My First Murder (30 page)

THE COPS

Maria Kallio......Helsinki VCU detective

Rane......VCU detective, Maria’s old partner

Pekka Koivu......VCU officer, Maria’s new partner

Kalevi Kinnunen......VCU sergeant

The Lieutenant......Head of Helsinki PD VCU

Tapani “Tapsa” Helminen......Narcotics detective, Maria’s academy classmate

Makkonen......Narcotics detective

Salo......Medical examiner

Savukoski......VCU sergeant

Virrankoski and Miettinen......Other VCU cops

THE CHOIR

Tommi Peltonen......Bass

Riku Lasinen......First tenor

Antti Sarkela......Bass, Tommi’s childhood friend

Sirkku Halonen......Alto, Timo’s girlfriend

Timo Huttunen......Tenor, Sirkku’s boyfriend

Pia Wahlroos......Second soprano

Mira Rasinkangas......First alto

Tuulia Rajala......First soprano, Tommi’s childhood friend

Anu......Second soprano

“Hopeless” Hopponen......Choir director

SUPPORTING CAST

Jaana......Former choir member, Maria’s ex-roommate

Heikki and Maisa Peltonen......Villa owners

Henri Peltonen......Sailboat racer, Tommi’s brother

Peter Wahlroos......Sailboat racer, Pia’s husband

Dr. Marja Mäk......Tommi’s boss

Martti Mäk......Dr. Marja Mäki’s husband

Mrs. Laakkonen......Tommi’s secretary

Jantunen......Tommi’s coworker

Tomi “Tomppa” Rissanen......Male prostitute

Tiina......Estonian prostitute

Mauri Mattinen......Drug dealer

Marianna Palola......Rape victim

Pasi Arhela......Rapist

Toivo Kuula......Finnish composer

Marjatta Sarkela......Antti’s mother

Einstein......Antti’s cat

The translation in Chapter 9 of “Song of My Heart” by Jean Sibelius, which takes its text from the novel
Seven Brothers
by Aleksis Kivi, borrows from previous translations of the novel by Alex Matson (1929) and Richard Impola (2008).

Photo © Tomas Whitehouse, 2011

Leena Lehtolainen was born in Vesanto, Finland, to parents who taught language and literature. A keen reader, she made up stories in her head before she could even write. At the age of ten, she began her first book, a young adult novel, which was published two years later. Besides writing, Leena is fond of classical singing, her beloved cats, and—her greatest passion—figure skating. She attends many competitions as a skating journalist and writes for the Finnish figure skating magazine
Taitoluistelu
.
My First Murder
, now translated into English, is the first installment in her bestselling Maria Kallio series, which has already been successfully adapted for Finnish television. Leena currently lives in Finland with her husband and two sons.

Photo © Pekka Piri, 2012

Owen F. Witesman is a professional literary translator with a master’s in Finnish and Estonian area studies from Indiana University. He has translated over thirty Finnish books into English, including novels, children’s books, poetry, plays, graphic novels, and nonfiction. His recent translations include the satire
The Human Part
by Kari Hotakainen (MacLehose Press), the thriller
Wolves and Angels
by Seppo Jokinen (Ice Cold Crime), the 1884 classic
The Railroad
by Juhani Aho (Norvik Press), and the children’s book
This is Helsinki
by Aino Havukainen and Sami Toivonen (Otava). He currently resides in Springville, Utah, with his wife and three daughters, a dog, a cat, and twenty-nine fruit trees.