We are extremely excited to announce 5 new deals for the thriller of the year – FAITHFUL READER by Max Seeck!
In Spain – Editorial Maeva/Maeva Noir pre-empted the rights for this exciting murder mystery.
In Croatia, Fokus bought the rights.
In Hungary, Animus Kiado acquired rights in a 2-book deal, in auction for FAITHFUL READER and its just-announced sequel that is going to be first published in Finland in August 2020.
In Serbia, Vulkan also acquired rights in a 2-book deal!
In Turkey, Doğan Kitap pre-empted the thriller
That brings the rights sold during the last 3 weeks to 13 and there is excitement and impending offers from all over the world!
Join the success story of FAITHFUL READER and click here to request the full English manuscript.
The coolest Nordic Noir comes from Finland! A psychological thriller from a bestselling author, where a strong female detective chases a serial killer.
Detective Jessica Niemi is called to investigate a murder case that is out of ordinary. The wife of a famous writer, Roger Koponen, seems to have been killed in a bizarre ritual. As more ritual murders occur, it becomes obvious that Jessica is after a serial killer.
But the murders are not random – they follow a pattern taken from Roger’s bestselling trilogy. Has a fan gone mad, or is this case more personal? How can Jessica stop a criminal who knows every detail of the book even better than the author?
PRAISE:
“The way Max Seeck manages to build tension, while at the same time showing exactly what is going on in his troubled and beautiful characters’ minds, is awesome. The Faithful Reader is one of those gems that make an editor really happy: perfect plot, great characters, a fantastic idea which is well developed until the very end. But more than that, Max Seeck is a real writer.”
– Giulia De Biase, Editor, Piemme/Mondadori, Italy
“I couldn’t stop reading. A book full of mystery, unexpected, wonderful.
A real page-turner. I believe the Greek audience will discover a new mastermind in crime literature”.
– Giota Livani, Publisher, Livani Publishing, Greece
“What a captivating thriller, the one you have to read in one sitting since you can’t wait for tomorrow to come to find out the truth. Gripping story, believable characters and action-packed pages are just some of the reasons why you should pick up FAITHFUL READER from the shelf. I can tell you that Max Seeck deserves to be among the bestselling thriller authors and VULKAN is more than happy to be a part of his road to success.”
– Ana Babovic, Vulkan publishing, Serbia
“On behalf of the whole team Animus, we are very welcome Max Seeck in our publishing house! Our readers always looking for fresh, new talented voices, the author and his books are perfect choices to have a new bestseller series for the upcoming years. Happy to made a deal with you, Ahlback Agency!”
– Laszlo Marosi, Publishing editor, Animus Kiado, Hungary
“I read Max Seeck’s FAITHFUL READER in a day – and a night. I was blown away immediately. And who needs sleep anyway when you have the privilege to read a manuscript like this? FAITHFUL READER is more than very, very good. It has a quality, tension and a level of suspense which are just exceptional. In every chapter, I was convinced that Max did not just want to tell a dramatic story. I was certain that he had a vision. A vision to add something extraordinary to the world of thrillers and crime fiction, something that I have not seen in a suspense novel for many, many years. Bastei Lübbe is proud and honored to share Max‘ vision as his German publisher. And I wish I could read this story for the first time again.”
– Marco Schneiders, Publishing Director, Bastei Lübbe AG, Cologne, Germany
“What a creepy and well-written thriller! Max Seeck definitely knows how to create tension. I couldn‘t help but rushing through the pages once I started reading this amazing novel – with a very fascinating detective Jessica Niemi and her team. And I loved the setting: Finland in wintertime! It backs up the scary atmosphere in a perfect way. Let’s say it in short: THE FAITHFUL READER is a stirring read!”
–Claudia Müller, Editorial Director Fiction, Bastei Lübbe AG
”It’s time to look to Finland and Helsinki, and this brilliant first book in the series of Jessica Niemi – a character I am looking forward to follow. Seeck manages to make the well established Nordic Noir feel fresh, he knows what he’s doing, and he’s doing it very well.”
– Vidar Strøm Fallrø, Development Editor Fiction, Aschehoug, Norway
“A breathtaking pageturner that cost me a sleepless night. Ingenious, rich, emotionally charged, packed with tension and chock-full of twists and turns, this is a book I simply could not put down. I loved the characters, the eerie Finnish setting – and the Venice backstory was the cherry on top of the cake. An amazing read that would sit PERFECTLY on our list.”
– Susan Sandérus, Commissioning Editor, A.W. Bruna Uitgevers, The Netherlands
”The perfect mix of Scandinavian thrill, frosty Helsinki and the novelty of the plotline caught me so much I could not get it out of my head. From the first moment I started with the English sample, I could not stop reading it. There is simply everything a riveting thriller should have!”
– Marie Hajdová, Editor, Grada
”Super exciting and gripping plot! – – Compared to all international and domestic thrillers ’The Faithful Reader’ is one of the best ones!”
– Kirsin book club blog
”The story folded out rapidly and swiped me up instantly. The investigation part was not slow-paced like they usually are but filled with surprises and game change moments. I loved it! It was like someone took you off your sofa and added in the middle of the crime scene investigation.”
– Heini’s books blog
”The Faithful Reader has an interesting twist. Seeck switches from high-octane international excitement to a psychological décor featuring horror novel features. The ritual murders of books by successful author Roger Koponen take place in real life, and the police are puzzled as to whether Koponen himself is murdered or the murderer.”
– Kansan Uutiset newspaper
Rights sold for FAITHFUL READER (12-10-2019):
FINLAND: Tammi (orig)
CROATIA: Fokus (publisher of Jo Nesbo, Georges Simenon, etc)
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada (publisher of Camilla Läckberg, Yrsa Sigurdarđóttir etc)
ESTONIA: Pegasus (publisher of Lars Kepler, Stephen King, etc)
ITALY: Piemme/Mondadori (publisher of Paula Hawkins, Michael Connelly etc)
FRANCE: Michel Lafon (publisher of David Baldacci, Marcello Simoni etc)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (publisher of Dan Brown, Lars Kepler, Arnaldur Indriðason etc)
GREECE: Livani (publisher of Dan Brown, Jussi Adler-Olsen, etc,)
HUNGARY: Animus (publisher of Jo Nesbo, Lars Kepler, Stieg Larsson etc)
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos (publisher of Jo Nesbø, Henning Mankell, Paula Hawkins etc)
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna (publisher of Stieg Larsson, John Grisham, David Baldacci etc)
NORWAY: Aschehoug (two-book-deal, publisher of Jo Nesbo, Jussi Adler-Olsen etc )
SERBIA: Vulkan (two-book deal, publisher of Stephen King, Lars Kepler etc)
SPAIN: Editorial Maeva/Maeva Noir (publisher of Jussi Adler-Olsen, Viveca Sten etc)
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap (publisher of Jo Nesbo, Lars Kepler etc)
