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Lucifer's Tears (An Inspector Vaara Novel) [Hardcover]

James Thompson (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Book Description

March 17, 2011 An Inspector Vaara Novel
Inspector Kari Vaara returns, more haunted than ever, in the follow- up to Snow Angels, "a must for fans of the international crime novel." (Booklist)

The Sufia Elmi case left Kari Vaara with a scarred face, chronic insomnia, a constant migraine, and a full body count's worth of ghosts. Now it's a year later, in Helsinki, and Kari is working the graveyard shift in the homicide unit, terrified that his heavily pregnant wife will miscarry again after she lost the twins just after Christmas.

Kari is pushed into investigating a ninety-year-old national hero for war crimes committed during World War II. The Interior Minister demands a conclusion of innocence, preserving Finland's heroic perception about itself and its role in the war, but Germany wants extradition.

In a seeming coincidence, Kari is drawn into the murder-by-torture case of Iisa Filippov, the philandering wife of a Russian businessman. Her lover is clearly being framed for the crime-and Ivan Filippov's arrogance and nonchalance point the finger at him. But he's being protected from above, leading Kari to the corrupt corridors of power. Soon the past and present collide in ways no one could have anticipated.


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Thompson's stellar second thriller featuring Insp. Kari Vaara (after Snow Angels) finds Vaara working as a homicide detective in Helsinki, where he investigates the torture murder of Iisa Filippov. While Vaara suspects the victim's Russian husband, Ivan, he can't touch Ivan because the Russian is well connected within the police department. Vaara also looks into international accusations of war crimes against a Finnish national hero, 90-year-old Arvid Lahtinen, who allegedly executed Jews and other POWs at a secret Finnish stalag during WWII. But he soon learns that not only did his own grandfather serve in the same unit but the stalag is just one of the wartime secrets Lahtinen is hiding that are potentially embarrassing to the Finnish government. The arrival of Vaara's pregnant wife's brother and sister from the States doesn't make his home life easy. Thompson elegantly threads Finland's compelling national history with Vaara's own demons in this taut, emotionally wrought novel. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* One year after the traumatic events of Snow Angels (2010), Inspector Kari Vaara is now living in Helsinki with his heavily pregnant American wife. While Kate has adjusted well to their new life, Vaara still struggles; returning to Helsinki is not easy for him, and now Kate�s pregnancy is causing him such extreme stress that he has barely slept for months and has headaches that last for weeks. Disliked by the rest of the homicide department, Vaara is partnered with Milo, the other department pariah, an enthusiastic, lonely, and eccentric detective with unusual hobbies. When they are assigned to investigate the death of a wealthy married woman, found in another man�s bed, the seemingly cut-and-dried case soon becomes a tangled web that Vaara is determined to unweave, no matter the preferences of his superiors. Meanwhile, he is also given an off-the-record job of investigating a national hero who is currently wanted for war crimes from WWII and who may very well have known Vaara�s beloved grandfather. Together these plots form an impossible-to-put-down read. Thompson�s second book, even better than the first, will surely be one of the best Nordic mysteries published in 2011. Essential reading for all fans of Arnaldur Indridason, Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell, and Jo Nesb�. --Jessica Moyer

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Putnam Adult (March 17, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 039915700X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0399157004
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #519,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

An American by birth, James Thompson began his career as published career as an author in Finland with two thrillers, Across the Green Line and The True Name of God.

With his first internationally published novel, Snow Angels, James Thompson proved himself Finland's best and most popular representative in the rise of Nordic noir. It was selected as one of Booklist' s Best Crime Novel Debuts of the Year and nominated for an Edgar Award, an Anthony Award, and a Strand Critics Award. His most recent novel, Lucifer's Tears, has received critical acclaim from all quarters, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus, and seems destined for international success. His next novel, Helsinki White, is scheduled for U.S. release in March, 2012. He is also a reviewer for The New York Journal of Books.

Thompson, an American, age forty-seven, has lived in Finland for over a dozen years. He resides in Helsinki with his Finnish wife. He has a Master's degree in English Philology from The University of Helsinki, where he also studied Finnish, in which he is fluent. Thompson is represented by literary agency Sobel Weber Associates. His U.S. publisher is G.P. Putnam's Sons, and at present his works are distributed by ten publishers worldwide. International film rights for the entire Inspector Vaara series have been optioned.

In the past, Thompson has worked as a bartender, bouncer, construction worker, and soldier.


 

Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (11)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling pace, clean prose, March 17, 2011
This review is from: Lucifer's Tears (An Inspector Vaara Novel) (Hardcover)
The second installment of Finnish homicide detective Kari Vaara has moved from the Arctic Circle to Helsinki, a typically warmer climate, but is laden with the same grim Scandinavian malaise so pervasive in Snow Angels. The laconic Vaara requested a new assignment following the personal trauma and collateral damage of the Sufia Elmi case. His American wife, Kate, is 8 ½ months pregnant, and Kari is plagued with headaches and stress over her pregnancy.

In this story, Vaara is investigating the murder of a woman, Iisa Fillipov, who was married to a debauched business leader in the community. Iisa's extramarital Estonian lover, Rein Saar, is the primary suspect--he woke up with her dead body beside him. Vaara is also asked to investigate an alleged war criminal, and to cover up any trails that lead to affirmation of his guilt (keep Finland spotless). The chief of police and interior minister are pressing this case on him because of his grandfather's possible involvement. that On top of all this, Kate's American siblings are coming to visit.

This is a taut police procedural with a graphic opening and an implausible denouement, an over-the-top climax that is now a hallmark of Thompson's work. This second novel is not quite as atmospheric as his first one, (i.e. climate as character) but it hits the high notes with assurance, and is also a lead-in to the next installment. Vaara's skill at balancing several plot lines simultaneously and braiding them together is exhilarating. Moreover, he saliently blends in Finland's history and social issues to support the story.

This next paragraph is NOT spoiler information--I am merely conveying Vaara's fears at the outset of this novel, together with a criticism of the facts that Thompson alleges. I was bothered by the author's lack of precision in his research of pregnancy. Vaara is worried that his wife will miscarry--a groundless fear, since you can't "miscarry" at full term, you can only give birth. 38 weeks is essentially term. Secondly, the cure for mild preeclampsia at this late stage pregnancy? Induction of labor--but this is not presented as a viable option.

Despite flaws, I enjoyed it--the thrilling and dexterous pace; the bracing prose; Kari Vaara's incorruptible nature against his small corruptions; his anarchist, gun-glee, Mensa partner, Milo; and the snow. Always the snow. You don't have to read these two books in order to enjoy them, but I do recommend it for character progression. 3.5

This review is based on an advanced reading copy I received from the publisher. The views are entirely my own.


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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Second Book, May 2, 2011
This review is from: Lucifer's Tears (An Inspector Vaara Novel) (Hardcover)
I liked the first of Thompson's books because of the story and the interesting information about Finland. So, I figured the second would be at least as good and possibly even better.

Sorry to report that while there is still some good stuff about Finland, the story is so loaded with gratuitous and idiotic violence, sex, vulgarity and thinly drawn stereotypical characters, that I'm embarrassed for the author. It came across as an amateurishly written story laced with some interesting historical,cultural and anecdotal information about Finland and the Finns. This is my second and last Thompson book. Too much junk to wade through to get to the good stuff.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Detective Kari Vaara is Back!, March 17, 2011
This review is from: Lucifer's Tears (An Inspector Vaara Novel) (Hardcover)
Kari Vaara is back on the job. After taking a bullet to the face in his last book, Snow Angels, he is back to working on new cases as a police detective with his partner Milo. As Lucifer's Tears opens, Kari is assigned two investigations. One involves a murder and the other is bringing an alleged war criminal from World War II to justice. Meanwhile, Kari's wife, Kate, is eight and a half months pregnant with a baby girl. After losing twins in her last pregnancy, both Kate and Kari are very apprehensive and nervous that everything goes right this time. Both of them feel responsible for their prior loss. Kate has invited her brother and sister over to Finland from the United States to be there for the birth and this creates a whole new set of problems for Kari.

The murder victim is named Iisa Filippov, wife of Ivan Filippov. Ivan is twenty-four years Iisa's senior. She was found tortured to death, lashed and whipped, covered with cigarette burns. She and her friend Linda are known for playing kinky sex games with videos and sex toys. Iisa and Linda also liked to dress up the same with the intent of looking like the retro sex symbol Betti Page. It is uncanny how much they looked alike. There is a lot of pressure on Kari to pin the murder on a man named Rein Saar but Kari does not believe that he is the murderer. Investigating this case opens a can of worms. People all the way at the top of the food chain are involved. Kari needs to watch his back and he is not very good with politics like this. On top of that, his partner Milo is a loose canon. He likes to play with guns and weapons and doesn't always use them judiciously.

Arvid is a very elderly man who is being accused of war crimes in Finland during World War II. The Finnish people have been taught that they are not guilty of any war crimes, that they withstood the German pressures and did not participate in any anti-semitic activities. It appears that Arvid and Kari's grandfather served together in the same unit and Kari learns a whole new history of Finland, one that shocks him and changes how he views his grandfather.

Meanwhile, Kate's brother John is getting into all kinds of trouble. He is a terrible alcoholic and drug user and Kari has to rescue him at the most inopportune times. Kate's sister Mary is a bible thumper and the whole family has to be careful about everything they talk about in front of her. Additionally, Kari is suffering from unrelenting, acute migraines that leave him drained and in agony. He finally visits his brother, a physician, to get some medical help for this problem.

Kari is an insular man who likes to keep to himself. He sees a therapist for his post-traumatic stress following his last case but basically trusts no one but Kate. He has had a nasty childhood that has left him scarred and angry and he has chosen to tell no one about what occurred. He comes to realize that this is not the best route to take and he wants to open up to Kate.

This is a multi-dimensional book - a thriller, murder mystery, family saga and history book all in one. It is a fascinating and thrilling roller coaster ride of a read and James Thompson does not disappoint. He knows Finland and its people - he lives in Finland but he was born and raised in the United States. It seems like the Scandinavians are going through a renaissance in crime novels, and this is a wonderful addition to the genre.
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