Matti Yrjänä Joensuu


Matti Yrjänä Joensuu was a Finnish writer of crime fiction. He has been awarded the State's Literature Prize, Vuoden johtolanka prize, and he has been nominated for two Finlandias. He received the Martin Beck Award in 1987.
The protagonist of Joensuu's novels, the senior constable Timo Harjunpää, is a sympathetic character who is equally human about the criminals he encounters in his work as his family. Joensuu also describes the world of thought of his people. The surname Harjunpää writer borrowed from 1966 from a deceased constable Reino Harjunpää.
Joensuu's Harjunpää stories have also been adapted for Film & TV. Joensuu's work has been translated into English, Bulgarian, Dutch, Italian, Norwegian, French, Swedish, German, Slovak, Danish, Hungarian, Armenian, Russian and Estonian.

Timo Harjunpää novels

Joensuu has written several novels about the personal life and work of policeman Timo Harjunpää. He is a very credible and pleasant man, who treats the criminals as humanely as his own family, which consists of Timo, his wife Elisa and three children. Another major character is Harjunpää's police partner Onerva Nykänen.

List of Harjunpää novels

  • Väkivallan virkamies
  • Possu ja paavin panttivangit
  • Harjunpää ja pyromaani
  • Harjunpää ja kapteeni Karhu
  • Harjunpää ja ahdistelija
  • Harjunpää ja poliisin poika
  • Harjunpää ja heimolaiset
  • Harjunpää ja rakkauden lait
  • Harjunpää ja kiusantekijät
  • Harjunpää ja rakkauden nälkä
  • Harjunpää ja pahan pappi
  • Harjunpää ja rautahuone

Harjunpää adaptations

Year of releaseTitleHarjunpää actorMedia type
1983Harjunpää och kalla döden / Harjunpää ja kylmä kuolemaJohan SimbergTV
1985Harjunpää och antastaren / Harjunpää ja ahdistelijaJohan SimbergTV
1993Harjunpää ja kiusantekijätKari HeiskanenFilm
1995Harjunpää ja heimolaisetKari HeiskanenTV
2007Rakkauden nälkäMarkku MaalismaaTV
2010Harjunpää & pahan pappi Peter FranzénFilm
2022HarjunpääOlli RahkonenTV