The Last Grudge

November 14, 2022
Det. Sgt. Yusuf Pepple takes center stage in Seeck’s gripping third Ghosts of the Past mystery (after 2021’s The Ice Coven), in which the Helsinki Police investigate the homicide of industrialist Elial Zetterborg. The murder occurs on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the victim’s company and at a time when the sudden closure of a local factory will cost several thousand people their jobs. Assisted by other series regulars on the force, Yusuf must first decide whether to look for suspects among those adversely affected by Zetterborg’s controversial business decisions or with personal motivation to kill. Meanwhile, Det. Sgt. Jessica Niemi is on leave as she attempts to deal with the aftermath of events that nearly took her life in the previous book. Jessica’s hallucinatory struggles help develop her character but distract from the main story line, and it’s a relief when Yusuf persuades her to join the Zetterborg investigation. Clever plot twists more than compensate for some inconsistent handling of characterization and dialogue. Newcomers are advised to start with the first book in the series, The Witch Hunter. Agent: Josh Getzler, HG Literary.

January 1, 2023
When a wealthy industrialist is murdered, the Helsinki Police Violent Crimes Unit revisits the past to find a motive. There are literally thousands of people who might want Eliel Zetterborg dead after he closed a plumbing-materials factory, but there aren't many who could access his apartment. Soon after Joonas Lamberg, his driver and bodyguard, delivers him to his locked and alarmed apartment, Zetterborg calls for help for chest pain, and soon after that, he's found stabbed to death Since brilliant DS Jessica Niemi is out on leave after having barely survived an attack by a witches' cabal, Superintendent Helena Lappi gives the case to her partner, DS Yusuf Pepple, the only one who knows of Jessica's own wealth. As Yusuf follows all the obvious leads, Jessica, who's still haunted by cabal members who escaped, is privately investigating a ritual murder. Among the suspects in Zetterborg's death are Joonas, a disgraced SWAT officer, and even Zetterborg's son, Axel, who may be tired of waiting in the wings. The apartment contains hidden clues in the form of a puzzle and ultraviolet light trails that, once decoded, lead to more puzzles. Yusuf finds that his new authority offers a better relationship with his diverse and clever team but still calls on Jessica for her magical insight. In the end the answer may lie in a hunting party that started a chain of odious events years ago. An intricate, beautifully written, character-driven page-turner with some shocking twists.

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February 17, 2023
The adventures of Jessica Niemi, on leave and haunted by past cases and ghosts, and Yusuf Pepple, her fellow detective who's taking on new responsibility, continue in the latest from Seeck (after The Ice Coven, 2021). The central mystery revolves around a rich magnate murdered in his own alarmed apartment. But this case is anything but simple, and increasingly, the tale becomes a calculated web of conspiracy and revenge that Yusuf could never have suspected. This novel builds well on former volumes in Seeck's series, though the conclusion of Niemi's dark entanglement with a power-hungry cult does ultimately distract somewhat from the central story line, instead of adding to it. It's worth noting that some small twinges of ableism and fatphobia seem unnecessary additions to the text. But overall, The Last Grudge is a chilly detective novel that moves by quickly, and its short chapters give it excellent momentum all the way to its conclusion. Yusuf is a great central character to guide the text, and the book gives clues that more books are planned in this excellent spooky mystery series.

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