MY FIRST MURDER by LEENA LEHTOLAINEN

"こういうわけだったのだなと、本作で合点がいったことがあったりしたが、それはそれでおもしろかった。
Mariaはこのエピソードでは警察官（期限付き）で、飲んだくれの頼りない上司にかわって殺人事件解決に敏腕をふるう。EFSAS合唱団の団員Tommiが殺された。容疑者は他の団員７人。その中にはMariaの大学の友人もいた。ここでもMariaは単に捜査官としてだけでなく、Maria　Kallioという一個人として容疑者たちの思惑のなかにまるごと巻き込まれていく。Tommiが無類の女たらしで周囲の女性たちのほとんどを弄び傷つけ、さらにいんちきな酒造販売や麻薬密輸、売春にもかかわっていたことが次第に明らかになっていき、Mariaも関係者たちとともに惑う。犯人を突き止めた時、Mariaも傷つく.."

"フィンランド旅行の前に買いました。旅行後にも読み続けているのですが、ヘルシンキやフィンランドの様子がなんとなく伝わり、現地の人の名前が身近に感じます。内容は、読みやすいサスペンスミステリーで、英語でも分かりやすいです"

"I went into this book with no preconceived opinions as I've never read her before. I found the names hard to keep up with and kept a list. It was only at the end of the book that I discovered the glossary of names at the back. Shortcomings of ebooks. I was delighted to learn common endings of Finnish names - most ending in nin or nen. I guessed who done it about 5/8 of the way through; not bad. I felt myself wanting to read more to find out what happens. I didnt think I was going to like this book very much but after I finished it I really missed reading about the characters, the choir and others. The protagonist who was investigating her first murder seemed naive. She didn't seem a super sleuth; more like a struggling beginner with no real mentor. Having the book in my thoughts, the characters in my mind, and strong feelings of regret not to have more, must mean that I enjoyed it. I would like now to buy the future installments of Leena's Maria Kallio series..."

핀란드 작가의 작품을 영어로 번역한 책이다. 글의 구성이나 문장이 비교적 무난해서 읽기에 쉽다. 다만 내용이 신선하다고는 말하기 힘든거 같고 핀라드가 배경이어서 그런지 작품에 등장하는 인물들의 이름등이 생소하다. 그래서 인지 책의 뒷 부분에 친절하게 등장인물들에 대해서 설명을 해주고 있다. 아무튼 집중하는데 어려운 점도 있지만 좀처럼 만나기 힘든 핀란드 작가를 만났다는 점은 좋은 기회였다.