Chuckle along with this story about a murder

So on the face of it a book about mushroom farmers might seem rather dull, but trust me, The Man Who Dies is far from that. The title itself almost sounds like it should be a spy novel and I guess it is a kind of whodunit.
If you found out you were going to die due to poisoning, what would you do? Would you accept your fate and just enjoy the life you have left, or would you turn detective and try to find out who had done this to you and why? Jaakko Kaunismaa decides to do the latter.
Throughout the book you are taken through events through the perspective of Jaakko. He tries to continue to run his business and stave off the competition that has recently started trading close by, whilst trying to discover the people behind the attack on his life. You really do have to admire how he handles everything even down to securing the loyalty of his staff when it becomes apparent that his rivals are trying to poach them.
I have to say I really loved this book. Listening to it on Audiobook I found I was out for over 1 ½ hrs and 15 chapters in before I even thought to check what the time was. I was easily drawn into the life of Jaakko and his work colleagues and was rooting for him to find out not just who but also the why. Just as he was mentally ticking off the suspects in his head I was doing the same. Despite the fact that it was dealing with the imminent death of someone the story was injected with bouts of humour throughout and as much as I was going ewwww, I was also chuckling.
The book might not be fast paced but there certainly is enough going on to keep you reading to the end. I guess the only question I was left with by then end was about the fate of Viekko the hedgehog.

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1 person found this helpful

Great Scandi Noir

Great story.

Very slow reading pace that I’ve had to listen at 1.25x (I normally listen at normal speed for all my other audible books).

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Finnish crime

Really enjoyed this. Humorous & clever. Twists & turns enough to make it interesting, and so darkly funny.
Surprising who dunnit, with great central character.

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dog walker sussex

Having read great reviews on Amazon, I was so disappointed with the narrator. Gave up!.

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4 people found this helpful

Good

Overall a good book. Decent narration. wasn't blown away by this book but it was an easy listen

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Excellent Scandinavian

This is a great crime novel with gritt, comedy and philosophy in exactly the right mixture.

The narrator does a great job in rendering both Finnish and Japanese names. He adds and deepens the joy of a brilliant story.

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1 person found this helpful

Intriguing story but Finnish words mangled

Slow but intriguing thriller. I enjoyed it but the Finnish place and peoples' names were mangled. For comedy value listen to the mangling of Isoympärikatu, but only for Finnish speakers. I'm afraid the terrible pronunciation jarred, but if you don't speak Finnish then a gently moving thriller with an odd set of twists at the end.

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1 person found this helpful

Innovative thriller with a wry sense of humour

I must admit I thought I had my fill of Scandi Noir after ploughing my way through the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series. This however tempted me in with a very promising storyline. A thriller based around the Finnish Mushroom industry is definitely unusual and when you add a charming and self-deprecating hero who handles the news of his imminent demise with bemusement, you really are in for a refreshing treat. This is a story that keeps you in the dark until the very end and delivers an almost equal quantity of laughs and thrills along the way. People say this reminds them of Fargo and I think they are spot on.
Kris Dyer presents this very well. His voice reminds me of David Mitchell (of Mitchell and Webb) and his natural sparkle is perfect for this material. This I my first book by Antti Toumainen and after this I will be in the market for more. Overall this is a 10/10 from me and a great pleasure to find a new and original author to enjoy.

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8 people found this helpful

Clever, wry and absorbing

A refreshingly original story, told with understated black humour, and beautifully delivered by the narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

A murder with some humour.

Humorous and sometimes irreverent, but never boring, a crime story with a difference that will not disappoint especially if you are not a person who reads the genre all the time, and a breath of fresh air if you do.

A very entertaining read with a good plot and a likeable character that keeps you engaged and smiling.

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7 people found this helpful