Loukko by 
This week marks the publication of the 13th entry in author Leena Lehtolainen’s beloved Maria Kallio crime series, A Stroke of Sadness (Surunpotku, Tammi 2015). We wish Leena our warmest congratulations!
The Maria Kallio series, which follows the career of a tough, down-to-earth and emotionally intelligent police officer, began in 1993 with My First Murder (Tammi).
Awaited by fans, A Stroke of Sadness has already received compliments from readers and critics. Rights have been acquired in Germany by Rowohlt. Altogether rights to Leena Lehtolainen’s works have been sold in 29 languages.
“Lehtolainen’s books have always had an element of social commentary…A Stroke of Sadness is a novel in which change is in the air and uncertainty breathes down the characters’ necks. In the end there are tears – for many reasons. It’s the kind of cliffhanger that makes one await for the next Maria Kallio title.”
– Turun Sanomat newspaper, Finland
A Stroke of Sadness finds police officer Maria Kallio inspecting the murder of jewelry expert Jaakko Pulma. The victim’s lost phone soon begins to send out threatening messages, and Kallio and her colleagues receive tips of a money laundering operation. Buried in Pulma’s family history is evidence of blackmail and an accident that turns out to not have been one at all.
“While writing I thought about the way in which living in the shadow of an unsolved crime affects a person,” Lehtolainen said in an interview with Iltalehti newspaper.
In the United States AmazonCrossing published Snow Woman (Tammi 1996), the fourth book in the Maria Kallio series, in December of 2014. Books 1-3 are also available in English from AmazonCrossing.
RIGHTS SOLD
The Maria Kallio series:
Original publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
WORLD ENGLISH, AmazonCrossing
BRAZIL, Autentica
DENMARK, Bazar
ESTONIA, Pegasus
FRANCE, Gaia
GERMANY, Rowohlt
GREECE, Livani
HUNGARY, Animus
ISRAEL, Penn
JAPAN, Tokyo Sogensha
LATVIA, Zvaigzne
NORWAY, Bazar
POLAND, Rebis
RUSSIA, Ast
SPAIN, Destino
SWEDEN, Bazar
TAIWAN, Linking
TURKEY, Bizim Kitaplar
TV RIGHTS, Studio Hamburg
RIGHTS SOLD
The Bodyguard Trilogy:
Original publisher: FINLAND, Tammi
WORLD ENGLISH, Amazon
ARMENIA, Guitank
CZECH, Argo
FRANCE, Hachette Livre
GERMANY, Rowohlt
NETHERLANDS, Unieboek | Het Spectrum
RUSSIA, Azbooka-Atticus
SPAIN, Destino
TAIWAN, Linking
TURKEY, Nemesis
Contact: info@ahlbackagency.com
