Book Review: Lumikki Andersson Series by Salla Simukka

* I am reviewing this series which I was gifted for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. *

Title: Lummiki Andersson Series 

Author: Salla Simukka 

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Source: Bought & Netgalley

(Amazon|Goodreads)

Book Summary:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Six of Crows--this international bestseller is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that chills to the bone, and not just because of the icy winter setting.

Lumikki Andersson has made it a rule to stay out of things that do not involve her. She knows all too well that trouble comes to those who stick their nose where it doesn't belong. But Lumikki's rule is put to the test when she uncovers thousands of washed Euro notes hung to dry in her school's darkroom and three of her classmates with blood on their hands. Literally.

A web of lies and deception now has Lumikki on the run from those determined to get the money back--no matter the cost. At the center of the chaos: Polar Bear, the mythical drug lord who has managed to remain anonymous despite his lavish parties and notorious reputation. If Lumikki hopes to make it out alive, she'll have to uncover the entire operation.

Even the cold Finnish winter can't hide a culprit determined to stain the streets red.

"Fans of Nesbø and Larsson won't be disappointed." --Publishers Weekly, Starred

"This cold, delicate snowflake of a tale sparkles with icy magic." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred

Book One As Red As Blood Book Review:

I have to admit that I wasn't completely hooked with this at the beginning. I think I thought that Lumikki was a bit like 'not like the other girls' kind of character which she was in many respects but I think this does change throughout the book. There are also a lot of references that are outdated now but this book was published in 2013 so it's not the book's fault.

I thought that the writing style was interesting as it jumps from perspective to perspective and gives a greater overview of the mystery at large. It was something that I have never seen before and I enjoyed to read about it.

I thought the mystery itself was quite intriguing and while it was not that fast-paced, I found it engaging and easy to read. There were a couple of twists and turns and it was helped by being quite short and having some characters who were explored throughout the story.

I did like the ending and thought that it wrapped up the story but I want to see where the story goes in the sequel and final book.

Book Two As White As Snow Book Review:

I have to admit that these books are very fun to read. I think that they are good mysteries and are very engaging. Due to them being really short and the audiobooks also being quite short, they can be read in a couple of days or hours.

I really liked the characters that were introduced in the book and the whole mystery surrounding the cult and Lumikki's sister. I found that although the cult idea was quite a cliche, in that it matches a lot of other ideas of real-life cults, I was still intrigued by the plot to read through.

I also liked Lumikki as a character. I think that she is a really good heroine and I think that she is a great character for this series. I feel like we do see her grow and change throughout the book and the series and the way that she is able to connect with people.

We also get more about Lummiki's boyfriend, Blaze in this book which is where my problems lie. Blaze is transgender and the way that he is spoken about in this book is horrible trans rep. I wanted to finish this book because I have heard no one talk about it. He is deadnamed repeatedly throughout the book and there is so much about the gender reassignment surgery that it rubbed the wrong way. This book is translated obviously so I wonder if this was a problem but the fact that it was included is still highly problematic.

Book Three As Black As Ebony Book Review:

As I have been making my way through this series, I can say that I have enjoyed the books in the series although I have been seeing some problematic elements in them. As Black As Ebony offers a satisfying and quick reading experience to end the series. 

I think that I was engaged in the plot of this one and this felt like a standard mystery. I was guessing who I thought the people who was stalking her was but I was wrong and although I am happy that I guessed wrongly, I did think that the person who did it was a left-field choice. I was a little bit like 'what, OK' as I thought that it should be tied to her more but...

This book definitely plays more into the fairytale elements that have been evident through the series which I liked especially during the play and performance aspect and I do think that this lead to a satisfying and interesting finale. 

I did like that we definitely explore Lumikki more as a character and more about her past. As a result, I think that it was a good end to the series as we do a lot of closure for the character and she can get some peace from what she has been through over the course of the books. 

We also got to explore Lummiki's love life over the course of this book and I thought that her new love interest was really not a good fit for her and it seemed really left-field but maybe the characters wanted some normalcy. Again we hear about Blaze but the representation is still transphobic and the way that the transition is spoken about is not very good. I know in the second book, he is deadnamed but I am not sure if this happened again but I will put it as a warning in case. I am not my own voices reviewer but it still did not sit right with me. 

The Verdict:

As Black As Ebony is an engaging and quick read which ends a good series.

Have you read any of the Lumikki Andersson books? Do you want to? Let me know in the comments below.