Bestseller

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

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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.

MILO series publication info:

MILO #1: Checkmate
Merkitty, Tammi, September, 2024

Reading materials: English sample, English synopsis, German edition, French edition, Finnish edition

 

MILO #2: Betrayed
Petetty, Tammi, September, 2025

Reading materials: English synopsis, Finnish edition

Rights sold MILO series:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Pegasus (2 books)
FRANCE: Mera Editions
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (2 books)
ITALY: Piemme
JAPAN: Kodansha Ltd.
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
UKRAINE: Laboratoria
FILM & TV RIGHTS: Solar Films

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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.

Jessica Niemi series is being adapted into a English-language TV series by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures

“An exceptional combination of hardboiled Scandi-noir and eerie ghost story. [--] Seeck marries breathtaking suspense with an expertly drawn heroine. This is guaranteed to send shivers up even the most unshakable readers’ spines." – Publisher's Weekly, starred review (Ghost island)

"Each new step has been an artistic success. Max Seeck, last year's winner of the Glass Key Award for best Nordic detective story, has a golden touch for Finnish suspense fiction." - Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset newspaper

“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 Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 9 territories, 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.

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Milo #2: Betrayed

Max Seeck


2024, Crime & Suspense

Milo #1: Checkmate

Max Seeck


2022, Crime & Suspense

Ghost Island

Max Seeck


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Mephisto Touch

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Call of Hades

Max Seeck


2016, Crime & Suspense

Angels of Hammurabi

Max Seeck

Related news

Midsummer must-reads from Finland’s finest authors: Juha Itkonen, Martta Kaukonen, Kaisu Tuokko, Elina Backman & Joona Keskitalo

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As Midsummer approaches, Finns everywhere prepare for bonfires, feasts, and the beloved sauna tradition — and what better time to dive into some outstanding new books? This summer, we’re proud to present an exciting lineup of remarkable books from some of Finland’s finest authors, each bringing something unique to the table.

Juha Itkonen – Tomorrow I’ll Tell You Everything

Acclaimed author Juha Itkonen returns with a deeply psychological and beautifully crafted novel that explores love, and the contradictions of human nature. The first print run sold out within days of publication, underscoring his status as a beloved voice in Finnish literature.

  • Helsingin Sanomat:
    “An intense and wise psychological novel that cuts deep into the contradictions of human nature. [–] A confessional odyssey that disorients, unsettles, and lingers long after the final page. [–] Itkonen gives us a narrator we can’t trust, yet can’t stop listening to. [–] A love story, a lament, and a late-life reckoning, all in one.”

  • Anna magazine:
    “A love story between two adults, full of deep emotion and doubt: is the present moment enough for love, or must one truly know the other completely.”

  • Tuijata blog:
    “A satisfying companion for the reading chair, the corner of the sofa, or a summer evening’s porch swing. Itkonen’s flowing prose gently and precisely draws the reader into the narrator’s world, a true reader’s novel. [–] Executed with elegance. It brings to mind American literary fiction — think Jonathan Franzen — or even Nick Hornby. Most of all, it feels like a cousin to Kjell Westö: character-driven, male-perspective, relationship-focused fiction tinged with quiet melancholy.”

Martta Kaukonen – Free

The thrilling conclusion to the internationally bestselling Follow the Butterfly trilogy has arrived, receiving glowing praise from critics and readers alike.

  • Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s leading daily:
    “Free is one of the best crime novels of the spring, and the entire trilogy ranks among the finest ever written in Finland. [–] Kaukonen’s strengths have always been not only her morally complex characters but also her unpredictable and unprecedented plot turns. [–] Kaukonen’s Dies irae – her day of wrath – is more than escapist entertainment: it moves from secrets to trust, from the past to the future, from hate to hope.”
  • Kulttuuritoimitus:
    “Author Martta Kaukonen masterfully manipulates events in a way that keeps the reader constantly on alert. […] Her writing is carefully crafted yet effortlessly readable.”
  • Keskisuomalainen:
    “Free also works as a standalone, thanks especially to its well-crafted characters. [–] But the real highlight is how the novel disorients the reader — can you always trust the narrator? All in all, the story forms a clever web that manages to surprise.”

Kaisu Tuokko – Lies

Our queen of crimance delivers her highly anticipated third novel in a series that has now sold over 50,000 copies. Lies is the perfect summer read, rich with tension and atmospheric storytelling.

  • Anna Magazine:
    “Finland crime fiction scene is rich, but Kaisu Tuokko’s Lies shines like a pearl among them.“
  • Kirsin Book Club blog:
    “Rich with atmosphere and simmering tension, Lies weaves a gripping tale of buried truths, fractured relationships, and the lingering weight of deception. Kaisu Tuokko paints Kristinestad not just as a postcard-perfect idyll, but as a place where even the deepest shadows can hide in plain sight.”

Elina Backman – Who Wanders in the Dark

The fifth installment of the internationally bestselling Saana Havas series, sold to 17 countries and nearing 150,000 copies in Finland, continues to captivate readers.

  • Kirsin Book Club blog:
    “Backman expertly builds tension from everyday situations, making the atmosphere thick with quiet menace. [–] The victims’ stories are told with depth and empathy, making them more than just random characters. [–] A perfect read for anyone interested in human psychology, relationships, and atmospheric settings.”

Joona Keskitalo – How of the Arctic Fell

The third book in the Outback series is here, following two well-received installments with over 20,000 copies sold. Keskitalo once again proves his versatility with a dark, gripping tale set in the wilds of Lapland.

  • Kirjoja Hyllystäni blog:
    “The reader can only gasp in awe at Keskitalo’s ingenuity and storytelling skill. [–] Keskitalo’s works share similarities with Antti Tuomainen’s mischievous thrillers. [–] At its darkest, How of the Arctic Fell approaches horror, and even after that, Keskitalo delivers an infernal twist. For fans of wild crime stories, How of the Arctic Fell is perfect entertainment for a rainy early summer.”

Get in touch with us for reading materials – and have a happy Midsummer!

About author


Elina Backman

Elina Backman is an author and a media & marketing professional living in Helsinki. Elina loves books (all sorts), traveling, cycling and is a host of a Book & Wine Club. She is a creative soul with a commercial mind, and her goal is to find readers globally.

Her debut novel All the King's Men was published in 2020 and immediately gained an enormous amount of attention from the Finnish media, including a praising review by the biggest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The Saana Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 150 000 copies in Finland.

Together with Heidi Holmavuo, Elina has also narrated the true crime podcast Ratkaisematon (Unsolved), which turned into a full-length audio book as the two crime writers started investigating the murder of a young girl in 1955. They were able to uncover new evidence and their research led the police to reopen the investigation. This story is narrated in the book Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo.

Photo credit: Jonne Räsänen

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About author


Joona Keskitalo

Joona Keskitalo was born in Oulu, grew up in Hämeenlinna and now lives with his family in Espoo. His work experience includes everything from storage work to managing athletes and developing products for marketing companies. He now works as a full-time writer. As a writer, he is known for being a skilled plot developer, adding humor and well-drawn characters to his gripping stories.

Keskitalo's literary career began with The Disobedient crime trilogy, which follows the journey of former schoolmates to the top of the drug trade.

Keskitalo's The Outback series connects stories of crimes occurring in remote villages across Finland and their resolution by the local community's colorful characters. The Outback books can be read in any order. The series includes the works The Island Torn Apart and The Swamp That Sank, as well as Howl of the Arctic Fell. The fourth book, The Lake That Cracked, will be published in November 2025.

Photo credit: Uupi Tirronen

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About author


Juha Itkonen

Juha Itkonen (b. 1975) is one of the most recognized voices in contemporary Finnish literature. He has published eight novels, a novella collection, a children’s book, several plays, and an epistolary novel co-written with Kjell Westö. His works often explore themes of family, generations, and parenthood, and are known for their emotional depth, energy, and a touch of melancholy.

He has received the Finnish State Prize for Literature, the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, and the Veijo Meri Prize, and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Finlandia Prize. In 2019, his novel Beyond Our Reach (Ihmettä kaikki, Otava in 2018).) was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize.

Itkonen loves music, both as a listener and a player, which shows in his books. The passing of time is an eternal mystery at the core of his writing – his novels tend to have a melancholy undertone, yet they are also filled with life, humor, and energy. He lives in the Arabianranta district of Helsinki with his wife, Maija Itkonen, and their four children.

A film based on his novel The More Loving One (Anna minun rakastaa enemmän, Teos 2005) will be released in Fall 2025.

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About author


Kaisu Tuokko

Kaisu Tuokko is a bestselling Finnish crime author and publishing professional whose fresh, emotionally intelligent voice is reshaping what Nordic Noir can be. With a strong background in the book industry, she understands not only how to craft a compelling novel, but how to build a lasting literary brand.

Her stories don’t just ask “whodunnit,” but “why do we stay silent?” Crimes are never just plot points; they’re rooted in empathy, social fault lines, and the moral complexity of everyday life.

Set against the eerie beauty of small-town Finland, her Kristinestad Murders series explores what lies beneath idyllic surfaces: buried secrets, fractured families, and relationships haunted by longing, silence, and shame. At its core is the idea that we may never truly know the people closest to us — and that some secrets are more dangerous than others.

Tuokko lives in Helsinki, loves rainy autumn evenings, small-town mysteries, and Swedish language, and named her unforgettable lead characters after her grandparents.

Photo credit: Maria Metsäranta

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About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a film critic, whose reviews have been published in both Finland’s biggest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and a popular women’s weekly magazine Me Naiset. Martta has a master’s degree in arts. She has interviewed the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Justin Bieber. Martta met her husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

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The German rights to DAD MAN AND THE HORRIBLE HYPNOSIS sold to Mixtvision

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We are thrilled to announce that the bestselling DAD MAN series will continue in Germany! Mixtvision has acquired the rights to book 3 in the bestselling Dad Man series, Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis. The deal was closed by Martti Berner at Elina Ahlbäck Literary Agency.

This deal follows the successful launch of the first two books in February, Book 3 will hit shelves in Spring 2025.

Here’s what Lena Frenzel, publishing director from Mixtvision had to say:

Super-Dad took us and our readers by storm. We can’t wait for his third adventure to be published in German!

Meanwhile in Denmark, Bogoo will publish Book 2 (Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother) later this year.

Already a modern Finnish children’s classic with over 200,000 copies sold, the Dad Man series is fast-paced, visually bold, and hilarious – perfect for readers 7+. Book 3 was also nominated for the Runeberg Prize 2023!

“Imaginative humour… thrillingly expressive illustrations… instantly joyful.”

– Tähtivaeltaja magazine

The rights are still available in Norway, Poland, the Netherlands, US/UK and Spain.

Request materials for the DAD MAN series here!

The Dad Man series:
Arttu Unkari, illustrated by Kai Vaalio

#1 Dad Man and the Exploding Poop
#2 Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother
#3 Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis
#4 Dad Man and the Impossible Time Warp
#5 Dad Man and the Doppelgänger Disaster
#6 Dad Man and the Mysterious Puppet Master

The quirkiest cop in town! The Dad Man Series offers fast-paced adventures and humour for all ages – especially lower middle grade.

✓  over 200,000 copies sold in Finland!
✓  German and Danish rights sold!
✓  For fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants
✓  A perfect “Gateway series to literature” for reluctant readers
✓  Books in the series have been nominated for the Storytel awards 2020, 2021, and 2022 (Best children’s audiobook), Best Newcomer of the Year 2020, and the Runeberg Prize 2023!
✓  Bold and fresh 4-colour comic-book style artwork that add visual jokes to the narration

Dad Man is a dad, and a policeman – but he also has a superpower! Too bad his superpower is one shared by almost all dads – an unwavering belief in himself and his own abilities. Dad Man truly believes he knows everything and can do anything, but as it goes with most dads, the reality is quite different. And it follows that Dad Man’s nine-year-old daughter Oona needs to solve all of the issues herself.

Publication info the DAD MAN series: 

Rights Sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.), DENMARK: Bogoo (books 1-2), GERMANY: Mixtvision (books 1-3)

Reading Material:
German editions (Books #1 & #2)
Danish edition (Book #1)
English sample (Book #4)
English synopses
Series presentation
Finnish editions

About author


Arttu Unkari

Arttu Unkari is a teacher from Helsinki and a Master of Education (University of Helsinki, 2015) who majored in ethics and philosophy.  He combines his educational background and experience as a teacher in his books – his stories are anarchist and zany, but at the same time the humour often revolves around profound and intriguing concepts such as honesty, obedience, and morality in ways that speak to children in their own language. His books are enjoyed by adults as well because they contain layers that open up differently to readers of all ages. This is one of the reasons Dad Man is such a great series for the whole family.

As an author Unkari is a Runeberg prize nominee 2023 for the third instalment of the Dadman series: Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis (Isämies ja hyytävä hypnoosi, Otava 2022). The Runeberg Prize is a literary prize awarded by the newspaper Uusimaa, the City of Porvoo, the Finnish Writers' Union, the Finnish Critics' Association and the Finland’s-Swedish Writer’s Association. The prize was established in 1986 and it is awarded annually in Porvoo on 5th February, the day when Finland celebrates their national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg.  All of his previous books (Dad Man and the Exploding poop, Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother,  Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis and Dad Man and the Impossible Time Warp) have been nominated for best children’s audiobook in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Finnish Storytel awards. He’s also participated in making a Finnish language schoolbook (Loikka 3, Otava 2022).

Unkari is a sought after inspirational speaker in his home country. He’s visited schools all over Finland advocating for the importance of reading.

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About author


Kai Vaalio

Kai Vaalio (b. 1986) is an illustrator, comic artist, and a bit of a cosmopolitan as well. He’s written and illustrated underground comic books for adults about his travels in South-East Asia and Latin America — the latter won Mondo magazine’s Travel book of the year award back in 2014. Recently he’s ventured into the world of illustrating children’s books mainly with Arttu Unkari’s Dad Man Series. Together they’ve made several books about this goofy detective and his clever little posse. The Dad Man Series has received Storytel Awards and Runeberg Junior 2023 award nominations. Vaalio’s been on and off in the graphic industry since 2005 when he graduated as a graphic designer from Lahti College of Arts and Crafts. In 2018 he got his bachelor’s degree from Lahti University of Applied Science.

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Förlaget acquires Swedish rights to books 2 and 3 in Kaisu Tuokko’s bestselling KRISTINESTAD MURDERS series

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We’re thrilled to announce that Förlaget has acquired the Swedish-language rights in both Sweden and Finland to ALONE and LIES, the second and third installments in Kaisu Tuokko’s bestselling crimance series, THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS. The deal was closed by Martti Berner at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

This deal follows the successful release of the first book, Revenge (Hämnden i Kristinestad), which was published by Förlaget in March to great reviews and enthusiastic reader response.

“Tuokko’s series belongs alongside Nilla Kjellsdotter and Karin Erlandsson.”
– Vasabladet, Villhelmina Öhman

“Something in the storytelling style lifts this one above many others. [–] The story flows in harmony – more a steady stream of firecrackers than deafening fireworks.”
– Österbottens Tidning, Yvonne Granqvist

With over 50,000 copies sold in Finland, Tuokko’s emotionally rich and suspenseful series is one to look out for! Set in the atmospheric Finnish coastal town of Kristinestad, the novels combine gripping murder cases with a deep emotional arc. This blend of crime and romance has drawn readers to the series not only for its investigative suspense, but for the heart at its core.

With rights sold in Germany and Sweden, and the German edition of book 1, Gerächt sein sollst du, publishing this July, now is the perfect time to get on board. Draft English translations of books 1–3 are available.

Translation rights are currently available in the UK/US, the Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, and France.

We invite you to the atmospheric Kristinestad! Click here to request reading materials for THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS.

Publication Info:

Book #1: REVENGE
Kosto, 298p, June 2023

Book #2: ALONE
Yksin, 300 p., June 2024

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.), Förlaget (Finnish-Swedish), GERMANY: Aufbau Verlage, SWEDEN: Förlaget

Book #3:LIES
Valhe, pp. 302, April 2025

Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava (orig.), Förlaget (Finnish-Swedish), SWEDEN: Förlaget

READING MATERIALS:
English draft translations books 1-3
Swedish edition
German edition
Finnish edition

About author


Kaisu Tuokko

Kaisu Tuokko is a bestselling Finnish crime author and publishing professional whose fresh, emotionally intelligent voice is reshaping what Nordic Noir can be. With a strong background in the book industry, she understands not only how to craft a compelling novel, but how to build a lasting literary brand.

Her stories don’t just ask “whodunnit,” but “why do we stay silent?” Crimes are never just plot points; they’re rooted in empathy, social fault lines, and the moral complexity of everyday life.

Set against the eerie beauty of small-town Finland, her Kristinestad Murders series explores what lies beneath idyllic surfaces: buried secrets, fractured families, and relationships haunted by longing, silence, and shame. At its core is the idea that we may never truly know the people closest to us — and that some secrets are more dangerous than others.

Tuokko lives in Helsinki, loves rainy autumn evenings, small-town mysteries, and Swedish language, and named her unforgettable lead characters after her grandparents.

Photo credit: Maria Metsäranta

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS #3: Lies

Kaisu Tuokko


2024, Crime & Suspense

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS #2: Alone

Kaisu Tuokko


2023, Crime & Suspense

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS #1: Revenge

Kaisu Tuokko

Related news

STOP CHASING HAPPINESS by Frank Martela is a non-fiction bestseller!

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We are excited to let you know that Stop Chasing Happiness: A Pessimist’s Guide to a Good Life, the latest non-fiction title by Frank Martela, PhD, has sold close to 8,000 copies in Finland! The title has also stayed in the top 20 list in all formats since its publication.

In Stop Chasing Happiness, Frank Martela sets out to show that the true secret to happiness is to stop trying to find it. Instead of trying to learn new tricks, it’s better to unlearn the ways of thinking that are holding you back. Instead of chasing happiness, one should stop obsessing about what others think about them, stop caring too much about how they feel, and stop making sacrifices for personal success.

Relying on latest scientific research, ancient traditions, and the author’s personal encounters with people across the world, Frank Martela shows that living with purpose and contentment is much more beneficial than striving to be happy.

Already published in Finland and in the UK. Next up Germany, where Knesebeck will publish Das Happiness Paradox: Wie man Sinn und Zufriedenheit im Leben findet, ohne nach dem Glück zu suchen on June 19th.

The rights are still available in the Netherlands, France, Italy, Estonia and Asian territories.

Request materials for STOP CHASING HAPPINESS here!

STOP CHASING HAPPINESS publication info:
Stop Chasing Happiness: A Pessimist’s Guide to a Good Life
Allen & Unwin, 2025, 215 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
UK & US: Allen & Unwin (orig.)
FINLAND: Gummerus
GERMANY: Knesebeck

About author


Frank Martela

Professor Frank Martela, PhD, is a philosopher and researcher of psychology specializing in the question of meaning in life. His articles have appeared in Scientific American Mind, Harvard Business Review, Salon, CNBC and his work has been featured on Quartz and on the BBC. His research has been published extensively in numerous academic journals such as Nature Human Behaviour, Perspectives on Psychological Science, Journal of Personality, Metaphilosophy, Southern Journal of Philosophy, and Academy of Management Review. He has spoken to more than one hundred audiences worldwide, including invited lectures in universities on five continents, including Stanford University and Harvard University. He’s been interviewed by the New York Times, Discover Magazine, New Scientist, Vice News, Fox News,and Monocle Observer among others. He is Assistant Professor at Aalto University in Finland. Outside of work, Frank is a father to three lovely children, an amateur-level soccer player, with an occasional skiing trip in the winters. He is made in Green Bay, so Packers holds a special place in his heart.

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Personal Growth & Lifestyle

Stop Chasing Happiness: A Pessimist’s Guide to a Good Life

Frank Martela


2023, Personal Growth & Lifestyle

The Meaning Manifesto: Why Work Needs to Have a Purpose

Frank Martela


2020, Personal Growth & Lifestyle

A Wonderful Life: Insights on Finding a Meaningful Existence

Frank Martela

Related news

New praise for THE INVESTIGATIONS OF A CERTAIN CAT from Germany and Estonia!

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We are happy to share new international praise for Katja Kettu’s THE INVESTIGATIONS OF A CERTAIN CAT!

Recently published in both Germany and Estonia this novel combines historical storytelling, magical realism, and accurately and sharply recounts the pain of a miscarriage and the nearly futile attempts to carry on after such a tragedy. It received great praise right after publication in both countries from critics and readers alike:

“Katja Kettu’s raw, direct style remains moving, and the magical realism helps tell this personal story.”
– BÜCHERmagazin, Germany

“Kettu’s language is raw and physical, the pain spills from the pages together with a touch of magic.”
– Katia Schingshandl, Buchkultur, Germany

“An impressive book. Certainly not an easy read – but one that is absolutely worth it.”
– @shizu_reads, Germany

“How bold to tell the story exactly like this—and Kettu’s tone, which is idiosyncratic without feeling mannered, and Tanja Küddelsmann’s translation—I found both absolutely fantastic. Their shared joy in language, the richness of imagination, and the seriousness of the text make it an experience. A rare one. One that stands entirely on its own. And honestly—this cover from @weissbooksverlag? Absolute knockout.”
– @petrasbuecherapotheke, Germany

“Reading [it] left my soul tender, there was sadness and pain, but also something beautiful, bright. [—] I like books like this.”
– Pille raamatu ja kassiga book blog, Estonia

“It is Kettu’s rich language that carries the power of the story, gives force and colour to that which it describes, is occasionally pressed into one’s memory, whirls in one’s thoughts and squeezes one’s heart. The near-mythological hand and its repeating motives remain with the reader even after closing the book.”
– Ülle Kiivet, editor, in Postimees newspaper, Estonia

“Sublime language, an enchanting translation.”
– Kirjakoi book blog, Estonia

The Investigations of a Certain Cat has been sold to 10 territories!

Rights are still available for France, Poland, Netherlands, Japan, Greece, Spain, US, UK, etc!

To support your decision, we have the German edition, an English sample and synopsis.

Request materials for The Investigations of a Certain Cat here!

 

The Investigations of a Certain Cat

Katja Kettu

Katja Kettu’s stunning novel spins through ages whilst surrendering to the wilderness of nature and the deep yearning for offspring. 

Can one find solace and meaning in life from the past once the future no longer exists?

An Author has a miscarriage and loses their ability to speak and write. From the Investigative Bureau of Heavens, a Detective is sent to the scene, but something goes awry. Soon, in the corner of the room, there appears Cat who starts examining a mysterious diary that once belonged to the Author’s Great Grandmother.

When a new life has been lost, the Author turns their gaze to the past and to the age-old words of creation in the old Finnish outskirts. The one who knows them, Great Grandmother, has the power of healers. The Great Grandmother’s diary sheds light on birth and death, love towards children, and the strength of heritage in one’s blood.

Combining autofiction and elements of magical realism, Katja Kettu’s latest novel also sheds light on the history of the Finnish frontiers.

THE INVESTIGATIONS OF A CERTAIN CAT
ERÄÄN KISSAN TUTKIMUKSIA
Otava, 2023, 380 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis
German edition
Finnish manuscript

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CZECHIA: ARGO
DENMARK: Lindhardt og Ringhof
ESTONIA: Koolibri
GERMANY: Weissbooks
HUNGARY: Gondolat
ITALY: Mondadori
NORWAY: Pax Forlag
ROMANIA: Humanitas Fiction
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag

About author


Katja Kettu

Katja Kettu is an acclaimed and award-winning writer with a strong, unique voice from Northern Finland. Originally from Rovaniemi, Lapland, she graduated from the Turku Academy of Arts in 2001 as an animation director and has also studied in the University of Tampere and in the National Film and Television School in the UK. She has worked as a columnist for numerous Finnish newspapers and magazines.

Her debut novel Surujenkerääjä (2005) was nominated for the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize and won the Tiiliskivi Prize, but her breakthrough came with The Midwife (orig. Kätilö, 2011), which won the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, the Runeberg Prize and the Thank You for the Book Medal. The rights for the novel have been sold to 19 countries, it has sold more than 160,000 copies in Finland, and in 2015 it was adapted into a film.

To date, she has published five novels, written or edited two collections of short stories, authored a graphic novel, edited a fiction/non-fiction book on women’s experiences with sexual harassment and violence, and a biography of Ismo Alanko, a Finnish musician. In addition, she has collaborated with photographer Meeri Koutaniemi and documentarist Maria Seppälä on a book and a TV series about Finnish emigrants in North America and their relationships with the Ojibwe people. Outside of literature, Kettu has directed, written or helped produce 10 animations and been a singer in the punk band Confusa.

Kettu’s works have been characterized as “Laplandic magical realism”. Kettu is meticulous in the research for her works and she is interested in microhistory, especially the fates of women caught up in conflicts where individuals have a limited influence on their lives.

Her novel Rose on poissa was a Finlandia Prize 2018 nominee. Kettu's works have been translated into 23 languages.

Katja Kettu's literary works:

Surujenkerääjä, 2005 WSOY

Hitsaaja, 2008 WSOY

Kätilö, 2011 WSOY

Piippuhylly, novelleja, 2013 WSOY

Novelli palaa! Matkanovelleja, co-edited with Aki Salmela, 2013 WSOY

Yöperhonen, 2015 WSOY

Peräkammarin poika, illustrated by Jan Andersson, 2015 Otava

Rose on poissa, 2018 WSOY

Erään kissan tutkimuksia, 2023 Otava

Photo credit: Niclas Mäkelä / Otava

Read more

Bibliography


2023, Literary Fiction

The Investigations of a Certain Cat

Katja Kettu

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Over 50,000 copies sold for THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS series!

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We’re thrilled to celebrate Kaisu Tuokko’s bestselling crime fiction series, The Kristinestad Murders, which has now sold over 50,000 copies! Congratulations Kaisu!

This Nordic Noir not only builds suspense, but it also breaks your heart. With its emotional depth, complex relationships and slow-burn tension, these books have resonated deeply with readers. Set in the hauntingly atmospheric Finnish coastal town of Kristinestad (Twin Peaks of Finland), the novels combine gripping cases with a long-form emotional arc that keeps readers coming back for more.

At the heart of the series is a blend of crime and romance = crimance – where crime fiction meets emotional depth. Readers are drawn not only to the murder cases but to the complex lives (and a love story) of its main characters, journalist Eevi Manner and investigator Mats Bergholm, whose shared past and unresolved chemistry provide an unforgettable arch across the six-book series

Rights already sold to Germany and Sweden, the series proves wide international potential. The first three novels are now published, with draft English translations available.

Rights are still available in the UK/US, the Netherlands, Estonia, Denmark, Italy, Poland…

This is what Sarah Mainka, Editor at Aufbau Verlage, had to say on The Kristinestad Murders #1: Revenge

“Kaisu Tuokko perfectly balances the combination of a gorgeous, atmospheric setting and the aftermath of a terrible crime that exposes the eerie underbelly below the shiny surface of lovely Kristinestad. Mats and Eevi, a police investigator and a journalist, complement each other so well because one of them can always keep digging where the other one reaches their limits. And she proves that is no need for the character of the grumpy police officer. Her investigative team is capable and likeable – what more could you ask for?”

We invite you to the atmospheric Kristinestad! Click here to request reading materials for THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS.

Publication Info:

Book #1: Revenge, pp. 298, June 2023
Book #2: Alone, pp. 300, June 2024
Book #3: Lies, pp. 302, April 2025

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.), Förlaget (Finnish-Swedish)
GERMANY: Aufbau Verlage
SWEDEN: Förlaget

About author


Kaisu Tuokko

Kaisu Tuokko is a bestselling Finnish crime author and publishing professional whose fresh, emotionally intelligent voice is reshaping what Nordic Noir can be. With a strong background in the book industry, she understands not only how to craft a compelling novel, but how to build a lasting literary brand.

Her stories don’t just ask “whodunnit,” but “why do we stay silent?” Crimes are never just plot points; they’re rooted in empathy, social fault lines, and the moral complexity of everyday life.

Set against the eerie beauty of small-town Finland, her Kristinestad Murders series explores what lies beneath idyllic surfaces: buried secrets, fractured families, and relationships haunted by longing, silence, and shame. At its core is the idea that we may never truly know the people closest to us — and that some secrets are more dangerous than others.

Tuokko lives in Helsinki, loves rainy autumn evenings, small-town mysteries, and Swedish language, and named her unforgettable lead characters after her grandparents.

Photo credit: Maria Metsäranta

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS #3: Lies

Kaisu Tuokko


2024, Crime & Suspense

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS #2: Alone

Kaisu Tuokko


2023, Crime & Suspense

THE KRISTINESTAD MURDERS #1: Revenge

Kaisu Tuokko

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THE STORY OF AINO AND ALVAR AALTO will be published in China!

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We are very excited to share, that the internationally bestselling THE STORY OF AINO AND ALVAR AALTO written by Aalto’s grandson, Heikki Aalto-Alanen, has been sold to China! The deal was closed by Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Lens Media will publish the Chinese edition in December 2025, with publisher Algae Xue Wang editing and translators Zhang Lei and Li Yi bringing the iconic design duo’s story to Chinese readers.

This beautiful title, based on unpublished correspondence of Aino and Alvar Aalto, has now been sold to 8 territories – with Solar Films developing a feature film, a love story about the union between Aino and Alvar, two passionate artists, but very different people.

Alvar and Aino Aalto are internationally celebrated for their architecture, furniture, glassware, and other interior design, but their personal lives have been relatively unknown – until now. This book, written by the Aaltos’ grandson, stands apart from countless other works on the Aalto’s lives and careers. It contains photos, sketches, and personal letters between Aino and Alvar, beautifully illustrating how inseparable this couple was both in work and love, and bringing a deeply human element to their story.

International Praise:

This characteristically elegant Phaidon publication, lush with images, is remarkably personal … A beautiful and important contribution to architecture and design history.
– Booklist, Starred Review

A love story, enriched not just by personal photographs and images of their modernist designs, but by the couple’s letters to each other.
– NPR.org

Unique … Such an intimate level of access is possible thanks to the fact that the author is a grandson and has done much to preserve the designers’ legacy.
– Interior Design

A poignant glimpse into [Aino and Alvar’s] deep bond.
– Metropolis

The rights are still available in e.g. Germany, Sweden, World Spanish, Denmark, etc.

Request the materials for THE STORY OF AINO AND ALVAR AALTO here!

THE STORY OF AINO AND ALVAR AALTO publication info:
Rakastan sinussa ihmistä
Otava, August 2021, pp. 460, Approx. 50-80 photographs & drawings

Rights sold: 
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CHINA: Lens Media
ESTONIA: Postimees
HUNGARY: Európa Könyvkiadó
FRANCE: Phaidon Press
ITALY: Salani
JAPAN: Soshisha
WORLD ENGLISH: Phaidon Press
FILM & TV RIGHTS: Solar Films Inc.

Reading materials: English edition, Italian edition and French edition

About author


Heikki Aalto-Alanen

Heikki Aalto-Alanen is the grandson of architects Aino and Alvar Aalto, who has previously served as vice chairman of the Alvar Aalto Foundation, been a member of Artek’s Board of Directors, member of the Alvar Aalto Academy Board, and held other positions maintaining Aino and Alvar Aalto’s artistic work and heritage. Today he is serving as the chairman of the Paimio Sanatorium Foundation, established in 2020 to preserve Aino and Alvar Aalto's early masterpiece. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Alvar and Aino Aalto Estate Ltd. Heikki Aalto-Alanen is a lawyer by profession and has worked in the Nordic financial market.

His book tells the story of Aino and Alvar Aalto, depicted through their previously unpublished correspondence from 1921-1949, photographs and drawings.

Read more

Bibliography


2021, General Nonfiction, Memories & Biographies

The Story of Aino and Alvar Aalto

Heikki Aalto-Alanen

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Bloomsbury acquires World English rights to PUTIN’S WORLD WAR!

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We are thrilled to announce, that Bloomsbury USA has acquired World English rights to Jessikka Aro’s critically acclaimed and timely bestseller PUTIN’S WORLD WAR: Russia’s Covert Operations to Destroy the West, slated for publication in Spring 2026. The deal was closed by Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Michael Kerns, Senior Publisher for Politics & International Relations at Bloomsbury USA, shared his enthusiasm:

“I loved this project immediately as a compelling narrative that humanizes the real-world consequences of Russia’s global propaganda war against the West. Putin’s World War is a piece of fascinating storytelling by an award-winning journalist — Jessikka Aro unpacks the details behind Russia’s hybrid-war propaganda machine and sheds light on how Putin uses disinformation as a potent weapon against Western values, the international community, and democratic governance. Her relentless investigative journalism provides readers with an invaluable perspective on a war of words, a war of ideas that might otherwise be overlooked amidst countless security threats across the world. We are excited to bring Jessikka’s important work to English readers everywhere.”

PUTIN’S WORLD WAR is a highly topical book featuring horrifying true stories about the secret operations of Putin’s intelligence services. Jessikka Aro is the winner of the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Courage of Journalism Award and her previous book, Putin’s Trolls, was sold to 16 territories and will be turned into a TV series!

Putin’s World War

Jessikka Aro

Russia is threatening the West with World War III, even though it has been waging it for years. As its weapons, the Kremlin uses agents of chaos, a covert operation, fake priests spreading hate speech, hackers recruited from prison, and the gullibility of people.

Jessikka Aro’s new non-fiction book about the Kremlin’s world war presents the secret operations of Putin’s intelligence services in detail.

The book takes the reader on a breath-taking journey from the lobby of the Helsinki Courts of Appeal to the controversial Bronze Soldier statue in Tallinn, from the media center run by the Russian military intelligence from Berlin to the Russian troll factory that operated in Ghana in West Africa.

Publication Info:
Putinin maailmansota, Johnny Kniga 2024, 352 pp

Rights Sold:
FINLAND: WSOY/Johnny Kniga (orig.)
GERMANY: Goldmann Verlag
HUNGARY: Corvina Books
ITALY: Neri Pozza
LITHUANIA: Briedis
POLAND: Transatlantic Foundation
SWEDEN: Sensor Förlag
WORLD ENGLISH: Bloomsbury USA

Reading Material:
English sample & summary & table of contents, German pdf, Finnish edition

About author


Jessikka Aro

Jessikka Aro is an award-winning reporter with Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, specializing in Russia, extremism and information warfare. In 2014 and 2015, she published a series of articles on pro-Kremlin social media trolls and their influence outside of Russia’s borders. Due to her investigations, Jessikka became the target of a severe and still ongoing international propaganda and hate speech campaign, which she recounts in Putin’s Trolls.

In 2019, the US State Department awarded Jessikka the International Women of Courage Award, but the award was mysteriously rescinded by the Trump administration, allegedly due to her social media criticism of then President Trump. On December 1, 2020, Jessikka Aro received the International Women’s Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award, presented in partnership with the Washington Post and hosted by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Jessikka was recognized for her award-winning investigative reporting of Russian information warfare. Jessikka lives in Helsinki, Finland.

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, History & Politics

Putin's USA

Jessikka Aro


2024, Narrative Nonfiction

Putin's World War: Russia's Covert Operations to Destroy the West

Jessikka Aro


2019, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, History & Politics

Putin's Trolls

Jessikka Aro

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DAUGHTER OF TWO BLOODS sold to Norway!

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We are excited to announce that the Norwegian rights for Daughter of Two Bloods, an award-winning and bestselling romantasy novel written by S. K. Rostedt, were pr-empted by TNT, a new imprint of Bonnier Norsk Forlag! The deal was closed by Martti Berner at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Considered as the first Finnish romantasy novel, Daughter of Two Bloods has sold closer to 10,000 copies to date, it won the 2024 Best Book of the Year Award by Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, the biggest bookstore chain in Finland, and it was chosen by the readers as one of the Top 100 Finnish books of the 21st century!

The Nordic setting, weaving Finnish mythology, including elements from Kalevala brings a fresh voice to the romantasy genre, and gives the series a wide international appeal. The second book is set to be published in October! 

Previously Daughter of Two Bloods has been sold to France, to Robert Laffont, at auction.

Rights are available in, e.g., Germany, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands…

Click here to request reading materials for DAUGHTER OF TWO BLOODS!

About DAUGHTER OF TWO BLOODS

A debut enemies-to-lovers romantasy novel oozing with fae, demons, and hot romance for fans of  Sarah J. Maas, Victoria Aveyard, and Jennifer L. Armentrout…

Remena is a land where humans and fae coexist, seemingly on equal terms. Moorna is a 21-year-old half-blood whose life as an escort to the capital’s aristocracy is harrowing. She wants to pay off her escort debt as quickly as possible and return home with her friend Malkra to live a life free from discrimination. When Moorna accidentally stumbles upon the annoyingly handsome fae, Caidas, she is torn from all that is familiar and safe, and quickly learns that nothing is as it seems.

DAUGHTER OF TWO BLOODS
KAHDEN VEREN TYTÄR
Otava, 2024, 509 pp.

Reading materials: English sample and synopsis, Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
FRANCE: Robert Laffont
NORWAY: TNT / Bonnier Norsk Forlag

About author


S. K. Rostedt

S. K. Rostedt aka Saara Rostedt (1993) is an author and marketing professional who grew up in Finland's book capital Sastamala. Now based in Helsinki, she is an avid romantasy reader who loves to spend time in nature and at her summer cabin. She has popular BookTok and Bookstagram social channels, where she talks about her writing and reading experiences. S. K. Rostedt, who gave up reading as a teenager, rediscovered the world of books in her twenties with the help of romantasy. Saara is known in social media as @skrostedt.

Photo credit: Jonne Räsänen/Otava

Read more

Bibliography


2024, Romance, Fantasy & Science Fiction

Daughter of Two Bloods

S. K. Rostedt

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Longanesi acquires Italian rights to Martta Kaukonen’s MEET ME IN THE DARKNESS!

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We’re starting the week with fantastic news about Martta Kaukonen’s internationally bestselling Follow the Butterfly trilogy.

Following the announcement that German publisher Heyne acquired the rights to the upcoming third book FREE, we are thrilled to share that Longanesi has now acquired the Italian rights to book two, Meet Me in the Darkness!

Longanesi published the first book in the trilogy, Follow the Butterfly, this January with a great success! The book has sold over 20,000 copies and stayed several weeks on the bestseller list.

Follow the Butterfly has been sold to 16 territories!

Rights are available in, e.g., France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, Spain, Romania…

Click here to request reading materials for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY trilogy!

Book #1: Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Can she cure a killer? An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn!

Ira, 20, a serial killer who was abducted as a child, starts therapy with celebrity therapist Clarissa. Only one of them knows that they share a mutual secret from the past. Will the other one realize it before she gets murdered?

Clarissa is a middle-aged psychotherapist, the best in her field. She is familiar to everyone from her TV appearances and from glossy magazines. For her, every patient is a princess. And someone only she can save. Or can she? Clarissa already has one suicide to answer for; a teenage boy’s death never seizes to haunt her.

When Ira becomes Clarissa’s patient, a cat-and-mouse game begins in which rules are followed by no one. The kind of game that never ends well.

Book #2: Meet me in the Darkness

Martta Kaukonen

Nothing is as it seems.

Four years have passed since the events of Follow the Butterfly. Ira and Arto have teamed up, and both work as crime journalists for the Helsinki Today. Everything’s going nicely, until Ira starts suspecting there’s a serial killer on the loose in Helsinki.

The murders are investigated by Senior Crime Inspector Kerttu Leppänen, who leads the murder unit and eagerly waits for retirement. Unsolved cases haunt Kerttu, who is unable to forgive herself.

The past catches up with all of them – if they were ever free from its clutches in the first place…

 

Book #3: Free

Martta Kaukonen

Is it worth digging up the truth?

It’s 1995. Detective Chief Inspector Kerttu Leppänen and her spouse, Inspector Esko Koivuvyö, are tasked with investigating the murder of a middle-aged woman. However, the crime scene presents a mystery that complicates the investigation: beside the body, there is a bloody knife on a pillow, even though it cannot be the murder weapon.

Thirty years later, Ira is determined to uncover the truth about her parents’ marriage. Why did her mother Marja fear her father Arto? And why does Arto refuse to answer Ira’s questions? Across different decades, Kerttu and Ira each come to the same realization: if you uncover the truth, you must be prepared to face its consequences.

Meet me in the Darkness
HENGISSÄ
WSOY, 2023, 272 pp.

Reading materials:
German edition, unedited English manuscript

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECHIA: Albatros Media
DENMARK: Forlaget Falco
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
FILM & TV: Legendary Tobis TV
GERMANY: Heyne (3 books)
GREECE: Psichogios (2 books)
HUNGARY: Partvonal Kiadó (2 books)
ICELAND: Storytel (3 books)
ITALY: Longanesi (2 books)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca (2 books)
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press (2 books)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press (2 books)
WORLD ARABIC: Al Arabi Publishing
WORLD ENGLISH (Audio): Audible

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a film critic, whose reviews have been published in both Finland’s biggest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and a popular women’s weekly magazine Me Naiset. Martta has a master’s degree in arts. She has interviewed the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Justin Bieber. Martta met her husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Read more

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Free

Martta Kaukonen


2023, Crime & Suspense

Meet Me in the Darkness

Martta Kaukonen


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

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Hollywood News: THE FAITHFUL READER series adaptation moving to production with Stampede Ventures!

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the witch hunter

We’re thrilled to announce that Max Seeck’s internationally bestselling thriller THE FAITHFUL READER (The Witch Hunter), a New York Times and Spiegel bestseller, is being adapted into a English-language TV series by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures.

This gripping Nordic Noir series is set in Helsinki, Finland. It follows Jessica Niemi as she investigates a disturbing copycat killer, one that forces her to confront haunting memories and a chilling ancestral secret.

Max’s agent, Elina Ahlbäck, shares her excitement:

“Finally, we can share the amazing news that Greg Silverman, CEO of Stampede Ventures will produce Max Seeck’s New York Times and Spiegel Bestseller THE FAITHFUL READER (The Witch Hunter) alongside John-Paul Sarni, Max Seeck, and Gudrun Giddings as an English-language series. Brilliant team, Brilliant TV Show! We are so excited and grateful. Huge congratulations, Max Seeck!”

Max Seeck added:

“I’m very honoured to have the chance to work on the Jessica Niemi TV series with Stampede Ventures and Greg Silverman. I couldnt think of a better home for my novels. Thanks especially to JP Sarni, my agent Elina Ahlbäck and Gudrun Giddings.”

Originally published in Finland by Tammi (orig. Uskollinen lukija, 2019), New York Times and Spiegel bestselling author Max Seeck’s books have sold over 1 million copies, and published in 41 countries.

The Faithful Reader series is earmarked for a production start in Europe later this year. Stampede Ventures initially optioned the rights in 2019 and eventually purchased the book. “We couldn’t be more excited to have Chris and Maria adapting this phenomenal piece of IP,” said Silverman. “Their mastery of the genre will enthral audiences as we explore the gripping and suspenseful world Seeck has created.”

Stampede Ventures is an independent entertainment media company founded by Greg Silverman, the former President of Warner Bros. Pictures. Read more from Screendaily.

Further inquiries:
CEO & Agent Elina Ahlbäck, elina@ahlbackagency.com

“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

Max Seeck

A book-inspired serial killer is on the loose. Jessica Niemi – a detective with a mysterious past – steps up. A chase for the faithful reader has begun.

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?

The Faithful Reader is the first book of the four part Jessica Niemi series.

Join the success story of FAITHFUL READER and click here to request the full English PDF.

THE WITCH HUNTER / THE FAITHFUL READER
Uskollinen lukija
Tammi, 2019, 400 pp.

Reading materials:
English edition and synopsis

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: EMAS
CROATIA: Fokus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FILM & TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures
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
UK: Welbeck Publishing
UKRAINE: Family Leisure Club
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers, Inc.

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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.

Jessica Niemi series is being adapted into a English-language TV series by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures

“An exceptional combination of hardboiled Scandi-noir and eerie ghost story. [--] Seeck marries breathtaking suspense with an expertly drawn heroine. This is guaranteed to send shivers up even the most unshakable readers’ spines." – Publisher's Weekly, starred review (Ghost island)

"Each new step has been an artistic success. Max Seeck, last year's winner of the Glass Key Award for best Nordic detective story, has a golden touch for Finnish suspense fiction." - Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset newspaper

“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 Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 9 territories, 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.

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Milo #2: Betrayed

Max Seeck


2024, Crime & Suspense

Milo #1: Checkmate

Max Seeck


2022, Crime & Suspense

Ghost Island

Max Seeck


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Mephisto Touch

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Call of Hades

Max Seeck


2016, Crime & Suspense

Angels of Hammurabi

Max Seeck

Related news

Norwegian audiobook deal for PUTIN’S TROLLS by Jessikka Aro!

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We are thrilled to announce that audiobook rights of the Norwegian edition of Jessikka Aro’s PUTIN’S TROLLS have been sold to publisher Cappelen Damm! The deal was closed by Martti Berner.

Cappelen Damm will publish the audiobook this summer!

Jessikka Aro is currently writing her third book titled PUTIN’S USA – How Russia divides and rules the United States to be published in October 2025. 

PUTIN’S TROLLS has been sold to a total of 16 territories and the Film & TV rights have also been sold! The rights are still available in Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Egypt, Greece, etc.

Request reading materials for PUTIN’S TROLLS here

PUTIN’S TROLLS
by Jessikka Aro
Johnny Kniga, November 2019, 453 pp.

A journalistic nonfiction book that reads like a real-life spy thriller and reveals the methods of the Kremlin’s modern information warfare

Putin’s Trolls is a first-hand memoir/reportage account by award-winning Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro who was bullied out of her country by Putin’s internet trolls, revealing the true face of an invisible threat that is only growing in power. Russia wages war against civilians online. Every critical voice is an enemy.

Putin’s Trolls presents the criminal smearing campaign, launched and approved by the Kremlin against private individuals around Western countries. It is a chilling account of Russia’s modern tools of information warfare, shedding light on the individuals and organizations behind the Kremlin’s coordinated, military-style social media psy-ops.

 

PUTIN’S USA – How Russia divides and rules the United States
by Jessikka Aro
Johnny Kniga, October 2025, approx. 400 pp.

Putin’s USA is a page-turner you wish wasn’t true. 

A highly topical nonfiction book on Russia’s cyberwarfare against the United States and democracy, unfolding like a thriller.

Putin’s Russia is waging an increasingly aggressive cold war against the West. The weapons used in cyberspace and the information domains seem straight out of science fiction movies.

In journalist and author Jessikka Aro’s third book investigating Russia’s covert operations, the focus is on patriotic hackers, honey traps infiltrating the Republican Party, connections between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign team and Putin’s spies, and electronic weaponry.

The book provides a close-up look at how systematically the Kremlin has been preparing its society for a major war against the United States and the entire democratic West. In Russia, even universities have been turned into tools for shaping young people into agents of Putinism.

It is worse than the Cold War!

 

Putinin trollit
Tositarinoita Venäjän infosodan rintamilta
Johnny Kniga, November 2019, 453 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Johnny Kniga/WSOY (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: Ciela Norma
CZECH REPUBLIC: Denik N
ESTONIA: Menu Meedia/Stratkom
GEORGIA: Media Development Foundation
GERMANY (Print and e-book): Goldmann Verlag
GERMANY (Audiobook): Sound Neverrest
HUNGARY: Corvina
LATVIA: Pētergailis
LITHUANIA: Briedis
NORWAY: Mangschou Forlag
POLAND: Sine Qua Non
ROMANIA: Lebada Neagra
SWEDEN: Sensor Förlag
WORLD ENGLISH: Ig Publishing
WORLD ENGLISH (Audio): Blackstone Audio
TV & FILM: Onerva Pictures

Reading materials: English edition

About author


Jessikka Aro

Jessikka Aro is an award-winning reporter with Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, specializing in Russia, extremism and information warfare. In 2014 and 2015, she published a series of articles on pro-Kremlin social media trolls and their influence outside of Russia’s borders. Due to her investigations, Jessikka became the target of a severe and still ongoing international propaganda and hate speech campaign, which she recounts in Putin’s Trolls.

In 2019, the US State Department awarded Jessikka the International Women of Courage Award, but the award was mysteriously rescinded by the Trump administration, allegedly due to her social media criticism of then President Trump. On December 1, 2020, Jessikka Aro received the International Women’s Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award, presented in partnership with the Washington Post and hosted by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Jessikka was recognized for her award-winning investigative reporting of Russian information warfare. Jessikka lives in Helsinki, Finland.

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, History & Politics

Putin's USA

Jessikka Aro


2024, Narrative Nonfiction

Putin's World War: Russia's Covert Operations to Destroy the West

Jessikka Aro


2019, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, History & Politics

Putin's Trolls

Jessikka Aro

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TANGLED ROOTS by Maria Turtschaninoff won the Magnesia Litera Award in Czechia!

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We are very excited to tell you, that Maria Turtschaninoff has won this year’s Magnesia Litera Award, the most important prize in the Czech literary scene, in the Best Translation category with her novel Tangled Roots (aka Inherited Land), translated by Marie Voslářová and published by Argo.

Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories that feature strong female protagonists. In addition to other awards and prizes, she has won the Svenska Yle Literary Prize 2023 and the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize 2024 for her literary masterpiece Tangled Roots.

Marie Voslářová also has a long line of translations under her belt. Her translations have won both the Muriel Award and the Tomáš Hrách Prize.

Warm congratulations to the translator, author, and publisher, on this prestigious recognition!

Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories!
Rights are available in, e.g., Spain, Greece, Japan, Lithuania, Slovakia…

Download materials for TANGLED ROOTS here!

Tangled Roots (aka Inherited Land)

Maria Turtschaninoff

The roots of people and forest are intertwined in the depths of the earth.

An old soldier carves a croft out of the Finnish forest and calls it home, but try as he might to tame the land, its wild magic endures. For centuries his descendants will work the farm, through days of plenty and famine, love and war, their fates entangled with the rhythms of the ancient wilderness, where mysterious shapes flit between the trees and danger lurks in the treacherous fen…

Like dragonflies darting over the marsh, their lives glimmer briefly and then are gone: a young girl entranced by the forest folk, a faithless fiancé who meets his match beneath the age-old branches, a farmhand with a strange obsession…

What endures is the wild, and the certainty that wherever we put down roots, the land will grow roots in us too.

TANGLED ROOTS
Arvejord
Förlaget, 2022, 371 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
Swedish manuscript
Finnish translation

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish), Tammi (Finnish)
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: Izida
CHINA: Rentian Ulus
CROATIA: Hena Com
CZECHIA: ARGO
DENMARK: Alpha Forlag
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat
FRANCE: Éditions Paulsen
GERMANY: Rowohlt
HUNGARY: L’Harmattan
ISRAEL: Hakibbutz Hameuchad – Sifriat Poalim Publishing House
ITALY: Bompiani
NETHERLANDS: Uitgeverij Atlas Contact
NORWAY: Bonnier Norsk Forlag
POLAND: Wydawnictwo Poznańskie
ROMANIA: Editura Univers
TURKEY: Timas
UKRAINE: Old Lion Publishing House
WORLD ENGLISH: Pushkin Press

About author


Maria Turtschaninoff

Maria Turtschaninoff is known for crafting lyrical, historically inspired fantasy stories starring strong female protagonists. In addition to J.R.R. Tolkien, she counts Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin and C.S. Lewis among her favorite authors. She is a two-time winner of the Society of Swedish Literature Prize, winner of the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, winner of the Thank You for the Book Award, a nominee for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2020-2024), and winner of the 2014 Finlandia Junior Prize. In 2024, Maria Turtschaninoff won the Eeva Joenpelto Literary Prize (10,000 euro award) for her literary masterpiece Tangled Roots.

Her Red Abbey Chronicles YA trilogy has been sold into 30 languages, while her first adult novel Tangled Roots has been sold to 23 territories. Maria has a Master of Arts in human ecology and works full-time as a writer.

Photo credit: Veikko Somerpuro/Tammi

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2024, Middle Grade (8-12 Years)

The Manticore

Maria Turtschaninoff


2022, Literary Fiction

Tangled Roots

Maria Turtschaninoff


2018, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi: Red Mantle

Maria Turtschaninoff


2016, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Naondel

Maria Turtschaninoff


2014, Young Adult (13 or 14+)

Maresi

Maria Turtschaninoff

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3rd book in FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY trilogy by Spiegel Bestselling author Martta Kaukonen sold to Germany!

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We are very excited to announce that Spiegel bestselling author Martta Kaukonen’s 3rd Follow the Butterfly thriller, Free, has been acquired by her German publisher Heyne in a pre-publication deal! The deal was closed by Martti Berner.

Congratulations to Martta Kaukonen, and Heyne! The anticipated third book in FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY trilogy will be published in Finland in May 2025.

Published as Therapiert in Germany, the first book has sold close to 30,000 copies and it hit the Spiegel bestseller list. The sequel, Traumatisiert, was just published in March.

Film and TV rights have been acquired by Legendary Tobis. Martta Kaukonen’s work has received glowing starred reviews everywhere it has been published. Last year Follow the Butterfly was nominated for Germany’s Viktor Crime Award  and for the prestigious Danish Glass Key Award.

 

Praise from UK authors of FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

“The premise is highly original and flawlessly executed, with an unexpected, ingenious twist at the end. The play between the patient and serial killer, Ida and her celebrity therapist, Clarissa, is deftly crafted, luring the reader in and entangling them in their web of deception. It is an utterly compelling, gripping read with an explosive conclusion.
–Danielle Ramsay, author novel the Perfect Husband

“Dark, clever and hugely suspenseful, Follow the Butterfly is a breathtakingly fast-paced, original debut with vivid, intriguing characters and a masterfully constructed, compelling plotline that sinks its teeth into you from the first and doesn’t let go. Kaukonen’s writing is flawless, poignant and addictive, while the ending blew me away.”
-A. A. Chaudhuri, bestselling author of Under Her Roof

“Surprising, fresh and almost indecently fun, with two brilliantly original female leads and a sinuous plot that keeps you guessing until the very last page.”
-Tammy Cohen, author of The Wedding Party

“Breathlessly plotted, deviously constructed, and brought to vivid, twisted life by an antiheroine for the ages, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is an utterly beguiling debut. This isn’t just a thriller you sink your teeth into—it’s a thriller that sinks its teeth right back into you.”
-Elizabeth Little, author of Pretty as a Picture

 

Want to be part of this phenomenon? Rights are still available in Sweden, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Japan, Ukraine and more!

Click here to request reading materials for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY trilogy!

 


Book #1: FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ira, 20, a serial killer who was abducted as a child, starts therapy with celebrity therapist Clarissa. Only one of them knows that they share a mutual secret from the past. Will the other one realize it before she gets murdered?

Clarissa is a middle-aged psychotherapist, the best in her field. She is familiar to everyone from her TV appearances and from glossy magazines. For her, every patient is a princess. And someone only she can save. Or can she? Clarissa already has one suicide to answer for; a teenage boy’s death never seizes to haunt her.

When Ira becomes Clarissa’s patient, a cat-and-mouse game begins in which rules are followed by no one. The kind of game that never ends well.

Book #2: MEET ME IN THE DARKNESS
by Martta Kaukonen

Nothing is as it seems.

Four years have passed since the events of Follow the Butterfly. Ira and Arto have teamed up, and both work as crime journalists for the Helsinki Today. Everything’s going nicely, until Ira starts suspecting there’s a serial killer on the loose in Helsinki.

The murders are investigated by Senior Crime Inspector Kerttu Leppänen, who leads the murder unit and eagerly waits for retirement. Unsolved cases haunt Kerttu, who is unable to forgive herself.

The past catches up with all of them – if they were ever free from its clutches in the first place…

Book #3: FREE
by Martta Kaukonen

Is it worth digging up the truth?

It’s 1995. Detective Chief Inspector Kerttu Leppänen and her spouse, Inspector Esko Koivuvyö, are tasked with investigating the murder of a middle-aged woman. However, the crime scene presents a mystery that complicates the investigation: beside the body, there is a bloody knife on a pillow, even though it cannot be the murder weapon.

Thirty years later, Ira is determined to uncover the truth about her parents’ marriage. Why did her mother Marja fear her father Arto? And why does Arto refuse to answer Ira’s questions? Across different decades, Kerttu and Ira each come to the same realization: if you uncover the truth, you must be prepared to face its consequences.

Book #1: Follow the Butterfly
TERAPIASSA
WSOY, 2021, 471 pp.

Reading materials: English edition, German Edition

Book #2: Meet me in the Darkness
 HENGISSÄ
WSOY, 2023, 272 pp.

Reading materials: German edition, unedited English manuscript

Book #3: Free
POISSA
WSOY, 2025, 300 pp.

Reading materials: English synopsis, Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECHIA: Albatros Media
DENMARK: Forlaget Falco
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
FILM & TV: Legendary Tobis TV
GERMANY: Heyne (3 books)
GREECE: Psichogios (2 books)
HUNGARY: Partvonal Kiadó (2 books)
ICELAND: Storytel (3 books)
ITALY: Longanesi (2 books)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca (2 books)
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press (2 books)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press (2 books)
WORLD ARABIC: Al Arabi Publishing
WORLD ENGLISH (Audio): Audible

 

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a film critic, whose reviews have been published in both Finland’s biggest newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and a popular women’s weekly magazine Me Naiset. Martta has a master’s degree in arts. She has interviewed the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Justin Bieber. Martta met her husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling.

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Read more

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Free

Martta Kaukonen


2023, Crime & Suspense

Meet Me in the Darkness

Martta Kaukonen


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

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700,000 copies sold for ITTY BITTY PRINCESS books by Hannele Lampela!

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We are so happy to tell you all that the Itty Bitty Princess books by Hannele Lampela, illustrated by Ninka Reittu have sold nearly 700,000 copies in Finland! Lampela also has two new Itty Bitty Princess books coming out in 2025. The Itty Bitty Princess film was released in 2024 and second one is now in development!

Itty Bitty Princess is a mischievous, bold, and kind-hearted little girl with a mind of her own. Whether it’s finding out where babies come from or fixing “mistakes” and injustices in fairy tales, Itty Bitty never shies away from a challenge!

Itty Bitty Princess books available:

Itty Bitty Princess picture books (3+):
Itty Bitty Princess and the Truth About Babies (2022)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Teeny Bit Terrific Fairy Tales (2022)

Itty Bitty Princess chapter books (40 pp-80 pp, 5+):
Itty Bitty Princess (2016)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Winter (2017)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Slightly Better Bedtime Stories (2018)
Itty Bitty Princess and The Horrible Injustice (2019)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Summer (2020)
Itty Bitty Princess’s Slightly Better Singalongs (2020)
Itty Bitty Princess Takes Over the World (2021)
Itty Bitty Princess and The Amazing Amusement Park (2023)
How many more sleeps until Christmas, Itty Bitty Princess? (2024)

 

Itty Bitty Princess and the Truth About Babies

Where do annoying little siblings come from? Itty Bitty Princess figures out the truth about babies in her own bold manner.

Of course, Itty Bitty Princess knows that babies grow in mothers’ tummies. But how did they end up there? And how do they get out? And most importantly: why on earth would parents want a baby that poops a lot and wakes them up in the middle of the night?

This charming picture book by Hannele Lampela, illustrated by Ninka Reittu, provides answers to children’s puzzling questions about babies, but also touches on the emotions that big sisters and brothers go through when they hear a baby is on the way.

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS HERE

 

Itty Bitty Princess’s Teeny Bit Terrific Fairy Tales

Have you ever thought of how a witch feels when her magnificent gingerbread house is eaten? Or the fairy who doesn’t get invited to a birthday party? Indeed, probably not so good.

Itty Bitty Princess has noticed that the ones who are already kind are the ones who always win the battles. Like her little brother. That’s why she has decided to tell a few stories from the side of the scoundrels, like the dragon that gets constantly poked by swords. After all, Itty Bitty Princess knows what it’s like to be kind and naughty at the same time.

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS HERE

 

Itty Bitty Princess and The Amazing Amusement Park

Itty Bitty Princess has a sleepover at her friend’s place. How exciting! What should she pack? And what should the princesses play? The sleepover itself feels exciting, but it gets even more fun when imagination takes flight and they end up visiting an amusement park at nighttime! Are there ghosts lurking about? And if there are, could they be kind?

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS HERE

 

How many more sleeps until Christmas, Itty Bitty Princess?

Itty Bitty Princess is impatiently waiting for Christmas. And believe it or not, every single night a little elf peeks in the window and looks to see what Itty Bitty Princess has been up to!

The days counting down to Christmas can fit magic, cakes, and gingerbread – and many, many questions. Among other things, about elves, kindness and why some get much bigger gifts than others or why some get to be angels in the Christmas play and others have to be donkeys.

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS HERE

ITTY BITTY PRINCESS AND THE TRUTH ABOUT BABIES
PRINSESSA PIKKIRIIKKI JA (KAAMEA) TOTUUS VAUVOISTA
Otava, 2022, 32 pp.

READING MATERIALS:
Full English PDF

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
DENMARK: Turbine Forlaget
ESTONIA: Kirjastus Elust Enesest
ITALY: Fabbri Editori
WORLD SPANISH: Planeta Mexico

 

ITTY BITTY PRINCESS’ TEENY BIT TERRIFIC FAIRY TALES
PRINSESSA PIKKIRIIKIN HIUKKASEN HURJAT SADUT
Otava, 2022, 80 pp.

READING MATERIALS:
Full English text

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

 

ITTY BITTY PRINCESS AND THE AMAZING AMUSEMENT PARK
PRINSESSA PIKKIRIIKKI JA HURMAAVA HUVIPUISTO
Otava, 2023, 40 pp.

READING MATERIALS:
English synopsis, Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Kirjastus Elust Enesest

 

HOW MANY MORE SLEEPS UNTIL CHRISTMAS, ITTY BITTY PRINCESS?
MONTAKO YÖTÄ VIELÄ, PRINSESSA PIKKIRIIKKI?
Otava 2024, 80 pp.

READING MATERIALS:
English synopsis, Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

About author


Hannele Lampela

Hannele Lampela's lovable works have been praised above all for their rich humor and ability to truly show the world from a child's perspective. She has the ability to enchant her readers, and that is why both children and adults love her stories. Lampela's works have been dramatized for example by the Finnish National Theater, Kuopio City Theater and YLE's radio plays. She has been awarded the prestigious Kaarina Helakisa Prize for her work and she has been nominated for Runeberg Junior award in 2019 and for Storytel Award, and Arvid Lydecken Award four times, most recently in 2023.

In addition to her fictional works, Lampela has written and created  a world of stories for the next national ABC book of Finnish schools. First graders across the country will learn to read through Hannele’s texts. Lampela lives in a small wooden house in the middle of apple trees with her family, and spends her days not only writing, but also pampering herself and others on a regular basis.

Read more Author's page

About author


Ninka Reittu

Ninka Reittu is an illustrator and children's book writer.

Reittu lives in an old clergy house in Liperi, Finland, with her son and carpenter husband. Their family also includes two cats, several dogs, and a flock of sheep.

In addition to her own picture books Messi ja Mysteeri and Sinä olet superrakas, she has illustrated the titles of Hannele Lampela (The Itty-Bitty Princess) and Kreetta Onkelin.

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Bestseller titles from the Ahlback Agency!

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Titles represented by the Ahlback Agency have been on the official bestseller lists of Finland in March 2025!

What Finland Reads is a monthly statistic compiled by the Booksellers’ Association of Finland, which brings together the best-selling literature in Finland. The list includes literature in print form as well as audio and e-books.

 

Dad Man and the Mysterious Puppet Master by Arttu Unkari and Kai Vaalio is included in both All Genres and Children’s and Young Adult lists.

In Finnish literature list you can find Crimson Web by Aamos Honka, which has been one of the most purchased books in Finland since it’s release in January!

Stop Chasing Happiness: A Pessimist’s Guide to a Good Life by Frank Martela can be found on the most purchased Non-Fiction books list.

Traces by Anna Harju is one of the most purchased print books. Traces has been on the best selling lists since it’s release in January!

Princess Rascal and the Dark Fairy by Elina Hirvonen and Mervi Lindman is one of the most purchased Children’s and Young Adult books in e-book form.

 

Dad Man and the Mysterious Puppet Master

BY ARTTU UNKARI AND KAI VAALIO

The quirkiest cop in town! The Dad Man Series offers fast-paced adventures and humour for all ages – especially lower middle grade.

✓ Bestselling series: over 200,000 copies sold in Finland!

✓ Rights sold to Germany (2 books) and Denmark (2 books)!

✓ Perfect for reluctant readers and for fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants

✓ All books in the series have been nominated for the Storytel awards Best children’s audiobook prize!

✓ Books in the series have also been recognized with Best Newcomer of the Year 2020, and the Runeberg Prize 2023!

✓ Bold and fresh 4-colour comic-book style artwork that add visual jokes to the narration

✓ Work as standalones and can be read in any order!

The wackiest cop in town is messing up again! A fast-paced adventure full of humor for elementary school readers.

A supervillain calling himself the Mysterious Puppet Master robs the Museum of Ancient Diseases and threatens to unleash deadly germs if the city’s smartest detective doesn’t complete the tasks he’s assigned.

Who else but Dadman rises heroically to the challenge, dragging Oona and the gang back into action. They must solve the Puppet Master’s riddles before it’s too late — and before Dadman ruins everything. Because those tasks? They’re not quite as heroic as Dadman thought..

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS HERE

 

Crimson Web

BY AAMOS HONKA

A frighteningly topical debut thriller from an insider in the intelligence world, revealing the hidden heart of secrets ops and hybrid warfare.

Planes collide in London. Electricity and information networks are attacked in Finland. Janne Peura from military intelligence and Laura Vesterinen from the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service track down signs of foreign power operations. When Janne and Laura’s lines cross, they take on major roles in a high stakes international game.

Once you read the book, the news headlines will never look the same to you.

The sequel to Crimson Web, book #2 in the Janne Peura series, is slated to be published in Finland in November 2025.

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS HERE

 

Stop Chasing Happiness: A Pessimist’s Guide to a Good Life

BY FRANK MARTELA

A guide to finding happiness by Finland’s leading happiness expert UK publication on March 20, 2025!

✓  World English rights sold to Allen & Unwin, German rights to Knesebeck, and Finnish rights at auction to Gummerus!

✓ Full English manuscript available!

✓  Frank Martela, PhD, is Finland’s #1 internationally bestselling non-fiction author – his previous title, A Wonderful Life, has been sold to 30 countries!

✓  A unique blend of personal stories and quirky anecdotes combined with deep understanding of the latest psychological research on well-being

✓  Finland has been ranked the happiest country 7 times in a row and Frank Martela has explained the secret to Finnish happiness for Fox News, New York Times, Scientific American and New Scientist.

What if the secret to happiness isn’t finding it—but letting it go?

In a world obsessed with success and self-improvement, the chase for happiness often leaves us feeling lost. The real path to contentment lies in unlearning the habits holding you back: stop obsessing over what others think, stop being so sensitive about your feelings, stop measuring your value by what you have.

In Stop Chasing Happiness, academic and philosopher Frank Martela – hailing from Finland, the world’s happiest country – reveals why our fixation on happiness and achievement is making us miserable. With wisdom rooted in science, philosophy, and personal experience, Martela shows you the path to a life of energized contentment.

Through this transformative book, you’ll discover:

* the courage to free yourself from the pressures of what you should do

* the serenity to accept whatever life throws at you

* the sparkle to energetically pursue whatever you identify as your real values.

Stop the anxious chase. You have already arrived. Start living your own life through accepting the past, enjoying the present, and working towards a better future – it all starts here.

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS HERE

Traces

BY ANNA HARJU

“Perfect suspense!” – Max Seeck, New York Times bestselling author

The opening of a gripping crime series set in trendy Tampere. Taro Auramo Series #1

There are secrets whose revelation will have fatal consequences. There is no escaping them, no matter how hard you try. Must one always pay for their mistakes?

A well-liked pharmacist is found murdered at his workplace. Suspicion falls on pharmacist Joanna Vihervuori, the last person to see her boss alive. Joanna insists she is innocent, but the case begins to twist around her in a strange way.

For Tampere Police Detective Inspector Taro Auramo, this murder investigation is the place to prove himself. The white dust on the dead pharmacist’s cheek raises doubts about whether his business is completely clean, and soon nothing will be as it seems.

Psychologically astute and utterly addictive, Traces is the first in the Taro Auramo crime series set in Tampere. Book #2 is slated to be published in 2026 and book #3 in 2027.

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS HERE

Princess Rascal and the Dark Fairy

BY ELINA HIRVONEN AND MERVI LINDMAN

A picture book about being scared of the dark

✓ Shows day-to-day challenges of families with children with a lot of warmth and humor

✓ Rights in series sold into 5 languages

Would a crown of courage or a string of pearls with happy things help in the dark?

Beloved Princess Rascal is a little girl with big feelings and magical powers. The popular picture book series continues!

Princess Rascal stays awake all night, because there’s a monster under her bed. No one believes that, but Princess Rascal knows it’s true. She feels that no one else has such big worries and that no one else is even afraid of anything! Somehow this problem has to be solved: could there be something in Princess Rascal’s toy box that could help?

The Princess Rämäpää series by Elina Hirvonen and Mervi Lindman takes the reader on magical adventures that can be found right in the middle of everyday life, as long as you have enough imagination.

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS HERE

DAD MAN AND THE MYSTERIOUS PUPPET MASTER
ISÄMIES JA SALAPERÄINEN NUKKEMESTARI
Otava, 2025, 176 pp.

READING MATERIALS:
Finnish pdfs books 1-6
German edition books 1-2
Danish edition book 1
English sample book 4

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
DENMARK: Bogoo (2 books)
GERMANY: Mixtvision (2 books)

 

CRIMSON WEB
PUNAINEN VERKKO
Gummerus, 2025, 489 pp.

READING MATERIALS:
English sample
English synopsis
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Gummerus (orig.)

 

STOP CHASING HAPPINESS: A PESSIMIST’S GUIDE TO A GOOD LIFE
ÄLÄ ETSI ONNEA: EPÄTYYPILLISIÄ ELÄMÄNOHJEITA NYKYIHMISELLE
Allen & Unwin, 2025, 200 pp.

READING MATERIALS:
Full English edition
English chapters

RIGHTS SOLD:
UK: Allen & Unwin (orig.)
FINLAND: Gummerus
GERMANY: Knesebeck
WORLD ENGLISH: Allen & Unwin

 

TRACES
JÄLJET
Tammi, 2025, 382 pp.

READING MATERIALS:
English sample & synopsis
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

 

PRINCESS RASCAL AND THE DARK FAIRY
PRINSESSA RÄMÄPÄÄ JA MÖRKÖTAIKA
Tammi, 2024, 44 pp.

READING MATERIALS:
English sample & synopsis
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

About author


Aamos Honka

Aamos Honka has been a part of the Finnish intelligence community for over a decade and continues to work for the Finnish government. Drawing from his professional expertise, Aamos crafts gripping and realistic thrillers that delve deep into the high-stakes world of international espionage. He lives with his family in the picturesque Finnish archipelago, where he finds inspiration for his writing. In his free time, Aamos enjoys hunting and ice swimming.

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About author


Anna Harju

Anna Harju (b. 1983) enjoys atmospheric detective stories with a compelling, complex plot. By profession, she is a translator and communication multitasker. She enjoys the solitude of early mornings, sprinting in silent forests and questioning the ordinary. Unlike her character, Taro Auramo, she is terrified of heights but shares his impulsive nature and feeling of not always fitting in.

Traces is her debut novel and takes place in Tampere, the sauna capital of the world and the largest inland city of the Nordics, where Harju is from.

Photo credit: Jan Lönnberg

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About author


Arttu Unkari

Arttu Unkari is a teacher from Helsinki and a Master of Education (University of Helsinki, 2015) who majored in ethics and philosophy.  He combines his educational background and experience as a teacher in his books – his stories are anarchist and zany, but at the same time the humour often revolves around profound and intriguing concepts such as honesty, obedience, and morality in ways that speak to children in their own language. His books are enjoyed by adults as well because they contain layers that open up differently to readers of all ages. This is one of the reasons Dad Man is such a great series for the whole family.

As an author Unkari is a Runeberg prize nominee 2023 for the third instalment of the Dadman series: Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis (Isämies ja hyytävä hypnoosi, Otava 2022). The Runeberg Prize is a literary prize awarded by the newspaper Uusimaa, the City of Porvoo, the Finnish Writers' Union, the Finnish Critics' Association and the Finland’s-Swedish Writer’s Association. The prize was established in 1986 and it is awarded annually in Porvoo on 5th February, the day when Finland celebrates their national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg.  All of his previous books (Dad Man and the Exploding poop, Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother,  Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis and Dad Man and the Impossible Time Warp) have been nominated for best children’s audiobook in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Finnish Storytel awards. He’s also participated in making a Finnish language schoolbook (Loikka 3, Otava 2022).

Unkari is a sought after inspirational speaker in his home country. He’s visited schools all over Finland advocating for the importance of reading.

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About author


Elina Hirvonen

Elina Hirvonen is an award-winning author of adults' and children's prose and documentary filmmaker whose works have been translated into many languages. Hirvonen’s debut novel, When I Forgot, made the front page of The New York Times Book Review, and received rave reviews from the Independent, Guardian, Financial Times and Globe and Mail.

Hirvonen has won the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, the Young Aleksis Prize, has been nominated for the prestigious Finlandia Prize. She has received the prestigious 2023 Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö Literary Foundation Award, recognizing the artistic independence and high standard of her writing.

Her new novel, The Logbook of Love, was published in Finland in August 2023. The Logbook of Love is the first part of a trilogy of novels that create their world through conversations.

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About author


Frank Martela

Professor Frank Martela, PhD, is a philosopher and researcher of psychology specializing in the question of meaning in life. His articles have appeared in Scientific American Mind, Harvard Business Review, Salon, CNBC and his work has been featured on Quartz and on the BBC. His research has been published extensively in numerous academic journals such as Nature Human Behaviour, Perspectives on Psychological Science, Journal of Personality, Metaphilosophy, Southern Journal of Philosophy, and Academy of Management Review. He has spoken to more than one hundred audiences worldwide, including invited lectures in universities on five continents, including Stanford University and Harvard University. He’s been interviewed by the New York Times, Discover Magazine, New Scientist, Vice News, Fox News,and Monocle Observer among others. He is Assistant Professor at Aalto University in Finland. Outside of work, Frank is a father to three lovely children, an amateur-level soccer player, with an occasional skiing trip in the winters. He is made in Green Bay, so Packers holds a special place in his heart.

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About author


Kai Vaalio

Kai Vaalio (b. 1986) is an illustrator, comic artist, and a bit of a cosmopolitan as well. He’s written and illustrated underground comic books for adults about his travels in South-East Asia and Latin America — the latter won Mondo magazine’s Travel book of the year award back in 2014. Recently he’s ventured into the world of illustrating children’s books mainly with Arttu Unkari’s Dad Man Series. Together they’ve made several books about this goofy detective and his clever little posse. The Dad Man Series has received Storytel Awards and Runeberg Junior 2023 award nominations. Vaalio’s been on and off in the graphic industry since 2005 when he graduated as a graphic designer from Lahti College of Arts and Crafts. In 2018 he got his bachelor’s degree from Lahti University of Applied Science.

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The Investigations of a Certain Cat by Katja Kettu wins the Lapland Literature Award

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We are delighted to announce that Katja Kettu’s novel, The Investigations of a Certain Cat has been awarded the Lapland Literature Award, granted by Lapland’s libraries. The prize is worth 3,000 euros and it is awarded every two years to high-quality literature from the region. The nominated books were published in 2023-2024, with over 150 entries in total.

Katja Kettu expressed her gratitude for the honor:

This novel is deeply personal to me, and I am especially thrilled that it has been recognized in Lapland—a place so close to my heart. I have been spending extended periods there with my family while working on my next novel, and this award reaffirms my feeling that I am exactly where I am meant to be. It is also a great privilege to contribute to Lapland’s rich cultural heritage.

Sculptor Kirsi Kaulanen, who selected the winning book, explained her choice:

I chose a book that moved me. One that I truly enjoyed reading. It guided me deep, opened something within me. It led me through time and even into eternity. There was pain, but also lightness. Perhaps that was due to the furry witness. A spirit guide of sorts. The novel weaves together the stories of a great-great-grandmother who lived through the Finnish Civil War and a successful writer struggling with infertility, all carried by rich language and the resonant tones of the northern dialect.”

Katja has previously won awards such as the Tiiliskivi Prize, the Runeberg Prize, the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, and Thank You for the Book Medal. She has also received several international recognitions. Her previous novel, Rose on poissa (Rose is Gone), was shortlisted for the Finlandia Prize and became a favorite among readers.

The Investigations of a Certain Cat has been sold to 11 territories! Rights are still available for France, Netherlands, Japan, Greece, Spain, US, UK, etc!

Most recently, the book was published in Denmark and Germany, with upcoming releases in Czechia and Estonia next month.

Download materials for The Investigations of a Certain Cat here!

The Investigations of a Certain Cat

Katja Kettu

Katja Kettu’s stunning novel spins through ages whilst surrendering to the wilderness of nature and the deep yearning for offspring. 

Can one find solace and meaning in life from the past once the future no longer exists?

An Author has a miscarriage and loses their ability to speak and write. From the Investigative Bureau of Heavens, a Detective is sent to the scene, but something goes awry. Soon, in the corner of the room, there appears Cat who starts examining a mysterious diary that once belonged to the Author’s Great Grandmother.

When a new life has been lost, the Author turns their gaze to the past and to the age-old words of creation in the old Finnish outskirts. The one who knows them, Great Grandmother, has the power of healers. The Great Grandmother’s diary sheds light on birth and death, love towards children, and the strength of heritage in one’s blood.

Combining autofiction and elements of magical realism, Katja Kettu’s latest novel also sheds light on the history of the Finnish frontiers.

THE INVESTIGATIONS OF A CERTAIN CAT
ERÄÄN KISSAN TUTKIMUKSIA
Otava, 2023, 380 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Finnish manuscript
German edition
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
CZECHIA: ARGO
DENMARK: Lindhardt og Ringhof
ESTONIA: Koolibri
GERMANY: Weissbooks
HUNGARY: Gondolat
ITALY: Mondadori
NORWAY: Pax Forlag
POLAND: Swit Ksiazki
ROMANIA: Humanitas Fiction
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag

About author


Katja Kettu

Katja Kettu is an acclaimed and award-winning writer with a strong, unique voice from Northern Finland. Originally from Rovaniemi, Lapland, she graduated from the Turku Academy of Arts in 2001 as an animation director and has also studied in the University of Tampere and in the National Film and Television School in the UK. She has worked as a columnist for numerous Finnish newspapers and magazines.

Her debut novel Surujenkerääjä (2005) was nominated for the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize and won the Tiiliskivi Prize, but her breakthrough came with The Midwife (orig. Kätilö, 2011), which won the Kalevi Jäntti Prize, the Runeberg Prize and the Thank You for the Book Medal. The rights for the novel have been sold to 19 countries, it has sold more than 160,000 copies in Finland, and in 2015 it was adapted into a film.

To date, she has published five novels, written or edited two collections of short stories, authored a graphic novel, edited a fiction/non-fiction book on women’s experiences with sexual harassment and violence, and a biography of Ismo Alanko, a Finnish musician. In addition, she has collaborated with photographer Meeri Koutaniemi and documentarist Maria Seppälä on a book and a TV series about Finnish emigrants in North America and their relationships with the Ojibwe people. Outside of literature, Kettu has directed, written or helped produce 10 animations and been a singer in the punk band Confusa.

Kettu’s works have been characterized as “Laplandic magical realism”. Kettu is meticulous in the research for her works and she is interested in microhistory, especially the fates of women caught up in conflicts where individuals have a limited influence on their lives.

Her novel Rose on poissa was a Finlandia Prize 2018 nominee. Kettu's works have been translated into 23 languages.

Katja Kettu's literary works:

Surujenkerääjä, 2005 WSOY

Hitsaaja, 2008 WSOY

Kätilö, 2011 WSOY

Piippuhylly, novelleja, 2013 WSOY

Novelli palaa! Matkanovelleja, co-edited with Aki Salmela, 2013 WSOY

Yöperhonen, 2015 WSOY

Peräkammarin poika, illustrated by Jan Andersson, 2015 Otava

Rose on poissa, 2018 WSOY

Erään kissan tutkimuksia, 2023 Otava

Photo credit: Niclas Mäkelä / Otava

Read more

Bibliography


2023, Literary Fiction

The Investigations of a Certain Cat

Katja Kettu

Related news

Bestselling MAX SEECK 1 Million Copies Sold Globally!

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We are over the moon to share the news that our International and New York Times & Spiegel Bestselling Author MAX SEECK and his novels are published in 41 countries, selling 1 million copies around the world!

Max Seeck ‘s books have been included in Vogue’s list of the best Nordic noir books of all time! Max Seeck is the Winner of the prestigious Glass Key Award. Recently, we announced that Kodansha in Japan will start publishing Max Seeck.

Hollywood calling – international TV news!

An international TV adaptation of THE WITCH HUNTER (a New York Times bestseller!) is in development with Stampede Ventures! Big news coming soon!

For the new series by Max Seeck, MILO, Solar Films is adapting Milo as an international TV series for global distribution, with production slated to commence in 2026!

Finland’s no. 1 Bestseller MILO, a psychological suspense novel with surprising twists and interesting facts about the game of chess, has sold over 45,000 copies, and starts a new series with a sequel publishing in September 2025.

In France, Méra Editions has just published “Echec et Mat” and in Germany, Bastei Lübbe will publish “Blindspiel” in June 2025, with Piemme/Mondadori in Italy, Aschehoug in Norway, Kodansha in Japan, Latvijas Medijii in Latvia, and Pegasus in Estonia to follow in 2026.

Request reading materials for JESSICA NIEMI series here!

Request reading materials for MILO series here!

About MILO:

MILO is a criminal profiler and art gallery owner struggling with sexual frustration who needs to understand the game of chess better 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.

About MILO 2:

They know your every step.

When a strikingly beautiful woman sits across from art gallerist Milo Perho at a restaurant terrace in Helsinki, he has no idea where the meeting will lead. Soon, the Helsinki police are dealing with multiple murders, and someone is after Milo, someone who knows his past all too well. A deadly chase begins, where the predator could be anyone, and there’s nowhere to hide.

MILO 2 is a razor-sharp thriller set in the world of espionage. It continues the Milo series, following the story begun in book #1.

Rights sold for MILO series:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Pegasus (2 books)
FRANCE: Mera Editions
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
ITALY: Piemme / Mondadori Group
JAPAN: Kodansha
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
FILM & TV: Solar Films

Reading Materials:

50 p. English sample + synopsis, Finnish edition, German edition, French Edition, Synopsis of Book #2

Rights sold for Jessica Niemi series:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza (3 books)
ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers (World Arabic) (3 books)
ARMENIA: Guitank
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna (4 books)
BULGARIA: EMAS (4 books)
CANADA: Berkley/Penguin Random House (2-book-deal)
CROATIA: Fokus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada (2 books)
DENMARK: Gutkind (4 books)
ESTONIA: Pegasus (4 books)
ICELAND: Forlagid
ISRAEL: Tchelet Books
ITALY: Piemme/Mondadori (2 books)
FRANCE: Michel Lafon (2 book)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (4 books)
GREECE: Livani (2 books)
HUNGARY: Animus (4 books)
KOREA: Cheongmirae
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji (4 books)
LATIN AMERICA (World Spanish): Editorial Maeva/Maeva Noir
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos
MACEDONIA: Matica (2 booksl)
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna (4 books)
NORWAY: Aschehoug (4 books)
POLAND: Sonia Draga (2-book-deal)
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora (2 books)
ROMANIA: Litera (2 books)
RUSSIA: AST
SERBIA: Vulkan (2 books)
SLOVENIA: Didakta (2 books)
SLOVAKIA: Motýľ (2 books)
SPAIN: Editorial Maeva/Maeva Noir
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag (4 books)
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap (2 books)
UKRAINE: Family Leisure Club
UNITED KINGDOM: Welbeck Publishing UK (4 books)
UNITED STATES: Berkley/Penguin Random House (4 books)
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

Reading Materials:
English editions, German editions, Finnish editions

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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.

Jessica Niemi series is being adapted into a English-language TV series by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures

“An exceptional combination of hardboiled Scandi-noir and eerie ghost story. [--] Seeck marries breathtaking suspense with an expertly drawn heroine. This is guaranteed to send shivers up even the most unshakable readers’ spines." – Publisher's Weekly, starred review (Ghost island)

"Each new step has been an artistic success. Max Seeck, last year's winner of the Glass Key Award for best Nordic detective story, has a golden touch for Finnish suspense fiction." - Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset newspaper

“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 Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 9 territories, 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.

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Milo #2: Betrayed

Max Seeck


2024, Crime & Suspense

Milo #1: Checkmate

Max Seeck


2022, Crime & Suspense

Ghost Island

Max Seeck


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Mephisto Touch

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Call of Hades

Max Seeck


2016, Crime & Suspense

Angels of Hammurabi

Max Seeck

Related news

MILO by Max Seeck published in France!

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We are so excited about the French publication of Milo, Échec et Mat, by our internationally bestselling author Max Seeck at Méra éditions! Milo is out as an e-book already and the physical book will be published February 14th! Milo has also been sold to Bastei Lübbe in Germany and Kodansha in Japan and many more. The German edition, BLINDSPIEL, will be published in June 2025.

Download the materials for Milo here!

Milo

✓ FINLAND’S NO. 1 BESTSELLER! Total sales 45,000 copies! 

✓ Solar Films will adapt Milo to an international TV series for global distribution, with development starting in 2024 and a planned release in 2026!

✓ Rights to Milo have been sold to Bastei Lübbe in Germany, Aschehoug in Norway, Mera Éditions in France, Latvijas Medijii in Latvia, Piemme/Mondadori in Italy, Pegasus in Estonia!

✓ Max Seeck won the prestigious Glass Key Award 2023 for The Last Grudge!

✓ Max Seeck’s books have sold over 400,000 copies in Finland! Big Hollywood news coming!

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.

“We are very honored to introduce the highly popular Max Seeck from Finland to Japan. Nordic mysteries is one of the most popular genre of crime fictions among Japanese readers, and we are very much looking forward to their reactions!”

— Yutaro Ichikawa, Editor at Kodansha, Japan

MILO
Merkitty – Tammi 2024 – 400 p.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FILM & TV: Solar Films
FRANCE: Mera Editions
GERMANY: Bastei Luebbe
ITALY: Piemme
JAPAN: Kodansha Ltd.
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug

Reading Materials:
50 p. English sample + long synopsis, Finnish edition, synopsis of book 2

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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.

Jessica Niemi series is being adapted into a English-language TV series by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures

“An exceptional combination of hardboiled Scandi-noir and eerie ghost story. [--] Seeck marries breathtaking suspense with an expertly drawn heroine. This is guaranteed to send shivers up even the most unshakable readers’ spines." – Publisher's Weekly, starred review (Ghost island)

"Each new step has been an artistic success. Max Seeck, last year's winner of the Glass Key Award for best Nordic detective story, has a golden touch for Finnish suspense fiction." - Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset newspaper

“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 Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 9 territories, 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.

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

Read more Author's page

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Milo #2: Betrayed

Max Seeck


2024, Crime & Suspense

Milo #1: Checkmate

Max Seeck


2022, Crime & Suspense

Ghost Island

Max Seeck


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Mephisto Touch

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Call of Hades

Max Seeck


2016, Crime & Suspense

Angels of Hammurabi

Max Seeck

Related news

Three new Children’s deals to Denmark!

Posted on

We are thrilled to announce three new deals to Denmark for our children’s authors!

The Danish publishing house Bogoo acquired the Danish rights for DAD MAN AND THE EVIL LITTLE BROTHER, the second title in the bestselling DAD MAN middle grade series by Arttu Unkari and Kai Vaalio. This series is a huge bestseller in Finland, with over 200,000 copies sold! The German rights have been sold in a two-book deal to Mixtvision, who will publish both of the books in February

Bogoo also acquired the Danish rights to BENJAMIN BATEMAN AND THE WORST DAY OF SCHOOL, the third volume in the BENJAMIN BATEMAN series by Hannele Lampela and Pasi Pitkänen. Fourth book in the series will be published this summer!

And that’s not all. In addition to these two titles, Bogoo also acquired the rights to the third title in PET AGENTS series by Sami & Riina Kaarla, PET AGENTS 3: CHARGING AHEAD. 

The deals were closed by Martti Berner.

Request materials for the DAD MAN series here!

Request materials for the BENJAMIN BATEMAN series here!

Request materials for the PET AGENTS series here!

 

The Dad Man series:
Arttu Unkari, illustrated by Kai Vaalio

#1 Dad Man and the Exploding Poop
#2 Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother
#3 Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis
#4 Dad Man and the Impossible Time Warp
#5 Dad Man and the Doppelgänger Disaster

The quirkiest cop in town! The Dad Man Series offers fast-paced adventures and humour for all ages – especially lower middle grade.

✓  over 200,000 copies sold in Finland!

✓  German and Danish rights sold! (Books 1-2)

✓  For fans of David Walliams and Captain Underpants

✓  A perfect “Gateway series to literature” for reluctant readers

✓  Books in the series have been nominated for the Storytel awards 2020, 2021, and 2022 (Best children’s audiobook), Best Newcomer of the Year 2020, and the Runeberg Prize 2023!

✓  Bold and fresh 4-colour comic-book style artwork that add visual jokes to the narration

✓  5 books available and more to come, work as standalones and can be read in any order!

Dad Man is a dad, and a policeman – but he also has a superpower! Too bad his superpower is one shared by almost all dads – an unwavering belief in himself and his own abilities. Dad Man truly believes he knows everything and can do anything, but as it goes with most dads, the reality is quite different. And it follows that Dad Man’s nine-year-old daughter Oona needs to solve all of the issues herself.

The Benjamin Bateman series:
Hannele Lampela, illustrated by Pasi Pitkänen

#1 Benjamin Bateman – Super Embarrassed Superhero
#2 Benjamin Bateman and The Curse of the Mind-popping Pranks
#3 Benjamin Bateman and The Worst Day of School

What if your superhero costume looked like a butterfly and your only superpowers would be having a good heart and a lively imagination? Welcome to the embarrassing life of Benjamin Bateman!

✓ 3 books available and more to come, fourth to be published in summer 2025!

✓  Film in development!

✓  Nominee for the Arvid Lydecken Award 2023

✓  Rights sold to Denmark!

The wholly hilarious and thrilling adventures of a super embarrassing superhero for middle-graders!

Benjamin Bateman is stunned when he finds out that he is part of a family of superheroes. Who would’ve believed that about poor Benjamin?

Benjamin’s superhero costume is quite embarrassing though – a butterfly. And his superpower is even more mortifying – having a good heart and great imagination! But when Benjamin must battle the terrifying Mortem, his imagination will come in handy.

 

PET AGENTS series:
Riina Kaarla, Sami Kaarla & Anders Vacklin

KATI-E is an independent girl who loves animals just as much as electronics and coding. TI-BOT is the flying robot Kati-e built. Together they are the PET AGENTS, and their mission is to solve pet problems!

✓ A delightfully illustrated series for robot fans and animal lovers alike!
✓ Over 60,000 copies sold in Finland
✓ Series already sold in 8 territories!
✓ 10 books published, and more to come!

The Pet Agents series is a delightful series about friendship and pet care, filled with adventures. Each book – which can be read in any order – features new characters, locations, and pets from miniature pigs to virtual dinosaurs. Engaging, full of humour, and dealing with animal issues in a child friendly way, the series has charmed readers in Finland and internationally.

Available titles:
#1: New Pets & New Friends!
#2: Tracking a Thief
#3: Charging Ahead
#4: Lost in the Game
#5: In Deep Water
#6: Snowed In
#7: Wild City
#8: Mission on the Moon
#9: Masters of the Jungle
#10: The Hobby Horse Whisperer

PRAISE:

Children’s books about animals often train their readers to treat animals with respect. In the Pet Agents series, children interested in pets and other domestic animals also learn about their care and behaviour. The strength of the Pet Agents series lies in (…) its event-rich storytelling and abundant, colourful illustrations. The children in the series are active, energetic and have a wide network of friends.
– Lastenkirjahylly blog, Finland

Publication info the DAD MAN series: 

Rights Sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.), DENMARK: Bogoo (books 1-2), GERMANY: Mixtvision (books 1-2)

Reading Material:
English synopses, Series presentation, Finnish pdf

Publication info the BENJAMIN BATEMAN series: 

Rights Sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.), DENMARK: Bogoo (books 1-3)

Reading Material:
English synopses (books 1-3), English sample (book 1), Finnish editions

Publication info the PET AGENTS series: 

Rights Sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
CZECHIA: Grada (books 1-4, 6)
DENMARK: Bogoo (books 1-3)
ESTONIA: Rahva Raamat (books 1-2, 4)
POLAND: Media Rodzina (books 1-4, 6)
RUSSIA: Eksmo (books 1-4, 6)
SLOVAKIA: IKAR (books 1-2, 4)
UKRAINE: Ridna Mova (books 1-2, 4)

Reading Material:
English synopses, Series presentation, Finnish text

About author


Arttu Unkari

Arttu Unkari is a teacher from Helsinki and a Master of Education (University of Helsinki, 2015) who majored in ethics and philosophy.  He combines his educational background and experience as a teacher in his books – his stories are anarchist and zany, but at the same time the humour often revolves around profound and intriguing concepts such as honesty, obedience, and morality in ways that speak to children in their own language. His books are enjoyed by adults as well because they contain layers that open up differently to readers of all ages. This is one of the reasons Dad Man is such a great series for the whole family.

As an author Unkari is a Runeberg prize nominee 2023 for the third instalment of the Dadman series: Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis (Isämies ja hyytävä hypnoosi, Otava 2022). The Runeberg Prize is a literary prize awarded by the newspaper Uusimaa, the City of Porvoo, the Finnish Writers' Union, the Finnish Critics' Association and the Finland’s-Swedish Writer’s Association. The prize was established in 1986 and it is awarded annually in Porvoo on 5th February, the day when Finland celebrates their national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg.  All of his previous books (Dad Man and the Exploding poop, Dad Man and the Evil Little Brother,  Dad Man and the Horrible Hypnosis and Dad Man and the Impossible Time Warp) have been nominated for best children’s audiobook in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Finnish Storytel awards. He’s also participated in making a Finnish language schoolbook (Loikka 3, Otava 2022).

Unkari is a sought after inspirational speaker in his home country. He’s visited schools all over Finland advocating for the importance of reading.

Read more

About author


Hannele Lampela

Hannele Lampela's lovable works have been praised above all for their rich humor and ability to truly show the world from a child's perspective. She has the ability to enchant her readers, and that is why both children and adults love her stories. Lampela's works have been dramatized for example by the Finnish National Theater, Kuopio City Theater and YLE's radio plays. She has been awarded the prestigious Kaarina Helakisa Prize for her work and she has been nominated for Runeberg Junior award in 2019 and for Storytel Award, and Arvid Lydecken Award four times, most recently in 2023.

In addition to her fictional works, Lampela has written and created  a world of stories for the next national ABC book of Finnish schools. First graders across the country will learn to read through Hannele’s texts. Lampela lives in a small wooden house in the middle of apple trees with her family, and spends her days not only writing, but also pampering herself and others on a regular basis.

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Kai Vaalio

Kai Vaalio (b. 1986) is an illustrator, comic artist, and a bit of a cosmopolitan as well. He’s written and illustrated underground comic books for adults about his travels in South-East Asia and Latin America — the latter won Mondo magazine’s Travel book of the year award back in 2014. Recently he’s ventured into the world of illustrating children’s books mainly with Arttu Unkari’s Dad Man Series. Together they’ve made several books about this goofy detective and his clever little posse. The Dad Man Series has received Storytel Awards and Runeberg Junior 2023 award nominations. Vaalio’s been on and off in the graphic industry since 2005 when he graduated as a graphic designer from Lahti College of Arts and Crafts. In 2018 he got his bachelor’s degree from Lahti University of Applied Science.

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Pasi Pitkänen

Pasi Pitkänen has become known for his richly detailed illustrative work on several children’s books such as the extremely popular Monster Nanny trilogy by Tuutikki Tolonen. He has also worked at Rovio Entertainment as an illustrator, character designer, and graphic designer. Pitkänen is the illustrator of the popular Kepler62 series and the author of two Children's titles Monster Tournament and The Island of Lost Animals.

Among Pitkänen’s hobbies are quantum physics, people-watching, B-movies, insects and baking.

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