Reviews - Älgparadoxen | The StoryGraph

“Henri, you are - “
“Different. For your information, when I completed my mathematics degree in record time, I heard people say I was different. And when, as an actuary, I was able to calculate things two and a half times quicker and more accurately than anyone in the company’s history, they told me I was different. Maybe I’m different in a different way from how you think.” p33

Finnish Noir is incredibly witty in the hands of author, Antti Toumainen. The Moose Paradox, second book in the Rabbit Factor trilogy, adds a degree of quirkiness to that wit. One might be forgiven for thinking this is a nature series about animals. It is anything but…

Following in the same vein as the first book, The Rabbit Factor, Toumainen takes us on a hair raising ride through the Finnish underbelly that seems to have its tentacles wrapped around the adventure (no not amusement) park industry. How can a company called Toy of Finland seem to have such sinister and criminal intentions?

Henri Koskinen is the unlikely hero of this series and his quirkiness, rigid and rule oriented, methodical approach to running the YouMeFun adventure park underpins this somewhat humourous Noir series. As highlighted in the excerpt above.. Henri is certainly different and it’s this difference that makes this a special read.

The Moose Paradox opens with a left field surprise and like its predecessor, witnesses Henri doing everything in his power to keep YouMeFun afloat and viable. Believe me when I say that a Moose is a factor that is alleged to contribute to this.

This is a fun book , easy to read and Toumainen doesn’t hesitate to highlight the way a variety of personalities working together makes the world turn. 4 stars of light noir.

aitchfrost's review against another edition

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3.0

Bizarre and quirky in places but I felt a little lost in others, like an in joke that I just didn’t ‘get’. I persevered and found enough interest to keep me going but I confess it wasn’t entirely for me.
The premise was interesting, based in the world of an adventure park and the problems regarding the equipment. I quite fancied a go on the ice cream slide and the imagination involved in devising the rides. The dose of crime and mystery thrown in was also a welcome diversion but overall I’m not sure whether I’d wholeheartedly recommend as I feel my friends would also find it a bit marmite and either love or hate it, and probably blame me if it were the latter! Worth a go.

helenfrench's review against another edition

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4.0

The second book in the Rabbit Factor trilogy, The Moose Paradox is another successful dark crime comedy that somehow makes a mathematician running an adventure park both tense and funny. But I'd recommend starting with book one!

It begins when a somewhat unwelcome surprise from the past turns up, triggering a slow burn of upset that puts Henri and the park into peril.

Henri has another problem, too. He desperately wants to buy a 'Moose Chute' to keep his young clientele happy, but its makers - Toy of Finland - will not sell it. Why ever not?

As the series goes on, I am really enjoying the cast of characters who inhabit the park, and I like the romance between Henri and his enigmatic artist friend too. The crime capers work for me too - though occasionally I am surprised at how easily Henri copes with some of the decisions he has to make.

Not quite as strong as the first book in this series, but very close.

cyn75's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

tonybz's review against another edition

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dark funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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