{"product_id":"the-winter-job-9781917764346","title":"The Winter Job","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA desperate father's Christmas promise sparks a wild Finnish road trip involving an antique sofa, unexpected passengers and danger ... A darkly humorous and warmly touching suspense novel about friendship, love and death, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Winter Job\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e flies at 120 kilometres an hour straight into the darkest heart of a Finnish winter night.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e***WINNER OF THE CWA CRIME IN TRANSLATION DAGGER***\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Another wonderfully lean slice of European noir by one of its finest exponents. As darkly fun as any Coen brothers' offering  \u003cb\u003eVaseem Khan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The king of the humorous crime caper  \u003cb\u003eAbir Mukherjee\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e With echoes of writers such as Christopher Brookmyre and Carl Hiassen, this is delicious stuff, expertly juggling dark humour and quirky characterisation against the backdrop of a frigid northern landscape  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e A quirky, murderous road trip ... Imagine blending a Donald Westlake comic mishap caper with some famous Nordic levity, and you might have something like \u003ci\u003eThe Winter Job  \u003cb\u003eIrish Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe NEW standalone darkly funny, poignant and uber-tense thriller from  The funniest writer in Europe  (\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eFargo\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e meets Carl Hiassen and Fredrik Backman ... via the Coen Brothers\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e____\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSofas, secrets and a snowbound road to trouble...\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHelsinki, 1982. Recently divorced postal worker Ilmari Nieminen has promised his daughter a piano for Christmas, but with six days to go - and no money - he's desperate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA last-minute job offers a solution: transport a valuable antique sofa to Kilpisjärvi, the northernmost town in Finland.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith the sofa secured in the back of his van, Ilmari stops at a gas station, and an old friend turns up, offering to fix his faulty wipers, on the condition that he tags along. Soon after, a persistent Saab 96 appears in the rearview mirror. And then a bright-yellow Lada.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat's when Ilmari realises that he is transporting something truly special.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd that's when Ilmari realises he might be in serious trouble...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA darkly funny and unexpectedly moving thriller about friendship, love and death - \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Winter Job\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e tears through the frozen landscape of northern Finland in a beat-up van with bad steering, worse timing, and everything to lose...\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e____\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e A madcap chase through a bleak winter landscape ... damn hilarious and Tuomainen's dark humour is displayed at its best in what must surely be the best road movie of the year  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eCrimeTime\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This suspenseful tale of a desperate father's journey across the frozen landscape is filled with Tuomainen's trademark dark wit and unexpected thrills. Another winner  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eCulturefly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e It may seem hard to find good comic crime-writers, but clearly we haven't been looking in Finland  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTelegraph\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Are you ready for the latest dose of dark humour, clever plotting, great characterisation and touching insights into the human soul? ... A joy to read  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNordic Lighthouse\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Humour drier than a desert snake's belly  \u003cb\u003eIan Moore\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e You don't expect to laugh when you're reading about terrible crimes, but that's what you'll do when you pick up one of Tuomainen's decidedly quirky thrillers  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Laconic, thrilling and warmly human  \u003cb\u003eChristopher Brookmyre\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Right up there with the best  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Finland's greatest export  \u003cb\u003eM.J. Arlidge\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e A refreshing change from the decidedly gloomier crime fiction for which Scandinavia is known  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Charming, funny and clever  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eLiterary Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Thrilling and hilarious  \u003cb\u003eLiz Nugent\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e A delight from start to finish  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBig Issue\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Tuomainen has a talent for creating offbeat characters that you can't help rooting for  \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eGuardian\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Orenda Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781917764346\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 276","brand":"Antti Tuomainen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53458857394357,"sku":"9781917764346","price":14.44,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/9781917764346.jpg?v=1791297428","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-winter-job-9781917764346","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}