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The Sinner
The basis for the highly anticipated limited series on USA starring Jessica Biel premiering August 2nd, The Sinner is an internationally bestselling psychological thriller by Germany's Patricia Highsmith
On a sunny summer afternoon by the lake, Cora Bender stabs a man to death. Why? What would cause this quiet, kind young mother to stab a complete stranger in the throat over and over again, in full view of her family and friends? For the local police, it's an open-and-shut case. Cora quickly confesses and there's no shortage of witnesses, but those questions remain unanswered. Haunted by the case, the police commissioner refuses to close the file and begins his own maverick investigation. So begins the slow unraveling of Cora's past, a harrowing descent into a woman's private hell. A dark, spellbinding novel, where the truth is to be questioned at every turn, The Sinner has been a bestseller around the world, and is poised to be a summer smash with the coming TV adaptation, already hailed as one of the most anticipated shows of the summer.
"The Sinner is unnerving and weird and guaranteed to stick with you weeks later." -Sarah Weinman, editor of Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives and Women Crime Writers
"Hauntingly insightful and sensitive." -The Guardian
On a sunny summer afternoon by the lake, Cora Bender stabs a man to death. Why? What would cause this quiet, kind young mother to stab a complete stranger in the throat over and over again, in full view of her family and friends? For the local police, it's an open-and-shut case. Cora quickly confesses and there's no shortage of witnesses, but those questions remain unanswered. Haunted by the case, the police commissioner refuses to close the file and begins his own maverick investigation. So begins the slow unraveling of Cora's past, a harrowing descent into a woman's private hell. A dark, spellbinding novel, where the truth is to be questioned at every turn, The Sinner has been a bestseller around the world, and is poised to be a summer smash with the coming TV adaptation, already hailed as one of the most anticipated shows of the summer.
"The Sinner is unnerving and weird and guaranteed to stick with you weeks later." -Sarah Weinman, editor of Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives and Women Crime Writers
"Hauntingly insightful and sensitive." -The Guardian
387 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
1167 people are currently reading
13333 people want to read
About the author
Petra Hammesfahr
92 books207 followersHailed as Germany’s Patricia Highsmith, Petra Hammesfahr has written more than twenty crime and suspense novels, and also writes scripts for film and television. She has won numerous literary prizes, including the Crime Prize of Wiesbaden and the Rhineland Literary Prize. Her breakthrough novel, The Sinner, was a major critical and commercial success internationally, including in Germany, where it stayed on the bestseller list for more than fifteen months. The Sinner has been adapted for television as a limited series on USA starring Jessica Biel and Bill Pullman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 970 reviews
August 8, 2017
This book felt like it took an eternity to finish. The heroine(if you want to call her that) is insufferable and lies so much with every breath that you can't tell what's true or not and you just want to smack her and get her to tell the truth-doing that would've saved at least 1/3 of the book.
Cora is given the crappy childhood trope with a mom who is basically the German version of Margaret White and the dad is constantly fixated on having sex with his wife.
Overall, a real waste of time read.
PS:
If you don't want to have to slog through this, I'll spoil the beans on the crappy twist of the book:
Cora kills Frankie Frankenberg while on a public beach with her husband and son. Frankie turns out to be the person who killed her sister Magdalena (who had heart and organ defects) while having sex with her during a basement party while Cora was being raped by his two friends. When Cora fights back, one of the men hits her with an ashtray and fractured her skull. She was then held captive by Frankie and his parents for 6 months while Magdalena's body is dumped in the woods and her death covered up by Cora and Magdalena's family.
Cora is given the crappy childhood trope with a mom who is basically the German version of Margaret White and the dad is constantly fixated on having sex with his wife.
Overall, a real waste of time read.
PS:
If you don't want to have to slog through this, I'll spoil the beans on the crappy twist of the book:
Cora kills Frankie Frankenberg while on a public beach with her husband and son. Frankie turns out to be the person who killed her sister Magdalena (who had heart and organ defects) while having sex with her during a basement party while Cora was being raped by his two friends. When Cora fights back, one of the men hits her with an ashtray and fractured her skull. She was then held captive by Frankie and his parents for 6 months while Magdalena's body is dumped in the woods and her death covered up by Cora and Magdalena's family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2017
This is a review of the book, The Sinner. I have not, nor will I, watch the television version loosely based on this novel.
The Sinner is one of the darkest, most psychologically disturbing stories I ever have read and yet there never was a moment that I considered putting down this horrifying, captivating tale.
The book begins very blandly with a young woman who is quite boring, who is bored with life, her husband - although he is a good husband she says - her entire world has become unbearable and thus she has decided to commit suicide. However, something goes terribly wrong and she ends up murdering a young man instead. Brutally. From that moment forward we, the reader, watch as her mind untangles and disintegrates before our very eyes and the most horrifying tales of abuse are laid out before you for inspection. Yes, there is child abuse, sexual abuse, rape, religious fanaticism used as abuse in its worst form possible, fratricide and so much more. But still....it is definitely a story that bears reading because there is much to be learned here.
Hammesfahr has written countless books and won numerous awards and her writing is impeccable! There are a few times that sentences get "lost in translation," but they are rare and barely noticible. I highly recommend this book. I would give it 4.5 stars rounded down merely for length. There truly is only so much you can handle of this story before you need a break!
The Sinner is one of the darkest, most psychologically disturbing stories I ever have read and yet there never was a moment that I considered putting down this horrifying, captivating tale.
The book begins very blandly with a young woman who is quite boring, who is bored with life, her husband - although he is a good husband she says - her entire world has become unbearable and thus she has decided to commit suicide. However, something goes terribly wrong and she ends up murdering a young man instead. Brutally. From that moment forward we, the reader, watch as her mind untangles and disintegrates before our very eyes and the most horrifying tales of abuse are laid out before you for inspection. Yes, there is child abuse, sexual abuse, rape, religious fanaticism used as abuse in its worst form possible, fratricide and so much more. But still....it is definitely a story that bears reading because there is much to be learned here.
Hammesfahr has written countless books and won numerous awards and her writing is impeccable! There are a few times that sentences get "lost in translation," but they are rare and barely noticible. I highly recommend this book. I would give it 4.5 stars rounded down merely for length. There truly is only so much you can handle of this story before you need a break!
February 21, 2012
As you can tell from the blurb above, THE SINNER is a whydunnit, as opposed to a whodunnit book, although that's way too simplistic a description. When Cora Bender stabs a man to death in front of family, friends, and a crowded park, nobody realises that she was originally planning to commit suicide. Bender is obviously not in a good place in her life, despite outward appearances. Rejected wholeheartedly by her husband immediately after the attack, it seems an open-and-shut case, which may only be mitigated by a plea of insanity. Except that Rudolf Grovian senses something behind Frau Bender's acknowledgement of her guilt and maniacal desire to declare herself guilty with no reasons or explanations.
It's partially Grovian's investigation into Bender's childhood and family life, and partially his patient and careful questioning of her that slowly draws out the truth. Bender's childhood is the stuff of nightmares - a desperately ill younger sister and a fanatical religious zealot of a mother who never hesitated to blame her first-born daughter for all of the younger sister's medical problems. Add a caring but sexually frustrated and ineffectual father, who whilst never sexually abusing his daughter, confronted her with her parent's sexual problems, and everything has combined to create a girl who is guilty, conflicted, and profoundly disturbed. Her closeness with her father creates a complex relationship with him, whilst he is kind and caring towards his daughter, his failure to take firm action in the face of her mother Elsbeth's more extreme behaviour makes him a weak figure, difficult to maintain respect, love and affection for. Bender's ill sister, Magdalena, should have died many times in her childhood, somehow managing to cling to life, she is the centre of her mother's world, swamping everything and everyone with her requirements, draining the families financial as well as emotional resources, isolating them. Eventually the two sisters seem to work out an understanding, a relationship, even love for each other, although, as with everything in this family, there's something not quite right.
Because of the way that Grovian goes about drawing out the story of Bender's background and therefore her reasons for violently killing a complete stranger, there's a lot of ground gone back over. As she constantly lies about her past, Grovian is forced to look for the sprinklings of truth within the lies and slowly and steadily disprove the lies, forcing Bender back and back over the same ground, coaxing the truth from the ultimate in unreliable narrators. Because of that narrative device, the pace is slow, emotional, repetitive and intricate. The reader is given every opportunity to share Grovian's frustration, but at the same time you also get a feeling for Bender's distress, her desperation. Whatever it is that she doesn't want known is held close, she's desperate to obfuscate, confuse, deny, avoid. Particularly interesting was the way that Bender's family members, in particular, are characterised. Seen, as they are, mostly from Bender's point of view, there's something misty about them, hesitantly revealing her father's ineffectiveness, her mother's madness, and her sister's memory. It's particularly interesting that Magdalena is both transparent, weak, seemingly just about incapable of even basic communication; yet she's ultimately revealed as a much stronger personality, capable of manipulation, more able than originally contemplated. Remembering that we were viewing Bender's family from her perspective, and the role that Magdalena's entire existence had such a profound affect on Bender - made it a particularly thought-provoking aspect.
THE SINNER isn't a straight-forward book. Part thriller, a most unusual psychological study, it wasn't an easy book to read but it was an extremely thought-provoking, worthwhile book to read.
It's partially Grovian's investigation into Bender's childhood and family life, and partially his patient and careful questioning of her that slowly draws out the truth. Bender's childhood is the stuff of nightmares - a desperately ill younger sister and a fanatical religious zealot of a mother who never hesitated to blame her first-born daughter for all of the younger sister's medical problems. Add a caring but sexually frustrated and ineffectual father, who whilst never sexually abusing his daughter, confronted her with her parent's sexual problems, and everything has combined to create a girl who is guilty, conflicted, and profoundly disturbed. Her closeness with her father creates a complex relationship with him, whilst he is kind and caring towards his daughter, his failure to take firm action in the face of her mother Elsbeth's more extreme behaviour makes him a weak figure, difficult to maintain respect, love and affection for. Bender's ill sister, Magdalena, should have died many times in her childhood, somehow managing to cling to life, she is the centre of her mother's world, swamping everything and everyone with her requirements, draining the families financial as well as emotional resources, isolating them. Eventually the two sisters seem to work out an understanding, a relationship, even love for each other, although, as with everything in this family, there's something not quite right.
Because of the way that Grovian goes about drawing out the story of Bender's background and therefore her reasons for violently killing a complete stranger, there's a lot of ground gone back over. As she constantly lies about her past, Grovian is forced to look for the sprinklings of truth within the lies and slowly and steadily disprove the lies, forcing Bender back and back over the same ground, coaxing the truth from the ultimate in unreliable narrators. Because of that narrative device, the pace is slow, emotional, repetitive and intricate. The reader is given every opportunity to share Grovian's frustration, but at the same time you also get a feeling for Bender's distress, her desperation. Whatever it is that she doesn't want known is held close, she's desperate to obfuscate, confuse, deny, avoid. Particularly interesting was the way that Bender's family members, in particular, are characterised. Seen, as they are, mostly from Bender's point of view, there's something misty about them, hesitantly revealing her father's ineffectiveness, her mother's madness, and her sister's memory. It's particularly interesting that Magdalena is both transparent, weak, seemingly just about incapable of even basic communication; yet she's ultimately revealed as a much stronger personality, capable of manipulation, more able than originally contemplated. Remembering that we were viewing Bender's family from her perspective, and the role that Magdalena's entire existence had such a profound affect on Bender - made it a particularly thought-provoking aspect.
THE SINNER isn't a straight-forward book. Part thriller, a most unusual psychological study, it wasn't an easy book to read but it was an extremely thought-provoking, worthwhile book to read.
October 26, 2017
I don't know what to say about this book.
I'm giving it 3 Stars because that's what I usually give books I'm not sure about. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. I spent the majority of this book not having one clue what was happening. I don't know if maybe something was lost in translation, this book was translated from German.
I don't know.
I was still completely hooked and considered it a fast read. Im happy I read it and I now plan on watching the tv show. Hopefully the show will be easier to follow.
No recommendation for this one.
A Book for all Seasons Book Club.
I'm giving it 3 Stars because that's what I usually give books I'm not sure about. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. I spent the majority of this book not having one clue what was happening. I don't know if maybe something was lost in translation, this book was translated from German.
I don't know.
I was still completely hooked and considered it a fast read. Im happy I read it and I now plan on watching the tv show. Hopefully the show will be easier to follow.
No recommendation for this one.
A Book for all Seasons Book Club.
January 15, 2011
The Sinner was just a mass jumble of confusion for me. There's really no other way to put it. I tend to like mysteries as long as they're compelling and not predictable. The Sinner was compelling, so a check for that. And it wasn't predictable. However, I can't give that one a check considering that the only reason it wasn't predictable was because it was so hard to tell what the hell was going on.
The narration in this book was all over the place. You had numerous flashbacks told in Cora's first perspective. Then you had the present tense which is was told by Cora in the third person, followed by the chief also in the third person, and the aunt in the third person. It took like five minutes to figure out whether I was in the present or the past and to figure out who the hell was narrating which part. It was way too much work for something that's supposed to be entertaining.
The other problem I had with The Sinner was that it was a bloated book. The author seriously could've done with cutting out at least a hundred pages that had nothing to do with anything. For example, I really could care less about the chief's daughter and wife...or their insignificant opinions. His side plot was so boring and extremely unnecessary. It's all fine and dandy to hear his side of the story since he's the one trying to help Cora. But what the hell does his daughter or his wife have to do with anything? They don't. That and numerous other things had me bored for a while.
Did I want to know happened in Cora's past? Yes. I was intrigued. However, I went through a point where I just really wanted to finish the book and debated on whether or not I should just put myself out of this misery and just read the last page. Again, I didn't expect the twist to be what it was, but by the time I actually got there, I was so frustrated that I really could care less how twisted it was and was just happy that I would be able to put this book down.
So, I don't recommend The Sinner. I don't know if my reaction to this is due to the author or to the author's translator, but the fact remains that this book had an intriguing premise, but the payoff wasn't enough to slog through 300 pages of twisted games (and not in the good way), confusing narration, and boring side plots.
The narration in this book was all over the place. You had numerous flashbacks told in Cora's first perspective. Then you had the present tense which is was told by Cora in the third person, followed by the chief also in the third person, and the aunt in the third person. It took like five minutes to figure out whether I was in the present or the past and to figure out who the hell was narrating which part. It was way too much work for something that's supposed to be entertaining.
The other problem I had with The Sinner was that it was a bloated book. The author seriously could've done with cutting out at least a hundred pages that had nothing to do with anything. For example, I really could care less about the chief's daughter and wife...or their insignificant opinions. His side plot was so boring and extremely unnecessary. It's all fine and dandy to hear his side of the story since he's the one trying to help Cora. But what the hell does his daughter or his wife have to do with anything? They don't. That and numerous other things had me bored for a while.
Did I want to know happened in Cora's past? Yes. I was intrigued. However, I went through a point where I just really wanted to finish the book and debated on whether or not I should just put myself out of this misery and just read the last page. Again, I didn't expect the twist to be what it was, but by the time I actually got there, I was so frustrated that I really could care less how twisted it was and was just happy that I would be able to put this book down.
So, I don't recommend The Sinner. I don't know if my reaction to this is due to the author or to the author's translator, but the fact remains that this book had an intriguing premise, but the payoff wasn't enough to slog through 300 pages of twisted games (and not in the good way), confusing narration, and boring side plots.
April 7, 2018
The Sinner is a complex and intense psychological crime novel which highlights the unpredictable nature of repressed memories when combined with underlying violent tendencies.
Having watched the Netflix series, I was interested to see how much the adaptation deviated from the book. The answer? Not much.
That said, author Petra Hammesfahr's book does provide a richer narrative with the focus near exclusive on Cora, everything else, including Policeman Grovian, and Cora's husband is mostly background noise; don't get me wrong, those characters play their part, but the attention is as it should be - on Cora as she slowly unravels her past while confronting the present.
My rating: 5/5 stars. The Sinner is a highly evocative book; gripping and intense, the story sure to keep churning around the readers head long after the last page is turned.
Having watched the Netflix series, I was interested to see how much the adaptation deviated from the book. The answer? Not much.
That said, author Petra Hammesfahr's book does provide a richer narrative with the focus near exclusive on Cora, everything else, including Policeman Grovian, and Cora's husband is mostly background noise; don't get me wrong, those characters play their part, but the attention is as it should be - on Cora as she slowly unravels her past while confronting the present.
My rating: 5/5 stars. The Sinner is a highly evocative book; gripping and intense, the story sure to keep churning around the readers head long after the last page is turned.
February 14, 2018
As soon as I heard of this book and read the synopsis it just called to me. A seemingly perfectly normal woman goes to the lake with her family for a day of fun and relaxation only she ends up stabbing a man to death. Sign me up!
Then I started reading all the mixed reviews. People REALLY disliked this so I became hesitant to grab it. It happened to be available through C/W MARS so I downloaded it and still I debated if I wanted to start it. I finally caved and opened it up. I'm glad I did. I think some of the negative reviews actually helped me enjoy this reading experience. Most people complained that it was incredibly confusing so I prepared myself for this. I think knowing this ahead of time made me concentrate on what I was reading more. And it is confusing because everything this woman says is a lie or is it? So many hidden meanings to her ramblings and I enjoyed trying to figure out the puzzle.
I will say that this book had so many icky moments. Like I need a shower now icky. So, ah, be prepared for that. *Shivers*
Then I started reading all the mixed reviews. People REALLY disliked this so I became hesitant to grab it. It happened to be available through C/W MARS so I downloaded it and still I debated if I wanted to start it. I finally caved and opened it up. I'm glad I did. I think some of the negative reviews actually helped me enjoy this reading experience. Most people complained that it was incredibly confusing so I prepared myself for this. I think knowing this ahead of time made me concentrate on what I was reading more. And it is confusing because everything this woman says is a lie or is it? So many hidden meanings to her ramblings and I enjoyed trying to figure out the puzzle.
I will say that this book had so many icky moments. Like I need a shower now icky. So, ah, be prepared for that. *Shivers*
October 15, 2018
Read Harder Challenge 2018
#19. A book of genre fiction in translation: Mystery Thriller
Watching the TV series I was completely absorbed by Jessica Biel’s performance and by all the craziness that happened to her character as it was being unravelled. My first reaction after finishing all of the 8 episodes was to go back to the beginning and watch it again to catch all of the nuances I might have missed the first time around. Looking into it I found out it was an adaptation of a 1999 domestic thriller. So, yay for me?!? Not so much… This is still pretty disturbing stuff we’re talking about!
Because it isn’t the whodunit type of book, rather one where you find out why the main character acted the way she did, I thought I’d give it a try after some time had passed. In the book, Cora’s relationship with her parents is even more messed-up than in the show. Even the tone is a lot darker, almost ruthless. I guess it has something of the German frankness in the way sexuality and family dynamic is portrayed.
Perspectives alternate from a 3rd person narrative to Cora’s internal monologue/confession, which is even more unsettling because the author spends a lot of time revealing her thoughts and feelings. I was glad the book had none of the detective’s sexual kink, as it would have been a bit too much. It was something added for the TV show to echo, perhaps, some of the more twisted content of the book.
Why the almost 5-star review you might ask? Because I found Cora’s character fascinating and the book certainly delivers, in that her personality is even more complex than in the adaptation, because even though I knew what had happened it still managed to grip me, and because I found Cora’s relationship with the detective - given the differences - refreshing.
Will I re-watch the TV series? You betcha!
4.5 stars
#19. A book of genre fiction in translation: Mystery Thriller
Watching the TV series I was completely absorbed by Jessica Biel’s performance and by all the craziness that happened to her character as it was being unravelled. My first reaction after finishing all of the 8 episodes was to go back to the beginning and watch it again to catch all of the nuances I might have missed the first time around. Looking into it I found out it was an adaptation of a 1999 domestic thriller. So, yay for me?!? Not so much… This is still pretty disturbing stuff we’re talking about!
Because it isn’t the whodunit type of book, rather one where you find out why the main character acted the way she did, I thought I’d give it a try after some time had passed. In the book, Cora’s relationship with her parents is even more messed-up than in the show. Even the tone is a lot darker, almost ruthless. I guess it has something of the German frankness in the way sexuality and family dynamic is portrayed.
Perspectives alternate from a 3rd person narrative to Cora’s internal monologue/confession, which is even more unsettling because the author spends a lot of time revealing her thoughts and feelings. I was glad the book had none of the detective’s sexual kink, as it would have been a bit too much. It was something added for the TV show to echo, perhaps, some of the more twisted content of the book.
Why the almost 5-star review you might ask? Because I found Cora’s character fascinating and the book certainly delivers, in that her personality is even more complex than in the adaptation, because even though I knew what had happened it still managed to grip me, and because I found Cora’s relationship with the detective - given the differences - refreshing.
Will I re-watch the TV series? You betcha!
4.5 stars
December 3, 2017
⭐️⭐️💫 / 5
My reviews and (maybe) some other random thoughts can also be seen at
https://readingbetweenwinessite.wordp...
____________________________________________________________
I feel like I was not reading the same book as the people that rated The Sinner at a 4 or 5, lol.
This book really didn't take me that long to read, but it felt like forever for some reason.
This has got to be the weirdest book that I have read this year. Cora's ramblings with the police, her attorney, and the shrink were so confusing. She had a tough upbringing to say the least (her mom was pretty nutty), and she had all sorts of weird thoughts put into her head by her mother.
This quote pretty much summed up how the whole book read for me:
Cora goes on about a billion tangents and you have no idea what is the truth, what is a lie, and what she is just making up because she doesn't actually remember the truth.
The flow was very strange to me and it made for very slow reading. I am usually fine with translated books (take all of Fredrik Backman's books for example), but maybe this one is better read in German??
I do have to note that I only skimmed like one small part of this book. Even though I was so confused and maybe a little bored (although I'm not sure that is the term I am looking for), I couldn't bring myself to skim much and I actually found myself wanting to read every word. I skimmed a little bit of Cora's thoughts about her nutty mom's Jesus ramblings, but that was about it and it was very near the end of the book (it was all things you have heard before).
The ending kind of threw me for a loop, and by the ending I mean the very last sentence. I was not expecting it... like at all. It leaves a little to the imagination, but I didn't think of it as an unresolved ending.
Final Thought: I don't personally recommend reading The Sinner. I will probably watch the show at some point though because I've heard that it's really good. This poor girl and her messed up family. I am very interested to see how it all translates to the show and if it's even the same. This is definitely a very dark and at times, disturbing, book.
My reviews and (maybe) some other random thoughts can also be seen at
https://readingbetweenwinessite.wordp...
____________________________________________________________
I feel like I was not reading the same book as the people that rated The Sinner at a 4 or 5, lol.
This book really didn't take me that long to read, but it felt like forever for some reason.
This has got to be the weirdest book that I have read this year. Cora's ramblings with the police, her attorney, and the shrink were so confusing. She had a tough upbringing to say the least (her mom was pretty nutty), and she had all sorts of weird thoughts put into her head by her mother.
This quote pretty much summed up how the whole book read for me:
"Naturally she lied when lying was her sole recourse. If someone tried to kick her wall down, she tossed everything that came into her head into a melting pot, gave it a vigorous stir and slapped a ladleful of hotchpotch on the nearest plate. Then you had to sift through her offerings and determine the source of each and every morsel"
Cora goes on about a billion tangents and you have no idea what is the truth, what is a lie, and what she is just making up because she doesn't actually remember the truth.
The flow was very strange to me and it made for very slow reading. I am usually fine with translated books (take all of Fredrik Backman's books for example), but maybe this one is better read in German??
I do have to note that I only skimmed like one small part of this book. Even though I was so confused and maybe a little bored (although I'm not sure that is the term I am looking for), I couldn't bring myself to skim much and I actually found myself wanting to read every word. I skimmed a little bit of Cora's thoughts about her nutty mom's Jesus ramblings, but that was about it and it was very near the end of the book (it was all things you have heard before).
The ending kind of threw me for a loop, and by the ending I mean the very last sentence. I was not expecting it... like at all. It leaves a little to the imagination, but I didn't think of it as an unresolved ending.
Final Thought: I don't personally recommend reading The Sinner. I will probably watch the show at some point though because I've heard that it's really good. This poor girl and her messed up family. I am very interested to see how it all translates to the show and if it's even the same. This is definitely a very dark and at times, disturbing, book.
November 9, 2010
Dark and disturbing read, but so well written.
May 23, 2019
This is one of the very few instances where I think the TV version was way better than the book.
I'm not sure if it's because I DID know the story going in, or the fact that it was translated, or at the end of the day, the book just wasn't that great.
I'm not sure if it's because I DID know the story going in, or the fact that it was translated, or at the end of the day, the book just wasn't that great.
February 9, 2019
Non sono proprio 2☆ ma meno. 😧
Un thriller non così thriller. Un falso thriller o chiamatelo come volete. Sin dalla trama e dalle prime quattro pagine,conto kobo, prima del capitolo 1 sappiamo già che Cora ucciderà uno sconosciuto. Il primo capitolo ci illustrerà come si è arrivato a tutto ciò nel presente. Ovviamente la nostra protagonista verrà arrestata subito e passeremo i seguenti capitoli sul suo passato che alla lunga anche se ci svela particolari diventa noioso e ripetitivo. Certo leggendo ci si domanda chi potrebbe mai sopravvivere a una vita infernale come quella e se sopravvivi non ne esci sano di mente. Cosa che non tarda ad avverarsi allo status presente di Cora. Ci vuole poco a capirlo.
Poi abbiamo un poliziotto/commissario o investigatore, è talmente avvincente 😑 che me lo sono dimenticato, che indaga su un unica strada cioè le stronzate, bugie o mezze verità dette da Cora. Vi chiedo scusa per il linguaggio ma è così. Non crede agli altri tanto che vuole far combaciare ad un certo punto le cose per forza. Un poliziotto di alto livello, e non c'è bisogno di guardare Lie to Me o qualche Real, dovrebbe saper riconoscere una menzogna. Quando mentiamo facciamo certe espressioni inconscie.
Poi non capisco perchè ad un certo punto sto tizio vuole tirarla fuori dall'ospedale psichiatrico. Una persona che uccide qualcuno così, anche se poi alla fine tutti viene chiarito ma ormai è troppo tardi in questo casino di stronzate, bugie e mezze verità, è pazzo da legare.
Un libro con una trama accattivante ma che ha lasciato a desiderare. Complice probabilmente anche capitoli lunghissimi in cui sto tizio, quello che indaga, non muove il fondoschiena fino verso l'8 o 9 o 10 capitolo. Anche questo non lo ricordo.
Ma come si dice sono gusti personali. Magari a voi piacerà. Io ho detestato la maggior parte dei personaggi.
Thriller Psicologici Inutili 3-1 Me cioè bello.
Un thriller non così thriller. Un falso thriller o chiamatelo come volete. Sin dalla trama e dalle prime quattro pagine,conto kobo, prima del capitolo 1 sappiamo già che Cora ucciderà uno sconosciuto. Il primo capitolo ci illustrerà come si è arrivato a tutto ciò nel presente. Ovviamente la nostra protagonista verrà arrestata subito e passeremo i seguenti capitoli sul suo passato che alla lunga anche se ci svela particolari diventa noioso e ripetitivo. Certo leggendo ci si domanda chi potrebbe mai sopravvivere a una vita infernale come quella e se sopravvivi non ne esci sano di mente. Cosa che non tarda ad avverarsi allo status presente di Cora. Ci vuole poco a capirlo.
Poi abbiamo un poliziotto/commissario o investigatore, è talmente avvincente 😑 che me lo sono dimenticato, che indaga su un unica strada cioè le stronzate, bugie o mezze verità dette da Cora. Vi chiedo scusa per il linguaggio ma è così. Non crede agli altri tanto che vuole far combaciare ad un certo punto le cose per forza. Un poliziotto di alto livello, e non c'è bisogno di guardare Lie to Me o qualche Real, dovrebbe saper riconoscere una menzogna. Quando mentiamo facciamo certe espressioni inconscie.
Poi non capisco perchè ad un certo punto sto tizio vuole tirarla fuori dall'ospedale psichiatrico. Una persona che uccide qualcuno così, anche se poi alla fine tutti viene chiarito ma ormai è troppo tardi in questo casino di stronzate, bugie e mezze verità, è pazzo da legare.
Un libro con una trama accattivante ma che ha lasciato a desiderare. Complice probabilmente anche capitoli lunghissimi in cui sto tizio, quello che indaga, non muove il fondoschiena fino verso l'8 o 9 o 10 capitolo. Anche questo non lo ricordo.
Ma come si dice sono gusti personali. Magari a voi piacerà. Io ho detestato la maggior parte dei personaggi.
Thriller Psicologici Inutili 3-1 Me cioè bello.
November 15, 2018
this was like a slap in the frigging face.
March 17, 2017
Gone Girl meets Girl on a Train meets Girl with a Dragon Tattoo.
February 28, 2018
This book is well writen and should be read before watching TV series...
Still without a publisher in Serbia
Still without a publisher in Serbia
August 12, 2017
Cora goes to the lakeside to enjoy the sun and water with her husband and young son. There she inexplicitly stabs a man to death. There are witnesses and Cora’s own confession but the police commissioner does his own investigation into Cora’s past, uncovering secrets even Cora has trouble remembering.
I, like many others, was pulled in by the trailer for the USA mini-series starring Jessica Biel. I figured the book had to be good to have been made into a TV series. But it really dragged for me and I can’t count the times that I thought of putting the book down for good. But something kept making me pick it up.
This is yet another unreliable narrator book. Sometimes Cora admits to the reader that she’s lying but sometimes she’s not even sure if she’s lying. So it’s a bit hard to follow what’s happening. Events are gone over again and again, each time a little bit differently. The book has its merits as the story is quite unique and I didn’t see the reveal coming. I’ve recorded the TV series and will probably watch it even though I now know what’s going to happen. Not sorry I read it but I really didn’t find it as gripping as described.
I, like many others, was pulled in by the trailer for the USA mini-series starring Jessica Biel. I figured the book had to be good to have been made into a TV series. But it really dragged for me and I can’t count the times that I thought of putting the book down for good. But something kept making me pick it up.
This is yet another unreliable narrator book. Sometimes Cora admits to the reader that she’s lying but sometimes she’s not even sure if she’s lying. So it’s a bit hard to follow what’s happening. Events are gone over again and again, each time a little bit differently. The book has its merits as the story is quite unique and I didn’t see the reveal coming. I’ve recorded the TV series and will probably watch it even though I now know what’s going to happen. Not sorry I read it but I really didn’t find it as gripping as described.
May 11, 2021
I honestly don't understand why this book is rated so low and what everyone has been whining about - this was a good story!
Yeah, the translation may have been rough sometimes but if you're going to read a German author you're gonna have to accept that before going in.
I probably would have liked this even more if I didn't watch the show when it first came out because I already knew how it was going to end. In my defense, I had absolutely no clue the show was a book adaption until months after I watched it.
Cora is a very complex character and I loved her in both the book and the show. The detective was good in the book but FABULOUS in the show.
Overall I say do yourself a favorite and both read AND watch it!
Yeah, the translation may have been rough sometimes but if you're going to read a German author you're gonna have to accept that before going in.
I probably would have liked this even more if I didn't watch the show when it first came out because I already knew how it was going to end. In my defense, I had absolutely no clue the show was a book adaption until months after I watched it.
Cora is a very complex character and I loved her in both the book and the show. The detective was good in the book but FABULOUS in the show.
Overall I say do yourself a favorite and both read AND watch it!
March 15, 2017
What a fascinating story. I saw the preview for the new USA show and wanted to give the book a try. I've never read Petra Hammesfahr before, but will definitely be looking for more. It's hard to imagine a book that begins with a murder in the first few chapters and spends the rest of the time delving into the reasons behind it could be so riveting, but I really couldn't put it down. Cora is an incredibly complex character and it's so easy to become one of the many experts around her, trying to sort out the lies from the truth. I know this was originally published in German, but the translation is excellent. Obviously dark subject matter, but highly recommend for psychological thriller fans.
November 28, 2017
I really liked the beginning of this novel, you get a quick snap shot of Cora’s life and then you’re thrown into the thick of it and Cora is murdering a man. Unfortunately, it all seemed to go downhill from there.
I have to say, I’m usually very lucky when it comes to reading translated fiction – the narration always flows, and I never feel anything was lost in translation. However, with The Sinner, I can’t help but feel that an awful lot was lost in translation as this novel felt very disjointed and lacked fluidity, making it a very slow read. I cannot be certain that this is due to the translation, but I imagine, that due to the nature of language, the haunting atmosphere and psychological thrills were lost somewhere along the way. Maybe, some things just read better in German!
However, this feeling of disjointedness could just as easily be a result of the plot itself – Cora is so clearly disturbed and in her ramblings, she is revealing some truth and a lot of lies. Police Commissioner Grovian [and the reader] have to try and separate the fact from the fiction; so, it may well have been this that caused the disjointedness as you’re not privy to the entire truth until the end of the novel. Cora is constantly changing her story, so things are not making a lot of sense throughout the read, although you are able to grasp the consistent theme in her ramblings that link to the truth.
The Sinner contains flashbacks to Cora’s past, but I was often confused when the switch in timeline happened and this also affected the fluidity of the read, it took me a while to figure out that the third person narration was the present day and when it switched to Cora’s first-person narration, it was a flashback.
Prior to reading this novel, I had no idea it contained a theme of religious fanaticism and when you couple that with the truth we finally get to know, it made sense but at the same time, it was very underwhelming. I really struggled to connect with all aspects of this book, I felt particularly distant from the character’s emotions even though I could so clearly see them. I feel a bit hesitant about watching the TV series now as this novel overall just didn’t work for me.
I have to say, I’m usually very lucky when it comes to reading translated fiction – the narration always flows, and I never feel anything was lost in translation. However, with The Sinner, I can’t help but feel that an awful lot was lost in translation as this novel felt very disjointed and lacked fluidity, making it a very slow read. I cannot be certain that this is due to the translation, but I imagine, that due to the nature of language, the haunting atmosphere and psychological thrills were lost somewhere along the way. Maybe, some things just read better in German!
However, this feeling of disjointedness could just as easily be a result of the plot itself – Cora is so clearly disturbed and in her ramblings, she is revealing some truth and a lot of lies. Police Commissioner Grovian [and the reader] have to try and separate the fact from the fiction; so, it may well have been this that caused the disjointedness as you’re not privy to the entire truth until the end of the novel. Cora is constantly changing her story, so things are not making a lot of sense throughout the read, although you are able to grasp the consistent theme in her ramblings that link to the truth.
The Sinner contains flashbacks to Cora’s past, but I was often confused when the switch in timeline happened and this also affected the fluidity of the read, it took me a while to figure out that the third person narration was the present day and when it switched to Cora’s first-person narration, it was a flashback.
Prior to reading this novel, I had no idea it contained a theme of religious fanaticism and when you couple that with the truth we finally get to know, it made sense but at the same time, it was very underwhelming. I really struggled to connect with all aspects of this book, I felt particularly distant from the character’s emotions even though I could so clearly see them. I feel a bit hesitant about watching the TV series now as this novel overall just didn’t work for me.
January 15, 2018
This book is a mess.
But I couldn't stop reading it.
I read it in 3 days and I'm generally a slow reader. I have slow comprehension.
At first, I thought it was poor writing that Cora sounded like a child in her flashbacks and in her adult conversations but as I got a better grasp of the timeline I realized it was intentional. She was an immature child on the inside and she spoke and acted as one. It was quite annoying.
This book is just one long run on sentence.
But I HAD to know what happened!
It was also very confusing.
And I think this is just because it was translated but MOST of the book was in 3rd person "Cora said this, Cora did this" and then small parts were in the first person of Cora speaking. I thought maybe there'd be a reason for this later on but there never was.
When we finally read what happened I was shaking my head.
Question about the end:
The whole time I was reading this I thought I'd probably give it 3 stars, maybe less if the ending was bad but now that it's over I have to give it 4 and recommend it. This is unlike me. I'm hard on the most pleasant of books. But in all it's imperfection, confusing German names and ridiculous police procedures that would never happen in real life(at least where I'm from), I forgave it and the story took a hold of me.
I think they'll do a good job with the show. I saw the first episode and they're already taking some of the overly harsh German personalities out of it which is great. I get it for Germany, my Uncle lives there and he tells me that really is how people interact with one another. I'm glad they're bringing it to North America. That's extremely bias of me to say but it's still how I feel about it.
I was probably 50% annoyed and frustrated by all of Cora's lies and 50% down to play this game of trying to decipher what was true and what wasn't. I think there are SEVERAL parts that could've been written better. For example, when she's first being interrogated, I know it's supposed to be Mr. Police Man "breaking through her wall" to get her to talk but they way I read, it seemed like she just blurted stuff out and he didn't prob her much at all.
I loved the very end. The last sentence. It was perfect.
Clues I totally picked up on and wondered about but they never really spell out for you later:
Now that I'm thinking of these clues that were in the first few chapters if anyone has a cheat sheet for this book I'd really appreciate it. Matching her triggers to what REALLY happened.
For example:
I want to add that if you HATE (in all caps) this book and say that this is a confusing mess that you couldn't finish I wouldn't blame you. I don't think it's for everyone, even me on another day probably wouldn't have finished it. So maybe it was the mood I was in? Maybe it's that I knew Jessica Beil produced a show about it? I don't know, I'm just telling you I COULD NOT STOP reading it.
But I couldn't stop reading it.
I read it in 3 days and I'm generally a slow reader. I have slow comprehension.
At first, I thought it was poor writing that Cora sounded like a child in her flashbacks and in her adult conversations but as I got a better grasp of the timeline I realized it was intentional. She was an immature child on the inside and she spoke and acted as one. It was quite annoying.
This book is just one long run on sentence.
But I HAD to know what happened!
It was also very confusing.
And I think this is just because it was translated but MOST of the book was in 3rd person "Cora said this, Cora did this" and then small parts were in the first person of Cora speaking. I thought maybe there'd be a reason for this later on but there never was.
When we finally read what happened I was shaking my head.
Question about the end:
The whole time I was reading this I thought I'd probably give it 3 stars, maybe less if the ending was bad but now that it's over I have to give it 4 and recommend it. This is unlike me. I'm hard on the most pleasant of books. But in all it's imperfection, confusing German names and ridiculous police procedures that would never happen in real life(at least where I'm from), I forgave it and the story took a hold of me.
I think they'll do a good job with the show. I saw the first episode and they're already taking some of the overly harsh German personalities out of it which is great. I get it for Germany, my Uncle lives there and he tells me that really is how people interact with one another. I'm glad they're bringing it to North America. That's extremely bias of me to say but it's still how I feel about it.
I was probably 50% annoyed and frustrated by all of Cora's lies and 50% down to play this game of trying to decipher what was true and what wasn't. I think there are SEVERAL parts that could've been written better. For example, when she's first being interrogated, I know it's supposed to be Mr. Police Man "breaking through her wall" to get her to talk but they way I read, it seemed like she just blurted stuff out and he didn't prob her much at all.
I loved the very end. The last sentence. It was perfect.
Clues I totally picked up on and wondered about but they never really spell out for you later:
Now that I'm thinking of these clues that were in the first few chapters if anyone has a cheat sheet for this book I'd really appreciate it. Matching her triggers to what REALLY happened.
For example:
I want to add that if you HATE (in all caps) this book and say that this is a confusing mess that you couldn't finish I wouldn't blame you. I don't think it's for everyone, even me on another day probably wouldn't have finished it. So maybe it was the mood I was in? Maybe it's that I knew Jessica Beil produced a show about it? I don't know, I'm just telling you I COULD NOT STOP reading it.
October 30, 2018
Hum, what can I say about this book...psychological for sure. To read this novel through you really have to be "in the zone". I think, I restated it 3, maybe 4 times, before it caught.
From other reviews, I felt this novel had an unusual draw. Once I settled into the rhythm it was a ride. Where was Cora was heading? What is she hoping to accomplish or avoid?
The path of this journey is anything but predictable.
From other reviews, I felt this novel had an unusual draw. Once I settled into the rhythm it was a ride. Where was Cora was heading? What is she hoping to accomplish or avoid?
The path of this journey is anything but predictable.
July 18, 2012
One hot July day, twenty-four year old Cora Bender decides to commit suicide. Her plan is simple, go to the beach with her husband and two year old son, swim out deep, and drown. Her death would stop the nightmares and silence the horrible song that plays in her head. Most importantly, it would keep her from remembering snippets of the "black time" in her life. But she isn't able to kill herself. Before she has the chance to swim out into deep water, her son wants an apple. As she peels it for him, the couple on the blanket a few feet away begins making out. The wife slips a tape into the player and Cora hears the song. Something snaps inside her. She takes the small knife she's been using and stabs the man in the neck over and over again until she's dragged from his lifeless body.
It should be an open and shut case. There are several eye witnesses, and Cora readily admits to the murder, but all that isn't enough for Police Commissioner Rudolf Grovian. He wants to know why, and he won't stop until he breaks down the wall in Cora's mind that hides the black time.
THE SINNER is the story of Grovian's investigation into Cora's past. Originally written in German, THE SINNER is an exhaustingly fascinating examination of the lengths the human mind will go to in order to protect itself. I was riveted by this story. Cora's world in all its variations stayed with me even when my schedule dictated I put the book down. I found myself wondering what really happened, what was truth, and what was fiction in this darkly compelling psychological thriller. It is easy to see how this book stayed on Germany's bestseller list for fifteen months.
It should be an open and shut case. There are several eye witnesses, and Cora readily admits to the murder, but all that isn't enough for Police Commissioner Rudolf Grovian. He wants to know why, and he won't stop until he breaks down the wall in Cora's mind that hides the black time.
THE SINNER is the story of Grovian's investigation into Cora's past. Originally written in German, THE SINNER is an exhaustingly fascinating examination of the lengths the human mind will go to in order to protect itself. I was riveted by this story. Cora's world in all its variations stayed with me even when my schedule dictated I put the book down. I found myself wondering what really happened, what was truth, and what was fiction in this darkly compelling psychological thriller. It is easy to see how this book stayed on Germany's bestseller list for fifteen months.
February 28, 2021
I picked this one up because of the upcoming television show based on it, but now I hope the adaptation is better than the book! (Spoilers ahead!...) I can't believe how long it took me to finish it, and when I finally read the last page I was like "really? That's it?" It took me 3 times as long to finish this book than any other I've read in a long time. I'm also confused as to how they are going to keep to the sexually graphic content between Cora & her father, Cora & her sister, and Cora & men on a non-premium television channel? Incest is not something easily breached on television in my opinion. I imagine that will be glossed over or changed all together. Maybe it will come across easier because names will be changed, but being an American not familiar with more common German names I had a hard time keeping up with everyone. And for heavens sake quit changing back and forth between 1st person and 3rd person and narrated text! Half the time I couldn't understand if I was reading flashbacks or Cora telling lies or Cora telling the truth or someone else telling their side of the story. I will say that I like that it was a why-done-it? instead of a who-done-it? for a change, but past that I don't think it needed nearly half of the book to show that she had a rough childhood and a traumatic experience to cause her to kill a man in cold blood.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2013
The German writer Petra Hammesfahr has been likened to Patricia Highsmith, and this novel has all the darkness and psychosis of the latter’s oeuvre. A young mother, Cora Bender, seemingly content with her husband and little son, suddenly stabs out at a man in a beach as he makes out with his wife, and kills him brutally. She then admits her crime to the policemen who show up and requests them not to waste time investigating the murder. But the investigating detective is baffled by her statement that she hasn’t seen the man before; when she refuses to explain her motive, he.begins to dig deeper. And once again we see the awful consequences of religious fundamentalism on a growing child, We learn what an awful upbringing Cora had, with her mother suffused with rigorous piety, her father feckless and incapable of supporting her, her younger sister so badly ill that she is in and out of hospitals. As she grows up, she faces the constant contempt of her mother; her sister then begins to live life vicariously through her, even going so far as to attempt to persuade Cora into prostitution. When a flashy boy comes to town, she falls in love with him, and finds herself among a crowd that seeks sex and drugs, which inevitably leads to tragedy. Perhaps it is this tragedy that has coloured her life, and the demons that were driven deep into her psyche suddenly emerged on that beach that sunny day and caused her to kill? This is a top-notch study of psychological trauma and faith, revealing that just as blind faith can destroy, faith in the fundamental goodness in people can save.
September 19, 2018
She liked life too, but hers had ceased to be a life. It had never been one, strictly speaking. And then it occurred to her how to end it.
I struggle with books that have been translated because I don't know if they haven't translated well, or if I'm just not into the book.
I found The Sinner fairly interesting to start with. We open with Cora Bender, who has decided to take her own life because her existence has ceased to be a life. But when she goes to take her own life, she ends up instead taking that of a man at the lake she is about to drown herself in.
After that I started to lose interest in the book as it flips between Cora as a child and Cora lying through her teeth to the detective often without clear breaks. It was confusing to me to see what was actually happening and what she was lying about.
In addition to being confusing, the book was long and drawn out, waiting for the big reveal at the very end after slogging through pages and pages of lies and filler that served absolutely no purpose other than maybe to make the characters seem more "real", but to me just fell flat.
Unfortunately this one was a miss for me.
I struggle with books that have been translated because I don't know if they haven't translated well, or if I'm just not into the book.
I found The Sinner fairly interesting to start with. We open with Cora Bender, who has decided to take her own life because her existence has ceased to be a life. But when she goes to take her own life, she ends up instead taking that of a man at the lake she is about to drown herself in.
After that I started to lose interest in the book as it flips between Cora as a child and Cora lying through her teeth to the detective often without clear breaks. It was confusing to me to see what was actually happening and what she was lying about.
In addition to being confusing, the book was long and drawn out, waiting for the big reveal at the very end after slogging through pages and pages of lies and filler that served absolutely no purpose other than maybe to make the characters seem more "real", but to me just fell flat.
Unfortunately this one was a miss for me.
dnf
October 22, 2018Giving up on this. How they made such a fantastically complex TV show from the basis of such a erratic and confused novel is beyond me. I'm going to blame a lot of my problems with this on the translation. It's not awful, but most of the characters are. I'm so pleased they made Cora and her husband more likeable and more conflicted characters than the novel originally has them. The TV show also does a better job at unfolding the layers of this complex story in a more gripping way. Not sure if the ending is the same, because I didn't get that far. Essentially, glad I gave this a try, and I probably would have really enjoyed it in it's entirety if I hadn't already watched and adored this TV show. If you haven't tried either, i'd definitely recommend the TV adaptation instead!
June 6, 2017
Beyond boring.
February 13, 2021
5 Enthralling Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free-A Netflix Review
It is the weekend and as my public service announcement, if you haven't watched the series, The Sinner then you have missed out. I just finished all three "seasons" and, boy oh boy, this was something very different.
As you see, in the first season titled Cora you are immediately sucked in. Jessica Biel starred and also was the executive producer for all 23 episodes. The series was made in 2017 and aired on USA Network. The next season, Julian happened in 2018 and now there is the third season from 2020 entitled Jamie.
The concept is the main character kills someone and we are there seeing it happen. We then go on a journey with Bill Pulman, searching for the answer why...why did this happen, and is the person doing this thing more than troubled...is there something more.
It was so well done, I binged all three seasons in three evenings.
The Sinner
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * * Spoiler Free-A Netflix Review
It is the weekend and as my public service announcement, if you haven't watched the series, The Sinner then you have missed out. I just finished all three "seasons" and, boy oh boy, this was something very different.
As you see, in the first season titled Cora you are immediately sucked in. Jessica Biel starred and also was the executive producer for all 23 episodes. The series was made in 2017 and aired on USA Network. The next season, Julian happened in 2018 and now there is the third season from 2020 entitled Jamie.
The concept is the main character kills someone and we are there seeing it happen. We then go on a journey with Bill Pulman, searching for the answer why...why did this happen, and is the person doing this thing more than troubled...is there something more.
It was so well done, I binged all three seasons in three evenings.
The Sinnerhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
September 18, 2016
I suspect that this book will not be for everyone but it is worth the effort.
The beginning of this story finds us meeting Cora bender a young woman in a claustrophobic marriage who is starting to exhibit strange behaviours particularly around her husband.
They go to a local lido for a picnic and while suicidal thoughts haunt Cora a couple who are flaunting their love and playing a tape trigger a violent reaction from Cora.
The remainder of the book focuses on why Cora committed the crime. The story brings out a religiously obsessed mother, a terminally ill sister, a hopeless father and a marriage in which her husband is weakly in thrall to his own father's economic control. Is Cora mad or bad the book brilliantly explores this dilemma as the lead detective determinedly investigates what appears to be an open and shut case.
Initially I struggled with the structure of the book but as I continued i became hooked as the background to the cause of the crime is slowly exposed. An intelligent crime novel which stands out from the run of the mill police procedural and I would recommend the read.
The beginning of this story finds us meeting Cora bender a young woman in a claustrophobic marriage who is starting to exhibit strange behaviours particularly around her husband.
They go to a local lido for a picnic and while suicidal thoughts haunt Cora a couple who are flaunting their love and playing a tape trigger a violent reaction from Cora.
The remainder of the book focuses on why Cora committed the crime. The story brings out a religiously obsessed mother, a terminally ill sister, a hopeless father and a marriage in which her husband is weakly in thrall to his own father's economic control. Is Cora mad or bad the book brilliantly explores this dilemma as the lead detective determinedly investigates what appears to be an open and shut case.
Initially I struggled with the structure of the book but as I continued i became hooked as the background to the cause of the crime is slowly exposed. An intelligent crime novel which stands out from the run of the mill police procedural and I would recommend the read.
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