Scan barcode
thephdivabooks's review
4.0
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!
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!
kae_demeter's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
wdberens's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
senjalukutoukka's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
4.25
senjalukutoukka's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
4.25
mladenovicda's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bonkersbibliophile's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
catwithbooks's review against another edition
3.75
Der zweite Band hat mir ganz gut gefallen, hatte was sehr realistisches an sich gehabt.
Die Protagonisten sind alles was eigenwillig, für mich mehr mit Ecken und Kanten. Ich bin mit diesen band mehr warm geworden.
Jessica Niemi bleibt weiterhin jemand, wo man noch nicht ganz durchgeblickt hat. Zumal was hat es mit ihrer Vergangenheit auf sich.
Von der Spannung her ging es, aber allein das es schon was realistisches an sich hat, hat es mr wieder mehr gefallen.
Die Protagonisten sind alles was eigenwillig, für mich mehr mit Ecken und Kanten. Ich bin mit diesen band mehr warm geworden.
Jessica Niemi bleibt weiterhin jemand, wo man noch nicht ganz durchgeblickt hat. Zumal was hat es mit ihrer Vergangenheit auf sich.
Von der Spannung her ging es, aber allein das es schon was realistisches an sich hat, hat es mr wieder mehr gefallen.