LAND OF SERPENTS by Eeva Louko sold to Estonia!

We are happy to announce that the Estonian rights for LAND OF SERPENTS (Käärmeiden maa), the second title in the Ronja Vaara crime novel series by Eeva Louko, published in Finland in January 2023 by Otava, have been acquired by Hea Lugu! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

In the second book of the series, a woman is found dead on Serpent Isle, just next to Isle of Bliss, poisoned by strychnine. Just a few days later, a similar murder takes place at a wedding on Isle of Bliss, leading the residents of the island to suspect that a serial killer is terrorizing their neighborhood. Police detective Anton Koivu starts to investigate, as does Ronja Vaara, now living on Isle of Bliss and working at a local newspaper.

LAND OF SERPENTS has also received its very first praises, such as the following:
“[—] the resolution of the events remained well-hidden until the very last meters. The reader is shown only small, indefinite puzzle pieces at a time. Sometimes, wrong pieces are flashed and then retracted. [—] The plot was suitably twisty and, in many places, surprising. [—] This was a fine crime novel with a plot that gripped and carried well all the way to the end. The setting was relatable, yet not too detailed. The narration was clear and thrilling. The array of characters was appropriately varied and one could set oneself quite deep in their shoes.“
– Aarne Pohjois-Koivisto, Mesta.net

Eeva Louko’s debut novel MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS, published in Finland in January 2022, has been a critical and commercial success, with more than 15,000 copies sold!
The rights for the title have already been sold to 5 territories (Finland, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Poland) and are available in all other territories.

Download the English materials for MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS and LAND OF SERPENTS here!

Land of Serpents

Eeva Louko

Death by poison and the possibility of a serial killer shake the community and the personal relationships within

A woman’s body is found on a small island near the Isle of Bliss. A few days later, another woman collapses and dies at a high-society wedding on the isle. Anton Koivu begins to investigate the cases with his partner Oona Laine. Is there a serial killer on the loose, or why do these murders resemble each other so much?

Ronja tries to get accustomed to being back in Finland and starts as a journalist at the local newspaper whilst also searching for her secret sibling. Ronja learns of the recent deaths and gets irrevocably mixed up with the police investigations. Ghosts of the past begin to appear… How is Anton’s long-lost sister Aurora related to the investigation? And what happened to her on a heated summer’s night twenty years ago?

Murder on the Isle of Bliss

Eeva Louko

Father found dead by the shore. A community where everyone knows everyone. Secrets of the past. Will the answers be found before it is too late?

After living abroad for many years, thirty-something Ronja returns to her childhood home on Isle of Bliss, Helsinki after her father is found murdered by the seaside. Welcoming her back are a group of old friends whom it’s both comforting and painful to see again, and the young police officer assigned to the case who does not seem to be doing his work properly.

Unsatisfied with the police, Ronja decides to start investigating the background of her distant father. In the process she uncovers the old secrets of the community that have been kept under wraps until now, and puts her own life on the line. When everyone knows everyone, each person becomes a suspect.