Animus buys Hungarian rights to Leena Lehtolainen’s crime novel The Killing One!

Lehtolainen_AnimusWe are thrilled to announce that the Hungarian rights to Leena Lehtolainen’s crime novel The Killing One (Tappava säde, Tammi 1999) have been sold to Animus for publication in 2014.

PRAISES: The Killing One

“The social crime novel is alive and well in Finland, not least thanks to Leena Lehtolainen. Lehtolainen’s newest, The Killing One, is among Lehtolainen’s best and places her at the forefront of the genre when considered more broadly as well.”
“Kindred spirits with Karin Fossum and Anne Holt.”
”Themes drawn from the real world.”
Kainuun Sanomat

“Despite the difficult subject, pure reading enjoyment.”
“Hard to put down.”
“Säde Vasara gives up her role of bystander, and death becomes a frequent visitor in the close circles of the battered women. Coincidences? Accidents? … Leena Lehtolainen reserves another complete surprise for the end of the book, with barely a hint earlier in the book.”
Länsi-Savo

“Maria Kallio’s role in The Killing One is intriguing. Specifically, she may be the only person who knows, as the reader does, what the main character’s part is in the homicides depicted in the book. But whether she really knows or not remains a mystery.“
Hämeen Sanomat

Summary
In the opening scenes The Killing One, the main character, Säde Vasara (the last name means ’hammer’), learns that a client at the domestic violence shelter where she works has been murdered by her abusive husband. The women’s shelter in question has a policy of not encouraging women to file police reports, since they consider keeping families together more important than bringing abusers to justice. Säde is called in for a police interview, during which we meet Maria Kallio, the lead investigator in this and the later cases in the novel (and the protagonist in most of the author’s other novels). Säde’s interactions with the police and her own inner monologue surrounding her indirect role in the client’s death hint that she will begin killing abusive husbands.

Reading material:
English sample
Reader’s report

World rights available: Elina.Ahlback@ahlbackagency.com

Author bio: Leena Lehtolainen is the bestselling fermale crime author in Finland. Her new titles head straight to #1 on the Finnish bestseller lists. Lehtolainen’s books have been sold over two million copies worldwide, and rights have been sold in 29 languages.  In her free time, Lehtolainen enjoys all kinds of music from 1970s punk to Bach – just like Maria Kallio, the heroine of her crime novel series. And just like events in the Bodyguard Trilogy take the heroine Hilja Ilveskero all around Europe, Lehtolainen’s own work takes her to book festivals and other events across the globe. Read more by clicking here

Please ask the Agency for reading materials!

About author


Leena Lehtolainen

Leena Lehtolainen is the top female crime author in Finland: her new titles always head straight to #1 on the Finnish bestseller lists.

Lehtolainen created her successful protagonist, detective Maria Kallio, in 1993. Having already featured in 16 novels and a complete TV series, a new Maria Kallio TV reboot series was launched in Fall 2021 on C More. Lehtolainen’s novels have been translated into 30 languages and have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.

And just like the events in Bodyguard, a that takes the heroine Hilja Ilveskero all around Europe, Lehtolainen’s own work takes her to book festivals, exhibitions and other events across the globe.

Leena Lehtolainen has also published outside the crime genre; her book The Charm of Figure Skating was voted sports book of the year 2010 in Finland, and A Life in Six Scenes showed her return to literary fiction.

The Crossing of the Green Dragon is her first title for YA audiences.

In her free time, Lehtolainen enjoys all kinds of music and follows lynx trails in the forests – just like Maria Kallio.

Bibliography


2023, Crime & Suspense

A Crossing in the Darkness

Leena Lehtolainen


2022, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Crossing of the Green Dragon

Leena Lehtolainen


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Lynx Factor

Leena Lehtolainen


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ripple Effect

Leena Lehtolainen


2019, Crime & Suspense

Oathbreaker

Leena Lehtolainen


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Killer's Girlfriend

Leena Lehtolainen


2017, Crime & Suspense

The End of Innocence

Leena Lehtolainen


2016, General Nonfiction, Memories & Biographies

The Charm of Ice

Leena Lehtolainen


2016, Crime & Suspense

The Eye of the Tiger

Leena Lehtolainen


2015, Crime & Suspense

A Stroke of Sadness

Leena Lehtolainen


2013, Crime & Suspense

The Iron Triangle

Leena Lehtolainen


2012, Crime & Suspense

The Devil's Cubs

Leena Lehtolainen


2011, Crime & Suspense

The Lion of Justice

Leena Lehtolainen


2010, Crime & Suspense

Where Have All the Young Girls Gone

Leena Lehtolainen


2009, Crime & Suspense

The Bodyguard

Leena Lehtolainen


2008, Crime & Suspense

Derailed

Leena Lehtolainen


2005, Crime & Suspense

The Nightingale Murder

Leena Lehtolainen


2003, Crime & Suspense

Below the Surface

Leena Lehtolainen


2000, Crime & Suspense

Before I Go

Leena Lehtolainen


1998, Crime & Suspense

Fatal Headwind

Leena Lehtolainen


1997, Crime & Suspense

Death Spiral

Leena Lehtolainen


1996, Crime & Suspense

Snow Woman

Leena Lehtolainen


1995, Crime & Suspense

Copper Heart

Leena Lehtolainen


1994, Crime & Suspense

Her Enemy

Leena Lehtolainen


1993, Crime & Suspense

My First Murder

Leena Lehtolainen