Aamos Honka Awarded with the BookBeat’s Newcomer of the Year Award!

We have excellent news as CRIMSON WEB by Aamos Honka has won the BookBeat’s Newcomer of the Year Award 2025! The award is based entirely on data from BookBeat’s 350,000 Finnish users. It is based on both the hours listened to in the BookBeat app and the ratings given by users.

“There are many good authors of this genre in Finland, and it’s wonderful to be among them. It’s also great that the subject is so interesting to Finns these days, even in fiction, that I ended up being named Newcomer of the Year. A warm thank you to all my listeners.”
– Aamos Honka, author CRIMSON WEB and ARTICLE 5

This timely, credible thriller, set in the inner circle of the intelligence world, captivated its audience from the moment it was published selling close to 20,000 copies. The intelligent, high-stakes espionage thriller blends psychological depth, geopolitical relevance, and pulse-pounding action offering readers a fresh Finnish perspective on global intelligence conflict. Originally published in Finland in January, Crimson Web has been one of the bestselling fiction titles in Finland and has received outstanding reviews from the critics and the readers:

Request materials for CRIMSON WEB here!

Crimson Web

Aamos Honka

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

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

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

Article 5, book #2 in the Janne Peura series, is slated to be published in Finland in November 2025.

CRIMSON WEB
Punainen verkko
Gummerus, 2025, 489 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English sample (chapters 1-6)
German sample (chapters 7-12)
English synopsis books 1-3
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Gummerus (orig.)

About author


Aamos Honka

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

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Article 5

Aamos Honka


2025, Crime & Suspense

Crimson Web

Aamos Honka

MILO series by Max Seeck sold in 3-book pre-empt to Greece!

We are very happy to announce that the MILO trilogy by Max Seeck has been sold to Memento LP, Greece in a three-book pre-empt deal! The deal was closed by Satu Sallantaus at Ahlbäck Agency.

Milo #2: Betrayed is the thrilling second installment in the Milo series and was published in Finland this SeptemberEstonian, German, Latvian and French rights were sold pre-publication!

Milo #1: Checkmate is an exciting and gripping start for a new series, with rights sold to 9 territories. A 6-episode international TV series adaptation by Solar Films is currently in pre-production.

Max Seeck has been translated in 41 languages and his novels sold over 1 million copies globally The Milo series has sold 85,000 copies in Finland already.

Book #3 will be published in May 2026: A suspicious suicide in Helsinki leads detective Minka Laine into a chilling investigation, where a mysterious sun pendant links multiple deaths. As Milo recovers and joins the case, he joins the hunt for a killer whose methods are as cryptic as they are cruel, and they uncover a dark web of psychological manipulation and a killer hiding in plain sight.

DOWNLOAD MATERIALS FOR THE MILO SERIES HERE

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

The game has only just begun.

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

MILO #1: Checkmate
Merkitty, Tammi September 2024, 400 pp.
MILO #2: Betrayed
Petetty, Tammi September 2025, 344 pp.
MILO #3: Guarded
Varjeltu, Tammi, May 2026

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Mera Editions
GERMANY: Bastei Luebbe
GREECE: Memento LP
ITALY: Piemme
JAPAN: Kodansha Ltd.
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
NORWAY: Aschehoug
RIGHTS FILM & TV: Solar Films
UKRAINE: Laboratory LLC

READING MATERIALS:
Book #1: English sample, English synopsis, German edition, French edition, Finnish edition
Book #2: English synopsis, Finnish edition
Book #3: Short synopsis

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

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

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

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

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

His Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 9 territories, with several rights pre-empts ahead of the Finnish publication!

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

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Milo #2: Betrayed

Max Seeck


2024, Crime & Suspense

Milo #1: Checkmate

Max Seeck


2022, Crime & Suspense

Ghost Island

Max Seeck


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Mephisto Touch

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Call of Hades

Max Seeck


2016, Crime & Suspense

Angels of Hammurabi

Max Seeck

Arttu Tuominen’s Crystal trilogy sold to the Netherlands!

We are very thrilled to announce, that the Dutch rights to Arttu Tuominen’s ALEC and its two sequels have been acquired by De Fontein in a three-book-deal. The deal was closed by Martti Berner at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Congratulations to Arttu and De Fontein! This follows the recent 3-book-deal to Germany with Bastei Lübbe.

The first book in the gripping Crystal trilogy, Alec, was published by Otava in August. Selling over 10 000 copies and receiving excitingly positive reviews!

ALEC is without a doubt one of the most impressive thriller series openers of the year, and Tuominen only strengthens his position among the top names both domestically and internationally.
– Salon Seudun Sanomat newspaper

Alec kicks off a new thriller trilogy from Arttu Tuominen, bestselling author of the River Delta series, taking the reader deep into the world of crime, addictions, and the drug trade.

The rights are still available in the UK, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Croatia, Hungary… Contact us to hear more!

Request the materials for ALEC here!

ALEC (Otava, 2025)

The destructive power of the criminal underworld meets vulnerable humanity in Arttu Tuominen’s new crime series.

During the economic recession of the 1990s, illegal businesses flow into Finland from across the eastern border. A drug war rages on Finnish soil, where human life has no value.

The quiet life of the village community in Salla is shattered when more than a dozen partygoers are murdered at a remote farm. Fourteen-year-old Liina, who witnesses the massacre, is forced to grow up quickly as senseless violence invades her childhood world

CRYSTAL #2 (Otava, 2026)

A novel about the destructive power of money and addiction.

Juhani Roine, a gambling-addicted bank director, falls into massive debt to international drug syndicates. Julia, a flight attendant and sister to Liina, tries to help him. Their fates intertwine with devastating consequences in a Parisian suburb.

CRYSTAL #3 (Otava, 2027)

A novel about the morality of revenge.

At the heart of the story is Liina Aho, whose past is marked by trauma. Members of a notorious drug cartel are being killed in brutal ways across Helsinki. Tommi Kivi, drowning in personal grief, believes he knows who’s behind it – and is determined to hold them accountable.

Publication info:
Alec, Otava
2025, 360 pages

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (3 books!)
NETHERLANDS: De Fontein (3 books)

Reading materials:
Finnish edition
English sample (80 pages!)
English synopsis

About author


Arttu Tuominen

Arttu Tuominen (b. 1981) is a Spiegel bestselling author and environmental inspector based in Pori, Finland. During the evenings, he writes dark and tough crime novels. He is best known for his psychologically nuanced and gripping crime novels. Tuominen's novels are acclaimed for their intense atmosphere, compelling plots, and richly drawn characters.

His River Delta series has sold over 230,000 copies in Finland alone and has been published in six different languages. Tuominen has received numerous accolades, including the Vuoden Johtolanka (Clue of the Year) award for The Oath and the Palle Rosenkrantz Prize from the Danish Crime Academy for Jeopardy. In addition he has been nominated for the prestigious Glass Key Award. His novels have earned praise from both critics and readers, firmly establishing him as a leading voice in Finnish crime fiction.

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Alec

Arttu Tuominen


2024, Crime & Suspense

The Stager

Arttu Tuominen


2023, Crime & Suspense

The Liberator

Arttu Tuominen


2022, Crime & Suspense

Shamed

Arttu Tuominen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Silenced

Arttu Tuominen


2020, Crime & Suspense

Jeopardy

Arttu Tuominen


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Oath

Arttu Tuominen

Arttu Tuominen’s bestselling River Delta series sold to Czechia!

We are very excited to tell that the first two titles in Arttu Tuominen’s internationally bestselling River Delta series , The Oath and Jeopardy, have been sold to Czechia to Knihy Dobrovský, to be published under its imprint Naše nakladatelství. The deal was closed by Martti Berner at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency in co-operation with our co-agent Antonija Radić at Corto Literary.

Naše nakladatelstvi focuses mainly on commercial fiction for adults and children but over the past few years we have successfully explored the fields of non-fiction as well as literary fiction.

Arttu Tuominen’s River Delta series has become a commercial and critical hit, with more than 230,000 copies sold in Finland alone. The books have been sold to seven territories worldwide, earning both popular and critical acclaim. In Germany, the series reached the Spiegel Bestseller List, while Jeopardy (book #2) received the prestigious Palle Rosenkrantz Award 2022.

“They are fierce, these Finns, and this year, one of their best crime writers, Arttu Tuominen is awarded the Rosenkrantz Prize for Sendebuddet (Jeopardy) […] Tuominen’s writing is like moonshine when writing about brutally bitter souls.”
– Palle Rosenkrantz Prize jury statement

The rights to the RIVER DELTA series are still available in e.g. the US, the UK, Turkey, Estonia, Poland, Norway…

Set in the city of Pori on the Gulf of Bothnia, the novels follow a Finnish police unit whose investigations force them to confront their own actions, values, and moral boundaries. Each installment can be enjoyed as a standalone story, making the series accessible to all readers.

Click here to request all materials for the RIVER DELTA series.

Arttu Tuominen’s thrillers are characterized by their solid style and skillful twists. Add to that the fact that Tuominen chooses current, socially engaged themes in his books. His work is among the best from Scandinavia.’
– Claudia van der Werf, Editor, De Fontein, the Netherlands

 

River Delta #1: The Oath (2019): A Touching crime novel about secrets and guilt. Commissioner Jari Paloviita works on a murder case where the prime suspect is on old friend he feels indebted to.

River Delta #2: Jeopardy (2020): The grenade attack on the restaurant claims casualties – and at the same time threatens to expose Chief Commissioner Herik Oksman’s life-long secret.

River Delta #3: Silenced (2021): Pori police detectives Jari Paloviita, Linda Toivonen and Henrik Oksman are faced with an exceptionally cruel series of international crimes against elderly citizens.

River Delta #4: Shamed (2022): An investigation into a girl’s murder takes the police into the world of predators on the Internet and becomes personal for Linda Toivonen, whose daughter knew the victim.

River Delta #5: The Liberator (2023): The charred body of a man is discovered on a sports field in Pori. The victim had been doused with petrol and set on fire. Suspicions are directed at a group of young adults known to have harassed rough sleepers in the past.

River Delta #6: The Stager (2024):  On a remote forest farm a cruel killing is revealed. A family – mother, father, and their daughter – have all been murdered and embalmed, staged to watch television with their dog dead quiet by their feet. The killer is nicknamed Stager.

RIVER DELTA SERIES

WSOY 2019-2024

Reading material:
English samples and synopses
French editions books 1-4
German editions books 1-4
Danish editions books 1-4
Dutch editions books 1-4
Finnish editions (6 books)

Rights sold to River Delta Series:

FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CZECHIA: Knihy Dobrovsky / Naše nakladatelstvi (2 books)
DENMARK: Modtryk (6 books)
FRANCE: La Martinière (4 books)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (6 books)
NETHERLANDS: De Fontein (6 books)
SLOVENIA: Litera (3 books)
SWEDEN: Lind & Co (3 books)
FILM & TV: Lucy Loves Drama

About author


Arttu Tuominen

Arttu Tuominen (b. 1981) is a Spiegel bestselling author and environmental inspector based in Pori, Finland. During the evenings, he writes dark and tough crime novels. He is best known for his psychologically nuanced and gripping crime novels. Tuominen's novels are acclaimed for their intense atmosphere, compelling plots, and richly drawn characters.

His River Delta series has sold over 230,000 copies in Finland alone and has been published in six different languages. Tuominen has received numerous accolades, including the Vuoden Johtolanka (Clue of the Year) award for The Oath and the Palle Rosenkrantz Prize from the Danish Crime Academy for Jeopardy. In addition he has been nominated for the prestigious Glass Key Award. His novels have earned praise from both critics and readers, firmly establishing him as a leading voice in Finnish crime fiction.

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Alec

Arttu Tuominen


2024, Crime & Suspense

The Stager

Arttu Tuominen


2023, Crime & Suspense

The Liberator

Arttu Tuominen


2022, Crime & Suspense

Shamed

Arttu Tuominen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Silenced

Arttu Tuominen


2020, Crime & Suspense

Jeopardy

Arttu Tuominen


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Oath

Arttu Tuominen

Happy Publication Day Max Seeck: The 2nd Milo Book Now Out in Finland!

The 2nd and newest installment of MILO series from the New York Times and Spiegel Bestelling Max Seeck is published today in Finland! Betrayed is a razor sharp thriller set in the world of espionage. It continues the Milo series that began with Checkmate. 

Milo #2: Betrayed is the thrilling second installment in the Milo series, and Estonian, German, Latvian and French rights have already been sold pre-publication! In the novel, the Helsinki police are faced with several murders, and art gallerist–profiler Milo Perho is being hunted by someone for whom his past is no mystery.

If you’re not fluent in Finnish, don’t worry – we’ll have an English sample for you very soon!

Milo #1: Checkmate the exciting and gripping start for a new series, 50,000 copies in Finland, with rights sold to 9 territories. A 6-episode international TV series adaptation by Solar Films is currently in pre-production.

Max Seeck has been translated in 41 languages and his novels sold over 1 million copies globally!

Rights are still available in the UK/US, Spain, Poland, Lithuania, Iceland, the Netherlands etc…

Request materials for MILO here!

Milo #1: Checkmate

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

The game has only just begun.

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

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

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

Milo #2: Betrayed

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

They know your every step.

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

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

MILO series publication info:

MILO #1: Checkmate
Merkitty, Tammi September 2024, 400 pp.

MILO #2: Betrayed
Petetty, Tammi September 2025, 344 pp.

READING MATERIALS
Book #1: English sample, English synopsis, German edition, French edition, Finnish edition
Book #2: English synopsis, Finnish edition. English sample (soon!)

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

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

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

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

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

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

His Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 9 territories, with several rights pre-empts ahead of the Finnish publication!

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

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Milo #2: Betrayed

Max Seeck


2024, Crime & Suspense

Milo #1: Checkmate

Max Seeck


2022, Crime & Suspense

Ghost Island

Max Seeck


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Mephisto Touch

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Call of Hades

Max Seeck


2016, Crime & Suspense

Angels of Hammurabi

Max Seeck

Xander acquires the Dutch rights to Martta Kaukonen’s Follow the Butterfly!

We are thrilled to tell that we’ve closed a Dutch deal for Martta Kaukonen’s FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY! The rights to the Spiegel-bestselling thriller were acquired by Xander. The deal was closed by Martti Berner at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.  

Stijn de Vries, Commissioning Editor, at Xander praised the title saying:

I fell in love with the dynamic between Ida (Ira) and Clarissa, as The Times already said it is a brilliant game of cat and mouse. Ida reminds me, in the best ways, of Lisbeth Salander, and the book as a whole does have a very Gillian Flynn vibe. The many twists and turns make it an absolute joy to read, and gradually piecing together who the real villain of the story is, is just expertly done. The characters are morally complex, it’s impossible to know who to trust, and that back and forth really, really works.

Martta Kaukonen’s internationally bestselling psychological thriller FOLLOW THE BUTTERLY has been sold to 17 territories  Film & TV rights acquired by Legendary Tobis!

Heyne Verlag published Therapiert in Germany in February 2023, where it became a Spiegel Bestseller with 30,000 copies sold. They have since acquired the full trilogy, with book #3, Free, set for Spring 2026. In Italy, Longanesi launched the book in January 2025, hitting the bestseller list for weeks and selling over 20,000 copies. Book #2, Meet Me in the Darkness, will follow in 2026.

Rights to this unique international bestseller are still available e.g. in France, Spain, Türkie, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden… etc.

English and German editions are available!

Request the materials for FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY here!

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

An addictive psychological thriller in the spirit of Gillian Flynn

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

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

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

FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLY
Terapiassa, WSOY, 2021, 471 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition
German edition
Italian edition
Finnish edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
FINLAND: WSOY (orig.)
CROATIA: Znanje
CZECHIA: Kniha Zlin/Albatros
DENMARK: Falco
ESTONIA: Hea Lugu
GERMANY: Heyne
GREECE: Psichogios
HUNGARY: Partvonal
ITALY: Longanesi
ICELAND: Storytel
LATVIA: Jumava
LITHUANIA: Obuolys
NETHERLANDS: Xander
POLAND: Czarna Owca
UNITED KINGDOM: Pushkin Press
UNITED STATES: Pushkin Press
WORLD ARABIC: Al Arabi Publishing
WORLD ENGLISH (Audio): Audible

About author


Martta Kaukonen

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

Photo credit: Otto Virtanen

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Free

Martta Kaukonen


2023, Crime & Suspense

Meet Me in the Darkness

Martta Kaukonen


2022, Crime & Suspense

In Your Shadow

Martta Kaukonen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Follow the Butterfly

Martta Kaukonen

Bastei Lübbe acquires Arttu Tuominen’s Crystal trilogy in a three-book-deal!

We are very thrilled to announce, that the German rights to Arttu Tuominen’s ALEC and its two sequels have been acquired by Bastei Lübbe in a three-book-deal. The deal was closed by Martti Berner at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Congratulations to Arttu and Bastei Lübbe! This is what Claudia Müller, Senior Editor from Bastei Lübbe had to say:

Arttu Tuominen’s novels are suspense-packed crime stories as well as stirring novels with powerful character portayals. After the excellent „Delta-series“ with the setting Pori (the hometown of Arttu) we are at Lübbe very much looking forward to publishing the new trilogy.

The first book in this gripping Crystal trilogy, Alec, was published by Otava two weeks ago. And it is a great success – selling close to 10 000 copies in two weeks and receiving excitingly positive reviews!

Tuominen’s storytelling is cinematic, the plot moves at the speed of a snowmobile, and in the end, all the loose ends are beautifully tied together.

Mari Paalosalo-Jussinmäki, Eeva magazine

“The reader is swept along in a way rarely encountered in these circles.”

– Kai Hirvasnoro, Kulttuuriuutiset magazine

Liina Aho has the makings of a new Lisbeth Salander.

Kirsin Book Club blog

Alec kicks off a new thriller trilogy from Arttu Tuominen, bestselling author of the River Delta series, taking the reader to the fells of Lapland, deep into the world of crime, addictions, and the drug trade.

The rights are still available in the UK, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Czechia…

Request the materials for ALEC here!

ALEC (Otava, 2025)

The destructive power of the criminal underworld meets vulnerable humanity in Arttu Tuominen’s new crime series.

During the economic recession of the 1990s, illegal businesses flow into Finland from across the eastern border. A drug war rages on Finnish soil, where human life has no value.

The quiet life of the village community in Salla is shattered when more than a dozen partygoers are murdered at a remote farm. Fourteen-year-old Liina, who witnesses the massacre, is forced to grow up quickly as senseless violence invades her childhood world

CRYSTAL #2 (Otava, 2026)

A novel about the destructive power of money and addiction.

Juhani Roine, a gambling-addicted bank director, falls into massive debt to international drug syndicates. Julia, a flight attendant and sister to Liina, tries to help him. Their fates intertwine with devastating consequences in a Parisian suburb.

CRYSTAL #3 (Otava, 2027)

A novel about the morality of revenge.

At the heart of the story is Liina Aho, whose past is marked by trauma. Members of a notorious drug cartel are being killed in brutal ways across Helsinki. Tommi Kivi, drowning in personal grief, believes he knows who’s behind it – and is determined to hold them accountable.

Publication info:
Alec, Otava
2025, 360 pages

Rights sold:

FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (3 books!)

Reading materials:
Finnish edition
English sample (80 pages!)
English synopsis

About author


Arttu Tuominen

Arttu Tuominen (b. 1981) is a Spiegel bestselling author and environmental inspector based in Pori, Finland. During the evenings, he writes dark and tough crime novels. He is best known for his psychologically nuanced and gripping crime novels. Tuominen's novels are acclaimed for their intense atmosphere, compelling plots, and richly drawn characters.

His River Delta series has sold over 230,000 copies in Finland alone and has been published in six different languages. Tuominen has received numerous accolades, including the Vuoden Johtolanka (Clue of the Year) award for The Oath and the Palle Rosenkrantz Prize from the Danish Crime Academy for Jeopardy. In addition he has been nominated for the prestigious Glass Key Award. His novels have earned praise from both critics and readers, firmly establishing him as a leading voice in Finnish crime fiction.

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Alec

Arttu Tuominen


2024, Crime & Suspense

The Stager

Arttu Tuominen


2023, Crime & Suspense

The Liberator

Arttu Tuominen


2022, Crime & Suspense

Shamed

Arttu Tuominen


2021, Crime & Suspense

Silenced

Arttu Tuominen


2020, Crime & Suspense

Jeopardy

Arttu Tuominen


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Oath

Arttu Tuominen

GHOST ISLAND by Max Seeck longlisted for the Petrona Award!

We are so happy to tell you, that GHOST ISLAND by Max Seeck, the fourth title in the NYT-bestselling Jessica Niemi series, has been longlisted for The Petrona Award! Twelve novels from the Nordic countries have made the list, and the shortlist will be announced September 18th!

The 2025 award panel consists of Jackie Farrant, creator of Racen Crime Reads, bookseller for a major UK book chain, Ewa Sherman, translator, writer and blogger at Nordic Lighthouse, and Sonja van der Westhuizen, a book critic and blogger at West Words Reviews, and the Award administrator is Karen Meek, owner of Euro Crime blog and website.

The Petrona award has been established to remember one of the first crime bloggers Maxine Clarke, who was passionate about crime fiction.

DOWNLOAD READING MATERIALS FOR GHOST ISLAND HERE

About Ghost Island

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.

JESSICA NIEMI SERIES
Tammi 2019-2022

READING MATERIALS
English edition

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

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

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

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

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

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

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

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

His Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 9 territories, with several rights pre-empts ahead of the Finnish publication!

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

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

Bibliography


2025, Crime & Suspense

Milo #2: Betrayed

Max Seeck


2024, Crime & Suspense

Milo #1: Checkmate

Max Seeck


2022, Crime & Suspense

Ghost Island

Max Seeck


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Mephisto Touch

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Call of Hades

Max Seeck


2016, Crime & Suspense

Angels of Hammurabi

Max Seeck

Introducing Ahlback Agency FALL 2025 FICTION Catalogue!

We are thrilled to present our Fiction Fall 2025 Catalogue!

In literary fiction, we are honored to present Juha Itkonen’s Tomorrow I’ll Tell You Everything, a poignant bestseller about life-defining choices and bittersweet love, perfect for fans of Sally Rooney and Kazuo Ishiguro.

Emmi Itäranta, the internationally celebrated author of Memory of Water, returns with her new novel Snowsinger. A mythic, atmospheric origin story of the witch queen Louhi offers a stunning blend of folklore and fantasy.

In the romance and feel-good section of our Fiction Catalogue, we are happy to invite you to North Karelia with Mari Renko’s bestselling Pearl Ring, Enclosed and its heartwarming sequel Whispers in Lace, both part of The Yellow House Chronicles series. A cozy, romantic saga filled with secrets and charm.

We are also excited to present Siri Kolu’s dark and emotionally rich romantasy The Shadow Bride, the first installment of The Shadow Day trilogy with dark romance, forbidden love, and political intrigue.

In crime and thrillers, we are proud to present Arttu Tuominen’s gripping new Crystal Trilogy, beginning with Alec, a powerful crime novel set in the haunting landscape of Lapland.

We are also thrilled to continue the Milo series with Max Seeck’s razor-sharp Betrayed, where dark secrets and deadly twists collide. With over one million copies sold worldwide and a TV adaptation in development, Seeck confirms his place among the very best in Nordic noir.

And finally, we welcome Tatiana Elf, with her chilling debut Impostor. The first in the Rebekka Nummi series, this psychological thriller introduces a dangerously charismatic sociopath who will charm you.

View the Fall 2025 Fiction Catalogue here!

TOMORROW I’LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING
Huomenna kerron kaiken
Gummerus, June 2025, 348 pp.

Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Gummerus (orig.)

SNOWSINGER
Lumenlaulaja
Teos, August 2025, 320 pp.

Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Teos (orig.)

PEARL RING, ENCLOSED
Helmisormus kirjekuoressa
Bazar, January 2025, 444 pp.

Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Bazar (orig.)

WHISPERS IN LACE
Pitsihuntuun kuiskattu
Bazar, August 2025, 448 pp.

Reading material:
English synopsis
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Bazar (orig.)

THE SHADOW BRIDE
Varjoliitto
Tammi, October 2025, 200 pp.

Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

ALEC
Alec
Otava, August 2025, 361 pp.

Reading material:
Finnish Edition,
Long English sample (80 pages!),
English synopsis

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)

MILO #2: BETRAYED
Petetty
Tammi, September 2025, 352 pp.

Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Pegasus
FRANCE: Mera Editions
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji

IMPOSTOR
Huijari
Into, June, 2025

Reading material:
English sample and synopsis
Finnish edition

Rights sold:
FINLAND: Into (orig.)