Before the Polar Night Falls - Elina Ahlback Literary Agency – One of the leading Nordic literary agencies

Original title: Ennen kuin tulee pimeää

Author: Elina Backman

Published: 2022

Publisher: Otava

Genre: Crime & Suspense

Pages: 416

Part of a series: Saana Havas series

Reading material:

English sample and synopsis, German edition

The past and the present intertwine in this arresting novel with unforgettable characters – Book 3 in internationally bestselling and award-winning crime series by Elina Backman, sold to 17 territories!

A woman working for a law firm approaches Saana Havas to help with the mystery of her sister’s death. Her sister was found dead in a swamp near the Angeli village in Northern Lapland in 1998, and the murderer has never been caught. The police have given up on the case, no witnesses were ever found in the area of Lapland that covers hundreds of kilometers.

Saana promises to help her and receives all the material the client has collected. Part of this is a manuscript the woman wrote when investigating the case herself years ago. Saana travels to the North and investigates as the winter and polar night keeps creeping closer.

Though part of the Saana Havas series, it’s not necessary to have read the previous installments in the series.

“The author has concocted a pair of highly engaging investigators: Saana is an energetic, intelligent woman; Jan, a reserved detective who drowns in his work. With this whodunit perfect for summer, Finland won't seem so peaceful anymore!”

– Page des Libraires, France

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Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

DENMARK: Gyldendal
GERMANY: Piper
ITALY: Newton Compton Editori
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken

Elina Backman

Elina Backman is an author and a media & marketing professional living in Helsinki. Elina loves books (all sorts), traveling, cycling and is a host of a Book & Wine Club. She is a creative soul with a commercial mind, and her goal is to find readers globally.

Her debut novel All the King's Men was published in 2020 and immediately gained an enormous amount of attention from the Finnish media, including a praising review by the biggest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The Saana Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 100 000 copies in Finland.

Together with Heidi Holmavuo, Elina has also narrated the true crime podcast Ratkaisematon (Unsolved), which turned into a full-length audio book as the two crime writers started investigating the murder of a young girl in 1955. They were able to uncover new evidence and their research led the police to reopen the investigation. This story is narrated in the book Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo.

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