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Island Mystery series #2
Death on the Beach
A teenage girl is missing. Why don’t her parents care?
A fourteen-year-old girl disappears on the small island of Föhr, and Detective Lena Lorenzen is called in to investigate. When the girl’s bloodied body is found on the beach with vicious wounds to the wrist, Lena immediately suspects that what’s been made to look like suicide was in fact a brutal and calculated murder.
But the local residents—even the girl’s own parents—won’t cooperate with her investigation. The devoutly religious islanders are clearly hiding something. But what ungodly secret could possibly lead to the murder of an innocent teenage girl?
Soon Lena realises that the isolated island holds darker secrets than she ever could have feared. In her toughest investigation yet, she must confront her own past if she is to catch the killer—before they strike again.
A fourteen-year-old girl disappears on the small island of Föhr, and Detective Lena Lorenzen is called in to investigate. When the girl’s bloodied body is found on the beach with vicious wounds to the wrist, Lena immediately suspects that what’s been made to look like suicide was in fact a brutal and calculated murder.
But the local residents—even the girl’s own parents—won’t cooperate with her investigation. The devoutly religious islanders are clearly hiding something. But what ungodly secret could possibly lead to the murder of an innocent teenage girl?
Soon Lena realises that the isolated island holds darker secrets than she ever could have feared. In her toughest investigation yet, she must confront her own past if she is to catch the killer—before they strike again.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 6, 2018
502 people are currently reading
2160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
November 1, 2021
Very Good Detective Mystery
Detective Lena Lorenzen is taking a few days vacation to stay with her boyfriend,when she receives a call from her superior to investigate a fourteen year old girl who went missing on an island village off the coast of Germany nearby where she is visiting. Lena is a dedicated detective and when she hears the missing person is a child she drops everything to help on this case. Lena is unprepared for the uncooperative reactions from the girl's parents and neighbors until she finds out that they all belong to a religious sect that has alienated themselves from the regular townsfolk and Lena will have to dig hard to find out why all the secrecy and cold indifference to her looking for information about the girl. A few days later the body.of a young girl is found dead on the beach. Now the detective will have more suspects than she can handle and why didn't the parents report their daughter missing and why was it their other estranged daughter Johanna who had alerted the police about her missing sister instead of their parents.
This was a very enjoyable book for me. I loved reading about the different cultures of other countries, expressly small coastal village life and their close communities. I enjoyed the detective Lena character and her young sidekick Johan who closely worked with her and their fun relationship. The story shows the difficulty that sadly still goes on today of being a woman detective in a previously man's role and some of the hostility she receives while working in this community where they follow the old biblical roles of the man will be the ruler of the house and his family and the woman will be submissive to his word and will. The struggles Lena encounters are enormous and are putting a tremendous strain on her personal relationship. I hope there will be other books following these interesting characters because I will surely be in the line-up to read them.I
I sincerely want to thank "Amazon Publishing UK" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific ebook and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I would definitely recommend this interesting book and have given a rating of 4 Intriguing 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
Detective Lena Lorenzen is taking a few days vacation to stay with her boyfriend,when she receives a call from her superior to investigate a fourteen year old girl who went missing on an island village off the coast of Germany nearby where she is visiting. Lena is a dedicated detective and when she hears the missing person is a child she drops everything to help on this case. Lena is unprepared for the uncooperative reactions from the girl's parents and neighbors until she finds out that they all belong to a religious sect that has alienated themselves from the regular townsfolk and Lena will have to dig hard to find out why all the secrecy and cold indifference to her looking for information about the girl. A few days later the body.of a young girl is found dead on the beach. Now the detective will have more suspects than she can handle and why didn't the parents report their daughter missing and why was it their other estranged daughter Johanna who had alerted the police about her missing sister instead of their parents.
This was a very enjoyable book for me. I loved reading about the different cultures of other countries, expressly small coastal village life and their close communities. I enjoyed the detective Lena character and her young sidekick Johan who closely worked with her and their fun relationship. The story shows the difficulty that sadly still goes on today of being a woman detective in a previously man's role and some of the hostility she receives while working in this community where they follow the old biblical roles of the man will be the ruler of the house and his family and the woman will be submissive to his word and will. The struggles Lena encounters are enormous and are putting a tremendous strain on her personal relationship. I hope there will be other books following these interesting characters because I will surely be in the line-up to read them.I
I sincerely want to thank "Amazon Publishing UK" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific ebook and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I would definitely recommend this interesting book and have given a rating of 4 Intriguing 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
May 4, 2020
I received an advance copy of this book from net galley and the publisher in return for an honest review. Release date for this book is 15 May 2020
Stylish thriller but had a typical ending. This novel is your basic mystery/thriller. The characters were mostly interesting but the story didn’t really have any punch to it. I had figured out who the killer was very quickly and that made the book only so-so for me. I liked the main character though and plan to try another book in the series down the road.
Stylish thriller but had a typical ending. This novel is your basic mystery/thriller. The characters were mostly interesting but the story didn’t really have any punch to it. I had figured out who the killer was very quickly and that made the book only so-so for me. I liked the main character though and plan to try another book in the series down the road.
Want to read
May 13, 20203.5 stars rounded up to 4
Island Mystery Series #2
DI Lena Lorenzen is investigating the disappearance of fourteen year old Maria who lived on the remote island, Fohr. Maria's parents are part of a religious sect. The girls body is soon found and it ,looks like she's been murdered. Lena and her partner DS Johann Grassman are shocked by the lack of cooperation from the religious cult, including the girls parents.
Thenstory is narrated by Lena. I was pulled in from the first page. The investigation is complex due to everyone being tight lipped. Lena is also,dealing with some personal issues. Theres plenty of twists in this gripping read. I did feel a little disappointed with the ending.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author Anna Johannsen for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Island Mystery Series #2
DI Lena Lorenzen is investigating the disappearance of fourteen year old Maria who lived on the remote island, Fohr. Maria's parents are part of a religious sect. The girls body is soon found and it ,looks like she's been murdered. Lena and her partner DS Johann Grassman are shocked by the lack of cooperation from the religious cult, including the girls parents.
Thenstory is narrated by Lena. I was pulled in from the first page. The investigation is complex due to everyone being tight lipped. Lena is also,dealing with some personal issues. Theres plenty of twists in this gripping read. I did feel a little disappointed with the ending.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author Anna Johannsen for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2021
Very Good Detective Mystery
Detective Lena Lorenzen is taking a few days vacation to stay with her boyfriend,when she receives a call from her superior to investigate a fourteen year old girl who went missing on an island village off the coast of Germany nearby where she is visiting. Lena is a dedicated detective and when she hears the missing person is a child she drops everything to help on this case. Lena is unprepared for the uncooperative reactions from the girl's parents and neighbors until she finds out that they all belong to a religious sect that has alienated themselves from the regular townsfolk and Lena will have to dig hard to find out why all the secrecy and cold indifference to her looking for information about the girl. A few days later the body.of a young girl is found dead on the beach. Now the detective will have more suspects than she can handle and why didn't the parents report their daughter missing and why was it their other estranged daughter Johanna who had alerted the police about her missing sister instead of their parents.
This was a very enjoyable book for me. I loved reading about the different cultures of other countries, expressly small coastal village life and their close communities. I enjoyed the detective Lena character and her young sidekick Johan who closely worked with her and their fun relationship. The story shows the difficulty that sadly still goes on today of being a woman detective in a previously man's role and some of the hostility she receives while working in this community where they follow the old biblical roles of the man will be the ruler of the house and his family and the woman will be submissive to his word and will. The struggles Lena encounters are enormous and are putting a tremendous strain on her personal relationship. I hope there will be other books following these interesting characters because I will surely be in the line-up to read them.I
I sincerely want to thank "Amazon Publishing UK" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific ebook and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I would definitely recommend this interesting book and have given a rating of 4 Intriguing 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
Detective Lena Lorenzen is taking a few days vacation to stay with her boyfriend,when she receives a call from her superior to investigate a fourteen year old girl who went missing on an island village off the coast of Germany nearby where she is visiting. Lena is a dedicated detective and when she hears the missing person is a child she drops everything to help on this case. Lena is unprepared for the uncooperative reactions from the girl's parents and neighbors until she finds out that they all belong to a religious sect that has alienated themselves from the regular townsfolk and Lena will have to dig hard to find out why all the secrecy and cold indifference to her looking for information about the girl. A few days later the body.of a young girl is found dead on the beach. Now the detective will have more suspects than she can handle and why didn't the parents report their daughter missing and why was it their other estranged daughter Johanna who had alerted the police about her missing sister instead of their parents.
This was a very enjoyable book for me. I loved reading about the different cultures of other countries, expressly small coastal village life and their close communities. I enjoyed the detective Lena character and her young sidekick Johan who closely worked with her and their fun relationship. The story shows the difficulty that sadly still goes on today of being a woman detective in a previously man's role and some of the hostility she receives while working in this community where they follow the old biblical roles of the man will be the ruler of the house and his family and the woman will be submissive to his word and will. The struggles Lena encounters are enormous and are putting a tremendous strain on her personal relationship. I hope there will be other books following these interesting characters because I will surely be in the line-up to read them.I
I sincerely want to thank "Amazon Publishing UK" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific ebook and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I would definitely recommend this interesting book and have given a rating of 4 Intriguing 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
May 4, 2020
Stylish thriller but had a typical ending. This novel is your basic mystery/thriller. The characters were mostly interesting but the story didn’t really have any punch to it. I had figured out who the killer was very quickly and that made the book only so-so for me. I liked the main character though and plan to try another book in the series down the road.
February 16, 2020
Während ihres Urlaubs erhält Hauptkommissarin Lena Lorenzen von ihrem Chef die Bitte, eine Untersuchung des Mordes an einem 14-jährigen Mädchen einzuleiten. Das Buch liest sich gut, war auch gut für mein Deutsch. Leider finde ich den Schriftsteller nicht so gut in persönlichen Beziehungen, viel zu romantisch und nicht so gut mit dem Rest der Geschichte übereinstimmend.
During her vacation, Chief Inspector Lena Lorenzen receives a request from her boss to investigate the murder of a 14-year-old girl. The book reads well, was also good for my German. Unfortunately, I find the writer not so good in personal relationships, far too romantic, and not great in line with the rest of the story.
During her vacation, Chief Inspector Lena Lorenzen receives a request from her boss to investigate the murder of a 14-year-old girl. The book reads well, was also good for my German. Unfortunately, I find the writer not so good in personal relationships, far too romantic, and not great in line with the rest of the story.
May 13, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Island Mystery Series #2
DI Lena Lorenzen is investigating the disappearance of fourteen year old Maria who lived on the remote island Fohr. Maria's parents are part of a religious sect. The girls body is soon found and it looks like she's been murdered. Lena and her partner DS Johann Grassman are shocked by the lack of cooperation from the religious cult including the girls parents.
The story is narrated by Lena. I was pulled in from the first page. The investigation is complex due to everyone being tight lipped. Lena is also dealing with some personal issues. Theres plenty of twists in this gripping read. Imdid feel a little disappointed with the ending.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and the author Anna Johannsen for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Island Mystery Series #2
DI Lena Lorenzen is investigating the disappearance of fourteen year old Maria who lived on the remote island Fohr. Maria's parents are part of a religious sect. The girls body is soon found and it looks like she's been murdered. Lena and her partner DS Johann Grassman are shocked by the lack of cooperation from the religious cult including the girls parents.
The story is narrated by Lena. I was pulled in from the first page. The investigation is complex due to everyone being tight lipped. Lena is also dealing with some personal issues. Theres plenty of twists in this gripping read. Imdid feel a little disappointed with the ending.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and the author Anna Johannsen for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2020
Death on the Beach is a second book by German author Anna Johannsen in her Island Mystery series featuring detective Lena Lorenzen. It has been masterfully translated into the Queen’s English by Jozef Van Der Voort, whose words flow seamlessly.
It can be read without knowledge of the first book.
Lena Lorenzen in on holiday on her home island of Amrun, after a first case during which she rekindled her relationship with her boyfriend of fourteen years ago. Her Superintendent asks her, as a favour, to help local authorities to look into the disappearance of a teenage girl on the neighbour island of Föhr, whose parents belong to a extreme conservative free church considered a sect by most of the islanders. Her relationship with her DSU having improved thanks to her first case, she accepts the assignment.
She very quickly gets stonewalled by uncooperative parents, mistrusting of authorities, and feeling persecuted for their faith. Even the mother isn’t cooperative at first, as it’s customary for wives to bend to the will of their husbands among their brethren. The investigators will frustratingly get the same hostile treatment from all other members of the flock.
However, when the girl is found dead, Lorenzen takes charge of the investigation, and things start to change.
This is a complex case, as events turn the inquiries into new directions, and more people get probed. The victim herself, Maria, turns out not to be who everyone thought she was, and the investigation can’t go anywhere without learning to know the victim.
Lorenzen went to the same school as Maria, and knows the principal. Two teachers, apparently a little too close to the girl, quickly become persons of interest, but so do several of the students, and some members of the church. Meanwhile, Maria’s real personality is slowly unveiled by the investigators, and so are her movements in the last days of her life, in a way reminiscent of Laura Palmer’s in David Lynch’s cult series.
A lot of time is also spent on Lena Lorenzen’s personal life. But, she doesn’t appear as very likable to the reader at first, Her behavior towards local police, for example, is rather harsh, bordering on bullying, which seems unwarranted. We learn about her relationships with her family, her estranged father, her love interest, and an ex-lover, while the secondary characters aren’t much developed, if at all. It would have been interesting to get to know some of them a little more, such as Leon, the grumpy hacker whiz. Instead, we stick with the one main character.
The whole police procedural part of the book is captivating, and it’s not a book you want to put down. It unfortunately all leads to quite an anticlimactic ending, making the reader feel like he spent time working to solve the puzzle for nothing. Not that it isn’t realistic, in a police investigation sense, but realistic doesn’t always make for good crime books endings.
In spite of this, it was a good quick read, and I’ll be back for the next entry in the series, hoping for more secondary character development, and an ending to root for.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
Thanks to Thomas and Mercer, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.
It can be read without knowledge of the first book.
Lena Lorenzen in on holiday on her home island of Amrun, after a first case during which she rekindled her relationship with her boyfriend of fourteen years ago. Her Superintendent asks her, as a favour, to help local authorities to look into the disappearance of a teenage girl on the neighbour island of Föhr, whose parents belong to a extreme conservative free church considered a sect by most of the islanders. Her relationship with her DSU having improved thanks to her first case, she accepts the assignment.
She very quickly gets stonewalled by uncooperative parents, mistrusting of authorities, and feeling persecuted for their faith. Even the mother isn’t cooperative at first, as it’s customary for wives to bend to the will of their husbands among their brethren. The investigators will frustratingly get the same hostile treatment from all other members of the flock.
However, when the girl is found dead, Lorenzen takes charge of the investigation, and things start to change.
This is a complex case, as events turn the inquiries into new directions, and more people get probed. The victim herself, Maria, turns out not to be who everyone thought she was, and the investigation can’t go anywhere without learning to know the victim.
Lorenzen went to the same school as Maria, and knows the principal. Two teachers, apparently a little too close to the girl, quickly become persons of interest, but so do several of the students, and some members of the church. Meanwhile, Maria’s real personality is slowly unveiled by the investigators, and so are her movements in the last days of her life, in a way reminiscent of Laura Palmer’s in David Lynch’s cult series.
A lot of time is also spent on Lena Lorenzen’s personal life. But, she doesn’t appear as very likable to the reader at first, Her behavior towards local police, for example, is rather harsh, bordering on bullying, which seems unwarranted. We learn about her relationships with her family, her estranged father, her love interest, and an ex-lover, while the secondary characters aren’t much developed, if at all. It would have been interesting to get to know some of them a little more, such as Leon, the grumpy hacker whiz. Instead, we stick with the one main character.
The whole police procedural part of the book is captivating, and it’s not a book you want to put down. It unfortunately all leads to quite an anticlimactic ending, making the reader feel like he spent time working to solve the puzzle for nothing. Not that it isn’t realistic, in a police investigation sense, but realistic doesn’t always make for good crime books endings.
In spite of this, it was a good quick read, and I’ll be back for the next entry in the series, hoping for more secondary character development, and an ending to root for.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
Thanks to Thomas and Mercer, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.
May 15, 2020
Death in remote Northern Freisland!
A solid, enjoyable, Scandi noir read! Detective Lena Lorenzen is called out to the suicide of a fourteen-year-old girl on the small island of Föhrn part of the North Frisian islands. An area Lena is very aware of, an island she grew up on and left long ago.
It's the beginning of her leave. Six days she was going to spend with Erck. A relationship that's only be rekindled for a few weeks after a fourteen year break. A call from her boss Detective Superintendent Warnke puts paid to that. Warnke has asked for a favor. The girl was a member of a strictly devout free church that the rest of community views as a cult and has little time for.
On the surface Maria Logener death is a suicide. Something bothers Lena about it and she has a forensic team flown over with autopsy findings fast tracked. That suicide is a murder.
Meanwhile on the personal level Lena is having trouble with committing long term to Erck. And then when additional members are added to the investigation from the mainland, a former officer Lena met a a conference and had a one night stand with, turns up as part of the team. Complications indeed!
A death has occurred. The religious group Maria was part of is unhelpfully set against any outsiders, the rest of the island community are starting to feel their reservations about the group are justified and things could go very badly very quickly.
Apart from the ugly circumstances around Maria's death, also exposed are the community's prejudices, bullying, and less than stellar police work.
An Amazon UK ARC via NetGalley
A solid, enjoyable, Scandi noir read! Detective Lena Lorenzen is called out to the suicide of a fourteen-year-old girl on the small island of Föhrn part of the North Frisian islands. An area Lena is very aware of, an island she grew up on and left long ago.
It's the beginning of her leave. Six days she was going to spend with Erck. A relationship that's only be rekindled for a few weeks after a fourteen year break. A call from her boss Detective Superintendent Warnke puts paid to that. Warnke has asked for a favor. The girl was a member of a strictly devout free church that the rest of community views as a cult and has little time for.
On the surface Maria Logener death is a suicide. Something bothers Lena about it and she has a forensic team flown over with autopsy findings fast tracked. That suicide is a murder.
Meanwhile on the personal level Lena is having trouble with committing long term to Erck. And then when additional members are added to the investigation from the mainland, a former officer Lena met a a conference and had a one night stand with, turns up as part of the team. Complications indeed!
A death has occurred. The religious group Maria was part of is unhelpfully set against any outsiders, the rest of the island community are starting to feel their reservations about the group are justified and things could go very badly very quickly.
Apart from the ugly circumstances around Maria's death, also exposed are the community's prejudices, bullying, and less than stellar police work.
An Amazon UK ARC via NetGalley
February 14, 2023
Pernai pradėta, bet taip ir nebaigta, tad ir toliau vykdau pažadus ir tęsiu knygų serijas. Salų komisarės knygų serija tikrai pakankamai išskirtinė vien dėl savo geografijos. Neįprasta, kad veiksmas vyksta nedidelėse salose, kur kartais net nesulygintum su rojaus kampeliais - oras nelabai palankus, siautėja vėjai, susisiekimas ganėtinai nepatrauklus.
Vyriausioji komisarė Lena Lorencen nusprendžia keleta dienų prasleisti gimtąjame Amrume, tačiau viršininkas paprašo lyg ir paslaugos. Pareigūnė išvyksta į kitą Šiaurės Fryzų salą - Fiorą. Pradėta jaunos mergaitės paieška, tačiau bėgant laikui, aišku, kad mergaitę rasti gyvą vilties mažai. Mergaitės tėvai vengia bendradarbiauti su policija, todėl Lenai ir jos jaunajam kolegai Johanui sunku vykdyti tyrimą. Net tie kurie galėtų padėti ar ką nors žino vengia bendradarbiavimo. Tam įtakos turi religinė mažuma, kuriai priklauso mergaitės šeima bei interesų konfliktas kuomet vienas iš pareigūnų suinteresuotas, kad byla aiškėtų kiek kita linkme.
Kas šioje dalyje patiko, kad buvo mažiau dramos iš pagrindinės veikėjos pusės. Mažiau nereikalingų pokalbių, prisiminimų, ar per didelis nuskriaustosios pateikimas. Šioje dalyje visko buvo pakankamai ir viskas labai gražiai įpinta į patį tyrimą ir tyrėjos kasdienybę. Ši knygų serija viena tų, kurią skaitant galima mėgautis pačiu tyrimu. Daug apklausų, paieškų, apmąstymų, bendradarbiavimo su kitais tyrime svarbiais pareigūnais, atsakymų ir žudiko paieškose gali dalyvauti skaitytojas visos knygos metu.
Vyriausioji komisarė Lena Lorencen nusprendžia keleta dienų prasleisti gimtąjame Amrume, tačiau viršininkas paprašo lyg ir paslaugos. Pareigūnė išvyksta į kitą Šiaurės Fryzų salą - Fiorą. Pradėta jaunos mergaitės paieška, tačiau bėgant laikui, aišku, kad mergaitę rasti gyvą vilties mažai. Mergaitės tėvai vengia bendradarbiauti su policija, todėl Lenai ir jos jaunajam kolegai Johanui sunku vykdyti tyrimą. Net tie kurie galėtų padėti ar ką nors žino vengia bendradarbiavimo. Tam įtakos turi religinė mažuma, kuriai priklauso mergaitės šeima bei interesų konfliktas kuomet vienas iš pareigūnų suinteresuotas, kad byla aiškėtų kiek kita linkme.
Kas šioje dalyje patiko, kad buvo mažiau dramos iš pagrindinės veikėjos pusės. Mažiau nereikalingų pokalbių, prisiminimų, ar per didelis nuskriaustosios pateikimas. Šioje dalyje visko buvo pakankamai ir viskas labai gražiai įpinta į patį tyrimą ir tyrėjos kasdienybę. Ši knygų serija viena tų, kurią skaitant galima mėgautis pačiu tyrimu. Daug apklausų, paieškų, apmąstymų, bendradarbiavimo su kitais tyrime svarbiais pareigūnais, atsakymų ir žudiko paieškose gali dalyvauti skaitytojas visos knygos metu.
May 22, 2020
Book 2 in this Island Mystery series. This second novel has for me established this as a new crime / police procedural set of stories set among the North Frisian islands.
DI Lena Lorenzen is the lead investigator who holds it all together with her personal links to the locations and her thorough police methods. Managing and leading her team with passion, diligence and long hours of hard work.
Due to her local knowledge and as a safe pair of hands. Lena is asked to oversee the hunt for a missing teenager. It is a sensitive case as the young girl’s family belong to a conservative religious congregation. Her boss declares an interest in avoiding negative publicity and allows her a wide scope of investigation with resources when it appears the young woman may have been murdered.
The locations are stunningly shared within the story. The subject matter always a difficult one is approached with great insight and respect. The death is treated with care and without sensational detail. The family links as well as the closed Christian sect are explored in an open and honest way. Judgemental opinion and views are set aside as understanding and tolerance are built into the story.
This is a tragic case that is solved to give the parents closure and along the way relationships are brought into focus. This provides for an interesting drama that tackles bullying, family secrets, personal desire above conformity.
All the characters are well presented, motives are unpicked and flaws highlighted. This isn’t so much the story of random evil and a cruel unpredictable world but a quest for independence and a means for reconciliation.
You never feel in reading this book that it has been translated into English which demands a shout out for the work of Jozef van der Voort.
I commend this author to you and feel in Death on the Beach that Anna Johannsen, has announced herself fully into the world of crime fiction.
DI Lena Lorenzen is the lead investigator who holds it all together with her personal links to the locations and her thorough police methods. Managing and leading her team with passion, diligence and long hours of hard work.
Due to her local knowledge and as a safe pair of hands. Lena is asked to oversee the hunt for a missing teenager. It is a sensitive case as the young girl’s family belong to a conservative religious congregation. Her boss declares an interest in avoiding negative publicity and allows her a wide scope of investigation with resources when it appears the young woman may have been murdered.
The locations are stunningly shared within the story. The subject matter always a difficult one is approached with great insight and respect. The death is treated with care and without sensational detail. The family links as well as the closed Christian sect are explored in an open and honest way. Judgemental opinion and views are set aside as understanding and tolerance are built into the story.
This is a tragic case that is solved to give the parents closure and along the way relationships are brought into focus. This provides for an interesting drama that tackles bullying, family secrets, personal desire above conformity.
All the characters are well presented, motives are unpicked and flaws highlighted. This isn’t so much the story of random evil and a cruel unpredictable world but a quest for independence and a means for reconciliation.
You never feel in reading this book that it has been translated into English which demands a shout out for the work of Jozef van der Voort.
I commend this author to you and feel in Death on the Beach that Anna Johannsen, has announced herself fully into the world of crime fiction.
April 19, 2019
Hauptkommissarin Lena Lorenzen und ihr Kollege Johann Grasmann haben einen neuen Fall auf der Insel Föhr. Dort wird die 14-jährige Maria Logener zunächst vermisst, dann mit aufgeschnittenen Pulsadern am Strand gefunden. War es wirklich Selbstmord? Schnell kommen Zweifel auf; das junge Mädchen wurde ermordet! Lena und Johann suchen nach Zeugen und befragen Marias Familie und Schulkameraden. Marias Eltern gehören einer Freikirche an und verhalten sich unkooperativ, und erst nach und nach kommen die Kommissare dem Täter näher.
Mein Leseeindruck:
Dieses ist der zweite Fall der Inselkommissarin Lena Lorenzen, doch ich denke, man kann das Buch auch problemlos als Einzelband lesen. Mir hat es sehr gut gefallen, besonders die Thematik mit der Freikirche fand ich sehr interessant. Aber auch so ist das Buch sehr spannend. Nur langsam kommt man der Lösung des Falles näher, und so konnte ich hier gut mitraten und -rätseln. Ich werde den nächsten Band der Reihe sicherlich auch bald lesen.
Mein Leseeindruck:
Dieses ist der zweite Fall der Inselkommissarin Lena Lorenzen, doch ich denke, man kann das Buch auch problemlos als Einzelband lesen. Mir hat es sehr gut gefallen, besonders die Thematik mit der Freikirche fand ich sehr interessant. Aber auch so ist das Buch sehr spannend. Nur langsam kommt man der Lösung des Falles näher, und so konnte ich hier gut mitraten und -rätseln. Ich werde den nächsten Band der Reihe sicherlich auch bald lesen.
June 8, 2021
Šįkart istorijos tematika man patiko labiau : Sekta. Kas gali būti įdomiau, nei sekti istoriją apie sektą?
Vyriausioji komisarė Lena Lorencen išsiunčiama į Fioro salą dalyvauti dingusios keturiolikmetės mergaitės paieškoje. Mergaitė kilusi iį labai religingos šeimos. Daugelis tai vadina ne religija - o sekta. Deja, po keleto dienų ji randama pajūryje su perpjautais riešais. Visiems tampa aišku, kad tai - savižudybė, tačiau Vyr. komisarei Lenai - taip neatrodo ir ji stengiasi išsiaiškinti tiesą..
Ši dalis man patiko labiau nei pirmoji : detalesnė istorija, intrigos per visą pasakojimą, įdomūs įtariamieji, dar įdomesni pagrindiniai veikėjai... Jau pirmoje dalyje man patiko tiek vyriausioji komisarė Lena Lorencen, tiek jos kolega iš kitos salos - Johanas, tačiau šioje dalyje, jų charakteristika man dar labiau patinka ; visad aštraus proto Lena ir ambicingasis kolega Johanas. Pirmoje dalyje vistik labiau širdis linko ties Lena, tačiau šioje dalyje - mano favoritas tapo jos kolega.
Vienintelis dalykas kas man nepatiko knygoje, tai kai kurių frazių vertimas. Nežinau kaip tie sakiniai skamba originaliame tekste, bet lietuviškame žodis "nurijo" man skaitėsi ne itin "skaniai" (pirmoje dalyje taip pat). Žodžio prasmę suprantu : nurijo mintį, nurijo frazę nepasakius tiesos ir pan. Tačiau, kai vartojamas tik vienas žodis "nurijo" mane tiesiog iš kantrybės vedė...
Stipri rekomendacija tiems, kurie mėgsta detektyvus. Ypač patiks tiems, kurie mėgsta įtraukiančius ir lengvus detektyvus su nenuspėjamais "kaltininkais". Knyga skaitosi kaip saldainiukas: greitai, lengvai, tačiau kaip ir kiekvienas saldainis , turi savo prieskonį. O šis - tobulai tinkantis.
Vyriausioji komisarė Lena Lorencen išsiunčiama į Fioro salą dalyvauti dingusios keturiolikmetės mergaitės paieškoje. Mergaitė kilusi iį labai religingos šeimos. Daugelis tai vadina ne religija - o sekta. Deja, po keleto dienų ji randama pajūryje su perpjautais riešais. Visiems tampa aišku, kad tai - savižudybė, tačiau Vyr. komisarei Lenai - taip neatrodo ir ji stengiasi išsiaiškinti tiesą..
Ši dalis man patiko labiau nei pirmoji : detalesnė istorija, intrigos per visą pasakojimą, įdomūs įtariamieji, dar įdomesni pagrindiniai veikėjai... Jau pirmoje dalyje man patiko tiek vyriausioji komisarė Lena Lorencen, tiek jos kolega iš kitos salos - Johanas, tačiau šioje dalyje, jų charakteristika man dar labiau patinka ; visad aštraus proto Lena ir ambicingasis kolega Johanas. Pirmoje dalyje vistik labiau širdis linko ties Lena, tačiau šioje dalyje - mano favoritas tapo jos kolega.
Vienintelis dalykas kas man nepatiko knygoje, tai kai kurių frazių vertimas. Nežinau kaip tie sakiniai skamba originaliame tekste, bet lietuviškame žodis "nurijo" man skaitėsi ne itin "skaniai" (pirmoje dalyje taip pat). Žodžio prasmę suprantu : nurijo mintį, nurijo frazę nepasakius tiesos ir pan. Tačiau, kai vartojamas tik vienas žodis "nurijo" mane tiesiog iš kantrybės vedė...
Stipri rekomendacija tiems, kurie mėgsta detektyvus. Ypač patiks tiems, kurie mėgsta įtraukiančius ir lengvus detektyvus su nenuspėjamais "kaltininkais". Knyga skaitosi kaip saldainiukas: greitai, lengvai, tačiau kaip ir kiekvienas saldainis , turi savo prieskonį. O šis - tobulai tinkantis.
June 14, 2020
Quite a fun police procedural. My first book by this author, though secind in the series. I quite liked Detective Lena as she investigated a missing child even on a holiday.
The author could keep my interest alive in the entire book. I was eager to know what had happened to the child. Lena was quite determined to get to the truth.
A good read.
The author could keep my interest alive in the entire book. I was eager to know what had happened to the child. Lena was quite determined to get to the truth.
A good read.
April 14, 2020
Second instalment in the "Island Mystery" series, "Death on the beach" is a good example of a pretty entertaining police procedural.
Once again the story takes off almost from page one, diving straight into a missing person investigation that soon becomes a murder one. The investigation turns out to be pretty complicated because the dead girl's family belong to an evangelical cult and they don't seem too keen on helping the police. Besides DI Lorenzen is dealing with some personal issues, and that's my main problem with the story and the character. I understand she can have doubts about her relationship, but stop leading him on if you don't know what you want in life. Talk to him and stop ruminating about your love life!
The other issue I had with this story was the ending. While not being completely out of the blue it felt a bit unsatisfying.
It was an entertaining enough police procedural but I would have liked a bit more personal growth on the main character, but hopefully we'll see some of that on book 3.
3.5 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Once again the story takes off almost from page one, diving straight into a missing person investigation that soon becomes a murder one. The investigation turns out to be pretty complicated because the dead girl's family belong to an evangelical cult and they don't seem too keen on helping the police. Besides DI Lorenzen is dealing with some personal issues, and that's my main problem with the story and the character. I understand she can have doubts about her relationship, but stop leading him on if you don't know what you want in life. Talk to him and stop ruminating about your love life!
The other issue I had with this story was the ending. While not being completely out of the blue it felt a bit unsatisfying.
It was an entertaining enough police procedural but I would have liked a bit more personal growth on the main character, but hopefully we'll see some of that on book 3.
3.5 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2019
Not bad, but a bit predictable. Starting the third book in the series (received them for Christmas) and therefore shall give it one more chance.
October 25, 2021
Grįžau prie "Salų komisarės" serijos. Pirmoji dalis, "Lavonas paplūdimio krėsle", visai patiko, nors kiek pamenu, tikrai nebuvo atimanti žadą.⠀
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Jau žinojau, ko galiu tikėtis iš antrosios dalies - lengvo, klasikinio, logiško detektyvo, kuriame detektyvai tiria, tiria ir tiesiog ištiria bylą. Skamba kiek keistai, ar ne? Taip yra todėl, kad šiuolaikiniai detektyvai dažnai neapsiriboja šia "įvyko nusikaltimas, renkam įkalčius ir randam žudiką" eiga. Dabar juose krūva siužetinių linijų, plot twist'ų, iš paskos velkasi juoda ir tamsi pagrindinio veikėjo praeitis.. Todėl suprantama, kad tokie detektyvai, kaip šis, dažną nuvilia. Nes kraujas čia nesilieja laisvai, įtampos nėra iš kur išburt. Tam, kad užkabintum skaitytoją, turi ištraukt kažką intriguojančio. Johannsen ištraukė ekstremaliai religingą aukos šeimą. Mane užkabino. ⠀
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Patinka man tos creepy religinės bendruomenės. Visi uždari, paslaptingi ir įtartini. Ir šioje knygoje tokių buvo - net aukos šeima kėlė įtarimų.⠀
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Vienintelis dalykas, kuris erzina šioje knygų serijoje - pagrindinės veikėjos meilės keliai ir klystkeliai. Kažkokia prėska ta romantinė linija - galėtų mest visus savo kavalierius ir ramiai, be padūsavimų, tirt bylas. ⠀
⠀
Jau žinojau, ko galiu tikėtis iš antrosios dalies - lengvo, klasikinio, logiško detektyvo, kuriame detektyvai tiria, tiria ir tiesiog ištiria bylą. Skamba kiek keistai, ar ne? Taip yra todėl, kad šiuolaikiniai detektyvai dažnai neapsiriboja šia "įvyko nusikaltimas, renkam įkalčius ir randam žudiką" eiga. Dabar juose krūva siužetinių linijų, plot twist'ų, iš paskos velkasi juoda ir tamsi pagrindinio veikėjo praeitis.. Todėl suprantama, kad tokie detektyvai, kaip šis, dažną nuvilia. Nes kraujas čia nesilieja laisvai, įtampos nėra iš kur išburt. Tam, kad užkabintum skaitytoją, turi ištraukt kažką intriguojančio. Johannsen ištraukė ekstremaliai religingą aukos šeimą. Mane užkabino. ⠀
⠀
Patinka man tos creepy religinės bendruomenės. Visi uždari, paslaptingi ir įtartini. Ir šioje knygoje tokių buvo - net aukos šeima kėlė įtarimų.⠀
⠀
Vienintelis dalykas, kuris erzina šioje knygų serijoje - pagrindinės veikėjos meilės keliai ir klystkeliai. Kažkokia prėska ta romantinė linija - galėtų mest visus savo kavalierius ir ramiai, be padūsavimų, tirt bylas. ⠀
May 19, 2020
This story takes place on The Wadden Islands in Northern Friesland (Germany) and is excellently translated from German.
DI Lena Lorenzen works for the CID in Kiel and is about to start her holiday on Amrum (the island she was born and raised on) with her childhood love Erick, with whom she only recently reconnected when she receives a call from her DSU. On Fohr, the neighbouring island, a 14-year-old girl has disappeared and he wants her on the case. It’s a delicate matter as the family belongs to a very strict Mennonite church and community. It’s the sister that left the island when she was 18 that reported the girl missing, not the parents. Those behave very hostile towards the authorities. Later, the girl is found with slit wrists on the beach but it’s clear that a third party is involved.
This is a well-constructed but complex story. The characters are well developed and realistic. They have problems and doubts and don’t always agree on procedure or lines of investigation, but Lena steers a tight ship and has the last word on those things. Usually, she’s right, as well. She has her own personal problems on the islands though. There’s her father with whom she hasn’t spoken in years that wants her forgiveness. Her island boyfriend may want to move their relationship up to the next level, as long-distance relations are far from ideal, but Lena is not quite ready for this. On top of that, a former one-night-stand joins her team for the investigation and he also might want more. She can relate very well to the victim, being brought up on the secluded islands that can feel as a prison and without the religious content though.
The problems brought on by such a strict religious community are better understood by DS Johann Grasmann who was raised in a similar strict catholic village. He connects a bit too well to the victim’s sister but is honest enough to admit this when Lena confronts him about it. He’s happy that he can work again with her and is a good, clever policeman and a skilled researcher. His hunches may not always be right but he usually knows when someone isn’t telling the whole truth.
I didn’t know that there are still Mennonites living in Germany, but it shouldn’t surprise me as Switzerland and Germany are the place where they originated. I think that their community is fairly depicted. Showing both the positive sides of community sense and family values as well as the difficulties of growing up in those circumstances, the anti-society/authority sentiment, arranged marriages at too young ages, distrust of outsiders and all-over secrecy.
All the elements are presented as they occur and you’re never certain if a person is only a witness or a suspect after all. The smells of sea and salt on the islands are mentioned on several occasions, as are the culinary delights but I miss the visual descriptions of both nature and village. But of course, it’s not a tourist guide or documentary. I certainly want to read more books from this writer and it’s a shame that they haven’t been translated into Dutch (to my knowledge) as the other half of the Wadden Sea belongs to The Netherlands. Not that they’re not good enough to merit a translation on quality alone.
I thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for their free ARC; this is my honest and unbiased review of it.
DI Lena Lorenzen works for the CID in Kiel and is about to start her holiday on Amrum (the island she was born and raised on) with her childhood love Erick, with whom she only recently reconnected when she receives a call from her DSU. On Fohr, the neighbouring island, a 14-year-old girl has disappeared and he wants her on the case. It’s a delicate matter as the family belongs to a very strict Mennonite church and community. It’s the sister that left the island when she was 18 that reported the girl missing, not the parents. Those behave very hostile towards the authorities. Later, the girl is found with slit wrists on the beach but it’s clear that a third party is involved.
This is a well-constructed but complex story. The characters are well developed and realistic. They have problems and doubts and don’t always agree on procedure or lines of investigation, but Lena steers a tight ship and has the last word on those things. Usually, she’s right, as well. She has her own personal problems on the islands though. There’s her father with whom she hasn’t spoken in years that wants her forgiveness. Her island boyfriend may want to move their relationship up to the next level, as long-distance relations are far from ideal, but Lena is not quite ready for this. On top of that, a former one-night-stand joins her team for the investigation and he also might want more. She can relate very well to the victim, being brought up on the secluded islands that can feel as a prison and without the religious content though.
The problems brought on by such a strict religious community are better understood by DS Johann Grasmann who was raised in a similar strict catholic village. He connects a bit too well to the victim’s sister but is honest enough to admit this when Lena confronts him about it. He’s happy that he can work again with her and is a good, clever policeman and a skilled researcher. His hunches may not always be right but he usually knows when someone isn’t telling the whole truth.
I didn’t know that there are still Mennonites living in Germany, but it shouldn’t surprise me as Switzerland and Germany are the place where they originated. I think that their community is fairly depicted. Showing both the positive sides of community sense and family values as well as the difficulties of growing up in those circumstances, the anti-society/authority sentiment, arranged marriages at too young ages, distrust of outsiders and all-over secrecy.
All the elements are presented as they occur and you’re never certain if a person is only a witness or a suspect after all. The smells of sea and salt on the islands are mentioned on several occasions, as are the culinary delights but I miss the visual descriptions of both nature and village. But of course, it’s not a tourist guide or documentary. I certainly want to read more books from this writer and it’s a shame that they haven’t been translated into Dutch (to my knowledge) as the other half of the Wadden Sea belongs to The Netherlands. Not that they’re not good enough to merit a translation on quality alone.
I thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for their free ARC; this is my honest and unbiased review of it.
November 6, 2020
The second book in the Island Mystery series by German author Anna Johannsen, DEATH ON THE BEACH has been masterfully translated Jozef Van Der Voort so that the story and its prose flow seamlessly. You lose nothing in translation and it feels as if it has been written in the Queen's English. The prose is so atmospheric I felt as if I was on the North Freisland island myself.
DI Lena Lorenzen has returned to her home island of Amrum for a much needed break to relax and enjoy some downtime with boyfriend Erck, with whom she had rekindled her relationship. Five whole days of rest and relaxation. But no sooner has she arrived and before she can put her feet up, she receives a call from her superior Detective Superintendent Warnke asking for a favour.
A 14 year old girl, Maria Logener, has gone missing on the island of Fohr. Her parents belong to an extreme conservative free church known as the Bretheren which is locally considered a cult by most of the islanders. Due to her local knowledge of the islands, DSU Warnke entrusts Lena with the investigation knowing that she will deal with it sensitively and avoiding any negative publicity. As it is, their working relationship has improved since the previous case and Warnke allows Lena a wide scope of resources to be hers for the asking as and when she needs them.
From the outset, Lena and her partner DS Johann Grasmann come up against unco-opertive parents who refuse to allow access to Maria's bedroom and deny any rebellion on their daughter's part. "Maria is a good girl" they claim. However Lena is no stranger to a parent's denial but the Logeners are different. As is their faith, the man is the head of the house with their wives and children deferring to their husband and/or father in every situation. And in accordance to their faith, Maria did not disobey her father and showed respect at all time. Unlike her older sister Johanna who turned her back on the Bretheren and her family to study pharmacology on the mainland. But what Lena finds interesting to note is that it was Johanna who raised the alarm and reported Maria missing...not her parents. And Lena wanted to know why. The first 48 hours are crucial and yet the Logeners have wasted precious time by not reporting her missing, refusing to believe Maria would leave the fold.
But then Lena receives the call she had been dreading. Maria's body has been found on the beach. Her death an apparent suicide. But something is bothering Lena and she suspects foul play. When Lena breaks the news to her parents, it seems the island's grapevine is quicker than she had anticipated and Maria's father denies that his daughter would take her own life. Lena believes Frau Logener knows more than she's saying due to the Bretheren's conservative views on wives deferring to their husbands at all times. So she devises a ruse to speak to her in private. No mother would want to sit back in an investigation into her daughter's death.
The case turns out to be a complex one with enquiries leading them in new directions and further questioning ensues. It appears that Maria Logener was not who everyone thought she was...but of course the investigation can't move forward without the victimology. Soon witnesses become persons of interest - teachers, friends, students - as the last days of Maria's life is slowly revealed.
On a personal level, Lena battles with her committment to Erck whilst having to deal with a former one night stand joining the team from the mainland. Then there is her estranged father who desires to reconnect with his daughter though Lena refuses to have anything to do with him. Meanwhile, I sympathise with poor Erck who is loving and patient with Lena despite her sometimes casual treatment of him. He wants to commit to her but he won't push her and yet she seems to want to enjoy the benefits without the committment. Isn't that a guy's line? I didn't find Lena particularly likeable in this regard.
Whilst it is a police procedural, I found the procedural story a little slow-moving. I couldn't care less about Ben's wanting to pick up with Lena where they left off after that one night. He doesn't seem to want to take no for an answer and yet at the same time, Lena is sending out mixed signals.
The setting is atmospheric that I found myself googling these little known islands off the coast of Germany so I could see their beauty for myself. The locations are stunning and I felt as if I was truly there...on the beach beside Lena, puzzling out the mystery alongside her.
However, I found the ending to be somewhat anti-climatic and wondering where the result came from. All that time spent on puzzling it out for something and nothing? It felt a little out of left field and disappointing.
Despite this, DEATH ON THE BEACH is a nice quick read. I read it in an afternoon/evening. I'll be back for the third installment, hoping for something more decisive in the way of Lena's relationship...because I like Erck.
A good quick read with a seamless translation from German. Perfect for those who enjoy Scandi-noir crime fiction.
I would like to thank #AnnaJohannsen, #NetGalley and #AmazonUK for an ARC of #DeathOnTheBeach in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
DI Lena Lorenzen has returned to her home island of Amrum for a much needed break to relax and enjoy some downtime with boyfriend Erck, with whom she had rekindled her relationship. Five whole days of rest and relaxation. But no sooner has she arrived and before she can put her feet up, she receives a call from her superior Detective Superintendent Warnke asking for a favour.
A 14 year old girl, Maria Logener, has gone missing on the island of Fohr. Her parents belong to an extreme conservative free church known as the Bretheren which is locally considered a cult by most of the islanders. Due to her local knowledge of the islands, DSU Warnke entrusts Lena with the investigation knowing that she will deal with it sensitively and avoiding any negative publicity. As it is, their working relationship has improved since the previous case and Warnke allows Lena a wide scope of resources to be hers for the asking as and when she needs them.
From the outset, Lena and her partner DS Johann Grasmann come up against unco-opertive parents who refuse to allow access to Maria's bedroom and deny any rebellion on their daughter's part. "Maria is a good girl" they claim. However Lena is no stranger to a parent's denial but the Logeners are different. As is their faith, the man is the head of the house with their wives and children deferring to their husband and/or father in every situation. And in accordance to their faith, Maria did not disobey her father and showed respect at all time. Unlike her older sister Johanna who turned her back on the Bretheren and her family to study pharmacology on the mainland. But what Lena finds interesting to note is that it was Johanna who raised the alarm and reported Maria missing...not her parents. And Lena wanted to know why. The first 48 hours are crucial and yet the Logeners have wasted precious time by not reporting her missing, refusing to believe Maria would leave the fold.
But then Lena receives the call she had been dreading. Maria's body has been found on the beach. Her death an apparent suicide. But something is bothering Lena and she suspects foul play. When Lena breaks the news to her parents, it seems the island's grapevine is quicker than she had anticipated and Maria's father denies that his daughter would take her own life. Lena believes Frau Logener knows more than she's saying due to the Bretheren's conservative views on wives deferring to their husbands at all times. So she devises a ruse to speak to her in private. No mother would want to sit back in an investigation into her daughter's death.
The case turns out to be a complex one with enquiries leading them in new directions and further questioning ensues. It appears that Maria Logener was not who everyone thought she was...but of course the investigation can't move forward without the victimology. Soon witnesses become persons of interest - teachers, friends, students - as the last days of Maria's life is slowly revealed.
On a personal level, Lena battles with her committment to Erck whilst having to deal with a former one night stand joining the team from the mainland. Then there is her estranged father who desires to reconnect with his daughter though Lena refuses to have anything to do with him. Meanwhile, I sympathise with poor Erck who is loving and patient with Lena despite her sometimes casual treatment of him. He wants to commit to her but he won't push her and yet she seems to want to enjoy the benefits without the committment. Isn't that a guy's line? I didn't find Lena particularly likeable in this regard.
Whilst it is a police procedural, I found the procedural story a little slow-moving. I couldn't care less about Ben's wanting to pick up with Lena where they left off after that one night. He doesn't seem to want to take no for an answer and yet at the same time, Lena is sending out mixed signals.
The setting is atmospheric that I found myself googling these little known islands off the coast of Germany so I could see their beauty for myself. The locations are stunning and I felt as if I was truly there...on the beach beside Lena, puzzling out the mystery alongside her.
However, I found the ending to be somewhat anti-climatic and wondering where the result came from. All that time spent on puzzling it out for something and nothing? It felt a little out of left field and disappointing.
Despite this, DEATH ON THE BEACH is a nice quick read. I read it in an afternoon/evening. I'll be back for the third installment, hoping for something more decisive in the way of Lena's relationship...because I like Erck.
A good quick read with a seamless translation from German. Perfect for those who enjoy Scandi-noir crime fiction.
I would like to thank #AnnaJohannsen, #NetGalley and #AmazonUK for an ARC of #DeathOnTheBeach in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Read
March 8, 2018Lena Lorenzen hat Urlaub auf Amrum. Eigentlich wollte sie ihren Freund Erck besuchen und da auch ein wenig über die eventuelle gemeinsame Zukunft nachdenken.
Doch da meldet sich ihr Chef bei ihr und bittet sie auf der Nachbarinsel Föhr die Kollegen bei der Suche nach einer verschwundenen 14-jährigen zu unterstützen.
Als das Mädchen gefunden wird deutet im ersten Moment alles auf Selbstmord hin, Doch Lena ist misstrauisch und bald stellt sich heraus dass ihr Bauchgefühl nicht trügt. Da das Mädchen aus einer tief religiösen Familie stammt, die einer Freikirche angehört, gilt es schnell zu ermitteln, damit sich die Gerüchte nicht verselbständigen. Allerdings sind sowohl die Eltern als auch die anderen Mitglieder der Freikirche nicht sehr kooperativ.
Bei den Ermittlungen wird Lena wieder von Johann Grasmann unterstützt und auch ihr One-Night-Stand Ben ist diesmal mit von der Partie.
Beide haben persönliche Probleme und so dreht sich diesmal auch vieles um das Privatleben der Ermittler.
Mir hat das Buch wieder sehr gut gefallen, vielleicht sogar besser als der erste Fall. Auch wenn ich Lena manchmal hätte treten mögen, da sie grundsätzlich versucht gerade ihre privaten Probleme im Alleingang zu lösen und nicht mit Erck oder ihrer Tante spricht.
Aber gut, es muss ja noch Luft nach oben für die nächsten Bücher bleiben. Auf einen nächsten Band freue ich mich sehr, da mich die Fortsetzung kein bisschen enttäuscht hat.
Doch da meldet sich ihr Chef bei ihr und bittet sie auf der Nachbarinsel Föhr die Kollegen bei der Suche nach einer verschwundenen 14-jährigen zu unterstützen.
Als das Mädchen gefunden wird deutet im ersten Moment alles auf Selbstmord hin, Doch Lena ist misstrauisch und bald stellt sich heraus dass ihr Bauchgefühl nicht trügt. Da das Mädchen aus einer tief religiösen Familie stammt, die einer Freikirche angehört, gilt es schnell zu ermitteln, damit sich die Gerüchte nicht verselbständigen. Allerdings sind sowohl die Eltern als auch die anderen Mitglieder der Freikirche nicht sehr kooperativ.
Bei den Ermittlungen wird Lena wieder von Johann Grasmann unterstützt und auch ihr One-Night-Stand Ben ist diesmal mit von der Partie.
Beide haben persönliche Probleme und so dreht sich diesmal auch vieles um das Privatleben der Ermittler.
Mir hat das Buch wieder sehr gut gefallen, vielleicht sogar besser als der erste Fall. Auch wenn ich Lena manchmal hätte treten mögen, da sie grundsätzlich versucht gerade ihre privaten Probleme im Alleingang zu lösen und nicht mit Erck oder ihrer Tante spricht.
Aber gut, es muss ja noch Luft nach oben für die nächsten Bücher bleiben. Auf einen nächsten Band freue ich mich sehr, da mich die Fortsetzung kein bisschen enttäuscht hat.
May 30, 2020
Very good reading
My first introduction to author Anna Johannsen and I was immediately interested in reading more about the northern German islands setting for this series. Another interesting facet was the Mennonite factor which I would not have considered, but became the center of the story. A young woman is missing and found dead on the beach. Suicide or ?? It takes a very astute and able woman detective and her team to determine exactly what happened.
My first introduction to author Anna Johannsen and I was immediately interested in reading more about the northern German islands setting for this series. Another interesting facet was the Mennonite factor which I would not have considered, but became the center of the story. A young woman is missing and found dead on the beach. Suicide or ?? It takes a very astute and able woman detective and her team to determine exactly what happened.
March 25, 2020
I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy of Death on The Beach, the second novel to feature Inspector Lena Lorenzen of the Kiel Police.
On holiday on the German island of Amrum Lena is sent to the neighbouring island of Föhr to help investigate the disappearance of a fourteen year old girl, Maria Logener. When Maria’s body is found on the beach with her wrist slashed Lena is not as sure as the others that it is suicide.
I enjoyed Death on The Beach, which is an interesting police procedural with some unusual circumstances taking it out of the everyday. The island setting obviously limits the parameters of the investigation and the fact that Maria belongs to a strict evangelical order adds a certain twist to proceedings. Nevertheless the author handles it with aplomb.
The novel is told from Lena’s point of view so the reader can dive right in, identify with her and not get distracted by other voices. This is my favourite kind of reading so it held my attention from start to finish. Lena’s investigation is very nebulous throughout, be it the lack of cooperation from her parents and their order or Maria’s missing tablet which means they have no digital footprint to follow or even Maria’s own secretiveness which meant she had no confidantes so she has to rely on piecing together small snippets of information until the big breakthrough at the end. Is it a bolt from the blue? Not quite, but it is a sudden turn. I imagine that it’s reflective of real police work but it does seem a touch contrived.
This is not a high octane read but rather a painstaking examination of Maria’s life and last few weeks. I couldn’t help but feel heart sorry for her circumstances but at the same time I never felt that she came alive as a person. This too, I imagine, is reflective of real police work - too many people with different views of the same person.
I like the novel as a police procedural as I enjoy the gradual triangulation of facts and theories into a cohesive case and I think the author does a good job of it. I’m not so keen on Lena Lorenzen whom I find rather dreary. There is no doubt that she is a smart, intuitive investigator with great people skills but her love life which she examines ad nauseum is a bore. Talk to him and thrash it out.
Death on The Beach is a good read that I can recommend.
On holiday on the German island of Amrum Lena is sent to the neighbouring island of Föhr to help investigate the disappearance of a fourteen year old girl, Maria Logener. When Maria’s body is found on the beach with her wrist slashed Lena is not as sure as the others that it is suicide.
I enjoyed Death on The Beach, which is an interesting police procedural with some unusual circumstances taking it out of the everyday. The island setting obviously limits the parameters of the investigation and the fact that Maria belongs to a strict evangelical order adds a certain twist to proceedings. Nevertheless the author handles it with aplomb.
The novel is told from Lena’s point of view so the reader can dive right in, identify with her and not get distracted by other voices. This is my favourite kind of reading so it held my attention from start to finish. Lena’s investigation is very nebulous throughout, be it the lack of cooperation from her parents and their order or Maria’s missing tablet which means they have no digital footprint to follow or even Maria’s own secretiveness which meant she had no confidantes so she has to rely on piecing together small snippets of information until the big breakthrough at the end. Is it a bolt from the blue? Not quite, but it is a sudden turn. I imagine that it’s reflective of real police work but it does seem a touch contrived.
This is not a high octane read but rather a painstaking examination of Maria’s life and last few weeks. I couldn’t help but feel heart sorry for her circumstances but at the same time I never felt that she came alive as a person. This too, I imagine, is reflective of real police work - too many people with different views of the same person.
I like the novel as a police procedural as I enjoy the gradual triangulation of facts and theories into a cohesive case and I think the author does a good job of it. I’m not so keen on Lena Lorenzen whom I find rather dreary. There is no doubt that she is a smart, intuitive investigator with great people skills but her love life which she examines ad nauseum is a bore. Talk to him and thrash it out.
Death on The Beach is a good read that I can recommend.
January 28, 2020
4,5 star
May 11, 2020
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review. Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Death on the Beach is book 2 in Anna Johannsen's Island Murder series. I hadn't read book 1 in the series, but feel that the story continues well enough that you can read this as a stand alone book. There were some references to a previous case and previous relationships, probably discussed in the first book, but the book could stand alone.
Lena Lorenzen is a detective in the German police and just starting her vacation time when called in to help search for a 14 year old missing girl, Maria, on the small island of Föhr. Lena experiences some resistance from the local police force, , but begins organizing searches and conducting interviews. The missing girl is a child of a family in the Brethren religious organization, similar to the Mennonites in the USA, and her father doesn't seem concerned that his daughter is missing. When a body is found on the beach, Maria's mother works behind her husband's back to talk to Lena and work with the police force. While the first impression is that of a suicide, Lena has a feeling there is more to the story, and won't stop until she's got the whole picture.
I could tell this was part of a series; character descriptions and relationships just seem to be more defined and detailed in a series. That slowed me down a bit on this book. And this book is translated from German to English, but as with many books translated out of their native language, some of the word usages and phrasing is a bit awkward, and the story just doesn't flow for me as much. But overall, this was a good police procedural book, exploring a bit of different cultures, and it was good to see a book in Germany not set in Berlin! I haven't read others by this author, but I have put book in in this series, The Body on the Beach, on my to be read list.
Death on the Beach is book 2 in Anna Johannsen's Island Murder series. I hadn't read book 1 in the series, but feel that the story continues well enough that you can read this as a stand alone book. There were some references to a previous case and previous relationships, probably discussed in the first book, but the book could stand alone.
Lena Lorenzen is a detective in the German police and just starting her vacation time when called in to help search for a 14 year old missing girl, Maria, on the small island of Föhr. Lena experiences some resistance from the local police force, , but begins organizing searches and conducting interviews. The missing girl is a child of a family in the Brethren religious organization, similar to the Mennonites in the USA, and her father doesn't seem concerned that his daughter is missing. When a body is found on the beach, Maria's mother works behind her husband's back to talk to Lena and work with the police force. While the first impression is that of a suicide, Lena has a feeling there is more to the story, and won't stop until she's got the whole picture.
I could tell this was part of a series; character descriptions and relationships just seem to be more defined and detailed in a series. That slowed me down a bit on this book. And this book is translated from German to English, but as with many books translated out of their native language, some of the word usages and phrasing is a bit awkward, and the story just doesn't flow for me as much. But overall, this was a good police procedural book, exploring a bit of different cultures, and it was good to see a book in Germany not set in Berlin! I haven't read others by this author, but I have put book in in this series, The Body on the Beach, on my to be read list.
December 30, 2020
Über Kindle Unlimited wieder im Bundle geliehen – und diesmal als Hörbuch gelistet, denn auf diese Weise habe ich das Buch heute noch lesen und hören können.
Der Aufbau des Krimis, die Ermittlungsarbeit und die weiteren Einblicke in das Privatleben der Protagonistin haben mir gefallen. Der Krimi ist spannend geschrieben und der Fall interessant. Mir ist aufgefallen, dass fast alle befragten Personen befürchten, man wolle ihnen “etwas anhängen”. Diese Wortwahl ist mir noch aus dem ersten Buch erinnerlich. Gibt es dafür kein Synonym?
Ich bewundere die Ermittlungstaktiken von Lena Lorenzen und ihr Einfühlungsvermögen. Beruflich ist sie absolut top. Privat gefällt sie mir weniger, weil sie sich offensichtlich nicht zwischen den Männern in ihrem Leben entscheiden kann und dadurch viele vor den Kopf stößt. Sie sollte sich mit ihrem Vater aussprechen, sich darauf konzentrieren, was sie tatsächlich will und dann dabei bleiben… meine Meinung.
Positiv aufgefallen ist mir, dass die Autorin sich des Genitivs befleißigt, während die Sprecherin leider entgegen der Vorlage dem Dativ huldigt. Lena Münchow ist zwar eine bessere Wahl als die Sprecherin vom ersten Band, aber ich persönlich gebe ihr auch nur 2 von 5 Sternen. Sie scheint beim Einlesen nicht nur erkältet gewesen zu sein und oft mit einer rauen kratzigen Stimme gelesen zu haben, sie hat auch oft an der falschen Stelle betont. Ich hätte mir hier eine bessere Sprecherin gewünscht. Aber da ich eBook wie Hörbuch leihen durfte, bin ich zufrieden.
Ich gebe 08/10 Punkte.
https://sunsys-blog.blogspot.com/2020...
Der Aufbau des Krimis, die Ermittlungsarbeit und die weiteren Einblicke in das Privatleben der Protagonistin haben mir gefallen. Der Krimi ist spannend geschrieben und der Fall interessant. Mir ist aufgefallen, dass fast alle befragten Personen befürchten, man wolle ihnen “etwas anhängen”. Diese Wortwahl ist mir noch aus dem ersten Buch erinnerlich. Gibt es dafür kein Synonym?
Ich bewundere die Ermittlungstaktiken von Lena Lorenzen und ihr Einfühlungsvermögen. Beruflich ist sie absolut top. Privat gefällt sie mir weniger, weil sie sich offensichtlich nicht zwischen den Männern in ihrem Leben entscheiden kann und dadurch viele vor den Kopf stößt. Sie sollte sich mit ihrem Vater aussprechen, sich darauf konzentrieren, was sie tatsächlich will und dann dabei bleiben… meine Meinung.
Positiv aufgefallen ist mir, dass die Autorin sich des Genitivs befleißigt, während die Sprecherin leider entgegen der Vorlage dem Dativ huldigt. Lena Münchow ist zwar eine bessere Wahl als die Sprecherin vom ersten Band, aber ich persönlich gebe ihr auch nur 2 von 5 Sternen. Sie scheint beim Einlesen nicht nur erkältet gewesen zu sein und oft mit einer rauen kratzigen Stimme gelesen zu haben, sie hat auch oft an der falschen Stelle betont. Ich hätte mir hier eine bessere Sprecherin gewünscht. Aber da ich eBook wie Hörbuch leihen durfte, bin ich zufrieden.
Ich gebe 08/10 Punkte.
https://sunsys-blog.blogspot.com/2020...
June 6, 2025
Wie auch schon Band 1 ein solider Krimi, aber ehrlich gesagt bin ich wirklich müde immer wieder von emotional unerreichbaren Polizistinnen zu lesen, denen ihre Karriere über alles geht und deren Privatleben eine riesige Baustelle ist. Aber das ist wahrscheinlich mein Problem, dass ich immer wieder bei dieser Art Krimi lande.
September 4, 2020
I am really enjoying this series and look forward to more of these books becoming available in audio format.
April 27, 2020
Detective Inspector Lena Lorenzen is having a few days off on her home island of Amrum with boyfriend, Erck when she is alerted to a missing fourteen year old girl. Requested to intervene by her boss Lena takes charge, calling in her partner DS Johannn Grasmann to assist.
As the investigation begins the detectives are shocked by the lack of cooperation from anyone including the girl's parents and find themselves battling to get answers when time is obviously of the essence.
I enjoyed this book very much for the most part, the two main characters were well written and interacted in a natural and believable manner. Neither was perfect but their foibles weren't debilitating and made them seem far more realistic. It wasn't a heart stopping, page turning rollercoaster of a read, instead it seemed in tune with the slower pace of island life. Things were worked at, clues were discovered, verified and they moved on to the next step. It made a nice change to be able to enjoy a slower paced novel without it descending into lethargy. I would give it a 3.5* rating if I could so have rounded it up as it's definitely more than a 3.
The problem I had was with the breakthrough moment, it seemed contrived, almost as if the author had written themselves into a corner and needed to either re-write or use a less than ideal scenario to solve things. After all that had gone before it was a bit of a let down. I am hopeful of a third book in this series however, and will definitely be on the lookout for it and I am sure I will enjoy that too.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who read the first book or who enjoys European crime fiction. In both cases this is a good read.
As the investigation begins the detectives are shocked by the lack of cooperation from anyone including the girl's parents and find themselves battling to get answers when time is obviously of the essence.
I enjoyed this book very much for the most part, the two main characters were well written and interacted in a natural and believable manner. Neither was perfect but their foibles weren't debilitating and made them seem far more realistic. It wasn't a heart stopping, page turning rollercoaster of a read, instead it seemed in tune with the slower pace of island life. Things were worked at, clues were discovered, verified and they moved on to the next step. It made a nice change to be able to enjoy a slower paced novel without it descending into lethargy. I would give it a 3.5* rating if I could so have rounded it up as it's definitely more than a 3.
The problem I had was with the breakthrough moment, it seemed contrived, almost as if the author had written themselves into a corner and needed to either re-write or use a less than ideal scenario to solve things. After all that had gone before it was a bit of a let down. I am hopeful of a third book in this series however, and will definitely be on the lookout for it and I am sure I will enjoy that too.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who read the first book or who enjoys European crime fiction. In both cases this is a good read.
May 19, 2020
This story takes place on The Wadden Islands in Northern Friesland (Germany) and is excellently translated from German.
DI Lena Lorenzen works for the CID in Kiel and is about to start her holiday on Amrum (the island she was born and raised on) with her childhood love Erick, with whom she only recently reconnected when she receives a call from her DSU. On Fohr, the neighbouring island, a 14-year-old girl has disappeared and he wants her on the case. It’s a delicate matter as the family belongs to a very strict Mennonite church and community. It’s the sister that left the island when she was 18 that reported the girl missing, not the parents. Those behave very hostile towards the authorities. Later, the girl is found with slit wrists on the beach but it’s clear that a third party is involved.
This is a well-constructed but complex story. The characters are well developed and realistic. They have problems and doubts and don’t always agree on procedure or lines of investigation, but Lena steers a tight ship and has the last word on those things. Usually, she’s right, as well. She has her own personal problems on the islands though. There’s her father with whom she hasn’t spoken in years that wants her forgiveness. Her island boyfriend may want to move their relationship up to the next level, as long-distance relations are far from ideal, but Lena is not quite ready for this. On top of that, a former one-night-stand joins her team for the investigation and he also might want more. She can relate very well to the victim, being brought up on the secluded islands that can feel as a prison and without the religious content though.
The problems brought on by such a strict religious community are better understood by DS Johann Grasmann who was raised in a similar strict catholic village. He connects a bit too well to the victim’s sister but is honest enough to admit this when Lena confronts him about it. He’s happy that he can work again with her and is a good, clever policeman and a skilled researcher. His hunches may not always be right but he usually knows when someone isn’t telling the whole truth.
I didn’t know that there are still Mennonites living in Germany, but it shouldn’t surprise me as Switzerland and Germany are the places where they originated. I think that their community is fairly depicted. Showing both the positive sides of community sense and family values as well as the difficulties of growing up in those circumstances, the anti-society/authority sentiment, arranged marriages at too young ages, distrust of outsiders and all-over secrecy.
All the elements are presented as they occur and you’re never certain if a person is only a witness or a suspect after all. The smells of sea and salt on the islands are mentioned on several occasions, as are the culinary delights but I miss the visual descriptions of both nature and village. But of course, it’s not a tourist guide or documentary. I certainly want to read more books from this writer and it’s a shame that they haven’t been translated into Dutch (to my knowledge) as the other half of the Wadden Sea belongs to The Netherlands. Not that they’re not good enough to merit a translation on quality alone.
I thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for their free ARC; this is my honest and unbiased review of it.
DI Lena Lorenzen works for the CID in Kiel and is about to start her holiday on Amrum (the island she was born and raised on) with her childhood love Erick, with whom she only recently reconnected when she receives a call from her DSU. On Fohr, the neighbouring island, a 14-year-old girl has disappeared and he wants her on the case. It’s a delicate matter as the family belongs to a very strict Mennonite church and community. It’s the sister that left the island when she was 18 that reported the girl missing, not the parents. Those behave very hostile towards the authorities. Later, the girl is found with slit wrists on the beach but it’s clear that a third party is involved.
This is a well-constructed but complex story. The characters are well developed and realistic. They have problems and doubts and don’t always agree on procedure or lines of investigation, but Lena steers a tight ship and has the last word on those things. Usually, she’s right, as well. She has her own personal problems on the islands though. There’s her father with whom she hasn’t spoken in years that wants her forgiveness. Her island boyfriend may want to move their relationship up to the next level, as long-distance relations are far from ideal, but Lena is not quite ready for this. On top of that, a former one-night-stand joins her team for the investigation and he also might want more. She can relate very well to the victim, being brought up on the secluded islands that can feel as a prison and without the religious content though.
The problems brought on by such a strict religious community are better understood by DS Johann Grasmann who was raised in a similar strict catholic village. He connects a bit too well to the victim’s sister but is honest enough to admit this when Lena confronts him about it. He’s happy that he can work again with her and is a good, clever policeman and a skilled researcher. His hunches may not always be right but he usually knows when someone isn’t telling the whole truth.
I didn’t know that there are still Mennonites living in Germany, but it shouldn’t surprise me as Switzerland and Germany are the places where they originated. I think that their community is fairly depicted. Showing both the positive sides of community sense and family values as well as the difficulties of growing up in those circumstances, the anti-society/authority sentiment, arranged marriages at too young ages, distrust of outsiders and all-over secrecy.
All the elements are presented as they occur and you’re never certain if a person is only a witness or a suspect after all. The smells of sea and salt on the islands are mentioned on several occasions, as are the culinary delights but I miss the visual descriptions of both nature and village. But of course, it’s not a tourist guide or documentary. I certainly want to read more books from this writer and it’s a shame that they haven’t been translated into Dutch (to my knowledge) as the other half of the Wadden Sea belongs to The Netherlands. Not that they’re not good enough to merit a translation on quality alone.
I thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for their free ARC; this is my honest and unbiased review of it.
March 30, 2020
Death on the Beach by Anna Johannsen is a murder mystery set on the German island of Föhr. Inspector Lena Lorenzen of the Kiel Police is sent to Föhr to investigate the case of a missing fourteen-year-old student, Maria Logener. She was soon found on the beach with her wrists and arms sliced where she had bled out. The local police accept the death as suicide, but Lena has suspicions there is more to the case. The investigation is met with little information due to the religious family and community who are hesitant to open their doors for questioning. Also, Maria was bullied by some students at her school and she had very few friends. The book has interesting characters and Lena has a personal conflict with her boyfriend who wants a more permanent relationship. Ben, an investigator who helped Lena on a previous case arrives to help to determine if this is a suicide or murder. Lena had a brief relationship previously with Ben and now she feels as if her personal life has become more complicated. I thought she sent mixed signals to both men, Erck and Ben. Also, I felt the questioning of Lisa was weak. The prejudice against the religious community was very prevalent in the story. There was never any true indication of violence within the evangelical community and her parents did care according to the story, but the blurb says they didn't.
Publication Date: May 15, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
Publication Date: May 15, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
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