out to Jaako (before I even had the time to get to know this character) as he got the terrible news - no one wants to be in that awful situation - and like him I wanted to embark on this journey to find the answers to so many questions and above all find out who has done this to him and why. I loved the original concept of someone investigating their own murder... when still alive! With his dark sense of humour and wit, Jaako is a highly realistic, likeable character. I really, really didn't want him to die and found myself reading with a deep sense of helplessness but also a keen determination and hope to get to the bottom of the mystery. Just over thirty with a wife, Jaako is the owner of a thriving business he built from nothing. He has overseas connections to whom he exports the produce and a number of employees working for him. Could this be related to his business? Is this the work of someone jealous of his success? Anyone could be behind this? But who? All of a sudden, if the tiny fact that he's slowly but surely dying weren't enough, a new competitor comes to town determined to snatch the market from Jaako's hands. Seeing that it's too late to save his own life, will Jaako be able to save his business at least? Poor, poor Jaako!
One of the things that makes me think twice before reading translated books is the fear of finding a badly done job. However I was delighted to find that this is not the case with this book. In fact the translator has done a remarkable job in bringing forth the author's voice in a way that we can understand it. Places' names are a bit awkward to spell out but that is of no major bother to me and to be expected in a Nordic novel. The book has quite a different aura and feel to other thrillers set in the UK or the US. We have saunas installed as part of households for example. The plot is not one of the most fast-paced, but is quite intricate with a number of twists and a bunch of suspicious characters to keep the readers on their toes and interested throughout. There are also a number of funny, but at the same time shocking episodes and a couple of bizarre incidents I wasn't expecting. This book makes for a very entertaining read and I have no qualms about recommending it. Great read!
With thanks to Orenda Books and the lovely Anne Cater for an ARC of this book and for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.
"How much time do I have?"
Visiting his doctor with what he thought a simple bout of the flu, successful mushroom entrepreneur Jaako Kaunismaa, is horrified to learn that his days are numbered. He's dying. The reason? He had unknowingly been administered poison over a prolonged period of time. Sadly, now it's simply too late to reverse the effect of the poison on his body. All his body organs have been severely damaged and will soon start to shut down. But how did this happen? Who would hate him so much to do such a horrible thing to him? Why?
In spite of the doctor's prognosis, and apart from the occasional unexpected wave of nausea, Jaako feels quite well. But he doesn't want to waste time. He decides to spend the days he's got left to carry out his own investigation and find out who has literally 'murdered' him. Will he have enough time and energy to get to the bottom of this baffling mystery? Will he find out who has been doing or is still doing this to him?
Well, this is a book that immediately draws the reader in from the first chapter. My heart went out to Jaako (before I even had the time to get to know this character) as he got the terrible news - no one wants to be in that awful situation - and like him I wanted to embark on this journey to find the answers to so many questions and above all find out who has done this to him and why. I loved the original concept of someone investigating their own murder... when still alive! With his dark sense of humour and wit, Jaako is a highly realistic, likeable character. I really, really didn't want him to die and found myself reading with a deep sense of helplessness but also a keen determination and hope to get to the bottom of the mystery. Just over thirty with a wife, Jaako is the owner of a thriving business he built from nothing. He has overseas connections to whom he exports the produce and a number of employees working for him. Could this be related to his business? Is this the work of someone jealous of his success? Anyone could be behind this? But who? All of a sudden, if the tiny fact that he's slowly but surely dying weren't enough, a new competitor comes to town determined to snatch the market from Jaako's hands. Seeing that it's too late to save his own life, will Jaako be able to save his business at least? Poor, poor Jaako!
One of the things that makes me think twice before reading translated books is the fear of finding a badly done job. However I was delighted to find that this is not the case with this book. In fact the translator has done a remarkable job in bringing forth the author's voice in a way that we can understand it. Places' names are a bit awkward to spell out but that is of no major bother to me and to be expected in a Nordic novel. The book has quite a different aura and feel to other thrillers set in the UK or the US. We have saunas installed as part of households for example. The plot is not one of the most fast-paced, but is quite intricate with a number of twists and a bunch of suspicious characters to keep the readers on their toes and interested throughout. There are also a number of funny, but at the same time shocking episodes and a couple of bizarre incidents I wasn't expecting. This book makes for a very entertaining read and I have no qualms about recommending it. Great read!
With thanks to Orenda Books and the lovely Anne Cater for an ARC of this book and for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.
December 17, 2019
This is my first book by this author and as such, I had to chuckle at his afterword in which he claims he told his publisher that after writing exclusively dark stories for so long, he wanted to write something funny. Antti Tuomainen is quite funny. By that I mean that this book is extremely dark. From the gruesome murders, infidelity, and ever present specter of death, you wouldn’t think you’d find much to laugh at here, and yet….
This book in its own morbid, we’re all gonna die at some point way, is quite humorous.
Take for example delightful passages such as:
“To be honest I’m not really in the mood for a lengthy conversation. My body is crying out for rest. I’ve just thrown a heavy-set muscle-man into the sea and before that I wrestled in the mud with my wife’s lover.”
Who hasn’t been there right?
Jaakko Kaunismaa, mushroom exporting entrepreneur extraordinaire, discovers early on he’s being slowly poisoned by someone. He doesn’t know who, got how long, or for what reason. Could be his wife who’s doing naked calisthenics with the delivery boy. Could be the owner of the sketchy new mushroom operation just set up in town (how many mushroom exporting operations can one small Finnish town support?!?). His death at this point is an inevitability so he seeks to make sure his business is in order and to solve the mystery of, as he so poetically puts it, who has killed him. Unknown toxins ravaging his organs aside, by the end of the story, the number of people who aren’t chasing or trying to kill Jaakko for one reason or another is few and far between,
This story reminded me a little of the French crime writer Jean-Patrick Manchette in its rapid and unpredictable lunges from manic violence to long expositions of existential dread and the meaning of life and death. The author clearly had a lot of fun here and I suspect anyone who reads this will as well.
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