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karinlib's review against another edition
3.0
Although this wasn't my favorite Nordic mystery author (I think Indridason would fit as my favorite author). I enjoyed it well enough that I plan on reading the second book. I realize that the original publication date was 1993, so it does seem a bit dated.
Maria Kallio is assigned her first murder investigation is determined to find the murderer. She is the only woman on the squad, so she has to prove to her male counterparts that she is just as capable as they are.
Maria Kallio is assigned her first murder investigation is determined to find the murderer. She is the only woman on the squad, so she has to prove to her male counterparts that she is just as capable as they are.
rhr's review against another edition
2.0
Ensimmäinen murhani oli sanalla sanoen tylsä. Rikos oli arkinen, eikä minua oikeastaan kiinnostanut lainkaan, kuka tuiki tavallisen uhrin tavallisista kavereista hänet ehkä oli tappanut. Kirjan hahmoissa oli silti jotain aitoa ja tunnistettavaa, ehkä koska Erja Manto loihti niihin hengen lukiessaan äänikirjaversiota. Ehkä vielä joskus kokeilen uudestaan?
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
3.0
The first book in the Maria Kallio series (another Malice Domestic 25 discovery) was an enjoyable read. This series was originally published in Finland in the 1990s but the English translation of the first book was not made available in the U.S. until 2012. As a fan of other Scandinavian crime books, I was intrigued by a Finnish female author's perspective. I was pleasantly surprised by the slyly sarcastic main character and the fact that this wasn't quite as dark and broody as some other series I've read. Don't get me wrong, I like dark and broody…but I also like the option of feeding a Scandinavian fix without having to go totally grim. Kallio, a young female police detective, is assigned to work her first murder case. Despite pointing out that she knows the victim and many of the suspects and is extremely junior, she is put in charge of the investigation and must sort out who the killer is and the motive. As the investigation unfolds, unsavory facts begin to surface and Kallio has to act quickly before the killer strikes again. This is the second book that I've read in this series and am really glad it is being introduced to an English-speaking audience. The "cast of characters" at the end of the book was a handy addition -- this is something that was also included in the other book I read (I won a FirstReads copy of the third one in the series: [b:Copper Heart|18318650|Copper Heart (Maria Kallio #3)|Leena Lehtolainen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377629714s/18318650.jpg|3041548]). This is definitely a series I'll be adding to my mystery series rotation based on the two books I've read so far. I'm looking forward to reading another installment soon to find out how Kallio grows throughout the series.
voguedonut's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
2.0
I like Scandinavian crime novels. The setting and the writing style enhance the genre, and the books that get translated into English are usually good. Of course, now so much is being published that I've also come across a few written and plotted just as sloppily as the worst mass market fiction produced here.
This is the first installment in a Finnish series by Leena Lehtolainen. In it, Maria Kallio is a reluctant homicide detective, having switched to policing partway through a law degree and contemplating returning to it. She's put in charge of what looks to be a fairly simple case when her immediate boss is off work and not due to return soon. Some members of a student choir group went off to spend a weekend together at a summer house and in the morning one of their number is found dead at the edge of the water. Somewhat differently than the usual Scandinavian crime novel, My First Murder is set up like a classic British detective story with a clear group of suspects gathered together in one place. While they do all return to Helsinki, the suspect pool is finite and Kallio is left to discover who the murderer is almost entirely on her own, which of course she does.
I'll confess right here that I find authors like [[Agatha Christie]] boring. I appreciate that they laid the building blocks for the modern crime novel, but I don't find the structure all that interesting. Lehtolainen does an adequate job and her protagonist is likable, if not always believable, but I doubt I'll read any more by her. Incidentally, this structure was used more successfully by another Scandinavian author,
Anne Holt, in 1222.
This is the first installment in a Finnish series by Leena Lehtolainen. In it, Maria Kallio is a reluctant homicide detective, having switched to policing partway through a law degree and contemplating returning to it. She's put in charge of what looks to be a fairly simple case when her immediate boss is off work and not due to return soon. Some members of a student choir group went off to spend a weekend together at a summer house and in the morning one of their number is found dead at the edge of the water. Somewhat differently than the usual Scandinavian crime novel, My First Murder is set up like a classic British detective story with a clear group of suspects gathered together in one place. While they do all return to Helsinki, the suspect pool is finite and Kallio is left to discover who the murderer is almost entirely on her own, which of course she does.
I'll confess right here that I find authors like [[Agatha Christie]] boring. I appreciate that they laid the building blocks for the modern crime novel, but I don't find the structure all that interesting. Lehtolainen does an adequate job and her protagonist is likable, if not always believable, but I doubt I'll read any more by her. Incidentally, this structure was used more successfully by another Scandinavian author,
Anne Holt, in 1222.
janani134's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ennilepo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lisa_holcomb's review against another edition
4.0
Good start
I liked all the descriptions of Finnish musical & choir experience. She was an interesting point of view character as a starting point for the series.
I liked all the descriptions of Finnish musical & choir experience. She was an interesting point of view character as a starting point for the series.