The Bodyguard

As a professional bodyguard, Hilja Ilveskero rarely loses her cool. But one day, she and a client have an argument in a Moscow fur salon, and Hilja quits on the spot. When the client turns up dead, Hilja quickly discovers that she is a suspect. In an attempt to clear her name and find the killer, she uncovers ever-deeper layers of subterfuge. Amid all the covert treachery and intrigue, Hilja finds herself falling in love with a suspicious yet irresistibly sexy man—but is her heart clouding her judgment? In this tale of political romance populated by Russian oligarchs, Finnish politicians, and undercover cops, no one is what they seem and no one can be trusted. A fast-paced, tightly woven tale of love, murder, betrayal, and high-stakes deal-making, The Bodyguard—the first in a gripping trilogy by internationally acclaimed Nordic crime author Leena Lehtolainen—exposes the delicacy and dark underbelly of international relations on both a human and global scale.

Finland’s bestselling female crime author, Leena Lehtolainen first rose to fame with her series starring feisty female detective Mario Kallio. She won the Finnish Whodunit Society’s annual prize for the best Finnish crime novel twice and was nominated for the prestigious Glass Key award for the best Nordic crime novel. Her novels have been translated into twenty-nine languages and sold over two million copies. Lehtolainen currently lives in Finland with her husband and two sons.