BOOK TOUR STOP x RANDOM THINGS TOURS: The Burning Stones by Antti Tuomainen

Saunas, love and a ladleful of murder...

A cold-blooded killer strikes at the hottest moment: the new head of a sauna-stove company is murdered … in the sauna. Who has turned up the temperature and burned him to death?

The evidence points in the direction of Anni Korpinen - top salesperson and the victim’s successor at Steam Devil.

And as if hitting middle-age, being in a marriage that has lost its purpose, and struggling with work weren’t enough, Anni realizes that she must be quicker than both the police and the murderer to uncover who is behind it all – before it’s too late...

Another whodunnit, locked room mystery that toes the line between clever and absurd from the King of Wit, Mr Tuomainen. This eccentric, hyperactive story of murder, corporate betrayal and aging moves at a million miles an hour - if it wasn't for the razor sharp social commentary on adulthood and the bloody murder, I'd say this was written by a very clever toddler who's been given unlimited access to skittles and red bull.

We zip between perspectives, each one with a distinct personality, an air of distrust and their own concerns, while moving between stellar, vividly described settings so well written you can smell the pine and feel the steam on your skin. Some of our characters can only be described as larger than life, maybe a little wacky, but still undeniably rootable. Anni was full of energy, determination and utterly impeccable humour, and quickly became one of my favourites.

For non-finnish readers, I've seen some comments about finding longer names difficult to track or certain references not being understood, but Antti writes in such an accessible way that even if you do struggle with reading other dialects or picking up on cultural references you'll be fine, just take a moment to practice and get reading.

Another stellar addition to my bookshelf - although I may now be afraid of Sauna's.

The Burning Stones will be available from October 10th with Orenda Books.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours and Team Orenda for inviting me to take part in this tour - I received a reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review.

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