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Finnish airliner Kaleva, a Junkers 52 passenger plane

Author page for
historical Airliner Down action thrillers
by

Kalervo Mikkonen

First historical Airliner Down thriller

KALEVA DOWN front 12112025.jpg
Icon of the Junkers 52 passanger plane

Kaleva Down: Action-packed, aviation-themed, historical Cold War, mystery thriller

A plane was shot down in 1940. Forty-four years later, in Cold War Europe, trying to find the truth is still perilous.


Finnish Veli-Matti ‘Vellu’ Jokinen has spent years trying to uncover the mystery for why Soviet war planes shot down the civilian airliner Kaleva. He has an intriguing new lead to pursue. Unfortunately, Mossad, MI6, and the KGB are all equally interested.

 

In 1984 during a trip to Hong Kong, a chance encounter with a British RAF fighter pilot ‘Rog’ and a seductive Mossad agent ‘Hannah’ traps the men into a hazardous race between the competing intelligence agencies.


The two men travel to Soviet Estonia to follow Vellu’s lead, but their high stakes adventure turns into a nightmare. The men are arrested and thrown into the notorious Patarei prison in Tallinn.


What happens to the ill-fated men? Will the mystery of the Kaleva shootdown ever be solved?


What secret was worth sending a planeload of passengers and crew to their deaths in 1940? What is the secret worth now?


The readers of Nelson DeMille’s The Cuban Affair, Kevin Brophy’s The Berlin Crossing and Richard Falkirk’s The Chill Factor, as well as anyone interested in Cold War historical thrillers, will find Kaleva Down a gripping read, firmly rooted in a real, tragic event.


If you enjoy:​

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  • Action-packed adventure and suspense

  • Aviation-themed thrillers

  • Cold War era historical fiction

  • Historical mysteries with political twists

  • A memory lane to the 1980’s 


Then Kaleva Down is your cup of tea!

kalevadown

Reviews

Author

Kalervo Mikkonen is the author of Airliner Down book serie

Of Anglo-Finnish roots, Kalervo Mikkonen carried out his military service during the Cold War, before embarking on a career, which included both aviation and engineering. He is well travelled, having visited many (figuratively speaking) corners of the globe both for work and recreation.

He has a keen interest in aviation and Cold War history. He likes to travel and; when not hiking or riding an ageing motorcycle, he may be spotted visiting museums – aeronautical and otherwise – or enjoying a good beer. Kaleva Down is Kalervo Mikkonen’s first historical Airliner Down thriller.

Reviews
Author

Anne von Heideman, ADVANCE READER Uppsala, Sweden

This is a well-crafted and exciting story with lots of action. I like that the book is based on an actual event and the context with the historical and political aspects of the 1980’s. Helsinki and Tallinn of the 80’s are described in a way that feels very real. The main characters appear as real persons the way they are described with their thoughts and interests. I like the dry kind of humour, and Vellu’s Finnish points of view and how the others consider him.

 

Often I can see the scenes in my mind, which sometimes made me think that this could also be a film manuscript.

News and Notes

News & Notes

Last flight
of Kaleva

The video's description in YouTube

 

On 14.6.1940 Soviet planes shot down the Finnish airliner Kaleva, a Junkers 52 passenger plane flying from Tallinn/Estonia to Helsinki/Finland.

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Soviet Union was just about to invade Estonia, and the Finnish passenger plane was unfortunate to stumble right into middle of the Soviet invasion forces. All passengers and crew members died.

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This video is accurate historical reproduction of the event. 

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Keywords: Junkers 52, Ju-52, OH-ALL, Kaleva, invasion of Estonia, Virtuaalilentajat, Finnish Virtual Pilots Association

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Virtuaalilentajat -  Finnish Virtual Pilots
Editor: Jouni "Vaijy" Vartio

Contact

Email: author.k.mikkonen[@]gmail.com

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