Barbara's (Ameise1) world and adventures (2)

So, it's time for a new thread. I'm currently enjoying a wellness holiday in the Black Forest. Next week I'll be spending another week's holiday at home before my last nine weeks before retirement begin on 13 May, 35 working days to be precise. I can then cross them off one by one :-D.

January
# 1 The Invisible Man From Salem by Christoffer Carlsson (4 stars)
# 2 Closed For Winter by Jørn Lier Horst (4½ stars)
# 3 The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher (5 stars)
# 4 Schach mit dem Tod by Steffen Jacobsen (4 stars)
# 5 The Golem by Isaak Bashevis Singer (4 stars)
# 6 Mordsand by Romy Fölck (4 stars) 🎧
# 7 Leichenschilf by Anna Jansson (3½ stars)
# 8 The Hunting Dog by Jørn Lier Horst (4½ stars)
# 9 Mitten im August by Luca Ventura (4 stars)
#10 You Will Never Be Found by Tove Alsterdal (4½ stars)

February
#11 Das Leuchten über dem Gipfel by Lenz Koppelstätter (4½ stars)
#12 Aquitania by Eva García Sáenz (5 stars)
#13 Murder At Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge (4½ stars)
#14 Whiteout by Ragnar Jonasson (4 stars)
#15 The Seventh Cross by Anna Seghers (3½ stars) 🎧
#16 Number 11 by Jonathan Coe (3½ stars)
#17 Todesmelodie by Andreas Franz, Daniel Holbe (4 stars)
#18 The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths (4½ stars)
#19 Dunkelkinder by Nora Luttmer (4 stars)

March
#20 I Am Your Judge by Nele Neuhaus (4½ stars)
#21 Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (4½ stars)
#22 Die Hornisse by Marc Raabe (4½ stars) 🎧
#23 Zorn – Tod und Regen by Stephan Ludwig (4 stars)
#24 Die rote Mütze by Daniel de Roulet (4½ stars)
#25 The Bone Readers by Jacob Ross (4½ stars)
#26 Die Spur der Aale by Florian Wacker (4½ stars)
#27 Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati (4 stars)

April
#28 Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford (4 stars) 🎧
#29 Eine Formalie in Kiew by Dmitrij Kapitelman (4½ stars)
#30 The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo (4½ stars)
#31 Zorn - Vom Lieben und Sterben by Stephan Ludwig (4½ stars)
#32 Bittersüsse Zitronen by Luca Ventura (4 stars)
#33 Farewell Ghosts by Nadia Terranova (4½ stars)
#34 Die Kunst zu sterben by Anna Grue (4 stars) 🎧
#35 The Bastards of Pizzofalcone by Maurizio de Giovanni (4½ stars)
#36 Death in Summer by Lina Areklew (4½ stars)

May
#37 Rachewinter by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)
#38 Deadline in Athens by Pétros Márkaris (4 stars)
#39 Die Infantin trägt den Scheitel links by Helena Adler (5 stars)
#40 Eine Frau aus Tirana by Helena Kadare (4 stars)
#41 Der rote Judas by Thomas Ziebula (4 stars)
#41 Congo Requiem by Jean-Christophe Grangé (4½ stars) 🎧
#42 A Grave for Two by Anne Holt (4 stars)

Currently reading
 Teufelsfrucht

Currently listening
 Vollmond Über der Cote d'Azur

book 35 Read in German

 The Bastards of Pizzofalcone

I'm a big fan of Maurizio de Giovanni's crime novels and the second volume of the Giuseppe Lojacono series also gripped me from the first to the last page.
The Pizzofalcone police station is in danger of being disbanded. The most 'hated' officers from various police stations in Naples are transferred to this police station. What nobody thinks is possible is that this conspiratorial squad can get together and solve unsolvable cases.
The wife of a notary is found dead in her flat. All the evidence points to the notary and his mistress. Only Inspector Lojacono doubts it. But finding the real murderer seems to be a sisifus job. At the same time, an old woman reports the new occupant of the neighbouring house. Is she being held captive there? This case also seems to be tricky, but the two new ruffians at the police station have a good feeling and are able to solve this mystery too. There are also various 'suicides' that the station's oldest policeman refuses to believe in. And last but not least, there is Lojacono's love and family life, where things don't seem to be moving forward either.

book 36 Read in German

 Death in Summer

This is the first volume in the Sofia Hjortén series, set in the archipelago of Sweden. Written in a very exciting and varied way, with lots of details about the different characters. I will definitely continue reading this series.
Sofia Hjortén has turned her back on her career as a detective in Stockholm and is devoting herself to the unagitated police service in the coastal region of Ulvön. But then, on Midsummer, a man is found horribly beaten to death on the jetty. Not only Sofia's current love life, but also that of the past, interfere with her solving the case. What's more, nobody realises for a long time that this murder and the subsequent ones have something to do with a midsummer forty years ago. Who is taking revenge after such a long time?

My lazy April stats:



Authors Gender and origin:

Women: 4
Men: 5

Denmark: 1
Germany: 1
Italy: 2
Japan: 1
Sweden: 1
Ukraine/Germany: 1
UK: 1
unknown: 1

>7 Ameise1: Solid April's reading, Barbara!

Happy new thread.

Thanks so much Rdear. *smooches*

Getting comfy in my armchair to enjoy your thread

Whereabouts in the Black Forest are you vacationing, Barbara? I have stayed in Baden-Baden and in the Freiburg area. I hope the weather is good so you can get in some nice walks.

>10 Nickelini: Thanks so much Joyce, glad to see you here.

>11 labfs39: I am in Schluchsee. It rained on Sunday and Monday morning. Since then, in addition to spa treatments and fine dining, I've been enjoying reading on the terrace in mild temperatures.

>12 Ameise1: in addition to spa treatments and fine dining, I've been enjoying reading

Those are all good options too!

>Isn't it? 😀

Happy new thread, Barbara!

Enjoy your time in Schluchtsee. We have been near there once, a bit more north in Gütenbach.
So glad you are getting near your retirement,

>15 FAMeulstee: Thank you very much, Anita. I had to google Gütenbach. It's actually only 50 kilometres from here. Yes, I'm really looking forward to retirement 😍.
I'm travelling home again tomorrow.

Glad you are having a relaxing time! How exciting that your retirement is close.

Happy new thread and safe travels

>17 figsfromthistle: Thank you very much, Anita. I really enjoy it. 😀

>9 Ameise1: Good gravy! Someone made a 1959 Cadillac even LONGER?! Those beasts are almost 6 meters long from the factory!

Good weekend-ahead's reads!

>19 richardderus: Isn't it? I was very surprised when I saw the photo. It's not for nothing that we call these cars 'ships'. Have a great weekend too. *smooches*

book 37 Read in German

 Rachewinter

The third volume of the Walter Pulaski series was also captivating.
People are being murdered by a mysterious woman in a red dress in and around Leibzig and Vienna. While Pulaski is convinced that the dead man in the motel, who was the father of his daughter's best friend, did not die of natural causes, the dead man in Vienna was brutally murdered. Evelyn Meyers is supposed to represent the guilty party in court, but soon realises that the accused is probably not the culprit, but someone else who bears a striking resemblance to him. What is behind this?
In Leibzig, Pulaski is mainly concerned with preventing his daughter and her friend from investigating on their own.
Very slowly, with enormous suspense, the reader is drawn into the machinations of a family drama. Whereas in previous cases Pulaski and Meyers investigated very quickly, in this case it takes a long time for their paths to cross.

>21 Ameise1: I like that book's cover, as well as its plot. Maybe someday an English version of the series will be released....

Happy New Thread, Barbara!
>21 Ameise1: And another series to be read...

Ah, cool! A new thread. Glad to have found it sooner rather than later. I always enjoy your reviews. Cheers!

>22 richardderus: Rdear, I'm a huge fan of Andreas Gruber's books. I hope for everyone that his books will be translated one day.

>23 SirThomas: I can highly recommend it to you, Thomas. Have you already read the Sneijder & Nemez series? Also highly recommended.

>24 rocketjk: Thank you very much, Jerry. It's good to hear that you like my reviews.

book 38 Read in German ROOT 4

 Deadline in Athenes

This is the first volume in the Inspector Kostas Charitos series. He is the head of the homicide squad in Athens and is supervised by Nikolaos Gikas. They are not always on the same page, as Charitos is a gut man and his boss only works with facts. Despite many misunderstandings, Gikas has Charitos' back. Charitos is married, and even though he loves his wife, they often have arguments.
Charitos investigates together with Sotiris and Thanassis. They are called to a house where two Albanians have been found dead. Despite questioning the neighbours, they make no progress. If it wasn't for the ambitious journalist Jana Karajorgi, who spreads the word that there must be another child. The TV journalist stops at nothing and keeps spreading new stories until she is found murdered shortly before the midnight programme. Now Charitos and his team get a new lead and wonder why the journalist had to die. Her successor is also found dead shortly afterwards. Charitos also realises that there is a mole inside the police department. Who is it?
The case escalates into child trafficking and power games. It is written in such an exciting and varied way that the reader only realises who the culprit is on the last page.

book 39 Read in German

 Die Infantin trägt den Scheitel links

The first thing to say: Powerful language - unambiguous-ambiguous. The author has such powerful language that it is a real pleasure to read this book.
She, the youngest daughter, the tender child, burns down her parents' farm. It is not an accident, but also self-defence. An act of self-assertion against the imposition of growing up under the regime of her parents, a sanctimonious, bigoted mother and a father with a fatal penchant for alcohol, pyrotechnics and esotericism. Not to mention the older twin sisters, two ice princesses who have sprung from an evil fairy tale and play tricks on her, the infanta in stable boots, wherever they can. And, of course, the huntsmen, priest, relatives and mayor are not absent from this idyllic home, which is painted in the most beautiful colours of hell and where things are so tangible and hearty. It tells of things as if they were beyond belief. Shrill, coarse, unadorned, snotty and tough as country life can be.
I had a great time, even if certain things make you think.

>25 Ameise1: The series is high up on my mount TBR!
I know the Sneijder & Nemez series and enjoyed the reading.

>26 Ameise1: Thank God I have already read this one ;-).

>27 Ameise1: And another BB!

Have a wonderful long weekend, Barbara.

Not long now until retirement, Barbara! Dave is sure enjoying his retirement. It's just been since April 21st, but know he wonders how he had the time to work! But he is 67 . Have a great long weekend and Happy New Thread!

>28 SirThomas: Hello Thomas, it's good that you've already read a few books ;-), but of course I'm pleased that I was able to recommend another one to you.
Have a nice Whitsun weekend.

>29 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deborah, there are only 31 working days left. Yes, we keep hearing that retired people have a full daily schedule. I'm really looking forward to it.

book 40 Read in German

 Eine Frau aus Tirana

I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but it was definitely worth reading.
The story is told by a young woman who works in the state book publishing house in Albania, which was still closed at the time under the leadership of Enver Hoxha. 'The Big Boss', as he is known in the publishing industry, dominates the events of this book.
On the one hand, it is forbidden to make references to great authors from earlier times because, despite their great renown, they do not fit in politically with the times. It is as if they are trying to erase the history of Albania. This is almost unbearable for many employees in the publishing industry. They live in constant fear of being punished and the punishments were terrible.
On the other hand, the protagonist talks about the role of women in the closed Albania, which nobody would accept from today's perspective of the Western world.
This story gives a deep insight into life at that time, how people tried to cope with everyday life and how 'rebellious spirits' tried to create small freedoms for themselves.
It is a book that I can warmly recommend.

book 41 Read in German

 Der rote Judas

A new series for me centred around Inspector Paul Stainer, set in Leibzig around 1920.
Inspector Paul Stainer is one of the first soldiers to return home from being a prisoner of war in France. He is back on his birthday of all days and wants to fall into the arms of his beloved wife Edith. But some of the letters he received from her during the war do not bode well. The marriage had not been perfect before, too often his job took precedence. Then Edith thought he was dead and has been in a relationship with Eugen Brand for some time, who, to Paul's annoyance, is around twenty years older. But while things are in crisis in his private life, an unexpected professional opportunity arises, as the Chief of Police, Dr Kubitz, is expecting him back on duty. Not only that, but he is also promoted to detective inspector and thus head of the criminal investigation department. However, there is not much time for reflection as events suddenly come thick and fast. A secondary school teacher is murdered, a tax official from Berlin allegedly commits suicide by hanging and there is a wild shoot-out in a villa belonging to Weingarten, a well-known factory owner, in which three people are killed. Stainer and trainee detective Siegfried Junghans are soon on the trail of a perfidious network, as the deaths are connected and affect Stainer more personally than he could have imagined.
A very vivid portrayal of the post-war period with a gripping plot that frequently switches between the police and the perpetrators. The characters are superbly designed, there is plenty of action and political background knowledge. This makes history fun.

book 42 Read in German 🎧

 Congo Requiem

A hellish ride into the heart of African darkness.
No one keeps his dark secrets as well hidden as Grégoire Morvan: family tyrant, unscrupulous businessman and grey eminence of the French Ministry of the Interior. In the 1970s, Morvan brought down a bestial killer in the Congo. Following a cruel ritual, the "nail man" left his victims riddled with nails and shards of mirror.
And now he seems to have a mysterious successor who is threatening Morvan's entire family! Morvan's son Erwan, an inspector with the Paris police, travels to the Congo on his own to find out his father's true story. Little does he realise that he is opening the gates to hell.
What impressed me was that Grangé is able to describe the political events in the Congo and the catastrophic life for the population there so accurately. The tragic thing is that not much has changed to this day.
It was exciting from the very beginning and keeps you guessing until the very end how things will turn out.

book 43 Read in German

 A Grave for Two

This is the first volume in the Selma Falck series and it grabbed me straight away.
Selma is a lawyer, but because she has done some crooked things and relieved clients, in particular Jan Morell, of money, she is now faced with nothing and fights to prevent charges being brought against her. Jan Morell gives her a chance, but in return she has to find out why Jan's daughter, a gifted cross-country skier, gave a positive doping test. Selma soon realises that things are going wrong in the Norwegian cross-country skiing association. What's more, well-known personalities (athletes, but also members of the association) are being found dead. Who is behind it all? Selma gets support from a sports journalist. While Morell was more of a hindrance at the beginning, he proves to be a help towards the end.
Grippingly written, with many twists and turns. I will definitely continue with this series.

>31 Ameise1: Ooh, I wish this one were translated into English.

>31 Ameise1: and >32 Ameise1: both sound good but not available in English, unfortunately. Perhaps translations will come...

>32 Ameise1: Drat the luck! It doesn't look like this series has been translated into English...I hope yet, but suspect it won't be because it's pretty resolutely German. I tried learning German years ago and it just refused to click into place, and I'm still disappointed about that.

Lovely week-ahead's reads, Barbara!

>30 Ameise1: Thank you very much, Barbara, I wish you the same.
I still have 64 working days left.
Sometimes I feel like a child waiting for Christmas...