Author: Anu Ojala
Finnish original: Jääsilkkitie
Publisher: Like, 2021
Genre: crime fiction
Number of pages: 302 pp.
Reading material: Finnish original, English sample, English synopsis
Shock therapy by a new Finnish thriller author, on Arctic drug war and hybrid warfare.
Twin cities Tornio-Haaparanda, on the Swedish-Finnish border, have been plagued by a crime wave which keeps claiming new victims. Lapland Police inspector Ronja Jentzch investigates murders that lead to the trail of a dangerous synthetic drug. While police are fighting a helpless battle, unexpected connections to higher instances begin to come to daylight. As frozen sea brings deadly substances over to seemingly calm and safe communities, cases of inhumane cruelty, despair-driven crimes, and international meddling become a daily challenge for Jentzsch and her team. Revered by readers, the series brings to light the long-silenced truth about the rise of international drug crime in northern Finland.
In Silk Road North (2021), inspector Ronja Jentzsch and her partner, Janne, are called to investigate a murder of a young man. The crime is followed by a series of similarly brutal murders, while at the same time, a sudden wave of fentanyl overdoses sweep across the area. Meanwhile, border customs officer Kristian, suffering in a violent, abusive relationship, stumbles upon a solution to all his problems. The two storylines eventually intertwine in a heart-pounding thriller, whose twists and turns bring up Lapland’s most unexpected sides.
About the author
Anu Ojala