As Red as Blood

17-year-old Lumikki Andersson goes to a high school of performing arts. She has made it a rule to stay out of things that do not involve her. However, the rule is put to the test on leap day when she finds washed five hundred euro notes hung to dry in her school’s darkroom. It turns out that three students from Lumikki’s high school have in their possession plastic bags containing bloody notes, and soon Lumikki finds herself caught in a tangled web of international drug trade.

Elisa, one of the three students and daughter of a wealthy family, begins to suspect that her father, a police officer in the narcotics division, is somehow involved.
Lumikki is swept into a whirlpool of events and faces life-threatening situations on the run from Russian and Estonian criminals. Finally, after four hectic days, Lumikki finds herself in a huge mansion where the mysterious Polar Bear is having a legendary secret party. In the mansion, all secrets are revealed. It’s the coldest winter in decades; the streets of Tampere are frozen and white with snow. And nothing is as red against white snow as blood.

Praise:

A Booklist pick for 100 Best Children’s and YA Mysteries of the past decade.

“Limned in stark red, white, and black, this cold, delicate snowflake of a tale sparkles with icy magic.” —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

“Simukka creates a tough, self-sufficient heroine in seventeen-year-old Lumikki Andersson in this first book in the Snow White Trilogy…Fans of Nesbø and Larsson won’t be disappointed.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“[A] YA novel in the tradition of Nordic noir—edgy crime novels set in frigid lands.” —Booklist (Starred Review)

“A compelling start, a strong female character, the rich background setting of Finland, and a hint of a Snow White retelling are highlights of this work.” —School Library Journal

“The Arctic setting of this import is used to full advantage, evoking a chilling mood and strewing genuine frigid weather obstacles in Lumikki’s way…The first entry in Simukka’s Snow White trilogy will tempt mystery readers back for more.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“The fact that this, in a nutshell, is a mix of YA novel and mystery is less discouraging for adult readers as the chase in the story is appealing enough and the cinematic scenes depicted by a sensible translation bring joy to the readers.” — MysteryTribune.com

“Lumikki is fit, resourceful and a mistress of disguise, able to transform her appearance at a moment’s notice…With its sex, drugs and violence, the world Lumikki infiltrates is amoral and cynical; a sophisticated tale, then, suavely translated by Owen F. Witesman.”
– Financial Times

“Discovering these fantastically crafted novels by the very talented Finnish author, Salla Simukka has been a real highlight this year for me. Salla’s courageous and vivid heroine, Lumikki, takes us on a compelling journey, and this outstanding sensual thriller sequence will utterly entrance readers! We are thrilled to be the UK home for The Snow White Trilogy.  “
– Emily Thomas, Publisher, Hot Key Books

“We were delighted and proud to hear that Salla Simukka had chosen Hachette’s Black Moon imprint for her SNOW WHITE trilogy.  Lumikki is a strong and vibrant heroine whose trials and tribulations I personally look forward to sharing with our readers.  No doubt this new voice will have the greatest happily ever after with the French YA community of readers.”
– Aurélia Goyens, Editor,  Hachette Livre Black Moon, France

“What a strong, extraordinary and compelling new voice! And what a thrilling and convincing story! We are absolutely enthusiastic to be able to add Salla Simukka to our list and to make her Snow White trilogy our focus title at the next Frankfurt bookfair and in fall and winter 2014. We are sure that German readers will love Salla Simukka!”
– Katrin Weller, Editor-in-Chief, Arena Verlag, Germany