Sascha Arango

Henry Haydn is a best-selling author, wealthy and famous. His life is going well, until his mistress tells him she is pregnant. She expects him to divorce his wife and marry her. That puts Henry in a prickle, not only because he doesn't want to marry his mistress, but also because his wife is the one who actually writes his books. If they divorce, his (their) fraud will be exposed, and he will no longer have a source of income. What's a fellow to do?

Plot-wise this is a decent psychological thriller. The author is German, and the book is obviously set in Europe, but unfortunately it had no sense of place. It was set in a coastal area with cliffs, reminding me of perhaps Scandinavia, but definitely not Germany. Reading this, I discovered the a discrete and recognizable setting is fairly important to me, and the lack thereof in this book bothered me throughout.

Still it was diverting, and a bit reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith.

2 1/2 stars… (meer)

Translated from German to English, this novel is not spoon fed to you. The author lets you come to your own conclusion in many instances. I'm not sure if this was intentional or a glitch in translation, but I found it fascinating.
A mixture of Hitchcockian noir and Edgar Allen Poe darkness, the twisted story unfolds at a slow pace. Henry is a truly evil man spiraling out of control. His manipulation and rationalizations are always one step ahead of those around him. A "chess player" in the game of life.
The character development could've been better. I don't want to point out specifics for risk of spoilers. Though I will say if you like books where the plot is wrapped up in a nice bow, this book may not be for you. It is very dark and will leave you wondering.… (meer)