This is Helsinki, March 1953. An unusually long and cold winter,
everywhere frozen sea, ice-covered lakes and rivers. In a port city
flooded with refugees, who cares if a young woman goes missing? An
up-and-coming inspector who views this as an opportunity to advance his
career. A heartbroken PI with a score to settle. They have yet to
discover one thing: the most dangerous lies are those we tell
ourselves.
It all begins when Nellie, a prostitute working in a high-end brothel is
found floating upside down in Helsinki Harbor. Not exactly a high
priority case for the Helsinki police, so homicide chief Jokela passes
the job to his former colleague Hella. It's beginning to look like a
serial killer is at work when Elena, another lady of the night, narrowly
escapes being driven into the harbor by her 19-year-old john. Problem
was he had handcuffed her in the car. And to add further excitement to
Hella's life, the madam is soon found dead in the garden outside the
brothel.
What begins like a taut whodunit turns into something more tantalizing
and psychological as Hella investigates different suspects, including
Steve, the US DJ and love of her life, reluctant to leave his wife for
Hella, and the fascinating Inspector Mustonen, charismatic, ambitious
and trying desperately to live up to the standards of his high
maintenance wife.
There are dark powers at play, as well as lighter passages, particularly
those involving Anita, voluptuous but savvy, freshly arrived from
Lapland to join the Helsinki police force, a most unwanted roommate for
Hella. Sadly she too ends up in deep trouble, in a satisfying denouement
of twists and turns.