If you love an atmospheric mystery, this book is perfect. It is tense and full of drama. I loved following the detectives as they solve the mysteryy.

I didn’t realize when I started this that it was the second book in a series. I do think it worked as a standalone, though I did feel at times that I missed some of the character building for the lead Jessica Niemi and her backstory. I thought this book read a bit more police procedural and it sounds like the first had more witchcraft elements to it. Still a good book with a solid story and great conclusion!

Jessica and her colleagues in the Violent Crimes Unit at the Helskinki police division are adjusting to the loss of their superintendent and dealing with his replacement, who doesn’t seem to be a fan of Jessica (though the dislike is mutual). The tension within the unit is palpable, and added an interesting element to the book.

Jessica is a different sort of character. She inherited a fortune from her parents after being the only survivor of a car crash, and she lives in her ancestral mansion while pretending to live in a small run-down apartment nearby so her colleagues don’t find out about her wealth. She also sees her dead mother quite often, which was an element I didn’t expect.

Meanwhile two of Finland’s biggest influencers, Lisa Tamamoto and Jason Nervander, have gone missing and Jessica and her partner Yusuf are assigned the case. Lisa vanished after a high profile party, and her apartment is filled with strange artwork depicting young girls dressed in school uniforms. Meanwhile a body is found in the water nearby dressed in a schoolgirl uniform, and with no obvious cause of death. Jessica can’t help but suspect there must be a connection between the two seemingly unrelated crimes, though how a missing social media influencer is connected to a dead Ukranian woman is part of the mystery.

I found the investigative and police procedural pieces to be fairly interesting. With two of the victims being social media influencers, there is quite a bit of technology to the police work to understand the intricacies of how different apps work, store metadata, and how to trace clues through the intricate and complex world of technology.

Some books that are translations like this can be a bit clunky or confusing for the reader because certain elements don’t spark the same way, but I found that wasn’t the case at all with The Ice Coven. The book had a lot of character still in the translation and I thought the translator did a fantastic job.

This can certainly read as a standalone though I do wish I had read the first before this one. The ending got me, I didn’t suspect it at all. A chilling read!

I love that this book series was translated into English so that we get the chance to enjoy it. Looking forward to reading book #3. This series gives me Criminal Minds/CSI vibes and I love it.

Having read THE WITCH HUNTER and enjoyed it, I looked forward to reading Jessica Niemi's newest case. Overall, I enjoyed it. Solid writing, multi-dimensional characters, solid myster, and a great resolution that made sense and suprised at the same time. My only complaint was that the first book had some hints of occult and supernatural, and with the word "coven" in the title, I was looking forward to more of the same. However, there is zero of that. I'm not even sure what the "ice coven" even referred to. But, approaching this as a police procedural, you'll enjoy it.

Unfortunately I could not get in to this book after giving it several tries. I think that perhaps its just a case of me being the wrong reader for this book.

The Ice Coven is the the second installment in the Detective Inspector Jessica Niemi series that takes place in Finland, though it was the first I’d read and it works well as a standalone. I am loving Scandinavian noir and this example doesn’t disappoint. The protagonist is strong and relatable. She continues to have nightmares about events that took place in the first book in the series—nightmares that involve her mother and a murderous coven of witches—and those nightmares make her more approachable, I find, that other “hard-boiled” crimefighters.

A young woman’s body has washed up on a frozen beach and two Instagram influencers have disappeared, and all three have ties to yet another cult—author Max Seeck seems to be interested in closed mysterious groups—and a clue surfaces via a strange painting. The current investigation intersects with Jessica’s nightmares and her past in ways that are, frankly, terrifying.

This author knows everything about pacing and forward momentum: it’s almost impossible to put this book down. This is a dark, atmospheric read set in the remote rural countryside surrounded by dense woodland that translates into an unsettling and claustrophobic vibe running through the story.

It will be interesting to see where Seeck takes this character next. She is flawed and compelling and could carry a less interesting story—but thanks to his skill, she doesn’t need to. Read it!

Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me. I couldn't find the beat or the rhythm of this book and I just couldn't jibe with it. The characters and the pacing didn't feel right to me. I got into about 60% but then I had to set it down.

Gave a shout out on Dew on the Kudzu in September 2021. https://todaysdeepsouth.blogspot.com/2021/09/new-books-for-all-you-awesome-readers.html

I was highly anticipating this title. Unfortunately I found it to be slow paced and I struggled to maintain interest. I will not share a full review outside of NetGalley on this one.

3 stars for neutral, I’m not sure if its just my mood or just not for me, but I just could not get into this book enough to finish. Will update if able to finish at a later date

3 for neutral, I’m not sure if my mood or just not for me, but I just could mot get into this book enough to finish. Will update if able to finish at a later date.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A truly sinister tale showing the worst of humanity coupled with those who are trying to bring justice for the dead.


It can be safe to say that THE ICE COVEN goes to the next level in this menacing tale of murder and human trafficking. Seeck manages to continue the momentum of Jessica Neimi’s personal journey while throwing us into a whole new investigation which is positively gripping.


The thing which is becoming apparent after reading two books by the author is that he has a talent for crafting darkly intricate thrillers. He has a gift for filling his pages with the underbelly of the human condition. The complexity of the story is carefully constructed to reveal the truth at the right time within the plot. Causing the reader to feel the suspense right along with the characters.


What I loved is the balance of Jessica dealing with her mental issues, the pain of losing someone she cared about, the secret of her wealth hanging over her head, and her trying to do her job in a difficult working environment. It humanizes her while showing her strength. Then, you add into the mix a case dealing with trafficking of young women, sexual fetishes, a rare toxin getting people high, and more lies and secrets than truths. It is a wonder the tension can be cut with a knife and I loved it.


With only one more book in the Jessica Niemi trilogy, I can’t imagine where this rabbit hole will lead us. But, I am ready. And…is it wrong of me to hope there will be more than three books?

Two influencers disappear, a woman is found murdered, and Investigator Jessica Nieme finds her past nightmares coming back to haunt her. This story is set in Finland and I could feel the cold, and the terror. This is good stuff.

Jessica Niemi is tackling a dual disappearance of internet influencers and a young woman's corpse washing up on a lonely beach. They seem tied together, especially when members of her homicide squad find new clues about the woman and the missing bloggers that seem to tie them together. Through all of this, Jessica has nightmares and hallucinates her dead mother and mentor, complicating her current case.

The Ice Coven follows The Witch Hunter, which I hadn't read. We start off knowing that Jessica was deeply affected by a prior case and that her mentor had died recently of cancer. This leaves a new superintendent in charge, one that doesn't like her on her sight and hates her reputation for haring off and doing whatever she wants. It seems so over the top, but the new superintendent is ambitious and wants a team that cares about her authority. Jessica doesn't and is seen as too individualistic when she dismisses other team members' theories behind the missing blogger or dead girl. It doesn't help that some of the team members don't actually like her anymore, and won't talk with her directly.

Jessica and her team chase down leads and the forensic clues while she's dogged by hallucinations, dreams, and a superintendent only too eager to dismiss her. I felt sorry for her when she was targeted, and felt isolated because she didn't think her coworkers that she was closest with would like her if they realized she had a moneyed background. At the same time, the longer she kept her problems to herself, the harder it became to talk about. Her "horrific" past was largely one of grief and loss, and I found it sad more than terrifying.

The "cult" mentioned in the official summary doesn't seem like one we normally would identify as a religious one. Alternative practices exist, and apparently, these are intertwined with the main case as a means of controlling them. It's fascinating how all the threads pull together, even the ones that turn out to be wrong. It doesn't seem like much difference between Finnish police duties and those we're familiar with in America, especially once we discover that the case is a larger one than it initially appeared. I enjoyed that aspect of this novel and was looking forward to the ending.

The Ice Coven, by author Max Seeck, is the second installment in author Jessica Niemi's series. Six months have passed since Jessica's encounter with the mysterious serial-killing coven of witches and the death of her mentor Erne who knew about Jessica's dark past. With her nightmares about her long dead mother and the witchcraft that undid her getting worse, she's trying hard to do what she can to stay focused. Her homicide squad, now under new leadership of Helena Lappi, who, I dare say hates Jessica, has been given a murder case and a new series of disappearances to investigate.

A young woman's corpse has washed up on an icy beach, and two famous Instagram influencers have gone missing at the same time. The missing influencers and the murdered woman all have ties to a sinister cult. Jessica finds an eerie painting--of a lighthouse on a frigid island--as she investigates and under the picture is a gruesome poem detailing a murder. The nightmares about her dead mother have intensified and seem all too real, making Jessica wonder if the woman might be trying to tell her something about the killings.

And as Jessica works frantically to solve her latest case with help from Yusuf, Rasmus, Nina, and new guy Jami Harjula, her horrific past comes roaring back and threatens to destroy her. Even though Jessica is on top of her game as an investigator, she still has to do the walk of shame for something she did with a co-worker who turned out to be part of the witch coven. So, while Jessica and her partner Yussef are running down answer to questions, she has to also deal with a Jami who is not only liked by Helena, but wants to prove that he's capable to handle the caseload and maybe get a promotion in the process.

Jessica and her boss are constantly at odds, which makes some of Jessica's choices in the ending understandable. Helena even goes as far as to dig into parts of Jessica's past that was covered up and hidden by her former boss. The most curious part of Jessica's story is the warnings she's given that is likely to happen around Christmas. Jessica is also dealing with a body that will never be normal. Not after being the only survivor of a brutal car crash which shattered her spine and left her barely able to walk.

This book ends on a cliffhanger ending, and I have to wonder how much Jessica's sanity can remain in check with everything that's happening to her. What makes me coming back to this series is the unique setting of Finland, mostly Helsinki. It's nice to actually remove yourself from the same old same old, and read about something new and different. 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.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me an e-copy of THE ICE COVEN to review.

I actually heard about Max Seeck and his Witch Hunter series from Abby at Crime By The Book. She loved the series and I thought, well, if it's good enough for Abby, I'll love it too. I read the The Witch Hunter, enjoyed it and was ready for the sequel. It did not disappoint!

Finnish Investigator Jessica Niemi and her squad are doing their best to recover mentally and physically from wrapping up a previous case in which Jessica and others were kidnapped by a serial-killer coven of witches. The group also lost their beloved captain to cancer. The entire department has to adapt to their new boss, a woman who wants to see Jessica fail.

When a social media influencer disappears and a woman's body is found on the beach, Jessica and the crew frantically try to solve the case.

What I loved about this book - and what we often don't see in police procedural thrillers - are the detectives dealing with their grief and trauma. Each character within the squad is trying to overcome some demon that was a result of the incident six months before.

A lot of times we see police characters just pick up and move on from the last case. I often wonder, is that realistic? Surely, there must be some imprint left behind from the previous case, particularly when they are kidnapped, shot, drugged, etc... while trying to catch the bad guys.

Jessica, of course, has many other things to deal with besides being kidnapped by those crazy witches. She's grieving losing her father-figure mentor to illness, while unraveling her own past.

I hope there will be another book in this series. This is a creepy book in time for Halloween thrills and chills.

I rate THE ICE COVEN four out of five stars.

Again my seasonal timing of books is so off. Reading a Scandinavian thriller/ Nordic Noir while in sunny South Florida instead of a fall vibe, but I'll read anything at any time.

The Ice Coven is the second book in the Jessica Niemi series (though I didn't read the first) and it's a police thriller set in Finland. Two Finnish Instagram influencers have gone missing after a party and a young woman's body washes ashore on an icy beach police think is connected to the disappearance. As Jessica tries to solve the case, her past is threatening to destroy her.

I liked this atmospheric setting and police procedurals. I need to read more Nordic Noir since I do like that sub genre. I wish I had realized this was part of a series as I think I missed some of the backstory, but overall I enjoyed this!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to feature and review and participate in the blog blast. This is such a fantastic series.

Following is the link to my Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/girl_loves_dogs_books_wine/

I absouletly loved everything about this book! This had me guessing until the very end. I love the way Max Seeck writes and pulls you in from the very beginning. I did not want to put this book down until I was done. I felt like this storyline throws curve balls left and right and then the ending is unexpected. I will be telling all my friends about this one!

4.5/5

The Ice Coven by Max Seeck is book 2 in the Jessica Niemi series, and I loved it just as much as book 1 - The Witch Hunter. While I didn't find this one to be quite as atmospheric or witchy, it was still incredibly creepy and an excellent police procedural. There are a lot of different things going on which makes the plot very complex and interesting, and I was gripped by the entire storyline. Jessica's visions of her mom are an aspect that I really can't get enough of and all I want to know is exactly what is going on, but of course, Seeck isn't going to let me off that easy. There were a bit fewer of her 'dreams' in this installment, but what there was made me anxious for more and was probably my favorite part of the book. It adds that supernatural/ghosty element that I love having in books, and it definitely mixes things up from the procedural parts of which there are many.

The audiobook is also a great way to go and narrated by Abby Craden. She did not narrate The Witch Hunter, but I thought she did an excellent job, and I would definitely love to see her narrate the other books in this series. I have listened to her before and I always think she does a great job, no matter how many viewpoints there are, and in The Ice Coven there are a lot. This is a bit on the slower side, and I wouldn't call it nonstop action or anything, but at the same time, I think the pace was pretty steady throughout and there weren't any parts that felt unnecessary to me. I have been trying to read more Nordic Noir, and I think if you love that type of crime fiction along with police procedurals, this series is a great choice. The Ice Coven performed well as a standalone, but I have to say I think it is a good idea to read in order simply for the character backstory for Jessica. I wish I could read the next book immediately, and I cannot wait to see more of Jessica and more from Seeck!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.