Max Seeck’s Book 3 in Jessica Niemi Series Sold to Bastei Luebbe in Germany!

CONGRATULATIONS to New York Times Bestselling Author Max Seeck and his German publisher for buying the upcoming Jessica Niemi series book 3!

Our New York Times Bestselling Author Max Seeck is writing the third book in his Jessica Niemi series, and his German publisher, Bastei Lübbe has already bought the rights to Book 3! Previously, Estonian publisher, Pegasus also acquired the rights to Book 3, which will be published in Finland in August 2021 by Tammi Publishers.

The praise for Max from Germany is glowing:

”Becoming Max’s German publisher of the first two Jessica Niemi novels was an excellent idea, I think. An even better idea was to pick up novel number 3, too. This series is outstanding.“ – Marco Schneiders, Publishing Director, Bastei Lübbe

And we have more excellent news:  EVIL’S NET, Book 2 has been acquired in Albania by Muza, and World Arabic rights by Arab Scientific Publishers!

Book 1, THE WITCH HUNTER  instantly hit the New York Times Bestseller List, after publication in the US on October 27, 2020 with sales exceeding 14,400 copies in three weeks!
The New York Times, November 29, 2020

In Hollywood, the TV Series based on THE WITCH HUNTER is fast progressing, and the series producers, Stampede Ventures and Gudrun Giddings, have brought on an incredible writer to adapt THE WITCH HUNTER as an ongoing series, which will be shot in English.

Join the global success, and get in touch with us for reading materials!

Ask for full English manuscripts for Book 1 and Book 2, and material for Book 3, by clicking here

New praise from New Zealand!

”This is an exciting thriller, well written, plotted to keep the reader guessing and wanting to read on despite the horror and madness… Finnish noir in the style of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code.” – Otago Daily Times, full review here

“The Witch Hunter, translated with icy precision by Kristian London, is written in short, sharp, present-tense chapters, a technique which adds to its relentless tension. Flashbacks to earlier episodes in Jessica’s life suggest that the strangeness currently unfolding is tied to her personal history. Discovering the how and why of it brings a resolution as bleak as anything Poe might have conjured.”  – The Wall Street Journal full review here.

The title is still available in: China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, etc.

MAX SEECK BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jessica Niemi series

Book 1: The Witch Hunter, a.k.a. Faithful Reader – Jessica Niemi series #1 (2019, Tammi)
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.

Ask for the full English manuscript by clicking here

Book 2: Evil’s Net – Jessica Niemi series #2 (September 2020, Tammi)
Six months have passed since Jessica’s encounter with the mysterious and serial-killing coven of cult members, and her team has a new assignment. Two Instagram influencers have gone missing, and a dead woman is found on the beach dressed up in manga outfit – an outfit that was featured on the missing blogger’s Instagram.

Ask for the full English manuscript by clicking here

Book 3: Eliel Rosenström, a prominent business executive, is found brutally murdered in his Kaivopuisto home. After the trauma Jessica Niemi experienced at the end of Book 2, she has taken a leave of absence from the force, leaving Yusuf in charge. But something about Rosenström’s brutal murder feels eerily familiar, and soon, Yusuf is caught between needing Jessica’s help and trying to keep Jessica away for her own good.

Rights sold (Faihtful Reader a.k.a. The Witch Hunter):
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)

ALBANIA: Muza (2-book deal)
ARABIC: Arab Scientific Publishers, World Arabic (2-book deal)
ARMENIA: Guitank
AZERBAIJAN: Alatoran
BELGIUM, A.W. Bruna (2-book deal)
BULGARIA: EMAS (2-book-deal)
CANADA: Berkley/Penguin Random House (2-book-deal)
CROATIA: Fokus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada (2-book-deal)
DENMARK: Gutkind (2-book-deal)
ESTONIA: Pegasus (3-book-deal)
ICELAND: Forlagid
ISRAEL: Tchelet Books
ITALY: Piemme/Mondadori
FRANCE: Michel Lafon (2-book-deal)
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (3-book-deal)
GREECE: Livani (2-book-deal)
HUNGARY: Animus (2-book-deal)
KOREA: Cheongmirae
LATIN AMERICA: Editorial Maeva/Maeva Noir
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji (2-book-deal)
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos
MACEDONIA: Matica (2-book-deal)
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna (2-book-deal)
NORWAY: Aschehoug (2-book-deal)
POLAND: Sonia Draga (2-book-deal)
PORTUGAL: Bertrand Editora (2-book-deal)
ROMANIA: Litera (2-book-deal)
RUSSIA: AST
SERBIA: Vulkan (2-book-deal)
SLOVENIA: Didakta (2-book-deal)
SLOVAKIA: Motýľ
SPAIN: Editorial Maeva/Maeva Noir
SWEDEN: Albert Bonniers Förlag
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap
UNITED KINGDOM & COMMONWEALTH: Welbeck Publishing UK (2-book deal)
UNITED STATES: Berkley/Penguin Random House (2-book-deal)

TV RIGHTS: Stampede Ventures

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

Max Seeck – New York Times Bestselling Author of THE WITCH HUNTER.

Winner of the prestigious Glass Key Award 2023 for his novel THE LAST GRUDGE.

Jessica Niemi series is being adapted into a English-language TV series by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures.

“An exceptional combination of hardboiled Scandi-noir and eerie ghost story. [--] Seeck marries breathtaking suspense with an expertly drawn heroine. This is guaranteed to send shivers up even the most unshakable readers’ spines." – Publisher's Weekly, starred review (Ghost island)

"Each new step has been an artistic success. Max Seeck, last year's winner of the Glass Key Award for best Nordic detective story, has a golden touch for Finnish suspense fiction." - Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset newspaper

“Another star has been added to the firmament of thriller writers,” announced Iltalehti newspaper, when Max’s debut novel was published in 2016. Four books later, Max Seeck’s novels have been sold to more than 40 countries, including US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries and as far as Korea!

His Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 11 territories, with several rights pre-empts ahead of the Finnish publication!

Max Seeck has a background in sales and marketing, and has lately been able to dedicate his time to his lifelong love of writing. His interests include well-conducted research, reading Nordic Noir and listening to movie soundtracks as he writes.

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

Bibliography


2026, Crime & Suspense

Milo #3: Guarded

Max Seeck


2025, Crime & Suspense

Milo #2: Betrayed

Max Seeck


2024, Crime & Suspense

Milo #1: Checkmate

Max Seeck


2022, Crime & Suspense

Ghost Island

Max Seeck


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Mephisto Touch

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Call of Hades

Max Seeck


2016, Crime & Suspense

Angels of Hammurabi

Max Seeck

Related news

WHEN THE KING DIES goes to Russia; THE WITCH HUNTER still New York Times Best-Seller #11

Russian rights sold for WHEN THE KING DIES … First international sale for book 3 of the Jessica Niemi series, by New York Times Bestselling Author, Max Seeck … Thrilling news for the hottest thriller authors on the market!

Russian rights to Finland’s best-selling WHEN THE KING DIES by Elina Backman were sold to Moscow publishing house, Mann Ivanov Ferber.

Click here to request 200-page long English sample, synopsis and media kit.

Meanwhile, Estonian rights to Max Seeck’s Jessica Niemi series book 3 were sold to Pegasus, making them the first international publisher to acquire those rights!

And more breaking news: THE WITCH HUNTER remains a New York Times Best Seller at #11 for two weeks running!

BRAVO Elina and Max! You are making Finland the new hub for Nordic Noir!

The Russian deal marks the 13th rights sale for the Nordic Crime title, WHEN THE KING DIES. Backman is a force to be reckoned with, as the first novel in her detective series has impressively sold over 10,000 copies despite having been just published in May. Hear what the editor from Mann Ivanov Ferber had to say:

Click here to request 200-page long English sample, synopsis and media kit.

Max Seeck is now and forever a New York Times best- selling author, the second in Finland’s history!!!

The Witch Hunter (a.k.a. Faithful Reader), the first book in Seeck’s Jessica Niemi detective series, has caught fire since its US publication in October, selling 10,633 copies by Nov. 14 and garnering excellent critical reviews and heavy attention from Hollywood.

Rights are still available in China, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand etc for some of his titles, including: the sequel to The Witch Hunter, book 2, EVIL’S NET; and book 3, as yet untitled; and also available are rights to his best-selling Daniel Kuisma trilogy.

PS! Is Nordic Crime not your cup of tea? 
No worries, see our complete Fall 2020 Fiction list here

Rights Sold:
WHEN THE KING DIES

FINLAND:
Otava (orig.)

ALBANIA:
Dritan
ESTONIA:
Varrak (2-book deal)
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Grada
RUSSIA:
Mann Ivanov Ferber
GERMANY:
Piper Verlag (2-book deal)
ITALY:
Newton Compton
LITHUANIA:
BALTO
NETHERLANDS:
De Bezige Bij/Cargo
(2-book deal)
NORWAY:
Cappelen Damm (2-book deal)
POLAND:
Czarna Owca
SLOVAKIA:
Arkus
SWEDEN:
Bokfabriken (2-book deal)
TV/FILM:
Aurora Studios

About author


Elina Backman

Elina Backman is an author and a media & marketing professional living in Helsinki. Elina loves books (all sorts), traveling, cycling and is a host of a Book & Wine Club. She is a creative soul with a commercial mind, and her goal is to find readers globally.

Her debut novel All the King's Men was published in 2020 and immediately gained an enormous amount of attention from the Finnish media, including a praising review by the biggest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The Saana Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 190 000 copies in Finland.

Together with Heidi Holmavuo, Elina has also narrated the true crime podcast Ratkaisematon (Unsolved), which turned into a full-length audio book as the two crime writers started investigating the murder of a young girl in 1955. They were able to uncover new evidence and their research led the police to reopen the investigation. This story is narrated in the book Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo.

Photo credit: Jonne Räsänen

Bibliography


2026, Crime & Suspense

The One Left Alone

Elina Backman


2025, Crime & Suspense

Who Wanders in the Dark

Elina Backman


2024, Crime & Suspense

How to Face Death

Elina Backman


2022, Crime & Suspense

Before the Polar Night Falls

Elina Backman


2022, Crime & Suspense

Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo

Elina Backman


2021, Crime & Suspense

Still Waters Run Deep

Elina Backman


2020, Crime & Suspense

All the King's Men

Elina Backman

Related news

World English Rights for DAILY SISU Sold to Penguin Random House, TarcherPerigee!

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that World English rights for DAILY SISU by Helsinki-based journalist and author of The Finnish Way, Katja Pantzar, have been sold to Penguin Random House, TarcherPerigee. Congratulations Katja: your sisu will uplift the world!

The deal was negotiated in collaboration with co-agent, Rhea Lyons at HG Literary on behalf of Elina Ahlback at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. Rights have been previously sold in Japan to Hojosha.

I’m thrilled that we’ll be publishing Katja’s next book, and there couldn’t be a more timely topic in these challenging times. We all need more sisu, and this book will help readers cultivate more of it every day.

Marian Lizzi, Editor in Chief at TarcherPerigee.

Click here to request reading materials!

Established in 2015 with the merger of two Penguin Random House imprints, Tarcher Books and Perigee, TarcherPerigee publishes award-winning books aimed at helping readers Learn, Create, and Grow. Read more

What can Daily Sisu do for you?
Truly a book for our times. Inspired by sisu, the uniquely Finnish form of resilience and courage in the face of adversity, journalist and writer Katja Pantzar embarks on a journey to uncover practical sisu-inspired ways of coping with all kinds of tough times. From wellbeing and health concerns to relationship and work-career dilemmas—and even bigger-picture societal and sustainability issues—Daily Sisu offers actionable inspiration, hope, and motivation. Pantzar’s thorough research and reporting shines through the captivating stories of regular people and experts alike in the small Nordic country of Finland, who show how their Daily Sisu gives strength even when feeling tired, weak or hopeless.

It was with delight that I chanced upon The Finnish Way, a self-help book promoting the joy and restorative power of sisu.

Vogue, USA on The Finnish Way

What is it with Finland and sisu?
The small Nordic nation routinely leads international quality of life indexes such as the UN’s World Happiness Report, nabbing the top spot three years running, 2018-2020. How? International media have touted Finland’s simple and sensible Nordic lifestyle, and the cultural focus on health and wellbeing, nature and sustainability, equality and education, entrepreneurship and innovations…. all of which is fueled by sisu.

Click here to request reading materials!

Katja’s first book (cover pictured), The Finnish Way:
Finding Courage, Wellness, and Happiness Through the Power of Sisu (Tarcher Perigee/Penguin US 2018), was published in 22 territories.

Rights Sold:
Daily Sisu

WORLD ENGLISH:
Penguin Random House, TarcherPerigree (orig.)
JAPAN:
Hojosha

About author


Katja Pantzar

Katja Pantzar –  Katja Pantzar is a Helsinki-based writer and journalist who swims in the Baltic Sea year round. Raised in Canada, with stints in New Zealand and England, she is the author of The Finnish Way (Penguin Random House/2018), a bestselling non-fiction book about Nordic well-being, winter swimming and sisu (resilience) that has been translated into 24 languages. Her second book on sisu, Everyday Sisu: Tapping into Finnish Fortitude for a Happier, More Resilient Life (Penguin Random House/2022) explores through expert interviews and research-based information how we can better support our mental and physical health while taking care of each other and our planet. Everyday Sisu has also been published in Japanese, Thai, and Indonesian. Pantzar’s work has been widely covered around the world in media ranging from Le Figaro, Le Monde, and El Paísto Vogue the Washington Post and the New York Review of Books. . She is also the author of three mini-guides to the Finnish capital, including 100 things to do in Helsinki (Siltala/2024).

Bibliography


2025, Personal Growth & Lifestyle

Helsinki by Sauna

Katja Pantzar


2018, Personal Growth & Lifestyle

Finnish Way

Katja Pantzar

Related news

It’s official: Max Seeck is a NY Times Bestselling author!!!

CONGRATULATIONS to Max Seeck for writing his way onto the NY Times Bestseller list, and into Finnish literary history, with THE WITCH HUNTER!

Debuting today at #11 on the NY Times Bestseller list for trade paperback fiction, “The Witch Hunter,” by Max Seeck, is on a meteoric rise up multiple bestseller charts. At Barnes & Noble, where “The Witch Hunter” is a featured novel, it has soared to # 5 for paperback fiction and # 51 overall. He is one of only two Finnish authors ever to crack the NY Times bestseller list; Mika Waltari is the other, who topped the list in 1949 with The Egyptian.

We hope you’ll join us in offering a tremendous CONGRATULATIONS to Max for this historic moment! As you can see, his accomplishment certainly demands a champagne toast… with many more to come! A Hollywood TV series based on The Witch Hunter is in development by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures; stay tuned for updates!

The Witch Hunter, AKA Faithful Reader (Jessica Niemi #1) was translated from Finnish to English by Kristian London and published in the US on October 27. It was immediately selected by Barnes & Noble as a Monthly Crime pick, shooting up the B&L charts 40 places just yesterday alone to number 51! The next installment in the Jessica Niemi series, “Evil’s Net,” was recently published in Finland, and rights to the title have been sold to 22 countries. Read below if you can still obtain it.

The Wall Street Journal gave Max Seeck’s US debut high praise:
“The Witch Hunter, translated with icy precision by Kristian London, is written in short, sharp, present-tense chapters, a technique which adds to its relentless tension. Flashbacks to earlier episodes in Jessica’s life suggest that the strangeness currently unfolding is tied to her personal history. Discovering the how and why of it brings a resolution as bleak as anything Poe might have conjured.”  – The Wall Street Journal full review here.

The title is still available in: China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, etc.

Ask for the full English manuscript for THE WITCH HUNTER by clicking here

Evil's Net, Jessika Niemi #2
Evil’s Net, Jessika Niemi #2

Full English manuscript for EVIL’S NET (Jessica Niemi series #2) is now available!

Six months have passed since Jessica’s encounter with the mysterious and serial-killing coven of cult members, and her team has a new assignment. Two Instagram influencers have gone missing, and a dead woman is found on the beach dressed up in manga outfit – an outfit that was featured on the missing blogger’s Instagram.

Ask for the English manuscript by clicking here

Rights sold in 22 countries.

Rights available in China, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, etc.

Option publishers for: Albania, Arabic, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Latin America, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey

 

MAX SEECK BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jessica Niemi series

Faithful Reader – Jessica Niemi series #1 (2019, Tammi)
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.

Ask for the full English manuscript by clicking here

Evil’s Net – Jessica Niemi series #2 (September 2020, Tammi)
Six months have passed since Jessica’s encounter with the mysterious and serial-killing coven of cult members, and her team has a new assignment. Two Instagram influencers have gone missing, and a dead woman is found on the beach dressed up in manga outfit – an outfit that was featured on the missing blogger’s Instagram.

Ask for the full English manuscript pages by clicking here


Daniel Kuisma series

Rights sold for the series:
FINLAND, Tammi (Original publisher) ALBANIA: Muza ESTONIA, Pegasus GERMANY, Blanvalet ICELAND, Forlagid ITALY, Newton Compton SLOVENIA, Didakta

The Angels of Hammurabi – Daniel Kuisma series #1 (2016 Tammi)
An employee of the Finnish Embassy in Zagreb goes missing, and Daniel Kuisma from the Finnish Defence Forces is sent to investigate, along with Annika Lehto from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
The investigation gets unexpectedly complicated when the mysteries of the past start to unravel on the stony shores of the Adriatic Sea. It all seems to boil down to a group called The Angels of Hammurabi. Who are they – and who is killing them off, one by one?

Mephisto’s Touch – Daniel Kuisma series #2 (2017, Tammi)
Missing-presumed-dead Finnish diplomat, Jare Westerlund has fled from Croatia on a forged passport, leaving behind a decapitated body and his trail goes cold at Stockholm airport.
When Interpol officer Annika Lehto hears of his escape, she abandons her sick leave to go off in pursuit, with the aid of special forces specialist Daniel Kuisma. What follows is a dramatic chain of events, from northern Norway, to San Francisco, to The Hague, as the pair continue the chase.

Call of Hades – Daniel Kuisma series #3 (2018, Tammi)
Final installment of the  trilogy begins with four executed men found in a Zagreb apartment. The place is owned by the U.K. government, but no one seems to know anything about the case. When Daniel Kuisma receives an unexpected guest from Southern Europe he hears something that makes him board the next plane to Zagreb: the lives of thousands of people might be at risk. Meanwhile Annika Lehto is recovering from an assault, but offers him all the help she can from her sickbed.

Ask for the English samples for the Daniel Kuisma series by clicking here

About author


Max Seeck, New York Times Best Selling Author

Max Seeck – New York Times Bestselling Author of THE WITCH HUNTER.

Winner of the prestigious Glass Key Award 2023 for his novel THE LAST GRUDGE.

Jessica Niemi series is being adapted into a English-language TV series by Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures.

“An exceptional combination of hardboiled Scandi-noir and eerie ghost story. [--] Seeck marries breathtaking suspense with an expertly drawn heroine. This is guaranteed to send shivers up even the most unshakable readers’ spines." – Publisher's Weekly, starred review (Ghost island)

"Each new step has been an artistic success. Max Seeck, last year's winner of the Glass Key Award for best Nordic detective story, has a golden touch for Finnish suspense fiction." - Kai Hirvasnoro, Kansan Uutiset newspaper

“Another star has been added to the firmament of thriller writers,” announced Iltalehti newspaper, when Max’s debut novel was published in 2016. Four books later, Max Seeck’s novels have been sold to more than 40 countries, including US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries and as far as Korea!

His Jessica Niemi series landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list! The new MILO series has already been sold to 11 territories, with several rights pre-empts ahead of the Finnish publication!

Max Seeck has a background in sales and marketing, and has lately been able to dedicate his time to his lifelong love of writing. His interests include well-conducted research, reading Nordic Noir and listening to movie soundtracks as he writes.

Photo credit: Mikko Rasila

Bibliography


2026, Crime & Suspense

Milo #3: Guarded

Max Seeck


2025, Crime & Suspense

Milo #2: Betrayed

Max Seeck


2024, Crime & Suspense

Milo #1: Checkmate

Max Seeck


2022, Crime & Suspense

Ghost Island

Max Seeck


2021, Crime & Suspense

The Last Grudge

Max Seeck


2020, Crime & Suspense

The Ice Coven

Max Seeck


2019, Crime & Suspense

The Witch Hunter

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Mephisto Touch

Max Seeck


2018, Crime & Suspense

The Call of Hades

Max Seeck


2016, Crime & Suspense

Angels of Hammurabi

Max Seeck

Related news

THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT, by Mia Kankimäki, hits US shelves!

What a day! Published by Simon & Schuster, Mia Kankimäki’s Finnish best-seller, “The Women I Think About at Night,” hit shelves yesterday, November 10, in the United States and Canada. On that same day, incredibly, she also published an essay in the Wall Street Journal. Kankimäki’s star is officially rising in North America; definitely cause for champagne, as you can see CEO, Elina Ahlbäck raising a toast to Mia. Bravo!

Request full English manuscript of the title by clicking here.

With rights to “The Women I Think About at Night” sold to 15 countries (and counting!), we at EALA are thrilled to partner with Simon & Schuster for Mia Kankimäki’s publication in the United States and Canada, where she’s already generating incredible buzz. Putting her alongside authors such as Barack Obama, Fortune magazine named Kankimäki’s unique work one of their 6 books to read in November!

“Fortysomething, childless, and feeling stuck, Finnish author Mia Kankimäki takes that big leap we all fantasize about but never have the guts to do: She quits her job, sells her apartment, and travels the world. In a blend of travelogue, memoir, and biography, Kankimäki recounts her travels through Japan, Kenya, and Italy, while retracing the steps of 10 remarkable female pioneers from history.” – Fortune

And make sure to read her beautiful Wall Street Journal essay, The Finnish Island Where Time Stops.

A publishing sensation in Finland with over 40,000 copies sold, “The Women I Think About at Night” solidifies Kankimäki’s standing as one of Finland’s leading new authors. Her book was translated by Douglas Robinson and published by Simon & Schuster, one of the four largest English-language publishers in the world. 

Her book has already received positive reviews In Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, Travel & Leisure,
and Kirkus Review,
 along with Fortune magazine. 

Elina Ahlbäck Literary Agency is responsible for the sale of international rights to Mia Kankimäki’s books.  The rights to ”The Women I Think About at Night” have already been sold to 15 countries.

In 2013, Mia Kankimäki instantly became one of the top names in the literary field with her debut, ”Things That Make One’s Heart Beat Faster.” More than 80,000 of her two books have altogether been sold in Finland.

Rights Sold

FINLAND:
Otava (orig.)
CHINA:
Winshare Publishing
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Albatros Media/Motto
DENMARK:
Bilgrav Publishing
ESTONIA:
Varrak
FRANCE:
Editions Leduc.s
GERMANY:
btb Verlag/RandomHouse
ITALY:
Neri Pozza
LATVIA:
Zvaigzne
LITHUANIA:
Gelmes Publishing
NETHERLANDS:
Uitgeverij Orlando
NORWAY:
Gursli Berg Forlag
RUSSIA:
Eksmo Publishing
SLOVENIA:
Didakta
SWEDEN:
Wahlström & Widstrand
UNITED STATES & WORLD ENGLISH:
Simon & Schuster

About author


Mia Kankimäki

Mia Kankimäki is the author of two best-selling books which blend travelogue, memoir, biography, and women’s history. After taking a master’s degree in comparative literature at the University of Helsinki and working diligently in Finnish publishing, in 2010 she left her job and traveled to Japan to write her first book. Her books have received several literary awards, for example the Best Travel Book of the Year 2013, the HelMet Award 2015, and Otava Book Foundation’s Non-Fiction Award 2020. She currently lives in Helsinki, Finland, whenever she’s not traveling for her next book project.

Mia has been enthusiastic about Japanese culture for years and is a qualified ikebana teacher of the Sogetsu school. Her first book Things That Make One’s Hear Beat Faster took her to Kyoto where she has spent long periods of writing and making research ever since. Kankimäki’s second book The Women I Think About at Night has sold over 55,000 copies in Finland and the translation rights have been sold to 21 territories, including USA and China.

Mia's both books have been aqcuired by Japanese publisher Soshisha:

"I am delighted to share that Mia Kankimäki’s debut title, THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER, is embraced and loved by many Japanese readers. A cross between an autobiography and a travelogue, the author finds an emotional connection with a woman geographically far apart and from a different era and tries to discover who she really was. I believe this style is reflected in THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT as well. Though some of the female figures in this second book might not be well-known locally, I am looking forward to seeing how our readers will react to their lifestyles." - Daisuke Watanabe, Editor, Soshisha

Bibliography


2018, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

The Women I Think About At Night

Mia Kankimäki


2013, General Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction

Things That Make One's Heart Beat Faster

Mia Kankimäki

Related news

Italian rights sold for ’WHEN THE KING DIES’, now 12 rights sold + Film & TV

We are very happy to announce that Italian rights to Elina Backman’s bestselling thriller WHEN THE KING DIES have been acquired by Newton Compton!

Elina Backman’s Nordic thriller WHEN THE KING DIES (first published May 2020) has already been sold to 12 territories and counting. TV series is in development by Aurora Studios.

Rights are currently free in  the US, UK, France, Spain, Denmark, Russia, Hungary, Latvia etc


PUBLISHER’S PRAISE:

WHEN THE KING DIES is an unputdownable great Nordic crime novel with an intriguing plot which captivates you till the end, said the happy editor Gabriele Anniballi from Newton Compton.

Click here to request 200-page long English sample, synopsis and media kit.


About the book:
Saana is a former click-bait journalist who spends a summer in the quiet town of Hartola. But when she begins to dig into the case of a teenage girl who died 30 years earlier, the peace of the small town is shaken. Meanwhile in Helsinki, crime investigator Jan Leino is solving a murder at the King’s Gate on Suomenlinna Sea Fortress. Saana and Jan continue working on their own cases until their paths cross – for more than one reason.

About the author:

Elina Backman, 37, is a media & marketing professional living in Helsinki, in an old wooden 1920 house with a family of 2 kids and a husband. Elina loves books (all sorts), travelling, cycling and is a host of a Book & Wine Club. She is a creative soul with a commercial mind, and her goal is to find readers globally – her dream is a Netflix series based on her novels.

See the video greeting by Elina Backman here.


PS! Is Nordic Crime not your cup of tea? 
No worries, see our complete Fall 2020 Fiction list here

Rights sold:

FINLAND:
Otava (orig.)

ALBANIA:
Dritan
ESTONIA:
Varrak (2-book deal)
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Grada
GERMANY:
Piper Verlag (2-book deal)
ITALY:
Newton Compton
LITHUANIA:
BALTO
NETHERLANDS:
De Bezige Bij/Cargo
(2-book deal)
NORWAY:
Cappelen Damm (2-book deal)
POLAND:
Czarna Owca
SLOVAKIA:
Arkus
SWEDEN:
Bokfabriken (2-book deal)
TV/FILM:
Aurora Studios

About author


Elina Backman

Elina Backman is an author and a media & marketing professional living in Helsinki. Elina loves books (all sorts), traveling, cycling and is a host of a Book & Wine Club. She is a creative soul with a commercial mind, and her goal is to find readers globally.

Her debut novel All the King's Men was published in 2020 and immediately gained an enormous amount of attention from the Finnish media, including a praising review by the biggest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The Saana Havas series is now a best-selling series in Finland and an international TV series is in development. Elina's books have sold over 190 000 copies in Finland.

Together with Heidi Holmavuo, Elina has also narrated the true crime podcast Ratkaisematon (Unsolved), which turned into a full-length audio book as the two crime writers started investigating the murder of a young girl in 1955. They were able to uncover new evidence and their research led the police to reopen the investigation. This story is narrated in the book Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo.

Photo credit: Jonne Räsänen

Bibliography


2026, Crime & Suspense

The One Left Alone

Elina Backman


2025, Crime & Suspense

Who Wanders in the Dark

Elina Backman


2024, Crime & Suspense

How to Face Death

Elina Backman


2022, Crime & Suspense

Before the Polar Night Falls

Elina Backman


2022, Crime & Suspense

Unsolved - The Case of Elli Immo

Elina Backman