Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction?
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Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late…
Absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly poignant and full of nail-biting suspense, The Moose Paradox is the second instalment in the critically acclaimed, pitch-perfect Rabbit Factor Trilogy and things are messier than ever…
I'm thrilled to be hosting the blog tour for The Moose Paradox today, huge thanks to Antti Tuomainen, Orenda Books and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for sending me an advance copy of the novel.
I noted in my review for The Rabbit Factor that we all need more Henri Koskinen in our lives and he makes a very welcome return in Antti Tuomainen's latest slice of dark absurdity. This time it's a moose rather than a rabbit taking centre stage but with even more of the love, death and insurance mathematics that made The Rabbit Factor such a wonderfully memorable read, The Moose Paradox is another complete joy from the author described by The Times as 'the funniest writer in Europe'.
Henri surely deserves a well-earned break after his recent tumultuous experiences which turned his previously ordered life upside down. The financial situation at the YouMeFun adventure park may still be challenging and Henri has had to cut expenditure and lowered his own salary to zero but he remains optimistic. He observes that mathematics saved his life both figuratively and literally and now takes great delight in going through the beautifully flowing rows of an Excel spreadsheet. His sense of peace is soon shattered, however and this opening chapter sees him forced to react to a most unexpected development. I wish I could tell you more about what happens here but the madcap inventiveness of what transpires needs to be discovered by each reader themselves; it is an utterly wonderful scene that genuinely made me laugh out loud.
Henri's life quickly spirals out of control and the return of a face from his past only exacerbates the trying circumstances he finds himself in. The black humour in Antti Tuomainen's books works so well because he never fails to engender a very real sense of danger too. Poor Henri really is in trouble in The Moose Paradox; the aggressive, opportunistic suppliers and avaricious investor threatening to seize the adventure park he has inexplicably come to love may be exaggerated for comic effect but their intentions are only too believable. The attempted hostile takeover of a small business means the twists and turns of the ingeniously plotted storyline are as tense as they are witty.
Happily, not everything in Henri's world is so turbulent and his rather tender love affair with artist Laura Helanto allows him to experience the less predictable aspects of life – although Henri being Henri he still tries to apply mathematical principles to even the most intimate of encounters. There is something enchantingly naïve about Henri but Antti Tuomainen never mocks his protagonist and he proves to have a resolutely cunning side to his personality too.
No review of a translated novel should ignore the work of the person who brings books such as this to an English-speaking audience and my thanks go to David Hackston who captures Antti Tuomainen's unique voice so perfectly. From the sugary delights served in the Curly Cake Café to the perils of the Crocodile Canyon and Duck Tunnel, the promised joys of the Moose Chute and even the unfortunate deaths, everything is described in glorious technicolour detail. With its larger-than-life characters and multi-layered storyline which so effortlessly switches between light and dark, The Moose Paradox has all thrills and chills as well as the engaging warmth and wit I've come to love from this most exceptional of authors. It's an absolute treat from start to finish, I highly recommend it.
The Moose Paradox is published by Orenda Books and can be purchased from their website, bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones and Amazon but please support independent bookshops whenever possible.
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