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Chas Riley #7
Beton Rouge
Ein ungewöhnlich warmer Septembermorgen auf St. Pauli. Der Regen der letzten Nacht ist noch nicht verdunstet, und vor dem Gebäude eines großen Zeitschriftenverlags steht ein Käfig, darin der Chef der Personalabteilung. Nackt, bewusstlos und offensichtlich misshandelt. Drei Tage später steht der nächste Käfig vorm Verlag, diesmal liegt der Geschäftsführer drin. Riley und ihr neuer, undurchsichtiger Kollege Stepanovic glauben zunächst an einen Racheakt der Verlagsmitarbeiter – seit Jahren werden Leute entlassen, während sich die Führungskräfte dicke Boni in die Taschen stopfen. Als dann ans Licht kommt, dass beide Opfer nicht nur ihr Status, sondern auch eine mehr als zweifelhafte Vergangenheit verbindet, verschwindet der Vorstandsvorsitzende …
227 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2017
19 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Simone Buchholz
30 books58 followersSimone Buchholz is a German author, best known for her crime fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
August 27, 2017
Bei Simone Buchholz gibt es immer diese Sätze, die sind wie kleine, leise Feuerwerke. Und dann hält man inne und schaut zu und ist ein bisschen wehmütig, wenn es wieder vorbei ist.
October 12, 2017
4 Sterne
Eine angenehme Überraschung! Ich weiß nicht genau, was ich erwartet hatte, aber auf jeden Fall nicht das: Einen gut geschriebenen, teils zynischen, teils melancholischen und oft augenzwinkernden Krimi, in dem der Kriminalfall... nunja, nicht immer die erste Geige spielt. Und trotzdem ist es alles andere als langweilig! Doch, von Staatsanwältin Chastity Riley und ihrem St. Pauli könnte ich mir gut vorstellen noch mehr zu lesen...
Eine angenehme Überraschung! Ich weiß nicht genau, was ich erwartet hatte, aber auf jeden Fall nicht das: Einen gut geschriebenen, teils zynischen, teils melancholischen und oft augenzwinkernden Krimi, in dem der Kriminalfall... nunja, nicht immer die erste Geige spielt. Und trotzdem ist es alles andere als langweilig! Doch, von Staatsanwältin Chastity Riley und ihrem St. Pauli könnte ich mir gut vorstellen noch mehr zu lesen...
March 4, 2020
Finished reading: February 28th 2020
“Breathing this haze, which seems to soak up the big-city smog like a sponge, is a bit like smoking. I also light a cigarette - double poisoning is more reliable.”
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
February 14, 2019
This is the second book in this series but the first that I have read. I really took to Public Prosecutor Chastity Riley who is what I would describe as a little coarse, dry humoured and very entertaining. She is like one of the lads, smokes, drinks and knows a few apt phrases for any situation that she finds herself in. As the story opens she comes across the scene of a woman who has been knocked from her cycle and has to go and take a look, not a pleasant sight.
The case she is asked to go to though is one where a man has been locked in a cage, stripped, tortured and left outside his place of work. The thing was it wasn’t that which was most disturbing, I was pretty shocked to find out the reaction of the people who were going past. Boy this bloke was not liked. Before I had time to draw breath a second man turned up in a cage outside his place of work, again with not an ounce of sympathy from his work colleagues and employees.
This is a pretty quick read that focuses on both Chastity and the story line so I felt that I got a real good feel about who she is and how she ticks. I wasn’t the only newbie to the story as she is partnered by Ivo Stepanovic which made them a super entertainment package. The pair just bounced off each other like they had known each other years. The chapters are incredibly short making the read snappy, with lots of information being given to me without it jumbled up with other irrelevant bits.
I really liked the direction that the story went, the down to earth investigators and the personal touch of who they are too. An author I look forward to reading more from.
I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher which I have reviewed honestly.
The case she is asked to go to though is one where a man has been locked in a cage, stripped, tortured and left outside his place of work. The thing was it wasn’t that which was most disturbing, I was pretty shocked to find out the reaction of the people who were going past. Boy this bloke was not liked. Before I had time to draw breath a second man turned up in a cage outside his place of work, again with not an ounce of sympathy from his work colleagues and employees.
This is a pretty quick read that focuses on both Chastity and the story line so I felt that I got a real good feel about who she is and how she ticks. I wasn’t the only newbie to the story as she is partnered by Ivo Stepanovic which made them a super entertainment package. The pair just bounced off each other like they had known each other years. The chapters are incredibly short making the read snappy, with lots of information being given to me without it jumbled up with other irrelevant bits.
I really liked the direction that the story went, the down to earth investigators and the personal touch of who they are too. An author I look forward to reading more from.
I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher which I have reviewed honestly.
March 19, 2019
Beton Rouge – A welcome and unconventional crime fiction story.
Beton Rouge is the follow up book, by the German author Simone Buchholz, to her debut Blue Night. This book has been translated, rather excellently, by Rachel Ward, and nothing has been lost in translation. There is a great energy in Buchholz writing and that is reflected in the main character Chastity Riley.
While this may be classed as a novella it certainly punches above its weight, with short snappy sentences and chapters, there are no wasted words, no trying to pad the story out. There is also an underlying humour, even if the hero does come across as somewhat unconventional.
Chastity Riley has been called out to a man in a cage, unusual but nothing really surprises her in Hamburg. With a new colleague, she is informed that he works in the magazine industry, and in the office building he has been dumped outside of. When another two colleagues of his also end up, either in a cage or missing, Riley needs to get to the story behind what is really going on.
Riley is becoming more dislocated from her friends than she would like, and she is not sure of her next move, just as she is somewhat dislocated from the city itself. Riley realises that she needs to get a grip, and she will solve the mystery, and stranger things have happened, but solve her personal life out too.
There is a fantastic pace to the story which keeps you hooked from the first sentence all the way to the end. Once again Simone Buchholz holds no punches, with a unique voice that delivers a stylish story. Buchholz proves that you can pack an excellent crime thriller into 186 pages and engross the reader who wants more, once completed.
Beton Rouge is the follow up book, by the German author Simone Buchholz, to her debut Blue Night. This book has been translated, rather excellently, by Rachel Ward, and nothing has been lost in translation. There is a great energy in Buchholz writing and that is reflected in the main character Chastity Riley.
While this may be classed as a novella it certainly punches above its weight, with short snappy sentences and chapters, there are no wasted words, no trying to pad the story out. There is also an underlying humour, even if the hero does come across as somewhat unconventional.
Chastity Riley has been called out to a man in a cage, unusual but nothing really surprises her in Hamburg. With a new colleague, she is informed that he works in the magazine industry, and in the office building he has been dumped outside of. When another two colleagues of his also end up, either in a cage or missing, Riley needs to get to the story behind what is really going on.
Riley is becoming more dislocated from her friends than she would like, and she is not sure of her next move, just as she is somewhat dislocated from the city itself. Riley realises that she needs to get a grip, and she will solve the mystery, and stranger things have happened, but solve her personal life out too.
There is a fantastic pace to the story which keeps you hooked from the first sentence all the way to the end. Once again Simone Buchholz holds no punches, with a unique voice that delivers a stylish story. Buchholz proves that you can pack an excellent crime thriller into 186 pages and engross the reader who wants more, once completed.
August 31, 2019
Love these short, snappy krimi books by Simone Buchholz. Now we play the waiting game until her next novel is translated into English...
May 10, 2020
A Neville Longbottom
Il romanzo inizia così: con la dedica a un personaggio di Harry Potter (quello che in italiano è stato tradotto non so perché Neville Paciock, dato che JK voleva semplicemente dagli del distratto, mentre in italiano gli abbiamo dato del ciccione).
I riferimenti a Harry Potter torneranno nell’arco delle indagini. Il punto è: se inizi mettendo un punto di riferimento, poi devi arrivarci, a quell’altezza. Neville è indubbiamente (non lo dico perché sono una fan della saga, anzi lo dico da fedele allieva di casa Slytherin) uno dei personaggi più interessanti della saga di Harry Potter, oltre che per la sua storia personale, per la crescita che lo trasforma nell’arco narrativo (diciamolo: quelli che hanno le storie migliori forse sono i personaggi non proprio principali della saga). Una trasformazione in crescita che (dopo 3 romanzi, mi sento di dirlo) Chastity Riley non ha.
Ho anche già detto che il fatto che le traduzioni non seguano una sequenza narrativa stretta rispetto alle uscite tedesche (in Italia sono stati tradotti il secondo, il sesto e il settimo), non aiuta a capirlo proprio bene, l’arco narrativo.
E tutto sommato, dirò: mi può anche stare bene un romanzo dove il personaggio principale non si capisce fino in fondo.
Anche tre romanzi.
Però poi c’è tutto il resto.
In una recensione circa un altro giallo edito da Emons fatta da un’altra utente (credo donna, mi scuso tanto se non la cito come dovrei, non ricordo proprio dove l’abbia letta, ma mi ha molto colpita perché era fatta molto bene, molto meglio di come potrei farle io), giustamente veniva fatto notare che la Buchholz a volte getta via la possibilità di avere a disposizione una città come Amburgo nella quale far muovere i personaggi appiattendola nelle descrizioni come fosse un posto qualunque.
Dopo aver letto questo io aggiungerei: non solo la città.
Butta via anche i personaggi e la storia.
Esempio: il romanzo parte con la pm Chas che viene chiamata, c’è un uomo richiuso in una gabbia davanti alla sede di un gruppo editoriale. Arriva sul luogo del crimine. Ci sono 3 poliziotti di pattuglia sul posto, 2 da cliché, uno piuttosto sveglio che colpisce l’attenzione della Riley. Poi lo ritroviamo sulla scena di un altro ritrovamento di uomo in gabbia, e la Riley se ne rallegra, ma non ci scambia nemmeno una parola. Poi puf.
Esempio ancora peggiore: dopo il ritrovamento dell’uomo in gabbia che è un dirigente del gruppo editoriale e che è anche stato torturato prima di essere esposto così al pubblico ludibrio, si costituisce una squadra di indagini. La Riley, essendo pm, coordina. Il suo nuovo collega poliziotto è Stepanovic e si capisce subito la dinamica aggressiva-attrattiva. Poi, ci sono anche tre agenti della polizia criminale (la Kripo): la più alta in grado è Sibel Sahin, che nelle prime pagine sembra anche creare una sorta di collaborazione femminile con la Riley. Fatto sta che i tre della Kripo nelle prime 50 pagine sono personaggi della squadra, da quando però si decide di far loro interrogare i dipendenti del gruppo editoriale, anche loro fanno puf.
Scomparsi. Senza menzione alcuna.
Intanto ci perdiamo nella storia che non si capisce se sia un giallo che serve a spiegare le complicate vicende amorose da telenovela della Riley - non ti voglio, poi ti voglio, poi ho un altro, poi l’altro chi se ne frega tanto abbiamo una storia aperta, poi l’altro ti molla perché intanto si è trovato un’altra e aspettano un figlio, allora tu hai il cuore infranto e anche se non ti voglio, forse va bene lo stesso e ti voglio… e menomale che il romanzo non è di 500 pagine sennò iniziavo a bere pure io.
Oppure se le vicende amorose dovrebbero fare da contrappunto alla vicenda.
Che in tutto ciò: l’idea dello sfruttamento nel mondo del lavoro intellettuale era interessantissima - con voglia di ribellione da parte dei giornalisti sfruttati.
L’idea del bullismo in collegio che ha strascichi nell’età adulta, un po’ abusata, ma per un noir può andare benissimo.
Il pastiche che ne viene fuori alla fine però non si capisce cos’è.
E, somma gioia dell’arrivare alla fine di una storia: è un giallo senza conclusione. Il colpevole si sa (forse) ma non viene trovato.
Veniamo lasciati con la Riley che si fa una canna insieme al collega.
Alla prossima o Emons mi circonviene (io sono l’incapace) con una copertina bellissima, ma ormai nemmeno mi fa effetto, oppure mi dedico ad altri filoni della produzione editoriale che mi sembrano meglio costruiti.
Il romanzo inizia così: con la dedica a un personaggio di Harry Potter (quello che in italiano è stato tradotto non so perché Neville Paciock, dato che JK voleva semplicemente dagli del distratto, mentre in italiano gli abbiamo dato del ciccione).
I riferimenti a Harry Potter torneranno nell’arco delle indagini. Il punto è: se inizi mettendo un punto di riferimento, poi devi arrivarci, a quell’altezza. Neville è indubbiamente (non lo dico perché sono una fan della saga, anzi lo dico da fedele allieva di casa Slytherin) uno dei personaggi più interessanti della saga di Harry Potter, oltre che per la sua storia personale, per la crescita che lo trasforma nell’arco narrativo (diciamolo: quelli che hanno le storie migliori forse sono i personaggi non proprio principali della saga). Una trasformazione in crescita che (dopo 3 romanzi, mi sento di dirlo) Chastity Riley non ha.
Ho anche già detto che il fatto che le traduzioni non seguano una sequenza narrativa stretta rispetto alle uscite tedesche (in Italia sono stati tradotti il secondo, il sesto e il settimo), non aiuta a capirlo proprio bene, l’arco narrativo.
E tutto sommato, dirò: mi può anche stare bene un romanzo dove il personaggio principale non si capisce fino in fondo.
Anche tre romanzi.
Però poi c’è tutto il resto.
In una recensione circa un altro giallo edito da Emons fatta da un’altra utente (credo donna, mi scuso tanto se non la cito come dovrei, non ricordo proprio dove l’abbia letta, ma mi ha molto colpita perché era fatta molto bene, molto meglio di come potrei farle io), giustamente veniva fatto notare che la Buchholz a volte getta via la possibilità di avere a disposizione una città come Amburgo nella quale far muovere i personaggi appiattendola nelle descrizioni come fosse un posto qualunque.
Dopo aver letto questo io aggiungerei: non solo la città.
Butta via anche i personaggi e la storia.
Esempio: il romanzo parte con la pm Chas che viene chiamata, c’è un uomo richiuso in una gabbia davanti alla sede di un gruppo editoriale. Arriva sul luogo del crimine. Ci sono 3 poliziotti di pattuglia sul posto, 2 da cliché, uno piuttosto sveglio che colpisce l’attenzione della Riley. Poi lo ritroviamo sulla scena di un altro ritrovamento di uomo in gabbia, e la Riley se ne rallegra, ma non ci scambia nemmeno una parola. Poi puf.
Esempio ancora peggiore: dopo il ritrovamento dell’uomo in gabbia che è un dirigente del gruppo editoriale e che è anche stato torturato prima di essere esposto così al pubblico ludibrio, si costituisce una squadra di indagini. La Riley, essendo pm, coordina. Il suo nuovo collega poliziotto è Stepanovic e si capisce subito la dinamica aggressiva-attrattiva. Poi, ci sono anche tre agenti della polizia criminale (la Kripo): la più alta in grado è Sibel Sahin, che nelle prime pagine sembra anche creare una sorta di collaborazione femminile con la Riley. Fatto sta che i tre della Kripo nelle prime 50 pagine sono personaggi della squadra, da quando però si decide di far loro interrogare i dipendenti del gruppo editoriale, anche loro fanno puf.
Scomparsi. Senza menzione alcuna.
Intanto ci perdiamo nella storia che non si capisce se sia un giallo che serve a spiegare le complicate vicende amorose da telenovela della Riley - non ti voglio, poi ti voglio, poi ho un altro, poi l’altro chi se ne frega tanto abbiamo una storia aperta, poi l’altro ti molla perché intanto si è trovato un’altra e aspettano un figlio, allora tu hai il cuore infranto e anche se non ti voglio, forse va bene lo stesso e ti voglio… e menomale che il romanzo non è di 500 pagine sennò iniziavo a bere pure io.
Oppure se le vicende amorose dovrebbero fare da contrappunto alla vicenda.
Che in tutto ciò: l’idea dello sfruttamento nel mondo del lavoro intellettuale era interessantissima - con voglia di ribellione da parte dei giornalisti sfruttati.
L’idea del bullismo in collegio che ha strascichi nell’età adulta, un po’ abusata, ma per un noir può andare benissimo.
Il pastiche che ne viene fuori alla fine però non si capisce cos’è.
E, somma gioia dell’arrivare alla fine di una storia: è un giallo senza conclusione. Il colpevole si sa (forse) ma non viene trovato.
Veniamo lasciati con la Riley che si fa una canna insieme al collega.
Alla prossima o Emons mi circonviene (io sono l’incapace) con una copertina bellissima, ma ormai nemmeno mi fa effetto, oppure mi dedico ad altri filoni della produzione editoriale che mi sembrano meglio costruiti.
February 1, 2019
Having read Simone’s first book Blue Knight last year I was delighted to be invited on to the blog tour for the next book in this fascinating series, Beton Rouge.
Once again, it’s a quick read with short chapters and Chastity Riley is back, drinking too much coffee and alcohol, smoking too many cigarettes and generally being the brilliantly sharp, sarcastic and super dry character she was in the first book.
This time Chastity deals with a hit and run, two naked men tortured and left in a cage outside their offices and a new work colleague. To be perfectly honest, and in my opinion, the cases Chastity has to deal with in both stories whilst intriguing and interesting pale into insignificance next to the brilliant characterisation and phenomenal prose Simon Buchholz uses. Most of the dialogue is utterly magical and at times I had to pause reading and re-read some of her expressions because they are simply wonderful.
I actually would happily read about Chastity doing her weekly shop in a supermarket as she is such a fantastic character. Totally and 100% recommend this book.
Once again, it’s a quick read with short chapters and Chastity Riley is back, drinking too much coffee and alcohol, smoking too many cigarettes and generally being the brilliantly sharp, sarcastic and super dry character she was in the first book.
This time Chastity deals with a hit and run, two naked men tortured and left in a cage outside their offices and a new work colleague. To be perfectly honest, and in my opinion, the cases Chastity has to deal with in both stories whilst intriguing and interesting pale into insignificance next to the brilliant characterisation and phenomenal prose Simon Buchholz uses. Most of the dialogue is utterly magical and at times I had to pause reading and re-read some of her expressions because they are simply wonderful.
I actually would happily read about Chastity doing her weekly shop in a supermarket as she is such a fantastic character. Totally and 100% recommend this book.
August 8, 2020
Hamburg author Simone Buchholz combines slick storytelling with substance in this slimline tale centred on a hard-living public prosecutor. When I reviewed BETON ROUGE, my first taste of the Chastity Riley series, as part of my regular crime roundup for a print magazine in New Zealand, I compared the book to a straight shot of top-shelf liquor: "smooth yet fiery, packing a punch, with no extraneous ingredients watering things down."
That encapsulates things quite well, I think. BETON ROUGE is slick and flows smoothly without feeling insubstantial. There's depth here, a weight to the story even if the book isn't weighty in size. There's also a dark energy to the fast and furious tale; it's a fascinating and appetising slice of German Noir. And noir it is: the main character is pretty hardbitten and there's a melancholy, even a sense of despair, running throughout, while at the same time there's dry humour and razor-sharp prose that gives BETON ROUGE an interesting energy and keeps things from becoming depressing.
Buchholz has plenty of style in her storytelling. Along with translator Rachel Ward she writes in a way that's both lyrical and concise. Punchy but poetic, like a haiku more than a long saga. Chastity Riley is a fascinating heroine - not always likable, but always compelling. Like the writing itself, she is razor-sharp and peppered with dry humour. Both Riley and the reader get taken to some dark, even brutal, places in BETON ROUGE, but Buchholz and Ward never make it seem gratuitous.
It's a little bit tricky to describe BETON ROUGE as it is quite unique and original, without feeling try-hard or having an obvious author hand forcing 'this is so different' onto the reader. It's just a really, really good crime novel that sparkles darkly, has a fascinating heroine, a great evocation of people and place, and a bit of a philosophical sense to it - while being more than the sum of its fine parts.
I'll certainly be reading more of Simone Buchholz and Chastity Riley.
That encapsulates things quite well, I think. BETON ROUGE is slick and flows smoothly without feeling insubstantial. There's depth here, a weight to the story even if the book isn't weighty in size. There's also a dark energy to the fast and furious tale; it's a fascinating and appetising slice of German Noir. And noir it is: the main character is pretty hardbitten and there's a melancholy, even a sense of despair, running throughout, while at the same time there's dry humour and razor-sharp prose that gives BETON ROUGE an interesting energy and keeps things from becoming depressing.
Buchholz has plenty of style in her storytelling. Along with translator Rachel Ward she writes in a way that's both lyrical and concise. Punchy but poetic, like a haiku more than a long saga. Chastity Riley is a fascinating heroine - not always likable, but always compelling. Like the writing itself, she is razor-sharp and peppered with dry humour. Both Riley and the reader get taken to some dark, even brutal, places in BETON ROUGE, but Buchholz and Ward never make it seem gratuitous.
It's a little bit tricky to describe BETON ROUGE as it is quite unique and original, without feeling try-hard or having an obvious author hand forcing 'this is so different' onto the reader. It's just a really, really good crime novel that sparkles darkly, has a fascinating heroine, a great evocation of people and place, and a bit of a philosophical sense to it - while being more than the sum of its fine parts.
I'll certainly be reading more of Simone Buchholz and Chastity Riley.
February 7, 2019
Orenda Books have an established and critically acclaimed selection of translated works, and reading 'Beton Rouge', it is easy to understand why. It's sharp, biting novel that at 186 pages packs in lots of story and characters without ever feeling overloaded.
Chastity Riley is on of those characters that gets under your skin, like the Hamburg fog, you don't realise she is in there until you are bone deep into the story. Her relationship with her new partner is precariously balanced, her friends minimal and she likes to control her personal life as much as her work life.
'Here's the hot iron,the saw,the squared timber.Here are the rusty pliers and all the bis of old dental kit.
The blocks of wood,the willow rods,the belts.
So,now, here's the question:with or without chloroform?'
Shudders, right?
Why has someone decided to display, like circus animals, 2 publishing managers? Tortured, humiliated and literally as well metaphorically exposed, the police have not only a hard time figuring out who done it, but how it was done with no witnesses and many thinking the men got their due.
Add in a narrator who makes you feel like you are living in her stream of consciouness, the landscape of Hamburg which is a character in and of itself plus a unique writing style which has me clamouring to read 'Blue Night' and follow where Chastity Riley goes next, and you have a winning combination of noir thriller.
My grateful thanks to Anne Cater and Karen Sullivan for my gifted copy of 'Beton Rouge' in return for an honest review.
Chastity Riley is on of those characters that gets under your skin, like the Hamburg fog, you don't realise she is in there until you are bone deep into the story. Her relationship with her new partner is precariously balanced, her friends minimal and she likes to control her personal life as much as her work life.
'Here's the hot iron,the saw,the squared timber.Here are the rusty pliers and all the bis of old dental kit.
The blocks of wood,the willow rods,the belts.
So,now, here's the question:with or without chloroform?'
Shudders, right?
Why has someone decided to display, like circus animals, 2 publishing managers? Tortured, humiliated and literally as well metaphorically exposed, the police have not only a hard time figuring out who done it, but how it was done with no witnesses and many thinking the men got their due.
Add in a narrator who makes you feel like you are living in her stream of consciouness, the landscape of Hamburg which is a character in and of itself plus a unique writing style which has me clamouring to read 'Blue Night' and follow where Chastity Riley goes next, and you have a winning combination of noir thriller.
My grateful thanks to Anne Cater and Karen Sullivan for my gifted copy of 'Beton Rouge' in return for an honest review.
February 13, 2019
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When I read Blue Night by German writer Simone Buchholz last year I was swept away by how utterly brilliant it was and it ended up as one of my Top Five Reads of 2018. I have been wanting to get my grubby little mitts on Beton Rouge for a while but then realised that once I’d read it, that was it, it was over. So I tried to read it slooooowwwwwllllyyy, I really did, honest. Except I failed spectacularly and gobbled it up. Whoops.
It’s not my fault, I promise. Simone Buchholz’s books are so great and moreish that I can’t put them down. In Beton Rouge we are reunited with the quite amazing public prosecutor Chastity Riley, a woman who drinks too much, smokes too much and who uses her words like armour. She is dry and sarcastic and I think I want to be her friend. If she’d let me that is, because very few people get to be in her inner circle but when they do, she loves them fiercely (just don’t tell them that OK?).
Set in Hamburg, Beton Rouge’s plot centres around two men who are found naked and battered and locked inside cages outside the offices of the magazine they both work for. They say that a ‘shadow’ attacked and tortured them but neither know who this ‘shadow’ was or why they have been chosen. It becomes clear that these two men go back a long way and are now in the upper echelons of power at one of Germany’s biggest magazines. When they are found disorientated, abused, scared and confused in their cages their colleagues don’t rush to help, in fact the opposite is true. They seemingly have a lot of enemies so for Chastity and her colleague Ivo it is like looking for a needle in a haystack for the culprit.
Oh Ivo. A new character to the world of Chastity Riley (the others are explored in depth in Blue Night) he is more than a match for Chastity, and she knows it, which complicates things slightly. I loved their sparring and the way he seemed to understand her very, very quickly knocking her completely off kilter. Their investigation against the backdrops of the dark side of Hamburg and a remote Bavarian town takes them down dark avenues and examines the desire for revenge and justice. The lines between the investigation and real life become blurred and with Chastity’s private life quietly imploding her work with Ivo becomes a welcome distraction.
This is a short book which comes in at just under 200 pages and features short, snappy chapters with concise and precise sentences. Words are carefully chosen to convey maximum impact. A chapter covering a page and a half can contain descriptions of rain which made me feel like I was in the middle of a storm, a conversation in which a huge emotional wrench is made and a wry sarcastic take on life that had me chuckling. It is brilliant, astute writing and feels like a sorbet palate cleanser during a particularly rich meal; sharp and refreshing and with an edge that cannot be put into words.
In some ways I wish that I hadn’t discovered this series of books until much later so I could binge them one after the other, but then, part of the enjoyment is in the anticipation isn’t it? Dark and delicious this slice of German noir is something very special indeed and I can’t wait for more.
When I read Blue Night by German writer Simone Buchholz last year I was swept away by how utterly brilliant it was and it ended up as one of my Top Five Reads of 2018. I have been wanting to get my grubby little mitts on Beton Rouge for a while but then realised that once I’d read it, that was it, it was over. So I tried to read it slooooowwwwwllllyyy, I really did, honest. Except I failed spectacularly and gobbled it up. Whoops.
It’s not my fault, I promise. Simone Buchholz’s books are so great and moreish that I can’t put them down. In Beton Rouge we are reunited with the quite amazing public prosecutor Chastity Riley, a woman who drinks too much, smokes too much and who uses her words like armour. She is dry and sarcastic and I think I want to be her friend. If she’d let me that is, because very few people get to be in her inner circle but when they do, she loves them fiercely (just don’t tell them that OK?).
Set in Hamburg, Beton Rouge’s plot centres around two men who are found naked and battered and locked inside cages outside the offices of the magazine they both work for. They say that a ‘shadow’ attacked and tortured them but neither know who this ‘shadow’ was or why they have been chosen. It becomes clear that these two men go back a long way and are now in the upper echelons of power at one of Germany’s biggest magazines. When they are found disorientated, abused, scared and confused in their cages their colleagues don’t rush to help, in fact the opposite is true. They seemingly have a lot of enemies so for Chastity and her colleague Ivo it is like looking for a needle in a haystack for the culprit.
Oh Ivo. A new character to the world of Chastity Riley (the others are explored in depth in Blue Night) he is more than a match for Chastity, and she knows it, which complicates things slightly. I loved their sparring and the way he seemed to understand her very, very quickly knocking her completely off kilter. Their investigation against the backdrops of the dark side of Hamburg and a remote Bavarian town takes them down dark avenues and examines the desire for revenge and justice. The lines between the investigation and real life become blurred and with Chastity’s private life quietly imploding her work with Ivo becomes a welcome distraction.
This is a short book which comes in at just under 200 pages and features short, snappy chapters with concise and precise sentences. Words are carefully chosen to convey maximum impact. A chapter covering a page and a half can contain descriptions of rain which made me feel like I was in the middle of a storm, a conversation in which a huge emotional wrench is made and a wry sarcastic take on life that had me chuckling. It is brilliant, astute writing and feels like a sorbet palate cleanser during a particularly rich meal; sharp and refreshing and with an edge that cannot be put into words.
In some ways I wish that I hadn’t discovered this series of books until much later so I could binge them one after the other, but then, part of the enjoyment is in the anticipation isn’t it? Dark and delicious this slice of German noir is something very special indeed and I can’t wait for more.
March 12, 2020
On to book two and this book is a horse of a slightly different, but equally unusual colour, to the last one. Beton Rouge has a much more straight forward narrative that Blue Night, less of the disjointed skipping around and back and forth. As we are now fully conversant with the main characters, there is less back story to be woven in and we can focus more on the current situation, and the new characters the author throws in to stir up the mix. And stir it up they do, particularly Chastity’s new partner on the case, Ivo Stepanovic, who is more than a match for Chastity. Even a soulmate, perhaps?
The story switches to and reveals different aspects of the Hamburg social hierarchy from the first book, as we move from the night time streets of St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn to some of Hamburg’s most powerful men and the world of elite boarding schools. The plot even ventures out of Hamburg to a small village in Southern Germany and secrets hidden behind ancient school walls. And, as things are switching up in Chastity’s work, so drastic change is rippling through her social group at the same time. Everything is changing, and we follow Chastity as she tries to work out how all of these things are affecting her.
The book is written in short, sharp, snappy chapters which bowl the plot along at a riveting pace and the criminal investigation is again deliciously twisted and captivating. However, it was Chastity herself and her life and relationships that fascinated me once more, and formed the more absorbing part of the book. Her acid humour cuts through the narrative like a whiplash and makes it a joy to read, her developing relationship with Ivo, the way they bounce off each other, the new side of Hamburg that both Chastity and the reader see with his guidance were all great aspects that hooked me in to the plot. At the same time, her other deteriorating relationships bit deep, and I could feel her conflict and her pain. I think I’ve become a little obsessed with her, to be honest, and the way the author has achieved this in a couple of books with less than two hundred pages in each and pared back, not-a-word-wasted text is an admirable skill.
The more I read of this series, the more invested I have become in the character and her life. The more I get to know her, the more I want to know, and to burrow through the layers of complexity and defence she has built around herself and understand what makes her tick. The author has created a wonderful character and world in this series, and I have a feeling it is just going to get better and better.
Fresh, quick and surprisingly moving, whilst being dark and dirty. I absolutely loved it.
The story switches to and reveals different aspects of the Hamburg social hierarchy from the first book, as we move from the night time streets of St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn to some of Hamburg’s most powerful men and the world of elite boarding schools. The plot even ventures out of Hamburg to a small village in Southern Germany and secrets hidden behind ancient school walls. And, as things are switching up in Chastity’s work, so drastic change is rippling through her social group at the same time. Everything is changing, and we follow Chastity as she tries to work out how all of these things are affecting her.
The book is written in short, sharp, snappy chapters which bowl the plot along at a riveting pace and the criminal investigation is again deliciously twisted and captivating. However, it was Chastity herself and her life and relationships that fascinated me once more, and formed the more absorbing part of the book. Her acid humour cuts through the narrative like a whiplash and makes it a joy to read, her developing relationship with Ivo, the way they bounce off each other, the new side of Hamburg that both Chastity and the reader see with his guidance were all great aspects that hooked me in to the plot. At the same time, her other deteriorating relationships bit deep, and I could feel her conflict and her pain. I think I’ve become a little obsessed with her, to be honest, and the way the author has achieved this in a couple of books with less than two hundred pages in each and pared back, not-a-word-wasted text is an admirable skill.
The more I read of this series, the more invested I have become in the character and her life. The more I get to know her, the more I want to know, and to burrow through the layers of complexity and defence she has built around herself and understand what makes her tick. The author has created a wonderful character and world in this series, and I have a feeling it is just going to get better and better.
Fresh, quick and surprisingly moving, whilst being dark and dirty. I absolutely loved it.
August 22, 2020
3.25 Stars
Beton Rouge by Simone Buchholz is my second read for Women In Translation Month 2020. I read the first Chastity Riley novel translated into English, Blue Night, last year and connected with the protagonist. Chastity Riley is a prosecutor in Hamburg and along with her new partner Ivo Stepanovic, find an unconscious man in a cage at the entrance to the offices of one of Germany’s biggest magazines. The man is identified as a manager of the magazine, and he’s been tortured. Three days later, another manager appears in a similar way.
Who has attacked these men in such fashion? Riley and Stepanovic travel from Hamburg to Bavaria in attempt to solve the case. But they learn about the victims dark past from their time at boarding school and becomes a case of what goes around will come around.
Buchholz writes a solid crime fiction novel that kept me reading on my iPad. Riley’s sarcastic nature and dark view of the world is unique for the genre. Also, it is nice to read about Hamburg, Germany as Deutschland’s second largest city does not get the attention from the outside world like Berlin, Munich, or Frankfurt.
If you are looking for international crime fiction outside of Scandinavia to read, then I will recommend Beton Rouge by Simone Buchholz as a good place to start. Also, I would go back and read Blue Nightalong with Mexico Street from the same series
Beton Rouge by Simone Buchholz is my second read for Women In Translation Month 2020. I read the first Chastity Riley novel translated into English, Blue Night, last year and connected with the protagonist. Chastity Riley is a prosecutor in Hamburg and along with her new partner Ivo Stepanovic, find an unconscious man in a cage at the entrance to the offices of one of Germany’s biggest magazines. The man is identified as a manager of the magazine, and he’s been tortured. Three days later, another manager appears in a similar way.
Who has attacked these men in such fashion? Riley and Stepanovic travel from Hamburg to Bavaria in attempt to solve the case. But they learn about the victims dark past from their time at boarding school and becomes a case of what goes around will come around.
Buchholz writes a solid crime fiction novel that kept me reading on my iPad. Riley’s sarcastic nature and dark view of the world is unique for the genre. Also, it is nice to read about Hamburg, Germany as Deutschland’s second largest city does not get the attention from the outside world like Berlin, Munich, or Frankfurt.
If you are looking for international crime fiction outside of Scandinavia to read, then I will recommend Beton Rouge by Simone Buchholz as a good place to start. Also, I would go back and read Blue Nightalong with Mexico Street from the same series
May 22, 2023
I went straight from finishing ‘Blue Night’, the first of the Chasity Riley series, onto this the second novel, which I also devoured in a day !
Chasity is a prosecutor with the Public Prosecutor’s in Hamburg, Germany and is called in when a man is found unconscious and oblivious tortured and trapped inside a cage, which has been deposited outside a major publisher’s headquarters. The man turns out to be an executive at the publishers and when another executive turns up a few days later in the same circumstances Chasity is plunged into a dark and puzzling investigation. She is assigned a new partner in the form of Ivo Stepanovic, from Serious Crimes and their investigation leads them to a private boarding school in Bavaria which appears to hold the secret which may solve the case.
Again this is another great little German noir mystery which is full of dark secrets and even darker humour. Apart from the main plot line we are also pulled into Chasity and Stepanovic’s relationship which starts off very cool but starts to heat up as they both discover common ground in smoking, drinking and an inability to sleep ! It’s a bit of a will they, won’t they conundrum seeing as Chasity’s relationship with her neighbour Klatsch seems to faltering following the discovery of three dead bodies in the basement of his bar. We also learn of Chasity’s relationships with her team in the murder squad and also that of her close friends Carla and Rocco which all adds a bit of spice to this already great story.
Although they’re just short novels Simone Buchholz manages to pack a lot into the stories and she does this by having the main plot line narrated by Chasity but there are other chapters which are narrated by some of the other characters, which help to fill in the backstories. Once again I’ve went from finishing this novel and have went straight onto reading the next in the series as I’m totally hooked.
Chasity is a prosecutor with the Public Prosecutor’s in Hamburg, Germany and is called in when a man is found unconscious and oblivious tortured and trapped inside a cage, which has been deposited outside a major publisher’s headquarters. The man turns out to be an executive at the publishers and when another executive turns up a few days later in the same circumstances Chasity is plunged into a dark and puzzling investigation. She is assigned a new partner in the form of Ivo Stepanovic, from Serious Crimes and their investigation leads them to a private boarding school in Bavaria which appears to hold the secret which may solve the case.
Again this is another great little German noir mystery which is full of dark secrets and even darker humour. Apart from the main plot line we are also pulled into Chasity and Stepanovic’s relationship which starts off very cool but starts to heat up as they both discover common ground in smoking, drinking and an inability to sleep ! It’s a bit of a will they, won’t they conundrum seeing as Chasity’s relationship with her neighbour Klatsch seems to faltering following the discovery of three dead bodies in the basement of his bar. We also learn of Chasity’s relationships with her team in the murder squad and also that of her close friends Carla and Rocco which all adds a bit of spice to this already great story.
Although they’re just short novels Simone Buchholz manages to pack a lot into the stories and she does this by having the main plot line narrated by Chasity but there are other chapters which are narrated by some of the other characters, which help to fill in the backstories. Once again I’ve went from finishing this novel and have went straight onto reading the next in the series as I’m totally hooked.
February 12, 2019
I enjoyed my first meeting with Chastity Riley last year in the novel Blue Night so was looking forward to catching up with her again. I was happy to see that she hadn’t changed a bit. She is as cynical as ever.
There are two cases, the first a cyclist killed by a hit and run is a bit gory despite its brevity. Chastity is only there because she was walking by whilst the investigation was being carried out. The second concerned businessmen who had been stripped, tortured and locked in a cage outside the business that they run. They didn’t seem to have many who were sympathetic to their plight. And when you knew more about them I do tend to have the same opinion.
But the novel isn’t really about the crimes, it’s more about Chastity. Which is ok with me because she is such a likeable and refreshing character. She drinks too much, smokes too much and falls in love with the wrong people. She wears her heart on her sleeve. She also cares about her friends, worries about what they are going through, and she is willing to see things that others will disregard.
The writing is beautiful and having experienced listening to her read from the previous book at an event last year I could hear her read this. It feels real, these characters aren’t whiter than white. They have problems, they feel lonely, they sometimes do things that they shouldn’t do.
I hope more of this series will be translated. It’s one that I could happily read back to back.
There are two cases, the first a cyclist killed by a hit and run is a bit gory despite its brevity. Chastity is only there because she was walking by whilst the investigation was being carried out. The second concerned businessmen who had been stripped, tortured and locked in a cage outside the business that they run. They didn’t seem to have many who were sympathetic to their plight. And when you knew more about them I do tend to have the same opinion.
But the novel isn’t really about the crimes, it’s more about Chastity. Which is ok with me because she is such a likeable and refreshing character. She drinks too much, smokes too much and falls in love with the wrong people. She wears her heart on her sleeve. She also cares about her friends, worries about what they are going through, and she is willing to see things that others will disregard.
The writing is beautiful and having experienced listening to her read from the previous book at an event last year I could hear her read this. It feels real, these characters aren’t whiter than white. They have problems, they feel lonely, they sometimes do things that they shouldn’t do.
I hope more of this series will be translated. It’s one that I could happily read back to back.
January 28, 2020
Nicht schlecht, aber auch nicht übermäßig gut. Ich mochte die kurzen, episodenhaften Kapitel und die Kürze des Buches, d.h. es wurde nichts unnötig in die Läbge gezogen. Die Charaktere sind die 0815-Good-&-Bad-Cop-Kombi und unsere Hauptperson, Staatsanwältin Riley, ist natürlich sozial und beziehubgstechnisch ein ziemlicher Reinfall. Die Charaktere haben mich nicht überzeugt und die Story war sehr mittelmäßig.
March 27, 2023
Sieben von zehn, der Stil wird immer wieder zur Zumutung und doch liest man weiter. Eine Widmung an Neville Longbottom verspricht keine gute Lektüre – daran gemessen ist das Buch wirklich okay.
October 14, 2022
4/5 Very Good.
These short powerful crime noir thrillers from Simone Buchholz are a true joy.
This is the 2nd I’ve read now and the fiery, pragmatic, and very real feeling Chastity Riley really is a star turn.
The books are German, translated to English, but not a word is mistaken in this sizzling, scathing story that often plays like a social commentary of todays world.
Riley is absolutely razor sharp and whip smart yet she gives off a vulnerability that just makes her feel more human and not a character in a book.
It’s simply absolutely cracking stuff
These short powerful crime noir thrillers from Simone Buchholz are a true joy.
This is the 2nd I’ve read now and the fiery, pragmatic, and very real feeling Chastity Riley really is a star turn.
The books are German, translated to English, but not a word is mistaken in this sizzling, scathing story that often plays like a social commentary of todays world.
Riley is absolutely razor sharp and whip smart yet she gives off a vulnerability that just makes her feel more human and not a character in a book.
It’s simply absolutely cracking stuff
December 13, 2018
I loved this book, I ached to continue reading when pesky things like work got in the way and I highly recommend it!
For the full review please visit my blog at https://frombelgium.wixsite.com/withb...
For the full review please visit my blog at https://frombelgium.wixsite.com/withb...
April 8, 2019
... “Der Ortseingang ist mit geschnitzten Holzschildern dekoriert. Auf den Schildern steht, dass hier die fränkische Toskana ist, was einem sehr schlechten Witz schon sehr nahe kommt. In der Toskana wären Menschen auf den Straßen und den Plätzen, sie würden sich unterhalten, sie würden lachen, sie wären lebendig.” - Die wohl beste Beschreibung der bayrischen Provinz ever!
February 20, 2019
A memorable series of crimes, a contrary investigator, a view of downtown Hamburg, this atmospheric mystery novel is an interesting slice of life from a very different perspective. Chastity Riley is an anti – hero of surprising depth and feeling, even if along very different lines from many fictional crime investigators. This is life on the other side, not merely observed but lived, tough and exacting, challenging on every level. While some of the characters are wealthy and powerful, here are people who do not even pretend to conform; the forces of law and order personified by Riley is not clean and efficient, but sleepless, on the edge, and fuelled by cigarettes and alcohol. Presented at a pace which is fast and sometimes brutal, this translated novel is a powerful picture of European life which is far from the tourist experience. I was very interested to receive a copy of this novel to read and review.
The first scene is of a fairly horrific traffic incident in which a woman dies, then a brief indication of harsh treatment. Chastity Riley opens her narration with a picture of her departure from her apartment. Sparsely furnished, it offers little comfort, a sentiment echoed by the weather outside. She is summoned to a brutally unusual crime scene, as a man is confined in a cage, in poor physical shape, for an unspecified reason. As a Public Prosecutor she goes to the scene and liaises with the attending police officers, surrounded by hostile witnesses. It transpires that the captured man is an unpopular member of the management which has been involved in several schemes of attack on the employees of the firm in the offices standing behind the crime scene. To increase the impact of the crime, a Serious Crime Officer called Ivo Stepanovic arrives, and Riley discovers that she must work with him to find the motive and offender concerned. All is far from what it seems however, as we witness Riley’s confusing private life, her undefined relationships, her tastes in alcohol and unconventional lifestyle. A lead on the identification of a possible motive takes them to Barvaria, which seems the epitome of unfriendliness. As they jointly try to investigate horrendous crimes and adopt some unconventional methods, they compare their views of life and the ways they cope with the desperate scenes which form part of their jobs. As they find some similar habits and obsessions, the situation deteriorates.
This is a powerful read with much to say about the side of life which would be too unconventional for many, and too dark and desperate for most. It a surprisingly bleak book, offering a hopeless picture of the lives of many only partly relived by appropriate music. It is nevertheless a compelling and gripping read, which kept me involved and interested through the short chapters which reflects the pace of lives lived on the edge. Chasity Riley is a memorable and unlikely heroine, sometimes more observer than protagonist, constant commentator and unpredictable character. I found this a challenging read, to be recommended for its consistency and power, and having a unique style.
The first scene is of a fairly horrific traffic incident in which a woman dies, then a brief indication of harsh treatment. Chastity Riley opens her narration with a picture of her departure from her apartment. Sparsely furnished, it offers little comfort, a sentiment echoed by the weather outside. She is summoned to a brutally unusual crime scene, as a man is confined in a cage, in poor physical shape, for an unspecified reason. As a Public Prosecutor she goes to the scene and liaises with the attending police officers, surrounded by hostile witnesses. It transpires that the captured man is an unpopular member of the management which has been involved in several schemes of attack on the employees of the firm in the offices standing behind the crime scene. To increase the impact of the crime, a Serious Crime Officer called Ivo Stepanovic arrives, and Riley discovers that she must work with him to find the motive and offender concerned. All is far from what it seems however, as we witness Riley’s confusing private life, her undefined relationships, her tastes in alcohol and unconventional lifestyle. A lead on the identification of a possible motive takes them to Barvaria, which seems the epitome of unfriendliness. As they jointly try to investigate horrendous crimes and adopt some unconventional methods, they compare their views of life and the ways they cope with the desperate scenes which form part of their jobs. As they find some similar habits and obsessions, the situation deteriorates.
This is a powerful read with much to say about the side of life which would be too unconventional for many, and too dark and desperate for most. It a surprisingly bleak book, offering a hopeless picture of the lives of many only partly relived by appropriate music. It is nevertheless a compelling and gripping read, which kept me involved and interested through the short chapters which reflects the pace of lives lived on the edge. Chasity Riley is a memorable and unlikely heroine, sometimes more observer than protagonist, constant commentator and unpredictable character. I found this a challenging read, to be recommended for its consistency and power, and having a unique style.
February 28, 2019
Beton Rouge sees the welcome return of Chastity Riley following her introduction to English-speaking readers in Blue Night last year. This time the public prosecutor is paired with a new colleague, Ivo Stepanovic from the Serious Crimes Office as they investigate why first the head of HR and then the publishing director of a leading magazine company are left in cages outside the magazine's offices, naked and with extensive injuries indicating they've been brutally tortured.
Chastity is rapidly becoming one of my favourite fictional characters and the relationship she develops with Stepanovic during the course of the novel bears all the hallmarks of a sublime film noir partnership. Their wisecracking repartee and sizzling chemistry mean the scenes between them fizzle with irresistible energy and yet both have a darker, more melancholy side which threatens to overwhelm them at times. Their hard drinking and chain smoking as they frequent the less than salubrious bars in the underbelly of Hamburg may go against all health guidelines but it gives the book an air of gritty authenticity. It's actually their trip to Bavaria which is the highlight of the book for me though, with their deadpan dialogue a sheer delight as they visit a village which describes itself as the 'Franconian Tuscany' although they aren't given a warm welcome,
'This is the Bavaria I know' says Stepanovic, 'An undiluted mixture of suspicion and aggression.'
The Blue Night bar and Chastity's hotchpotch group of friends feature again in Beton Rouge albeit in lesser roles but it looks as if change lies ahead for them and it seems that their messy lives may not be able to withstand some of the shocking revelations which occur during the course of the book.
The investigation into the caged men is darkly fascinating with each new disclosure driving the fast-moving plot forward but in truth, it's as a character study that Beton Rouge really shines for me. The introduction of Stepanovic is inspired as his own complicated issues allow Chastity to reflect further on her own demons and with the narrative often revealing her inner monologue, readers learn not only of her current torment but also more about her childhood. Her memories of her father's emotional decline are incredibly poignant with the distance that developed between them resulting in overwhelming loneliness which is so intense it's almost palpable.
Although Beton Rouge is a crime thriller which for once doesn't have murder as the central case being investigated, it is still a sharply insightful exposé of a shadowy world most of us are only dimly aware of. The humour is acerbically black and it's a pessimistic reflection of society but there's a poetry to the writing too making Beton Rouge such a joy to read from start to finish. Credit must be given here to Rachel Ward's translation which for ensuring that none of the nuances of Simone Buchholz's original prose are lost. A word too for the chapter headings which are a consistent delight.
Beton Rouge is an outstanding thriller which evokes all the stylishly cool spirit of traditional hard-boiled Noir yet is a fresh and compelling addition to the current crime fiction scene. Highly recommended.
Chastity is rapidly becoming one of my favourite fictional characters and the relationship she develops with Stepanovic during the course of the novel bears all the hallmarks of a sublime film noir partnership. Their wisecracking repartee and sizzling chemistry mean the scenes between them fizzle with irresistible energy and yet both have a darker, more melancholy side which threatens to overwhelm them at times. Their hard drinking and chain smoking as they frequent the less than salubrious bars in the underbelly of Hamburg may go against all health guidelines but it gives the book an air of gritty authenticity. It's actually their trip to Bavaria which is the highlight of the book for me though, with their deadpan dialogue a sheer delight as they visit a village which describes itself as the 'Franconian Tuscany' although they aren't given a warm welcome,
'This is the Bavaria I know' says Stepanovic, 'An undiluted mixture of suspicion and aggression.'
The Blue Night bar and Chastity's hotchpotch group of friends feature again in Beton Rouge albeit in lesser roles but it looks as if change lies ahead for them and it seems that their messy lives may not be able to withstand some of the shocking revelations which occur during the course of the book.
The investigation into the caged men is darkly fascinating with each new disclosure driving the fast-moving plot forward but in truth, it's as a character study that Beton Rouge really shines for me. The introduction of Stepanovic is inspired as his own complicated issues allow Chastity to reflect further on her own demons and with the narrative often revealing her inner monologue, readers learn not only of her current torment but also more about her childhood. Her memories of her father's emotional decline are incredibly poignant with the distance that developed between them resulting in overwhelming loneliness which is so intense it's almost palpable.
Although Beton Rouge is a crime thriller which for once doesn't have murder as the central case being investigated, it is still a sharply insightful exposé of a shadowy world most of us are only dimly aware of. The humour is acerbically black and it's a pessimistic reflection of society but there's a poetry to the writing too making Beton Rouge such a joy to read from start to finish. Credit must be given here to Rachel Ward's translation which for ensuring that none of the nuances of Simone Buchholz's original prose are lost. A word too for the chapter headings which are a consistent delight.
Beton Rouge is an outstanding thriller which evokes all the stylishly cool spirit of traditional hard-boiled Noir yet is a fresh and compelling addition to the current crime fiction scene. Highly recommended.
February 25, 2019
An unconscious man has been found outside the offices of one of Germany’s biggest newspapers. He is locked inside of a cage, naked, and on display for all of those who walk by to see. Chas Riley and her new colleague, Ivo Stepanovic, are placed on the case and immediately discover this mystery man is one of the managers of the newspaper company he is caged outside. Three days later, the detectives receive a call informing them another man has appeared under similar circumstances. When it is revealed that he is also a manager with the first man, the group investigating the cases immediately believe these acts to be a form of revenge. Is it someone from the news agency or someone from their past?
Riley and Stepanovic will travel across Germany into the world of elite boarding schools on the hunt for answers. What they find is a tangled web of lies buried beneath wealth. No amount of money can keep monsters hidden forever.
Simone Buchholz is back again with another installment in her Chas Riley series. This time we find our well-loved protagonist, Riley, working with an entirely different crew on a new case. While she works alongside different detectives, we are still treated to familiar faces in the form of those who take up Riley’s personal life. The dichotomy between Riley’s personal and professional lives is perfectly balanced, with enough insight into both to allow a strong connection to our main character, while not taking away from the exciting case at hand. Yet again, Buchholz had me loving Riley’s honest and often blunt personality. With this second installment we are certainly treated to more of what makes her tick.
A book with such a well-developed main character needs a case that allows them to truly shine, while engaging the reader in the hunt for answers. This is exactly what Buchholz delivers in BETON ROUGE. I can say easily enough I’ve never read about men trapped naked in cages and left for public displays. Instantly the imagery of these instances captures the reader’s attention. What sort of monster would do this to someone? What sort of monster do you have to be to have someone want to do this to you? These are the questions that Riley and Stepanovic must answer in order to get to the root of these attacks. Their investigation into the lives of the caged men gives you not only answers, but an even more interesting story that their capture and imprisonment.
Buchholz writes with such a quick pace, lent to with the aid of short chapters, that a reader will get lost within the story of BETON ROUGE easily. I found myself not looking up until the first 50 pages had passed, completely unaware of how much time had passed. I’m a huge fan of short chapters and think when they are done right, they instantly set the pace of the book, which is exactly what happened for me here. Buchholz also has a unique way of drawing the reader to keep reading by giving each chapter a unique title. Each title is actually taken from the contents of the chapters, which means only one thing...you must keep reading!
Riley and Stepanovic will travel across Germany into the world of elite boarding schools on the hunt for answers. What they find is a tangled web of lies buried beneath wealth. No amount of money can keep monsters hidden forever.
Simone Buchholz is back again with another installment in her Chas Riley series. This time we find our well-loved protagonist, Riley, working with an entirely different crew on a new case. While she works alongside different detectives, we are still treated to familiar faces in the form of those who take up Riley’s personal life. The dichotomy between Riley’s personal and professional lives is perfectly balanced, with enough insight into both to allow a strong connection to our main character, while not taking away from the exciting case at hand. Yet again, Buchholz had me loving Riley’s honest and often blunt personality. With this second installment we are certainly treated to more of what makes her tick.
A book with such a well-developed main character needs a case that allows them to truly shine, while engaging the reader in the hunt for answers. This is exactly what Buchholz delivers in BETON ROUGE. I can say easily enough I’ve never read about men trapped naked in cages and left for public displays. Instantly the imagery of these instances captures the reader’s attention. What sort of monster would do this to someone? What sort of monster do you have to be to have someone want to do this to you? These are the questions that Riley and Stepanovic must answer in order to get to the root of these attacks. Their investigation into the lives of the caged men gives you not only answers, but an even more interesting story that their capture and imprisonment.
Buchholz writes with such a quick pace, lent to with the aid of short chapters, that a reader will get lost within the story of BETON ROUGE easily. I found myself not looking up until the first 50 pages had passed, completely unaware of how much time had passed. I’m a huge fan of short chapters and think when they are done right, they instantly set the pace of the book, which is exactly what happened for me here. Buchholz also has a unique way of drawing the reader to keep reading by giving each chapter a unique title. Each title is actually taken from the contents of the chapters, which means only one thing...you must keep reading!
February 7, 2019
I think what I enjoy most about the particular style Buchholz brings to the table, is the ‘I don’t care what is going on around me – my grasp on reality and life in general is more important’ attitude of the main character. This is what gives the Chastity Riley series a distinctive noir touch, and of course the more brusque character interaction and dialogue.
She always seems, and interestingly enough she says it herself, completely distanced from everything and everyone, including the cases she works on. Imagine the universe of Chastity and all the other characters are fellow planets circling the sun.
When she is roped into an unusual case involving a man being found naked in a small cage in a public area, she is also introduced to the person in charge of the case, Stepanovic. The meeting of the two is one of the most fascinating elements of this book.
A shout-out to the author for Stepanovic and the anti-Delorean theory. Now I finally understand the no man’s land of the mind and consciousness. Combining his baggage and thought process with that of Chastity’s very own brand of dealing with life and her relationships was a stroke of genius.
The two of them try to understand the mind-set of a perpetrator, who wants to scare and humiliate their victim, and at the same time figure out why nobody has any empathy for the victim.
The phrase Schmidt’s Cat is used quite a few times in the book. Schmidt’s Cat (Schmidt’s Katze) is a phrase used in more recent eras to describe something or someone moving at an incredibly fast speed. Historically – Schmidt derives from the German word Schmied (blacksmith). The blacksmiths would often own a cat that was used to chase the mice away, and the cat would scarper as fast it could when the blacksmith banged his hammer, hence as fast as Schmidt’s Cat.
So as it relates to the boy in the story becomes Sebastian Schmidt’s cat. A well thought out sardonic twist that gets lost in translation somewhat. So, once again with the idiomatic expressions.
I have a feeling that Buchholz is just getting started, and not just where the Chastity Riley series is concerned. She has a fresh, brash voice and isn’t afraid to use it. It’s criminal noir with characters who are bigger than the plot, which makes them the story. Definitely an author to watch out for.
*I received a courtesy copy*
She always seems, and interestingly enough she says it herself, completely distanced from everything and everyone, including the cases she works on. Imagine the universe of Chastity and all the other characters are fellow planets circling the sun.
When she is roped into an unusual case involving a man being found naked in a small cage in a public area, she is also introduced to the person in charge of the case, Stepanovic. The meeting of the two is one of the most fascinating elements of this book.
A shout-out to the author for Stepanovic and the anti-Delorean theory. Now I finally understand the no man’s land of the mind and consciousness. Combining his baggage and thought process with that of Chastity’s very own brand of dealing with life and her relationships was a stroke of genius.
The two of them try to understand the mind-set of a perpetrator, who wants to scare and humiliate their victim, and at the same time figure out why nobody has any empathy for the victim.
The phrase Schmidt’s Cat is used quite a few times in the book. Schmidt’s Cat (Schmidt’s Katze) is a phrase used in more recent eras to describe something or someone moving at an incredibly fast speed. Historically – Schmidt derives from the German word Schmied (blacksmith). The blacksmiths would often own a cat that was used to chase the mice away, and the cat would scarper as fast it could when the blacksmith banged his hammer, hence as fast as Schmidt’s Cat.
So as it relates to the boy in the story becomes Sebastian Schmidt’s cat. A well thought out sardonic twist that gets lost in translation somewhat. So, once again with the idiomatic expressions.
I have a feeling that Buchholz is just getting started, and not just where the Chastity Riley series is concerned. She has a fresh, brash voice and isn’t afraid to use it. It’s criminal noir with characters who are bigger than the plot, which makes them the story. Definitely an author to watch out for.
*I received a courtesy copy*
March 9, 2019
I would like to thank the author, publisher and blog tour organiser for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Chastity Riley is back and what an absolute joy it is!
If I was to list why this book is for me, such a phenomenal read, at the top of that list would be Chastity and all of the other bold and unique characters that fill the pages of Beton Rouge. She commands the reader’s attention throughout, she young, she is acerbic, drinks and smokes too much, with a fractured personal life. I find her utterly fascinating and easy to like and I can’t ever imagine tiring of spending time in her company. Bold characters like Chastity, give stories a strength to revolve the narrative around, classic characters that become fan favourites, never merging into the background, but not overpowering the story. She is the kind of character your never going to forget! She is feisty, smart and has a talent for finding trouble, with a life fraught with questionable choices.
Then there is the writing. Its snappy, with short, crisp chapters, which lend themselves well to this very modern novel. It creates the perfect atmosphere. As Chastity and her new colleague race against time to find the person responsible, for placing the men in cages outside a German Publishing company, those fleeting chapters help to create a sense of edginess in the reader. They heighten a sense of disquiet and help the story to flow faster and your left with the feeling you to are rising against time.
The story is strong and bold. I loved the way it looks at how society treats those that are different and creates from that a classic whodunit about cruelty and retribution. It paints and image of a shadowy city, dismal and unpredictable, creating at atmosphere where I as a reader felt danger lurking around every corner. It cleverly takes the reader down into the bowels of the city and behind the tortured mind of a protagonist bent on punishing his enemies.
If I hadn't had to work, I would never have put down, so gripped was I by story.
Without doubt this book is a fitting follow-up to Blue Night and carries on the obvious talent the writer showed in the first novel.
Special mention must go to the translator Rachel Ward, who with great skill translates this novel into English.
Chastity Riley is back and what an absolute joy it is!
If I was to list why this book is for me, such a phenomenal read, at the top of that list would be Chastity and all of the other bold and unique characters that fill the pages of Beton Rouge. She commands the reader’s attention throughout, she young, she is acerbic, drinks and smokes too much, with a fractured personal life. I find her utterly fascinating and easy to like and I can’t ever imagine tiring of spending time in her company. Bold characters like Chastity, give stories a strength to revolve the narrative around, classic characters that become fan favourites, never merging into the background, but not overpowering the story. She is the kind of character your never going to forget! She is feisty, smart and has a talent for finding trouble, with a life fraught with questionable choices.
Then there is the writing. Its snappy, with short, crisp chapters, which lend themselves well to this very modern novel. It creates the perfect atmosphere. As Chastity and her new colleague race against time to find the person responsible, for placing the men in cages outside a German Publishing company, those fleeting chapters help to create a sense of edginess in the reader. They heighten a sense of disquiet and help the story to flow faster and your left with the feeling you to are rising against time.
The story is strong and bold. I loved the way it looks at how society treats those that are different and creates from that a classic whodunit about cruelty and retribution. It paints and image of a shadowy city, dismal and unpredictable, creating at atmosphere where I as a reader felt danger lurking around every corner. It cleverly takes the reader down into the bowels of the city and behind the tortured mind of a protagonist bent on punishing his enemies.
If I hadn't had to work, I would never have put down, so gripped was I by story.
Without doubt this book is a fitting follow-up to Blue Night and carries on the obvious talent the writer showed in the first novel.
Special mention must go to the translator Rachel Ward, who with great skill translates this novel into English.
February 25, 2019
WOW! Just wow! I adored this book, and despite it being the second in the series I connected easily with the main character Chastity Riley very early on and I totally ADORE her! The way this is written, with the reader seeing her inner monologue in situations as well as what she actually says is done in such a witty tone it was wonderful. I laughed so many times at things she both did and didn’t say, at times what she says is subtly snide but of course the reader is the only one who sees the lead up to the comment.
She is SO much fun to read about, I absolutely need to, and WILL be reading book one as soon as is possible. I know that starting at the beginning of a series often gives a better view of the character and a better connection, and with the fact that I already have a crush on Riley, I can’t wait to start from the beginning.
And that’s just the main character!! I enjoyed the storyline for this immensely, the intrigue that lies around the scenarios is entirely fascinating, for so many reasons. Firstly, I have never come across a story even remotely similar, and in these Genres that is no easy task, yeh Buchholz seems to do it easily.
The plot is so unpredictable, I couldn’t see any of the scenarios coming, in fact I was so often on the edge of my seat that I wouldn’t be surprised to find a permanent indent from my behind 🤣🙊
There are several situations that grab the readers attention and have you feeling like you’re involved, seeing it unfold before you, and yet remaining slightly aloof so that you end up thinking the situation through and questioning it. Not so much the validity, because the author has an astounding talent for capturing the darker side of human nature and placing it in front of us in believable ways, but rather because it makes you question how you might behave. What would you do in the situation? Would you react the same, differently?
Overall, this isn’t a long book, but it is certainly one that will stay with me for a long while! A fast read, that’s perfectly paced and perfectly individual. If you don’t have this on your bookcase, you’re missing a real Diamond of a story!
She is SO much fun to read about, I absolutely need to, and WILL be reading book one as soon as is possible. I know that starting at the beginning of a series often gives a better view of the character and a better connection, and with the fact that I already have a crush on Riley, I can’t wait to start from the beginning.
And that’s just the main character!! I enjoyed the storyline for this immensely, the intrigue that lies around the scenarios is entirely fascinating, for so many reasons. Firstly, I have never come across a story even remotely similar, and in these Genres that is no easy task, yeh Buchholz seems to do it easily.
The plot is so unpredictable, I couldn’t see any of the scenarios coming, in fact I was so often on the edge of my seat that I wouldn’t be surprised to find a permanent indent from my behind 🤣🙊
There are several situations that grab the readers attention and have you feeling like you’re involved, seeing it unfold before you, and yet remaining slightly aloof so that you end up thinking the situation through and questioning it. Not so much the validity, because the author has an astounding talent for capturing the darker side of human nature and placing it in front of us in believable ways, but rather because it makes you question how you might behave. What would you do in the situation? Would you react the same, differently?
Overall, this isn’t a long book, but it is certainly one that will stay with me for a long while! A fast read, that’s perfectly paced and perfectly individual. If you don’t have this on your bookcase, you’re missing a real Diamond of a story!
March 22, 2019
This is the second novel featuring Chastity Riley and although I don't think it is vital to have read the first, it could possibly give you a little insight into her back story. The case she is called in to help on is a strange one. A man is discovered in a cage outside his place of work. He's been tortured but he's alive. Immediately you know this isn't your regular crime story. They're not looking for a murderer but it suggests a different kind of criminal who is looking to terrify and humiliate their victims. A person who wants the scars left behind to go much further than any physical ones ever could. They want their victims to suffer, to carry the weight of their experience with them for the rest of their lives.
There is an intense creepiness to these crimes, especially with the level of dislike aimed at the victims from even those who now work with them. This is a difficult case to get to the bottom of but it soon becomes clear that their past is about to catch up with them in a very unpleasant way. But what are the crimes leading to and can Chastity and Ivo find out who's behind these kidnappings and work out who the next target is before they turn deadly? As you get to know each of the victims and the story that binds them together it's difficult to feel sorry for them. These are not nice people. Yet does that make us more sympathetic to the perpetrator? For me, as a reader, that's an uncomfortable place to be but it raises some interesting questions and creates a gripping storyline.
Chastity herself is an unusual heroine. She's a hard-drinking mess of a person but somehow manages to get the job done. Her story is compelling and seems complex. She has suffered and is obviously running from her own demons. The writing style is sharp and punchy adding to the sense of chaos that seems to follow Chastity. How she gets up and with it most days I'm not sure but there is a steely determination about her. It's refreshing to see such a strong but damaged female lead and I look forward to getting to know her more.
This is a series to watch and I thoroughly urge you to jump on board.
There is an intense creepiness to these crimes, especially with the level of dislike aimed at the victims from even those who now work with them. This is a difficult case to get to the bottom of but it soon becomes clear that their past is about to catch up with them in a very unpleasant way. But what are the crimes leading to and can Chastity and Ivo find out who's behind these kidnappings and work out who the next target is before they turn deadly? As you get to know each of the victims and the story that binds them together it's difficult to feel sorry for them. These are not nice people. Yet does that make us more sympathetic to the perpetrator? For me, as a reader, that's an uncomfortable place to be but it raises some interesting questions and creates a gripping storyline.
Chastity herself is an unusual heroine. She's a hard-drinking mess of a person but somehow manages to get the job done. Her story is compelling and seems complex. She has suffered and is obviously running from her own demons. The writing style is sharp and punchy adding to the sense of chaos that seems to follow Chastity. How she gets up and with it most days I'm not sure but there is a steely determination about her. It's refreshing to see such a strong but damaged female lead and I look forward to getting to know her more.
This is a series to watch and I thoroughly urge you to jump on board.
February 10, 2019
I'll be honest now. Blue Night, the first book in this series, took me quite by surprise when I read it last year. Why? Because it was so unique, so detailed and so ingenious in the way it was structured that it wasn't at all what I was expecting. It was, quite simply, stunning. Quite probably the first German book in translation that I'm aware of having read, I really did love the quirky nature of how the author pulled the story together.
With Beton Rouge, that style of story telling has changed again. This time we know most of the main players in the story, the rest we will meet on our journey, but you don't get the same interplay between then stories or the same fractured timeline which made you concentrate really hard on what you were reading. The result this time around? Well I simply flew through the book, eating up page after page and enjoying every second of it. This story is very much Chastity's. Well ... her's and a few victims she comes across along the way. Told almost exclusively from her point of view you get a very different kind of story being told.
The story opens as Chastity comes across the scene of a hit and run accident. So far so dark. The descriptions of the scene clear while not gratuitous, but allowing the uninitiated reader a glimpse of Chastity's astute and darkly humorous observations. As a Public Prosecutor, it may or may not be her case to manage but as she is at the scene, she tips a nod to the officers who are managing the aftermath. You will think from this that you have an inkling where the story is going but you'd be very much mistaken. Instead our heroine is called to the scene of an altogether different crime - one which is very difficult to describe. Ill advised prank or something far more sinister, a man bent double and locked in a cage outside of a major newspaper certainly isn't something the Police come across every day. Well ... it wasn't.
I have to say I really loved this book. It is hard to say too much more about the story itself without giving away key plot points but I can say that accompanying the assigned Police Officer to investigate this most unusual crime certainly pushes Chastity out of her comfort zone. Nothing for her is quite right in this book, everything slightly out of kilter and when she is thrown together with Ivo Stepanovic, it makes for a most interesting pairing. I've got to say, I absolutely loved Ivo. Full on, forthright and completely charming he is every bit Chastity's equal in this story, and the chemistry between them was perfectly played, just oozing from the page. Ill timed as it turns out and both of them are as flawed and quite probably damaged as each other, but Ivo was quite the character and I do hope we see him again as he was a fun guy to get to know.
All of Chastity's old gang of comrades are there (she doesn't really do friends) but you can feel that we are seeing them right on the cusp of major changes and certain revelations throughout the story will surprise readers but also add to the tensions which are brewing in Chastity's private life. Add in the bizarre investigation and things are set to get very complicated indeed.
The chapters are short, driving the narrative along at a fast pace, keeping me as a reader completely hooked. It really was a case of 'one more chapter' for me, quickly followed by another one, then another, until I found myself 30% through the book in what felt like the blink of an eye. It just compelled me onward. I didn't want to step away. There isn't a moment wasted - no unnecessary filler - and yet you never feel like you are cheated out of anything. You still get all of the tension, the suspense, the intrigue, and the clear sense of place, be it the humid city streets of Hamburg, or the more provincial (and the less than suitably named Franconian Tuscany) town of Biesendorf. And then there are those little spikes of dread or morbid curiosity that we get in the few short chapters told from the perpetrator's point of view, as they consider just what they might inflict upon their latest victim.
I know I haven't done this book justice in my review (nothing new there) but honestly, whether you have read book one or not, I would urge you to pick this book up. It is perfect to be read as a standalone as even though you won't have met some of the characters in the book before like the more seasoned reader, the people you really need to know for this tale are all introduced here anyway. With the exception of Chastity. But believe me, Simone Buchholz has created such a brilliantly vibrant and believable character that it will take you a matter of pages to get the measure of her and develop a little bit of Chastity Riley book love like the rest of us.
Fast paced, full of delightfully diverse and lovable (and detestable) characters, all set against an intriguing and cunningly crafted story, Beton Rouge is an absolutely brilliant book. I loved it and I'm only gutted I read it so quickly. I'm missing Chastity and Ivo already. Please tell me they'll be back?
With Beton Rouge, that style of story telling has changed again. This time we know most of the main players in the story, the rest we will meet on our journey, but you don't get the same interplay between then stories or the same fractured timeline which made you concentrate really hard on what you were reading. The result this time around? Well I simply flew through the book, eating up page after page and enjoying every second of it. This story is very much Chastity's. Well ... her's and a few victims she comes across along the way. Told almost exclusively from her point of view you get a very different kind of story being told.
The story opens as Chastity comes across the scene of a hit and run accident. So far so dark. The descriptions of the scene clear while not gratuitous, but allowing the uninitiated reader a glimpse of Chastity's astute and darkly humorous observations. As a Public Prosecutor, it may or may not be her case to manage but as she is at the scene, she tips a nod to the officers who are managing the aftermath. You will think from this that you have an inkling where the story is going but you'd be very much mistaken. Instead our heroine is called to the scene of an altogether different crime - one which is very difficult to describe. Ill advised prank or something far more sinister, a man bent double and locked in a cage outside of a major newspaper certainly isn't something the Police come across every day. Well ... it wasn't.
I have to say I really loved this book. It is hard to say too much more about the story itself without giving away key plot points but I can say that accompanying the assigned Police Officer to investigate this most unusual crime certainly pushes Chastity out of her comfort zone. Nothing for her is quite right in this book, everything slightly out of kilter and when she is thrown together with Ivo Stepanovic, it makes for a most interesting pairing. I've got to say, I absolutely loved Ivo. Full on, forthright and completely charming he is every bit Chastity's equal in this story, and the chemistry between them was perfectly played, just oozing from the page. Ill timed as it turns out and both of them are as flawed and quite probably damaged as each other, but Ivo was quite the character and I do hope we see him again as he was a fun guy to get to know.
All of Chastity's old gang of comrades are there (she doesn't really do friends) but you can feel that we are seeing them right on the cusp of major changes and certain revelations throughout the story will surprise readers but also add to the tensions which are brewing in Chastity's private life. Add in the bizarre investigation and things are set to get very complicated indeed.
The chapters are short, driving the narrative along at a fast pace, keeping me as a reader completely hooked. It really was a case of 'one more chapter' for me, quickly followed by another one, then another, until I found myself 30% through the book in what felt like the blink of an eye. It just compelled me onward. I didn't want to step away. There isn't a moment wasted - no unnecessary filler - and yet you never feel like you are cheated out of anything. You still get all of the tension, the suspense, the intrigue, and the clear sense of place, be it the humid city streets of Hamburg, or the more provincial (and the less than suitably named Franconian Tuscany) town of Biesendorf. And then there are those little spikes of dread or morbid curiosity that we get in the few short chapters told from the perpetrator's point of view, as they consider just what they might inflict upon their latest victim.
I know I haven't done this book justice in my review (nothing new there) but honestly, whether you have read book one or not, I would urge you to pick this book up. It is perfect to be read as a standalone as even though you won't have met some of the characters in the book before like the more seasoned reader, the people you really need to know for this tale are all introduced here anyway. With the exception of Chastity. But believe me, Simone Buchholz has created such a brilliantly vibrant and believable character that it will take you a matter of pages to get the measure of her and develop a little bit of Chastity Riley book love like the rest of us.
Fast paced, full of delightfully diverse and lovable (and detestable) characters, all set against an intriguing and cunningly crafted story, Beton Rouge is an absolutely brilliant book. I loved it and I'm only gutted I read it so quickly. I'm missing Chastity and Ivo already. Please tell me they'll be back?
April 10, 2019
Beton Rouge is the second novel to feature Chastity Riley. As I have not yet read the first book in the series (Blue Night) I can categorically confirm that Beton Rouge is a story you can read and enjoy without knowing what occurred in Blue Night. I can also confirm that I shall be looking to pick up Blue Night very soon as I thoroughly enjoyed Beton Rouge.
Told in a sequence of short, punchy chapters we join Chastity Riley – prosecutor – in an investigation into a humiliating and violent attack. The victim was locked in a cage having been tortured and, after his ordeal, the cage is left in a public place to be found. A few short days later the same fate befalls one of the man’s colleagues.
Chastity, partnered up with Ivo Stepanovic, discovers the two men were school friends. They, along with a third friend, were an inseparable trio who grew up together and began their careers together. Their reputation precedes them and it is clear the three are not well liked – stories from their school days recall a time when a 4th person was placed into their proximity and suffered as a consequence.
With two of the three colleagues suffering a brutal experience it is imperative Chastity gets the third man protected – will she be too late or are there darker forces at play?
Away from the investigation the reader also gets a close look at Chastity’s social life. She is not the poster child for domestic bliss. Lonely drinking, hooking up with random strangers, texting friends as a veiled call for company. She is an engaging character who is determined and gives as good as she gets so it makes for fun reading.
Beton Rouge was translated to English by Rachel Ward who has done a terrific job. The language in the story is lyrical or poetic at times, very descriptive and often emotive and this shines through in the story telling which gives Beton Rouge a unique and distinctive feel.
Another terrific release from Orenda Books who seem to have a magical ability to find compelling stories.
Told in a sequence of short, punchy chapters we join Chastity Riley – prosecutor – in an investigation into a humiliating and violent attack. The victim was locked in a cage having been tortured and, after his ordeal, the cage is left in a public place to be found. A few short days later the same fate befalls one of the man’s colleagues.
Chastity, partnered up with Ivo Stepanovic, discovers the two men were school friends. They, along with a third friend, were an inseparable trio who grew up together and began their careers together. Their reputation precedes them and it is clear the three are not well liked – stories from their school days recall a time when a 4th person was placed into their proximity and suffered as a consequence.
With two of the three colleagues suffering a brutal experience it is imperative Chastity gets the third man protected – will she be too late or are there darker forces at play?
Away from the investigation the reader also gets a close look at Chastity’s social life. She is not the poster child for domestic bliss. Lonely drinking, hooking up with random strangers, texting friends as a veiled call for company. She is an engaging character who is determined and gives as good as she gets so it makes for fun reading.
Beton Rouge was translated to English by Rachel Ward who has done a terrific job. The language in the story is lyrical or poetic at times, very descriptive and often emotive and this shines through in the story telling which gives Beton Rouge a unique and distinctive feel.
Another terrific release from Orenda Books who seem to have a magical ability to find compelling stories.
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