The Priest of Evil by Matti Joensuu The third of my reads from my Finnish reading list. This is classed as a crime thriller or maybe more accurately a police procedural. Set in Helsinki and written by Matti Joensuu who was actually a policeman with Helsinki Police force until his retirement. A series of deaths in Helsinki tube stations lead Detective Timo Harjunpaa on the trail of a mysterious killer.
The first thing to do perhaps is to say this definitely isn’t a thriller, and not some airport paperback either. Its a very well written police novel with some strong social and apparently autobiographical themes which deserve a deeper read. The characters are well written and translated and we get to see into most of their thoughts in a way that reminds me a little of Not Before Sundown however I like this book better. The theme of treatment of children within families while not the supposed main plot in the book is for me its key and best element.
The crime story drives the plot but not that fast and compared to the other strands in the book a little disappointingly. But it deals with difficult issues very well I think and it is quite pessimistic in parts (is this a Finnish preoccupation?) but the overall balance in the book saves it. If you want a straightforward Detective story this book may not be for you, there is never any mystery, but if you are prepared to read a more complex novel with some universal themes you may like it. I also found an Interview with Matti Joensu and his translator thats worth reading, with some insights into the author, the work of translating and the book itself.