Representing the best
Finnish authors abroad
Finnish authors abroad
They got you. You’re allowed one phone call, but they’ll kill you during it. Who are you going to call?
The double life of Finnish graphic designer Lia and her friend Mari on the fringes of the London criminal underworld is becoming dangerously entangled.
Out of the blue on a normal working day, Lia is hauled in for questioning by the Metropolitan Police. The authorities have started to take a professional interest in the work – sometimes above and beyond the letter of the law – of Lia and Mari’s secretive crime-fighting organisation, The Studio. Mari responds to the challenge by harnessing The Studio to an operation that takes it inside the hard shell of the capital’s street gangs. Bloody turf wars are fought over control of every district and quarter. Before long, the Studio has to face a gang who execute with extreme brutality any who cross their path.
Fear Me is a powerful, multi-layered psychological thriller blending the technical smarts of the mobile era with the rich history of London. It is a stand-alone work, and at the same time the third instalment in the author’s award-winning Studio series.
English synopsis
Finnish edition
“Pekka Hiltunen’s third Studio-thriller is at least as gripping as the previous books. Fear Me will not disappoint even those readers whose expectations are very high. The story of the Finnish women Lia and Mari in London continues, and this time the plot includes violent crimes of street gangs. You’re also in for a big surprise, something hard to guess from the book’s beginning.´The author has done his homework well and researched interesting details and real life facts, but he never overpowers the reader with them. Reading this hefty book won’t take you long – it would be hard to try to stop.” – Apu magazine
“In all three novels the Studio team fights inequality. This time the subject is racism, and Fear Me handles the topic with excellent versatility.” – Helsingin Sanomat newspaper
“Cold Courage and Black Noise are definitely among the best of Finnish crime books, and luckily they have also gone to other countries too. Though I like those two novels, Fear Me is even better. It’s incredible! I kept thinking about the book long after reading it, and I couldn’t help coming to the conclusion: this is exactly what a thriller should be. Full of surprises, with climaxes coming one after another.” – Lukutoukan kulttuuriblogi Literature blog
“Fear Me plays pleasantly with the feeling should you be afraid of this world or not. Hiltunen tells in the beginning that many of the crimes in the book are based on real life events in London. (…) People are unpredictable, and therein lies the magic of this thriller. Fear Me works fine as a detective novel set in an international atmosphere.” – Turun Sanomat newspaper
“The third triller in the Studio series Fear Me can also be read as a stand-alone book. Hiltunen is skillful at building plots. (…) I like the way the author handles big themes among all the entertainment: inequality, moral issues and in this book also problems of sanity and racism. The reader is left puzzled in a good way by the mystery of Lia and Mari. Past traumas are unraveled bit by bit, and the story holds plenty of surprises too.” – Eeva magazine
“Fear Me” is by definition undoubtedly a thriller, but it has all the depth required from quality fiction. The book feels so current, it doesn’t merely entertain you, it also really forces you to think. A gorgeous novel, wise and warm, strong and scary.” Rakkaudesta kirjoihin Literature blog
“Hiltunen combines a well-controlled, exploding set-up from a variety of elements, with not one dull moment. Fear Me is, however, more than a description of violence, it is also food for thought. The themes are universal and topical, the narration flows smoothly. (…) A wild book, of an even wilder world! This is a read on the international level, and it will hook you hard. I read it in two straight sessions, losing one night’s sleep. The third Studio thriller fulfills the promises of its’ predecessors completely, and it gives you even more.” Kulttuuri kukoistaa Literature blog
“The three plot lines of Fear Me form a skilfully timed whole. (…) Hiltunen combines the hierarchy of the drug gangs and the themes of ruthlessness and forgiveness skilfully with the world-saving Studio team. For fans of London, this novel is like a gift voucher to a candy store. The many sides of the big city, from shiny to rough, come across in a lively mosaic.” Etelä-Saimaa newspaper
“At times the story races in quite chilling ways, and as before, you have to devour the whole book until the end. (…) Strong women and an armchair trip to London, together with beautiful writing and interesting topics, that’s not a bad deal at all. There is one bad side to the book: you get to the end all too soon. More, please!” Nenä kirjassa Literature blog.
