Milo (working title), the brand new novel by Max Seeck is sold to Germany pre-publication!

We are very excited to announce that New York Times Bestselling Author Max Seeck is working on a new independent crime novel, MILO (working title)! And the good news don’t stop there, we are also thrilled to share that Bastei Lübbe have just acquired the German rights to Max Seeck’s new novel! The deal was negotiated by Anna Kappauf and Elina Ahlback at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. Warmest Congratulations, Max Seeck and Bastei Lübbe!

MILO will be published by Tammi in Finland in September 2024. Rights for Max Seeck’s previous Jessica Niemi crime series have been sold into 40 territories and Hollywood: an international TV-show is in developementOver 350,000 copies of his books have been sold in Finland alone. Book 3 in the series, THE LAST GRUDGE (orig. Kauna, Tammi 2021), is nominated for the Glass Key Award 2023 – the winner will be announced this summer.

Here is what Max Seeck said about writing MILO:

I’m so very excited and grateful for the confidence and commitment by both Bastei Lübbe and the Ahlback Agency. This gives me a great boost to finish the novel and make it as good as I can.

We believe MILO has all the potential to outdo Max Seeck’s already very impressive sales records – get in touch with us if you would like to receive first materials and acquire the rights!

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

The Archipelago

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

Martta Kaukonen on the SPIEGEL BESTSELLER list!

We are thrilled to announce that just one week after its publication in Germany, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY aka THERAPIERT (Heyne Verlag) by Martta Kaukonen has entered the German bestsellers lists! Currently, it is on place 15 of the SPIEGEL BESTSELLER LIST for paperpacks – and German publisher Heyne have already ordered a second edition! What a start for the book on the German market!

Readers have been buzzing about the book as well:

Martta Kaukonen constructs a masterfully narrated psychological thriller, that doesn’t cease to amaze us as it gradually reveals more and more of its characters’ secrets. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is a somewhat different, very psychologically constructed thriller, that convinces with soft tones and big feelings. Exciting until the very last page.” – Silke Schröder on hallo-buch.de

Nothing is as it seems. The topic of therapy takes center stage and offers readers an exciting insight into the depths of the human psyche – a truly successful thriller!” – myautumnofbooks

The ending then even outdid all the previous twists. After finishing the book, I was left with a feeling of “Wow!”.” – JS Booklover

Congratulations to Martta Kaukonen and Heyne for this impressive achievement! 

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY has been a critical success and bestseller in Finland, and was nominated for the Savonia Prize. The rights were sold to to 14 territories and the book will be published in the UK and US next year by Pushkin Press. A sequel is coming out in November 2023.

We now have a full English manuscript for you to review. Rights are still available for France, Italy, World Spanish, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway and many more!

Download the full English text here! 

Terapiassa / Follow the Butterfly

Rights sold:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC: Kniha Zlin/Albatros
DENMARK: Falco
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne (2-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios (2-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal (2-book-deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca (2-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press (2-book deal)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press (2-book deal)
WORLD ENGLISH (Audio): Audible

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki and is 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 future husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling. Martta’s debut novel FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY was published in March 2021. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is an Instagram sensation in Finland, and the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper released a highly-praising review of it. During the first two months, the audiobook was listened to an awe-inspiring 2000 times and over. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY  has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s novel ‘Gone Girl’. Martta dreams of her book being adapted into a movie – and such a great one that her colleagues would grant it a five-star review.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Introducing Ahlback Agency FICTION Spring 2023 Rights Guide!

We are thrilled to present our Fiction Catalogue for Spring 2023!

Our Crime List is expanding with a new exciting author Erika Vik combining Nordic Noir and goth rock and fresh additions to three crime thriller series. International TV series based on Maria Kallio crime series brings Finland’s bestselling crime writer Leena Lehtolainen’s latest title in the spotlight. Meanwhile, the 3rd title in the Silk Sisters series will arrive to grace our Historical Fiction list.

From our new catalogue, we’ve picked some outstanding titles for you – take a look at them below!

View the Spring 2023 Catalogue here!

Forever With You

Erika Vik

Nordic Noir meets Goth rock in this dark psychological thriller.

Janne Kallamaa is a struggling musician at the lowest point of his popularity, a major Finnish rock star of the 90s who is rejected by his record company. Soon after, the CEO of said company is found dead. Is it suicide or murder?

Meanwhile, Janne is tormented by a faceless stalker whose threatening messages hide more than meets the eye. It’s as if the stalker knows everything about the former star’s life, even his darkest secrets.

This sinister debut thriller asks what we are willing to sacrifice for art.

A Crossing in the Darkness

Leena Lehtolainen

The newest, standalone crime novel in the ever-popular Maria Kallio series! German and Finnish publication in Fall 2023!

International TV series sold in 10 territories!

The City of Espoo is being menaced by the “Biris” gang that steals designer clothing, phones, and jewelry from other youth. One night, one of the members is stabbed to death, in a case which seems clear. Maria’s unit is investigating while being threatened by a cut in funding.

Maria’s home feels empty as her children have left the nest. An acquaintance contacts Maria regarding sexual harassment, and Maria tries to help – but her intervention seems to make things worse. And as a boy goes missing from a children’s home and Biris threatens with revenge, Maria has her hands full.

Mariam

Sara Medberg

Silk Sisters #3

The third installment of the internationally bestselling Silk Sisters series, a stunning romantic, feel-good adventure! Bridgerton meets Jane Austen’s Emma with Nordic heroines!

Mariam, the daughter of a highborn Persian lady and a Swedish tradesman, gets swept away in a breath-taking romantic adventure after she moves to Porvoo in the midst of Finnish War and becomes the talk of the whole city.

When her brother is arrested in Sweden, Mariam doesn’t hesitate in running to his aid. She’s read Jane Austen’s new novel Emma, whose independent heroine encourages Mariam to act. A mysterious baron promises to help her, but can she trust him? And why do his silvery eyes remind Mariam of something?

The Silk Sisters series has dazzled readers in Finland and abroad. Don a silk dress and let the story sweep you away!

Land of Serpents

Eeva Louko

Ronja Vaara #2

The second title in the Ronja Vaara crime series from the rising star of Finnish crime literature takes the reader to the shadows of a pulsing summer night.

A late spring heat wave caresses the people of Lauttasaari, and Ronja Vaara is pleasantly busy with her new job at the local newspaper. When the body of a young woman is found on Käärmesaari (Serpent Island) near Helsinki, Ronja’s new boss senses an opportunity to make the newspaper the prime source for any information on the case. Reluctantly, Ronja contacts the chief investigator Anton Koivu, who is surprisingly willing to leak confidential information to Ronja – if she does him a favor in return.

Soon, another death shocks the people of Lauttasaari. Koivu and his team pick up the pace to solve the cases, but a surprising guest from the past throws them off balance.

The Mystery of the Wrestling Woman

Laura Andersson

Lili Flame Investigates #2

Unlikely investigator Lili Flame who’s charmed readers faces a new tricky puzzle!

In early 1947, Helsinki gets to see something exciting when an unusual troupe of female wrestlers from America performs in the city.

Lili and Riku Loimola, together with their friends, enjoy the performance, but, after the show, chaos erupts in the area. One of the star performers has been shot – and struck with a knife. Why two methods of killing? Could there be two murderers, too?

The Helsinki police are not particularly interested in investigating the foreign woman’s murder, but Lili and Riku won’t give up – the victim deserves justice. A terrific journey begins into the colorful and circus-filled past of Joy Johnson!


THE LAST GRUDGE by Max Seeck published in the US today!

We are so thrilled to celebrate the US publication of the third Jessica Niemi novel, THE LAST GRUDGE, written by our New York Times Bestselling Author Max Seeck and published by Berkley Penguin Random House!

The title has already gained positive praise from readers and critics:
“An intricate, beautifully written, character-driven page-turner with some shocking twists.”
– Kirkus Reviews

“I loved the intensity and suspense, including a few tense action scenes. The author kept me guessing until nearly the end of the book. Max Seeck’s characters were realistic and made the story dynamic. Overall, this twisty mystery kept me engaged. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.”
– Pam Guynn in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Max Seeck continues to be one of the bestselling authors in Finland – in 2022, his books sold over 100,000 copies across all formats in Finland! In addition, Max’s books have been sold to 40 countries and a Hollywood TV series is in development, based on THE WITCH HUNTER.

Download the materials for THE LAST GRUDGE here!

 

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck

Jessica Niemi #3

The third title in the NYT-bestselling series! 

A prominent business executive Eliel Zetterborg is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Zetterborg gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Zetterborg with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…

PRAISE FOR THE LAST GRUDGE:
Det. Sgt. Yusuf  Pepple takes center stage in Seeck’s gripping third Ghosts of the Past mystery”
– Publishers Weekly

 

The Archipelago

Max Seeck

Jessica Niemi #4

The fourth title in the NYT-bestselling Jessica Niemi series!

A month after solving the Zetterborg case, Jessica Niemi is ordered on paid leave, and she decides to travel to a small island in the Åland archipelago to find some peace. A group of old people arrive on the same island, and Jessica learns that they are the remaining members of the Doves, the people who had to flee from Finland to Sweden during World War II and ended up living in an orphanage there.

Jessica hears a local legend about a girl who also inhabited the orphanage once. Every night at two o’clock, she put on her blue coat and went to stand on the pier, waiting for something that never showed up. One night she disappeared and was never found.

Soon, one of the remaining Doves dies, and Jessica finds out that two other people have previously faced the same fate on the same island. All three people seem to have something to do with the girl in the blue coat. Jessica is once again facing a scary mystery where the stakes are considerable. Whilst battling her own demons, uncertain what is real and what is not, she needs to find out the truth.

The fourth instalment of the Jessica Niemi series of detective novels is the best to date and proves Seeck’s mastery of the genre’s traditions.
-Helsingin Sanomat

 

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck

Standalone sequel to The New York Times bestseller, The Witch Hunter – rights sold to 40 countries and Hollywood!

Jessica Niemi has another mystery on her hands: Two famous Instagram bloggers go missing, and a strange picture is uploaded
on both of their accounts. It’s a picture of an old lighthouse on a rocky island. And underneath there’s a poem. A poem that describes their deaths…

Jessica starts to investigate the disappearances and soon she finds out that the two bloggers have been sharing a secret that got them involved in something very mystical and dark.

 

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck

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 ARCHIPELAGO
LOUKKO
Tammi, 2022, 358 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English manuscript

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE LAST GRUDGE
KAUNA
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó Kft.
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE ICE COVEN
PAHAN VERKKO
Tammi, 2020, 370 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
ITALY: Piemme
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTH MACEDONIA: Matica Makedonska
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: Litera
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motýl
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE WITCH HUNTER
USKOLLINEN LUKIJA
Tammi, 2019, 400 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARMENIA: Guitank
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: EMAS
CROATIA: Fokus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
ICELAND: Forlagid
ISRAEL: Tchelet Books/Steimatzky
ITALY: Piemme
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTH MACEDONIA: Matica Makedonska
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: 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
UKRAINE: Family Leisure Club
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures


THE ARCHIPELAGO by Max Seeck sold to Latvia!

We are happy to announce that the Latvian rights for THE ARCHIPELAGO (Loukko), the fourth title in the Jessica Niemi series by The New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck have been acquired by Latvijas Mediji! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

THE LAST GRUDGE, book #3 in the Jessica Niemi series, will be published in the US next week, February 7, 2023 by Berkley Penguin Random House. A Hollywood TV series, based on THE WITCH HUNTER, is in development.

Helsingin Sanomat, the leading newspaper in Finland, has praised THE ARCHIPELAGO, published in Finland in 2022, as Seeck’s finest to date:
Max Seeck’s earlier novels in the Jessica Niemi series have been impressive, but the series’ fourth book, THE ARCHIPELAGO, is the best to date. This is because it is a seamless and constrained whole that works superbly and also because in this work Seeck imbues his protagonist’s character with new, deeper sides.
– Pertti Avola, Helsingin Sanomat, Finland

Max Seeck continues to be one of the bestselling authors in Finland – in 2022, his books sold over 100,000 copies across all formats in Finland! In addition, Max’s books have been sold to 40 countries and a Hollywood TV series is in development, based on THE WITCH HUNTER.

Download the materials for THE ARCHIPELAGO here!

The Archipelago

Max Seeck

The fourth title in the NYT-bestselling Jessica Niemi series!

A month after solving the Zetterborg case, Jessica Niemi is ordered on paid leave after an altercation, and she decides to travel to a small island in the Åland archipelago to escape the attention and find some peace. Meanwhile, a group of old people arrive on the same island, and Jessica learns that they are the remaining members of the Doves, the people who had to flee from Finland to Sweden during World War II and ended up living in an orphanage on the very same island.

One evening, Jessica hears a local legend about a girl who also inhabited the orphanage once, but who was mentally ill. Every night at two o’clock, the girl put on her blue coat and went to stand on the pier, waiting for something that never showed up. One night she disappeared and was never found. That same night, one of the remaining Doves dies.

Jessica soon finds out that two other people have previously faced the same fate on the same island, and all three people seem to have something to do with the girl in the blue coat. A chain of events starts to escalate, and we don’t know whether we’re facing a killer or – just like the legend says – a ghost, the girl in the blue coat.

Jessica Niemi is once again facing a scary mystery where the stakes are considerable. Whilst battling her own demons, uncertain what is real and what is not, she needs to find out the truth.

 

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck

A prominent business executive Eliel Zetterborg is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Zetterborg gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Zetterborg with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…

 

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck

Standalone sequel to The New York Times bestseller, The Witch Hunter – rights sold to 40 countries and Hollywood!

Jessica Niemi has another mystery on her hands: Two famous Instagram bloggers go missing, and a strange picture is uploaded
on both of their accounts. It’s a picture of an old lighthouse on a rocky island. And underneath there’s a poem. A poem that describes their deaths…

Jessica starts to investigate the disappearances and soon she finds out that the two bloggers have been sharing a secret that got them involved in something very mystical and dark.

 

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck

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 ARCHIPELAGO
LOUKKO
Tammi, 2022, 358 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English manuscript

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE LAST GRUDGE
KAUNA
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó Kft.
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE ICE COVEN
PAHAN VERKKO
Tammi, 2020, 370 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
ITALY: Piemme
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTH MACEDONIA: Matica Makedonska
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: Litera
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motýl
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

 

THE WITCH HUNTER
USKOLLINEN LUKIJA
Tammi, 2019, 400 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARMENIA: Guitank
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BULGARIA: EMAS
CROATIA: Fokus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
ICELAND: Forlagid
ISRAEL: Tchelet Books/Steimatzky
ITALY: Piemme
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTH MACEDONIA: Matica Makedonska
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: 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
UKRAINE: Family Leisure Club
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific
TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

The Archipelago

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

LAND OF SERPENTS by Eeva Louko sold to Estonia!

We are happy to announce that the Estonian rights for LAND OF SERPENTS (Käärmeiden maa), the second title in the Ronja Vaara crime novel series by Eeva Louko, published in Finland in January 2023 by Otava, have been acquired by Hea Lugu! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

In the second book of the series, a woman is found dead on Serpent Isle, just next to Isle of Bliss, poisoned by strychnine. Just a few days later, a similar murder takes place at a wedding on Isle of Bliss, leading the residents of the island to suspect that a serial killer is terrorizing their neighborhood. Police detective Anton Koivu starts to investigate, as does Ronja Vaara, now living on Isle of Bliss and working at a local newspaper.

LAND OF SERPENTS has also received its very first praises, such as the following:
“[—] the resolution of the events remained well-hidden until the very last meters. The reader is shown only small, indefinite puzzle pieces at a time. Sometimes, wrong pieces are flashed and then retracted. [—] The plot was suitably twisty and, in many places, surprising. [—] This was a fine crime novel with a plot that gripped and carried well all the way to the end. The setting was relatable, yet not too detailed. The narration was clear and thrilling. The array of characters was appropriately varied and one could set oneself quite deep in their shoes.
– Aarne Pohjois-Koivisto, Mesta.net

Eeva Louko’s debut novel MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS, published in Finland in January 2022, has been a critical and commercial success, with more than 15,000 copies sold!
The rights for the title have already been sold to 5 territories (Finland, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Poland) and are available in all other territories.

Download the English materials for MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS and LAND OF SERPENTS here!

Land of Serpents

Eeva Louko

Death by poison and the possibility of a serial killer shake the community and the personal relationships within

A woman’s body is found on a small island near the Isle of Bliss. A few days later, another woman collapses and dies at a high-society wedding on the isle. Anton Koivu begins to investigate the cases with his partner Oona Laine. Is there a serial killer on the loose, or why do these murders resemble each other so much?

Ronja tries to get accustomed to being back in Finland and starts as a journalist at the local newspaper whilst also searching for her secret sibling. Ronja learns of the recent deaths and gets irrevocably mixed up with the police investigations. Ghosts of the past begin to appear… How is Anton’s long-lost sister Aurora related to the investigation? And what happened to her on a heated summer’s night twenty years ago?

Murder on the Isle of Bliss

Eeva Louko

Father found dead by the shore. A community where everyone knows everyone. Secrets of the past. Will the answers be found before it is too late?

After living abroad for many years, thirty-something Ronja returns to her childhood home on Isle of Bliss, Helsinki after her father is found murdered by the seaside. Welcoming her back are a group of old friends whom it’s both comforting and painful to see again, and the young police officer assigned to the case who does not seem to be doing his work properly.

Unsatisfied with the police, Ronja decides to start investigating the background of her distant father. In the process she uncovers the old secrets of the community that have been kept under wraps until now, and puts her own life on the line. When everyone knows everyone, each person becomes a suspect.

LAND OF SERPENTS
KÄÄRMEIDEN MAA
Otava, January 2023, 364 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English synopsis
English sample in February 2023

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu

 

MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS
ONNELLISTEN SAARI
Otava, January 2022, 396 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample and synopsis

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne
ITALY: Newton Compton
POLAND: Czwarta Strona

About author


Eeva Louko

Eeva Louko (b. 1982) is a reporter and communications professional who loves literature, music and all things creative. Becoming an author has been Eeva’s dream since she learned how to read, and she is especially drawn to crime fiction and horror. Eeva plays the saxophone and piano and always drinks her coffee from the biggest cup possible in her garden surrounded by vines.

Murder on the Isle of Bliss (Otava, 2022) is Louko’s debut novel which was published to rave reviews. Eeva’s dream is to find readers globally and create a long-lasting crime fiction series.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Land of Serpents

Eeva Louko


2022, Crime & Suspense

Murder on the Isle of Bliss

Eeva Louko

Finnish crime rules: Max Seeck, Elina Backman, and Vera Vala news!

Exciting news! Max Seeck, the New York Times bestselling author with his crime novels, has sold over 300 000 copies in Finland in all formats! Warmest congratulations, Max and Tammi!

His newest title THE ARCHIPELAGO (Loukko, September 2022) is Finland’s #1 Fiction Bestseller, with over 20 000 copies sold, and received a starred review in Finland’s biggest daily:

“The fourth instalment of the Jessica Niemi series of detective novels is the best to date and proves Seeck’s mastery of the genre’s traditions.“
– Pertti Avola in Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

Download materials for the JESSICA NIEMI series here!
Furthermore, Elina Backman’s second title STILL WATERS RUN DEEP has been nominated in Sweden for the Best Translated Crime Novel of the Year 2022  by the Swedish Crime Writer’s Academy! We are so thrilled – this is the second time Elina receives this honour!

Elina Backman’s bestselling Saana Havas series, pitched as Tana French meets Jo Nesbo, have sold over 60 000 copies in Finland and rights have been sold to 16 territories and counting.  An international TV-series based on Elina Backman’s books is in development by Aurora Studios. ‘
Rights are still available in e.g. Spain, France, UK, USA, and Latvia.

Download materials for the SAANA HAVAS series here!
ITALIAN GAME by Vera Vala – Elena Ferrante meets Jo Nesbo

And if you’re looking for a new and exciting crime series with a strong female protagonist, complex characters, vivid descriptions and a gripping plot, why not take a look at Vera Vala’s new Salla Kotka series!

Pitched as Elena Ferrante meets Jo Nesbo, this series created a lot of buzz in Frankfurt and is an official bestseller in Finland! Readers love the psychological aspects and the strong female character.

The Italian Game begins a new crime series, and this opening title is impressing, the language and style are polished, and the narration keeps one in its grip until the end.” – Satakunnan Kansa newspaper

Download materials for the SALLA KOTKA series here!

THE ARCHIPELAGO
Loukko

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Kirjastus Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
FILM & TV: Stampede Ventures, Hollywood

THE LAST GRUDGE
Kauna

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

ALBANIA: Muza
ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers
BULGARIA: EMAS
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó Kft.
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck
USA: Berkley / Penguin Random house
FILM & TV: Stampede Ventures, Hollywood

 

 

BEFORE THE POLAR NIGHT FALLS
Ennen kuin tulee pimeää

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

DENMARK: Gyldendal

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP
Kun jäljet katoavat

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

DENMARK: Gyldendal
ESTONIA: Varrak Publishers
GERMANY: Piper
HUNGARY: Maxim
ITALY: Newton Compton Editori
NETHERLANDS: Cargo
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm AS
POLAND: Czarna Owca
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken

 

 

ITALIAN GAME
Italialainen peli

Rights sold:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

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 Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 70 000 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 1967. 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.

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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.

About author


Vera Vala

Vera Vala’s roots are in Finnish forests, but her soul belongs to Italy, where she has been living for over 25 years. She has an infinite thirst for knowledge that has taken her to study various academic subjects from Physics to Assyriology and Romance Languages, and the information acquired during those years has been useful as background research for her novels.

Vera’s adventurous spirit has taken her from diving with sharks while living in Seychelles to rafting in Italian Alps and exploring the shadier parts of her former hometown, Rome: the diverse experiences have come in handy while creating intriguing plot twists.

Currently, Vera lives with her family in Milan where she is studying to become a clinical psychologist with a special interest in Forensic Psychology. Vera creates novel scenes in her mind while cooking Italian meals, and she loves slow chess games and meditation.

Happy Publication Day Max Seeck: The 4th Jessica Niemi Title Now Out in Finland!

The 4th and newest installment of the New York Times bestselling Jessica Niemi series is published today in Finland! 

Titled Loukko in Finnish and called The Archipelago in English, the newest title sees Jessica relocate from Helsinki to the Åland Islands, and deals in-depth with the topic of bullying, in addition to being a gripping murder mystery you can’t put down!

Max Seeck’s Jessica Niemi series started in 2019 with the publication of THE WITCH HUNTER  – a phenomenal Finnish crime title that broke into both New York Times and Spiegel Bestseller Lists and has sold to over 40 territories and Hollywood. The rights are still available in Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, Georgia, etc. 

Request the reading materials for Max Seeck here!

 

THE ARCHIPELAGO by Max Seeck

The fourth title in the NYT-bestselling Jessica Niemi series!

A month after solving the Zetterborg case, Jessica struggles to hold on to everyday life. Due to a violent incident in her civil life, she is ordered on a unpaid leave. She eventually decides to travel out of town for a month and ends up on a small island on Åland archipelago.

More than 70 years ago there was an orphanage on the island, and one girl disappeared without a trace. Jessica also finds out many people have drowned on the shore ever since. Soon, one of the hostel guests is also found drowned on the shore. Does this have something to do with the legend, was it the ghost girl in the blue overcoat? Although being uncertain about what is real and what is not, Jessica needs to find out the truth.

 

THE LAST GRUDGE a.k.a. BAD BLOOD by Max Seeck

A prominent business executive Eliel Zetterborg is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Zetterborg gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Zetterborg with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer.

 

THE ICE COVEN by Max Seeck

Jessica Niemi has another mystery on her hands: Two famous Instagram bloggers go missing, and a strange picture is uploaded
on both of their accounts. It’s a picture of an old lighthouse on a rocky island. And underneath there’s a poem. A poem that describes their deaths…

Jessica starts to investigate the disappearances and soon she finds out that the two bloggers have been sharing a secret that got them involved in something very mystical and dark.

Seeck’s outstanding sequel to THE WITCH HUNTER. [–] Seeck throws in
a murder that definitely happened, human trafficking, frog toxin, and somnophilia
into the mix, masterfully ratcheting up the tension. Ragnar Jónasson fans will be
mesmerized
– Publisher’s Weekly 

 

THE WITCH HUNTER by Max Seeck

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?

 One twist follows another, baffling the police and readers alike. Seeck imbues this riveting procedural with a deliciously creepy undertone. Readers will be excited to see what Seeck does next.
– Publishers Weekly (starred review)

LOUKKO, Tammi, September 2022, 358 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Tammi (orig.), DENMARK: Gutkind, ESTONIA: Pegasus, GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
NORWAY: Aschehoug, SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers, UK: Welbeck, US: Berkley

 

 

KAUNA, Tammi, September 2021, 390 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Tammi (orig.), ALBANIA: Muza, ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers, BULGARIA: EMAS, DENMARK: Gutkind, ESTONIA: Pegasus, GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe, HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó, LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji, NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna, NORWAY: Aschehoug, SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers, UK: Welbeck, US: Berkley

 

 

PAHAN VERKKO, Tammi, 2020, 370 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava (orig.), ALBANIA: Muza, BULGARIA: EMAS, CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada, DENMARK: Gutkind, ESTONIA: Pegasus, FRANCE: Michel Lafon, GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe GmbH & Co. KG, GREECE: Livanis, HUNGARY: Animus, ITALY: Piemme/Mondadori, LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji, NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna, NORTHERN MACEDONIA: MATICA MAKEDONSKA, NORWAY: Aschehoug, POLAND: Sonia Draga, PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda, ROMANIA: Litera, SERBIA: Vulkan, SLOVAKIA: Motýľ, SLOVENIA: Didakta, SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag, UK: Welbeck Publishing, USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House, WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific

 

 

USKOLLINEN LUKIJA, Tammi, 2019, 400 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava (orig.), ALBANIA: Muza, ARMENIA: Guitank, AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran, BELGIUM, A.W. Bruna, BULGARIA: EMAS, CANADA: Berkley/Penguin Random House, CROATIA: Fokus, CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada, DENMARK: Gutkind, ESTONIA: Pegasus, FRANCE: Michel Lafon, GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe GmbH & Co. KG, GREECE: Livanis, HUNGARY: Animus, ICELAND: Forlagid, ISRAEL: Tchelet Books, ITALY: Piemme/Mondadori, KOREA: Cheongmirae, LATIN AMERICA (World Spanish): Editorial Maeva/Maeva Noir, LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos, LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji, NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna, NORTHERN MACEDONIA: MATICA MAKEDONSKA, NORWAY: Aschehoug, POLAND: Sonia Draga, PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda, ROMANIA: Litera, RUSSIA: AST, SERBIA: Vulkan, SLOVAKIA: Motýľ, SLOVENIA: Didakta, SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag, TURKEY: Doğan Kitap, UKRAINE: Family Leisure Club, UK: Welbeck Publishing, USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House, WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

The Archipelago

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

Glowing Reviews for New Books in EALA Fall Catalogue!

“Marvellous”, “thrilling”, “impressive”… The critics and readers are in love with our titles, and so are we!
Perhaps the next match for you is among these titles?

Praise for Miss Stein’s Cook Leena Parkkinen

 Miss Stein’s Cook is a thrilling and tensive, multi-sided and multi-layered, thematically rich novel with a strong sensual power. [–] The answer to the ‘What really happened there?’ mystery is skillfully avoided for so long that on one hand, the reader feels impatient, and on the other hastens their reading to find the answer. The unbearableness and loveliness of reading were real at least for me.
-Kaisa Kurikka, Turun Sanomat

Download the English materials for MISS STEIN’S COOK here!

 

Praise for Inherited Land by Maria Turtschaninoff

 “Maria Turtschaninoff’s multi-layered and diverse narration INHERITED LAND is a sort of tribute to the forefathers, to all who have walked [on this earth] before us, to the earth we inherited and nature’s all beings. [–] Maria Turschaninoff’s novel is a marvellous reading experience, extremely touching, clever and sensual.”
– Marit Lindqvist on Svenska YLE

“Turtschaninoff credibly brings history to life; this is how it might have happened. But what touches most deeply are the contemporary depictions: the closer we get to everyday life and our own time, the more the characters touch me. [–] It is complete presence; the author has become one with the text. That is great storytelling.”
– Yvonne Granqvist Schultz in Österbottens Tidning newspaper

Download the English materials for INHERITED LAND here!

Praise for Where It All Begins by Salla Simukka

“Salla Simukka’s first novel for adults is skilled horror, playing with the threat of life and fitting the genre.”
– Mari Viertola in Turun Sanomat newspaper


Where It All Begins is interesting, rousing one’s imagination. It is both mystical and realistic in the best way. I think it is the perfect read for the darkening evenings of the autumn.”
– Kirjakaapin kummitus book blog

Download the English materials for WHERE IT ALL BEGINS here!

 

Praise for The Italian Game by Vera Vala

 The Italian Game begins a new crime series, and this opening title is impressing, the language and style are polished, and the narration keeps one in its grip until the end. [–] The Italian Game is also a novel about the depths of mind and memory and about facing a strongly rooted fear. The ending of this exciting title turned out to surprise me!”
– Jari Olavi Hiltunen in Satakunnan kansa newspaper

I listen to this on my runs and read the hardcover on my in-law’s couch. And wish for the book never to end! [–] Having a main character [in a psychologist’s profession] is not the most typical choice in crime literature. So refreshing! [–] A great opening for a series – I’m sure you’ll like it!”
– Satu Rämö, bestselling author of the Hildur crime series

Download the English materials for THE ITALIAN GAME here!

 

Praise for In Your Shadow by Martta Kaukonen

 The relationships between the characters and the way the puzzle pieces slowly but satisfyingly click together make this a story one wants to read in a single setting. [–] My expectations were truly high, for Kaukonen’s debut was so great. In my opinion, this book was at least as thrilling, and towards the end maybe even better than the debut Follow the Butterfly.”
– Fiktiofanin kynästä book blog

Cleverly hinted revelations [–] In Your Shadow has terrifying and dark scenes, but also a great deal of humor. [–] When reading, one’s own imagination gives a clear visual view of the text. In Your Shadow gives such a strong memory imprint that I really don’t want a painting of roses on my wall!”
– Kirsin Book Club

Download the English materials for IN YOUR SHADOW here!

INHERITED LAND
Arvejord
Förlaget, August 2022, 371pp.

Rights sold:  FINLAND: Förlaget (orig. Finland-Swedish),
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran, FINLAND, Tammi (Finnish), SWEDEN: Förlaget

 

 

MISS STEIN’S COOK
Neiti Steinin keittäjätär
Otava, August 2022, 464 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

 

 

WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
Tästä kaikki alkaa
Tammi, August 2022, 169 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

 

 

THE ITALIAN GAME
Italialainen peli
WSOY, August 2022, 414 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

 

 

IN YOUR SHADOW
Sinun varjossasi
WSOY, July 2022, 276 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)


Excellent Reviews for New Books in EALA Fall Catalogue!

New books, new reviews

We are really happy to share some excellent reviews and wonderful praise for our Fall Catalogue New Books which are already creating buzz internationally.

Praise for The Italian Game by Vera Vala

 The title has both psychological and societal depth, which make the novel a fully rounded one. [It] for example examines the differences between the Italian and Finnish culture. [–] In my opinion the psychological expertise of the author is especially rewarding.
– Kirjakaapin kummitus blog

The Italian Game is a true cornucopia. I loved the descriptions of Italy, its society and the life style of the Italians. [–] I liked the charaters, they are considerably more well-rounded and psychologically more sound than those usually seen in crime novels. [The Finnish] Salla Kotka is an interesting protagonist both for her intelligence and for her traumas and darkness.
– Marin kirjailijat blog


Italialainen peli
WSOY, August 2022, 414 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

Download the English materials

Praise for The Night of Ancient Lights by Hanna Meretoja

 Overall Hanna Meretoja’s  The Night of Ancient Lights s a magnificent novel. It is immensely inspiring, a narrative that praises life and humanity in its diverse lights and shades, a kind of ode to life and love. Anyone who reflects on nature and humanity and their relationship should read this book.
– Vartija

Meretoja’s debut novel is a direct hit. The Night of Ancient Lights is also a very stylish literary work. The narration with its richly coloured imagery is characterized by precision. The narration is impressively graphic.
– Satakunnan Kansa


Elotulet
WSOY, June 2022, 462 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

Download the English materials

Praise for In Your Shadow by Martta Kaukonen

 Martta Kaukonen’s IN YOUR SHADOW is an undeniably impactful work. Narratively, the book is compelling: the story reveals clues about the characters’ past and motives in small pieces and in a carefully thought-out sequence.
– Dekkarihelmenkalastaja Instagram  


Sinun varjossasi
WSOY, July 2022, 276 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

Download the English materials

Praise for Moonday Letters By Emmi Itäranta

 The resulting narrative brilliantly weaves together its two central questions: whether one marriage can survive, and whether humanity can find a way to thrive that does not ultimately rest on exploitation and inequality.” 

The Guardian

Kuunpäivän kirjeet
Teos, September 2020, 336 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Teos (orig.), CZECHIA: Albatros Media, HUNGARY: Metropolis Media Group, WORLD ENGLISH (print, e-book): Titan Books ; WORLD ENGLISH (audio): Recorded Books

Download the English materials

Praise for Miss Stein’s Cook Leena Parkkinen

 Miss Stein’s Cook is a thrilling and tensive, multi-sided and multi-layered, thematically rich novel with a strong sensual power. [–] The answer to the ‘What really happened there?’ mystery is skillfully avoided for so long that on one hand, the reader feels impatient, and on the other hastens their reading to find the answer. The unbearableness and loveliness of reading were real at least for me.

-Kaisa Kurikka, Turun Sanomat

Neiti Steinin keittäjätär
Otava, August 2022, 464 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

Download the English materials

Praise for The Magician’s Daughters by Emmi Pesonen

Emmi Pesonen’s The Magician’s Daughters takes a skillful deep dive into the essence of memories, the heavy weight of family, the complex cores of relationships. [–] The children’s perspective unfolds masterfully, and their worries and worlds come movingly close to the reader. [–] Pesonen carries the story well, and the clear narration gives it space without extra flourishes. And the best thing is that The Magician’s Daughters stays in one’s mind for a long while.

-Johanna Suominen, Savon Sanomat

Taikurin tyttäret
Otava, August 2022, 267 pp.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

Download the English materials

Introducing: EALA Fall 2022 Fiction Catalogue!

We are thrilled to present our Fiction Catalogue for Fall 2022: Excellent Literary Fiction works by award-winning, bestselling and debut authors, examining truth and make-believe as well as unique historical novels, titles about death and life. Our Crime List is expanding with new exciting voices: from psychological thrillers to true crime.

From our new catalogue, we’ve picked some outstanding titles for you – take a look at them below!

View the Fall 2022 Catalogue here! 

 

Enchantment

by Riikka Pulkkinen

This shiningly beautiful novel is an autopsy of girlhood, power, and truth.

Riikka Pulkkinen is a shining star in Finnish literature whose novel True sold to 19 territories! 

Philippa Laakso, aged seventeen, is found dead in her yard at home. Nothing suggests a crime, and everyone who knew her is certain she wasn’t suicidal. On the other hand, all who knew her seem to hold a differing view of her. The investigation sees them being interviewed, but behind every view and story is Philippa’s influence.

Riikka Pulkkinen’s anticipated novel examines the power and comfort of make-believe and the thin line between love and play. Every character in the novel sees Philippa in his or her own way, as a mirror for fantasizing, anger, aspirations, comfort, and freedom, and uses their perceived image of Philippa to their own ends.

 

Inherited Land

by Maria Turtschaninoff

An episodic work of literary fiction depicting humans’ relationship with nature across generations.

First adult novel by Maria Turtschaninoff whose The Red Abbey Chronicles sold to 31 territories!

INHERITED LAND tells multiple enchanting stories about short human lives on a small farmstead in the north of Finland with its golden cloudberries and the mythical woodland animals. The hub of the narrative is a marsh close to the farmstead, and nature is the constant while humans are like dragonflies: here one day, gone the next. Across four centuries, the people face wars, epidemics, and heartbreaks, but from the woods they find shelter and a place to be themselves.

INHERITED LAND is a novel about the climate crisis without ever mentioning it by name. Instead, the novel explores what people have thought about their environment, how they have used it and why. The novel is a reminder of where we have come from, and what a relationship between humans and nature could look like in the future.

 

The Night of Ancient Lights

by Hanna Meretoja

Close friends come together to watch a chain of bonfires blaze across the archipelago as the proximity of death ignites an intense passion for life.

For readers of Rachel Cusk and Maggie Nelson

Elea has just heard that she is seriously ill and wants to share with friends the sense of urgency that shakes her to her core. The push-and-pull of hope and despair permeates the narration that flows in the rhythm of the sea, in dialogue with Virginia Woolf’s The Waves and Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book.

This intellectually fierce and passionate one-evening novel threads philosophical reflections into deeply intimate perceptions in a way that readers of Rachel Cusk and Maggie Nelson will recognize.

The novel has received glowing reviews – it has been praised for its lyrical language, wisdom and boldness, complex philosophical reflection on illness, precise narration, and passion for life, love and nature.

 

The Italian Game

by Vera Vala

“The heart of darkness is in the human mind.”

Elena Ferrante meets Jo Nesbo!

The Greater Milan area lives in fear. A mysterious stalker is terrorizing people, and a serial killer called the Harlequin is picking their victims. Are the two cases connected?

Salla Kotka, starting her career as a forensic psychologist, gets pulled into the threatening chain of events as she begins working for a defense attorney. Their client is the suspected serial killer, and Salla needs to help the defense uncover the truth. But, in the end, does truth carry any value in the courtroom?

To make matters worse, her new job seems like a battlefield, mined by suspicious colleagues and hostile clients. While Salla examines the darkest sides in others, she is also trying to understand her own past. Can she trust anyone, even herself?

 

Unsolved – The Case of Elli Immo

by Elina Backman & Heidi Holmavuo

A true crime story of a murder committed 67 years ago and the case being reopened based on the work of two private detectives.

In 1955, a young woman, Elli, was found murdered near her home in a small town in Northern Finland. Her father, who worked as a policeman, had also died in suspicious circumstances. Elli’s murder, however, remained unsolved. In 1972, a group of police officers demanded reopening the murder investigation, citing destroyed evidence and protection of someone involved.

Based on this claim, crime writers Elina Backman and Heidi Holmavuo started investigating the case in the 2020s. They travelled to the town of Kemi where the murder happened, interviewed locals and heard chilling things previously kept secret. Based on their research, the police decided to reopen the investigation.

 

In Your Shadow

by Martta Kaukonen

The great post -#MeToo thriller about past trauma and the hunger for justice.

A new thriller by Martta Kaukonen whose debut Follow the Butterfly sold to 13 territories! 

The harassment of women should be kept silent no longer, a small group of activists declares and demands justice. But at what price?

When #metoo spread through the media like wildfire, victims of harassment felt hopeful. But the fire died, and things did not change. Traumas did not disappear, and justice is yet to come.

Sixty-year-old Anne hosts meetings for a group of people who will not be silenced. They start rehearsing a performance as an apology to the victims of harassment. Among them are acclaimed actress Minna, who has spoken about her experiences publicly, former straight-A student Suvi who doesn’t want to leave her home anymore out of fear, and performance artist Roni who’s looking to upgrade his feminism from words to actions. Can they trust each other? Are they driven by a desire for justice or a wish for revenge?


The great post-#MeToo thriller by Martta Kaukonen now published in Finland!

Martta Kaukonen’s newest thriller IN YOUR SHADOW has now been published in Finland! 

Kaukonen’s debut FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY earned her the nickname “Finland’s Gillian Flynn” for her plot twists and suspenseful style. Follow the Butterfly has sold to 13 territories so far! IN YOUR SHADOW is a standalone thriller, a page-turner, dealing with post trauma and hunger for justice.  


Ask for the English synopsis and Finnish pdf for IN YOUR SHADOW here! 
 

IN YOUR SHADOW
by Martta Kaukonen

The great post-#MeToo thriller

The harassment of women should be kept silent no longer, a small group of activists declares and demands justice. But at what price?

When #metoo spread through the media like wildfire, many victims of harassment felt hopeful – now we can talk about it, now the change begins. But the fire died and things did not change. Traumas did not disappear and justice is yet to come.

Sixty-year-old Anne hosts meetings for a group of people who will not be silenced. Among them are acclaimed actress Minna who has spoken about her experiences publicly, former straight-A student Suvi who doesn’t want to leave her home anymore out of fear, and performance artist Roni who’s looking to upgrade his feminism from words to actions. Can they trust each other? Are they driven by a desire for justice or a wish for revenge?

FIRST PRAISE:

Martta Kaukonen’s IN YOUR SHADOW is an undeniably impactful work. Narratively, the book is compelling: the story reveals clues about the characters’ past and motives in small pieces and in a carefully thought-out sequence. 

– Dekkarihelmenkalastaja Instagram, Finland

IN YOUR SHADOW
Sinun varjossasi
WSOY, July 2022, 276pp

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki and is 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 future husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling. Martta’s debut novel FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY was published in March 2021. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is an Instagram sensation in Finland, and the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper released a highly-praising review of it. During the first two months, the audiobook was listened to an awe-inspiring 2000 times and over. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY  has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s novel ‘Gone Girl’. Martta dreams of her book being adapted into a movie – and such a great one that her colleagues would grant it a five-star review.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

German audio rights for ALL THE KING’S MEN and STILL WATERS RUN DEEP by Elina Backman sold!

We are so happy to share the news about the German audio rights sold for Elina Backman’s Saana Havas Nordic Crime series books 1 & 2: ALL THE KING’S MEN (German title: Brandmal) and STILL WATERS RUN DEEP (Dunkelstrom)

The rights were sublicensed to Germany‘s no.1 audiobook publisher Hoerbuch Hamburg and the audiobooks and printed books will be published simultaneously in February 2023 and June 2023.

Backman’s Saana Havas-series has sold over 50 000 copies in Finland and has publishers in 16 territories.

Rights are still available in the US, UK, Turkey, Greece, Latvia, France, Bulgaria, Spain etc.

In addition, the TV Series based on Elina Backman’s ALL THE KING’S MEN is fast progressing, in development with Aurora Studios!

Download the materials to Elina Backman’s titles here!


BOOK 4 THE BEAUTIFUL ISLAND (working title)
Planned publication 01/2024, Otava, Finland

It’s the next summer (previous books are set in summer-fall 2019). Saana is on vacation for the whole summer while Jan is working. Saana’s aunt Inkeri has promised to help with renovating her friend’s summer villa and she asks Saana to join them. The two travel for the island of Kaunissaari, ”Beautiful Island”, located by the city of Kotka, on the Southeast Coast of Finland, for a month and stay with Inkeri’s friend in her villa.
The house next door is a beautiful one, decorated by vines and in the shadow of trees, where a famous artist lives. She asks the neighbors to visit and tells them about her interesting life. Saana finds the woman interesting and watches her house in the evenings, seeing that visitors come every now and then.

A few days later the artist is found dead, to everyone’s surprise.
The police come from Kotka to state that the death seems natural. The woman was 81 years old. Inkeri’s friend, however, disagrees. She has keys to the house, and she’s been helping her neighbor for years. She thinks the artist was in good shape and suspects that there’s something completely different going on.

Saana begins asking around about the artist from Inkeri’s friend and the inhabitants of the island. Soon she finds out that everyone on the island has their own theory on what happened to the artist. None of the theories line up with the police’s explanation.
In Helsinki, Jan begins investigating a case where a famous gallerist has committed suicide, but her loved ones suspect a crime, for there is one piece of art missing from the walls. It’s been made by the same artist who lives on Kaunissaari.


BEFORE THE POLAR NIGHT FALLS
Book #3 in Saana Havas-seriesby Elina BackmanThe past and the present intertwine in this arresting novel with unforgettable characters!

A woman working for a law firm approaches Saana Havas to help with the mystery of her sister’s death, who was found dead in a swamp near the Angeli village in Northern Lapland in 1998. Murderer was never caught, and the police have given up on the case. Saana promises to help her, and travels to the North and investigates as the winter and polar night keeps creeping closer. As she investigates the old case, she also finds time to ponder on her own roots. An old photograph shows her parents in love at the top of the Saana fell. By the time Saana was born, they all lived in Helsinki, and as the years passed her father returned to the North and her mother stayed in the South.

Things take a threatening turn when another girl is found dead in Inari. What happened in the North all those years ago? Has the murderer come back after all these year? Who is trustworthy? Who has been carrying secrets inside themselves all these years? Set in both Helsinki and Lapland, this book is both a fascinating thriller and a detective novel about love, secrets, the magic of Lapland and nature, which acts as a silent witness.


STILL WATERS RUN DEEP
Book #2 in Saana Havas-series

by Elina Backman

Is evil lurking beneath the calm waters? Still Waters Run Deep is an awaited sequel to the bestselling All The Kings Men!

Three young men are making a documentary film about a mystical hermit, living in the Isle of Sheep in Helsinki. First one of them disappears, then another one. When one of them is found dead in the nearby nature reserve, the police becmes involved.

Saana Havas, recovering from burnout, hears that her  colleague’s younger brother has gone missing and decides to set up a true crime podcast to help with the search. Meanwhile, police commissioner Jan Leino and his team are investigating the disappearance and possible murder of the documentary makers.

When young men disappear and die, it’s ofter regarded just an accident. But could it be that someone is actually hunting for them?


ALL THE KING’S MEN
Book #1 in Saana Havas-series

by Elina Backman

Saana has been fired from her job as a click-bait journalist, so she decides to spend a summer with her aunt in a small-town Hartola. It sounds like a perfect opportunity to take it easy and recover. But when Saana begins to dig into a case of a teenage girl who died 30 years earlier, the peace of the small town is shaken.

Meanwhile in Helsinki a fire-marked body is found at Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, and crime investigator Jan Leino and his team have a new case in their hands. However, the investigation isn’t going anywhere, and Jan fears that the murder at King’s Gate a is just the beginning…

Saana and Jan continue working on their own cases until their paths cross – for more than one reason.

ALL THE KING’S MEN
(aka When the King Dies)

by Elina Backman
Otava, 2020, 495 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

ALBANIA: Dritan
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
ESTONIA: Varrak Publishers
GERMANY (print & e-book): Piper
GERMANY (audio): Hoerbuch Hamburg.
HUNGARY: Maxim
ITALY: Newton Compton
LITHUANIA: BALTO
NETHERLANDS: Cargo
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm
POLAND: Czarna Owca
ROMANIA: Lebada Neagra
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber
SLOVAKIA: Arkus Vydavatelstvo
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken

TV: Aurora Studios

 

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP
(aka The Isle of Sheep)

by Elina Backman
Otava, 2021, 450 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

DENMARK: Gyldendal
ESTONIA: Varrak
GERMANY (print & e-book): Piper
GERMANY (audio): Hoerbuch Hamburg.HUNGARY: Maxim
ITALY: Newton Compton
NETHERLANDS: Cargo
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm
POLAND: Czarna Owca
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken

TV: Aurora Studios

 

BEFORE THE POLAR NIGHT FALLS

by Elina Backman
Otava, September 2022

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
DENMARK: Gyldendal

TV: Aurora Studios

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 Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 70 000 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 1967. 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.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Before the Polar Night Falls

Elina Backman


2022, Crime & Suspense

Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo

Elina Backman


2021, Crime & Suspense

Still Waters Run Deep

Elina Backman


2020, Crime & Suspense

All the King's Men

Elina Backman

Italian rights for THE ICE COVEN sold!

We are thrilled to announce that New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck’s second Jessica Niemi thriller THE ICE COVEN has been acquired by his Italian publisher PiemmeThe deal was closed by Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

“I am delighted to be publishing in Italy the second installment in this incredible series, which has been a huge worldwide success and which we hope to build in Italy as well. I think Max Seeck is an immensely talented writer, and he deserves to be read everywhere!”
–Giulia DeBiase, Foreign Fiction editor

THE ICE COVEN was published in English last September, to praising reviews:

“Seeck’s outstanding sequel to THE WITCH HUNTER. [–] Seeck throws in
a murder that definitely happened, human trafficking, frog toxin, and somnophilia
into the mix, masterfully ratcheting up the tension. Ragnar Jónasson fans will be
mesmerized”

– Publisher’s Weekly 

“All distinct characters, and the tension within the Unit is wonderfully drawn and contributes to the tension within the book. [–] A cracker of a read and I loved it.”
–  Kerry Hood on Crimereview.co.uk 

The cover and Finnish title – LOUKKO – of the 4th Jessica Niemi thriller were revealed in Finland in the beginning of May and the book itself will be released in Finland in September. The rights for the 4th Jessica Niemi thriller have already been sold to 7 territories!

The rights for the Jessica Niemi series have been acquired in over 40 countries and a TV show is in development in Hollywood. The rights are still available in Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, Georgia etc.

Download the English manuscript for THE ICE COVEN here


THE ICE COVEN (Jessica Niemi #2)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2020, 370 pp

Standalone sequel to New York Times Best Seller, Faithful Reader aka The Witch Hunter – rights sold to 40 countries and Hollywood!

Jessica Niemi has another mystery on her hands: Two famous Instagram bloggers go missing, and a strange picture is uploaded
on both of their accounts. It’s a picture of an old lighthouse on a rocky island. And underneath there’s a poem. A poem that describes their deaths…

Jessica starts to investigate the disappearances and soon she finds out that the two bloggers have been sharing a secret that got them involved in something very mystical and dark.

BAD BLOOD (Jessica Niemi #3)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp

A prominent business executive Eliel Rosenström is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Rosenström gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Rosenström with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…


Jessica Niemi #4
by Max Seeck
Tammi, September 2022

A month after solving the Zetterborg case, Jessica struggles to hold on to everyday life. Due to a violent incident in her civil life, she is ordered on a unpaid leave. She eventually decides to travel out of town for a month and ends up on a small island on Åland archipelago.More than 70 years ago there was an orphanage on the island, and one girl disappeared without a trace. Jessica also finds out many people have drowned on the shore ever since. Soon, one of the hostel guests is also found drowned on the shore. Does this have something to do with the legend, was it the ghost girl in the blue overcoat? Although being uncertain about what is real and what is not, Jessica needs to find out the truth.

THE WITCH HUNTER (Jessica Niemi #1)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2019, 400 pp

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?

PAHAN VERKKO – THE ICE COVEN
Jessica Niemi #2
Tammi, 2020, 370 pp

Reading materials:
English manuscript

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Tammi
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe GmbH & Co. KG
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTHERN MACEDONIA: MATICA MAKEDONSKA
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: Litera
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motýľ
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck Publishing
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific

 

KAUNA – BAD BLOOD
Jessica Niemi #3

Tammi, 2021, 390 pp

Reading materials:
English manuscript

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers
BULGARIA: EMAS
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers
UK: Welbeck
US: Berkley

 

LOUKKO
Jessica Niemi #4

Tammi, September 2022

Reading materials:
English synopsis

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers
UK: Welbeck
US: Berkley

 

USKOLLINEN LUKIJA – THE WITCH HUNTER
Jessica Niemi #1

Tammi, 2019, 400 pp

Reading materials:
English edition

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

TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

The Archipelago

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

Jessica Niemi #4 by New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck sold to Germany!

We are very excited to announce that New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck’s 4th Jessica Niemi thriller has been acquired by his German publisher Bastei LübbeThe deal was closed by Toomas Aasmäe and Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The cover and Finnish title – LOUKKO – of the 4th Jessica Niemi thriller were revealed in Finland in the beginning of May and the book itself will be released in Finland in September.
The rights for the 4th Jessica Niemi thriller have already been sold to 8 territories!

The rights for the Jessica Niemi series have been acquired in over 40 countries and a TV show is in development in Hollywood. The rights are still available in Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, Georgia etc.

Download the English materials for the title here!

Jessica Niemi #4
by Max Seeck
Tammi, September 2022

A month after solving the Zetterborg case, Jessica struggles to hold on to everyday life. Due to a violent incident in her civil life, she is ordered on a unpaid leave. She eventually decides to travel out of town for a month and ends up on a small island on Åland archipelago.

More than 70 years ago there was an orphanage on the island, and one girl disappeared without a trace. Jessica also finds out many people have drowned on the shore ever since. Soon, one of the hostel guests is also found drowned on the shore. Does this have something to do with the legend, was it the ghost girl in the blue overcoat? Although being uncertain about what is real and what is not, Jessica needs to find out the truth.

BAD BLOOD (Jessica Niemi #3)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp

A prominent business executive Eliel Zetterborg is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Zetterborg gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Zetterborg with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…

THE ICE COVEN (Jessica Niemi #2)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2020, 370 pp

Standalone sequel to New York Times Best Seller, Faithful Reader aka The Witch Hunter – rights sold to 40 countries and Hollywood!

Jessica Niemi has another mystery on her hands: Two famous Instagram bloggers go missing, and a strange picture is uploaded
on both of their accounts. It’s a picture of an old lighthouse on a rocky island. And underneath there’s a poem. A poem that describes their deaths…

Jessica starts to investigate the disappearances and soon she finds out that the two bloggers have been sharing a secret that got them involved in something very mystical and dark.

THE WITCH HUNTER (Jessica Niemi #1)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2019, 400 pp

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?

LOUKKO
Jessica Niemi #4

Tammi, September 2022

Reading materials:
English synopsis

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers
UK: Welbeck
US: Berkley

KAUNA – BAD BLOOD
Jessica Niemi #3

Tammi, 2021, 390 pp

Reading materials:
English manuscript

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers
BULGARIA: EMAS
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers
UK: Welbeck
US: Berkley

PAHAN VERKKO – THE ICE COVEN
Jessica Niemi #2

Tammi, 2020, 370 pp

Reading materials:
English edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe GmbH & Co. KG
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTHERN MACEDONIA: MATICA MAKEDONSKA
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: Litera
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motýľ
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck Publishing
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific

USKOLLINEN LUKIJA – THE WITCH HUNTER
Jessica Niemi #1

Tammi, 2019, 400 pp

Reading materials:
English edition

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

TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

The Archipelago

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

BAD BLOOD by New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck sold to the Netherlands!

We are thrilled to announce that New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck’s 3rd Jessica Niemi thriller BAD BLOOD has been acquired by his Dutch publisher A.W. BrunaThe deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

BAD BLOOD was published in Finland last September to great reviews and is already a huge bestseller in Finland with more than 34,000 copies sold in all formats! With the Netherlands, BAD BLOOD has now been sold to 14 territories!

BAD BLOOD has also garnered excellent reviews:

Swedish readers have discovered a new exciting thriller writer in Finnish Max Seeck. Albert Bonniers Förlag is enthusiastically planning to publish the third installment in the Jessica Niemi series, Kauna, in early 2023. Max Seeck’s pacy, intriguing and surprising plot twists combined with a female hero fits perfectly for the Swedish audience.
– Helena Ljungström, Senior editor, Albert Bonniers Förlag, Sweden

Becoming Max‘ German publisher of the first two Jessica Niemi novels was an excellent idea, I think. An even better idea was to pick up novel number 3, too. This series is outstanding. 
 Marco Schneiders, Publishing Director, Bastei Lübbe AG

The cover and Finnish title – LOUKKO – of the 4th Jessica Niemi thriller were revealed in Finland in the beginning of May and the book itself will be released in Finland in September. The rights for the 4th Jessica Niemi thriller have already been sold to 7 territories!

The rights for the Jessica Niemi series have been acquired in over 40 countries and a TV show is in development in Hollywood. The rights are still available in Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, Georgia etc.

Download the English manuscript for BAD BLOOD here


BAD BLOOD (Jessica Niemi #3)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp

A prominent business executive Eliel Rosenström is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Rosenström gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Rosenström with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…


Jessica Niemi #4
by Max Seeck
Tammi, September 2022

A month after solving the Zetterborg case, Jessica struggles to hold on to everyday life. Due to a violent incident in her civil life, she is ordered on a unpaid leave. She eventually decides to travel out of town for a month and ends up on a small island on Åland archipelago.

More than 70 years ago there was an orphanage on the island, and one girl disappeared without a trace. Jessica also finds out many people have drowned on the shore ever since. Soon, one of the hostel guests is also found drowned on the shore. Does this have something to do with the legend, was it the ghost girl in the blue overcoat? Although being uncertain about what is real and what is not, Jessica needs to find out the truth.

THE ICE COVEN (Jessica Niemi #2)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2020, 370 pp

Standalone sequel to New York Times Best Seller, Faithful Reader aka The Witch Hunter – rights sold to 40 countries and Hollywood!

Jessica Niemi has another mystery on her hands: Two famous Instagram bloggers go missing, and a strange picture is uploaded
on both of their accounts. It’s a picture of an old lighthouse on a rocky island. And underneath there’s a poem. A poem that describes their deaths…

Jessica starts to investigate the disappearances and soon she finds out that the two bloggers have been sharing a secret that got them involved in something very mystical and dark.

THE WITCH HUNTER (Jessica Niemi #1)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2019, 400 pp

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?

KAUNA
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp

Reading materials:
English manuscript

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers
BULGARIA: EMAS
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers
UK: Welbeck
US: Berkley

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

The Archipelago

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

Swedish and Estonian deals for Max Seeck’s Jessica Niemi series #3 and #4!

We are extremely happy to announce know that New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck’s 3rd Jessica Niemi thriller BAD BLOOD has now been acquired by his Swedish publisher Albert Bonniers and the fourth title of the series by both Albert Bonniers in Sweden and Pegasus in Estonia! 
The deals were closed by Toomas Aasmäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Swedish readers have discovered a new exciting thriller writer in Finnish Max Seeck. Albert Bonniers Förlag is enthusiastically planning to publish the third installment in the Jessica Niemi series, Kauna, in early 2023. Max Seeck’s pacy, intriguing and surprising plot twists combined with a female hero fits perfectly for the Swedish audience.
Helena Ljungström, Senior editor, Albert Bonniers Förlag, Sweden

BAD BLOOD was published in Finland last September to great reviews and is already a huge bestseller in Finland with more than 34,000 copies sold in all formats! With Sweden added, BAD BLOOD has now been sold to 13 territories!

JESSICA NIEMI #4 will be published in Finland this autumn and has now already sold to 6 countries pre-publication!

The rights for the Jessica Niemi series have been acquired in over 40 countries and a TV show is in development in Hollywood. The rights are still available in Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, Georgia etc.

Download the English manuscript for BAD BLOOD here


Jessica Niemi #4
by Max Seeck
Tammi, September 2022

A month after solving the Zetterborg case, Jessica struggles to hold on to everyday life.
Due to a violent incident in her civil life she is ordered on a unpaid leave. She eventually decides to travel out of town for a month and ends up on a small island on Åland archipelago.

More than 70 years ago there was an orphanage on the island, and one girl disappeared without a trace.
Jessica also finds out many people have drowned on the shore ever since. And soon one of the hostel guests is also found drowned on the shore. Has this something to do with the legend, was it the ghost girl in the blue overcoat? Although being uncertain about what is real and what is not, Jessica needs to find out the truth.


BAD BLOOD (Jessica Niemi #3)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp

A prominent business executive Eliel Rosenström is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Rosenström gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Rosenström with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…

THE ICE COVEN (Jessica Niemi #2)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2020, 370 pp

Standalone sequel to New York Times Best Seller, Faithful Reader aka The Witch Hunter – rights sold to 40 countries and Hollywood!

Jessica Niemi has another mystery on her hands: Two famous Instagram bloggers go missing, and a strange picture is uploaded
on both of their accounts. It’s a picture of an old lighthouse on a rocky island. And underneath there’s a poem. A poem that describes their deaths…

Jessica starts to investigate the disappearances and soon she finds out that the two bloggers have been sharing a secret that got them involved in something very mystical and dark.

THE WITCH HUNTER (Jessica Niemi #1)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2019, 400 pp

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?

JESSICA NIEMI #4
Loukko
Tammi, 2022

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers
UK: Welbeck
US: Berkley

 

BAD BLOOD (Jessica Niemi #3)
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp

Reading materials:
English manuscript

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers
BULGARIA: EMAS
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers
UK: Welbeck
US: Berkley

 

THE ICE COVEN (Jessica Niemi #2)
Tammi, 2020, 370 pp

Reading materials:
English edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi
ALBANIA: Muza
BULGARIA: EMAS
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe GmbH & Co. KG
GREECE: Livanis
HUNGARY: Animus
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna
NORTHERN MACEDONIA: MATICA MAKEDONSKA
NORWAY: Aschehoug
POLAND: Sonia Draga
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda
ROMANIA: Litera
SERBIA: Vulkan
SLOVAKIA: Motýľ
SLOVENIA: Didakta
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
UK: Welbeck Publishing
USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House
WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific

 

THE WITCH HUNTER (Jessica Niemi #1)
Tammi, 2019, 400 pp

Reading materials:
English edition

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

TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

The Archipelago

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

Now World English Audio rights sold for Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY

Martta Kaukonen’s award-winning thriller, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY, with “the most sympathetic serial killer” continues to amaze readers!

We are very excited to announce a wonderful World English Audio rights deal for Martta Kaukonen’s internationally bestselling thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY.  Audible in the US has acquired exclusive World English Audio rights to Follow the Butterfly for simultaneous publication with Pushkin Press in 2023. Previously Pushkin Press acquired UK & US/World English print and e-book rights to Follow the Butterly.  Pushkin is distributed in the US by Penguin Random House. Audible is an Amazon company.
The deal was closed by Rhea Lyons at HG Literary and Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here

Previously, the rights have been sold to the UK and US (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Denmark (Falco), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Latvia (Jumava), Lithuania (Obuolys), Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca), and Hungary (Partvonal).

Rights are still available in France, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Turkey, etc.

US PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

Pushkin is proud to have acquired US rights in addition to UK rights for this incredible debut and is excited for English readers everywhere to experience the twisty, addictive thrill of Martta Kaukonen’s Follow The Butterfly.
– Adam Freudenheim |Publisher and Managing Director,  Pushkin Press


FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 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 Ida 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.

PRAISE:

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaperMartta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

“This is an extremely addictive, plot-driven and immensely twisty novel. This book keeps suspense until the end. I’m very glad I could deeply dive into Follow the Butterfly.’
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

I have never read a thriller like this. A female serial killer whom we root for and not one unreliable narrator but four whose narratives are woven into each other with such skill. This plot-driven, emotional and wonderfully written book is what our readers have been waiting for.”
–Janina Dyballa, Heyne Verlag

“Interesting, mysterious, and gripping story told from the perspective of serial killer which makes it original and unique.”
– Dijana Orsolic, Znanje publishing, Croatia

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.”   – Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

“We are really excited with GUIDE ME, BUTTERFLY! It is full of twists and turns, and the reading experience is like standing on moving sand. You do not know what to expect! We strongly believe that Martta Kaukonen belongs to the Psichogios catalogue with our other leading authors such as Emma Donoghue, Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, Emma Cline, etc.”
– Irene Christopoulou, editor, Psichogios, Greece

“Martta Kaukonen’s „Follow the Butterfly“ offers readers many sudden twists. The main character is one of a kind, captivating like a butterfly.”- Maire Kasemaa, Editor, Hea Lugu, Estonia

”…Martta Kaukonen keeps spinning the suspense tighter and tighter, one chapter at a time. This entertaining debut novel is like a box of candy for all friends of psychological thrillers.” – Me Naiset magazine

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Kniha Zlin/Albatros
DENMARK: Falco
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag
(two-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios
(two-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal
(two-book deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca
(two-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Pushkin Press
(two-book deal)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press(two-book deal)
WORLD ENGLISH (Audio): Audible

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki and is 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 future husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling. Martta’s debut novel FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY was published in March 2021. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is an Instagram sensation in Finland, and the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper released a highly-praising review of it. During the first two months, the audiobook was listened to an awe-inspiring 2000 times and over. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY  has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s novel ‘Gone Girl’. Martta dreams of her book being adapted into a movie – and such a great one that her colleagues would grant it a five-star review.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

2 new deals for BAD BLOOD by New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck!

We are extremely happy to announce know that New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck’s 3rd Jessica Niemi thriller BAD BLOOD has now been acquired by his Bulgarian publisher EMAS and his Latvian publisher Latvijas Mediji! The deals were closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The book was published in Finland last September to great reviews and is already a huge bestseller in Finland with more than 34,000 copies sold in all formats! With Bulgaria and Latvia, BAD BLOOD has now been sold to 12 territories!

The rights for the Jessica Niemi series have been acquired in over 40 countries and a TV show is in development in Hollywood. The rights are still available in Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, Georgia etc.

Download the English manuscript for BAD BLOOD here


BAD BLOOD (Jessica Niemi #3)
by Max Seeck
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp

A prominent business executive Eliel Rosenström is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Rosenström gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Rosenström with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…

KAUNA
Tammi, 2021, 390 pp

Reading materials:
English manuscript

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ALBANIA: Muza
ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers
BULGARIA: EMAS
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
UK: Welbeck
US: Berkley

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

The Archipelago

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

2 new deals for MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS!

We are thrilled to announce that Eeva Louko’s debut thriller MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS has been sold in two auctions!

The Italian rights were acquired by Newton Compton Editori, part of the Mauri Spagnol Publishing Group, who are also the publishers of Ann Cleeves, Stuart MacBride and Elina Backman. The deal was closed by Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Agency.

The Polish rights were sold to the publishing house Czwarta Strona, the crime imprint at Poznańskie also the publisher of Ruth Ware and Ann Cleeves in Poland. The deal was closed by Toomas Aasmäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

“Murder on the Isle of Bliss is an intriguing opening of the series: the island setting, three girlfriends who solve the murder mystery, hidden emotions that simmer just under the surface of everyday life. The characters seem to fall deeper and deeper into the past, at the same time trying to come to terms with the present relationships. Everyone may turn out to be a suspect. A great, very atmospheric book!”
– Paulina Surniak, Rights Manager, Czwarta Strona

Previously, the German rights were to Heyne Verlag in an auction and the Estonian rights pre-empted by Hea LuguIn Finland, the book has sold over 10,000 copies in 2 months.

Rights are still available in the US & UK, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Sweden, Norway, Denmark etc.

Download the English synopsis and sample by clicking here

This is the thriller of the London season!

It’s gray, cold and rainy October in Helsinki, with autumn storms picking up the pace. On a beach on the Island of Lauttasaari a dead man’s body is found, starting off this Nordic Crime series by a debut author Eeva Louko.

GERMAN PRAISE:
Eeva Louko’s Island of Bliss offers a highly atmospheric setting and an elaborate web of relationships that we, as readers, need to untangle in order to discover the dark truth behind the blissful façade. I love that everything in this book is personal and I’m convinced that this series has a huge potential to fascinate German readers.
  – Janina Dyballa, Editor, Heyne Verlag, Germany

FINNISH PRAISE:
This debutant has crafted a multifaceted, clever, surprising, and truly entertaining plot, which is evidence of her talent for this genre.
 – Antti Majander, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper


MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS 
by Eeva Louko

Father found dead by the shore. A community where everyone knows everyone. Secrets of the past. Will the answers be found before it is too late?

After living abroad for many years, thirty-something Ronja returns to her childhood home in Lauttasaari, Helsinki after her father is found murdered by the seaside. Welcoming her back are a group of old friends whom it’s both comforting and painful to see again, and the young police officer assigned to the case who does not seem to be doing his work properly.

Unsatisfied with the police, Ronja decides to start investigating the background of her distant father. In the process she uncovers the old secrets of the community that have been kept under wraps until now, and puts her own life on the line. When everyone knows everyone, each person becomes a suspect.

Onnellisten saari
Otava, January 2022, 396pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Otava(orig.)

ESTONIA: Hea lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag
ITALY: Newton Compton
POLAND: Czwarta Strona/Poznańskie

About author


Eeva Louko

Eeva Louko (b. 1982) is a reporter and communications professional who loves literature, music and all things creative. Becoming an author has been Eeva’s dream since she learned how to read, and she is especially drawn to crime fiction and horror. Eeva plays the saxophone and piano and always drinks her coffee from the biggest cup possible in her garden surrounded by vines.

Murder on the Isle of Bliss (Otava, 2022) is Louko’s debut novel which was published to rave reviews. Eeva’s dream is to find readers globally and create a long-lasting crime fiction series.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Land of Serpents

Eeva Louko


2022, Crime & Suspense

Murder on the Isle of Bliss

Eeva Louko

Estonian rights pre-empted for MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS!

We are overjoyed to announce that the Estonian rights for debut author Eeva Louko’s thriller MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS have been pre-empted by Hea Lugu!

German rights were previously sold to Heyne Verlag in an auction. Both deals were closed by Toomas Aasmäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

This is the thriller of the London season!

Hea Lugu is the Estonian publisher to Stephen King, Emelie Schepp, Khaled Hosseini, Bill Bryson, Liane Moriarty, Ray Bradbury, Martta Kaukonen etc.

ESTONIAN PRAISE:
In Eeva Louko’s debut thriller, the murder investigation is closely connected with people’s emotions and daily life and from page one, the life of the victim’s relatives and investigators starts developing before your eyes. Different fates and secrets will engage and make one sink deeper in the book. Characters that seem cruel, may turn out to be kind and vice versa.  Opening this book is like entering a dark room – who is there and what does it want?
– 
Einar Ellermaa, editor, Hea Lugu publishing, Estonia

It’s gray, cold and rainy October in Helsinki, with autumn storms picking up the pace.
On a beach on the Island of Lauttasaari a dead man’s body is found, which starts off this Nordic Crime series by a debut author Eeva Louko.

Download the English synopsis and sample by clicking here

GERMAN PRAISE:
Eeva Louko’s Island of Bliss offers a highly atmospheric setting and an elaborate web of relationships that we, as readers, need to untangle in order to discover the dark truth behind the blissful façade. I love that everything in this book is personal and I’m convinced that this series has a huge potential to fascinate German readers.
  – Janina Dyballa, Editor, Heyne Verlag, Germany

FINNISH PRAISE:
This debutant has crafted a multifaceted, clever, surprising, and truly entertaining plot, which is evidence of her talent for this genre.
 – Antti Majander, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper


MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS 
by Eeva Louko

Father found dead by the shore. A community where everyone knows everyone. Secrets of the past. Will the answers be found before it is too late?

After living abroad for many years, thirty-something Ronja returns to her childhood home in Lauttasaari, Helsinki after her father is found murdered by the seaside. Welcoming her back are a group of old friends whom it’s both comforting and painful to see again, and the young police officer assigned to the case who does not seem to be doing his work properly.

Unsatisfied with the police, Ronja decides to start investigating the background of her distant father. In the process she uncovers the old secrets of the community that have been kept under wraps until now, and puts her own life on the line. When everyone knows everyone, each person becomes a suspect.

Onnellisten saari
Otava, January 2022, 396pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Otava(orig.)

ESTONIA: Hea lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag

About author


Eeva Louko

Eeva Louko (b. 1982) is a reporter and communications professional who loves literature, music and all things creative. Becoming an author has been Eeva’s dream since she learned how to read, and she is especially drawn to crime fiction and horror. Eeva plays the saxophone and piano and always drinks her coffee from the biggest cup possible in her garden surrounded by vines.

Murder on the Isle of Bliss (Otava, 2022) is Louko’s debut novel which was published to rave reviews. Eeva’s dream is to find readers globally and create a long-lasting crime fiction series.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Land of Serpents

Eeva Louko


2022, Crime & Suspense

Murder on the Isle of Bliss

Eeva Louko

Albanian rights sold for BAD BLOOD (Jessica Niemi #3) – now 10 countries for this best-seller!

We are extremely happy to let you know that New York Times Best-selling Author Max Seeck’s 3rd Jessica Niemi thriller BAD BLOOD has now been acquired by his Albanian publisher Muza! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

The book was published in Finland last September to great reviews and is already a huge best-seller in Finland with more than 34 000 copies sold in all formats!

This is the 10th territory for the novel, with the rights having been previously acquired in the US, UK, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Estonia, Norway and the Arabic countries.

The rights for Jessica Niemi series have been acquired in over 40 countries and a TV show is in development in Hollywood, but rights are still available in Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, Georgia etc.

Download the English manuscript for BAD BLOOD here


BAD BLOOD starts when a prominent business executive Eliel Rosenström is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Rosenström gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.

But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Rosenström with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?

While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…

BAD BLOOD
Kauna
Tammi, September 2021, 390pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

ALBANIA: Muza
ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishing
DENMARK: Gutkind
ESTONIA: Pegasus
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó Kft.
NORWAY: Aschehoug
UK: Welbeck
US: Berkley/Penguin Random House

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

His debut trilogy following protagonist Daniel Kuisma sold over 40,000 copies in Finland. His new Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! In Faithful Reader, AKA The Witch Hunter (US title), book 1 of the Jessica Niemi series, Helsinki Police Detective Jessica Niemi hunts an occultist serial killer. In Evil’s Net, AKA Ice Coven, Jessica and her team follow clues hidden on Instagram to solve the disappearance of a young influencer and a manga artist.

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

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

The Archipelago

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

German rights sold for MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS!

We are extremely happy to announce that following an auction, the German rights for debut author Eeva Louko’s thriller MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS have been sold to Heyne Verlag!
The deal was closed by Toomas Aasmäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

This is the thriller of the London season!

Heyne is the German publisher to Stieg Larsson, Stephen King, David Lagercrantz etc.

It’s gray, cold and rainy October in Helsinki, with autumn storms picking up the pace.
On a beach on the Island of Lauttasaari a dead man’s body is found, which starts off this Nordic Crime series by a debut author Eeva Louko.

Download the English synopsis and sample by clicking here

GERMAN PRAISE:
Eeva Louko’s Island of Bliss offers a highly atmospheric setting and an elaborate web of relationships that we, as readers, need to untangle in order to discover the dark truth behind the blissful façade. I love that everything in this book is personal and I’m convinced that this series has a huge potential to fascinate German readers.
  – Janina Dyballa, Editor, Heyne Verlag, Germany

FINNISH PRAISE:
This debutant has crafted a multifaceted, clever, surprising, and truly entertaining plot, which is evidence of her talent for this genre.
 – Antti Majander, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper


MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS 
by Eeva Louko

Father found dead by the shore. A community where everyone knows everyone. Secrets of the past. Will the answers be found before it is too late?

After living abroad for many years, thirty-something Ronja returns to her childhood home in Lauttasaari, Helsinki after her father is found murdered by the seaside. Welcoming her back are a group of old friends whom it’s both comforting and painful to see again, and the young police officer assigned to the case who does not seem to be doing his work properly.

Unsatisfied with the police, Ronja decides to start investigating the background of her distant father. In the process she uncovers the old secrets of the community that have been kept under wraps until now, and puts her own life on the line. When everyone knows everyone, each person becomes a suspect.

Onnellisten saari
Otava, January 2022, 396pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: Otava(orig.)

GERMANY: Heyne Verlag

About author


Eeva Louko

Eeva Louko (b. 1982) is a reporter and communications professional who loves literature, music and all things creative. Becoming an author has been Eeva’s dream since she learned how to read, and she is especially drawn to crime fiction and horror. Eeva plays the saxophone and piano and always drinks her coffee from the biggest cup possible in her garden surrounded by vines.

Murder on the Isle of Bliss (Otava, 2022) is Louko’s debut novel which was published to rave reviews. Eeva’s dream is to find readers globally and create a long-lasting crime fiction series.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Land of Serpents

Eeva Louko


2022, Crime & Suspense

Murder on the Isle of Bliss

Eeva Louko

Elina Backman’s STILL WATERS RUN DEEP now sold to Slovakia! Now 11 territories sold!

We are really happy to announce that Elina Backman’s second title in the Saana Havas series –  STILL WATERS RUN DEEP has been sold to the Slovak publisher Arkus!
The deal was closed by Toomas Aasmäe at Elina Ahlback Literary AgencySequel to the best-selling ALL THE KING’S MEN, STILL WATERS RUN DEEP is the second part in the Saana Havas -series, which has sold over 50 000 copies in Finland so far! The series now has publishers in 15 territories and an international TV series is in development.Rights are still available in the US, UK, Denmark, Turkey, Latvia, France, Bulgaria, Spain etc.Download the English samples and synopses for both titles here!ITALIAN PRAISE:
“[A]n unputdownable great Nordic crime novel with an intriguing plot which captivates you till the end.” – Gabriele Anniballi, Newton Compton.

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP
Book #2 in Saana Havas-series

by Elina Backman

Is evil lurking beneath the calm waters? Still Waters Run Deep is an awaited sequel to the bestselling All The Kings Men!

Three young men are making a documentary film about a mystical hermit, living in the Isle of Sheep in Helsinki. First one of them disappears, then another one. When one of them is found dead in the nearby nature reserve, the police becmes involved.

Saana Havas, recovering from burnout, hears that her  colleague’s younger brother has gone missing and decides to set up a true crime podcast to help with the search. Meanwhile, police commissioner Jan Leino and his team are investigating the disappearance and possible murder of the documentary makers.

When young men disappear and die, it’s ofter regarded just an accident. But could it be that someone is actually hunting for them?


ALL THE KING’S MEN
Book #1 in Saana Havas-series

by Elina Backman

Saana has been fired from her job as a click-bait journalist, so she decides to spend a summer with her aunt in a small-town Hartola. It sounds like a perfect opportunity to take it easy and recover. But when Saana begins to dig into a case of a teenage girl who died 30 years earlier, the peace of the small town is shaken.

Meanwhile in Helsinki a fire-marked body is found at Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, and crime investigator Jan Leino and his team have a new case in their hands. However, the investigation isn’t going anywhere, and Jan fears that the murder at King’s Gate a is just the beginning…

Saana and Jan continue working on their own cases until their paths cross – for more than one reason.

About the author: 

Elina Backman is a media & marketing professional living in Helsinki, in an old wooden 1920 house with a family of two kids and a husband. Elina loves books (all sorts), travelling, 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 dream is a Netflix series based on her novels.

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP
(aka The Isle of Sheep)

by Elina Backman
Otava, 2021, 450 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

ESTONIA: Varrak
GERMANY: Piper
HUNGARY: Maxim
ITALY: Newton Compton
NETHERLANDS: Cargo
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm
POLAND: Czarna Owca
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken

TV: Aurora Studios

 

ALL THE KING’S MEN
(aka When the King Dies)

by Elina Backman
Otava, 2020, 495 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

ALBANIA: Dritan
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
ESTONIA: Varrak Publishers
GERMANY: Piper
HUNGARY: Maxim
ITALY: Newton Compton
LITHUANIA: BALTO
NETHERLANDS: Cargo
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm
POLAND: Czarna Owca
ROMANIA: Lebada Neagra
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber
SLOVAKIA: Arkus
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken

TV: Aurora Studios

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 Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 70 000 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 1967. 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.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Before the Polar Night Falls

Elina Backman


2022, Crime & Suspense

Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo

Elina Backman


2021, Crime & Suspense

Still Waters Run Deep

Elina Backman


2020, Crime & Suspense

All the King's Men

Elina Backman

Introducing: EALA Spring 2022 Fiction Catalogue!

The EALA Spring 2022 Rights Guide is here!

Our titles represent the best in literary fiction and in crime fiction with awarded authors, in addition to extremely strong historical and humour titles!

Browse the catalogue here.

We have picked out a few new exciting titles – take a look!


MURDER ON THE ISLE OF BLISS by Eeva Louko
A crime-solving journalist investigates her father’s murder and the secrets of the tight community

  • This opening of a new cozy crime series is a perfect combination of surprising twists and messy relationships!

After living abroad for many years, thirty-something Ronja returns to her childhood home in Lauttasaari, Helsinki after her father is found murdered by the seaside. Welcoming her back are a group of old friends whom it’s both comforting and painful to see again, and the young police officer assigned to the case who does not seem to be doing his work properly. Using the skills she’s learned from working as a journalist, Ronja starts investigating the background of her distant father, uncovering the old secrets of the community that have been kept under wraps until now. When everyone knows everyone, each person becomes a suspect.

PRAISE:
“This debutant has crafted a multifaceted, clever, surprising and truly entertaining plot, which is evidence of her talent for this specific genre.” – Antti Majander in Helsingin Sanomat



LILI FLAME INVESTIGATES #1: MURDER AT THE MANSION by Laura Andersson
The beginning of this feel-good crime series charms with its wit!

  • A strong female lead, societal bling, and mysteries! Everything good in one book!

Post-war Helsinki is full of people looking to build a new life, and Lili Flame, who spent the war years in the US as a housemaid, is among them. However, the housekeeping gets swept aside when Lili breaks away from the traditional womanly roles of her time and begins a career as a private eye solving crimes which are too sensitive for the police.

Lili gets help from her husband, a gay man who’s becoming a companion like no other – even if the true nature of their marriage has to be kept a secret. The first case leads her to the party of a rich corporate family. The glamor and glitz of this segment of society is blinding, until the investigation takes a tragic turn and Lili realizes she has a much bigger mystery on her hands than she thought.

Inspired by Agatha Christie and the screwball comedies of the 30s, Lili will delight anyone looking for a good mystery, humor, and a little escapism!

For more Crime Fiction titles in our new catalogue: click here


THE SILK SISTERS #1: CHARLOTTA by Sara Medberg
Glamor, the courtly life, beautiful dresses, and passion!

  • A new series about the Grand Duchy of Finland in the spirit of Jane Austen.

Strict class hierarchy and fabulous silk ruffles rule in the 19th century Åbo, where seamstress Charlotta Silke is looking for her own Mr. Darcy. When Baron Ridderlöw of Starfire Manor hires Charlotta as a lady’s maid for her sister, both their lives change for good. Charlotta gets her hands on Jane Austen’s newly published Pride and Prejudice, which alters the way she sees her role as a woman. But the book’s ideas of modern love, marriage and early feminism are put to the test as the bitter war-torn Baron Ridderlöw becomes romantically interested in Charlotta. Can an ordinary lady’s maid have it all – a meaningful life and the man of her dreams?


ANNA OF HAGA MANOR by Riikka-Maria Rosenberg
Life and love of the nobility in 18th century Finland!

  • Opening chapter of a new series about historical women

Anna of Haga Manor is an enchantingly sensuous historical novel that transports the reader to 18th century Finland, still part of Sweden then, and into the middle of a certain love story.

Anna Magdalena Lilliebrunn, a noblewoman nearing her forties, has a stain on her reputation and the role of an old maid looms in her future. Everything is set to change, however, as the notoriously hot-tempered officer Karl Gustaf Uggla from the neighboring Haga Manor is chosen to be Anna’s husband.

At the Manor, Anna is met by a frigid atmosphere. The reserved relatives and her husband’s lover make sureshe will neither feel at home nor become lady of the house. Will the tough and self-willed Anna be capable of living in the manner that she believes in?

Anna of Haga Manor is the masterful opening chapter of a new historical novel series, The Ladies of Haga Manor. Based on thorough research on the lives and fates of real women who lived at the real Haga manor, the ambience of the past is expertly captured and the reader will want to savour every word.

For more Historical Fiction titles in our new catalogue: click here


THE GREEN CHAMBER by Sirpa Kähkönen
A heartfelt story of memories, youth, and searching for the people you’ve lost

  • A Savonia Prize winner!

A touching story set in the winter of 1964 in Kuopio, eastern lake area of Finland. Three teenagers try to navigate life shadowed by the pain inflicted by their parents, who cannot handle life after the trauma of WWII.

Leo, Irene and Jaakko have been friends since childhood, but dropping out of school, going to army, and falling in love have changed the dynamics between the three. A December day lights the spark which sees their lives changed.

Close to the teens and still far away, separated by the years lived and things seen, are the old couple Linnea and Santeri. Having lived through the Revolutions in Russia and both world wars, the couple has found refuge in tending to their flower shop, where Irene also works. Santeri, however, searches for something he lost decades ago in St. Petersburg, and sets out to try and find it once more.


MY ONLY HOME by Hanna Brotherus
The only way to regain control of your body, soul, and life is to be completely and brutally honest

  • No. 1 bestselling Finnish fiction title of 2021 with more than 60,000 copies sold in Finland!

When her children leave their home, a woman wants to take a deep dive into the past. She wants to understand all the lives she has lived, to examine whose eyes she has seen herself through, to see what she still has ahead of her. And she wants to have a fresh start in everything possible.

An uncompromising journey into the truth behind memories begins. All of the old wounds and traumas, some spanning generations, are ripped open and exposed with uncompromising honesty, revealing a life punctured by sorrow, illness, pressures, and death. The gates are wide open when the woman realizes she is the most important person in her life. Her body is her only home.

This heart-rending debut novel by the dancer, director, and choreographer, Hanna Brotherus, moves through a woman’s different life stages without excessive embellishment and in a relatable way. MY ONLY HOME is a fearless autofictive novel about the frenzy for life and the acceptance of incompleteness. Reader feedback emphasizes the moving and striking honesty in the book and how well one can identify with it. The book moves, touches, cleanses and has a profound impact.

PRAISE:

“MY ONLY HOME is a book of crises. It is a confessional novel, and an exceptionally well-written one. [—] Brotherus’ text is as light as that of someone who is jotting down their thoughts in a journal. In fact, MY ONLY HOME is a journal, the journal of Life. It does not embellish. It laughs, grieves, and eventually nurtures its writer.” – Anne Välinoro, Kulttuuritoimitus magazine

For more Literary Fiction titles in our new catalogue: click here


We are so excited for this season!

Team EALA, 
Elina, Toomas, Elsa, Sten-Erik and Linda


Italian deal for STILL WATERS RUN DEEP!

We are so happy to let you know that STILL WATERS RUN DEEP has been sold to the Italian publisher Newton Compton Editori! The deal was closed by Elsa Lindström at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Sequel to the best-selling ALL THE KING’S MEN, STILL WATERS RUN DEEP is the second part in the Saana Havas -series, which has sold over 50 000 copies in Finland so far! The series now has publishers in 15 territories and an international TV series is in development.

Rights are still available in the US, UK, Denmark, Turkey, Latvia, France, Bulgaria, Spain etc.

Download the English samples and synopses for both titles here!

ITALIAN PRAISE:
“[A]n unputdownable great Nordic crime novel with an intriguing plot which captivates you till the end.” – Gabriele Anniballi, Newton Compton.

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP
Book #2 in Saana Havas-seriesby Elina BackmanIs evil lurking beneath the calm waters? Still Waters Run Deep is an awaited sequel to the bestselling All The Kings Men!

Three young men are making a documentary film about a mystical hermit, living in the Isle of Sheep in Helsinki. First one of them disappears, then another one. When one of them is found dead in the nearby nature reserve, the police becmes involved.

Saana Havas, recovering from burnout, hears that her  colleague’s younger brother has gone missing and decides to set up a true crime podcast to help with the search. Meanwhile, police commissioner Jan Leino and his team are investigating the disappearance and possible murder of the documentary makers.

When young men disappear and die, it’s ofter regarded just an accident. But could it be that someone is actually hunting for them?


ALL THE KING’S MEN
Book #1 in Saana Havas-series

by Elina Backman

Saana has been fired from her job as a click-bait journalist, so she decides to spend a summer with her aunt in a small-town Hartola. It sounds like a perfect opportunity to take it easy and recover. But when Saana begins to dig into a case of a teenage girl who died 30 years earlier, the peace of the small town is shaken.

Meanwhile in Helsinki a fire-marked body is found at Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, and crime investigator Jan Leino and his team have a new case in their hands. However, the investigation isn’t going anywhere, and Jan fears that the murder at King’s Gate a is just the beginning…

Saana and Jan continue working on their own cases until their paths cross – for more than one reason.

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP
(aka The Isle of Sheep)
by Elina Backman
Otava, 2021, 450 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

ESTONIA: Varrak
GERMANY: Piper
HUNGARY: Maxim
ITALY: Newton Compton
NETHERLANDS: Cargo
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm
POLAND: Czarna Owca
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken

TV: Aurora Studios

 

All the King’s Men
(aka When the King Dies)
by Elina Backman
Otava, 2020, 495 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

ALBANIA: Dritan
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
ESTONIA: Varrak Publishers
GERMANY: Piper
HUNGARY: Maxim
ITALY: Newton Compton
LITHUANIA: BALTO
NETHERLANDS: Cargo
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm
POLAND: Czarna Owca
ROMANIA: Lebada Neagra
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber
SLOVAKIA: Arkus Vydavatelstvo
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken

TV: Aurora Studios

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 Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 70 000 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 1967. 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.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Before the Polar Night Falls

Elina Backman


2022, Crime & Suspense

Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo

Elina Backman


2021, Crime & Suspense

Still Waters Run Deep

Elina Backman


2020, Crime & Suspense

All the King's Men

Elina Backman

We are really happy to represent the bestselling Finnish authors and titles of 2021!

We are really happy to represent the bestselling Finnish titles of 2021!

We are really happy to announce that our authors have written the bestselling Finnish Fiction title of 2021: MY ONLY HOME by Hanna Brotherus, selling over 61 000 copies last year (in all formats), and also the bestselling Finnish Non-Fiction title:  Us & US: Surviving Hollywood with Comedy by Ismo and Angelika Leikola that sold closer to 62 000 copies!

Excellent sales also for bestselling author Miika Nousiainen and his novel FACELIFT, published in 2020, that sold 55 000 copies in 2021.

And amazingly – the New York Times Bestselling Author:  Max Seeck sold 108 000 books in all formats in Finland and Leena Lehtolainen 156 000, both being one of the bestselling Finnish authors in 2021.

Congratulations to everyone!

 

MY ONLY HOME by Hanna Brotherus
Literary Fiction

The only way to regain control of your body, soul, and life is to be completely and brutally honest

When her children leave their home, a woman wants to take a deep dive into the past. She wants to understand all the lives she has lived, to examine whose eyes she has seen herself through, to understand what she still has ahead of her. And she wants to have a fresh start in everything possible.An uncompromising journey into the truth behind memories begins. All of the old wounds and traumas, some spanning generations, are ripped open and exposed with uncompromising honesty, revealing a life punctured by sorrow, illness, pressures, and death. The gates are wide open when the woman realizes she is the most important person in her life. Her body is her only home.This heart-rending debut novel by the dancer, director, and choreographer, Hanna Brotherus, moves through a woman’s different life stages without excessive embellishment and in a relatable way. MY ONLY HOME is a fearless autofictive novel about the frenzy for life and the acceptance of incompleteness. Reader feedback emphasizes the moving and striking honesty in the book and how well one can identify with it. The book moves, touches, cleanses and has a profound impact.

Rights sold: FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

Download materials here

US&US: SURVIVING HOLLYWOOD WITH COMEDY
by Ismo Leikola and Angelika Leikola
Memories & Biographies

What is Hollywood like for a newcomer from Europe?

A Finnish comedian-writer couple arrives in Los Angeles. Is the city ready for them?

The authors share their personal story of navigating through the Hollywood comedy industry and the American way of life as a freshly arrived writer-comedian couple from a very different society. As they examine this new world and how their old one looks from afar, they end up realizing their life is like an ongoing stand-up bit. And that the line between tragedy and comedy is truly so fine it’s in many ways non-existent.US&Us: Surviving Hollywood with Comedy is the international version of Finland’s #1 bestselling nonfiction title Suo, kuokka ja Hollywood, by the same authors, which was published in Finland in March 2021 and has sold more than 62,000 copies across all formats. Full English text available!

Rights sold: FINLAND: Siltala (orig.)

Download materials here

FACELIFT
by Miika Nousiainen

Commercial/Upmarket, Humor

Tragicomic tale of life’s biggest questions and their surprisingly simple answers.

Sami has a dream: he desperately wants to be a father. His biological clock has been ticking for the past 15 years so loudly that sometimes it’s hard to hear his own thoughts. But it’s not so easy to become a father, first of all, you need to find a suitable future mother candidate.But when Sami’s latest future-mother-candidate rides off with a biker guy, he makes a series of bad choices that cause him to anger the local motorcycle gang. How to fix a life where everything seems to go wrong? Sini, a wellbeing blogger with perfectly instagrammable life arrives to offer a solution.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Otava (orig.), CROATIA: Znanje, CZECHIA: Host, ESTONIA: Eesti Raamat, GERMANY: Kein & Aber, NORWAY: Vigmostad & Bjørke, RUSSIA: Livebook Publishing, SERBIA: Odiseja

Download materials here

THE WITCH HUNTER (A.K.A. FAITHFUL READER)
by Max Seeck
Crime & Suspense

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?

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

Download materials here

THE ICE COVEN (A.K.A. EVIL’S NET)
by Max Seeck
Crime & Suspense

Standalone sequel to New York Times Best Seller, Faithful Reader aka The Witch Hunter – rights sold to 40 countries and Hollywood!Jessica Niemi has another mystery on her hands: Two famous Instagram bloggers go missing, and a strange picture is uploaded
on both of their accounts. It’s a picture of an old lighthouse on a rocky island. And underneath there’s a poem. A poem that describes their deaths…Jessica starts to investigate the disappearances and soon she finds out that the two bloggers have been sharing a secret that got them involved in something very mystical and dark.

Rights sold: FINLAND: Tammi, ALBANIA: Muza, BULGARIA: EMAS, CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada, DENMARK: Gutkind, ESTONIA: Pegasus, FRANCE: Michel Lafon, GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe GmbH & Co. KG, GREECE: Livanis, HUNGARY: Animus, LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji, NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: A.W. Bruna, NORTHERN MACEDONIA: MATICA MAKEDONSKA, NORWAY: Aschehoug, POLAND: Sonia Draga, PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora Lda, ROMANIA: Litera, SERBIA: Vulkan, SLOVAKIA: Motýľ, SLOVENIA: Didakta, SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag, UK: Welbeck Publishing, USA & CANADA: Berkley / Penguin Random House, WORLD ARABIC: Arab Scientific

Download materials here

BAD BLOOD
by Max Seeck
Crime & Suspense

A prominent business executive Eliel Rosenström is found brutally murdered in his home in Helsinki. The company he led has just announced drastic cutbacks and Rosenström gained hundreds of enemies and death threats in the process.But the murder motive become less clear, when the police finds out that the murderer had other targets as well. The only clue the police has is a photo of Rosenström with three other men, whose faces are all scratched off. Who are the faceless men, and why can’t the police identify them? Are they other victims? Or something more sinister?While Jessica Niemi suffers from a mental breakdown after her encounter with the witch coven, Jusuf gets a chance to lead the investigations and prove his skills as a police officer, while helping Jessica battle her demons that seem to come closer and closer…

Rights sold: FINLAND: Tammi (orig.), ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers, DENMARK: Gutkind, ESTONIA: Pegasus, GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe, HUNGARY: Animus Kiadó Kft., NORWAY: Aschehoug, UK: Welbeck

Download materials here

THE LYNX FACTOR 
by Leena Lehtolainen

Crime & Suspense

Hilja Ilveskero is hired to a secretive nature holiday center of the super-rich in Eastern Lapland called Ilvesvaara. The owner of the place fears that the worst security threat comes from the inside.

Arriving at Ilvesvaara, Hilja notices that it is not just an ordinary spa hotel, but a luxurious theme park accessible to only eight guests at a time, where wildlife roams freely. Millionaire Aku Rautio is also due to appear soon. Hilja is already familiar with the man, as she has once spent a hectic night with him. When Aku mysteriously disappears, everyone in the resort comes under suspicion, including Hilja. Why doesn’t Aku’s wife want to report the disappearance to the police? Why did so many people in Ilvesvaara know Aku?

Leena Lehtolainen’s fifth Hilja Ilveskero novel is a dense mystery of an enclosed space that shows that even a lavish setting and the latest technology cannot protect people from nature’s unpredictability.

Rights sold: Tammi, GERMANY: Rowohlt

Download materials here


Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY now the winner of the Shadow-Savonia Prize!

Martta Kaukonen’s award-winning thriller, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY, with “the most sympathetic serial killer” continues to amaze readers!

We couldn’t be happier to announce World English rights sale a few weeks ago:  the US rights for Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY  acquired by Pushkin Press! 

Now we are also happy to let you know that this year’s Shadow-Savonia prize went to Martta Kaukonen’s FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY!
Shadow-Savonia Prize is awarded to the readers’ favorite title in the Finnish Savonia Prize competition.

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here

In the last 3 months, the rights have been sold to the UK and US (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Denmark (Falco), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Latvia (Jumava), Lithuania (Obuolys), Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca), and Hungary (Partvonal).Rights are still available in France, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Turkey, etc.

US PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

Pushkin is proud to have acquired US rights in addition to UK rights for this incredible debut and is excited for English readers everywhere to experience the twisty, addictive thrill of Martta Kaukonen’s Follow The Butterfly.
– Adam Freudenheim |Publisher and Managing Director,  Pushkin Press

SAVONIA PRIZE JURY PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

Kaukonen’s debut is such a skillfully constructed psychological thriller and it holds the reader in its grip offering her surprises until the very last line. The gruesome plot speeds forward seemingly lightly in short paragraphs. The perspectives change swiftly between the characters and the ambiance intensifies with the ending that flips the tables completely.


FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 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 Ida 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.

PRAISE:

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaperMartta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

“This is an extremely addictive, plot-driven and immensely twisty novel. This book keeps suspense until the end. I’m very glad I could deeply dive into Follow the Butterfly.’
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

I have never read a thriller like this. A female serial killer whom we root for and not one unreliable narrator but four whose narratives are woven into each other with such skill. This plot-driven, emotional and wonderfully written book is what our readers have been waiting for.”
–Janina Dyballa, Heyne Verlag

“Interesting, mysterious, and gripping story told from the perspective of serial killer which makes it original and unique.”
– Dijana Orsolic, Znanje publishing, Croatia

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.”   – Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

“We are really excited with GUIDE ME, BUTTERFLY! It is full of twists and turns, and the reading experience is like standing on moving sand. You do not know what to expect! We strongly believe that Martta Kaukonen belongs to the Psichogios catalogue with our other leading authors such as Emma Donoghue, Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, Emma Cline, etc.”
– Irene Christopoulou, editor, Psichogios, Greece

“Martta Kaukonen’s „Follow the Butterfly“ offers readers many sudden twists. The main character is one of a kind, captivating like a butterfly.”- Maire Kasemaa, Editor, Hea Lugu, Estonia

”…Martta Kaukonen keeps spinning the suspense tighter and tighter, one chapter at a time. This entertaining debut novel is like a box of candy for all friends of psychological thrillers.” – Me Naiset magazine

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
Terapiassa
WSOY, March 2021, 407pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Kniha Zlin/Albatros
DENMARK: Falco
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag
(two-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios
(two-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal
(two-book deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca
(two-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Pushkin Press
(two-book deal)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press(two-book deal)

 

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki and is 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 future husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling.

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki and is 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 future husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling. Martta’s debut novel FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY was published in March 2021. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is an Instagram sensation in Finland, and the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper released a highly-praising review of it. During the first two months, the audiobook was listened to an awe-inspiring 2000 times and over. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY  has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s novel ‘Gone Girl’. Martta dreams of her book being adapted into a movie – and such a great one that her colleagues would grant it a five-star review.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY now acquired in Denmark!

Martta Kaukonen’s amazing thriller of this season, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY, continues conquering the World!

We couldn’t be happier to announce Danish rights sale for Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY! The happy publisher is Falco – a brand new Danish publisher, launched in 2021!
Falco has high ambitions, taking on literature that can be placed in the intersection of pop and art. They publish top-tier commercial fiction and nonfiction that reaches a broad audience while also challenging the status quo.

DANISH PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

I’m beyond thrilled that Falco got the Danish rights for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY. The novel is a perfect combination of timely themes, a horrifying thrill, and a good narrative. I think it’s refreshing with a female lead, and that we get to see which traumas create that person. Also, Martta writes with such ease, and I like all the references to the modern culture that surrounds us. That makes the novel not only a page-turner but also a contemporary piece of art.
– Ditte Haugstrup, Editor, Forlaget Falco

In the last 3 months, the rights have been sold to the UK and US (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Latvia (Jumava), Lithuania (Obuolys), Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca), and Hungary (Partvonal).

Rights are still available in France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands etc.

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 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 Ida 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.

PRAISE:

“Pushkin is proud to have acquired US rights in addition to UK rights for this incredible debut, and are excited for English readers everywhere to experience the twisty, addictive thrill of Martta Kaukonen’s ‘Follow The Butterfly.´”
– Adam Freudenheim, Publisher and Managing Director, Pushkin Press

“Kaukonen’s debut is such a skillfully constructed psychological thriller and it holds the reader in its grip offering her surprises until the very last line. The gruesome plot speeds forward seemingly lightly in short paragraphs. The perspectives change swiftly between the characters and the ambiance intensifies with the ending that flips the tables completely.”
– Savonia Prize Jury, Finland

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine

“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaper

“Martta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

“This is an extremely addictive, plot-driven and immensely twisty novel. This book keeps suspense until the end. I’m very glad I could deeply dive into Follow the Butterfly.’
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

”I have never read a thriller like this. A female serial killer whom we root for and not one unreliable narrator but four whose narratives are woven into each other with such skill. This plot-driven, emotional and wonderfully written book is what our readers have been waiting for.”
–Janina Dyballa, Heyne Verlag

“Interesting, mysterious, and gripping story told from the perspective of serial killer which makes it original and unique.”
– Dijana Orsolic, Znanje publishing, Croatia

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.” – Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

“We are really excited with GUIDE ME, BUTTERFLY! It is full of twists and turns, and the reading experience is like standing on moving sand. You do not know what to expect! We strongly believe that Martta Kaukonen belongs to the Psichogios catalogue with our other leading authors such as Emma Donoghue, Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, Emma Cline, etc.”
– Irene Christopoulou, editor, Psichogios, Greece

“Martta Kaukonen’s „Follow the Butterfly“ offers readers many sudden twists. The main character is one of a kind, captivating like a butterfly.”– Maire Kasemaa, Editor, Hea Lugu, Estonia

”…Martta Kaukonen keeps spinning the suspense tighter and tighter, one chapter at a time. This entertaining debut novel is like a box of candy for all friends of psychological thrillers.– Me Naiset magazine

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
Terapiassa, WSOY, 2021, 407 pp.

Rights sold:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Kniha Zlin/Albatros
DENMARK: Forlaget Falco
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag
(two-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios
(two-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal
(two-book deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca
(two-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Pushkin Press
(two-book deal)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press(two-book deal)

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki and is 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 future husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling. Martta’s debut novel FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY was published in March 2021. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is an Instagram sensation in Finland, and the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper released a highly-praising review of it. During the first two months, the audiobook was listened to an awe-inspiring 2000 times and over. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY  has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s novel ‘Gone Girl’. Martta dreams of her book being adapted into a movie – and such a great one that her colleagues would grant it a five-star review.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

New accolades for Elina Backman and her thriller series!

We are super excited to see that thrillerist Elina Backman is a Finnish Literary Export Award 2021 (Tulenkantaja Prize aka the Torch-Bearer Prize) nominee with her chilling second cosy crime novel STILL WATERS RUN DEEP! The award will be presented at the Tampere Book Fair on December 4th. The winner will receive a prize of 5000 Euros and will be part of an export program provided by the Finnish literature export centre FILI.
Elina Backman has also visited Sweden in November to celebrate her nomination for Best translated novel of the year 2021 with her first novel ALL THE KING’S MEN. The competition is a yearly feat organized by Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy (Svenska Deckarakademin).

 

 

The picture here shows the diploma from Sweden in which Svenska Deckarakademin confirms that “När kungen dör is one of the five BEST TRANSLATED CRIME NOVELS of 2021”.

 

ALL THE KING’S MEN

Saana has been fired from her job as a click-bait journalist, so she decides to spend a summer with her aunt in a small-town Hartola. It sounds like a perfect opportunity to take it easy and recover. But when Saana begins to dig into a case of a teenage girl who died 30 years earlier, the peace of the small town is shaken.

Meanwhile in Helsinki a fire-marked body is found at Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, and crime investigator Jan Leino and his team have a new case in their hands. However, the investigation isn’t going anywhere, and Jan fears that the murder at King’s Gate a is just the beginning…

Saana and Jan continue working on their own cases until their paths cross – for more than one reason.

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP

Is evil lurking beneath the calm waters? Still Waters Run Deep is an awaited sequel to the bestselling All The Kings Men!

Three young men are making a documentary film about a mystical hermit, living in the Isle of Sheep in Helsinki. First one of them disappears, then another one. When one of them is found dead in the nearby nature reserve, the police becmes involved.

Saana Havas, recovering from burnout, hears that her  colleague’s younger brother has gone missing and decides to set up a true crime podcast to help with the search. Meanwhile, police commissioner Jan Leino and his team are investigating the disappearance and possible murder of the documentary makers.

When young men disappear and die, it’s ofter regarded just an accident. But could it be that someone is actually hunting for them?

 

ALL THE KING’S MEN
Kun kuningas kuolee, 2020
Otava, 495 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ALBANIA: Dritan
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
ESTONIA: Varrak Publishers
GERMANY: Piper
HUNGARY: Maxim
ITALY: Newton Compton
LITHUANIA: BALTO
NETHERLANDS: Cargo
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm
POLAND: Czarna Owca
ROMANIA: Lebada Neagra
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber
SLOVAKIA: Arkus Vydavatelstvo
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken
TV: Aurora Studios

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP
Kun jäljet katoavat, 2021, Otava, 450 pp.

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Varrak Publishers
GERMANY: Piper
HUNGARY: Maxim
NETHERLANDS: Cargo
NORWAY: Cappelen Damm AS
POLAND: Czarna Owca
RUSSIA: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber
SWEDEN: Bokfabriken

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 Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 70 000 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 1967. 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.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

Before the Polar Night Falls

Elina Backman


2022, Crime & Suspense

Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo

Elina Backman


2021, Crime & Suspense

Still Waters Run Deep

Elina Backman


2020, Crime & Suspense

All the King's Men

Elina Backman

Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY now sold in the US! Nomination for the coveted Savonia Literary Prize announced!

Martta Kaukonen’s amazing thriller of this season, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY, continues its World Conquest!

We couldn’t be happier to announce World English rights sale:  the US rights for Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY have been acquired by Pushkin Press!

US PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

Pushkin is proud to have acquired US rights in addition to UK rights for this incredible debut, and are excited for English readers everywhere to experience the twisty, addictive thrill of Martta Kaukonen’s Follow The Butterfly.
Adam Freudenheim, Publisher and Managing Director,  Pushkin Press

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here

We are also really happy to let you know that FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY has now been shortlisted for the prestigious Finnish Savonia Literary Prize!

The prize is 12 000€ and this time out of the 103 participants, 6 titles were shortlisted. The winner will be announced on 9th of December.

In the last 3 months, the rights have been sold to the UK and US (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Latvia (Jumava), Lithuania (Obuolys), Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca), and Hungary (Partvonal).

Rights are still available in France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands etc.
US PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

Pushkin is proud to have acquired US rights in addition to UK rights for this incredible debut, and are excited for English readers everywhere to experience the twisty, addictive thrill of Martta Kaukonen’s Follow The Butterfly.
– Adam Freudenheim |Publisher and Managing Director,  Pushkin Press

SAVONIA PRIZE JURY PRAISE FOR FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY:

Kaukonen’s debut is such a skillfully constructed psychological thriller and it holds the reader in its grip offering her surprises until the very last line. The gruesome plot speeds forward seemingly lightly in short paragraphs. The perspectives change swiftly between the characters and the ambiance intensifies with the ending that flips the tables completely.


FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 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 Ida 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.

PRAISE:

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaperMartta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

“This is an extremely addictive, plot-driven and immensely twisty novel. This book keeps suspense until the end. I’m very glad I could deeply dive into Follow the Butterfly.’
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

I have never read a thriller like this. A female serial killer whom we root for and not one unreliable narrator but four whose narratives are woven into each other with such skill. This plot-driven, emotional and wonderfully written book is what our readers have been waiting for.”
–Janina Dyballa, Heyne Verlag

“Interesting, mysterious, and gripping story told from the perspective of serial killer which makes it original and unique.”
– Dijana Orsolic, Znanje publishing, Croatia

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.”   – Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

“We are really excited with GUIDE ME, BUTTERFLY! It is full of twists and turns, and the reading experience is like standing on moving sand. You do not know what to expect! We strongly believe that Martta Kaukonen belongs to the Psichogios catalogue with our other leading authors such as Emma Donoghue, Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, Emma Cline, etc.”
– Irene Christopoulou, editor, Psichogios, Greece

“Martta Kaukonen’s „Follow the Butterfly“ offers readers many sudden twists. The main character is one of a kind, captivating like a butterfly.”- Maire Kasemaa, Editor, Hea Lugu, Estonia

”…Martta Kaukonen keeps spinning the suspense tighter and tighter, one chapter at a time. This entertaining debut novel is like a box of candy for all friends of psychological thrillers.” – Me Naiset magazine

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
Terapiassa
WSOY, March 2021, 407pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Kniha Zlin/Albatros
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag
(two-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios
(two-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal
(two-book deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca
(two-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Pushkin Press
(two-book deal)
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press(two-book deal)

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki and is 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 future husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling. Martta’s debut novel FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY was published in March 2021. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is an Instagram sensation in Finland, and the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper released a highly-praising review of it. During the first two months, the audiobook was listened to an awe-inspiring 2000 times and over. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY  has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s novel ‘Gone Girl’. Martta dreams of her book being adapted into a movie – and such a great one that her colleagues would grant it a five-star review.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Lithuanian rights pre-empted for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY! Now 11 territories for this debut thriller!

We are so happy to announce another deal for the amazing thriller of this season, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY!

Lithuanian rights for Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY have been acquired by Obuolys. Obuolys is the Lithuanian publisher for Stieg Larsson, Jussi-Adler Olsen, Lars Kepler etc.

In the last 3 months, the rights have been sold to the UK (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Latvia (Jumava) Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca), and Hungary (Partvonal). Lithuania is already the 11th territory for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY.

Rights still available in Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Romania, Turkey, France, Netherlands etc.

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here


FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
by Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

Ida, 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 Ida 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.

FINNISH PRAISE:

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaperMartta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

PUBLISHERS’ PRAISE:

“This is an extremely addictive, plot-driven and immensely twisty novel. This book keeps suspense until the end. I’m very glad I could deeply dive into Follow the Butterfly.’
– Dominika Dudarew-Osiecka, Czarna Owca, Poland

I have never read a thriller like this. A female serial killer whom we root for and not one unreliable narrator but four whose narratives are woven into each other with such skill. This plot-driven, emotional and wonderfully written book is what our readers have been waiting for.”
–Janina Dyballa, Heyne Verlag

“Interesting, mysterious, and gripping story told from the perspective of serial killer which makes it original and unique.”
– Dijana Orsolic, Znanje publishing, Croatia

“We couldn’t be more excited to have acquired Martta Kaukonen’s twisty addictive psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY and its sequel. Ida has to be the most sympathetic serial killer in crime fiction, and is one of the most original protagonists we’ve come across in a very long time.”   – Daniel Seton, Pushkin Press, United Kingdom

“We are really excited with GUIDE ME, BUTTERFLY! It is full of twists and turns, and the reading experience is like standing on moving sand. You do not know what to expect! We strongly believe that Martta Kaukonen belongs to the Psichogios catalogue with our other leading authors such as Emma Donoghue, Paula Hawkins, A. J. Finn, Emma Cline, etc.”
– Irene Christopoulou, editor, Psichogios, Greece

“Martta Kaukonen’s „Follow the Butterfly“ offers readers many sudden twists. The main character is one of a kind, captivating like a butterfly.”- Maire Kasemaa, Editor, Hea Lugu, Estonia

”…Martta Kaukonen keeps spinning the suspense tighter and tighter, one chapter at a time. This entertaining debut novel is like a box of candy for all friends of psychological thrillers.” – Me Naiset magazine

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
Terapiassa
WSOY, March 2021, 407pp

RIGHTS SOLD:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)

CROATIA: Znanje
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Kniha Zlin/Albatros
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne Verlag
(two-book deal)
GREECE: Psichogios
(two-book deal)
HUNGARY: Partvonal
(two-book deal)
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
POLAND: Czarna Owca
(two-book deal)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Pushkin Press
(two-book deal)

About author


Martta Kaukonen

Martta Kaukonen (1976) lives in Helsinki and is 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 future husband at his second hand bookshop and fell in love. Alongside writing, Martta loves psychological thrillers, film noir, flea markets, abandoned houses and travelling. Martta’s debut novel FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY was published in March 2021. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY is an Instagram sensation in Finland, and the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper released a highly-praising review of it. During the first two months, the audiobook was listened to an awe-inspiring 2000 times and over. FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY  has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s novel ‘Gone Girl’. Martta dreams of her book being adapted into a movie – and such a great one that her colleagues would grant it a five-star review.

Bibliography


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Latvian rights acquired for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY – 10 territories sold!

We are so happy to announce another deal for the hot thriller of the season, FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY!

Latvian rights for Martta Kaukonen’s debut thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY are acquired by Jumava. Jumava is the Latvian publisher for Camilla Läckberg, Salman Rushdie, Sofi Oksanen, Catherine Hagen, Timothy Schneider, Michael Talbot, and Joanna Ralbot.

In the last 2 months, the rights have been sold to the UK (Pushkin Press), Germany (Heyne), Greece (Psichogios), Croatia (Znanje), Estonia (Hea Lugu), Czech Republic (Albatros), Poland (Czarna Owca), and Hungary (Partvonal). Latvia is already the 10th territory for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY.

Rights still available in Russia, Denmark, Sweden, US, Norway, Lithuania, Iceland, Romania, Turkey, France, Netherlands etc.

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here

“Based on its flair, this mercurial thriller could be described as the Finnish cousin of works by Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Caroline Kepnes. The author moves the story forward in a sure-handed manner whilst whirling the reader as if in a carousel. The thriller has been written in a fast-paced and vivid style that compels you to gulp down the story like cotton candy. Follow the Butterly will satisfy anyone’s hunger for suspense.”
– Anette Jaakonaho, Psykologi Magazine

“Kaukonen started writing her thriller a year before the #metoo campaign and now she hits the bullseye with her theme of sexual abuse. “
– Heidi Lakkala, Lapin Kansa newspaper

Martta Kaukonen’s pencil mark is confident and her work even has a humoristic take on therapy as a theme. ‘Follow the Butterfly’ is a thriller with nothing unnecessary. It builds settings through its four narrators but doesn’t doubt dismantling them over and over again. Film Critic Kaukonen’s debut is an ambitious piece.”
– Maaria Ylikangas, Helsingin Sanomat Culture – five star praise

Download the English sample and synopsis for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY by clicking here