John Swallow

I am originally from Yorkshire, England, and have lived in countries such as Scotland, Argentina, Latvia, and now Finland. Today, I reside in the coastal city of Rauma, in the county of Satakunta. I enjoy writing books and co-writing plays, the latter performed in English by the local theatre group that I started in Rauma, called 'Lost for Words.'

My first novel, 'The Paintings of Rauma,' was published in June 2020. It is an exciting crime adventure featuring Nordic Noir hero Police Officer Jussi Alonen. Based in Rauma, Finland, Jussi also travels to other countries in his fight against crime.

My second work, 'The Waves of Helsinki', was published in November 2020. It is a sequel to the first book and the second in the Jussi Alonen series. In this story, Jussi moves to Helsinki to train as a Detective and throws himself into more adventures.

In May 2021, I published my third novel, 'The Heat of Havana.' It is the third in the series of Jussi Alonen novels. In this book, Jussi travels to Cuba to assist an old flame who has been kidnapped. Once again, international crime follows him back to Finland.

In September 2021, I co-wrote a book with Saana Jaakkola called "Ghosts of Rauma" (in English) and "Aaveiden Rauma" (in Finnish). Published by Haamu in Finland, this hardback book includes the history, folklore and ghost stories in and around the old town of Rauma. This book is only available in Finland, or via my own webshop.

My fifth book, 'Murder in Helsinki,' was published in November 2022. This novel introduces a new character: Detective Superintendent Topias Torikka. It starts a new series named aptly 'Murder in Helsinki'.

A year later, in November 2023, I published the second book in the 'Murder in Helsinki' series, 'The Final Breath—Another Murder in Helsinki.'

I published something different in April 2024, entitled 'UnFinnished', (sorry about the pun) and explores the culture and lifestyle of Finland. As I have lived here for the past fifteen years, I thought it was about time that I did. In this book, I explore many aspects of Finland in a lighthearted attempt to discover the country's essence.

In May 2025, I published the third novel in the 'Murder in Helsinki' series: 'The Shadows Beneath—Another Murder in Helsinki'. This story follows the adventures of Topias, once again, as he tracks down a new criminal mastermind. This book is based on some interesting facts about Helsinki, and if I reveal more, I will spoil the plot, so I won't. One insider fact about the story is that the first chapter and some of the second, are actually true. The first part of the book is from a personal experience of mine, while living in Eira, Helsinki. Again, I'm not going to spoil anything, so I hope you enjoy reading 'The Shadows Beneath'.

My most recent novel is a well-overdue Jussi Alonen mystery. Dogs of Rauma is based in my hometown and is the fourth book of the series. International organised crime is involved. As for the dogs? You’ll find out in the book, and probably not what you might expect. There will also be a number five coming later.

To date, all of my writing is based in Finland or involves it in some way, often with an international flavour, which is based on my own travels. Some stories are inspired by Rauma and the surrounding area. I don't use AI in my writing, just many, many, many hours...and I enjoy it, too.

Thank you for reading my books!

John