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.

The Ice Coven is the second book in the Jessica Niemi series by Max Seeck. The tale takes off from shortly after the events of the previous book, and while I would recommend reading in order - simply to make it easier to follow - this is not necessary as the author does provide background to the current events.
The Ice Coven is set in the highly atmospheric, dark, icy winter of Helsinki, and our team are recovering from the Witch Hunter case. There is a new superior officer and she wants to fire Jessica and rebuild the team. Finding herself sidelined and loosing friends, Jessica is forced to confront further details of her past and this is where the supernatural elements come into play. This time around, the case involves the disappearance of two instagram influencers and ventures into the world of social media and manga.
I loved the first book and was excited to have the opportunity to read the followup, but this time around the story did not hold my attention as easily. For me, the focus on the supernatural, tied into the atmosphere created by the author far better than the investigation into the world of social media. Having said that, the book is a good thriller and I've come to care about the developments in their lives so I'll follow up with the next book and hope for a return to his excellent form.

Another great book by Max seeck, an author i had not heard of until i read The Witch Hunter and frankly i am sad i hadnt found him before. Full of suspense and tension with a dark and gothic feel, I loved it.