Leena Lehtolainen

Leena Katriina Lehtolainen (born 11 March 1964) is a Finnish crime novelist, best known for her series of novels about the policewoman Maria Kallio.

Lehtolainen was born in Vesanto, in the Northern Savonia region of Finland.

Her works have been translated into numerous languages, including Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, Lithuanian, Polish, French, Swedish, German, Estonian and Czech.

Lehtolainen won the Finnish crime novel society yearly prize in 1997 and 1998.

In 2020 she received the national Pro Finlandia medal for her artistic merits.