Henri Koskinen, intrepid insurance mathematician and adventure-park entrepreneur, firmly believes in the power of common sense and order. That is until he moves in with painter Laura Helanto and her daughter…
As Henri realises he has inadvertently become part of a group of local dads, a competing adventure park is seeking to expand their operations, not always sticking to the law in the process…
Is it possible to combine the increasingly dangerous world of the adventure-park business with the unpredictability of life in a blended family? At first glance, the two appear to have only one thing in common: neither deals particularly well with a mounting body count.
In order to solve this seemingly impossible conundrum, Henri is forced to step far beyond the mathematical precision of his comfort zone … and the stakes have never been higher…
Warmly funny, quirky, touching, and a nail-biting triumph of a thriller, The Beaver Theory is the final instalment in the award-winning Rabbit Factor Trilogy, as Henri encounters the biggest challenge of his career, with hair-raising results…
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell
The Beaver Theory by Antti Tuomainen is published in paperback today, 18 July 2024 by Orenda Books. It is translated from the Finnish by David Hackston.
I read and reviewed this one for the hardback publication back in October 2023 and I'm delighted to re-share my review today to celebrate the paperback publication Blog Tour
I have really really enjoyed this magnificent series of books from author Antti Tuomainen. Beginning with The Rabbit Factor, followed by The Moose Paradox, and finishing dramatically, and hilariously (as always) with this gem of a read; The Beaver Theory.
The whole series of books span just nine months in the life of Henri Koskinen, formally a quite boring and rigid insurance actuary, and now the proud, if incredibly stressed owner of an adventure park called YouMeFun, inherited from his brother.
Over the course of the books, the reader has come to know and love Henri so very well, along with his supporting cast of characters; made up of the staff of the adventure park. Henri has had quite a few adventures along the way, but in The Beaver Theory he comes up against some devilish characters who will stop at nothing to put him out of business.
Henri and artist Laura have recently moved in together. They live in a flat with Laura's daughter, and Henri's cat. Henri finds it quite difficult to contemplate that he is now part of a family, this is a happy time for him, but will be marred by the antics of the owners of rival park Somerset City, whilst also dealing with becoming part of a local 'fathers' group. All so new to him, but Henri deals with it in is own special fashion.
I think it took about 7 minutes before I laughed out loud! Tuomainen's dry wit shines through this story, and whilst there are crimes a plenty, some violence, and an eye-watering scene of nudity and a horse whip, there are never ending laughs as Henri strives to make everything right in his world, whilst also protecting his new family, and his staff at YouMeFun.
It could be called slapstick, but I think it's far cleverer than that. It's a crime novel, for sure, but it is populated with warm and wonderfully created characters with a plot that leads the reader around a maze of puzzles, and this is what makes this author so special.
Needless to say, I will miss Henri and his strange little ways. I will also miss the camaraderie of the staff group, and the emerging craziness of the fathers group. I hope Henri and Laura find peace and live happily ever after. Maybe one day Antti Tuomainen will allow his readers to re-visit them, just to find out.
Highly recommended.
Praise for the Beaver Theory
'A joyous, triumphant conclusion to Tuomainen’s trilogy … the comic thriller of the year'
Sunday Times THRILLER OF THE YEAR
‘Quirky crime capers don’t come more left field than the Rabbit trilogy … extremely funny, with a wicked line in social satire’
Daily Mail
‘One of those rare writers who manages to deftly balance intrigue, noir and a deliciously ironic sense of humour’
Vaseem Khan
Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary
debut in 2007 as a suspense author. The critically acclaimed My Brother’s Keeper was published two years later. In 2011, Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for ‘Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011’ and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. The Finnish press labelled The Healer – the story of a writer desperately searching for his missing wife in a post-apocalyptic Helsinki – ‘unputdownable’. Two years later, in 2013, they crowned Tuomainen ‘The King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published.
With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland (2018) was an immense success, with The Times calling Tuomainen ‘the funniest writer in Europe’, and Little Siberia (2019) was shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA International Dagger, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The Rabbit Factor is the first book in Antti’s first-ever series. The Rabbit Factor is also in development to become an Amazon Studios film starring Steve Carell.
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