The Moose Paradox by Antti Tuomainen translated by David Hackston

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?

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…

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I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for The Moose Paradox today.  It follows on from the darkly comic The Rabbit Factor, and reunites the reader with a wholly original character who is quite unforgettable.  I do recommend reading The Rabbit Factor before diving into this novel.  There is an overview of the events provided, but I think that you’ll enjoy this a whole lot more if you understand exactly how Henri came to own an adventure park – he’s not the most obvious fit! – and the problems that he’s had to deal with so far. 

Henri is a brilliant character.  He’s one of the more unusual individuals that I’ve come across, but there’s something quite endearing about him and he’s a character who surprises the reader in some of the decisions that he makes.  His logical and rational approach to everything – and I do mean everything – makes him a little awkward around others, but also results in a moral ambiguity that is quite appealing in this kind of novel.  As someone who weighs up the potential risk and reward in any given scenario, he’s not adverse to taking some surprising and not always entirely legal actions when it’s in his interests to do so.  It’s so unexpected in a character who otherwise seems to be strictly above board, and it makes him a fascinating personality as he takes this logical approach to all situations that he is faced with, often with unexpected results.

This second novel sees him more in control of YouMeFun, contrasting with the first novel in which he seems, quite understandably, bewildered more often than not.  I don’t think that he ever expected to enjoy or to find any sense of contentment or satisfaction in running an amusement park, and yet that’s where we find Henri in The Moose Paradox.  Things are far from perfect – he’s not been able to pay himself a salary and has had to make other cuts to keep the park from making a loss – and yet there’s an undeniable sense that he’s enjoying the challenges that the park presents.  Now that he’s got all the paperwork in order, spreadsheets set up, and is running the park is an entirely logical way, of course.  He has a long-term plan that should make the park profitable again, so long as everyone pulls in the same direction.   

I don’t want to go into the plot in too much detail, but the problems he faces in this novel are as varied and as madcap as you might expect.  These include a dodgy supplier of park equipment who refuse to sell him the one piece that might help to turn things around, an increasingly hostile potential investor, and the return of an unexpected individual from his past who seems to be intent on disrupting Henri’s detailed and effective plans to return the park to position of strength.  He’s also trying to keep his staff happy while having to say ‘no’ to any request they make, while Detective Osmala continues to make his presence known at the park, unable to pin anything on Henri, yet seemingly reluctant to leave him in peace.  It makes for an incredibly tense novel as Henri must manage all of that and more as everyone seems to be working against him.  The running of an amusement park shouldn’t be as fascinating as it is here, but Tuomainen makes it so, giving the reader a huge amount of tension as Henri faces challenge after challenge, all the while balanced with an undertone of dark humour that makes this a lighter novel than it might be otherwise. 

As if that’s not enough, Henri also has his personal life to manage as his unexpected relationship with former park manager, Laura, continues.  I have to admit that I find Henri’s relationship with Laura a little cringeworthy at times, although it does serve to provide some light-relief throughout the novel.  And Henri, against all expectations, is surprisingly charming at times, although this is entirely accidental on his part.  As someone who is intensely logical, discussing feelings and matters of the heart doesn’t come naturally to Henri – his logic and reasoning let him down in these moments.  I think that his earnestness in the things he says, while sometimes expressed awkwardly, are honest, and there’s something utterly endearing about that side of him, clumsy though he seems at times. 

Like The Rabbit Factor, The Moose Paradox is a wonderful blend of crime, romance, and dark humour which come together around the unique and unforgettable character of Henri Koskinen.  As the second in a planned trilogy, there’s a promise of more problems headed Henri’s way as he strives to run YouMeFun and to make it attractive to visitors once more.  I can’t wait to see what happens next.

The Moose Paradox is published by Orenda Books on 27 October in hardback, digital, and audio formats. Huge thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours and to the publisher for the review copy and opportunity to take part in the blog tour.

Disclaimer – I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has in no way influenced my review.

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About the Author

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