Leena Lehtolainen is a renowned Finnish author, best known for her mystery and thriller novels. She was born in Vesanto, North Savonia, and her writing career began at the young age of 12 when her first novel was published. Lehtolainen pursued her studies in literature at Helsinki, starting to write crime novels from 1993. Her works have been translated into various languages, including Chinese, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, Estonian, and Czech.
Lehtolainen is most famous for her Maria Kallio Series, which revolves around the professional and personal life of Maria Kristina Kallio, a cop in Espoo city. The series, which she began with 'My First Murder' in 1993, has been a significant success, with all the novels reaching the top ten of the Finnish bestseller list. The twelfth book in the series, 'Rautakolmio (Iron Triangle),' was published in Finland in August 2013. Lehtolainen's distinctively down-to-earth heroine brought a woman's perspective to the male-dominated detective genre. The series has been adapted for television, and her titles have sold over 2 million copies in 29 languages.
Lehtolainen has received international acclaim and numerous awards for her work. She has twice won the Finnish Whodunit Society's annual prize for the best Finnish crime novel (1997, 1998) and has been nominated for the prestigious Glass Key award for the best Nordic crime novel (2003). In addition to her successful career as a crime writer, Lehtolainen has worked as a literary researcher, columnist, and critic. She is fond of various music genres, figure skating, and spending time with her husband, two sons, and her beloved cats.