Thank you Berkley Books, #partner, for the finished copy of The Last Grudge in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pub date: February 7, 2023
Summary:
While her colleagues investigate the brutal murder of a prominent businessman, Jessica Niemi must battle demons from her past in this terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Hunter.
Powerful executive Eliel Zetterborg has been found murdered in his upscale Helsinki home. What at first seems like a straightforward case soon proves to be anything but when it becomes clear the murderer has other targets. The only clue the police have is a photo of Zetterborg with three men whose faces have all been scratched off.
Detective Jessica Niemi has taken some time off from her work with the Helsinki police to track down the coven that nearly killed her, and her partner, Yusuf, is assigned to lead the investigation. But as Yusuf delves into the case, he realizes he needs Jessica’s help. And as they dig deeper, they realize that the evil they’ve been hunting all along has returned and is lying in wait for the right moment to strike.
My thoughts:
This is the third book in Max Seeck’s Jessica Niemi series and I am so glad it has finally been translated into English! I am such a fan of this series and sometimes having to wait for these books to be translated is just torture!!! This NordicNoir series is so good – dark and chilling, but so engaging!
As I have loved in the past with this series, I found this latest installment to be such a good balance of police procedural and crime fiction. The case is a multi-layered, complex case with expertly placed twists and turns. The short chapters, many with mini-cliffhangers, just beg you to keep reading. And of course, I cannot forget to mention how atmospheric and dark it was. This case was anything but a straightforward murder, which is what the team thought they had on their hands. The deeper they get into the case, the more they realize nothing is what it seems.
What I found quite interesting, however, is that Detective Jessica Niemi is on leave at the beginning of the book and so when the team gets a new case, it is up to her partner Yusef to take control. While I did know this was going to happen based on the synopsis, I have to say, I missed Jessica being so front and center in the book. I’ve really come to like her character, but on the other hand, this did allow for more character development on Yusef.
That’s not to say that Jessica wasn’t involved at all in the book because of course she was. Her thread involves what has been going on with her since the first book, so if you haven’t read the previous books, you might not fully appreciate this storyline as much as those who have. Jessica is one of my favorite characters. She is flawed and deeply haunted by her past and it all comes to a head in this book.
I am such a fan of this series and am so glad to know that there is going to be another book in this series. Of course the question is, when will it be translated into English and available here in the states?
Books in this series:
- The Witch Hunter
- The Ice Coven
- The Last Grudge
- ???
