For a long time, the police have been chasing a nameless ghost-like criminal boss, and now they have a clue: the undertaker/murderer Kivi’s right-hand man has ratted on him. Kivi manages to hold his cover, but is now in need of a new aide, and Kivi’s new assistant at the funeral home, Tuomas, seems like a perfect replacement. Tuomas starts sinking into the world of crime: by the time his brother’s killer is revealed, there may not be any other option left than to accept his fate.

MARKO KILPI is a policeman, documentarist and author, who, among only a few other crime writers, has been nominated for the coveted Finlandia Prize (2011). His work has been lauded for its accurate depiction of the outcasts of our society, and has been adapted for television.Undertaker - Death angel will be out march 2018.

Foreign affairs - Elina Ahlback literary agency

Young student Tuomas Lintu and his girlfriend Maria have always tried to do the right thing, but with their underprivileged backgrounds, it’s not easy. When Tuomas’ brother dies, he agrees to organize the funeral, although he can’t even afford to buy food. Undertaker Jarmo Kivi offers him a helping hand in the form of a job. Little does he know Kivi is a high-level criminal boss - and responsible for Tuomas’ brother’s death. Enter the heart of darkness.

The Undertaker series about the thin line between right and wrong continues with an anticipated new novel. The series will be adapted as a TV series, an international coproduction, with the shooting set to start in fall 2018.

“A work of art.” - Kauppalehti newspaper “Sweeps you away, irresistibly.” - Kirjavinkit blog“An explosively energetic kick-off of a new series.” - Savon Sanomat newspaper

Foreign affairs - Elina Ahlback literary agency

Marko Kilpi's third crime novel, Among the Living, follows the police at close quarters in their battle against the drug trade. Senior detective Olli Repo's new partner is an experienced officer who uses unorthodox methods and likes to act rather too independently. This results in internal conflicts.

Kilpi can also identify with hardened criminals. Pike is the queen of the neighbourhood drug trade, who gives birth to a baby boy in prison. Upon her release, Pike wants to live an ordinary life. She learns to shop and goes for walks with her baby in a pram. Everything is difficult however. And Pike cannot escape from her son's father, Lalli. Is it possible to start afresh when your have a tainted past?

Marko Kilpi's unique approach and ability to identify with the characters makes him an exceptional crime writer.

Kilpi's narration of the police work is far from superficial: he makes his readers think deeply about difficult ethical questions, takes a closer look at familiar values, and tackles some of the most acute problems of our society.

8-ball the movie is based on Marko Kilpi's Land of the living.

Shortlisted for Finlandia-prize 2009
Shortlisted for Savonia-prize 2009
Kuopio art society Minna-prize 2010

The senior constable Olli Repo, familiar to readers from the author's debut novel, has advanced rapidly in his career and now works in a rewarding environment - training young police cadets - which enables him to instil values and influence attitudes. His latest recruit has turned out to be a violent and selfish man, however, and Repo is left feeling disappointed in himself as a trainer.

The story starts in a local garage, where the police have found an elderly man who abuses drugged teenagers to satisfy his own perverted needs. At the same time, a small-time celebrity from the Finnish Big Brother house disappears and a bomb threat is made by members of an online newsgroup. What is it all about?

Outbreak has alarmingly close resemblance to the present day. Alongside the breathtaking chain of events, the novel stops to consider the recent school bombings and celebrity cult, promoted by the media. Children are lost to their own parents, but the parents also seem to be lost themselves. Olli Repo considers, finally, why the most deranged criminals of the 21st century seem to be children. Why has this not occurred before in the history of the world?

Kilpi illuminates his target and concentrates on describing the characters’ emotional lives in an exceptional way. The characters are portrayed as conflicting, carnal and complete. The deeply human message in Outbreak renders the book an exceptionally accurate portrayal of our time.

Outbreak is shortlisted for the Finlandia Prize 2009.

The jury praised Outbreak as follows: "Kilpi’s book blows away the accepted conventions of the detective genre. In it, crime solving is not presented as the pursuit of a criminal, in the form of an intellectual puzzle. Instead, the crime is looked at as a serious social phenomenon with psychological, human and moral undertones. A violent criminal is seen as a psychologically abnormal person who is prompted to carry out his crimes by today's media society, the police are described as psychologically stressed individuals who have to deal with the human pain and cruelty that results from violent crime, and the victim is viewed as something other than just an individual who is rescued or dies - the possibility is considered that despite being “rescued”, the victim ends up having lasting psychological damage as a result of his ordeal that prevents him ever living a normal life again. Kilpi’s novel shows us how traumatic violent crime can be to all those who come in its path."

“Outbreak takes issue with the malaise of the youth and our harsh life values. The book manages to describe people's feelings and motives with sensitivity. This detective story is liked by many readers." Kotiliesi

“The book is a veritable horn of plenty in the way that it takes issue with the phenomena of the day. It portrays the murky underside of the small-time celebrity cult that is promoted by tabloid press, the indifference of career parents, and the instrumental nature of life itself. Kilpi has plenty to say about all these things, but the real brilliance of the novel lies in its ability to establish a link between the different elements and the recent high school killings. Marko Kilpi offers a believable portrayal of the background from which future mass murderers emerge to commit their crimes.” Kansan Uutiset

www.gummerus.fi/kadotetut

Please also look the book introduction video!

Olli Repo used to be an advertising executive, but has since abandoned his own successful career to become a policeman. An induction period at work brings back painful memories from an earlier time in his home town, to which he wowed never to return. Providing Olli an induction to his new job is an old, weather-beaten guy called Tossavainen, who represents everything that Olli despises in a policeman.

A bomb threat in a department store and an explosion in a block of flats alert the police to the fact that even small towns are no longer insulated from the evils of the outside world. Amidst the unfolding events, Olli begins to discover things about his own past that are surprising and even threatening. Why did Olli’s father, whom he hated, know so much about the bomb threat? Why doesn’t anyone recognise the man in the security camera image?

The 2008 Clue of the Year prize was awarded to Marko Kilpi for his novel Frozen Roses. The prize is awarded annually to the author of the most significant detective novel published in the previous year. The judging panel justified the award in these words: “It is natural for Kilpi to write about a subject that is close to his heart - police work - and he does it masterfully. In particular, the judging panel liked Kilpi's fresh and natural use of language.”

“Marko Kilpi’s debut novel may well be the year’s best Finnish detective story. Frozen Roses surprises the reader with its excellent, multi-faceted storyline, genuine-sounding characters and strong resemblance to real life.” Kaleva

“Frozen Roses is, in many ways, a refreshing novel. The milieu and main character of this book differ from the more run-off-the-mill detective stories. The concept of criminality works and the sense of mystery supports the storyline brilliantly. The description of police work is fresh and lifelike.” Ruumiin kulttuuri

In the darkening evening, speeding grandma hedgehog hurtles so fast down the hill on her kick sled that she leaves a cloud of dust in her wake. What a nuisance this causes: Constable Kontio is run over by grandma hedgehog. Something must to be done to make grandma hedgehog more visible to other road users. Kontio asks Smithy to help, and he invents all kinds of elaborate light and sound warning systems.

Sadly, none of the inventions work, until Smithy comes up with a reflective, illuminating construction. In plain English, he discovers the reflector. Unfortunately it turns out that his invention already exists, but it gives Kontio another idea: he makes reflectors compulsory in the village. It soon becomes obvious that someone in the village is ignoring Constable Kontio's orders, however. The villagers have been hearing steps in the night, but no-one can be seen… Constable Kontio‘s vigorous policing skills are required to catch the culprit.

Constable Kontio - the Hidden Danger is a captivating and delightfully illustrated picture book that is suitable for readers of all ages. Although the story is fantastically funny, it carries an important message to its readers.

Illustrations by Janne Markkanen
Constable Kontio can also be seen patrolling on Facebook - www.facebook/konstaapelikontio