Max Seeck "Devil's Net" - bestseller from Finland

Created: 2022-05-23Updated: 2022-05-23, 12:55 p.m

By: Sven Trautwein

Max Seeck's second volume in the Jessica Niemi series is a promising thriller from the far north.

My book tip.

Max Seeck is no stranger to thriller circles.

With "Witch Hunters" about Commissioner Jessica Niemi, he presented a brilliant debut that skilfully pressed the darkness of the far north into text form and let the reader devour page after page.

Now the sequel, "Devil's Net", is available and again promises high tension.

Max Seeck "Devil's Net": The Book

Cover of Max Seeck "Devil's Net" - Volume 2 about Commissioner Jessica Niemi - Thriller from Finland © Lübbe

It can hardly be more exciting.

The blurb only shows a short excerpt, but it is a pleasure to hold the book in your hands.

Helsinki 2020: Two successful bloggers have disappeared without a trace.

Shortly thereafter, her death was reported on social media.

A tasteless PR stunt?

When a young woman dressed like a manga girl washes up dead on the beach, the police suspect a connection.

Jessica Niemi takes over the investigation, and she soon gets on the track of a ruthless network that apparently places girls with manga fetishists.

To sex - and to kill ...

Max Seeck "Devil's Net", Lübbe

A thriller can hardly be more topical.

In contrast to Ken Follett's "Never", Max Seeck goes straight to the top with his second volume.

Social media are the focus of "Devil's Web".

The first successes come from influencers, they gain followers and become well-known.

But then the mood changes.

Envy and resentment can quickly become fatal.

Two successful bloggers disappear, a photo of an old lighthouse appears on their Instagram accounts.

Below is a poem.

What do you think of it?

Jessica Niemi's team begins to investigate.

About a year has passed in the story since the first volume “Witch Hunters”.

Jessica's paternal friend, Superintendent Erne Mikson, has passed away.

The new head, Helena Lappi, leads the department with a lot of strength and determination.

Jessica Niemi's inner turmoil builds up bit by bit.

One succumbs to the realization that she is a commissar between genius and madness.

Failing in health, with a family history she keeps secret, Niemi is a very interesting character in this work.

But the supposed secondary characters are also worked out vividly and given their place in the story.

As with the solution to the case, the individual pieces of the puzzle result in an interesting overall work.

And the ending shows Seeck's finesse in playing with us readers.

also read

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Max Seeck "Devil's Web" - My conclusion

Max Seeck's second volume about Jessica Niemi is convincing.

A current reference, in which the sexual interest in young girls ("parthenophilia" - erotic-sexual interest of adults in pubescent girls) is discussed and the dimensions of which are gradually being rolled out in social networks, is frightening and fascinating at the same time.

The book is less somber than "Witch Hunters" (order here), but is no less exciting.

I'm really looking forward to the sequel.

Max Seeck "Devil's Net"

2021, Lübbe, ISBN 978-3-7857-2754-6

Price: paperback, 16 €, 510 pages, audio book - order here!

Max Seeck – The Author

Max Seeck worked in sales before writing.

His international breakthrough came with "Hexenjäger".

He is considered the shooting star of Scandinavian thriller authors and was on the New York Times bestseller list.

The film rights to the book have since been sold.