Blue Night
By Simone Buchholz
Published by Orenda Books (Ebook - 24 December 2017; Paperback - 28 February 2018)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher
Publisher's description
After convicting a superior
for corruption and shooting off a gangster's crown jewels, the career of
Hamburg's most hard-bitten state prosecutor, Chastity Riley, has taken a nose
dive: she has been transferred to the tedium of witness protection to prevent
her making any more trouble. However, when she is assigned to the case of an
anonymous man lying under police guard in hospital - almost every bone in his
body broken, a finger cut off, and refusing to speak in anything other than
riddles - Chastity's instinct for the big, exciting case kicks in.
My verdict
Blue Night is a dark mix of gritty police procedural and rollercoaster ride, swirling with humour and affection, thanks to its feisty protagonist, Chas Riley. Sharp dialogue, an atmospheric setting and an intriguing plot kept me reading into the early hours.
This dark crime fiction features Germany's criminal underworld, drug smuggling and dodgy dealings.
The book doesn't read like a translation at all. For most of the book you're in Chas' head, as she tries to find out the identity of a mysterious man in a hospital bed. But you also get brief snapshots of other characters too - reading their thoughts in chapters doted around the book - these are cleverly set over a number of years, so you understand the characters' pasts and what has led to the present day.
I can understand why Blue Night has won awards in Germany. Simone Buchholz is certainly an author to watch, and I look forward to seeing what's next.
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