KALE PUONTI
35 Years as a cop in Helsinki.
Crime novels from Finland written by former drug cop and organized crime investigator
Former Chief Detective Kalevi “Kale” Puonti knows what he’s talking — and writing — about. With over 30 years of experience investigating drug and organized crime in Helsinki, he has witnessed first-hand the arrival of international crime in Finland and has been involved in numerous high-profile cases. In the final years of his career, Puonti specialized in investigating and preventing romance scams targeting senior citizens—an area in which his public lectures have received wide acclaim.
In 2022, the organization Irti Huumeista ry (Free from Drugs Association) honored Kalevi Puonti for his long career in the drug police and for his compassionate approach to his work:
“He has played a key role in exposing some of the biggest drug crimes in Finland and has, through his work, aimed to help those he encounters toward sobriety and breaking free from long-term criminal lifestyles. While working in drug enforcement, Puonti saw the person behind the crime.”
In 2024, Kale Puonti won the Clew of the Year (Vuoden Johtolanka) award for his novel Fadi (Bazar, 2023).
The jury gave the following statement:
“The story of Fadi is tightly structured, fast-paced, and suspenseful. The standalone entries in the Pasilan Myrkky (Pasila’s Poison) series, including Fadi, depict crimes in the Helsinki metropolitan area with gritty realism and sharp focus. A key strength of the book is its portrayal of events from both the police and criminal perspectives. The author’s expertise and believable depiction of everyday police work are combined with skilled storytelling. Fadi is an excellent, tightly written crime novel and a compelling read.”
Kale Puonti’s fifth detective novel Fadi takes the detectives of the Pasilan Myrkky (Pasila Poison) series undercover for drug trafficking and terrorism, where every available option is the wrong one.
Captagon, known as a combat drug, is caught in the police nets. In conjunction with the incident, the police discover a drug trafficking chain that travels to Russia through Finland. The drug trade leader in the Nordic countries is Iraqi-born Fadi Mohammed, who keeps a barbershop in Helsinki’s Kallio neighborhood. Mohammed’s name also appears on the list of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service. Fadi is a suspect for the 1982 Paris terrorist attack. However, he has kept a low profile for decades, and the police find it challenging to slip into his inner circles to collect evidence. An infiltrator is needed for the job.
DISCOVER THE BOOKS
MANNI (8/2020)
Welcome to Pasila’s Poison
Manni launches a crime novel series about the Helsinki drug police, centered around Detective Chief Inspector Pesonen — a somewhat jaded yet sympathetic officer — and his colleagues.
MILO (1/2021)
Born to Be a Drug Dealer
In the second installment of the Pasila Poison crime series, the Helsinki Drug Squad hunts down ruthless criminals raised in the drug trade. Puonti’s storytelling radiates experience and insight, offering new perspectives on the complex confrontation between police and criminals.
SAARNI (9/2021)
Good Cop, Bad Cop
In the third installment of the Pasila Poison series, a rotten apple has found its way into the police ranks. Once again, Puonti portrays both cops and criminals convincingly, navigating the murky borderlands between right and wrong. Sometimes even a wrongdoer’s motives may have begun as innocent ones.
ARIBO (1/2022)
Drug Deals and Love Deceptions
In the fourth installment of the Pasila Poison crime series, drug dealers also sell a deceitful kind of affection and closeness — something many are willing to pay any price for. In Aribo, the boundaries between right and wrong once again blur, as beneath the clothes of a criminal lies the skin of a human trafficking victim.
FADI (1/2023)
Suspected Terrorist
In the fifth novel of the grippingly realistic Pasila Poison series, members of Kaartamo’s team are recruited for a special assignment — and freshly graduated police officer Ali Yasin finds himself going undercover. His adversary is Fadi, a crime boss, killer, and drug dealer — a family man and grandfather haunted by the creeping shadows of remorse.
JONI (1/2024)
Bad Guys and Wrongdoers
Puonti’s sixth crime novel throws the Pasila Poison detectives into the midst of violent gang clashes, where a dangerously bitter man soon emerges as the prime suspect in a murder investigation.
TOPI (1/2025)
A Cruel Debt of Gratitude
Kale Puonti’s seventh Pasila Poison crime novel, Topi, grinds black and white into subtle shades of grey in a story where a friend’s hand tightens into a strangling grip around a neck.
Kaartamo’s team investigates a case where the forgotten and the lost collide on life’s slippery sidelines — with devastating consequences.
MIKKE (1/2026)
A Traitor’s Dark Path
Puonti’s eighth Pasila Poison crime novel, Mikke, tells the story of a hard-luck fighter whose courage fails him at the wrong moment. Mikke is sparring with his childhood friend Aleksi, but the weight of his debts gnaws at his mind.
Hoping for some quick extra cash, Mikke tells Aleksi about a shipment of hormones that needs a car to pick it up. When the police seize the drugs in a routine stop, all the evidence points straight to Aleksi.