The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck

Original title: Uskollinen lukija

Author: Max Seeck

Published: 2019

Publisher: Tammi

Genre: Crime & Suspense

Pages: 400

Part of a series: Jessica Niemi series

Reading material:

English edition and synopsis

The coolest Nordic Noir comes from Finland! In this psychological thriller from New York Times bestselling author, Max Seeck, a strong female detective chases a serial killer.

Detective Jessica Niemi is called to investigate a murder case that is out of ordinary. The wife of a famous writer, Roger Koponen, seems to have been killed in a bizarre ritual. As more ritual murders occur, it becomes obvious that Jessica is after a serial killer.
But the murders are not random – they follow a pattern taken from Roger’s bestselling trilogy. Has a fan gone mad, or is this case more personal? How can Jessica stop a criminal who knows every detail of the book even better than the author?

Praise:

“The Witch Hunter", translated with icy precision by Kristian London, is written in short, sharp, present tense chapters, a technique which adds to its relentless tension. Flashbacks to earlier episodes in Jessica’s life suggest that the strangeness currently unfolding is tied to her personal history. Discovering the how and why of it brings a resolution as bleak as anything Poe might have conjured.”–Wall Street Journal

“The Witch Hunter, Finnish novelist Max Seeck’s pulse-quickening English-language debut, is a genre twofer: it gives crime-novel enthusiasts a satisfying puzzle to logic out, and it offers fans of supernatural tales a look at the world of, as one character puts it, ‘amulets, rabbit feet, you name it… a police procedural with paranormal activity at its black heart.” –Shelf Awareness

“[A] rich, intensely suspenseful thriller. Seeck’s debut is dark and intricate—the moments of revelation are as vividly cinematic and impactful every time. Seeck has an uncanny ability to unspool reveals at just the right pace to get the reader’s heart pounding as they make the connection at the same moment as the detective on page. His expertise with pacing, his careful plotting, and his choice to use short, quick chapters all combine to create a vivid, robust thriller.” - Booklist Starred Review

“One twist follows another, baffling the police and readers alike. Seeck imbues this riveting procedural with a deliciously creepy undertone. Readers will be excited to see what Seeck does next.”–Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review

“Seeck’s riveting, multi-layered debut, blending masterful police procedural with a chilling exploration of the occult, kept me up all night, devouring it in one amazing gulp, and checking under the bed.”—Sara Blaedel, #1 International Bestselling Author

The Witch Hunteris everything I wish for in a thriller: exceptional story, exceptional characters, exceptional writing, and shocking twists—exceptional everything. I loved this book, and you will too.”—Chris Mooney, author of Blood World

“One of the best books I have read. Ever. Absolutely thrilling, well-written, and oh-so-hard to put down.”—Emelie Schepp, author of Slowly We Die

“The Witch Hunter provides further proof that some of the best contemporary mysteries come from Europe’s frozen north…. Atmospheric to the max, the gray skies and snowy city streets of Seeck’s Helsinki would be enough to give you the shivers on their own, but the killer (or killers) at play here are the stuff of nightmares.” -BookPage, November 2020

"An intensely malevolent tale set in Finland, that effectively merges the criminal and the supernatural into a delightfully creepy thriller." – Raven Crime Reads, UK

"Max is a true master of suspense and when we read THE FAITHFUL READERit was clear that this was meant tobe a drama series full of sharp twistsand surprises. He’s drawn a dark and terrifying world with a mysteriouslead in the center of the storm. Thisone will keep you up at night." – JP Sarni, Stampede Ventures’ Head of International Content and Worldwide Content Acquisitions, LA

“One twist follows another, baffling the police and readers alike. Seeck imbues this riveting procedural with a deliciously creepy undertone. Readers will be excited to see what Seeck does next.”

– Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review

Download reading materials

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: EMAS
CROATIA: Fokus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe GmbH & Co. KG
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
ICELAND: Forlagid
ISRAEL: Tchelet Books/ Steimatzky
ITALY: Edizioni Piemme S.p.a
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTHERN MACEDONIA: MATICA MAKEDONSKA dooel
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: GRUP MEDIA LITERA
RUSSIA: AST Publishers
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motyl
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SOUTH KOREA: Cheongmirae
SPAIN & LATIN AMERICA: Maeva Ediciones
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures
UK: Welbeck Publishing
UKRAINE: Family Leisure Club
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers, Inc.

Video

Foreign covers

About author

Max Seeck

Max Seeck - New York Times Bestselling Author of THE WITCH HUNTER.

Winner of the prestigious Glass Key Award 2023 for his novel THE LAST GRUDGE.

“Another star has been added to the firmament of thriller writers,” announced Iltalehti newspaper, when Max’s debut novel was published in 2016. Four books later, Max Seeck’s novels have been sold to more than 40 countries, including US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries and as far as Korea!

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! 2024 will see the release of his independent novel MILO, which is already creating buzz internationally with several rights pre-empts ahead of the Finnish publication!

Max Seeck has a background in sales and marketing, and has lately been able to dedicate his time to his lifelong love of writing. His interests include well-conducted research, reading Nordic Noir and listening to movie soundtracks as he writes.

Bibliography


2024, Crime & Suspense

Max Seeck

Milo


2022, Crime & Suspense

Max Seeck

Ghost Island


2021, Crime & Suspense

Max Seeck

The Last Grudge


2020, Crime & Suspense

Max Seeck

The Ice Coven


2019, Crime & Suspense

Max Seeck

The Witch Hunter


2018, Crime & Suspense

Max Seeck

The Mephisto Touch


2018, Crime & Suspense

Max Seeck

The Call of Hades


2016, Crime & Suspense

Max Seeck

Angels of Hammurabi