Breaking news! Berkley, Penguin Random House, acquires US rights to Max Seeck’s FAITHFUL READER in a two-book-deal!

The hottest book of the Frankfurt Book Fair,  Max Seeck’s FAITHFUL READER,  and the standalone sequel has been sold in the US and Canada! North American rights were acquired by Michelle Vega at Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in a two-book deal, at auction, for publication in Fall 2020.  The deal was brokered by Rhea Lyons at Hannigan Getzler Literary on behalf of Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. Congratulations, Max!  Faithful Reader will be now published in 24 territories and counting!

This week, Faithful Reader is also sold to Litera in Romania, to EMAS in Bulgaria, to Didakta in Slovenia, all in two-book-deals, and to Matica in Macedonia.

In the US, Max Seeck’s thriller will be called THE WITCH HUNTER (a.k.a. Faithful Reader) and will be published in Fall 2020!

Bestselling Finnish crime novelist Max Seeck’s US debut THE WITCH HUNTER, published internationally as The Faithful Reader, following detective Jessica Niemi as she tracks down a mysterious killer seemingly driven by occult forces, a hunt which also threatens to expose Jessica’s own horrific, long-buried secret past, with rights sold in over 24 countries.

Join the success story of FAITHFUL READER and click here to request the full English manuscript.

Praise from the U.S. Publisher:

“When I was reading THE WITCH HUNTER, I was thoroughly transported by the ice-cold Scandinavian setting and all the incredibly creepy twists and turns.  Max Seeck deftly weaves a police procedural with fascinating occult elements and fully realized, compelling characters. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”  – Michelle Vega, Senior Editor, Berkley, An imprint of Penguin Random House, USA

Praise from the German Publisher:

”I read Max Seeck’s FAITHFUL READER in a day – and a night. I was blown away immediately. And who needs sleep anyway when you have the privilege to read a manuscript like this? FAITHFUL READER is more than very, very good. It has a quality, tension and a level of suspense which are just exceptional. In every chapter, I was convinced that Max did not just want to tell a dramatic story. I was certain that he had a vision. A vision to add something extraordinary to the world of thrillers and crime fiction, something that I have not seen in a suspense novel for many, many years. Bastei Lübbe is proud and honored to share Max‘ vision as his German publisher. And I wish I could read this story for the first time again.” – Marco Schneiders, Publishing Director, Bastei Lübbe AG, Cologne, Germany

Praise from the Romanian Publisher:

 “Even though the weather’s getting colder, we guarantee that the chills you’ll feel running down your spine will be from Max Seeck’s intriguing thriller; so buckle up and get ready for a breathtaking ride as you’ll race against the clock along with detective Jessica Niemi to put together the pieces of this mysterious and deadly puzzle. “ – Alexandra Dram,  Rights Manager,  Litera, Romania

Rights sold in 24 territories and counting:

Max Seeck FAITHFUL READER

FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
BELGIUM, A.W. Bruna
BULGARIA: EMAS (2-book-deal)
CROATIA: Fokus
CZECH REPUBLIC: Grada
ESTONIA: Pegasus
ITALY: Piemme/Mondadori
FRANCE: Michel Lafon
GERMANY: Bastei Lübbe (2-book-deal)
GREECE: Livani (2-book-deal)
HUNGARY: Animus (2-book-deal)
LATVIA: Latvijas Mediji
LITHUANIA: Baltos lankos
MACEDONIA: Matica
NETHERLANDS: A.W. Bruna (2-book-deal)
NORWAY: Aschehoug (2-book-deal)
POLAND: Sonia Draga (2-book-deal)
ROMANIA: Litera (2-book-deal)
SERBIA: Vulkan (2-book-deal)
SLOVENIA: Didakta (2-book-deal)
SPAIN: Editorial Maeva/Maeva Noir
TURKEY: Doğan Kitap
US & CANADA: Berkley/Penguin Random House (2-book-deal)