The English Speakers

When a cold case is reopened and shocking secrets from the past are unearthed, the question isn’t who did it, but… Are some cases better left unsolved?

Charlie Yeats, a detective inspector with a disgraced past, James Grey, an enigmatic DI who moonlights as a crime writer, and Aija Kivinen, a young detective constable with a desire to impress, don’t seem to have much in common aside from their work. But being both expats and English speakers in their Helsinki precinct has set them apart, and the three have bonded over their otherness. Though the team’s next two cases will find them working a little too close for comfort…

When the remains of a young woman are found buried in the woods, neck broken, and dead for at least fifteen years, Charlie is immediately defeated. The crime scene hasn’t been preserved, her identity is unknown, and her killer is a couple decades ahead of them – solving this case seems unlikely.

Then, after going months without investigating any murders, Charlie is unnerved when he is called out to another grisly crime – an apparent suicide. First on the scene, Charlie knows this should be James’ case, but what he finds in the victim’s house casts doubt over everything he knows about his friend.

If the truth is so terrible, how deep are they really willing to dig to uncover his secrets?

Set against the constant rain of a Nordic spring, The English Speakers is a dark procedural which tackles ideas of identity, race, and belonging as it builds towards its devastating conclusion.