Balaclava

by Campbell Jefferys

Climate change. Water shortages. Crowded cities. Economic inequality. Limited opportunity. Unemployment. Politicians who only care about the 1%. People are angry and the world is on edge. Millions of people are ready to fight for the change they want. All they need is a leader.

The death of a police officer at a violent protest in Hamburg results in new battle lines being drawn in Germany and across with government officials and law enforcement on one side and disparate groups of protesters on the other. Mara Steinbach is out to save her brother, wanted for the police murder, but finds herself caught up in a burgeoning revolution, led by the mysterious Modra organisation that’s trying to unite protest groups into one force.

Genres: Crime

570 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2023

About the author

It started in the hills near Perth, where he was brought rather quietly and with little fanfare into the world. The farming area tucked in the south-west corner of Western Australia became forever his reference point, but even then the world seemed broad and large, with the fields of wheat stretching to the horizon. But the whole world could not simply have been a field of wheat. There had to be more. So, a foray in the big city, slaving through low-paid jobs, struggling and then succeeding, briefly, to make a sporting career in basketball, until succumbing reluctantly to academia. The history graduate, bored and restless, heads off to see the world. He lands a part-time job with a daily paper in a small Canadian town, convinces major newspapers he's a player on the freelance travel writing scene and manages to sell a few articles. Travels some more, hitchhiking across America. Tries to write novels but no one is interested; not even him. Works on travel guide books, lands in Europe, settles in Germany, does the required tenure teaching English, and keeps trying to write a good book. Moves to Berlin and finally a story emerges that makes all the words fall into place. 'The Bicycle Teacher' was published in January 2006. His follow up novel 'Hunter' came out in early 2009. Campbell is also the author of 'A Lord's Revenge', a novella for English language learners published by Compact Verlag while his articles have graced the pages of newspapers and magazines across the globe. In May 2009, 'Hunter' won the general fiction category of the 2009 Indie Book Awards (www.indiebookawards.com) and finished runner-up in the overall fiction category. 'True Blue Tucker' won the bronze at the 2012 IPPYs in the Australia/NZ section.

Reviews

[readwithvel (bookishrebel01)]

This is not my typical read/genre but when I saw the synopsis of this book I was intrigued. With the current issues we are all facing I was interested in getting a deeper look at someone else's thoughts and experiences and how that translates into a fictional story.

Balaclava is an interesting read that deals with current social and environmental issues and the horrors of our world. This story covers many topics such as the power of protests, climate change, sexism, courage, capitalism, economic equality, and more.

This book is filled with drama, suspense, rebellion, political intrigue, and current issues. I loved Mara's character, she is a strong woman who is an inspiring and interesting character. Campbell perfectly balances this fictional story of Mara and her journey and growth while also keeping us informed of so many social issues.

This book is a heavy read but it is also insightful, interesting, and informative. If you are interested in social or environmental issues or just looking for an interesting story you should check out Balaclava.

Thank you @bookinfluencers for the gifted copy.💙

[Harsh Tyagi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book takes a bold look at a future where young people in Germany rise up against a corrupt system. The book addresses urgent issues like climate change, water shortages, overcrowded cities, unemployment and economic inequality.

The plot centers on a protest in Hamburg that turns violent, leading to the death of a police officer. This sparks a major conflict between the government and various protest groups across Europe. Mara Steinbach, who is searching for her brother wanted for the police officer’s murder, gets caught up in a growing revolution led by the mysterious Modra organization, which aims to unite the protest groups into a powerful movement.

Balaclava offers a gripping story about the fight for justice and the push for change in a divided world. The storyline is intriguing, exciting and gripping, worthy of keeping the readers hooked to it until the very end, craving for more. The writing is immaculate and addictive. I also loved the book cover, very imaginative and fitting. Kudos to the author for taking up difficult but relevant issues and turning them into a powerful story. I seldom enjoy political thrillers but I loved this one.

[Air · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great insight into the revolutionary movement and its opposition in Germany! The author has a fantastic writing sense and can truly take you on a journey through the hard opposed problems they’re facing. Mara, our mc, was a troubled kid turned police officer who isn’t sure where her mind stands. Discovering something peculiar leaves her on a journey to discover exactly who she is AND who the people around her truly are. This book touches on sexism heavily and the hardships Mara faces in law enforcement as a woman. I definitely recommend!

Thank you Book Influencers & the author for my copy!

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Balaclava

A female officer that has had enough with the department she works for. A citizenry that has had enough of the government. Mara’s mother left the family when she was young without an explanation. Not having her mom to guide her, Mara starts to spend time with the wrong people. Determined to fix her life, she becomes a police officer. However, the rampant sexism and misogyny leads her to detest her career choice. Then she is shown a video that leads her out of law enforcement straight to the government’s opposition. But nothing in this story is as it seems.

#GoodreadsGiveaways

[Gerbie7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Campbell Jefferys – Balaclava

An Australian author based in Germany writes about the protest movement in Germany and the police who has to cope with that movement.

Main character is Mara, former youth delinquent in Hamburg, nowadays police officer in Berlin. Then something happens that turns her life upside down. During a protest in Hamburg an officer dies. The main suspect is on the run, but she saw his eyes and she knows for sure who he is. She must return to Hamburg and do something.

A few moments with her boss are enough, she will work undercover in the protest movement of Hamburg. Difficult for Mara is that many of the people she meets while undercover are either from her own – troubled – past or more sympathetic than most of her male colleagues. Is she still a cop or did she turn into a full-time protester.

Interesting dilemma that is omnipresent in the rest of the book. Everything that happens, whatever she does, there is always that problem. Every person is part of the dilemma. Old friends, new friends, Mara bounces back and forth in her head between her duty and loyalty to family and friends. She ends up fighting cops, but also betraying some of the revolutionaries.

The book gives a nice insight into the protest machinery, the scene where nationalists and idealists meet, where pacifists and right extremists can share a common goal. It also shows behind the scenes that the police, probably not only in Germany, has to deal with as much internal problems as the issues they have to cope with according to the public and politicians.

This book taught me a lot and also left me wondering at the end. It certainly was the best ‘early reviewer’ book I received since joining LibraryThing.


Quote: “With the knife away from her throat, Mara butts her head backwards, into Gomez’s chin and he staggers back. Then she spins to her left and uses this momentum to smash her right fist into his left eye. As he moves back with the punch, she kicks the knife from his hand and starts working his body, lefts and rights into his ribs and gut. When he slumps forward, she pushes her left hand into his right shoulder, to prop him up, and drives her right fist into his stomach, getting as many punches in as she can before she’s dragged away by a couple of cops, lashing kicks out towards Gomez, who’s on his knees. He coughs blood onto the footpath.” (p.278)

Nummer: 23-047
Titel: Balaclava
Auteur: Campbell Jefferys
Taal: Engels
Jaar: 2023
# Pagina’s: 468 (15511)
Categorie: Fictie
ISBN: 978-3-9816249-9-1

[Jess Conley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads, it was not at all what I expected and that made it difficult to get started. I just couldn't get into it. I finally started enjoying it about halfway through.

[Yvonne Marks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. The author deals with lots of current issues in the book and the storyline flowed well with good character development. Some surprises also.
Thanks for the free book.

[Viola Wucherer · Rating 3 out of 5]

INHALT: Mara lebt in Berlin und ist Polizistin. Doch sie ist ihren Job leid. Tag für Tag gibt es Ausschreitungen, ihre männlichen Kollegen sind übergriffig und dann taucht auch noch ein Video von einem mittlerweile verstorbenen Polizisten auf, welches seine letzten Momente darstellt. Darauf ist der Tatverdächtige zu sehen und Mara erkennt Ant, ihren Bruder. Kurz darauf erhält sie die Möglichkeit, den Tatverdächtigen als verdeckte Ermittlerin aufzuspüren und zieht kurzerhand nach Hamburg, wo sie fortan für Christopher Percival arbeitet. Doch schnell wird Mara in die Untiefen der Protestgruppe Circus gezogen und ist darum bemüht, nicht aufzufliegen.

MEINE MEINUNG: Zunächst mal kommen wir zu ein paar formellen Problemen: Das Buch ist ziemlich klein geschrieben, zudem ist der Zeilenabstand wirklich mini und auch der Abstand zum Rand. All das macht das Lesen wirklich sehr anstrengend und zumindest ich habe mich daran erst nach ca. der Hälfte des Buches gewöhnt. Zudem ist ab und an die Übersetzung nicht ganz rosig und mir sind während des Lesens insgesamt 10-11 Seiten einfach entgegen gekommen. All das hat mein Leseerlebnis natürlich nicht verbessert und ich bin ziemlich langsam voran gekommen (wofür auch die 3 Monate Lesezeit sprechen). Zudem ist das Buch bis ca. Seite 350 nicht wirklich spannend gewesen und ich konnte es problemlos tage- oder wochenlang weglegen.
Hinzu kommt auch noch, dass der Klappentext sofort ein typisches Bild in meinem Kopf gezeichnet hat, das mir unheimlich gut gefällt, mit dem Inhalt des Buches aber eigentlich nichts zu tun hatte, was der Leselust ebenfalls einen Dämpfer versetzt hat.
Die Protagonisten mochte ich gerne, vor allem Mara war mit ihren durchweg sehr ironischen und sarkastischen Äußerungen und ständigen Witzen, die manchmal auch ein wenig unangebracht waren, mein absoluter Liebling, sowas muss man aber natürlich mögen. Selten habe ich bei einem Buch so oft geschmunzelt, aber leider auch häufig die Augen verdreht, denn es gab viele Unstimmigkeiten, die mir und auch einigen Leuten in der Leserunde aufgefallen sind (Beispielsweise war Mara früher im Jugendknast, ist jetzt aber Polizistin. Ja, das wird zum Ende hin erklärt, ist für mich aber immer noch unrealistisch und erklärt trotzdem nicht, wie sie innerhalb ca. eines halben Jahres ihre komplette Ausbildung abschließen konnte.). Manches blieb leider auch bis zum Ende ungeklärt (ich möchte jetzt nicht spoilern und gehe deshalb auch nicht weiter darauf ein, aber das war für mich der spannendste Aspekt). Zudem war die Spannung, wie schon gesagt, ewig nicht präsent. Dann gab es einen sehr interessanten und actionreichen Abschnitt, der aber sehr abrupt und konstruiert endete und das Ende des Buches war wiederum unlogisch, nicht sehr interessant und dementsprechend auch nicht befriedigend.
Wie auch einige andere in der Leserunde gesagt haben: der Autor hatte wirklich tolle Ideen, aber alle zusammen waren einfach zu viel und zu verworren und haben leider kein stimmiges, ganzes Bild ergeben.

FAZIT: Eine spannendes Buch, die Umsetzung gefiel mir leider nicht so gut.

[Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I wouldn't say this is one of Jefferys strongest.
It was a page turner that I absolutely devoured in just a few days. The fact that I can't jump straight into the next book is disappointing, although perhaps indicates my overall feelings on the text.
I loved being led around Hamburg, a city I know intimately. He does a great job of painting the city. Same with Germany, in general. It was a fun romp.
While I was in love with the setting, I found the protagonist less gripping. There were just too many instances where it felt like she got mad/standoffish for no reason, or she was being stupid and counter-productive to her own goals. And I get that she's supposed to be a fiery character with a short temper who takes no shit, but there were interactions where I nearly rolled my eyes.
Furthermore, while I found the premise of the text engaging, I sometimes found it very far-fetched. That some guy could so easily mastermind an uprising of popular support but so quickly fall apart in the final moments of the book was a bit of a disappointing conclusion.
Is the name "Agnes" really that rare? Felt like a forced coincidence.
That said, this does feel like a text that touches on the zeitgeist. I know I found myself relating to many of the themes in this books, mainly the idea that many young people seem aimless and want to protest just to do something. I remember a former flatmate discussing wanting to get into protests more as a way of socializing, and finding that insane.
Like I said, I enjoyed the book. But between a plot that sometimes felt like it gave me whiplash, a protag that I found stupid and grating for no reason other than plot convenience, and some pieces of text that felt clunky and in need of another draft, it's not the best text from Jeffry's. Still enjoyed it. Will read then next text when it's released.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a weird, scary read, as it feels too real. And a good one, as it’s well-told and gives more perspective, insight, and thoughts on what is happening around us and the world in general – it’s weird how a fictional story can shed more light on real events.
I always love books with strong, fierce FMCs, and this book delivers just that. Although written by a man, this book shows an angry and determined woman who is fed up with living in men’s world (or capitalism and misogyny, which both also stand for men’s world).
Nothing is really what it seems and… yeah. You finish reading it and… then you think. I’m still not done thinking about it.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was interesting. It’s definitely one that I will keep thinking about over the years. So many current issues involved in a plot that was unexpected and enthralling. If you enjoy unique reads, then you need to check this one out!

[Lyndsay Fiorentino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story, full of suspense. Page turner.
I was given a complimentary copy of the book from the author via voracious readers only.