Leena Lehtolainen’s latest novel The Lion of Justice published in Finland

Leena Lehtolainen’s new novel The Lion of Justice (Oikeuden jalopeura) was published today. The second installment of the Bodyguard (Henkivartija) trilogy is a thriller full of unexpected twists. The novel deals with the multifaceted nature of human identity and its concealment. The events in The Lion of Justice take the bodyguard Hilja Ilveskero to Tuscany, Italy and Finland. The third book of the trilogy is to be published in 2012.

The rights to Lehtolainen’s books have been sold to 22 countries so far. The latest Lehtolainen deals include the Hungarian rights to My First Murder (Ensimmäinen murhani) and Polish rights to On the Wrong Track (Väärän jäljillä) and Where Have All the Young Girls Gone (Minne tytöt kadonneet).

This autumn, Lehtolainen will be representing Nordic crime authors in the 7th Festival du Polar in France. In February 2012, Lehtolainen will be visiting the Taipei International Book Exhibition, promoting the Taiwanese edition of Where Have All the Young Girls Gone (Minne tytöt kadonneet).

About author


Leena Lehtolainen

Leena Lehtolainen is the top female crime author in Finland: her new titles always head straight to #1 on the Finnish bestseller lists.

Lehtolainen created her successful protagonist, detective Maria Kallio, in 1993. Having already featured in 16 novels and a complete TV series, a new Maria Kallio TV reboot series was launched in Fall 2021 on C More. Lehtolainen’s novels have been translated into 30 languages and have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.

And just like the events in Bodyguard, a that takes the heroine Hilja Ilveskero all around Europe, Lehtolainen’s own work takes her to book festivals, exhibitions and other events across the globe.

Leena Lehtolainen has also published outside the crime genre; her book The Charm of Figure Skating was voted sports book of the year 2010 in Finland, and A Life in Six Scenes showed her return to literary fiction.

The Crossing of the Green Dragon is her first title for YA audiences.

In her free time, Lehtolainen enjoys all kinds of music and follows lynx trails in the forests – just like Maria Kallio.

Photo credit: Ville Juurikkala

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

The Snow Leopard's Heart

Leena Lehtolainen


2022, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

The Crossing of the Green Dragon

Leena Lehtolainen


2016, General Nonfiction, Memories & Biographies

The Charm of Ice

Leena Lehtolainen

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