Bastei Lübbe acquires the German rights to MILO 2 by Max Seeck!

We are happy to share, that the German rights to MILO #2: BETRAYED by New York Times & Spiegel Bestselling Author Max Seeck has been sold to Bastei Lübbe! The deal was negotiated by Martti Berner at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Warmest Congratulations, Max Seeck and Bastei Lübbe!

Milo #2: Betrayed is a gripping thriller and part #2 of the bestselling Milo series. The book will be published in Finland this September, with Estonian rights previously sold to Pegasus.

The first book Milo #1: Checkmate sold over 45,000 copies in Finland, rights for the novel have been sold to 9 territories, and a TV series based on the novel is in pre-production with Solar Films, shooting slated to start in 2025/2026 for a 6-episode TV series with focus on international sales & distribution.

The French edition of Milo, titled Échec et Mat, was published by Mera Editions in January, and the German edition, titled Blindspiel, was published just few weeks ago. Latvijas Mediji, will publish the book soon in Latvia. With more publishers to follow in 2026.

Request materials for MILO here!

Milo #2: Betrayed

Max Seeck

How to survive in a world where nothing is as it seems?

They know your every step.

When a breathtakingly beautiful woman sits opposite art gallery owner Milo Perho on a terrace in Helsinki, Milo has no way of anticipating where their meeting leads. Soon, the Helsinki police are dealing with several murders and Milo is being chased by someone for whom Milo’s past is no mystery. A pursuit ensues where the hunter can be anyone and finding a place where to hide is impossible.

Milo #2: Betrayed is a hardened thriller about the world of espionage and part #2 of the Milo series.

Milo #1: Checkmate

Max Seeck

Bodies with chess pieces in their mouth – Milo needs to understand the game of chess in order to catch a killer.

The game has only just begun.

On a cold November evening, a body is discovered on the shore of Seurasaari. The victim’s skin is covered with a thick layer of white paint, and during the autopsy, a chess piece is found lodged in its throat.  The police are baffled. Why would the murderer go to such lengths to disguise the body? And why wasn’t there any attempt to hide it?  Milo Perho, an art gallery owner specializing in profiling killers, is called in to assist. What follows is a nerve-wracking game where every move costs a life, and no-one wants it to end in checkmate.

Milo is the gripping debut of the Milo series by internationally acclaimed author Max Seeck. Even before its release, the book’s translation rights were sold to numerous countries, and a TV series adaptation is already in the works.

Milo is a slightly different Seeck detective story and, as such, a quality piece of work. More than that, it’s an outright masterpiece in how to breathe new life into an oft-treated narrative and raise the tension with wit, not brutal violence.