Marja Aarnipuro

Welcome to Marja Aarnipuro's literary world!

I am Marja Aarnipuro, an author born in Haukipudas in 1960, who found a permanent home in Helsinki decades ago. I built my career, about 45 years, in my dream profession as a journalist. Most recently, I was the editor-in-chief of Apu magazine, until at the end of 2024 I decided to make room for younger people and focus on my great love: writing.

Breast cancer made me an author. When I received my own diagnosis in 2009, I would have wanted to read a book that provides information about breast cancer, but also tells from a patient's perspective about cancer treatments and their effects on life. How does it all feel? Since such a work wasn't available, I decided to write it myself. This resulted in Rintasyöpävuosi (Teos, 2011), which was followed by two more sequels: Rintasyövän jälkeen (Teos, 2014) and Rintasyöpämatka (Docendo, 2018).

When the third non-fiction book was finished, my mother said: "Now you won't write another book about cancer." I naturally listened to my mother's advice, but my passion for writing didn't diminish. In editor-in-chief duties, there's hardly any time left for writing, so I started the Kaarina Riikonen ratkaisee detective series in my free time, whose eighth installment Murha toimituksessa was published in March 2025. Kaarina Riikonen is a curious and daring journalist who gets involved in solving homicide cases with her crime reporter colleague Pekka Nyman and the charming detective chief inspector Anton Koivunen.

Now in retirement, when I have more time, I'm also starting another cozy crime project, the four-part Four Roses detective series. It centers on four interesting women, their friendship, and of course the mysteries that emerge from their backgrounds. The first part is called Sininen ruusu, and it tells the story of Laura, who can't escape her past, no matter how hard she tries.

 

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Thank you for visiting my website! It was designed and implemented by my talented son, graphic designer Ari-Matti Toivonen.

Pictures by Jouni Harala

Books

  • Sininen ruusu

    Four friends, crimes, and small-town atmosphere!

    The new detective series centers on the sparkling friendship of four women. Laura, who has returned to her hometown, gathers with her friends Sofia, Ilona, and Petra around a restaurant table to share joys and sorrows and solve crimes.

  • Murha toimituksessa

    When the editor-in-chief is murdered, Kaarina Riikonen's infallible news instinct is needed once again.

    The weekly magazine's newsroom descends into chaos when the editor-in-chief is found dead along a jogging path. Amid restructuring negotiations and fear of layoffs, journalist Kaarina Riikonen begins investigating the case to save her career and uncover the truth.

  • Kuolema catwalkilla

    Murder on the red carpet.

    When a well-known gallerist dies on a fashion show catwalk, journalist Kaarina Riikonen has a front-row seat ready to dig into the murder case.

  • Luolamiehen mysteeri

    When a body is found in a rock cave, journalist Kaarina Riikonen must get to the bottom of the murder.

    The murder mystery involves a jealous rebar worker sitting in prison, a pub rose glowing on the karaoke bar stage, and a young businessman familiar from gossip columns.

  • Surmamäen kirous

    Arson next door interrupts the journalist's well-started vacation.

    Journalist Kaarina Riikonen's desperately needed summer vacation in the countryside is cut short when a fire breaks out at the neighboring farm. Kaarina goes to help with firefighting and while carrying water, sees a suspicious dark figure disappearing into the depths of the forest.

  • Ottopojan kohtalo

    A crime reporter's story instinct doesn't rest even on vacation.

    Journalist Kaarina Riikonen's long-awaited vacation trip to the Canary Islands gets an unpleasant ending. On the last evening, a complete stranger, a Finn, joins their group and begins drunkenly lamenting his fatherlessness. Not even DNA testing has solved the mystery that embitters the businessman's mind.

  • Syöpälääkärin kuolema

    Kaarina Riikonen is an experienced and successful reporter for Viikko magazine who has seen it all, whose news nose has already led to the trail of two homicides. The middle-aged Kaarina, struggling amid career and family pressures, is rapidly developing into a crime reporter when a cancer doctor close to her disappears and is found dead.

  • Ikäneidon testamentti

    Viikko magazine journalist Kaarina Riikonen is once again drawn into the whirlwind of a murder story when an elderly lady living in the same apartment building unexpectedly dies. Did the old pharmacist succumb to the aftereffects of her stomach illness, or was she murdered?

  • Maakellarin salaisuus

    The popular Viikko magazine's entertainment journalist Kaarina Riikonen has long awaited the first cottage vacation of spring. However, the relaxed cottage stay ends before it has even properly begun, as a body is found in the cottage's root cellar, which is soon identified as a well-known business executive. How did he end up at Kaarina's cottage and who killed him? Surely the police don't suspect Kaarina of murder? To make matters worse, Kaarina's juice bottle was used as the murder weapon.

  • Rintasyöpämatka

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Finnish women, and 5,000 women fall ill with it annually. Not all causes of breast cancer are yet known. The risk of breast cancer increases with age, but the disease's prognosis improves all the time because tumors are discovered earlier than before and treatment methods are constantly developing. Nearly 90 percent of those who fall ill are still alive five years after the disease is diagnosed. Marja Aarnipuro is one of them.

  • Kill Your Darlings

    After reading this book, you’ll see Valentine’s Day in a whole new light.

    Renowned crime authors present their own take on Valentine's Day – some bloodier than others.

  • 24 yötä jouluun

    The hottest Christmas gift for crime fiction fans.

    24 chilling thrillers from the top names in Finnish crime literature.