Swedish rights for CARGO and SWING are now sold to Bokfabriken!

The Swedish publisher is really happy to publish this exciting series:

Cargo is Scandi crime at its finest! We are really looking forward to introducing Paula Pihlaja to the Swedish readers and listeners.
-Henrik Lindvall, Senior Editor, Bokfabriken

Download the 100pp English sample and synopsis for CARGO here

FIRST EXCELLENT FINNISH REVIEWS for CARGO are in:
The suspense is superbly raised: first by sweating in the heat, then exploding into action during a thunderstorm…./The most positive thing in CARGO is that the purely literal skills are firmly mastered. The mystery is well crafted, the reader is bluffed, and the surprises in the end are rewarding.

– Suvi Ahola, Helsingin Sanomat Newspaper,  Finland 16.5.2021 

CARGO is an international, steaming and tough murder mystery. – Ollikainen writes in a rich, versatile way, the text painting emotional landscapes with depth. The characters form a ragged and edgy crew, the dialogue has strength and is filled with sharp-eyed observations. The pieces of the puzzle interlock unabatingly logically towards the pivotal scenes. – Ollikainen poignantly describes the oddities of the artistic scene. The endgame of the crime is literally dizziying.
– Jussi Wahlgren, Mesta.net, Finland

The perfect choice to pick up while browsing the shelves at the airport book kiosk. You’ll want to read it nonstop.
– Suomen Kuvalehti Magazine, Finland

CARGO stays perfectly strict and clear cut till the very end. — CARGO has all the elements that are required for an entertaining series; it stands out from the mass especially thanks to the fact that you do not have to feel constrained and your thoughts do not stray away. The essential parts are there from the beginning.
– Tero Alanko, Kulttuuritoimitus.fi,, Finland 25.5.2021 

EDITORIAL PRAISE FOR CARGO AND A.M. OLLIKAINEN:

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, Germany

„Cargo” is a fast-paced story with suspense until the end and well-drawn main character—an intelligent, empathetic and pragmatic police commissioner, Paula Pihlaja. The other characters also have clear psychological outline and natural dialogues which fuel the reader’s curiosity. All those things make „Cargo” impossible to put down. I am glad that Polish readers will be able to take part in this criminal feast. 
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

Something very exciting is for sure happening within the genre of Nordic noir – our eyes are drawn to Helsinki. A.M. Ollikainen comes in and blow our minds. What a terrific start for a new series! The writing, the atmosphere, the characters, the tension – it’s all there, and we strongly believe this author duo to be the next big thing. Cargo is a book that’s hard to put down and has excellent twists and turns that are sure to delight thriller and Nordic noir fans. In addition to the great entertaining read this novel is, we love how well it takes on political and human themes – that’s rare, and adds to our enthusiasm for this author duo and their promising series.
– Vidar Strøm Fallrø, Development Editor, Aschehoug, Norway

Cargo is like a breath of fresh air among contemporary crime fiction – it is not only a thrilling detective story but also a perfectly written novel pointing out many interesting observations about our current lives. Moreover, the investigator Paula Pihlaja is such a relatable character – a capable, intelligent woman full of wit yet also haunted by her past. But could her seeming weaknesses be a source of strength too? It is a pleasure to see a strong female lead who is not afraid of being vulnerable. 
-Lucie Bregantová, editor, HOST – vydavatelství, s. r. o., Czech Republic

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

When finishing the English sample I felt that it is quite terrible that I can’t speak Finnish – you need to continue the story just from the really beginning! Big things are happening in Finland, authors like A.M. Ollikainen makes us stunned. With Cargo, you felt yourself immediately in the middle of a well-deserved Nordic thriller, and you quickly realize that this won’t be an easy one. The first fine screws, the personality of the main characters, the launch of this story guarantees that this book will have an amazing future.
– Laszlo Marosi, Publishing editor, Animus Kiado, Hungary

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, Estonia

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

JURY praise for CARGO by A.M. Ollikainen – Winner of a National Crime Novel Competition (2019)

The jury agrees that the text in Milla and Aki Ollikainen’s book runs splendidly. According to the jury, with its artfully and cleverly spun multifaceted criminal storyline CARGO springs to mind the best Nordic crime series:
The gallery of characters is exceptionally fascinating and well-controlled: they all pertain to the story and propel it again and again towards new unforeseeable twists. You simply cannot put this ace of a suspense book down. Even the first scenes of the manuscript contain an enormous charge.

The Crime 2019 Contest jury consisted of writers Leena Lehtolainen and Antti Tuomainen, producer Riina Hyytiä from Dionysos Films, Editor Aleksi Pöyry and Publisher Antti Kasper from Otava Publishing