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1953: Hella Mauzer was the first-ever woman Inspector in the Helsinki Homicide Unit
Deep as Death
What you need to know before your trail
Hella Mauzer was the first-ever woman Inspector in the Helsinki Homicide Unit. But she’s been fired despite solving her first murder case. This is Helsinki, March 1953. An unusually long and cold winter, everywhere frozen sea, ice-covered lakes and rivers. In a port city flooded with refugees, who cares if a young woman goes missing? An up-and-coming inspector who views this as an opportunity to advance his career. A heartbroken PI with a score to settle. They have yet to discover one thing: the most dangerous lies are those we tell ourselves.
It all begins when Nellie, a prostitute working in a high-end brothel is found floating upside down in Helsinki Harbor. Not exactly a high priority case for the Helsinki police, so homicide chief Jokela passes the job to his former colleague Hella. It’s beginning to look like a serial killer is at work when Elena, another lady of the night, narrowly escapes being driven into the harbor by her 19-year-old john. Problem was he had handcuffed her in the car. And to add further excitement to Hella’s life, the madam is soon found dead in the garden outside the brothel.
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Discover Helsinki in the 1950s
In 1953, the country is in wartime and the conditions of this can be seen everywhere, It is very cold and people are literally freezing to death. There is still rationinng and a huge fear of what is to come. This is expecially as Finland is on the border with Russia where Stalin is still in power. The roleof women we see through Hella who is constantly questioned about what she can do since she is a woman. There’s favouritism and turning a blind eye to events here too. Corruption is rife. When a prostitute dies, the responses and reactions are very revealing.
“This is Helsinki, March 1953. An unusually long and cold winter, everywhere frozen sea, ice-covered lakes and rivers.”
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Deep as Death
Destination/Location: Helsinki Author: Katja Ivar Departure: 1953
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