ARC Review: As Red as Blood (Lumikki Anderson #1) by Salla Simukka

Dark and chilling

Title: As Red As Blood
Series: Lumikki Anderson
Author: Salla Simukka
Publisher: Hot Key Books, UK
My ratings: 3 out of 5 stars
Releases: 6th August, 2014
As Red As Blood is a crime novel written by Salla Simukka and translated from Finnish to English by Owen Witesman . It’s a story about Lumikki Anderson, a high school student who finds 100 Euro notes drying in the school photography room. Soon she is embroiled into the crime underbelly for Finland with criminal and underworld mafia chasing her.

As Red as Blood took me a while to really make me interested. I loved the setting of frozen Tampere, which was featured in all its brutal and beautiful glory. The tittle really fits as the story starts with blood. Blood on the notes, blood on the floor, blood slowly soaking the virgin snow red. The imagery was beautifully done and not one minute did I forget that this postcard perfect beauty was dangerous and would take your life if you let it. The side characters were interesting enough and the narration was done in a third person view, so it was less of a mystery but more of a thriller as the reader is anticipating as to what event will unfold next.

As for the main character, she was as much an asset as she was a burden to the story. She was the perfect person to be in a situation like this. She was deceptively dangerous, she knew how to fight and she was clever. We get glimpses of her life before here time in Tampere but they showed so little that instead for making me curious they just made me frustrated. There was a reason she was so cold and distant and some of the reason were explored but not fully and the ending left me with more questions about the Lumikki than answers.

The plot started off really slow. While some scenes were beautifully done other felt half baked. The writing was good, the setting added to the atmosphere but the plot was quite simplistic. I suppose it is meant to be a YA book but it read like an adult book but for the uncomplicated minds. The fairy tale references added a sinister edge to the crime underbelly and the dark setting.

I am hoping the second book will be able to give me some answer about what happened with Lumikki, Polar Bear and who the heck is the blue eyed guy in the photo.

Over all As Red as Blood is a scenic, crime thriller, which may have started slow but when the action starts it really pulls you in. It was a short book but the writing makes up for it and it will give a few good hours of entertainment.

There is even a Good Reads Giveaway going for UK residents only.  

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Releases on the 7th of August, 2014 

ARC received via Hot Key Books, UK