The Hummingbird - by Kati Hiekkapelto (Paperback)

About the Book

"Anna Fekete, who fled the Yugoslavian wars as a child, has a past. Just beginning her career as a criminal investigator in a northern Finnish coastal town, she is thrust into a high-profile, seemingly unsolvable case that has riveted the nation. It doesn't help that her middle-aged new partner Esko doesn't bother hiding his racist prejudices, and Anna becomes the target of a systematic campaign to unsettle her. A young woman has been killed on a running trail, and a pendant depicting an Aztec god has been found in her possession. Another murder soon follows. All signs point to a serial killer, but can Anna catch the Hummingbird before he--or she--strikes again? And at what personal cost?"--Page 4 of cover.

Book Synopsis

Shortlisted for the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel

Anna Fekete, who fled the Yugoslavian wars as a child, has just started working as a criminal investigator in a northern Finnish coastal town, when she is thrust into a rolling murder investigation. It doesn't help that her new partner, Esko, doesn't bother hiding his racist prejudices.

Anna's work as a criminal investigator barely gets off the ground before she is thrust into a case that has riveted the nation. A young woman has been killed on a running trail, and a pendant depicting an Aztec god has been found in her possession. Another murder soon follows. All signs point to a serial killer. But can Anna catch the Hummingbird before he - or she - strikes again?

Translated from the Finnish by David Hackston

Review Quotes

"Exceptionally well written and deftly crafted with a profusion of unexpected twists and turns." -- The Midwest Book Review "The Midwest Book Review"

"A beautifully written and many-layered mystery novel that illuminates the dangers of prejudice, while still providing a major thrill ride." -- Mystery Scene Magazine "Mystery Scene Magazine"

"Heikkapelto's brooding debut, a large-scale police procedural set in a small Finnish town. . . Promises tough and powerful crime fiction to come." -- Publishers Weekly "Publishers Weekly"

About the Author

Kati Hiekkapelto was born in 1970 in Oulu, Finland. She wrote her first stories at the age of two and recorded them on cassette tapes. Kati has studied Fine Arts in Liminka Art School and Special Education at the University of Jyväskylä. Kati is an international crime writer, punk singer and performance artist. Her Anna Fekete series, including The Hummingbird, The Defenceless and The Exiled, have been translated into fifteen languages. The Hummingbird, The Defenceless and The Exiled were shortlisted for the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel, and The Defenceless won the prize for the best Finnish Crime Novel of the Year in 2014, and was shortlisted for the prestigious Glass Key Award. Kati currently lives in northern Finland.