Harri Nykänen

Harri Nykänen (1953–2023, born in Helsinki, Finland) was a prominent Finnish crime writer and journalist, best known for creating the popular Raid book series, which follows a professional hitman. His fiction typically explores the local underworld from the perspectives of criminals, terrorists, and unconventional police inspectors, such as the character Ariel Kafka. Kafka is a middle-aged lieutenant in the Helsinki Police’s Violent Crime Unit. His Jewish identity is a central element of the narratives, often intersecting with his investigations in a secular Finnish society.

Kafka identifies himself as “a police officer first, a Finn second, and a Jew third”. His perspective provides a window into the small Finnish-Jewish community, which consists of roughly 1,500 people. Several novels are timed around significant Jewish holidays or utilize religious themes. For example, Nights of Awe is set during the Days of Awe (the period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), forcing the secularized Kafka to reflect on themes of sin and repentance. The plots often involve clashes between Kafka’s professional duties and his heritage, such as investigations involving Arab-Finnish relations, the Mossad, and local Jewish congregants.  The series features Kafka’s brother, Eli, and explores the social pressures within the close-knit Helsinki Jewish community, including sardonic commentary on Kafka’s status as a perpetual bachelor.

Nykänen, who is not Jewish himself, conducted extensive research and interviewed members of the Helsinki Jewish community to ensure an authentic portrayal. The three books in the series translated into English are listed below. Two other books in the series have not so far been translated. [Google/AI]

Nykänen, Harri [Ariel Kafka #1], (Nights of Awe [pb, translated from the Finnish by Kristian London, Bitter Lemon Press, 2012]) 978-1904738930

Nykänen, Harri [Ariel Kafka #2], (Behind God’s Back [pb, translated from the Finnish by Kristian London, Bitter Lemon Press, 2014]) 978-1908524423

Nykänen, Harri [Ariel Kafka #3], (Holy Ceremony [pb, translated from the Finnish by Kristian London, Bitter Lemon Press, 2019] 978-1908524898