Dangerous Obsessions

by Bob Van Laerhoven

Tight, taut and shocking, these stories all have warped love as the source of violence. Belgian/Flemish author, Bob Van Laerhoven, winner of the USA Best Book Award 2014 in the category "Mystery/Suspense" and the Hercule Poirot Prize with his controversial novel, Baudelaire's Revenge, connects the fate of individuals with profound social changes. Van Laerhoven has been a travel writer in conflict-zones from 1990 until 2003 and echos of his experiences trickle through these confronting and thrilling tales, set in civil war-torn Algeria in the fifties, in a gypsy populated Polish concentration-camp during WWII, in a Peruvian border-town where stealing is a deadly art, in Liberia during the civil war in the nineties, and in Belgian Congo during the bloody uproar in the sixties. Omnia vincit amor-Love conquers all-the saying goes. But not our Dangerous Obsessions.

76 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Van Laerhoven made his debut as a novelist in 1985 and quickly became known for his colorful, kaleidoscopic novels, in which the fate of the individual is closely linked to broader social transformations. International flair has become his trademark. His novels blend literature and suspense.
AVID TRAVELLER
Bob Van Laerhoven became a full-time author in 1991. As a freelance travel writer, he explored conflicts and trouble spots across the globe from the early 1990s to 2005. Echoes of his experiences on the road also permeate his novels. Somalia, Liberia, Sudan, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, Laos, Bosnia, Albania, Myanmar… to name but a few.
MULTIFACETED OEUVRE
All these experiences contribute to Bob Van Laerhoven’s rich and commendable oeuvre. He is a 20-time prize-winning author, translated into 12 languages: French, English, German, Spanish, Greek, Swedish, Slovenian, Italian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, and Amharic (Ethiopia)
AWARDS
AWARDS

Four-time finalist of the Belgian Hercule Poirot Prize for Best
Mystery Novel of the Year with the novels "Djinn," "The
Finger of God," "Return to Hiroshima," and "The Firehand
Files."

Winner of the Hercule Poirot Prize for "Baudelaire's
Revenge," which also won the USA Best Book Award 2014 in
the category "mystery/suspense."

The collection of short stories "Dangerous Obsessions" was
hailed as the "best short story collection of 2015" by the San Diego Book
Review.

"Heart Fever," the second collection of short stories, was a
Finalist in the Silver Falchion 2018 Award.

The quality UK book site Murder, Mayhem & More chose
"Return to Hiroshima" as one of the ten best international
crime books of 2018.

The novel "Alejandro's Lie" was the Best Thriller Book
Award winner in the category "Political Thriller 2021" on
BestThrillers.com.

The novel was a finalist in The American Writings
Awards 2023

The book won a silver medal in The Bookfest Awards 2023

"Alejandro's Lie" became the first runner-up in the "general fiction" Los Angeles Book Festival 2024 category.

"The Shadow Of The Mole" has become a finalist in the Best Thriller Awards 2022, Historical Fiction category, from Best‐Thrillers.com.

The Historical Fiction Company chose "The Shadow Of The Mole" as the winner in the "Historical Literary" category of the 2022 HFC Book Of The Year contest.

The book also won a silver medal in the Reader View "Reviewer's Choice Awards 2022-2023" competition in the
"Historical Fiction" category.


"The Shadow Of The Mole" is a finalist in the "Hemingway 20th-century wartime novels" competition of The Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA).

"Scars Of The Heart" received a New York Book 2024 Festival Honorable Mention in the category Anthologies/Compilations.

"Scars Of The Heart" received a Gold Book Award 2024 from Literary Titan

"Scars Of The Heart" is the Literary Global Book Awards 2024 winner in the category "short story collections."

"Scars Of The Heart" is the winner in the San Francisco Book Festival Award Category "Compilations/Anthologies."

"Scars Of The Heart" is the winner in the 2025 International Impact Book Awards in the category "Short Story Collections."

“La Mentira de Alejandro, » the Spanish translation of “Alejandro’s Lie,” received an Honorable Mention (aka Bronze Award) from the International Paris Book Fest 2025

“The Long Farewell” is the winner of a Literary Titan Gold Book Award 2025
"The Long Farewell" is a Finalist in the 2025 American Writing Awards in the category "Historical Fiction."

Reviews

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories that I received from the Library Thing Early Reviewer Program in exchange for a review. The book is Dangerous Obsessions by Bob Van Laerhoven. My comments are about each story. Some of them are translations; some were written in English by the author.

HEARTS DON’T BEAT ON LETTERS

Jean-Claude recounts his experiences of a war in Algeria while a member of the French Foreign Legion. Many fellow soldiers came from varied backgrounds; some were escaping from their past deeds. His German friend Bisserund was one of them. Bisserund would pay a terrible price while helping our storyteller.

CHECKMATE IN CHIMBOTE

Willi the amateur jewel thief played chess with Marina even though he was unsure of the rules. He should have stuck with his job on the TV crew that was making a documentary at the house of a Peruvian arms dealer. But he had met Marina, a worker at the villa. He had fallen in love. He would have stolen the diamonds and run away with Marina without the blackmail threats from her brothers. The theft was a success. Now he just had to meet Marina, but more and more things were looking like a set-up. Somebody was following him. There were police in places where normally there were none. Was Marina playing the game as the Queen and he the King? Or was he just a pawn to her Queen?

THE PRODIGAL SON

There are dangers in keeping a diary. Who might read and discover your secrets? And this particular diary held a huge secret. There are two lives at stake. But only one of the children can live. Their mother must choose. Mother has long since disappeared into the darkness of Alzheimer’s Disease. But the diary survived. Which child survived? A story derived from experiences in the Congo.

LILIES OF THE VALLEY

It wasn’t only Jews that went to the ovens during the holocaust. And not all Gypsies belonged to the same tribe; each tribe had a unique talent. Kori’s sister does what she has to do to survive. This means becoming a whore for Franz Maurer, the camp commandant, but she only does so to assure Kori’s survival, get him more food, guarantee that he will not go to the ovens, and get him a violin. When assurances are broken and Kori is sent to the ovens, Sister plans revenge. Exposing Maurer’s shortcomings in public to senior commandant Holle, she gets revenge on Maurer and a job outside the barracks for herself. Her revenge will continue as she promises a magic beauty potion to Holle’s daughter, Lotte, and then does not deliver it. But she has described to Lotte how to make it.

THE BOGEYMAN AND REGINA THE STREET-WENCH

The Bogeyman is a freelance combat correspondent. He travels with marines into Monrovia, Liberia. When the action gets chaotic and people are fleeing for their lives, he becomes detached from his escort. He knows where they will be in a couple of days, he just has to survive until then. There are many factions fighting in Monrovia: government troops, opposition groups, and even a well-organized group with a leader who believes those fight best who fight nude. Fleeing from unidentified gunfire, Bogeyman meets Sister Spinoza, a nun dedicated to rescuing child soldiers from becoming experienced child soldiers. Regina, a former child soldier who has already lost a leg, doesn’t quite understand why she can’t seduce Bogeyman and get a ride out of the conflict zone when the marine helicopter arrives. Sister Spinoza wants Bogeyman to get out. With her and her child soldiers if possible. Ok, maybe without her. Ok, maybe just with pictures to prove the atrocities. Ok, maybe just get out as a personal witness. But how about Regina?

[Irene Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ebook free from the publisher through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. The author writes this collection of short stories in a graphic, detailed, and descriptive style that held my attention throughout. This is a collection of five short stories of which three are translated and two are written in English. The stories are dark and brutal at times. The characters are all dealing with horrific circumstances and the author presents the reader with a very intimate and descriptive picture of what a human being can and will do in order to survive. I found the footnotes to be very helpful. This is a powerful, graphic, and well-written collection of short stories that reveals what a person will do in order to survive.

[Mrvica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories depicting difficult, mostly war times. The stories are set in such horrible places (war-torn Africa, a Nazi camp, South America). Each story is different and unique, but they are all utterly disturbing. Some parts are so brutal that they make one wonder how far human nature can go. The stories can be read quite quickly. Some of them are better than the others in terms of the writer's style (though something might have been lost in translation). In general, these are all but easy to read stories and I would not recommend them to anyone to read for pure pleasure. However, they do give the reader something to think about long after closing the final page.

[Sarah Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dangerous Obsessions” by Bob van Laerhoven is a collection short stories about obsessive love (and lust) in unhappy times (war, conflict, threat, for example). It is powerful, captivating and challenging. This collection is not for those who are easily upset. It is a relatively short books, well-written, easy to read and will have you wanting to complete the book in one sitting. Some pieces are translated into English but lose nothing in the translation. Not recommended for a read on public transport unless you don't mind crying in public.

[Nicole O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! I highly recommend this book and consider it a lucky find. It is a slice of reality from life in dangerous places. This book deserves 5 stars, however, there were a few too many typing errors in such a short book and the cover could do with a re-vamp. The writing style was tight and graphic; it kept me on the edge of my seat while turning pages. I will be on the lookout for more of this author's writing.

[M.P. Tonnesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dangerous Obsessions is a compelling read that draws you in from the first words. Fascinating descriptions; unique voices and settings; vivid characters, language and metaphors, like "Beauty is a rat trap" and "Memories are little slivers of the soul".
It offers bitter tales of unrequited love and passion, war and desperation, good and evil.
I rarely read short stories, yet this collection caught my attention and I would recommend it for an eye-opening experience.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories details various kinds of love during turbulent times; the love of a gypsy girl for her family who died in the gas chambers, the love of the nun for the street children she rescued. Each story was dark and disquieting. It is not an uplifting read but definitely one that leaves you pondering on the vagaries of life.

[Victoria Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dangerous Obsessions is a collection of short stories, where love does not conquer all. The stories kept you reading in morbid fascination to see how poorly someone's life turned out. I enjoyed the stories but found the ones he "translated" irritating as they didn't lend anything to the stories a...

[L.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating mix of stories with real heart and depth. The characters are intricately developed and tell their stories in a uniquely enthralling fashion. Very much a book of stories that grabs your attention and won't let go of you until you've finished them.

[Castor• · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can read my review here: http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/view...