Reviews

The Defenceless, by Kati Hiekkapelto, David Hackston

kgraham10's review against another edition

3.0

Interesting characters -- Anna and Esko. While I enjoyed reading about their lives, the mystery was not well developed or plotted.

chrispyschaller's review against another edition

3.0

Steady character development from Fekete Anna and friends, but the mystery is almost too cheaply upended with a twist.

thebooktrail88's review against another edition

4.0

Finland has many different sides to it that most of us will never see….

Visit the locations in the book: Defenceless booktrail

Who would have thought that one apartment building in the centre of a Finnish city could be so ‘varied’? A microcosm of so many nationalities, society problems and a haven of the city’s underbelly.

The issues which result from this apartment, from this city are made up of various issues which live side by side in this cramped and cold world. Issues such as cultural dislocation – where a person is forced to leave their entire world, their life and some part of their identity behind in order to start a new life, to escape religious or some other kind of persecution.

This is a crime novel with a difference. Not your typical Nordic Noir as it is much more multilayered and complex which elevates it to a whole new level. The characters and setting from the Hummingbird are back but this is a whole new meaning of the word ‘ underbelly’

Anna is a fascinating character. Where does she fit it and how can she settle in Finland when her own identity and that of her country keeps changing. Even the name of the country continues to change. Such a background gives her empathy and understanding but a whole other set of problems which I found very interesting. Just how do you work to help people like Sammy and solve crimes when your own story is just as tangled?

The problems faced by Finland are of course problems which cross borders and these are all very topical subjects at the moment which makes this novel particularly timely.

Anna has some tough issues to deal with – alcohol being one of the most confused – for her own brother returns to Hungary and her role of helping Gabriella and Sammy are fraught with conflict.

Immigrants and drug gangs, not to mention the cold and biting weather makes for one heck of a backdrop to a complex and ultimately satisfying read.

catwithbooks's review against another edition

2.0

Anna Feketes neuer Fall stellt sich als äußerst verzwickt da. Ein alter Mann stirbt bei einem Autounfall, aber wie er auf die Fahrbahn gelangt ist weiss keiner. Auch wird er nicht vermisst oder hat Papiere bei sich. Es folgt dann noch der Tod eines drogenabhängigen Dealers. Und im Wald finden Kinder einen blutigen Schauplatz, aber es gibt keine Leiche. Dann gibt es noch Sammy ein Flüchtling aus Pakistan und den Club Black Cobra, die sich versuchen ihre Geschäfte zu machen. Lauter lose Enden, die Anna und ihre Kollegen zu einer Lösung finden müssen.

Band zwei ist um einiges schwächer als Kolibri. An sich finde ich es gut wenn man etwas Privatleben von seinen Charakteren mitbekommt, doch diesmal habe ich das Gefühl dass zwei Drittel des Buches davon handeln und die Fälle eher Nebenschauplatz sind. Die vielen verschiedenen Erzählstränge sind Anfangs sehr undurchsichtig und es dauert bis sich alles fügt. Mit dem Flüchtlingsthema, hat die Autorin ein sehr aktuelles Thema mit eingefügt. Doch leider empfinde ich Flüchtlinge als sehr Klischeehaft dargestellt, was ich sehr schade finde.
Für einen Thriller fehlt eindeutig etwas an Spannung was ich sehr schade fand.
Sprach- und Schreibstil haben mir wie im ersten Teil gefallen. Nicht zu lasche Beschreibungen und Angaben haben wenigsten eine ordentliche Bildhaftigkeit wieder gegeben.
Leider nicht so gut wie Band 1.

bucherca49's review against another edition

4.0

I like the way the author engages with social problems without sounding pedantic and without taking away from the plot. The characters are interesting, if not always likeable. Anna Fekete is a complex and interesting character, an immigrant who speaks flawless Finnish, but who is caught between the country where she was born and the country in which she has lived since she was a young child.

bhavani's review against another edition

2.0

I feel like I'm on a permanent quest to find a Scandinavian novel to match or even rival The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Unfortunately, I haven't found that book. The Defenceless started off well with its multiple viewpoints, dark early spring days, and numerous dead/missing individuals. But along the way, the story totally fizzled out.

meggyroussel's review against another edition

4.0

The Defenceless was another cover love. I was appealed by the road, the mystery of it, and the cold that seemed to irradiate from the colors. Once again, my gut did not let me down!

A nordic investigation again? Well, weirdly, I am not getting tired of them, as every story I have read so far had an original and refreshing tone to it. The Defenceless is no exception. But I would not categorize this story as only a crime book because there is so much more going on that dead bodies and police cars rushing through town.

I first fall for the writing. Distant but true, cold but spot-on, raw but realistic. The author expresses feelings in a very particular way, she shows her readers things just as they are, without sugarcoating, whether it be characters' feelings or the country's issues. Every word followed the other in a perfect dance that pictured the world as it is and this amazing prose touched me more than lots of flowery or metaphorical writings. The narration is powerful enough to be self-sufficient and efficient. My thanks and congratulations to David Hackston for such great translation.

Society needed the drunk, the obese, the depressed, as examples to the rest of us and to provide statistics with which to frighten people.

Anna Fekete, the main character, is a mystery to me. Anna is a complicated character, she has a very down-to-Earth behavior and a thick shell to protect herself, and not only from the cold. I was fascinated by the way she saw the world around her. As an Hungarian-born now Finnish citizen, her point of view on things was different from what I had ever read before, and the author skillfully added the layer of where you home lays when you have been uprooted and replanted somewhere else. Her feelings about countries, the forces behind why people moved, the differences between nationalities and the issues stemming from this were discussed in a very clever way, and I could feel Anna's longing for her home country while her place was in Finland. It's a very special feeling and I loved that it played a part in the story.

This was the power of words, she thought – the link between our native language and how we understand the world.

Directly linked to this was the subject of immigration. I never expected it to be so present and actual. I have never traveled to Finland and I don't know how things are over there but this is an issue that is at the heart of our societies these days and I felt the author had done a great job portraying what it is like for the population, citizens and newly arrived people.

Language is only an image of what is happening inside us, he thought, of what we observe around us, but those images are universal.

The author intertwined it with the investigation, or should I say investigations, giving us a strong, multi-layered, photograph of the story, the moment, and it only made things feel more authentic. Racism, illegal immigration and what it brings with it, drugs, you have it all. It could have made the story too heavy or confusing, but The Defenceless never falls into the pit of info-dumping, lose ends and subplots lost in the pages. The book is a perfectly executed music score.

The investigation itself is at the center of everything and you are handled many threats that don't seem to be related at first, but when everything comes to place, it clicks and makes you think “Yes! That's it.” I need to mention the attention to details, especially with the forensics, as I'm a sucker for real time frames and special teams trained for it, instead of having main characters handle everything themselves, making me roll my eyes and consider giving up on the book!

Section by section, scene by scene, they pieced together the events of this tragedy without seeing its protagonists.

The cases are disturbing, one question leading to another, one hint making it harder to figure out what is going on, making tension ratchet up with every new detail, blurring the lines of what is wrong, what is the best thing to do, and what is really happening. I was stuck in the middle of a web I couldn't make sense of, and it felt so good to just let myself be driven my the case and the protagonists.

Perhaps youth could conceal sorrow more effectively than any foundation cream.

Just as the investigations are the driving force behind all subplots, secondary characters are exceptionally well-crafted and an essential part of the story. You won't like them all. The author has a knack for creating a very diverse and complex cast of people who will push your buttons, make you change your mind, think twice about their reasons, motivations, and situations.

Overall, The Defenceless is a deep analysis of society forced by a strong and chilling case with more twists than you can hope for. I'm looking forward to reading more from the author!

I would like to thank Karen Sullivan for providing me with a copy of this book. This unbiased review is my thanks to her and the author.

raven88's review against another edition

4.0

The real stand-out feature of this book is the strength and balance of Hiekkapelto’s plotting, as the narrative pivots between the seemingly disparate plots of two missing elderly people, a dead drug dealer, the insidious rise of motorcycle gang culture, and the truly heart-rending tale of a young man trying to survive the inhospitable climate, both social and meteorological, as an illegal immigrant in Finland. It is a testament to the assured and wholly convincing writing style of Hiekkapelto that all of these contrasting sub-plots are so beautifully balanced, as in the hands of a lesser writer the links between them may not have been so authentically achieved. Consequently, Hiekkapelto also perfectly times some unexpected reveals, with at least two of these criminal cases being solved very late on in the book, having already put her readers through the emotional ringer of the initial investigations. In true Scandinavian style, and very reminiscent of the brilliant Swedish duo Roslund-Hellstrom, Hiekkapelto also unflinchingly turns her gaze on the socio-economic climate of Finland, particularly in relation to the story of Sammy, the young illegal immigrant, and the traumatic events that have brought him to Europe. This arc of the story powerfully evolves over the course of the book, and as Sammy becomes more deeply mired in the criminal investigation, Hiekkapelto subtly shapes our perception of him, and the uncertain future he faces. Likewise, Hiekkapelto presents for our dubious pleasure a damning indictment on the gang and drug culture that seeks to ensnare and overpower not only impressionable youths, but their insidious effect on respectable members of the community who come into contact with them. It’s a fairly bleak vision of modern society but unerringly truthful.

And so to Hiekkapelto’s central character, Anna Fekete, who combines the elements of silk and steel in equal measure. A focused, highly professional police officer, and meticulous in her approach to the cases she faces, with a sharp and naturally inquisitive mind. Being an outsider herself, due to her Hungarian background, she has a natural affinity to those on the outer reaches of Finnish society, and thus a fairer view of the immigration issues. She’s fairly well-respected, and for the most part enjoys a comfortable relationship with her colleagues, but in true crime fiction style she has two Achilles heels. One is her irresponsible, alcoholic brother Akos, and the other, her exceptionally misguided choices of romantic entanglements, which leads to much self-recrimination and sleepless nights. For the most part, I didn’t particularly feel the need for the latter, as her life experience as a non-native Finn, her relationship with her brother, and the very nature of her profession, provided more than enough points of interest. But I concede it is always nice to poke at useless men with a sharp stick. Talking of useless men, I must mention my favourite character, detective Esko Niemi, who on paper is one of the most objectionable, casually racist and misogynistic characters ever to grace crime fiction- I loved him. With each foolhardy pronouncement, cutting comment or insensitive reaction, he endeared himself to me even more, exposing his charmless self, and blinkered idiocy at every turn. Except, more importantly, when it really matters- when he has to think on his feet to protect himself or his colleagues, or when certain chickens come home to roost and we see the man behind the mask of stupidity. Brilliantly done, and another stand-out feature of this gripping slice of Scandi-noir. Can thoroughly recommend this one.

lostinthelibrary's review

4.0

A step up

I enjoyed the first book of this series but this is a real step up. They managed to maintain the themes of immigration and belonging but this time the main mystery of the story was also intriguing.

I liked getting more of Esko's perspective although I think it will be very difficult to redeem him.

I also found the translation a lot smoother although I'm still having a bit of a problem with some of the names. Listening to this on audio helped with that.

A great Nordic Noir with some fantastic characters.

jackielaw's review

5.0

The Defenceless, by Kati Hiekkapelto (translated by David Hackston) was perfect reading for a weekend when the media was overrun by privileged Europeans wringing their hands over what to do about an influx of desperate refugees seeking sanctuary, yet wary of upsetting their own comfortable lives. This is the second in a series of crime thrillers featuring investigator Anna Fekete, who herself fled a warzone as a child. Set in Finland the tale is as dark and challenging as the Scandinavian weather.

The reader is introduced to Sammy, a Pakistani Christian who was smuggled into Finland alongside the heroin grown to “feed the hungry veins of Western Europeans”. We learn that he too is an addict, hiding from the authorities since his application for asylum was rejected. We meet Macke, the small time dealer from whom Sammy buys his regular fix, and witness the death of the first of the story’s victims. Vilho, an old man and a neighbour, enters Macke’s apartment to complain of loud music, and suffers a violent end.

The author makes no attempt to present the growing number of refugees in this cold, Finnish town as upstanding members of the community; they include criminals and addicts. There are also those who are highly educated and wish to work but cannot make use of their superior skills until granted asylum, a process which can take many years spent eking out a living with whatever menial jobs they can find, the constant threat of deportation hanging over them.

Senior Constable Anna Fekete and her work partner, Esko Niemi, have their own problems with addiction, to alcohol and nicotine. When Vilho’s body is found, hit by a car driven by the economic migrant, Gabriella, the first thing to rule out is if she was drunk or high whilst driving. I pondered how the reader would feel towards this pale skinned, young women had she been found to be temporarily impaired; how this would contrast with the dismissal of the dark haired and dark skinned asylum seekers whom Esko wishes to send home, even if to their deaths, rather than have them feeding their habits on ‘his’ streets.

Such comparisons run through the various threads of the story adding depth and challenging reader perceptions. The futility of such nationalistic attitudes is highlighted in Anna’s musings on her beloved grandmother:

“Grandma, that dear, wonderful, wise, warm-hearted lady who had never once moved house, but who had still lived in five different states. The borders moved, rulers came and went, names changed and maps were redrawn”

Anna and Esko have more than just the death of an old man and a few illegal immigrants to deal with. As their investigations progress a blood stained knife is found in woodland and an elderly woman, living in the same apartment complex as Vilho and Macke, is reported missing. Their boss at the Violent Crimes Unit, Chief Inspector Pertti Virkkunen, is also concerned with wider issues. Intelligence reports suggest that a powerful crime syndicate, calling themselves the Black Cobra’s, are trying to establish themselves in Finland and could ignite a turf war with the resident Hell’s Angels. He believes that the drug dealers in Anna’s case may be linked to this bigger problem.

There are numerous plot lines to follow: the treatment of legal and illegal immigrants; the impact of small and big time criminal gangs; Anna’s disquiet about Gabriella; the relationships that adult children have with their relatives. The author throws in such asides as how distasteful some find the idea of geriatric sex, and how fearful a consumerist society is of oil supplies running out despite the fact that man lived without it for centuries.

Alongside all of this Anna must deal with the casual racism and misogyny of her colleagues. She is lonely with her family far away but eschews a relationship as the men she meets wish to turn her into their idea of what a woman should be. There is darkness but also humour. I shivered in the raw landscape, felt wary of the brooding woods. Esko may not have been likeable but I empathised with his pain.

The best crime fiction offers so much more than the solving of crimes. This book offers a twisting and turning plot presented within a raw and tightly written narrative. It also takes the reader inside the heads of every character, enabling them to see their world anew.

A powerful and captivating read that I did not wish to put down so finished in a day. I will be absorbing the thoughts elicited for much longer.

My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Orenda Books.