Five-book deal for CARGO by A.M. Ollikainen in Lithuania! Auction in Norway!

We are overwhelmingly happy to announce another amazing news about the winner of the National Crime Competition – CARGO by A.M. Ollikainen, due to be published in Finland in May 2021 by Otava Publishers.

Baltos lankos – Lithuanian publisher for Jo Nesbø, Max Seeck, Jane Harper, Daniel Cole, Stefan Anhem and Sarah Pinborough has won the Lithuanian auction with an amazing 5-book deal for the Paula Pihlaja series!

Cargo (Otava, May 2021) is the first book in a new fast-paced and addictive Nordic Noir Paula Pihlaja series.

Download the English sample and synopsis for CARGO here.

The Baltos lankos team is absolutely thrilled, and editor Gintė Pačėsė shares their enthusiasm:

CARGO is really masterful at setting up its twists and turns,also adding some hard-hitting societal criticism into the mix. I certainly could not put it down and it kept me guessing the whole time.
– Gintė Pačėsė, Editor, Baltos lankos, Lithuania

That is not all – now we have an auction for the series in Norway!

The first two books in the series have previously been pre-empted by Varrak in Estonia, Bastei Lübbe in Germany and HarperCollins Holland in the Netherlands!

GERMAN PRAISE:
Finland is the new Mecca of crime fiction. You need proof? Just read the first novel by A.M. Ollikainen. I couldn’t imagine a better start for a series. CARGO is outstanding.
– Marco Schneiders,  Publishing Director, Bastei Lübbe

DUTCH PRAISE:
We see a great readership for this thriller series starring Paula Pihlaja: she’s a great detective, but also a person people can relate to as she copes with her past and the challenging times ahead of her. Add to this the themes that every great thriller novel needs: an intriguing murder method, a perfect writing style and a suspenseful plot, and I think you’ve got a winning combination in Cargo! We see A.M. Ollikainen as a very promising crimewriting powercouple, and look forward to introduce them to our Dutch readers.
– Soraya Vink, Commissioning Editor, HarperCollins Holland

ESTONIAN PRAISE:
“A rare crime novel that also masters the literary style. One of the authors – Aki Ollikainen – is an awarded and internationally acclaimed literary fiction author and it really shows. The well-crafted mystery only unfolds in the very end, and leaves the reader in awe.”
– Piret Saluri, translator for Varrak, Estonia


A.M. Ollikainen is a new Nordic Crime supercouple Milla Ollikainen and Aki Ollikainen.

Aki Ollikainen is one of the best literary fiction authors of Finland, whose novel White Hunger was longlisted to the International Man Booker Prize and whose works have been sold to 15 countries.
Milla Ollikainen is the previous winner of the “Crime Pays” crime novel competition of Finland and the author of a successful crime trilogy.

Cargo is their first title written together, which won the Finnish national crime novel competition in 2019 over 400 other manuscripts. The book is the first part of the upcoming Paula Pihlaja series.
It will be published by the largest Finnish publisher Otava in May 2021 as their lead Fiction title for the Spring list.


CARGO
by A.M. Ollikainen

The first book in a new fast-paced and addictive Nordic Noir series. A.M. Ollikainen is Finland’s Lars Kepler!

  • Winner of a National Crime Novel Competition

A cargo container is found on the shore in Helsinki with a dead body inside.The property where the container is discovered, belongs to one of the most notorious businessmen in Finland. As Police Commissioner Paula Pihlaja begins to investigate the case, traces lead back to the businessman’s family, revealing decades of suspicious business ventures in Africa.

Meanwhile, Paula’s own personal life is shaken by old memories that are now surfacing following recent events.When she was younger, she had to give her baby up for adoption. The boy, her son, is now in his twenties and facing a murder charge. Not only is Paula tormented by her own guilt about the adoption, she is also worried about what will become of her son.

CARGO
Kontti
Otava, May 2021, 360 pp.

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

ESTONIA: Varrak
(2-book deal)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
(2-book deal)
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos
(5-book deal)
NETHERLANDS: HarperCollins Holland (2-book deal)

About author


A.M. Ollikainen

A. M. Ollikainen is a pseudonym for author duo Aki and Milla Ollikainen. Aki Ollikainen has published three novels and won the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize in 2012. He has also been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and Prix Femina in 2016. Milla Ollikainen has published three crime novels and won Like Publishing and the Finnish Detective Society’s Crime novel writing competition in 2012. Cargo is their first novel together and the Winner of a National Crime Novel Competition. 

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Swing

A. M. Ollikainen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Cargo

A. M. Ollikainen