Danish 3-book pre-empt for THE LAST WORD series!

Great news from Denmark!

Cicero / Gyldendal pre-empted a three-book deal of the “Helsinki Noir” trilogy by Anne Hietanen and Michaela von Kügelgen, acquiring book 1: THE LAST WORD and its sequels DEEP WATER (working title) and DEADLY CONTRACT (working title).The print edition will be published by Cicero / Gyldendal in Denmark, while the audio and e-book rights in Denmark are handled by Word Audio Publishing Denmark. The deal was closed by Martti Berner.

Here’s what Mette Bentholm, Commissioning Editor, at Wapi and Cicero/Gyldendal had to say:

We are so happy to add Anne Hietanen and Michaela von Kügelgen’s captivating, well written and intelligent crime novels to our list. The Last Word will definitely appeal to the many readers and fans of Nordic crime novels in Denmark. The writing is sharp with believable characters in an atmospheric setting. We look forward to publishing the series and welcoming Anne Hietanen and Michaela von Kügelgen to the Gyldendal family.

The series attracted lots of buzz after the Gothenburg book fair a couple weeks ago, so we invite you to download all the reading materials for THE LAST WORD and the Helsinki Noir trilogy here.

Here is a little bit about book 1:

THE LAST WORD:
During the Helsinki Book Fair, author David Berglund is found dead in the Helsinki harbour – the same day he was set to receive a literary prize. His wife Aurora is almost due to have their first child, and the family idyll he always dreamed of would finally become a reality.

Philip Koski, a national hockey hero whose career was cut short by an injury, just joined the Helsinki Police Department and is assigned to the case. Philip struggles to cope with his new job, along with the fact people see him as nothing more than a has-been.

At the same time, cultural journalist Tilde Björkqvist digs into David’s story. The last person to interview him, encountering a man whose words of joy and gratitude did not match his desperate revelation. At work, Tilde struggles against antiquated hierarchies – why are they impeding her investigation of the young writer?

Meanwhile, Åsa Stråhle, head of the Bohre Foundation, is beside herself with grief. After years of trying to conceive, she is still childless. David and his twin brother Adam are the closest thing to a family she has, but she lost contact with Adam after he immersed himself in society’s dark underbelly. Åsa tries to keep up her façade while everything around her is falling apart.