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lynguy1's review
4.0
The Last Grudge by Max Seeck is a thrilling crime novel and police procedural set in and around Helsinki, Finland. This is the third book in the Detective Sergeant Jessica Niemi series. However, in this novel, Jessica is on a leave of absence from the Helsinki police department following an attack. She wants to track down the coven that was featured in prior books, and is still experiencing nightmares and is haunted by sightings of her dead mother. Meanwhile, her partner Detective Sergeant Yusuf Pepple is assigned as lead investigator on a high profile murder. Wealthy and powerful executive Eliel Zetterborg has been found murdered in his home. What seems straightforward quickly becomes complex.
Both Jessica and Yusuf are likeable characters, but Jessica takes a back seat in this novel. Readers get glimpses of her personality, her nightmares, and her interactions with her colleagues. Meanwhile Seeck has created a wonderful personality in Yusuf. He’s slightly unsure of himself in a leadership role, but steps up to the challenge. Along the way, he learns things about himself as well as his co-workers.
This is a crime thriller with a layered plot about betrayal, murder, bullying, family, job losses, revenge, greed, and much more. The prologue is intriguing, but readers don’t get a feeling for how it fits into the story until the end of the book. Chapter one introduces readers to Eliel, and this is quickly followed by the introduction of the various police officers including Yusuf. The story mainly takes place in 2022. However, there are flashbacks to an incident in 1990.
Meanwhile, Jessica’s subplot is interspersed throughout the story line. Readers who have read the first two books in the series will engage with this thread more easily than those who are starting with this third novel. Jessica is haunted by her past, but readers only gradually learn what has happened to her. However, she does occasionally confer with Yusuf on his case.
This is largely a complex and polished police procedural. The scenes from 1990 and inside Eliel’s apartment were vivid. Despite this, I didn’t get a deep sense of the story being set in Finland. However, I loved the intensity and suspense, including a few tense action scenes. The author kept me guessing until nearly the end of the book.
Max Seeck’s characters were realistic and made the story dynamic. Overall, this twisty mystery kept me engaged. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Berkley Publishing Group and Max Seeck provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for February 07, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 3.95 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Both Jessica and Yusuf are likeable characters, but Jessica takes a back seat in this novel. Readers get glimpses of her personality, her nightmares, and her interactions with her colleagues. Meanwhile Seeck has created a wonderful personality in Yusuf. He’s slightly unsure of himself in a leadership role, but steps up to the challenge. Along the way, he learns things about himself as well as his co-workers.
This is a crime thriller with a layered plot about betrayal, murder, bullying, family, job losses, revenge, greed, and much more. The prologue is intriguing, but readers don’t get a feeling for how it fits into the story until the end of the book. Chapter one introduces readers to Eliel, and this is quickly followed by the introduction of the various police officers including Yusuf. The story mainly takes place in 2022. However, there are flashbacks to an incident in 1990.
Meanwhile, Jessica’s subplot is interspersed throughout the story line. Readers who have read the first two books in the series will engage with this thread more easily than those who are starting with this third novel. Jessica is haunted by her past, but readers only gradually learn what has happened to her. However, she does occasionally confer with Yusuf on his case.
This is largely a complex and polished police procedural. The scenes from 1990 and inside Eliel’s apartment were vivid. Despite this, I didn’t get a deep sense of the story being set in Finland. However, I loved the intensity and suspense, including a few tense action scenes. The author kept me guessing until nearly the end of the book.
Max Seeck’s characters were realistic and made the story dynamic. Overall, this twisty mystery kept me engaged. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Berkley Publishing Group and Max Seeck provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for February 07, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 3.95 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
kae_demeter's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
senjalukutoukka's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mladenovicda's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lola99999's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very good thriller, set in Finland. While it is the 3rd book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. There is some background that could be helpful, but I believe it holds its own. Such great twists and good character development.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
tuomosuominen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dinamcguire's review
5.0
Loved this novel just like the first two of this series. Multi-layered thriller that makes it hard to stop turning the pages.. will be preordering the fourth!
marvsbooks's review
4.0
My first foray into the Scandinavian Noir sub-genre of Finnish noir, and it was fantastic.
A thriller with two unsolved murders, a hit man, a jacked bodyguard, weird neighbors, secret letters, a weirdly uber-rich policewoman, hallucinations, a missing bag, puzzles, not to mention a kidnapping? This book had it all.
This is the third book in the series, and while I think it would have made things slightly more clear when it came to the kidnapping storyline to have read the prior books, this one held its own without the backstory.
I thought the character development was spot on. Yusuf really comes a long way with his personal growth, despite getting disturbing news midway through the book. I loved watching him go from uncertain officer to solving the case, and loved seeing his relationship with his boss evolve as the case progressed too.
Because I didn’t have the backstory from the prior two books, the witch cult references and references to Jessica’s mom were a little confusing—but not to the detriment of the book as a whole.
Overall, a satisfying read. My first by this author, and I would read his future work!
Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Berkley Publishing for a review copy!
A thriller with two unsolved murders, a hit man, a jacked bodyguard, weird neighbors, secret letters, a weirdly uber-rich policewoman, hallucinations, a missing bag, puzzles, not to mention a kidnapping? This book had it all.
This is the third book in the series, and while I think it would have made things slightly more clear when it came to the kidnapping storyline to have read the prior books, this one held its own without the backstory.
I thought the character development was spot on. Yusuf really comes a long way with his personal growth, despite getting disturbing news midway through the book. I loved watching him go from uncertain officer to solving the case, and loved seeing his relationship with his boss evolve as the case progressed too.
Because I didn’t have the backstory from the prior two books, the witch cult references and references to Jessica’s mom were a little confusing—but not to the detriment of the book as a whole.
Overall, a satisfying read. My first by this author, and I would read his future work!
Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Berkley Publishing for a review copy!