Snow Angels by James Thompson

Kari Vaara is a police inspector in the small town of Kittila in the Arctic Circle. When an immigrant Somali actress, Sufia Elmi, is found brutally murdered, Kari's prime suspect turns out to be the man his first wife left him for many years ago. Soon, both the Finnish press and the international media are focused on the case and have sensationalized Sufia's death, comparing it to the 1947 Black Dahlia murder in Los Angeles. He also has to deal with the fact that some people feel the arresting of his ex-wife's boyfriend is strictly revenge. In addition, Kari is worried about his American wife, Kate, who is pregnant with twins. She has become unhappy with the bleakness of life during the long winter and wants to leave. Snow Angels emphasizes darkness, both literally and by giving the reader a view of contemporary small town Finnish life. Since the author is an American who lives in Finland, the style of writing and the conciseness of the story is similar to where he came from. However, due to its dreary setting and descriptions of graphic violence, the novel reminds me most of the Canadian mystery series by Giles Blunt. If you enjoy both American and Scandinavian procedurals, give this one a try. In case it's not clear, I really liked it. Snow Angels will be published next month.