Random Things Tours: River Clyde by Simone Buchholz translated by Rachel Ward

 

Crime stories - krimi - are a beloved genre within the German speaking realm and there are plenty of excellent authors among the favorites of the public. However, the outside world rarely know about them given the linguistic limitations. After all, according to the latest statistics, there are only 130 million humans in the world speaking German.

Therefore, translations are an excellent way to introduce to a wider audience less known authors with an extraordinary art of writing. As, for instance, Simone Buchholz made known to the non-German audiences by the hardworking (fleißig, in German) Orenda Books. The latest translation by Rachel Ward, River Clyde is a serious game changer for the genre, due to the unique writing and the well chosen turns of the story. 

State prosecutor Chastity Riley - a character in other books by Buchholz - is going to Scotland aiming to trace a personal episode, while inspectors Stepanovic and Calabretta are investigating a wave of ransom attacks in Hamburg - Buchholz homecity and one of my favorite destinations for short trips in Germany - that threated to escalate into a violent internal conflict. There are many references that would have been better understood if I had read more from the series, as I missed probably a couple of details that were not part of the current story. 

The dialogues are the backbone of the story and through them both the story and the characters reveal. The writing story is unique, especially for a thriller, with a very creative and literary touch. Last but not least, the chapters do inspire the reader to creatively imagine whatever he or she may expect from the story in the making and even in the end the final spin belongs to the author, it is worth trying it. 

The urban environments where the story is taking place - Hamburg and Glasgow - are brought to life in a very personal intimate way and this interest for urban details is another unique literary touch.

I was pleasantly surprised in many ways by River Clyde as it shows how much freedom the writer has when writing a thriller. The choice of the genre is not a limitation and a punishment, but encourages the writer to be him- or herself and create its world of choice that only in the end, maybe for advertising and categorisation purposes, should have a name. But as it happens in a big smart family, there may be many individual members. 

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour, but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Random Things Tours: The Acapulco by Simone Buchholz translated by Rachel Ward

A serial killer targetting the dancers in a club in the red district is on the loose in Hamburg and it seems that until he is found, there is no safe place for women. Chastity Riley though is decided to find him, by trying to get into the criminal´s mind. A terrific yet possible challenge.

The Acapulco by German crime writer Simone Buchholz is part of the series featuring the ingenious and stubborn woman detective. The book was initially published earlier in German as Revolverherz and was especially re-written for being published by Orenda Books, in the inspired translation by Rachel Ward. The book is somehow in the middle of the series but one can understand what it is all about and personality details of Chastity from this first encounter only, without necessarily getting back to the whole series. However, after this first encounter a real lover of crime novels will not miss any single volume from the series, because the writing is addictive and the action is both eventful and prepared with a smart pinch of good humour.

Germany crime writing is very well represented those days, but very often it does not go outside the German speaking realm. Buchholz is definitely one of the most articulated among the women writers for her sense of humour as well as the sharp minds of the women characters.

Riley is stubborn and with a sharp mind, and her journey of finding the criminal is challenging from the point of view of the solution(s) endeavoured. I also loved that a woman was assigned a main role in the crime finding riddle. There are never enough women whose super powers are enough recognized. Literature is important in changing the mindsets and usual stereotypes about women.

A special note to the cover which is just in complete sync with the content of the book. 

Rating: 4.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Orenda Books Tour: The Kitchen by Simone Buchholz translated by Rachel Ward

 

It is my great pleasure and honor to have been given again the chance of reviewing the newest book by Simone Buchholz, translated into English from German by Rachel Ward, published by the one and only Orenda Books. 

Hamburg State Prosecutor Chastity Riley is back with a very delicate and complicated case, trying to trace down the murderer(s) of men with history of abusive behavior towards women. A story with an unexpected end, it is marked by the tension between the law and justice: should one make justice trying to prevent further abuse, or just follow the letter of the law and judge accordingly?

I personally love books based on such presumptions, particularly crime books, as they reveal important mechanisms of decision making within the act of justice and therefore are throwing more light into the human behavior as such.

German crime writing - Krimi, as it is called here - is a largely underrated category of crime novels nowadays as it is usually available to the outside world only through translations. Authors like Buchholz are really worth getting to know and I wish the list of talented German crime writers is much longer.

What I particularly love about the Chastity Riley series as well is the atmospheric descriptions of Hamburg, one of my favorite cities in Germany and in Europe in general. 

The Kitchen is a really challenging novel, with an important contemporary touch dealing with violence against women while raising relevant moral and ethical questions. This read is a feast for any serious crime novels lover.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Orenda Books Blog Tour: Sharks by Simone Bucholz translated by Rachel Ward

I love to discover my favorite cities through literary lenses. Given Germany´s strong local crime writing tradition I am very often rewarded to crime stories set in the many places I´ve left a piece of my heart.

Hamburg-based multi-awarded crime bestseller author Simone Buchholz bring her city of choice into the English-speaking realm. Beatles played here too, of course, but crime stories sound better for me.

Sharks, her latest translated into English by Rachel Ward, is published the 26th of February by Orenda Books, who published other Buchholz translations I had the opportunity to present on my blog. This is the third book featuring the public prosecutor Chastity Riley, but can be easily read as a stand alone (although the other two are heartly recommended). It is a relatively short book, but well written and with detailed information about those places in Hamburg that you need to be an insider to know them, particularly the bars and clubs in the Reeperbahn (´gloomy pubs, grey streets´).

Riley, who is dangerously ill, coughing blood, over exhausted and dealing with relationship crisis, is tasked with the investigation of the murder of an estranged ex-GI family - described as ´hard core conservatives´) living in a compound hunted by greedy real estate ´sharks´. Her very diverse team (´We´re all a pile of glorious bastards. And I like us´) is fast, they are completing each other very well, enjoying the exercise of having to solve the riddle. 

Sharks is not necessarily a highly eventful novel, but well written and admirably translated, with a very clear plot. The characters of the book are by far the most interesting, including Riley whose inner dialogues doubling her conversations are very entertaining.

Clearly, the next time will be visiting Hamburg will see the city with completely different eyes. Sharks seems to have been cut a short sequency from the everyday life in the Wilhelmsburg borrough that ends at the author´s will. But we, the readers, may be curious to come back soon, hence the excitement of waiting for the next installment in the series.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but opinions are, as usual, my own