Beton Rouge by Simone Buchholz

Beton Rouge
By Simone Buchholz
Published by Orenda Books (ebook - out now; paperback - 21 February 2019)
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher

Publisher's description

On a warm September morning, an unconscious man is found in a cage at the entrance to the offices of one of the biggest German newspapers. Closer inspection shows he is a manager of the company, and he’s been tortured. Three days later, another manager appears in similar circumstances.

Chastity Riley and her new colleague Ivo Stepanovic are tasked with uncovering the truth behind the attacks, an investigation that goes far beyond the revenge they first suspect … to the dubious past shared by both victims. Travelling to the south of Germany, they step into the elite world of boarding schools, where secrets are currency, and monsters are bred … monsters who will stop at nothing to protect themselves.

My verdict
Beton Rouge is another strong character-led novel from German author Simone Buchholz, lovingly translated by Rachel Ward. Following on from Blue Night, it again features feisty and tough public prosecutor Chastity Riley and a mystery to solve.

Beton Rouge isn't a particularly long book but there's a lot packed within its pages. Two unconscious men are discovered locked in cages outside the offices of a major German newspaper, both having been tortured and drugged. Plus there are flashbacks to boarding school students with bullying tendencies and plenty of secrets to hide.

Despite being a crime novel, it's so much more than that - in fact, at times the crime investigation takes a backseat, as Chastity reveals thoughts on her life, friends and drinking habits and also the modern world we live in. She's funny, sharp and very blunt and it's great fun being inside her head, especially when she's in a reflective mood. So while the book is dark, it's also full of humour and sadness too.

Short chapters, snappy sentences, witty dialogue and succinct writing have created a fast-paced read - saying 'just one more chapter' to myself led me to read most of the book in one sitting. Descriptions are vivid and rich, painting a colourful picture of of the German setting. I loved the chapter names - you'll have to discover these for yourself - all taken from a line or phrase from within the chapter itself.

Finishing Beton Rouge left me wanting more. I really do hope there is more to come!

BEST OF CRIME with Simone Buchholz

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

SIMONE BUCHHOLZ

for her Blue Night blog tour

to share her BEST OF CRIME ...

... AUTHORS
Jakob Arjouni, because he was the first person to take the classic American hardboiled novel into a German city, into the blood-soaked, dirty area behind Frankfurt’s main station, and he did it so well.

... FILMS/MOVIES
Once upon a time in America, because of Robert de Niro and James Woods and the pictures of Tonino delli Colli.

... TV DRAMAS
Polizeiruf 110, a German TV series that originated in the GDR, the equivalent to the West German Tatort with different cops and crime stories in different German cities. It’s been completely modernised recently, and though I don’t like every story they tell, I adore the stories and the cop team from Rostock, a city in north-eastern Germany. It has fantastically drawn characters, a very modern way of storytelling using rough pictures, and the cast is full of the best German actors we have at the moment.

... FICTIONAL KILLERS
Evangeline in SMONK (by Tom Franklin)

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES 
V.I. Warshawski by Sara Paretsky, because you must have seen this woman.

... MURDER WEAPONS
“La lupara bianca” – the white shotgun, practised mostly in South Italy: feeding someone to the pigs until there is nothing left but, for example, their glasses. Because I like Mafia stories.

    

... DEATH SCENES
When Jean-Paul Belmondo is shot in the back in The Professional, because it makes me cry every time, especially with the music of Ennio Morricone shooting me from behind.

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES
www.polizei.hamburg

... WRITING TIPS
Quality comes from torment. And before writing, go for a walk, because your brain needs oxygen.

... WRITING SNACKS
Green tea and edamame during the day, to keep my head clear.
White wine and vodka at night (in the bar), to make my head foggy.

About SIMONE BUCHHOLZ

Simone Buchholz was born in Hanau in 1972. At university, she studied Philosophy and Literature, worked as a waitress and a columnist, and trained to be a journalist at the prestigious Henri-Nannen-School in Hamburg. In 2016, Simone Buchholz was awarded the Crime Cologne Award as well as runner-up for the German Crime Fiction Prize for Blue Night, which was number one on the KrimiZEIT Best of Crime List for months. She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son.

Find Simone Buchholz on Twitter - @ohneKlippo

About BLUE NIGHT

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.

Read a snippet of my review

'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.'

To read the rest of my review, click here.

Blue Night is being published by Orenda Books on 28 February 2018.

Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

Follow the Blog Tour

Blue Night by Simone Buchholz

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Blue Night by Simone Buchholz. Blue Night is being publishing in paperback by Orenda Books on 28 February 2018. Please check out Simone's Best of Crime too, as this is also on my blog today.

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.

Follow the Blog Tour