The second book in the Jessica Niemi series finds Jessica working through her trauma to get her life back on track. Nordic thrillers follow a slightly different thread than what I'm used to. The stories are suspenseful, setting the mood and the emotions with an atmospheric picture of the background and characters. The police procedures are not as clear cut when the investigations go wrong. I enjoyed the book but the Nordic setting is not my first choice for a reading experience to remember and recommend.

Just as in Book 1, I struggled to connect to this story. I wonder if Nordic Thrillers are just not my thing? It feels like there is something standing in between myself and the story, causing me to watch the story unfold from afar.

Can't quite figure it out yet.

I really liked the first book in the Jessica Niemi series, The Witch Hunter. So, I was thrilled to return to Jessica's world in the sequel The Ice Coven. I like that we get to know more about Jessica and also an interesting case. It's a thrilling book and the ending was really good. I do miss Erne, her mentor from the first book.

Now I'm longing to read the next book in the series, The Last Grudge. I do recommend reading the first book in the series. Jessica is such an interesting character with a special past, it's better to get to know her from the start.

I love Nordic Noir, especially when there are otherworldly elements like the supernatural or the occult. After the mixed feelings I had for the first book in the series, I decided to give the follow-up a try. The good news is I enjoyed it more this time around. I wish the occult elements are more prominent but I liked that it was there. The murder mystery is dark and while the social media storyline feels a little thin, I thought the book's portrayal of obsession and reality blurring is quite interesting.

My issue with the book is how the characters are portrayed because I didn't find them convincing. For example, the way the female characters hated Jessica for no clear reason made it really not enjoyable. I also still don't find Jessica's motivations believable and she hasn't really grown from the last book. I feel like she's made up of quirky qualities instead of resembling an actual person. The ending leaves some questions so I hope we get more character development in the next book.

I couldn't get into this even though I tried off and on for months. Maybe I should have read the first book in the series and not started with this one. Anyway, I managed about 20% of the book before I eventually gave up. I'm very sorry Max. Possibly because there are so many books out there that I NEED to read.
I've given it 3 stars because what I did read wasn't badly written and possibly if I'd properly sat down with it I would have enjoyed it all the way through, although, I might have hated it.

This is the second book in the Jessica Niemi series and I hope there will be more!
Ohh the storyline was fascinating, deep, intense, thrilling, and shocking! Honestly, as much as I needed to know how it ended-I didn’t want it to! I needed more!!

The Ice Coven is the second novel featuring Detective Jessica Niemi. The standout protagonist returns several months after the events of the first novel, The Witch Hunter, and once again is a fascinating character to follow throughout the investigation. Her unusual history is the channel that the author uses to blend in subtle horror and occult references into a more typical Nordic Noir police procedural. It gives this series an edge which I personally love. The balance of these additional supernatural elements is just enough to create an unsettling atmosphere, little hints and glimpses of things that may or may not actually be there, adding an extra layer of intrigue.

In terms of the story, it is actually very different to the first book. The investigation follows the disappearance of two famous bloggers, Lisa Yamamoto and Jason Nervander, and then the discovery of a body of a young woman at Aurinkolahti Bay. The fact that the victim was dressed in manga clothing gives Jessica and her team a link between the two cases and they gradually begin to uncover a complex situation involving human trafficking, prostitution, drugs and strange rituals.

The Ice Coven is a compelling and addictive story and, despite the sometimes bizarre occurances, is written in a way that makes it all seem very plausible. I have to say that I really missed Erne in this one, but it was great to see the other characters return. The tension between Jessica and Nina, and also the tension between the old team and their new colleagues is really effective. It creates a whole new atmosphere in the Violent Crimes department and this felt very believable under the circumstances. Another dark, chilling and intricate story from Max Seeck, I am eagerly awaiting the third instalment!

This is the second book in the Jessica Niemi series. I did struggle with this one 😔 I found it really slow and not gripping and struggled with connecting with the characters. I enjoyed the first book in the series but found this one disappointing

This is the second instalment in the Detective Jessica Niemi series; two social media influencers have gone missing and a woman's body has been washed up on the beach. Fearing the two incidents are connected Jessica and her team set out to solve the mystery but there is tension within her team are all of them truly her allies.

Although this is the second book in the series I picked up the storyline very easily and although I regret not reading the first book first I really enjoyed this story and its characters. The Nordic Noir with its dark atmosphere and troubled protagonist was really enthralling and I was absorbed with not only the plot of the disappearances and murder but that of Jessica with her troubled past and the tension between her new boss. I will definitely go back and read the first book and any further novels in the series as I'm hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

Awesome book! This is certainly one of my new favorite author! A crazy plot and some amazing twist! A blast of a reading time!

The Ice Coven is the second book in the series featuring Detective Jessica Niemi by author Max Seeck.

I loved the first book The Witch Hunter and was excited to read this follow up. This sequel met all my expectations and more. While I enjoyed the dark gothic and horror elements of the first book, this one was more of a police procedural. The book was fast paced, helped along by the short chapters which kept the plot moving. The book held my interest well and no parts felt slow or a struggle to get through.

I loved all of the members of the Violent Crimes Unit particularly Yusuf and Rasmus. The crimes the team are investigating don't have the same chilling horror elements of the first novel but in no way does this take away from the story. I enjoyed the layered plot and especially the final reveal which I didn't see coming at all.

I'd recommend this story to fans of Jussi Adler-Olsen, Kristina Ohlsson or anyone who enjoys detective stories.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Ok this is the second book of the series and I read them one after the other.
This one is so much better.

It's a Scandinavian thriller so it was nice to get a different view of a thriller.
However, it still wasn't quite for me.

What I did like was the short chapters. The intensity was increased by this.

Enjoy!

Max Seeck has done it again!
The ice coven is available now and a must read book!

I loved The Witch Hunter so much and I loved The Ice Coven is another must read thriller. Once again, the gothic atmosphere setting was so entraining and while some scenes were darker than I’m used to read, it still kept me on my toes til the end. 

It was nice to see how Jessica Niemi, the main heroine of this series, is going on the hunt for finding the truth about why two famous bloggers have disappeared and her process of interactions and sometimes rule bending was quite addictive.

If you're looking for a great thriller, set in a noir Finnish setting with lots of interesting twists, this book is definitely for you.

Two missing bloggers. The body of a young woman dressed in Manga clothes discovered near an isolated lighthouse. Jessica Niemi and her colleagues struggle to grasp how the two cases are linked. A new supervisor is causing Jessica problems; will she finally let her colleagues know the truth about her?

This is the second book in the Jessica Niemi series and I hope there will be more - another really great read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Wellbeck Publishing and Max Seeck for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Max Seeck is the Finnish author who made a striking entry into the Nordic crime fiction's hall of fame with his novel, The Witch Hunter, a thriller featuring an intricate plotline mingling elements from both horror fiction and the police procedural subgenre. The protagonist, hardboiled female investigator Jessica Niemi, won the readership's sympathy for her special way of approaching the case in hand and her faceoff with a wicked satanic occult satisfied even the most demanding fans of the genre. In this book, Seeck chose to divulge sufficient background information regarding Jessica's past and the interjected chapters, narrating her adventure in Italy in the company of a nasty man named Colombano, further embellished her characterization.

The Ice Coven is the second installment in Jessica Niemi's saga and it's a radically different book than its predecessor. This time, the horror aspect subsides and the story is relayed through the more conventional police procedural format. There are some additions to the main characters such as the mischievous Helena -"Hellu"- Lappi, the new Violent Crime Units Superintendent and the woman who replaces Jessica's friend and mentor, Erne, as head of the investigative team. There is a visible tension between Hellu and Jessica even from the first pages of the novel that escalates further as the story unravels. We also meet again familiar faces such as Rasmus, Yusuf, and Nina, all seasoned detectives who face their own personal and emotional challenges in the fallout of the previous case.

When two of the most popular Finnish Instagram influencers, Lisa Yamamoto and Jason Nervander, go missing without a trace, Jessica is called to investigate their mysterious disappearance without much to go on. Things will get more complicated when a passing jogger makes a grisly discovery at Aurinkolahti Bay where the body of a young Ukrainian woman is found. The fact that the victim was dressed as a Japanese cartoon character leads Jessica and her colleagues to assume that her murder is inextricably connected with the case of the two missing influencers. As they dig deeper into the matter, they will come across evidence indicating that there are many players involved in the case, including a human trafficking and prostitution ring.

Jessica is on a tight spot as she has to lead the investigation while her boss, Hellu, seems to be hell-bent on finding compromising information concerning her. The two women share a lot of bad blood, even though Hellu's motives are a bit blurry at the beginning and become clearer as the plot moves forward. Moreover, Jessica has to confront Nina's rage stemming from her unfortunate romantic entanglement with Nina's boyfriend, Mikke during the witch occult case that took place a few months earlier. The author makes the reader privy to the protagonist's troubled family history, thus rendering her easier to empathize with. I am expecting that we will get the chance to learn more about Jessica's personal backdrop in the next volumes of the series.

The story evolves through the meticulous police work and painstaking interrogations conducted by all the members of the investigative team. Jessica's singular perception and exceptional discernment ability will shine once again and help her to solve the puzzle before it's too late in a case that involves organized crime, manga art, weird rituals, and sexual perversions. Even though the story can be disturbing in some parts, the effortless writing style and brilliant characterization force the reader to turn the pages until the finale. The last part of the novel is literally filled with surprises and revelations that even the most dedicated crime fiction fans won't see coming. The final twist is one of the most potent that I've encountered in the works of the genre and it will leave you gaping.

To sum up, I think that The Ice Coven is a more mature novel than the previous installment and its merits lie in the author's unique skill to craft a compelling plot while at the same time galvanizing equally fascinating characters who dominate the page with their integrity and plausibility. Seeck seems to be influenced by the master authors of Scandinavian crime fiction like Jo Nesbo, Lars Kepler, and Stieg Larsson and his work so far establishes him as one of the most alluring new voices in the genre. I hope that we will have the opportunity to read the third installment in the series without as soon as possible. Keep in mind that it would be better to read the series in order as you will more easily grasp the relationships between the main characters and the nuances in the prose. I would heartily recommend it to all those who enjoy mysteries set in bleak landscapes and featuring complex characters.

My thanks to Welbeck Publishing for a digital review copy via NetGalley of ‘The Ice Coven’ by Max Seeck in exchange for an honest review. It was originally published in Finland in 2020 and translated from the Finnish by Kristian London. I also had its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Stephanie Racine.

This is the second in Seeck’s series featuring Detective Sergeant Jessica Niemi. While it is useful to have read ‘The Witch Hunter’ in order to get a fuller picture of Jessica and her team, some background details are provided for new readers. Still, I will be cautious about plot details to avoid spoilers for both books.

Jessica’s new case opens when the body of a young woman dressed in a manga costume washes up on a near-frozen Helsinki beach. At the same time two Instagram influencers have gone missing from the city. The cases become linked due to ties to a sinister cult. It isn’t long before Jessica is thrown into the darkest case of her career.

As the title indicates there are elements of the occult within the story. This was also a theme in the first novel and there are ongoing plot threads between the novels linked to darker esoteric practices.

I have quickly become very fond of Jessica Niemi as a lead. She undoubtedly has her vulnerabilities as well as being a terrific investigator. Part of the joy of reading a series is how its characters respond to events as well as the interpersonal dynamics.

Overall, ‘The Ice Coven’ was an excellent example of Nordic Noir. It was genuinely chilling, not only due to its atmospheric winter setting. An intelligent and multilayered police procedural with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing.

I was excited to see that the third novel has just been published in Finland and look forward to its publication in English in due course.

A Deeply Sinister Tale…
A chilling and hugely atmospheric suspense, a deeply sinister tale and the second in the Detective Jessica Niemi series. A dark and well worked plotline with clever twists aplenty and edge of seat tension. Compelling reading.

The Ice Coven is the the second instalment in the Detective Inspector Jessica Niemi series which is a compulsive and engrossing work of Scandinavian crime. It features all the best elements of the Scandi noir genre but it remains fresh and interesting, with plot twists that keep you reading long into the night. It's a dark, atmospheric read set in the remote rural countryside surrounded by dense woodland that translates into a unsettling and claustrophobic undertone running the length of the mystery.

There's plenty of intrigue, mystery and a plethora of twists and turns with a wild and chilling plot and all of this never fails to keep you engaged and captivated throughout. Niemi is a larger than life character who is deeply flawed making her relatable and human with strained family relationships and a few skeletons in her closet. I can't wait to see her develop and evolve as a character as we come to know more about her in the instalments to follow. Highly recommended.

The disappearance of a famous blogger does not seem to be a too interesting case for Jessica Niemi and her team of Helsinki police. After a big music business event, she did not come home and has since vanished into thin air. Her roommate also cannot contribute anything to Lisa Yamamoto’s whereabouts. When the body of a Ukrainian prostitute in Manga clothing is washed ashore, the investigators do not link the two events immediately, but, bit by bit, they untangle the complex web and soon find themselves confronted with a network of ill doings which goes far beyond the city limits. While working on the most challenging case of her career, Jessica is still mourning the loss of her former boss and friend while Erne’s successor openly hates and threatens to expose her, thus destroying her carefully constructed life.

Already in the first case for Jessica Niemi, Max Seeck masterfully crafted a highly complex plot which was great to follow as a reader. “The Ice Coven”, too, seems to be not too mystifying at the beginning but then it slowly unfolds its whole potential and turns into a high-paced thriller. The short chapters add to the suspense which rises and only climaxes at the very end even though long before you were fooled to believe you know what is going on.

Apart from the crime story, the book’s most outstanding element is the protagonist. Being familiar with the first instalment, you already know her backstory, the things she hides from her colleagues and the demons that haunt her. Still, there are some white spaces to be discovered in further stories which I am eagerly looking for.

A multi-layered thriller which is hard to put down once you started.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Welbeck Publishing UK for an advance copy of The Ice Coven, the second novel to feature Detective Jessica Niemi of the Helsinki Police.

When two social media influencers disappear Jessica and the team are asked to investigate. They soon find links to the body of a young woman dressed in a manga outfit washed up on a local beach. The problem is what to do with the links to progress the case.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Ice Coven, which is a compelling read with an intricate and engrossing plot. Firstly, though, I would like to point out that regardless of what the blurb says this is not a novel about a cult, but rather about criminality and that the old threat is by insinuation and not concrete fact, perhaps more like a potential trailer for the next novel.

Despite these caveats it is a good read and I found myself turning the pages quickly to see what was coming next. It covers a lot of ground with the team trying to work out where all the players fit in (mostly not where you would expect) and using all the tools at their disposal to do so. I must admit that I felt my age and lack of technical know how with all the mentions of metadata and means of extracting information from the internet without a warrant, but I never felt baffled as it is all clearly explained, rather I felt wonderment at the technology. I was much more at home with the interviews and theorising. I think the novel’s greatest strength is the amount of curiosity it arouses. I wanted to know what happened to the influencers and who killed the young woman and I wasn’t disappointed. The journey poses more and more questions and the destination is amazing with twists galore and a very satisfactory conclusion.

The novel is all about Jessica. The novel has other voices but it is her story, because not only is she leading a difficult investigation she is navigating a new boss, who seems to have it in for her. Then there are her secrets, many of which are revealed in the previous novel, but for those who haven’t read it I’ll say no more. I don’t think it’s necessary to read The Witch Hunter first as the novels are self contained, but I think it might provide context and background. There is also the fact that Jessica sees and holds conversations with her dead mother. I tend to think it’s an over active imagination giving voice to her subconscious thoughts and ideas, but there are other interpretations.

The Ice Coven is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.