Loukko by 
Original title: Italialainen peli
Author: Vera Vala
Published: 2022
Publisher: WSOY
Genre: Crime & Suspense
Pages: 414
Part of a series: Salla Kotka series
Reading material:
English sample & synopsis, series presentation
“The heart of darkness is in the human mind.”
The Greater Milan area lives in fear. A mysterious stalker is terrorizing people, and a serial killer called the Harlequin is picking their victims, branding them with jewelry. Are the two cases connected?
Salla Kotka, starting her career as a forensic psychologist, gets pulled into the threatening chain of events as she begins working for a defense attorney. Their client is the suspected serial killer, and Salla needs to help the defense uncover the truth. But, in the end, does truth carry any value in the courtroom?
To make matters worse, her new job as a profiler seems like a battlefield, mined by suspicious colleagues and hostile clients. While Salla has to examine the darkest sides in others, she is also trying to come to terms with her own past. Can she trust anyone, even herself?
The title has both psychological and societal depth, which make the novel a fully rounded one. [It] for example examines the differences between the Italian and Finnish culture. [–] In my opinion the psychological expertise of the author is especially rewarding.
– Kirjakaapin kummitus blog
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