Not sure if this was a horror or thriller but I enjoyed the storyline.
Struggled a bit at times, but finished and this was a great book.

Thrillers are my home. I love twisty stories of murder and the cat and mouse chase of finding those crazy people.

I'm also very picky about this genre. I love the idea of these nordic style Thrillers but so far, I haven't really been able to find one I absolutely love. I don't know if it's maybe a culture barrier that I can't quite get over or something else.

The Witch Hunter has all the great parts of a Thriller but just felt really remote and cold from a story perspective. I felt like I was on the outside looking in instead of being in the middle of the story. It was really easy for me to lose focus as I wasn't invested.

The actual story is good though so if you like Thrillers, definitely give this one a try and let me know if you are picking up the same feelings as me.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped I would. Didn't find the characters very engaging, and the flashback chapters didn't add to the novel, and could easily have been discarded. I don't plan to read any more in the series. Sorry not to have been more positive.

With thanks to NetGalley and Welbeck for an ARC.

I have a new heroine to follow! Jessica is a detective investigating a weird murder. I love scandi fiction and this does not disappoint. I look forward to the next Installment with bated breath. You will not regret getting this book, well done Max. My grateful thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the Author for the chance to read and review this book.

Detective Jessica Niemi is drawn into a high-profile investigation after the wife of a famous author, Roger Koponen, appears to have been killed in a bizarre ritual. The storyline was brilliant and fascinating you won't want to miss this novel!

I don't know if this is an horror or a thriller but I know it's very creepy and twisty.
You never know what will be next, you don't know if there's a rational explanation or it's paranormal.
You simply follow the plot and it kept me on the edge till the end.
There's a mystery but there's also the story of Jessica and both works well together.
The idea of people who is killing according to a book plot is not new but the author did an excellent job in using this trope.
Highly entertaining and gripping.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Investigator Jessica Niemi is assigned to the murder of a popular author's wife where the murder and scene are staged to match a scene in her husband's books. This is a popular theme in many books and TV shows, but Max Seeck gives it an unusual twist. This is the first book in a series featuring Investigator Niemi. Seeck does na excellent job of introducing us to her Helsinki investigative team. The story moves quickly, focus on the tips or youll miss some valuable clues. Im looking forward to the next book.

This is the first book in the Jessica Niemi series. I enjoyed it though it was a bit dark in places . It was a bit of a slow starter and didn’t really get going till half way through and then it was gripping. I did find the few chapters that reverted to Jessica’s past rather off putting and didn’t really seem they added much to the storyline

Ok, so am I the only one who didn't get it? At the end I was left feeling more confused then at the beginning.
Apparently, this is the author's first novel. But honestly, I really didn't get it? Who actually died?

The Witch Hunter is the first in a series by Finnish Author Max Seeck. This is the first book I’ve read by this author.

The Witch Hunter is a chilling, atmospheric Nordic noir mystery novel set in Finland. The story follows Detective Jessica Niemi as she investigates the murder of the wife of a high-profile crime author, Roger Kopnen. As further bodies and crimes are unearthed, it appears that the crimes have ties to the books written by Roger Koponen about hunting witches.

The dark and unsettling tone of the story grabs you from the chilling opening scenes and doesn’t let go until the end. I read this book in less than a day and found myself immediately searching out the sequel.

The main character Jessica Neimi is believable, realistic and resilient. I enjoyed the flashback scenes where we learn about her past. Initially these chapters felt a bit disjointed as its not explained when these are set but its easy enough to tell that they are in the past.

The book was fast paced and at no point did it feel a chore to read. The crimes felt quite disturbing without being too graphic. I enjoyed the horror elements making this feel like much more than just a police procedural.

The book met with expectations delivering up a thrilling page-turner which will appeal to anyone who likes the genre of Scandinavian fiction, noir or investigative stories.

Overall, I’d highly recommend this book.

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

Atmospheric, Brutal Suspense…
The first in the Detective Jessica Niemi series finds the Detective drawn into a high profile murder case with bizarre killings and rituals the order of the day. An intriguing, atmospheric and brutal suspense told in short, sharp, choppy chapters adding to the tension. A promising start to the series.

In Helsinki, the wife of a best selling horror author is brutally murdered in their home. At the time of the murder, her husband was several hours away at a book-signing event so the Police don’t consider him to be a suspect. However, when the news is broken to him by the Police, he realises that the murder used almost exactly the same approach as one of the deaths in his Witch Hunter series of books. As the Police continue with their investigation, another body is found in the lake behind the house. This second death also matches a killing in one of his books leaving Detective Jessica Niemi and her team concerned that the body count could rise dramatically if they don’t catch the killer quickly. Things take a sinister turn when the discovery of a Latin phrase on the roof of the victim’s house points to the occult and the phrase itself is quoted from a book which talks about punishing women who are suspected of witchcraft.

I loved the police procedural side of the story – the detectives desperately reading and researching Roger Koponen’s Witch Hunter books and looking into the occult and ritualistic murders to try and get ahead of the killer. However, it was the addition of the witchcraft and supernatural elements that really hooked me and ramped up the tension.

The whole book was quite intense; there was a lot going on and a lot of information to keep track of as the story progressed. The murders and descriptions of the crime scenes were gruesome and creepy – especially the earlier scenes when Maria Koponen is found dressed up at the dining room table, her face fused into a disturbing smile. As well as this, there was also the backstory of Jessica Niemi, which wasn’t pleasant to read but definitely made her a complex and interesting character.

I am a huge fan of both Scandinavian Crime Fiction and horror films. When I read the synopsis for The Witch Hunter I knew that it would be the perfect choice for me but I just didn’t end up reading it when it was first published. After the first few chapters I actually stopped reading because I was so annoyed with myself for not getting around to it sooner! I loved every second of this book, it kept me up late into the night and even though I could write more, The Ice Coven is waiting for me and I can’t wait any longer to find out what happens to Jessica and the team in their next case.

Thank you so much to Welbeck Publishing UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A woman is found dead at her home - she is dressed in an evening gown, sitting at her dining table and her face is frozen in a awful grin. Detective Jessica Niemi is the lead detective and is shocked when she sees the victim as there is a remarkable resemblance to her. The woman's husband is a famous author and when other killings take place it appears that someone is taking his fictional work as inspiration.

Really good read - great characters, interesting story and plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing about who is responsible. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

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

My thanks to Welbeck Publishing for a digital review copy via NetGalley of ‘The Witch Hunter’ by Max Seeck in exchange for an honest review. It was originally published in 2019 in Finland and translated from the Finnish by Kristian London. The U.K. edition was published in September 2020.

This is the first in Seeck’s series featuring Detective Sergeant Jessica Niemi. She has a mysterious past and we get tantalising glimpses of this throughout the novel.

When the wife of famous author, Roger Koponen, is found dead in what appears to be a bizarre ritual, Jessica is among the Helsinki-based team drawn into this high-profile investigation. When more bodies are found in quick succession, it becomes obvious that they are hunting a serial killer taking inspiration from Koponen’s bestselling trilogy about a witch hunter. Could it be an obsessive fan or is this a smokescreen?

This was quite a ride with an undercurrent of the occult informing aspects of the murders. I did feel that Seeck had done his research on this aspect of the storyline, making it more compelling for this attention to detail.

Jessica is a fascinating character, who very much keeps herself to herself. At one point a coworker addresses her as ‘Saga Norén’, referencing the lead protagonist of ‘The Bridge’. It was a throwaway line likely only to have meaning to dedicated fans of Nordic Noir. It made me smile as it clearly suits the enigmatic, brilliant Jessica.

Overall, this was an excellent work of Nordic Noir with an imaginative plot and compelling characters.

The second in the series, The Ice Coven’, is published this week in the U.K. and I am very excited.

Set in the highly atmospheric, dark, icy winter of Helsinki, 'The Witch Hunter' in the first book in a new series by Max Seeck. Expertly weaving elements of the supernatural into this psychological thriller, there is a wonderful sense of the unknown is this novel as the story unfolds and we start to learn the truth about our protagonist Jessica and her complicated past. Jessica is an experienced detective with the Helsinki police and dedicates her life to her job. However, during a series of flashbacks, we learn about her torment, illness and how she owes her life to her boss.
Meanwhile, a woman has been murdered. And not just a 'simple murder', no this woman is killed in a carbon copy of a murder from a recent bestselling thriller - a thriller written by her husband.
Now our team must trying to determine if a witch hunter is on the loose and how our victims are connected.
In summary: an instant classic, drawing the reader into a deliciously creepy world of witches and murders.s.

Thank you, Author, Welbeck Publishing UK and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was an eerie police procedural. It started off strong and had supernatural elements which gave me the creeps. I loved the parts with the team and their discussions. The story was suspenseful and kept me wanting to know more. But the ending fell flat. I wasn't a fan. The main investigation and the backstory did not connect as well. I love when there are different timelines in a plot and the past connects to the present. In this case, it was an interruption. It didn't add to the main investigation at all.

This book was so enjoyable, it was twisty, full of suspense and gritty. I couldn't put this book down and when I had to put it down i couldn't stop thinking about it. This is the fist book i have ever read by Max Seeck but it will not be the last thats for sure.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Welbeck Publishing UK for a review copy of The Witch Hunter, the first novel to feature detective sergeant Jessica Niemi of the Helsinki police.

When Maria Koponen is found dead, her body posed ritualistically, Jessica is assigned as lead detective. It is her husband Roger who realises that her death mimics one of the murders in his best selling novels. As the body count grows it becomes apparent that they are hunting a serial killer with a fascination for Roger Koponen’s novels.

I enjoyed The Witch Hunter, which has an engrossing plot with some good twists. It is told almost entirely from the investigative point of view so the reader gets to guess along with the team. This is not easy as the novel and the case are complicated, not just by the witchcraft elements surrounding the murders, but by the difficulty in linking the victims and in identifying suspects. I had no idea as the author doesn’t follow all the standard conventions in the genre and manages to produce some notable twists.

I found myself itching to get back to book every time I had to put it down, desperate to know what was coming next. I liked the journey better than the rather muddled conclusion which wasn’t as satisfying as it could have been. The narrative is also interrupted by flashbacks to Jessica’s time in Venice as a 19 year old. I think this is designed to explain her personality and history, like how she talks to her dead mother in her dreams, but I didn’t get it as it’s more like a separate story thrust into what on its own would have been a compelling tale. It’s mostly pointless.

Jessica is a strange one. She seems smart and dedicated as a detective but she has secrets and the aforementioned conversations so I think there’s more to be revealed about her.

The Witch Hunter is a good read that I can recommend.