Ameise1 (Barbara)'s 50+ in 2023

Happy New Year!
In the past year I've read 80 books but posted almost nothing on LT. I'm trying to do better this year, so I'm trying again.
I wish everyone a healthy, contented and happy new year and enjoy reading.

January
# 1 Die Unverbesserlichen – Der große Coup des Monsieur Lipaire by Volker Klüpfel (3 stars)
# 2 Wundbrand by Cilla Börjlind (4½ stars)
# 3 Fräulein Gold: Schatten und Licht by Anne Stern (4½ stars)
# 4 Der Rabbi und der Kommissar: Du sollst nicht morden by Michel Bergmann (4½ stars)
# 5 Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (4 stars)

February
# 6 The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz (4 stars)
# 7 The Passenger by Jean-Christophe Grangé (5 stars)
# 8 Im Tal des Fuchses by Charlotte Link (3½ stars)
# 9 Arrowood by Mick Finlay (4½ stars)
#10 Orphan X by Greg Hurwitz (4 stars)
#11 Tiefes, dunkles Blau by Seraina Kobler (4½ stars)
#12 The Marrying of Chani Kaufman by Eve Harris (4 stars)

March
#13 Die letzte Jagd by ena-Christophe Grangé (4½ stars)
#14 Der USB-Stick by Jean-Philippe Toussaint (5 stars)
#15 Our little Cruelties by Liz Nugent (4 stars)

April
#16 Der Psychologe by Gabriel Rolón (4½ stars)
#17 Das Krokodil by Maurizio de Giovanni (4½ stars)
#18 Harte Landung by Ellen Dunne (4½ stars)
#19 Leise, stirb leise by Reinhard Rohn (3½ stars)
#20 Die Rose der Welt by Peter Prange (4½ stars)
#21 The Ice Beneath Her by Camilla Grebe (4½ stars)
#22 Holding by Graham Norton (4½ stars)
#23 Russische Botschaft by Yassin Musharbash (4½ stars)
#24 Schwarze Seele by Ellen Dunne (4 stars)

May
#25 Die Taten der Toten by Roman Voosen (4½ stars)
#26 Dunkles Arles by Cay Rademacher (3½ stars)
#27 Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs (4½ stars)
#28 Schlüssel 17 by Marc Raabe (4½ stars)
#29 42 Grad by Wolf Harlander (5 stars)
#30 Achtsam Morden by Karsten Dusse (4½ stars)
#31 Todesglut by Cathrin Moeller (4 stars)
#32 Invisible by Ursula Poznanski (4½ stars)
#33 You don't own me by Mary Higgins Clark (4 stars)
#34 Racheherbst by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)

June
#35 Stiller als der Tod by Dario Correnti (4½ stars)
#36 Motherland by G.D. Abson (4 stars)
#37 Tod in der Provence by Pierre Lagrange (4½ stars)
#38 The Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund (4 stars)
#39 Schwarzer Sand by Cristina Cassar Scalia (4½ stars)
#40 Tod in der Bibliothek by JB Lawless (3½ stars)
#41 Purpurne Rache by Jean-Christophe Grangé (4½ stars)
#42 Das Mädchen und die Fremde by Sofie Sarenbrant (4 stars)
#43 Tödliche Algarve by Carolina Conrad (4 stars)

July
#44 Stürmische Algarve by Carolina Conrad (4 stars)
#45 The Paris Diversion by Chris Pavone (3½ stars)
#46 Narbenkind by Erik Axl Sund (4 stars)

August
#46 Blutrote Provence by Pierre Lagrange (4 stars)
#47 Die Tote und der Polizist by Sofie Sarenbrant (4½ stars)
#48 Schuld by Sofie Sarenbrant (4½ stars)
#49 Sturmwand by Benjamin Cors (4½ stars)
#50 Schattenland by Benjamin Cors (4½ stars)
#51 The Night Singer by Johanna Mo (4 stars)
#52 Totenblass by Frederic Hecker (4 stars)

September
#53 Winterland by Kim Faber (4 stars)
#54 Mord In Parma by Dani Scarpa (4 stars)
#55 Kretische Feindschaft by Nikos Milonás (4 stars)
#56 Kretischer Abgrund by Nikos Milonás (4 stars)
#57 Todesspiel Dolores Redondo (5 stars)
#58 1979-Jägerin und Gejagte by Val McDermid (4½ stars)
#59 Verhängnisvolles Lavandou by Remy Eyssen (4½ stars)

October
#60 Feuerland by Pascal Engman (4½ stars)
#61 Kretisches Schweigen by Nikos Milonás (4 stars)
#62 Kretische Ehre by Nikos Milonás (4½ stars)
#63 Shiver by Allie Reynolds (3½ stars)
#64 Provenzalische Schuld by Sophie Bonnet (4 stars)
#65 We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterdal (4½ stars)
#66 Das Kind in mir will achtsam morden by Karsten Dusse (4 stars)
#67 Kalter Hummer by Catherine Simon (4 stars)

November
#68 Helle und die kalte Hand by Judith Arendt (4 stars)
#69 Deadly Dram by Melinda Mullet (4½ stars)
#70 Im Kopf des Mörders - Tiefe Narben by Arno Strobel (4½ stars)
#71 Schwarze Zitronen by Julia Bruns (4 stars)
#72 Der Tod macht Urlaub in Schweden by Anders De La Motte (4½ stars)
#73 When She Was Good by Michael Robotham (4½ stars)

December
#74 Wisting und die Stunde dere Wahrheit by Jørn Lier Horst (4½ stars)
#75 Zimmer 19 by Marc Raabe (4½ stars)
#76 Run Away by Harlan Coben (4 stars)
#77 Das Tiefe Blaue Meer der Cote d'Azur by Christine Cazon (4 stars)
#78 Ein frommer Mörder by Liam McIlvanney (3½ stars)

Currently reading
 Tödliche Algarven

Currently listening
 The Night Singer

book 1 Read in German

 Die Unverbesserlichen – Der große Coup des Monsieur Lipaire

I was very happy when I unpacked the book. The handprint on the cover is like an imprint, which is pleasant to the touch. Furthermore, it has three bookmarks in the colors of the Tricolore, so one feels already arrived in France.

I would place this story in the crime comedy genre. I often felt as if I had been transported back to the time of the classic French rogue comedies of the 1960s with the great French actors. Unfortunately, this story cannot maintain the humorous and content-related tension.

In the first third, the protagonists are introduced, whereby one is already confronted with the corpse. Guillaume Lipaire, an elderly German bon vivant, Karim Petitbon, who is madly in love with Jaqueline and no longer wants to be Lipaire's 'servant', Delphine, who has a flair for IT, Quenot, a former Foreign Legionnaire and a good friend of Lipaire's from earlier times , Madame Lizzy, an aging diva with her lap dog Louis and Jaqueline, the student involuntarily team up to solve a mystery. Their opponents are the Vicomte family, who are on the brink of ruin unless the hidden treasure is found there.
Much of this first part is predictable, a bit long-winded and very clichéd, so it took me a long time to warm up to this story.
The middle part was very humorous. There is also a new phantom, which I am not able to convince until the end. The Lipaire team pulls together and tries to find the treasure with turbulent actions. It often reminded me of the old French rogue comedies and made me smile. I hoped, for her sake, that her venture might succeed, for the Vicomte family was not my favorite with their superficialities.

Unfortunately, the ending was very lame. The suspense cannot be sustained until the end. To the credit of the authors, old enmities have been resolved and unusual friendships have emerged. The Phantom is also making a comeback, suggesting there might be a sequel. But precisely, this phantom doesn't put me in a state of suspense so that I might read a sequel.

book 2 Read in German

 Wundbrand

As always in this series, the complex story captivated me from the first to the last page.

A prosecutor who was going on vacation with her husband and teenage daughter was killed by a car bomb. Mette Olsäter's team immediately starts looking for the perpetrator. For Mette, this will be the last case before her retirement. Marius, an old friend of Mette's, also works with the team.
The suspicion of terrorist immigrants quickly falls, only Olivia and Lisa have a different opinion. When combing through case files, they come across Lukas, who may still have an old score to settle with the prosecutor. Olivia meets him and cannot imagine him as the perpetrator. But the noose around Lukas is getting tighter and tighter.

Meanwhile, Tom is with Luna in Thailand with his half-sister. He's very withdrawn and still can't get over the fact that he murdered someone. One day he meets a woman in a wheelchair who asks him to find a man whose name she does not know but has a photo with one word on it. Tom goes to the north of Thailand in search of this man. He has to overcome many obstacles, gets injured and has to deal with a drug lord.
When he finally finds the man, he realizes that he is a pedophile. Because Tom hasn't been heard from for a long time, not only Luna and his half-sister are worried, but also Mette, Olivia and Abbas.

Soon everyone involved has to realize that the incidents in Sweden and Thailand are linked.

I'm always fascinated how the authors can weave various human and political tragedies/events into an exciting crime novel. This time the focus is on pedophilia and the opium trade, but the Metoo movement has also found a place in it.

book 3 Read in German

 Fräulein Gold: Schatten und Licht

This is a great introduction to a crime series set in the heart of Berlin in the 1920s.

We meet Hulda Gold. She is a midwife and mainly deals with families from very poor backgrounds. It is amazing how the author manages to immerse the reader in these relationships, so that you feel like you can hear all the sounds and smell all the scents.
While Hulda is helping a woman who has recently given birth, her neighbor is pulled dead from the sewer. Everyone thinks she's an old whore who deserves to die. Only the woman who has recently given birth doesn't believe in it, because she is convinced that Rita must have had a better life at one time.
Rita used to work in nursing homes and had to watch how doctors experimented in the most shameful way on people traumatized by war and even shrugged their shoulders when they died. The author succeeds in picking up on the treatments of that time, so that today's reader is grateful not to have had to have lived then.
Hulda, who is very curious, tries to find out who Rita was and why she had to die, because she is convinced that it can't be suicide.
During her research, she repeatedly finds herself in danger. The commissioner responsible, Karl North, does not like Hulda interfering in his case. But he soon realizes that Hulda is always one step ahead of him. Not only do their paths keep crossing, but their lonely hearts long for one another.
In Bert, the old kiosk owner, Hulda has a fatherly friend who always knows how to cheer her up. Hulda used to have an affair with Felix, the coffee house owner. But since she wants to be an independent woman, she broke up with him. Bert supports Hulda in her independence and is delighted that a new admirer appears on the horizon.

I enjoyed the story and will definitely read the sequel.

book 4 Read in German

 Der Rabbi und der Kommissar: Du sollst nicht morden

That was a BB of SirThomas thanks a lot it was a pleasure to read.

I often had to smile and sometimes laugh out loud, which is always a good sign of a good book.

Rabbi Henry Silberbaum is an unorthodox Rebbe. He loves his community, but he also likes crime novels and if they take place in real life, so much the better.
An elderly lady (Ruth) comes to his office and tells him that she wants to live in Israel with her daughter forever. She will bequeath an endowment fund of over 1 million euros to the Jewish community. Her current husband gets the right to live in the villa, but nothing more. She suspects that he is cheating on her and squandering their money elsewhere.
Shortly after this visit, Silberbaum is contacted as Ruth is dead in her bed. The medical officer has already filled out the death certificate 'death as a result of a heart attack'. But Silberbaum senses a crime after looking around the room and the kitchen. He contacts the police and ends up with grumpy detective Robert Berking. The start of the two is not the best, as Berking wants clear evidence and Silberbaum follows his gut feeling. But Berking is openly interested in Jewish customs and customs. Silverbaum cannot suppress his detective streak and starts investigating on his own. With a few unorthodox tricks, he drives the culprits into a corner. Members of the Jewish community also help him with this.
But Silberbaum has other construction sites. There is his mother, who on the one hand adores him and on the other hand constantly makes him feel that he is neglecting her. Then there's the director of the Jewish nursing home, who is madly in love with him, only there's no reciprocation since Silberbaum has a girlfriend in New York with whom he chats at odd times. And then there's the president of the Jewish community, who threatens to fire Silberbaum if he doesn't stop investigating.

This thriller is funny. It has many Yiddish expressions that you can find in the glossary, but you can understand most of them anyway.

Book 5 ♫ Read in German

 Lethal White

It's amazing how quickly you can get back into a series, even though it's been a long time since I've heard volume three.
Again, the story grabbed me from the start. Robin is getting married and Cormoran wants her back because he can't work without her. The problem that the two never speak openly to each other and therefore always produce 'wrong' assumptions in the other also continues in this book.
Robin, immediately realizes that she shouldn't have married, so she's very grateful that she's allowed to work undercover to a large extent. She gets to know all the protagonists in a different way, which helps her and Cormoran during the investigation, but also puts them in danger.
A minister is blackmailed and later murdered. There are many suspects, and throughout the solving, there is something criminal to be found in each one. Nonetheless, it takes a long time to track down the actual killer.
I'm still happy that I hear these books as audio, because I probably wouldn't read such a thick tome.

Book 6 Read in German

 The Word is Murder

I was recommended this book by Meg. Thank you Meg, it was an enjoyable read.

What excited me is that this book bears a close resemblance to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson has. In this case, Horowitz is Dr. Watson and Hawthorne Sherlock. What they have in common is not only that Horowitz is the narrator, but that he also draws hasty conclusions that can sometimes lead to the goal, but can also lead to disaster.
The story begins with an elderly woman visiting a funeral home to plan her own funeral. A few hours later she lies murdered in her living room. During her funeral, her only son is brutally murdered. Who is behind this?
Hawthorn, a former police detective, investigates unorthodoxly in several directions. Does it have something to do with the car accident the lady caused ten years ago which killed a child or does it have something to do with her son who is an arrogant famous actor? The different strands of investigative approaches are often misleading. In addition, Hawthorne is very withdrawn and Horowitz has to invent a lot himself until he finally goes through all his notes and finds out how things are connected.
It was an interesting read and gave a lot to think about. I would happily recommend this book to anyone.

book 7 ♫ Read in German

 The Passenger

I stumbled across many audio books by Jean-Christophe Grangé in my local library. I loved the film adaptation The Crimson Rivers so I borrowed the audio books to download.

This book is about a 'homeless man' being admitted to the psychiatric emergency room in Bordeaux in the middle of the night.
The next day, a mutilated corpse is found, draped in a way that bears comparison to the Minotaur myth. Since the homeless man was found nearby, it is suspected that he could be the killer. Only this homeless man seems to have lost his memory and doesn't even like to remember his own name. The psychiatrist protects his patient, even as the young detective pulls out all the stops to learn more. With the help of forensic investigations he finds the homeless man's place of residence. He brings him back, but does not realize that he has been followed for a long time. His pursuers shoot the homeless man and he can only just save himself.
Back in Bordeaux, he realizes that he too suffers from a multiple personality disorder and that he isn't who he says he is. He is also no longer safe in this place and is looking for his true self.
Now the 'cat and mouse' game between him and his pursuers begins. Likewise, the young commissioner sits at his heels. At first she was convinced that he is the killer, over time she realizes that he is a victim.
The first stop is Marseille, where he was a patient in a psychiatric clinic for a while. He often painted there and his paintings brought in a lot of money when they were sold.
From there the path leads to Paris, where he finds out that he was an artist who has a lot of money. He even finds his loft and slips back into that role. But the whole way from Marseille to Paris is paved with corpses, which always have something in common with Greek mythology. In Paris he also realizes that he works for gangsters as a passport forger and that's how he made too much money.
Likewise, on his constant flight he has to realize that he has implanted some kind of chip. He can remove it painfully and can now no longer be tracked.
In his parents' house he finds a box with old documents that help to clarify who he is. So he finds the doctor who once treated his mother and is the real villain to whom he owes his whole misery.

This book captivated me from the first to the last page. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

book 8 ♫ Read in German

 Im Tal des Fuchses

In principle, I find Charlotte Link's books exciting, but I rarely warmed to this book. Why? There are many stories in one and yet they don't link properly. No sooner is a case finished than the book could also be finished. But then a link is laboriously sought so that the story can continue. That's what bothered me the most.
A woman is kidnapped and locked in a box in a cave. What was supposed to be a short-term ransom turns out to be a death sentence, as the kidnapper is arrested and sent to prison for several years.
A woman is 'set up' with the husband of the kidnapped woman by a friend. On the one hand, the husband shows interest in her, on the other hand, he is still looking for his wife.
When the kidnapper is finally released, he lives with a woman who does not want to realise that he might have killed someone. Only when another woman is kidnapped does she start looking for the first victim.
The girlfriend of the victim's husband also gets into danger, because the newly abducted victim is her friend.

book 9 Read in German

 Arrowood

It looks like this is the second book this year to make a link to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.
Arrowood can't stand Holmes. Since they live at the same time, Holmes' successes keep coming up. Arrowood's companion Barnett doesn't see it so closely.
A young French woman hires Arrowood and Barnett to find her brother. Unfortunately, she only tells them the truth in bits and pieces throughout the book. This puts not only Arrowood and Barnett in danger, but also many people very close to them. It starts with the two having to go into the territory of Stanley Cream, who threatened them with death on a previous case if they came near him again. In addition to Cream's gang, the Irish Feniers were also breathing down their necks. Unfortunately, they could not count on the help of the police either. Either they were corrupt or they were assigned to Holmes.

It was an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it

book 10 Read in German

 Orphan X

Once again I have discovered a new series that has grabbed me from the beginning. Like Anita, I think I'll soon have to make a note of all the series I've started so that I don't lose track of them.

Orphan X (Evan Smoak) was taken into a secret programme as a child. He was trained for years as a killing machine and worked off the books for the government, which used him to liquidate unpleasant contemporaries. In the process, he made an enormous amount of money.
But now he works independently for people who live on the fringes of society and need his help. He is the Nowhere Man. When a case is closed, all he asks is that his number be given to a person who needs his help. A young Latina woman asks for his help because a corrupt police officer wants to abuse her very young sister. In this first case, you learn about Evan's methods, as well as flashbacks from his training keep coming. His cover is also important, and we get to know Mia and Peter in the process.
Only, Evan is on the hit list and former other Orphans try to eliminate him. Soon Evan doesn't know who is setting him up and who is sympathetic to him. He must pull out all the stops to survive and most importantly, to protect people he cares about.
A great start to a new series, of which I will read the other books as well.

book 11 Read in German

 Tiefes, dunkles Blau

A great introduction to a new series set in my home town.
Not only does the author write a cosy thriller with reference to genetic modifications in the genetic make-up, but she also knows Zurich's old town very well with its winding squares and special courtyards. I could recognise everything and also the atmosphere and rhythm of life in the old town very well.
Rosa Zambrano is a maritime policewoman with heart and soul. She is already approaching forty and a long relationship recently ended. Her younger lesbian sister had her eggs frozen at Dr. Jansen's fertility clinic and encouraged Rosa to do the same. Shortly after Rosa's egg collection, Dr. Jansen is found dead in the lake. What at first looks like an accident soon turns out to be a murder. But who is behind it?
Rosa has to investigate together with Martin Weiss from the criminal police. The first path leads to the wife, who has long since divorced the doctor. It soon becomes clear that Dr. Jansen is involved in a start-up that already wants to perform genetic manipulation on foetuses. Is this the reason why he had to die? Further on, it also becomes clear that he has a young mistress and is also connected to a high-class brothel.
All these loose threads that Rosa has to weave into a whole. In conversations with friends, whom she loves to cook for with ingredients from her small courtyard garden, she sees things more clearly. Especially Richi's new life partner, who is a doctor, gives her important info.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the sequel.

book 12 Read in German

 The Marrying of Chani Kaufman

On the basis of a Jewish wedding, the Jewish traditions in an orthodox society are lovingly brought closer to the reader.
Chani is going to marry Baruch, but until then there are many hurdles to overcome, not only those of the bridal couple but also those of the protagonists involved. Rabbi Chaim and the Rebbetzin and their son Avrom also play an important role.
Chaim and Rebecca spent their young adult years in Jerusalem. Chaim to study the Torah and Rebecca to find out if the Jewish orthodox life is her thing. But the love for Chaim is stronger and so they got married. Thirty years later, however, she will question and regret this decision. Her son Avrom also fights with and against the Jewish rules. On the one hand he would like to break out and on the other hand he believes that he only feels secure in the strict Jewish rules.
Chani is one of eight daughters from a poor Jewish family. She has a mind of her own, believes that her orthodox faith is the only right one, but at the same time she wants to make gentle changes. When Baruch spots her at a wedding party, he knows he only wants her. But he didn't reckon with his mother. The Levy family is rich and therefore only wants a daughter-in-law from their milieu. So Baruch's mother tries to prevent the wedding, but she didn't count on Chani's resistance, who spoiled her soup.

I really enjoyed the story and I highly recommend it.

book 13 ♫ Read in German

 Die letzte Jagd

After seeing The Crimson Rivers as a movie, I was also impressed by the second volume in the Pierre Nieman series.
Niémans and Ivana investigate in the Black Forest. They should support the German investigative team, since the dead Jürgen von Geyersberg was found on Alsatian soil.
The von Geyersberg family live in the Black Forest and hunt in Alsace. There they regularly organize battues, which is forbidden in Germany. Jürgen von Geyersberg is found in the manner of a hunted game. The von Geyersbergs own a fortune worth several million. Laura, the dead man's sister, is not exactly willing to give information to the police. Niémans soon finds out that there is a curse on the family. Is that the reason why Jürgen had to die? A second identical murder soon occurs and Niémans and Ivana as well as their German colleague are in great danger.
This is a very fast paced crime thriller and the suspense is maintained to the very end.

book 14 Read in German

 La Clé USB

A very interesting book that at the same time stirs up fears but also underlines personal thoughts.
Jean Detrez works at the European Commission, which is tasked with preparing a feasibility study on European blockchain technology, which should ensure independence from China and the USA in the future.
Basically, he has something against lobbyists, but, at first for fun, he allows himself to be invited by two lobbyists without making any promises or signing anything, as he keeps emphasizing. At a meeting in a bar, he discovers a USB stick, which is the beginning of his personal misfortune.
He has to realize that almost a million euros paid to Bulgaria went into the pockets of a Chinese bitcoin company. Of course, that is not possible at all, since the EU does not want to join forces with China. Instead of discussing this with colleagues or superiors, he investigates on his own. He has received an invitation to Japan to give a guest lecture there. So he decides to leave two days early and make a stopover in China to see what's going on there. His worst fears are soon confirmed and to make matters worse, his laptop is stolen, on which his presentation for Japan is on it. He arrives in Japan with a very bad conscience, cannot give his lecture and only because his father is dying can he leave Japan again without much loss of face.
What fascinated me most is that all the concerns I have about cybercrime are addressed in this book and in no way diminished. Jean-Philippe Toussaint writes ironically and humorously, but the uneasiness about the content still leaves many questions unanswered that will probably never be clarified for the public.

book 15 Read in German

 Our Little Cruelties

This was a very amusing read. What I particularly liked was that the points of view of the three brothers and their daughter/niece were written as individual chapters. So I could put the 'events' together myself.
The book opens with a funeral scene, where two brothers stand at the coffin of their deceased brother and review their lives.
Each of the brothers feels that he was shortchanged during childhood. All together they found their mother chaotic and their father, who died much too early, the constant.
Each of the three has his own primal fears that he had to come to terms with. One of them perhaps managed a little better than the others, but had different problems than the others. The 'typical' sandwich child is also exaggerated in the best possible way. Is his final account the best for that?
They are jealous of each other, be it in terms of women or lifestyle. But in times of need they support each other, always with the ulterior motive of how they can profit from it.

book 16 Read in German

 Der Psychologe

This was a suspenseful psychological thriller set in the streets of Buenos Aires.
Pablo Rouviot is a psychologist, a man of language who knows that every word can mean something else than it appears to. One day, Paula Vannussi comes to his practice and asks him for a psychological opinion for her brother Javier, who has suffered from severe personality disorders since early childhood, to prove that he is incapable of guilt. It is alleged that Javier murdered his own father, a very influential businessman up to the highest political circles.
Pablo does not yet suspect what machinations he will be involved in, but he suspects that there is a dark drama behind it all. Javier is stationed in a private clinic for the third time, where he is treated by Dr. Rasseri. Pablo the psychologist has to work with the psychiatrist, which is not always so easy, but in Rasseri he has found someone who is sympathetic to him. Together with his closest friends, a policeman and Rasseri, Pablo gets to the bottom of the Vannussi family's dark secret, not without putting himself in the greatest danger.
The book gripped me from the first to the last page.

book 17 Read in German

 Das Krokodil

This is the first book in the Giuseppe Lojacono e i Bastardi di Pizzofalcone series and it hooked me straight away. No wonder, I love di Govanni's Commissario Ricciardi series too, which I haven't finished yet.
But now to this book. Inspector Lojacono has been transferred from Sicily to Naples. His Napoletan superior does not want Lojacono to have anything to do with a current case. He is supposed to spend his time doing nothing, playing games on the computer, in the office. While on night shift, he is involuntarily called to a murder case, where he arrives even before his superior. A young man is found dead with a shot in the neck. Only Lojacono notices the wet handkerchiefs in an alcove; everyone else immediately jumps into the investigation with the suspicion that the mafia is to blame. Lojacono does not agree with them and the only one who listens to him is the tough prosecutor Laura Piras. She takes him into the special commission, which Lojacono's superior does not like. There are more murders until they can solve the mystery. It is a vendetta that began years ago but is only now being carried out. The themes of abortion and drugs are at the forefront.
I will definitely continue with this series.

book 18 Read in German

 Harte Landung

Patsy Logan is a German-Irish detective with the Munich Criminal Investigation Department. She investigates the hot online company Skiller. Carolin Höller, top manager at the successful online exchange company Skiller, has it all: model career. Model marriage. Model children. Until she is found dead below her office window. It soon becomes clear: she didn't jump voluntarily. Patsy digs deeper and deeper into Carolin's life and the structures of Skiller, comes across buildings of lies and hollow facades. Even more so when she is sent to Skiller headquarters in Dublin. Of all places, the city she has given a wide berth to since her father's suicide. Not a good omen.
Together with her German colleague Kris Meyerhofer and the Irish colleague DS Bennett Ferguson, she sets out to solve the tricky case. In the process, she also has a lot on her plate in her private life. She and her husband are trying to overcome their childlessness, and in Ireland she is constantly reminded of the disappearance of her Irish father.
A super exciting book in, for me, a new series.

book 19 Read in German

 Leise, stirb leise

It is the first volume of the Lena Larcher series, which has not yet convinced me 100%.
As a young man he became a murderer. For 26 years he lives undiscovered as a respected member of society, as a husband and family man. But then the past catches up with him: A prostitute is found dead in Cologne, murdered according to "his" pattern from back then. This time he is innocent, but an unscrupulous blackmailer swears revenge. And the countdown is on. For Inspector Lena Larcher, this is a case that pushes her to her professional and personal limits. For she, too, is battling ghosts of the past. Her husband and son were killed in an accident in which she was driving. Is she to blame for the death of her family? Her relationship with her father, a retired inspector, is also strained, and her work partner is also in deep personal trouble. The current case resembles an unsolved case of her father. Can she solve both cases in the end?
What didn't really convince me about this story was that I had the feeling very early on that I knew the solution to the case. What I found exciting was the way the author described the characters, their joys, their sorrows and their quirks.

book 20 ♫ Read in German

 Die Rose der Welt

Peter Prange knows how to wrap up historical events in an exciting novel like no other.
"The Rose of the World" - this is how the University of Paris, founded in 1229, is praised throughout the Occident. It is a time when leading scientific thinkers want to practise their sciences without the church's blessing. This turns out not to be so easy, as the queen mother is very devout and domineering, while her underage son believes in science and would like to study this with renowned personalities.
Paul and Robert, two young men who grew up in the same village, want to study in Paris. While Robert takes this very seriously, Paul is a bon vivant and chases every skirt. He also runs a typing pool where copies of lectures and scientific papers are copied. Robert, on the other hand, wants to study theology and knows that he would have to be celibate. Will he succeed?
At carnival, they both get caught up in a "donkey mass", an orgiastic celebration by the students to mock the bishop and the priests. A riot breaks out, soldiers massacre the students. The aftermath shakes Paris and all of France. The Sorbonne goes on strike, a power struggle begins between the magisters and their students on the one hand and the authorities of church and state on the other. In the storm of unleashed powers, Robert must choose between his love of science and his career - and his love for the beautiful Marie, in whom he has found a soul mate. But Marie is the wife of his best friend Paul.
Once again a great novel that I highly recommend.

book 21 Read in German

 The Ice Beneath Her

This is a gripping psycho crime novel that is multi-layered, as it is not only about solving a case, but also about the psychological depths of various protagonists.
On the one hand, there is Peter, a detective who has fears of commitment, the origins of which can be found in his childhood. There is Hanna, the profiler, who has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia. Then we have Emma. She remains a mystery for a long time, even though one quickly gets the feeling that she has major psychological problems. Then there is Jesper, the boss of a large clothing company. And there are Manfred and Sanchez, Peter's work colleagues.
The body of a young woman is found in the flat of the rich businessman Jesper Orre - brutally murdered. There is no trace of him. Ten years ago there was a very similar case - unsolved. Hanne, the profiler from back then, is therefore asked to investigate. She has to delve into the past, and her present is becoming blurred. Her existence is increasingly cracked, and the two cases connect in an unpleasant way.
The story switches back and forth between Peter, Hanna and Emma. As a reader, you are drawn into a maelstrom that won't let you go.
A very exciting story, and you hardly want to put the book aside.

book 22 Read in German

 Holding

Duneen is at the very bottom of the south of Ireland. There are no big dramas here, yet the people in Duneen could be a little happier. Sergent PJ Collins wasn't always so outrageously fat that everyone made fun of him. Brid Riordan didn't use to indulge in alcohol. Evely Ross once hoped to find meaning in life someday. The other residents of Duneen awaken from their slumber with wild speculation, gossip when bones are found one day at Burke Farm.
Old wounds open and old lies come to light, new conflicts flare up as PJ tries to solve his first real case. No one would put it past him and he surprises himself the most.
There is a quiet and fine way in which this mystery is written, a kind of drama between humour and gloom with a lot of love for the protagonists.

book 23 Read in German

 Russische Botsschaft

This was a very gripping and exciting read. You notice that the author is a journalist with heart and soul who gets to the bottom of important issues.
This is about how Russia actively infiltrates politicians, activists and journalists and also tries to cover this up with violence.
In the middle of Berlin-Neuköln, a man falls from a balcony in front of the eyes of investigative journalist Merle Schwalb. Who is this dead man who, according to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is not dead at all? She soon realises that the man was a Russian agent with a dangerous mission.
Together with a handful of other journalists she trusts, she tries to unravel the web of lies and discovers that people in her own circle have also been bought by the Russians.
It is a book about the risky work of investigative reporters and their struggle for honest information. I couldn't put the book down.

book 24 Read in German

 Schwarze Seele

This is the second volume in the Patsy Logan series. A man is recovered dead from the river. It soon becomes clear that it is a visitor from Ireland who has gone missing from his sister. In Munich, he wanted to bring his still-wife Fee home. But Fee has very different plans than to return to Ireland with her abusive husband. More and more people die around Fee. Why? What is behind all this?
Detective Inspector Patsy Logan just wants to be left alone. For a long time she has been trying to get pregnant with the help of artificial insemination, but unfortunately she never succeeds. To make matters worse, her good-for-nothing brother comes to visit, upsetting Patsy and Stefan's already fragile married life. And there's her work colleague Kris, who doesn't quite seem to be on the case either. What is going on with her?
This was another very gripping thriller and I am already looking forward to the next volume.

And again BB's for me.
All the best for you, Barbara!

book 25 Read in German

 Die Taten der Toten

Yes, I admit, this series is really addictive and I would love it to never stop.
Stina Forss, who has been lucky enough to escape death for the umpteenth time, fakes her own death so that she can investigate her enemies. The only one who knows she is still alive is her boss Ingrid Nyström, who has ghosts of her own to deal with, because her daughter-in-law was murdered when an attempt was made on Stina's life.
Stina has found a gun that she thinks was used to murder Olaf Palme. The gun belonged to her father. What does he have to do with Palme's murder? In which circles did he move at that time and did those people order the murder of Stina? She cannot solve the case alone. Nyström tries to help her, but soon realises that she can't do it alone and asks her team for help. It is a race to the death?
It is again a gripping plot that delves into the political history of Sweden and shows which corrupt powers rule the world.

book 26 Read in German

 Dunkles Arles

I actually like the Roger Blanc series, but this time it didn't convince me so much.
Roger wants to spend a quiet weekend in Arles with his mistress, the examining magistrate Aveline Vialaron-Allègre. But it doesn't come to that, because before they meet, Aveline is threatened and a dead man is found underneath the tower of the Ampyitheatre. Avline's handbag is stolen by the murderer and contains important documents that she should hand over to her husband, the Minister of the Interior in Paris. The 'romantic' weekend turns into a hunt for the missing handbag. There are more deaths and a bitter fight against the Front National, in which the chief policeman of Arles and the minister of culture of Arles play an important role.
I hope I like the next book in this series better than this one.

book 27 ♫ Read in German

 Speaking in Bones

I like the Temperance Brennan series and this one didn't disappoint either.
Temperance is visited by Hazel "Lucky" Strike who has a tape recording of a missing girl (Cora) and claims that some of Cora's bones are at the Temperance Institute. An unsolved murder case? Brennan, together with local police officers, sets out to find more bones and soon realises that there must be another dead body. The search also leads her into a devout society that definitely does not want anyone digging around in them.
Along the way, Brennan also has to deal with Ryan's marriage proposal. Is she ready to give up everything and move to Canada, or would there be another solution?
An exciting thriller whose twist was not predictable for a long time.

book 28 Read in German

 Schlüssel 17

This is the first volume in the Tom Babylon series and grabbed me from the start.
Tom is a detective with the LKA in Berlin. In this book there is a constant switching between events nineteen years ago and today. Tom was born in East Germany and spent part of his childhood under the East German flag. In his teenage years, he belonged to a clique whose members also play an important role in the present, especially since some of them are murdered.
The former bishop is found dead in a bizarre way in the Berlin cathedral. She has a key with the number 17 around her neck, a key that Tom and his childhood friends found in a dead body 19 years earlier. On the same day, his little sister also disappeared. Tom is convinced that on the one hand this key at the bishop's has something to do with the story from back then and on the other hand he still believes that his sister is alive.
A race against time begins. The murderer kills one former childhood friend after the other. Tom doesn't only have friends in the LKA and when he inquires with former Stasi functionaries, it becomes dangerous for him as well. At his side is police psychologist Stina Johanns, who, like Tom, has to deal with old ghosts from earlier times.
The story is very varied and excitingly written. It also gives an insight into the Stasi era shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. I will definitely read the next volume as well.

book 29 Read in German

 42 Grad

This is an exciting eco-thriller that gripped me from the first page to the last.
Europe: sun, heat and drought, that's just the beginning. The settings are in France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, but all the other European countries are also suffering the same fate.
It is a millennium summer and people are looking forward to cooling down. Only hydrologist Julius Denner and IT specialist Elsa Forsberg warn about the consequences of the heat. Noah Luethy, a specialist in water supply, soon sounds the alarm, because in various European cities the water in the water supplies is beginning to run dry and the quality can no longer be guaranteed. In addition, someone is trying to kill him because he is on the trail of someone who is manipulating the water supplies. There are more and more 'water refugees', as water is no longer flowing from the taps everywhere. One of them is Kerstin Lange and her children, who wants to flee from Brandenburg to Bavaria. Florian Herzog from the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is on the road day and night to put out fires and supply the population with water tanks.
All five meet during their struggle to get to the bottom of the cause. They only receive support from the BKA, as everything has to be done in secret. The politicians fail all along the way, including the EU, because in their view they don't want to scare people unnecessarily. But the people in Europe have long since run out of water. But wait: help is coming from Russia through an oligarch close to Putin who promises that he can deliver water. Soon it will also become clear that the water supplies no longer function due to software manipulation. Terrorists seem to be at work, but who is behind it? It is a race against time.
Once again, it shows me how vulnerable everything that has to do with software can be. How quickly something can be hacked, even if it is claimed that 'everything is safe'. How stupid is humanity being taken for?
It is a great book that shows the weaknesses of politicians, the corruptions and the greed for power. And the 'normal' people are powerless.

book 30 ♫ Read in German

 Achtsam morden

A thousand thanks SirThomas for bringing this series to my attention.
Björn Diemel is a successful lawyer who has very little time for his wife and young daughter. His wife demands that he attend a mindfulness course and that he temporarily live somewhere else. In addition to 'father time' when he has to look after Emily, he also has to look for a kindergarten place for his daughter. After more than 30 applications and many rejections, it seems that he would not find a place.
The mindfulness course seems to bear fruit, because Björn applies it consistently, even if he sometimes has to twist the meaning of the details in his favour.
When a quiet weekend at the lake with his daughter is planned, his main client, a gangster boss, gets in his way. With the help of the mindfulness guidebook, Björn gets rid of the troublemaker, but has to realise afterwards that more problems now arise. But that's where the guidebook helps him and he feels justified in killing someone mindfully.
It is an extremely amusing crime novel and I often had to smile.

book 31 Read in German

 Todesglut

This is an exciting first crime novel set on the island of Rügen.
An academy of crime has taken up residence in an old villa. The faculty consists of a forensic scientist, a specialist in camouflage and a former commissioner of Rügen who lived in Brazil for five years and only recently returned to Rügen. He chose an unsolved death on Rügen so that the students could use this example to train their skills. Of course, he wants to solve this case himself, because he does not trust his successor. Privately, the ex-commissioner also has a lot on his plate, as he would like to adopt the autistic son of his deceased colleague. To do so, however, he urgently needs a flat. Since his return from Brazil, he has been living in a caravan.
Solving the unsolved case is much more difficult than expected, as new dead bodies keep turning up that have something to do with the unsolved case. The students also find themselves in the greatest danger. Who can the ex-commissioner still trust? Who is the enemy?

book 32 Read in German

 Invisible

'Blameless' people murder other people in the most brutal way. What is behind it? Detectives Nina Salamon and Daniel Buchholz have their hands full.
It starts when a well-known heart surgeon walks into the middle of a colleague's operating theatre and brutally murders the patient with a scalpel. Yet he has nothing whatsoever to do with this patient. A little later, a man is brutally stabbed in his flat, but the heart surgeon is already behind bars. No sooner are the detectives at the scene of the crime than another murder is committed in the middle of the public. A man beats an innocent man to death.
What do these murders have in common? How can another murder be prevented? To make matters worse, both detectives fall into the trap themselves and allow themselves to be lulled into it.
Very excitingly written.

book 33 ♫ Read in German

 You Don't Own Me

Five years ago, the highly respected Dr Martin Bell was shot dead in his driveway. The perpetrator remained unknown. Now Martin's desperate parents ask Laurie Moran for help: she is to bring the mentally unstable widow, whom they believe to be the culprit, to justice. Laurie digs herself deeper and deeper into the harrowing connections and doesn't even notice that she herself has become the target of a stalker. A stalker whose hatred for her seems to know no bounds.
I was also gripped by this volume of the series.

book 34 Read in German

 Racheherbst

The second volume of the Walter Pulaski series also kept me captivated from the first page to the last.
The mutilated body of a young woman washes up under a Leipzig bridge. Walter Pulaski, a cynical police investigator, quickly realises that the murder of the prostitute Natalie is not a top priority for his colleagues. He investigates on his own - at his side Natalie's mother Mikaela, who wants to avenge her daughter's death at any cost. Together they come across the bloody trail of a serial killer, which runs via Prague and Passau all the way to Vienna. There, the young lawyer Evelyn Meyers has just taken on her own first case as a criminal defence attorney. It is about a brutal murder of a woman - and a fatal misjudgement almost makes Evelyn the next victim herself. Pulaski also finds herself in extreme danger during the investigation.

book 35 Read in German

 Stiller als der Tod

A remote mountain village in the Engadine. Two journalists in search of the truth. A killer more cruel than any animal.
When a man is mauled by a bear in the Swiss mountains, journalist Marco Besana is assigned to report on the accident. But Besana, who has been in the business for a long time, believes it was an ordinary mountain accident. Only at the urging of the young reporter Ilaria Piatti, who senses a hot story, does Besana decide to set off with her for the high Engadine valley. The two of them don't have to look far to find more mysterious deaths, and a dark premonition slowly creeps up on Besana: a serial killer is wreaking havoc in the supposedly peaceful valley. A serial killer who is wilder than any animal.
To make matters worse, Besana falls in love with one of the main protagonists and Piatti has the feeling of forming a kind of friendship with another.
I love Correnti's books. He brings you very close to nature and people.

book 36 Read in German

 Motherland

Saint Petersburg today can be deadly. A young woman disappears in the half-light of the White Nights.
Inspector Natalya Ivanova, known as much for her integrity as for her sharp tongue, is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a Swedish student. Her team investigates under high pressure, as the victim's father is extremely wealthy and her bosses want a quick success in the investigation. In fact, the case seems to be solved when a completely burnt body is found. Next to the remains: Zena Dahl's handbag, on which fingerprints can be found. But Natalya is sure that someone is pulling the strings in the background, and she does everything she can to uncover the true connections, against the instructions of her superiors. In doing so, she not only puts her own life in danger.
Natalya Ivanova does not bow to any system, but pursues only one goal, whatever the cost: the truth.
Excitingly written and you either begin to love or hate the protagonists.

book 37 Read in German

 Tod in der Provence

This in a thrilling cozy mystery first in a new series for me.
Albin Leclerc has recently retired as commissioner. He has been given a pug named Tyson by his colleagues, like the boxer, to give him something to do, as everyone fears he will continue to interfere with cases.
But Leclerc wouldn't be Leclerc if he didn't continue to do so anyway. There is, in his eyes, a serial murder that he has never been able to solve. And promptly another young red-haired woman is found dead with her feet missing. Leclerc is quickly on the scene, much to the chagrin of his ex-colleagues and the prosecutor. With small bribes here and there, he gets his information and begins to investigate on his own.
His love life also gets a boost from the florist Valérie, who is a good cook but also a good listener.
The main protagonists quickly grew on me and I will definitely read the next volume.

book 38 Read in German

 The Crow Girl

This is the first volume of the Victoria Bergman trilogy. It is an insanely dark and incredibly powerful book.
It is about a young woman who was grossly sexually abused by her father when she was a child. She received no support and not only developed a split personality, but also took advantage of young boys, whom she subdued and abused, but also killed.
Jeanette Kihlberg, a Stockholm detective, is looking for the murderer after a boy is found dead in a park. His body shows signs of severe abuse. Kihlberg also has private problems and only realises when it is already too late that she is putting herself and her family in great danger with this investigation.

book 39 Read in German

 Schwarzer Sand

This is the first volume in the Vanina Guarrasi series and this series is addictive.
While a small village at the foot of Mount Etna is enveloped in a fog of ash, Alfio Burrano makes a gruesome discovery in a venerable villa: the mummified body of a woman is writhing in a dumbwaiter, the remains of a silk scarf still hanging from her skull. Her expensive costume, the pearl necklaces and the make-up case look as if they come from a decade long gone. The police are baffled. Giovanna Guarrasi, tough, experienced driver and just transferred from Palermo to the mobile task force, is entrusted with the case. As it proves to be unexpectedly difficult to establish the identity of the body, she calls in a retired inspector to help. Their investigations reveal a story full of abysses that lead them deeper and deeper into a conspiratorial community.
I highly recommend this book.

book 40 Read in German

 Tod in der Bibliothek

What makes this book mysterious from the start is that the author JB Lawless is the pseudonym for a well-known author whose books are only available in German translation and no one knows who is behind this pseudonym.
This cosy mystery could be placed in the Agatha Christie category.
It all takes place around Christmas time in 1957 in Ireland. A dead priest is found in the manor house one morning. Detective Strafford leads the investigation in his own level-headed way. It almost seems that nothing can rattle him. He has to research the past of the dead man and quickly encounters resistance from the Catholic Church, which would prefer to stop the investigation. It is about the dark chapter of sexual abuse of young people who were placed in church institutions without parents.

book 41 ♫ Read in German

 Purpurne Rache

It almost seems like this is going to be my Jean-Christophe Grangé year, but to be honest, his books are addictive and this one is no exception.
Grégoire Morvan, grey eminence of the French Ministry of the Interior, was successful in the seventies with lucrative business deals in the Congo. And he caught the notorious killer Homme-Clou there, who in his time murdered nine people following a bestial ritual. When a dead man is found at a Breton military school, his gruesome disfigurement resembling Homme-Clou's modus operandi, and Morvan's family is acutely threatened, he must use all means to confront the shadows of a past that has never ceased to thirst for blood. He enlists his son Ewan, who is a detective superintendent in Paris, for this purpose. Ewan, knowing full well that his father is 'dirty', threatens to expose him.
This is not only about catching a murderer, but also about the father-son relationship, which is on very shaky ground.

book 42 Read in German

 Das Mädchen und die Fremde

Two years ago I had read a book from this series and it didn't surprise me how quickly I was immersed in it again and could remember everything before.
A mother fears for her child. When Detective Inspector Emma Sköld wakes up in hospital, she has no idea at first what has happened. The last thing she remembers is that she left for the stables, leaving her four-week-old daughter with her partner Kristoffer. Now she learns that she has been in a coma for five months after a riding accident. But was it really an accident? And why did Kristoffer bring his ex-girlfriend Hillevi into the house to take care of little Ines? Only a colleague from the police stands by her - he also has doubts about the accident theory. She cannot get any help from her father, the former head of the criminal investigation department. On the contrary, he unwittingly puts her life in extreme danger.

book 43 Read in German

 Tödliche Algarve

I stumbled across Carolina Conrad's books once again and the warm summer temperatures told me I should read her new books.
Three hikers disappear within a short time on an ancient pilgrimage route. For Chief Inspector João Almeida, this is particularly tricky: One of the missing is his half-sister Liliana. Then a body is found, mutilated by wild boars. But it is not Liliana. Almeida takes over the investigation, but is muzzled. In order not to endanger tourism in the region, the motto is: not a word about murder. He asks his girlfriend, the German journalist Anabela Silva, for support. Not suspecting that this would put her in the sights of a cold-blooded murderer.
What I liked is that a lot of João and Anabela's private life is revealed. Anabela encourages João to finally get in touch with his half-sister, which is very difficult for him because he still cannot forgive his late father for having a second family. Anabela's father is getting worse and worse with his dementia, pushing her and her mother to the brink.

book 44 Read in German

 Stürmische Algarve

An unusual cold front is moving across the sun-drenched Algarve this early autumn. Storm, rain and cold also affect the tourists. An Austrian woman dies. She had been heating her mobile home with a wood barbecue - and suffered carbon monoxide poisoning. The press calls the highly toxic gas the "Silent Killer".
The journalist Anabela Silva has just returned from a short trip to the coast. She remembers a fleeting contact with the deceased. Strange that there is no mention of the Austrian's husband in the newspaper. Was it perhaps not a tragic accident at all? Anabela alerts her friend, Chief Inspector João Almeida. And while he is searching for the husband, traces of blood are found on the camper. They come from a third person.
While Anabela works as a translator for João and a notary, the situation about her father's health comes to a head. Then the phone rings with the news that a place is available in the home. Will her father like it there and how will her mother fare?