Hate crimes and cultural differences

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Where Have All the Young Girls Gone (Maria Kallio #11) 
by Leena Lehtolainen   
   

 Complex story involving Detective Maria Kallio fresh from Afghanistan where she's been helping with the training of Afghani police women. An exercise that ended in tragedy and unbeknownst to her will hold overtones for her forthcoming role as head of a new special crimes unit.
Three immigrant Muslim girls are missing and converging thought has their fate hovering between the possibility of them being runaways, of honor killings, possible actions by white nationalists, the involvement of Afghani drug lords, or that their families have sent them away.
The truth is layered somewhere between cultural differences and people's attitudes. Kallio gives an outstanding performance as an investigator with a conscience looking into sensitive issues.
Although this is the 11th in the Kallio series it reads well as a stand alone.
Having visited some of the places in Finland mentioned, the reading brought to mind some treasured moments.
Lehtolainen continues to be a strong voice in the Nordic Noir trope.

 An AmazonCrossing ARC via NetGalley 

*****

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