Great reviews for Valtonen, Susi and Lindstedt in Germany and Norway!

Jussi Valtonen’s They Know Not What They Do (Zwei Kontinente) gets wonderful reviews in Germany…

“It’s enthralling to read how the life of a man, who has worked his way up to the very top, comes tumbling down.” — Berliner Zeitung, Germany

“The book reads thrillingly like a crime novel, but it’s a lot more than that.” – Die Presse, Austria

“Finnish author Jussi Valtonen’s social novel is fascinating and disturbing at the same time. He deliberately weaves real current affairs into fictitious narrative threads and future visions with scientific precision.”  – Aachener newspaper, Germany

 

…as well as Pauliina Susi’s Rear Window (Das Fenster), recently released in Germany…

“An excellent, thought-provoking page-turner.” – Frankfurter Stadtkurier, Germany

“A thrilling, psychologically well-balanced crime novel.” – Auf einen Blick, Germany

 

…and the Norwegian edition of Laura Lindstedt’s Oneiron has received glorious reviews, too!

”Oneiron is a shameless, touching and absurd approach to the state we know little about, the space, the transition, the moment when we hover between life and death.” – Torborg Igland, Fædrelandsvennen, Norway

”Oneiron is about death. It comes with interesting suggestions of how it is ”on the other side,” but actually sheds more light on the various power structures on our side.” – Dagsavisen, Norway

”Oneiron is literally a fabulous work. A triumph of the art of the novel. An unmatched vision of life and death set mostly in the shade. Furthermore it’s so imbued with strange stories, deep wondering and ambiguous thought patterns that it will keep University of Helsinki literature students occupied for years to come.” – Fredrik Wandrup, Dagbladet, Norway (six stars)

“Silk and iron […] an overwhelming novel.” – Anne Cathrine Straume, NRK, Norway

“Oneiron is a powerful effort – to some extent also for the reader – international, rich in life and drama, embracing knowledge-based political, gender, medical and religious elements. … Lindstedt is a skilled dramatic and creative creator. Parts that touch on modern art, both in terms of visualization and depth, have a touch of Siri Hustvedt. … Linguistically, Lindstedt is fresh and inventive, which has been carefully observed by translator Tor Tveite.” – Janneken Øverland, Klassekampen newspaper, Norway

“A fascinating fable about dead women … Multi-faceted, feminist hued fantasy with a hint of magical realism…. Oneiron is ambitious and lush … The multiple stories are sensual, painful and rough, to reveal a multi-faceted reality and in turn become a virtuoso showcase in the imagination’s ability to make ever more acrobatic leaps … linguistic diversity, the slightly absurd or surreal elements that are elegantly propagated throughout this mosaic, vital, critically-acclaimed novel.”– Steinar Sivertsen, Stavanger Aftenblad newspaper, Norway (six stars)

“Thought-provoking, gallows humour about the transition from life to death … I had never thought that a novel about death could be entertaining – and even fun – but Lindstedt’s novel is just that. It is fascinating and original in its reflection on life and death; a magical fantasy in the best sense of the word, but it is also realistic in its analysis of power and powerlessness. In other words, it is difficult to categorize, but easy to remain fascinated by for long afterwards.”– Vigdis Moe Skarstein, Fædrelandsvennen newspaper, Norway (five stars)

“Oneiron is touching, with its direct language, and in its multi-faceted and concrete approach to what life can be. The way in which Lindstedt portrays the biographies of the women in words, enriches the theme of life, the body, and art in a grotesque but also refreshing way.” – Ingeborg Urke Myklebust, Mellom, Norway

About author


Jussi Valtonen

Jussi Valtonen (1974) is an author and psychologist from Helsinki. He has studied neuropsychology in the United States and screenwriting in the UK, and has also worked as a science reporter. He has written three novels and a short story collection.

Carried by Wings (Siipien kantamat, Tammi 2007) was given second place in Bonnier’s novel competition, and received a warm reception from both critics and bloggers. In 2014 Valtonen was awarded the Finlandia Prize, the country’s highest-profile literary award, for They Know Not What They Do (He eivät tiedä mitä tekevät, Tammi 2014).

About author


Laura Lindstedt

Laura Lindstedt (b. 1976) became a critical darling with her adoption-themed debut novel Scissors (Sakset, Teos 2007), which earned her a nomination for the Finlandia Prize, the country’s most prestigious literary honour. Lindstedt’s second novel Oneiron (Teos 2015), a work of speculative fiction that takes place in the mysterious moments that follow one’s death, earned her the coveted Finlandia Prize of 2015 and was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2017. Lindstedt’s success has continued with My Friend Natalia (Teos 2019) which has earned critical acclaim and has been sold to 12 territories. Together with author Sinikka Vuola, she has authored 101 tapaa tappaa aviomies (101 Ways to Kill Your Husband, Siltala 2022) which has been nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize of 2024.

She is currently completing her Ph.D. thesis on French author Nathalie Sarraute.

About author


Pauliina Susi

Pauliina Susi is a versatile writer who has authored a number of crime novels and a non-fiction book about private investigators. She has a master's degree in political science and she has worked as a journalist and editor at several well-known Finnish magazines.

Susi is known for her ability to incorporate current themes into her prose. Her debut novel was nominated for the prestigious Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize and In the Rear Window is the Winner of the Clue of the Year 2016, a recognition of the best crime fiction or detective novel of the year. The readers and critics have been charmed by her Tuulia Raja cozy crime series which combines witty language with complex relationships and intriguing murder mysteries, evoking similarities with the 1980s TV series Moonlighting.

While doing research for her novel, Susi has also become a trained private investigator herself!