IN ENGLISH

Kari Haakana

Kari Haakana is a Helsinki-based thriller and crime writer. Since 2022 he has published four novels and one work of non-fiction in Finnish.

The Axeman (Kirvesmies, 2025)

Helsinki, summer 1972. During a heatwave, a headless body is found in a car outside the Olympic Stadium. Soon a second victim turns up, mutilated in the same way.

Young detective Tauno Haavisto and his veteran partner Harri Grön are drawn into a case with roots in the war. Journalist Hilkka Saari receives night-time calls from a man who knows about the killings. In Stockholm, Bengt Nilsson fights to keep a secret operation from coming to light.

The Axeman combines a serial-killer investigation with a classic Cold War spy story, drawing on the real events of the Swedish IB affair. It is the first novel in the Suomi 70 series. The English title is a working translation.

“A classic spy novel that deliciously blends the real events of the IB affair with what else might have happened.” – Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset (translated)

“Confirms that Haakana belongs to the elite of Finnish crime writers.” – Jorma Melleri, Uusi Suomi (translated)

The Jari Karhu series

Three contemporary action thrillers about political violence, intelligence services and the abuse of power in today’s Europe.

• Välitön uhka – Imminent Threat (2022)
• Tapa hänet ensin – Kill Him First (2023)
• Kunnian hinta – The Price of Honour (2024)

English titles are literal translations of the Finnish originals.

Rights enquiries

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