The Penguin Podcast is back! Listen Now
The Healer

The Healer

Summary

It's two days before Christmas and Helsinki is battling ruthless climate catastrophe: subway tunnels are flooded; abandoned vehicles are burning in the streets. People are fleeing to the far north where conditions are still tolerable. Social order is crumbling and private security firms have undermined the police force. Tapani Lehtinen, a struggling poet, is among the few still willing to live in the city.

When Tapani's wife Johanna, a journalist, goes missing, he embarks on a frantic hunt for her. Johanna's disappearance seems to be connected to a story she was researching about a serial killer known as 'The Healer'. Determined to find Johanna, Tapani's search leads him to uncover secrets from her past: secrets that connect her to the very murders she was investigating...

Atmospheric and moving, The Healer is a story of survival, loyalty and determination. Even when the world is coming to an end, love and hope endure.

Reviews

  • Thrillingly atmospheric
    Liz Jensen

About the author

Antti Tuomainen

Antti Tuomainen was born in Finland in 1971 and lives in Helsinki. His novel The Healer was awarded the Clue Award for Best Finnish Crime Novel. Bestselling author Sofi Oksanen has said of Tuomainen’s work: ‘The ability to use all the tricks of crime fiction and all the tools of poetry makes Tuomainen's work unique.'
Learn More

More from this Author

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more