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Chas Riley #8
Mexikoring
In Hamburg brennen die Autos. Jede Nacht, wahllos angezündet. Aber in dieser einen Nacht am Mexikoring, einem Bürohochhäuserghetto im Norden der Stadt, sitzt noch jemand in seinem Fiat, als der anfängt zu brennen: Nouri Saroukhan, der verlorene Sohn eines Clans aus Bremen. War er es leid, vor seiner Familie davonzulaufen? Hat die ihn in Brand setzen lassen? Und was ist da los, wenn die Gangsterkinder von der Weser neuerdings an der Alster sterben?
Staatsanwältin Chastity Riley taucht tief ein in die Welt der Clan-Familien. Nach und nach erschließen sich ihr die weitverzweigten kriminellen Strukturen, die sich durch ganz Deutschland ziehen. Und sie bekommt Einblick in Nouri Saroukhans Geschichte. Es ist die Geschichte eines Ausbruchs zu einem hohen Preis. Und es ist die Geschichte einer Liebe: von Nouri und Aliza, die nicht zusammenkommen durften und in ein anderes Leben türmten, das aber kein besseres war. Weiß Aliza, was mit Nouri am Mexikoring passiert ist?
Staatsanwältin Chastity Riley taucht tief ein in die Welt der Clan-Familien. Nach und nach erschließen sich ihr die weitverzweigten kriminellen Strukturen, die sich durch ganz Deutschland ziehen. Und sie bekommt Einblick in Nouri Saroukhans Geschichte. Es ist die Geschichte eines Ausbruchs zu einem hohen Preis. Und es ist die Geschichte einer Liebe: von Nouri und Aliza, die nicht zusammenkommen durften und in ein anderes Leben türmten, das aber kein besseres war. Weiß Aliza, was mit Nouri am Mexikoring passiert ist?
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2018
16 people are currently reading
115 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 78 reviews
March 12, 2020
Whoa!! An unexpected read this was. Simone Buchholz was the new author on my block whose taut but strangely rhythmic writing had me gasping. The excitement was slow to build up, but boy, did the main character make me giddy. Sarcasm and self-deprecating dialogues had me loving this babe.
A car burning on the street, a man was found locked in it. And the team investigated. Organized crime, corruption, violence soon emerged during the police investigation.
My first book by this author, the main character Chastity Riley and the writing caught my eye. A crime thriller it was at the core with a murder and a love story at the base, followed by the whorls of mystery being revealed.
Chas was simply wonderful, she was strong, bold, smoked like a chimney, drank when she wished, tough when needed, soft rarely. Her non-chalance and irreverent attitude made me love her. The gritty crime was made enjoyable just by her presence. Her pairing with Detective Stepanovic was smooth. They worked well together and matched each other.
The writing was different initially until I got into the depths of the story, then it became quite hypnotic, for lack of better word. It was lyrical at times,which quite surprised me. The author's talent was evident in the way she balanced the darkness of the night and the intensity of the prose with humor, sarcasm, and forbidden love.
My first book in the series, I wasn't lost in the book. There was camaraderie emanating from it, enough to help me understand and like the characters. Overall, an interesting read about a disturbing story made light only by Chastity Riley.
A car burning on the street, a man was found locked in it. And the team investigated. Organized crime, corruption, violence soon emerged during the police investigation.
My first book by this author, the main character Chastity Riley and the writing caught my eye. A crime thriller it was at the core with a murder and a love story at the base, followed by the whorls of mystery being revealed.
Chas was simply wonderful, she was strong, bold, smoked like a chimney, drank when she wished, tough when needed, soft rarely. Her non-chalance and irreverent attitude made me love her. The gritty crime was made enjoyable just by her presence. Her pairing with Detective Stepanovic was smooth. They worked well together and matched each other.
The writing was different initially until I got into the depths of the story, then it became quite hypnotic, for lack of better word. It was lyrical at times,which quite surprised me. The author's talent was evident in the way she balanced the darkness of the night and the intensity of the prose with humor, sarcasm, and forbidden love.
My first book in the series, I wasn't lost in the book. There was camaraderie emanating from it, enough to help me understand and like the characters. Overall, an interesting read about a disturbing story made light only by Chastity Riley.
February 1, 2020
Hi and welcome to Mexico Street! Let’s take a little stroll together, shall we, get some fresh air. Although, on second thoughts, the air is not that fresh at the mo… Do you smell that smoke? Someone set a car on fire! And there was a person in there! Poor guy. Although… I’ve heard his name is Saroukhan, you know, like the criminal family in Bremen? So maybe I shouldn’t pity him, who knows what he was up to. See those people over there, grimacing at their coffee cups? Those are coppers, and that one woman, with the uncombed hair? She’s Chastity Riley, the state prosecutor. If anyone can get to the bottom of this, it’ll be her. She may look a little rough around the edges (little sleep, drinking like a fish and smoking like a chimney will do that to a person), but she’s very capable, I swear. Say, who might that redhead be, slinking away in the shadows, you don’t suppose she was the one to torch the car, do you? DumdumdumdumDUM!
God how I love Simone Buchholz! There, I said it and I can’t take it back and I don’t want to take it back because it’s the truth! I was home alone on 2 January, zero energy (the holiday season always kills me), feeling gloomy like the weather, and I knew a stroll down Mexico Street was just what I needed, and it most definitely was! Nobody does noir like Simone, no other main character is like Chas, Mexico Street was just what the doctor prescribed. Now, you might think that at a little over 200 pages, I flew through it, but I didn’t. I purposefully took my time. Like its predecessor Beton Rouge, Mexico Street needs to be savoured, and I found myself doing just that, re-reading certain passages because they were just so beautiful.
Simone’s writing is quirky and a strange combination of taut and poetic. She doesn’t mince words, she never wastes words, Chas can be very blunt, yet there are some sentences, paragraphs that are almost lyrical, or chapters that look more verse than prose. No rhyme though, rest assured, and none of it feels like purple prose, it’s not done in a way that makes me roll my eyes and mutter “bloody hell, this again” but it does make me pause and go back and re-read and mutter “bloody hell, that’s gorgeous”. I’m not sure if everyone will appreciate this very distinct writing style, but I am a huge fan and if you’re on the fence, I’d urge you to try at least one of Simone’s books, you may very well become a fan too!
Mexico Street is the third Chas Riley novel published by Orenda Books, but it can be read as a standalone. There are a few storylines that continue but they are not confusing to new readers, I don’t think. Still, I for one am glad I started at the beginning, and I feel this series just gets better with every new instalment. I enjoyed Blue Night, I loved Beton Rouge, but Mexico Street is my favourite Chas novel to date and I literally can’t wait for the next one.
Mexico Street is timely and poignant, it’s part crime thriller, part star-crossed lovers love story and all noir, featuring a main character with an acerbic, sarcastic, dry sense of humour and a police investigation that took me to unforeseen places. Recommended!
Hugest of thanks to Karen Sullivan @ Orenda Books for the ARC, and to Rachel Ward for the translation, without which I never would have been able to meet Chas!
God how I love Simone Buchholz! There, I said it and I can’t take it back and I don’t want to take it back because it’s the truth! I was home alone on 2 January, zero energy (the holiday season always kills me), feeling gloomy like the weather, and I knew a stroll down Mexico Street was just what I needed, and it most definitely was! Nobody does noir like Simone, no other main character is like Chas, Mexico Street was just what the doctor prescribed. Now, you might think that at a little over 200 pages, I flew through it, but I didn’t. I purposefully took my time. Like its predecessor Beton Rouge, Mexico Street needs to be savoured, and I found myself doing just that, re-reading certain passages because they were just so beautiful.
Simone’s writing is quirky and a strange combination of taut and poetic. She doesn’t mince words, she never wastes words, Chas can be very blunt, yet there are some sentences, paragraphs that are almost lyrical, or chapters that look more verse than prose. No rhyme though, rest assured, and none of it feels like purple prose, it’s not done in a way that makes me roll my eyes and mutter “bloody hell, this again” but it does make me pause and go back and re-read and mutter “bloody hell, that’s gorgeous”. I’m not sure if everyone will appreciate this very distinct writing style, but I am a huge fan and if you’re on the fence, I’d urge you to try at least one of Simone’s books, you may very well become a fan too!
Mexico Street is the third Chas Riley novel published by Orenda Books, but it can be read as a standalone. There are a few storylines that continue but they are not confusing to new readers, I don’t think. Still, I for one am glad I started at the beginning, and I feel this series just gets better with every new instalment. I enjoyed Blue Night, I loved Beton Rouge, but Mexico Street is my favourite Chas novel to date and I literally can’t wait for the next one.
Mexico Street is timely and poignant, it’s part crime thriller, part star-crossed lovers love story and all noir, featuring a main character with an acerbic, sarcastic, dry sense of humour and a police investigation that took me to unforeseen places. Recommended!
Hugest of thanks to Karen Sullivan @ Orenda Books for the ARC, and to Rachel Ward for the translation, without which I never would have been able to meet Chas!
April 22, 2020
Thriller set in BREMEN and HAMBURG
Mexico Street is the third in Simone’s street-wise, hard hitting thriller series featuring Hamburg prosecutor, Chastity Riley. It is every bit as good as the first two. Chasity is as much at home with the low life of Hamburg as she is with the bureaucrats of the city for whom she works. Her partner, Inspector Stepanovic, is cut from the same non-conventional mode. They get on very well.
An estranged member of a Mhallami gang family from Bremen is found dead in a burned out car in Hamburg. The Mhallami are an Arab tribe from South Turkey. They moved to Beirut when they were persecuted, and then on to Europe (claiming to be refugees) during the Lebanese civil war. Many came to Germany, and many to Bremen. They form close knit families – both in a natural and a criminal sense. They are violent and they are humourless, engaging in all sorts of crime, from petty to much more serious offences.
Nouri Saroukhan, the murder victim, had years earlier formed a Romeo and Juliet relationship with Aliza Anteli in Bremen – they were from different ‘families’. Aliza had eventually run away to escape the frequent beatings from her father. Nouri was distraught, and did not know where she had fled. .
But was Nouri’s death in any way connected to the past? He had moved to Hamburg, studied to be a lawyer (but dropped out), and and ended up earning good money as an insurance salesman. He has lost touch with Bremen. Why had he been killed?
Chasity and Stepanovic suspect the family / Bremen connection, but meet a wall of silence (and some aggression) when they visit the city to investigate. There is no love lost either between the families themselves, or between the families and the police. Cooperation is non-existent.
They carry on their investigations in Hamburg, and the plot moves to a violent and bloody conclusion in a car park. No more for fear of a spoiler.
Mexico Street is a taut and tense triller. It is extremely well written (and well translated by Rachel Ward) in short staccato chapters that mirror the activity in the book. We are used to Simone’s descriptions of the less savoury sides of Hamburg (she lives in St Pauli so knows the city really well…). But this time she adds Bremen as well to her repertoire, and it works. The book is a number one best seller in Germany.
A quick read (only took me three or four hours…), but very well worth it.
Mexico Street is the third in Simone’s street-wise, hard hitting thriller series featuring Hamburg prosecutor, Chastity Riley. It is every bit as good as the first two. Chasity is as much at home with the low life of Hamburg as she is with the bureaucrats of the city for whom she works. Her partner, Inspector Stepanovic, is cut from the same non-conventional mode. They get on very well.
An estranged member of a Mhallami gang family from Bremen is found dead in a burned out car in Hamburg. The Mhallami are an Arab tribe from South Turkey. They moved to Beirut when they were persecuted, and then on to Europe (claiming to be refugees) during the Lebanese civil war. Many came to Germany, and many to Bremen. They form close knit families – both in a natural and a criminal sense. They are violent and they are humourless, engaging in all sorts of crime, from petty to much more serious offences.
Nouri Saroukhan, the murder victim, had years earlier formed a Romeo and Juliet relationship with Aliza Anteli in Bremen – they were from different ‘families’. Aliza had eventually run away to escape the frequent beatings from her father. Nouri was distraught, and did not know where she had fled. .
But was Nouri’s death in any way connected to the past? He had moved to Hamburg, studied to be a lawyer (but dropped out), and and ended up earning good money as an insurance salesman. He has lost touch with Bremen. Why had he been killed?
Chasity and Stepanovic suspect the family / Bremen connection, but meet a wall of silence (and some aggression) when they visit the city to investigate. There is no love lost either between the families themselves, or between the families and the police. Cooperation is non-existent.
They carry on their investigations in Hamburg, and the plot moves to a violent and bloody conclusion in a car park. No more for fear of a spoiler.
Mexico Street is a taut and tense triller. It is extremely well written (and well translated by Rachel Ward) in short staccato chapters that mirror the activity in the book. We are used to Simone’s descriptions of the less savoury sides of Hamburg (she lives in St Pauli so knows the city really well…). But this time she adds Bremen as well to her repertoire, and it works. The book is a number one best seller in Germany.
A quick read (only took me three or four hours…), but very well worth it.
March 25, 2020
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I was really intrigued by the blurb after I read it and knew that this was a book I wanted to read, I read the author’s previous book and thought it was an addictive read, and her latest read for me was no different – it was well developed and I loved it!
I loved the pace of the story and I found that it was very well written. The plot was well developed and there was plenty happening throughout the story too. I really liked the setting for the book too and the author had a great way with words to bring the setting and the characters to life – she is an excellent storyteller!
Chastity is a fabulous character, a really strong female lead with a proper kick-ass temperament and personality, she is independent and sassy – she is definitely a favourite for me!
I loved the plot and thought that it was well developed – it is 5 stars from me for this one, I thought it was superb and a fabulous story!! Very highly recommended and one I really enjoyed!
I was really intrigued by the blurb after I read it and knew that this was a book I wanted to read, I read the author’s previous book and thought it was an addictive read, and her latest read for me was no different – it was well developed and I loved it!
I loved the pace of the story and I found that it was very well written. The plot was well developed and there was plenty happening throughout the story too. I really liked the setting for the book too and the author had a great way with words to bring the setting and the characters to life – she is an excellent storyteller!
Chastity is a fabulous character, a really strong female lead with a proper kick-ass temperament and personality, she is independent and sassy – she is definitely a favourite for me!
I loved the plot and thought that it was well developed – it is 5 stars from me for this one, I thought it was superb and a fabulous story!! Very highly recommended and one I really enjoyed!
March 18, 2020
I have really enjoyed the recent titles I've read from Orenda Books but the problem I seem to have is that they have me wanting to go back and start several series from the beginning. Such is the case with the Chaz Riley series.
This novel finds Chaz Riley, a public prosecutor in Germany, investigating the suspicious death of an important son of the Bremen clan. As she investigates, she finds herself falling deeper and deeper into a criminal underground and she soon discovers the violence will not end with Nouri's death.
I loved Chaz as a character. She is kind of a take-no-prisoners person who shoots straight from the hip. She is strong and resilient and isn't afraid of being too much like one of the guys. She is diligent in her investigations and I was totally enthralled with the novel and what would happen next. I also really liked Chaz's interaction with her partner, Detective Stepanovic. They clearly have honed their skills together over the years and it shows.
There was a very suspenseful and intriguing mystery at the root of Mexico Street and I'm excited to go back and meet Chaz from the beginning. This book has it all - darkness, sarcasm, wit and humor. There is also a touch of love woven into the tale of Nouri's death. It was interesting to read a mystery set in Germany because I can't recall the last time I read something set in that country. Orenda Books is really getting me to branch out with some locales and I'm loving every minute of it!
This novel finds Chaz Riley, a public prosecutor in Germany, investigating the suspicious death of an important son of the Bremen clan. As she investigates, she finds herself falling deeper and deeper into a criminal underground and she soon discovers the violence will not end with Nouri's death.
I loved Chaz as a character. She is kind of a take-no-prisoners person who shoots straight from the hip. She is strong and resilient and isn't afraid of being too much like one of the guys. She is diligent in her investigations and I was totally enthralled with the novel and what would happen next. I also really liked Chaz's interaction with her partner, Detective Stepanovic. They clearly have honed their skills together over the years and it shows.
There was a very suspenseful and intriguing mystery at the root of Mexico Street and I'm excited to go back and meet Chaz from the beginning. This book has it all - darkness, sarcasm, wit and humor. There is also a touch of love woven into the tale of Nouri's death. It was interesting to read a mystery set in Germany because I can't recall the last time I read something set in that country. Orenda Books is really getting me to branch out with some locales and I'm loving every minute of it!
March 1, 2020
Visit the locations in Mexico Street
Welcome to Mexico Street. Well, there’s not much chance for a stroll or wander as cars are on fire everywhere. The smell of burning is in the air.Chastity has a very tricky and sensitive case to solve as a body has been found in the wreckage. Detective Stepanovic comes on board and together, the two try to get under the skin of this case. It’s tough from the off, not to mention dangerous.
The two leads of Chastity and Stepanovic are a good team. They are good for each other and have a rapport that is easy to listen to and even better to work with I imagine! They have a sad investigation to deal with, with is both emotional and sensitive.
The novel looks at two young immigrants through whose eyes we see what life, inner-city life is like for their community. This is a look at inner-city gangs, struggles and the way that some people end up stateless. It’s an interesting look at the inner workings of a community few of us know much about. Needless to say, the women in such groups are the worst affected and the ones who suffer the most. So, this story soon takes on a Romeo and Juliet vibe – the star crossed lovers against the world etc. Don’t be tempted to think this is all there is to it however…
Who was the man found dead in the car exactly and what does this all mean? When going along that road of discovery, Simone crisscrosses across the lives of the Romeo and Juliet of their day, Nouri and Aliza and then wraps it all up with Chastity revelations, personal asides and sharp acidic writing. There’s a side to Chastity in this novel I found very interesting indeed.
Hamburg really shines here. Well, I say shines, it’s more of a stain. You might not want to visit this side of the city! It does come across loud and clear however. Getting underneath the skin of this city that has been torn, ripped off the bone and then shredded.
This is a dark, gritty novel with heart. There are some soul-searching scenes, some Chastity moments of epiphany almost and a gritty knot tied around it to keep it all in a choke-hold.
Dark and disturbing which showcases two German cities and their inner communities. One chapter is titled: ‘Bremen needs Batman’. I would take a guess and hope that Robin is not far behind in Hamburg as this book flings you from one direction to the other. Only a tight-knit team can cope with the complex issues in this criminally complex read.
May 10, 2020
Finished reading: March 8th 2020
"We're like a window that life has kept jumping through in recent years, and with every jump we've gone flying through space like shards of glass, but, because the shards know where they belong, they piece themselves back together, bit by bit, every time."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
May 26, 2023
Cars are being deliberately set on fire across Germany, across Europe and across the world but on Mexico Street in Hamburg one of these cars still has a person trapped inside. That person is Nouri Sourakhan, the son of one of Germany’s most notorious immigrant crime clans and Public Prosecutor Chasity Riley and Detective Ivo Stepanovic are tasked with solving his murder.
The story follows two distinct plot lines, in that we follow Noiri’s story up to that fateful night and we also follow Riley and Stepanovic’s investigation. Nouri’s story is one of forbidden love as a clandestine childhood friendship with a female from a rival clan develops into a love affair that must remain hidden. While Riley and Stepanovic are met with a wall of silence from Nouri’s now estranged family, as they attempt to gather evidence that may explain his death.
This is the third in the Chasity Riley series and we now find that Chasity’s neighbour and sometime lover has moved onto a new relationship, leaving Chasity floundering and trying to find solace in alcohol. Her once frosty relationship with Stepanovic is thawing and they share sleepless nights smoking and drinking in late night clubs and bars trying to stave off having to spend their nights alone. However an old lover from Chasity’s past has returned but can they recapture the past as he has suffered life changing injuries. Chasity thankfully has not lost her sharp wit and self deprecating humour which help to alleviate the dark tone of the story, as she manoeuvres around the obstacles in her way to penetrate the the secrecy surrounding Nouri’s death.
Another thoroughly enjoyable read which further develops Chasity’s character and in which I learned of a new aspect of Germany’s crime underworld of which I was previously unawares. I’ve read the first three novels in the series consecutively now and maybe it’s time for a break but can’t wait to tackle the rest of this brilliant crime collection.
The story follows two distinct plot lines, in that we follow Noiri’s story up to that fateful night and we also follow Riley and Stepanovic’s investigation. Nouri’s story is one of forbidden love as a clandestine childhood friendship with a female from a rival clan develops into a love affair that must remain hidden. While Riley and Stepanovic are met with a wall of silence from Nouri’s now estranged family, as they attempt to gather evidence that may explain his death.
This is the third in the Chasity Riley series and we now find that Chasity’s neighbour and sometime lover has moved onto a new relationship, leaving Chasity floundering and trying to find solace in alcohol. Her once frosty relationship with Stepanovic is thawing and they share sleepless nights smoking and drinking in late night clubs and bars trying to stave off having to spend their nights alone. However an old lover from Chasity’s past has returned but can they recapture the past as he has suffered life changing injuries. Chasity thankfully has not lost her sharp wit and self deprecating humour which help to alleviate the dark tone of the story, as she manoeuvres around the obstacles in her way to penetrate the the secrecy surrounding Nouri’s death.
Another thoroughly enjoyable read which further develops Chasity’s character and in which I learned of a new aspect of Germany’s crime underworld of which I was previously unawares. I’ve read the first three novels in the series consecutively now and maybe it’s time for a break but can’t wait to tackle the rest of this brilliant crime collection.
March 9, 2020
Welcome back Chastity Riley! One of the most intriguing, well written and kick-ass characters out there. She's sassy and outspoken, she does exactly as she pleases; smokes, drinks and swears. However, she has a softer underside; some vulnerabilities that only add enormous depth to her character and to this story. Yes, it's a very very big welcome back.
Hamburg is on fire. Well, cars in Hamburg are being set alight, to be correct. Chastity isn't really that concerned about the fires, but when the body of a dead man is found in one of the cars, she's on the case.
Teaming up with Stepanovik, aided by his team of Rocktäschel and Lindner, this investigation uncovers some extremely disturbing and often really upsetting things.
Corruption within a community and immigration are at the heart of this story and this incredibly talented author weaves a world that is frighteningly real; with characters that will scare the life from you, doing things that really are at the depths of society. Oh, and there's a slice of romance running throughout the plot too; just to keep your interest, you understand!
Simone Buchholz takes her readers by the scruff of the neck and transports them to Germany; we experience the side of this country that most of us have probably never even considered, and we do it in the company of some of the most intelligently created, colourful characters; some of whom we will love, and some of whom, we'd prefer never to meet in real life.
Expertly translated by Rachel Ward, Mexico Street is magnificent, witty and surprising. It's a joy to be back with Chastity Riley, and with Simone Buchholz
Hamburg is on fire. Well, cars in Hamburg are being set alight, to be correct. Chastity isn't really that concerned about the fires, but when the body of a dead man is found in one of the cars, she's on the case.
Teaming up with Stepanovik, aided by his team of Rocktäschel and Lindner, this investigation uncovers some extremely disturbing and often really upsetting things.
Corruption within a community and immigration are at the heart of this story and this incredibly talented author weaves a world that is frighteningly real; with characters that will scare the life from you, doing things that really are at the depths of society. Oh, and there's a slice of romance running throughout the plot too; just to keep your interest, you understand!
Simone Buchholz takes her readers by the scruff of the neck and transports them to Germany; we experience the side of this country that most of us have probably never even considered, and we do it in the company of some of the most intelligently created, colourful characters; some of whom we will love, and some of whom, we'd prefer never to meet in real life.
Expertly translated by Rachel Ward, Mexico Street is magnificent, witty and surprising. It's a joy to be back with Chastity Riley, and with Simone Buchholz
September 2, 2021
Nach der Nummer sieben, war ich hier schon im Takt und konnte der Protagonistin noch einmal besser durch die Irrungen und Wirrungen dieses im Clan-Milieu angesiedelten Falls folgen. Neben Hamburg kommt auch Bremen (ein wenig) als Schauplatz vor und wiederum ist auf eine Art auch die Polizei (oder zumindest einer ihrer Vertreter) ein bisschen persönlich in den Fall involviert. Zudem "Mexikoring" im Laufe der Geschichte auch noch mehr als ein Bedeutung erhält... . Spannend und auf sehr eigene Art und Weise erzählt.
February 25, 2023
Staatsanwältin Chastity Riley und ihre Crew ermitteln in einem Todesfall, bei dem ein Mann in seinem Auto verbrannte. Offenbar mit Absicht. Der Tote gehört zu einem kriminellen Bremer Clan, hatte sich aber davon losgesagt. Ein Motiv?
Der achte Fall für die Hamburger Staatsanwältin Chas Riley. Gewohnt gut, gesellschaftlich relevant, und im typischen Buchholz-Sound geschrieben. Muss man mögen und auch möglichst chronologisch lesen, weil viel Privates vorkommt. Mir gefällt‘s.
Der achte Fall für die Hamburger Staatsanwältin Chas Riley. Gewohnt gut, gesellschaftlich relevant, und im typischen Buchholz-Sound geschrieben. Muss man mögen und auch möglichst chronologisch lesen, weil viel Privates vorkommt. Mir gefällt‘s.
October 24, 2021
Pidän kovasti Buchholzin kirjoitustyylistä ja tästä Chastity Riley-sarjasta. Nourin ja hänen salaperäisen tyttöystävänsä Alizan rakkaustarina viehätti kovasti.
March 11, 2020
Mexico Street, where the atmosphere is buzzing and the air is smoking, quite literally! It reminds me of a slogan that should be on the city’s signs. The title hides the depravity and the greed that is Hamburg’s underbelly. It’s a novel that packs a seriously kilter throwing punch. Gangster families. Strong women. Forbidden love. it investigates the complexities of whether good truly dominates over evil or whether that is just a fabricated construct to give us hope. Be prepared to freshen up those pearly whites because this is a novel with bite!
We open with a bang or more accurately a scorch. There’s a car on fire in Mexico Street. There’s a man still in it, threatening to be burned alive. The fire brigade arrives, the man is taken to hospital with smoke inhalation. It said he comes from the crime family, Saroukhan from Bremen. His death is neither a shock nor does it unsettle them, he has been dead to them for several years. Just how bad does it need to be for an entire family to disown their son? Their reaction and the lives this family leads had me entirely curious about the sanctity of family in their eyes. We are immediately catapulted into the brutality and the mistreatment of the woman. If we can say a woman is the nurturer in a family, then the men of this story are the destructors.
The ones trying to decode this crime are an elite team. We have our unlikely heroine, Chastity Riley, the state prosecutor. She can throw punches like the big boys and break barriers with her iron will. She’s flawed just like the rest of us. Cracking complicated crimes seem like a piece of cake to her but relationships seem unattainable, shrouded in smoke, not quite trusting herself to let go and be herself. She was a galaxy away from what I expected going into this book, but she was so imperfectly perfect she was a character I was straight behind, ready to take any insight she felt confident giving out. Somethings don’t add up in her initial estimations. Who was the redhead woman they saw running away from the scene of the crime, an innocent bystander or the culprit? *Enter twilight show theme music*
Simone Buchholz is an entirely new author for me and wow I was equal parts amazed and perplexed not only by her ability to weave a raw and gritty crime narrative but her writing is tack sharp with large doses of tension thrown into the mix with a threatening shadow that creeps into every aspect of the investigation. It’s dark, it’s dangerous and it will delight all crime fans. This is a complicated story of family and the saying especially rings true in this tale – “you can’t pick your family.”
Mexico Street is highly compelling and brought me straight upright and reminded why I love crime fiction. It brought us a wealth of details and sucked me into a black hole of twisty thriller-ness!!
Thank you to Anne Cater @ Random Things tours for my spot on the blog tour. Big Thanks also to Rachel Ward on the translation without whom, i would never have read this absolute gem!
We open with a bang or more accurately a scorch. There’s a car on fire in Mexico Street. There’s a man still in it, threatening to be burned alive. The fire brigade arrives, the man is taken to hospital with smoke inhalation. It said he comes from the crime family, Saroukhan from Bremen. His death is neither a shock nor does it unsettle them, he has been dead to them for several years. Just how bad does it need to be for an entire family to disown their son? Their reaction and the lives this family leads had me entirely curious about the sanctity of family in their eyes. We are immediately catapulted into the brutality and the mistreatment of the woman. If we can say a woman is the nurturer in a family, then the men of this story are the destructors.
The ones trying to decode this crime are an elite team. We have our unlikely heroine, Chastity Riley, the state prosecutor. She can throw punches like the big boys and break barriers with her iron will. She’s flawed just like the rest of us. Cracking complicated crimes seem like a piece of cake to her but relationships seem unattainable, shrouded in smoke, not quite trusting herself to let go and be herself. She was a galaxy away from what I expected going into this book, but she was so imperfectly perfect she was a character I was straight behind, ready to take any insight she felt confident giving out. Somethings don’t add up in her initial estimations. Who was the redhead woman they saw running away from the scene of the crime, an innocent bystander or the culprit? *Enter twilight show theme music*
Simone Buchholz is an entirely new author for me and wow I was equal parts amazed and perplexed not only by her ability to weave a raw and gritty crime narrative but her writing is tack sharp with large doses of tension thrown into the mix with a threatening shadow that creeps into every aspect of the investigation. It’s dark, it’s dangerous and it will delight all crime fans. This is a complicated story of family and the saying especially rings true in this tale – “you can’t pick your family.”
Mexico Street is highly compelling and brought me straight upright and reminded why I love crime fiction. It brought us a wealth of details and sucked me into a black hole of twisty thriller-ness!!
Thank you to Anne Cater @ Random Things tours for my spot on the blog tour. Big Thanks also to Rachel Ward on the translation without whom, i would never have read this absolute gem!
March 26, 2020
Each night across the city of Hamburg cars are being set on fire with no pattern, no explanation, and no suspect. One night, on Mexico Street, police find much more than just a burning car. In a ghetto of high-rises a Fiat sits burning with a man inside.
The body of Nouri Saroukhan, a prodigal son of the Bremen clan, is discovered inside this car with all signs pointing to homicide. The case falls in the lap of public prosecutor Chastity Riley, who is willing to dive into investigating the criminal underground which populates Germany. It seems Nouri’s background isn’t as clean as Riley first thought. Details start to come out about an illicit relationship with a mysterious Aliza who may just hold the key to what happened to Nouri.
MEXICO STREET is the latest installment in Simone Buchholz’s Chas Riley series, which follows the title prosecutor as she investigates dangerous and violent crimes occurring throughout Germany. Chas Riley is instantly one of those characters that readers are intrigued by and want to read more about. She has many layers to her personal life, which are explained throughout the series and weigh into how she works the cases she has been assigned. She’s blunt, no-holds-barred, and strong-willed. Chas is also completely eccentric and plays by her own rules, which adds so much fun to these books! Basically, what I’m saying is: Chas Riley is an amazing female lead that readers need in their lives!
This is my third read from Simone Buchholz and she never fails to keep me on her toes with her writing! These books are on the shorter side, but pack an incredible punch. There is always a captivating case at the core of the book. I mean who hears car fires and isn’t interested? Throw in a seedy criminal underground and how can anyone say no? These two elements are enough to immediately get me to pick this title up, but the further you dig into the book, the more the characters become what drives you to keep reading. Buchholz doesn’t just provide readers with a great main character, but an assembly of secondary characters that truly bring the story to life.
MEXICO STREET is certainly not your standard piece of crime fiction. This is a quirky and entertaining story that adds a dose of light-hearted humor to ease the brutality of the story. Buchholz has created an absolutely credibly addictive series and MEXICO STREET is an excellent addition! Do yourself a huge favor and pick this one up, as well as the previous two books (BLUE NIGHT and BATON ROGUE) today!
A huge thank you to Orenda Books for my free copy of this book!
The body of Nouri Saroukhan, a prodigal son of the Bremen clan, is discovered inside this car with all signs pointing to homicide. The case falls in the lap of public prosecutor Chastity Riley, who is willing to dive into investigating the criminal underground which populates Germany. It seems Nouri’s background isn’t as clean as Riley first thought. Details start to come out about an illicit relationship with a mysterious Aliza who may just hold the key to what happened to Nouri.
MEXICO STREET is the latest installment in Simone Buchholz’s Chas Riley series, which follows the title prosecutor as she investigates dangerous and violent crimes occurring throughout Germany. Chas Riley is instantly one of those characters that readers are intrigued by and want to read more about. She has many layers to her personal life, which are explained throughout the series and weigh into how she works the cases she has been assigned. She’s blunt, no-holds-barred, and strong-willed. Chas is also completely eccentric and plays by her own rules, which adds so much fun to these books! Basically, what I’m saying is: Chas Riley is an amazing female lead that readers need in their lives!
This is my third read from Simone Buchholz and she never fails to keep me on her toes with her writing! These books are on the shorter side, but pack an incredible punch. There is always a captivating case at the core of the book. I mean who hears car fires and isn’t interested? Throw in a seedy criminal underground and how can anyone say no? These two elements are enough to immediately get me to pick this title up, but the further you dig into the book, the more the characters become what drives you to keep reading. Buchholz doesn’t just provide readers with a great main character, but an assembly of secondary characters that truly bring the story to life.
MEXICO STREET is certainly not your standard piece of crime fiction. This is a quirky and entertaining story that adds a dose of light-hearted humor to ease the brutality of the story. Buchholz has created an absolutely credibly addictive series and MEXICO STREET is an excellent addition! Do yourself a huge favor and pick this one up, as well as the previous two books (BLUE NIGHT and BATON ROGUE) today!
A huge thank you to Orenda Books for my free copy of this book!
March 9, 2020
Hamburg is having a spate of car burnings, inconvenient but nothing more, until the body of Nouri Saroukhan is found in one. He was a member of a notorious crime family, but they claim to have disowned him. Did this have anything to do with his relationship with Aliza, a woman from an opposing family…?
This is where Chastity Riley begins the investigation, accompanied by Stepanovic they see the worst and scariest of people as they try to get to the truth.
Chastity is a fantastic character, she’s heartbroken, not sleeping, constantly smoking and drinking and says exactly what she thinks. Tough on the outside but soft inside, which is why she’s a bit of a mess. But when it comes to work, she is solid.
This is noir at its darkest, it deals with fear, of brutality and violence, organised crime, immigration and corruption. There is also humour, a love story (very Romeo and Juliet) and a little romance too.
This really is a unique crime thriller in that the language used is almost poetic, it draws you in and won’t let go. It has a fantastic style of writing that gives a modern day setting the feel of a classic noir. Original, fascinating and totally gripping from start to finish.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
This is where Chastity Riley begins the investigation, accompanied by Stepanovic they see the worst and scariest of people as they try to get to the truth.
Chastity is a fantastic character, she’s heartbroken, not sleeping, constantly smoking and drinking and says exactly what she thinks. Tough on the outside but soft inside, which is why she’s a bit of a mess. But when it comes to work, she is solid.
This is noir at its darkest, it deals with fear, of brutality and violence, organised crime, immigration and corruption. There is also humour, a love story (very Romeo and Juliet) and a little romance too.
This really is a unique crime thriller in that the language used is almost poetic, it draws you in and won’t let go. It has a fantastic style of writing that gives a modern day setting the feel of a classic noir. Original, fascinating and totally gripping from start to finish.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
February 6, 2022
As always, this was a quick and enjoyable read - I almost read this in a day. The main plot with a body in a burnt car and gangs was actually surprisingly traditional, even if it touched upon contemporary issues. Even how the crime was solved was rather basic. The group dynamics among the police were interesting, I liked reading those parts. It feels there was less relationship stuff than in the previous books, but I guess it might have been just different people which made it seem like there was less. At first I wasn't too into Nouri and Aliza's story, but when things started to unravel I found their backstory fairly interesting. However, as fast as I devoured this, there wasn't quite the same charm as in the previous ones and I found myself wishing for something more. The ending is abrupt, but at this point I should be used to that.
January 10, 2022
Auch wenn er mitten raus gegriffen ist, war Mexikoring mein Einstieg in die Chas Riley-Reihe. Ich hab schon ewig keine Krimis mehr gelesen und ich sag mal ehrlich, vor allem weil mich die meisten Figuren darin tierisch genervt haben. Aber zum Glück gibts ja auch noch Autor*innen, die nicht nur ihre zwei Stereotyp-Schablonen aus der Schublade rauskramen und ausschraffieren. Ich bin gespannt, wie ich das nach ein paar weiteren Geschichten über die Staaatsanwältin sehe. Vielleicht brennen die Autos dann auch auf Goodreads.
July 30, 2023
Tämä oli toistaiseksi paras lukemistani Chastity Riley -sarjan kirjoista. Siinä kantaa sama nopea, tumma tunnelma, joka on tuttu aikaisemmista kirjoista, mutta tässä Chastity (päähahmo) tuntuu aikaisempaa vahvemmin tilanteiden seuraajalta - kuin ulkopuoliselta. Hänen ja hänen tiiminsä elämä soljuu eteenpäin jollain lailla surullisen hiljaisesti: se on mitä on, eikä siltä oikein odota onnellisia loppuja. Murhatarina oli mielestäni tällä kertaa kiinnostava ja koskettava, tosin aivan loppu tuntui suorastaan naurettavalta (mitä ihmeen ihmettä?!), minkä takia todellinen arvioni on 4-.
May 21, 2019
Ihr stärkstes Buch bislang. Super kurzweilig
August 9, 2025
Ninjas!
April 13, 2025
Ein grandioser Polizeiroman aus der Chastity Riley-Serie. Lakonisch, hart, aber nicht ohne einen Silberstreif von Hoffnung. In kurzen Kapiteln, in oft stakkatohafter Sprache. Sehr lesenswert.
Die Geschichte ist angesiedelt im Milieu der Clan-Kriminalität, am Beispiel Bremen. Informativ und schonungslos wird hier eine Subkultur beleuchtet, die nicht nur die deutsche Gesellschaft und den Rechtsstaat verhöhnt, sondern auch in den eigenen Reihen mit roher Gewalt alles unterdrückt, was nicht auf Linie ist. Vor allem die Frauen haben kaum eine Chance, werden behandelt wie Vieh. Der Autorin ist es hoch anzurechnen, dass sie nicht der Versuchung erliegt, hier multikulturelles Verständnis aufzubringen oder falscher Folklore auf den Leim zu gehen. Statt dessen zeigt sie die Clans als das, was sie sind: Kriminelles Mahnmal einer misslungenen Einwanderungs- und Sicherheitspolitik, Herausforderung für die Gesellschaft und ein Mühlstein um den Hals der großen Mehrzahl integrationswilliger Migranten.
Aber natürlich geht es in dem Roman um viel mehr als nur um eine Milieustudie. Es geht um Menschliches und Zwischenmenschliches im Kampf um Recht und Ordnung, mit unzureichenden Mitteln und der Erkenntnis, dass der "Job" niemals erledigt sein wird.
Die Geschichte ist angesiedelt im Milieu der Clan-Kriminalität, am Beispiel Bremen. Informativ und schonungslos wird hier eine Subkultur beleuchtet, die nicht nur die deutsche Gesellschaft und den Rechtsstaat verhöhnt, sondern auch in den eigenen Reihen mit roher Gewalt alles unterdrückt, was nicht auf Linie ist. Vor allem die Frauen haben kaum eine Chance, werden behandelt wie Vieh. Der Autorin ist es hoch anzurechnen, dass sie nicht der Versuchung erliegt, hier multikulturelles Verständnis aufzubringen oder falscher Folklore auf den Leim zu gehen. Statt dessen zeigt sie die Clans als das, was sie sind: Kriminelles Mahnmal einer misslungenen Einwanderungs- und Sicherheitspolitik, Herausforderung für die Gesellschaft und ein Mühlstein um den Hals der großen Mehrzahl integrationswilliger Migranten.
Aber natürlich geht es in dem Roman um viel mehr als nur um eine Milieustudie. Es geht um Menschliches und Zwischenmenschliches im Kampf um Recht und Ordnung, mit unzureichenden Mitteln und der Erkenntnis, dass der "Job" niemals erledigt sein wird.
March 11, 2019
Einer der bestgeschriebenen Krimis seit langem.
March 30, 2020
There's a scene towards the end of Mexico Street where Chastity Riley and Ivo Stepanovic visit a bar and in a few lines, Riley's narration perfectly describes not only the place but also this damaged yet irresistible protagonist,
'I like the joint, the consistent red light, the velvet, the deep sofas, the shining glasses and eyes, the beating hearts, the music like a shot in the head. Once, when I still had a smooth face, I came here from time to time to work on buggering it up.'
This is the third novel in the Chastity Riley series to be published in the UK and as ever it's a wryly smart, atmospheric noir thriller. Like its superb predecessors, Blue Night and Beton Rouge, it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone although I suspect that many who start here will be tempted to read the first two immediately afterwards.
In Chas Riley, Simone Buchholz has created a character who deserves to become a classic. Hard-drinking, chain smoking and with her own set of rules, she is the epitome of the hardboiled anti-hero proving that it's not just the men who get to be pessimistic cynics with a present as troubled as their past. First introduced in Beton Rouge, Stepanovic makes a welcome return and rather than being Riley's counterpoint, he is her mirror image and seems as set on as self-destructive a path as she is. As a partnership, it could easily be a disaster and yet the pair have developed a sort of telepathy with one another, with the wise-cracking, sharp dialogue between them crackling with a sexual tension that is almost at boiling point.
As a public prosecutor, Chas is required to investigate the murder of Nouri Saroukhan who is discovered inside a burnt-out car. He is the son of a known crime family from Bremen so questions are immediately raised as to whether his death means the clan is intending to expand into Hamburg. When they visit Bremen to find out more, they uncover a shady, convoluted and fiercely insular system where even the slightest internal quarrel can spill over into bloody violence. As with many police forces trying to manage gang and clan warfare in their cities, the Bremen force don't have the resources to deal with their criminal activities. The decades of job and money cutting isn't unique to Germany, of course and the sense of frustration at the impotence of policing under these constraints are echoed around the world. Indeed, during the course of the novel the burning of cars which is first seen in Hamburg spreads worldwide, perhaps as a grim, hopeless protest against the nihilism of 21st century capitalism.
Nouri is - or rather, was - part of the Mhallami and the explanation of their history and how they have ended up in Germany explores the painful, difficult issues that arise when those forced to flee their birthplaces need to do what they can to survive. The Mhallami are not a powerful mafia clan; their system dates back to their tribal warrior origins where they perceive everything outside their structure as the enemy. Trying to make sense of, and investigate such complicated circumstances requires the lightest of touches; this is a touchpaper that's waiting to be lit but Chas is determined to discover who is responsible for the death of Nouri Saroukhan.
Most of the book is narrated from Riley's perspective and is as chaotic and fragmented as her meandering trains of thought. Mexico Street deals with bleak themes and the almost fevered, confused prose reflects not just her torment but also the sad reality of a damaged society where everyone has to exist with their own problems alongside those of others. However, despite being a darkly realistic novel, the black humour and poetic writing is actually rather beautiful and credit must be given here to Rachel Ward for a translation which captures the vibrant spirit of Simone Buchholz's original words.
There are also chapters which give readers a glimpse into the lives of Nouri and Aliza, a story which reads almost as a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, although this is less a romantic tragedy and more an angry, passionate diatribe against the patriarchal brutality which looms over the book. By the conclusion there have been some revelations which will result in a degree of justice being served but the sombre reality of a society where those at the bottom - especially the women - will continue to suffer, remains largely intact.
Mexico City is an outstanding novel which encapsulates all that noir should be; always entertaining, always compelling and yet still a starkly realistic, powerful and thought-provoking exposé of injustice and violence. Absolutely brilliant!
'I like the joint, the consistent red light, the velvet, the deep sofas, the shining glasses and eyes, the beating hearts, the music like a shot in the head. Once, when I still had a smooth face, I came here from time to time to work on buggering it up.'
This is the third novel in the Chastity Riley series to be published in the UK and as ever it's a wryly smart, atmospheric noir thriller. Like its superb predecessors, Blue Night and Beton Rouge, it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone although I suspect that many who start here will be tempted to read the first two immediately afterwards.
In Chas Riley, Simone Buchholz has created a character who deserves to become a classic. Hard-drinking, chain smoking and with her own set of rules, she is the epitome of the hardboiled anti-hero proving that it's not just the men who get to be pessimistic cynics with a present as troubled as their past. First introduced in Beton Rouge, Stepanovic makes a welcome return and rather than being Riley's counterpoint, he is her mirror image and seems as set on as self-destructive a path as she is. As a partnership, it could easily be a disaster and yet the pair have developed a sort of telepathy with one another, with the wise-cracking, sharp dialogue between them crackling with a sexual tension that is almost at boiling point.
As a public prosecutor, Chas is required to investigate the murder of Nouri Saroukhan who is discovered inside a burnt-out car. He is the son of a known crime family from Bremen so questions are immediately raised as to whether his death means the clan is intending to expand into Hamburg. When they visit Bremen to find out more, they uncover a shady, convoluted and fiercely insular system where even the slightest internal quarrel can spill over into bloody violence. As with many police forces trying to manage gang and clan warfare in their cities, the Bremen force don't have the resources to deal with their criminal activities. The decades of job and money cutting isn't unique to Germany, of course and the sense of frustration at the impotence of policing under these constraints are echoed around the world. Indeed, during the course of the novel the burning of cars which is first seen in Hamburg spreads worldwide, perhaps as a grim, hopeless protest against the nihilism of 21st century capitalism.
Nouri is - or rather, was - part of the Mhallami and the explanation of their history and how they have ended up in Germany explores the painful, difficult issues that arise when those forced to flee their birthplaces need to do what they can to survive. The Mhallami are not a powerful mafia clan; their system dates back to their tribal warrior origins where they perceive everything outside their structure as the enemy. Trying to make sense of, and investigate such complicated circumstances requires the lightest of touches; this is a touchpaper that's waiting to be lit but Chas is determined to discover who is responsible for the death of Nouri Saroukhan.
Most of the book is narrated from Riley's perspective and is as chaotic and fragmented as her meandering trains of thought. Mexico Street deals with bleak themes and the almost fevered, confused prose reflects not just her torment but also the sad reality of a damaged society where everyone has to exist with their own problems alongside those of others. However, despite being a darkly realistic novel, the black humour and poetic writing is actually rather beautiful and credit must be given here to Rachel Ward for a translation which captures the vibrant spirit of Simone Buchholz's original words.
There are also chapters which give readers a glimpse into the lives of Nouri and Aliza, a story which reads almost as a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, although this is less a romantic tragedy and more an angry, passionate diatribe against the patriarchal brutality which looms over the book. By the conclusion there have been some revelations which will result in a degree of justice being served but the sombre reality of a society where those at the bottom - especially the women - will continue to suffer, remains largely intact.
Mexico City is an outstanding novel which encapsulates all that noir should be; always entertaining, always compelling and yet still a starkly realistic, powerful and thought-provoking exposé of injustice and violence. Absolutely brilliant!
January 7, 2020
Well what a start to 2020! The 3rd of the Chastity Riley books to be translated (by Rachel Ward) into English is Mexico Street. It’s a humdinger of a story, one I believe you really should read. It’s part of a tremendous series, of which, I have previously reviewed Beton Rouge.
I wanted to post this on the eBook publication day (5th Jan) but I could only think to say this is a fantastic book, which I really enjoyed, you should rush off now, buy it and read it. Well, perhaps that’s enough but usually I would put some small reasoning behind the thought. Not a lot but, you know, a little on why I liked it, what I thought of the storyline, the characters. Then you guys would, maybe, think ‘Hey! I’d love to read that too’ and off you would rush to buy and read it.
So, the storyline!
Cars are burning all over Hamburg, Europe, the world. Why? Well, in Hamburg, Chastity Riley, Public Prosecutor, has been put on the case. It’s the sort of case she always gets these days. You know a dead end, unsolvable. So many reasons they could be being burnt – stolen, used in criminal activity, drugs or, maybe, for fun by mindless folk who don’t care what difficulties it brings the car owners. You don’t get very much evidence from a burnt out car. Even if Chastity saw the car on CCTV there are so many variables. Or maybe that’s not it at all, maybe it’s something else altogether, something entirely different, more important. Or not.
Anyway, we don’t get too much on the investigation into burning cars because when one of them is found and it has a body inside, well! That’s a different kettle of fish altogether. A dead body found in a burning car on Mexico Street. Life for Chastity is changing again. She’s given the case, a murder investigation! Is Chastity coming in from the cold?
This is a heartbreaking story which is beautifully penned by Simone Buchholz. She writes in her own unique way bringing us wonderfully quirky characters that you can so easily warm too and terrific stories.
Chastity Riley is a wonderful lead protagonist who I really like. Chastity is quirky, she doesn’t sleep much, she drinks, she functions better when she’s working – but maybe not always that much better – it all helps to soften the pain, blur the edges, keep the night at bay.
Stepanovic he needs to keep the night at bay too. He’s a good detective. He’s good for Chastity. They have a rapport and a friendship it’s supportive – and not. Stepanovic doesn’t like to sleep, sleep means dreams and he can do without those.
They team up again for the murder investigation it leads them from Hamburg to Bremen and back again. The story is so sad. Two young people from immigrant families, tribes you might say, who know from experience how hard life is in their community. Trying to break free from their fate brings them together. They dream of a better life in Mexico. Can they get there?
Simone Buchholz takes you on a crazy, Helter Skelter of a journey to find who murdered the man in the car. In doing so she brings to life the stories of Nouri and Aliza their early years, their home life, their desire for change. She skilfully integrates Chastity’s ongoing personal story. In this book an old friend returns to Hamburg. The way in which Buchholz writes Chastity is wonderfully bizarre, unique and enjoyable.
Along with Stepanovic we have his team – Rocktäschel and Lindner. There is humour, pathos and it is profoundly dark and intense. It will engage you from the first page and keep you engrossed to the last. A book you will not want to put down. It is a riveting read which will captivate and enthral to the end.
This series is so good I really hope that you will find time to buy, to read … and to enjoy it.
Acknowledgement and thanks:
I was sent a copy by Orenda Books after I commented on the cover, which is just stunning, on Twitter. Saying how much I was looking forward to reading Mexico Street by Simone Buchholz when it was due out. It was a real thrill to receive an Uncorrected Proof. So huge thanks to Karen and the team at Orenda Books for a copy of this wonderful, amazing book.
I wanted to post this on the eBook publication day (5th Jan) but I could only think to say this is a fantastic book, which I really enjoyed, you should rush off now, buy it and read it. Well, perhaps that’s enough but usually I would put some small reasoning behind the thought. Not a lot but, you know, a little on why I liked it, what I thought of the storyline, the characters. Then you guys would, maybe, think ‘Hey! I’d love to read that too’ and off you would rush to buy and read it.
So, the storyline!
Cars are burning all over Hamburg, Europe, the world. Why? Well, in Hamburg, Chastity Riley, Public Prosecutor, has been put on the case. It’s the sort of case she always gets these days. You know a dead end, unsolvable. So many reasons they could be being burnt – stolen, used in criminal activity, drugs or, maybe, for fun by mindless folk who don’t care what difficulties it brings the car owners. You don’t get very much evidence from a burnt out car. Even if Chastity saw the car on CCTV there are so many variables. Or maybe that’s not it at all, maybe it’s something else altogether, something entirely different, more important. Or not.
Anyway, we don’t get too much on the investigation into burning cars because when one of them is found and it has a body inside, well! That’s a different kettle of fish altogether. A dead body found in a burning car on Mexico Street. Life for Chastity is changing again. She’s given the case, a murder investigation! Is Chastity coming in from the cold?
This is a heartbreaking story which is beautifully penned by Simone Buchholz. She writes in her own unique way bringing us wonderfully quirky characters that you can so easily warm too and terrific stories.
Chastity Riley is a wonderful lead protagonist who I really like. Chastity is quirky, she doesn’t sleep much, she drinks, she functions better when she’s working – but maybe not always that much better – it all helps to soften the pain, blur the edges, keep the night at bay.
Stepanovic he needs to keep the night at bay too. He’s a good detective. He’s good for Chastity. They have a rapport and a friendship it’s supportive – and not. Stepanovic doesn’t like to sleep, sleep means dreams and he can do without those.
They team up again for the murder investigation it leads them from Hamburg to Bremen and back again. The story is so sad. Two young people from immigrant families, tribes you might say, who know from experience how hard life is in their community. Trying to break free from their fate brings them together. They dream of a better life in Mexico. Can they get there?
Simone Buchholz takes you on a crazy, Helter Skelter of a journey to find who murdered the man in the car. In doing so she brings to life the stories of Nouri and Aliza their early years, their home life, their desire for change. She skilfully integrates Chastity’s ongoing personal story. In this book an old friend returns to Hamburg. The way in which Buchholz writes Chastity is wonderfully bizarre, unique and enjoyable.
Along with Stepanovic we have his team – Rocktäschel and Lindner. There is humour, pathos and it is profoundly dark and intense. It will engage you from the first page and keep you engrossed to the last. A book you will not want to put down. It is a riveting read which will captivate and enthral to the end.
This series is so good I really hope that you will find time to buy, to read … and to enjoy it.
Acknowledgement and thanks:
I was sent a copy by Orenda Books after I commented on the cover, which is just stunning, on Twitter. Saying how much I was looking forward to reading Mexico Street by Simone Buchholz when it was due out. It was a real thrill to receive an Uncorrected Proof. So huge thanks to Karen and the team at Orenda Books for a copy of this wonderful, amazing book.
April 23, 2020
This is the third book featuring prosecutor Chastity Riley but the first one I've read. I didn't feel particularly disadvantaged and enjoyed this as a standalone, but there are various incidents and relationships alluded to here that I want to investigate further so I will be seeking out the previous books.
Hamburg is being set on fire. Well, cars in Hamburg are being set on fire. Public prosecutor Chastity Riley isn't that bothered about those, but when a car set alight in Mexico Street with a man locked inside she's interested. The man is Nouri Saroukhan, an estranged member of an extensive, strict and closed off criminal clan from Bremen. His death leads Riley and her colleagues into the murky world of the Mhallami criminals, clan wars and uncovers an intense, illicit love affair.
Written in the first person, mainly present tense and mainly from Riley's point of view, although we do visit the past with Nouri and Aliza, Buchholz's style is not one I'm used to. So it took me a while to get used to it. The world she presents is dark, noirish, intense and pretty bleak. However, Riley and her team provide a counterpoint to that with their humour, sarcasm and camaraderie.
Chastity is such an interesting, layered and flawed character. She drinks too much, smokes too much and tells it like it is. She doesn't like mornings - 'The pilot-policeman tries to focus on me. It won't work. I'm fundamentally out of focus at this time in the morning.' and used phrases like 'gets on my tits'. I like her! But she doesn't do soft or emotional. There seems to be much heartache in Riley's past and she has tried to close herself off. But there is a definite frisson between her and colleague Stepanovic - I loved their exchanges - and she is completely thrown when an old face turns up.
The extended Saroukhan clan are cruel, vicious and deadly with absolutely no respect for the law. Their treatment of women is eye watering and anger fizzles off the page every time the Mhallami men meet with the police. This feels authentic - Buchholz has clearly done her research. And in the face of all this anger, fear and hostility, love affairs must all be doomed.
Once used to it, the author's style is often surreal, frequently poetic. There is a wonderful moment when Chastity mentally throws a question out into the room and Buchholz describes the route it takes on its way back to Chastity, bouncing off walls etc. Another, a description of clothes falling to the floor, is really powerful. And I loved her enjoying a halloumi wrap because warm cheese holds together her cuts on the inside for a while. But there are many other fine examples. So, this seems a good point to thank Rachel Ward for the excellent translation which enabled me to enjoy this text.
I whizzed through this little book with its short, snappy chapters. And it would be remiss of me not to mention the chapter headings - some of the best titles ever! Favourites were 'Loneliness is like a jacket that's too tight, but without the jacket you freeze', 'Stand by me, because of the frogs and because of all the very different shit too' and 'A face to match the taste in my mouth', which I had highlighted in the text. These headings added to my enjoyment, wondering where they would fit in.
It took me a wee while, but I loved this book. Actually it's grown on me. It's very dark even though the cars are burning bright. It could be depressing but for the wonderful characters Buchholz has created, especially in Chastity Riley and Ivo Stepanovic, but the others too, and the humour shot through the writing. The whole thing brought to mind an old black and white film - in fact, I would love to see this on screen! Simone, you have a new fan!
Hamburg is being set on fire. Well, cars in Hamburg are being set on fire. Public prosecutor Chastity Riley isn't that bothered about those, but when a car set alight in Mexico Street with a man locked inside she's interested. The man is Nouri Saroukhan, an estranged member of an extensive, strict and closed off criminal clan from Bremen. His death leads Riley and her colleagues into the murky world of the Mhallami criminals, clan wars and uncovers an intense, illicit love affair.
Written in the first person, mainly present tense and mainly from Riley's point of view, although we do visit the past with Nouri and Aliza, Buchholz's style is not one I'm used to. So it took me a while to get used to it. The world she presents is dark, noirish, intense and pretty bleak. However, Riley and her team provide a counterpoint to that with their humour, sarcasm and camaraderie.
Chastity is such an interesting, layered and flawed character. She drinks too much, smokes too much and tells it like it is. She doesn't like mornings - 'The pilot-policeman tries to focus on me. It won't work. I'm fundamentally out of focus at this time in the morning.' and used phrases like 'gets on my tits'. I like her! But she doesn't do soft or emotional. There seems to be much heartache in Riley's past and she has tried to close herself off. But there is a definite frisson between her and colleague Stepanovic - I loved their exchanges - and she is completely thrown when an old face turns up.
The extended Saroukhan clan are cruel, vicious and deadly with absolutely no respect for the law. Their treatment of women is eye watering and anger fizzles off the page every time the Mhallami men meet with the police. This feels authentic - Buchholz has clearly done her research. And in the face of all this anger, fear and hostility, love affairs must all be doomed.
Once used to it, the author's style is often surreal, frequently poetic. There is a wonderful moment when Chastity mentally throws a question out into the room and Buchholz describes the route it takes on its way back to Chastity, bouncing off walls etc. Another, a description of clothes falling to the floor, is really powerful. And I loved her enjoying a halloumi wrap because warm cheese holds together her cuts on the inside for a while. But there are many other fine examples. So, this seems a good point to thank Rachel Ward for the excellent translation which enabled me to enjoy this text.
I whizzed through this little book with its short, snappy chapters. And it would be remiss of me not to mention the chapter headings - some of the best titles ever! Favourites were 'Loneliness is like a jacket that's too tight, but without the jacket you freeze', 'Stand by me, because of the frogs and because of all the very different shit too' and 'A face to match the taste in my mouth', which I had highlighted in the text. These headings added to my enjoyment, wondering where they would fit in.
It took me a wee while, but I loved this book. Actually it's grown on me. It's very dark even though the cars are burning bright. It could be depressing but for the wonderful characters Buchholz has created, especially in Chastity Riley and Ivo Stepanovic, but the others too, and the humour shot through the writing. The whole thing brought to mind an old black and white film - in fact, I would love to see this on screen! Simone, you have a new fan!
March 19, 2020
Mexico Street by Simone Buchholz is the latest in the critically acclaimed Chastity Riley series. Published on 5th March with Orenda Books, it is described as ‘a smart, dark, probing, thriller, recalling the very best American noir' Mexico Street is translated by Rachel Ward, who also previously translated Blue Night and Beton Rouge for Orenda Books.
Mexico Street is a modern-day tale of star-crossed lovers, gang warfare and murder. Chastity Riley is a state prosecutor in Hamburg and has been involved in an investigation of a series of arson attacks on cars. These burnouts are random, with no obvious connection to any gang. But on the night a torched Fiat car is discovered with a body inside, the investigation moves up a notch. Who was the victim? And why?
Chastity Riley sets the scene for the reader throughout with some great lines……
‘It’s as if the buildings are breaking over people. One, two, puke: big chunks, everyone dead. A couple of architects on speed wanted to play Tetris against each other, and then everything got out of hand. Brutal boulders in washed concrete and steel stand around the place; they were white once, in the sixties and seventies of the last century; they used to gleam, but now the light is peeling off in great flakes. There are cracks everywhere.’
There are very dark and unsettling incidents taking place behind closed doors. As Chastity Riley starts to delve further into this case she gets some shocking insights into clan warfare, family loyalty and how deep blood really flows.
With her colleague, Stepanovik, by her side, the two team up with other associates to uncover the real reasons behind the apparent murder of a young man, named locally as Nouri Saroukhan. Nouri’s backstory unveils the hatred and the heinous behaviour among family and among communities. Disowned by his family and living a life full of dreams and hopes for a future with the girl he loved, Nouri tried to break free. But something happened. Somebody murdered him? What did he know? Why Nouri?
‘At night, he lay awake and missed her. But he also missed her while he slept. He missed her with his eyes open and with them closed. although it was worse when they were closed, because then he saw her everywhere, in every face, at every second.’
When reading a Buchholz novel, the writing style, the personalities and the dynamic between the characters is as much of a draw as the story-line. Chastity Riley is quite the unknown, almost an enigma. She works hard, plays hard and is a woman with a reputation that precedes her. A kick-ass, no bull kinda girl, she gets work done and accepts few excuses for others behaviour. Quick-witted, snappy and sassy, Chastity Riley is a person who struggles with personal relationships. There is a sense of loneliness about her that adds an extra dimension to her. Littered with one-liners and with short, brilliantly titled, chapters, Mexico Street is a fast paced read that packs a punch.
If Philip Marlowe is your movie go to, then Chastity Riley might just be your fictional one!
‘They walk through the streets and take in every bar, and then they sit there and drink and look at each other as if they had something to catch up on but it wasn’t available anywhere anymore. Sometimes he holds her hand, sometimes she holds his.’
Mexico Street is a modern-day tale of star-crossed lovers, gang warfare and murder. Chastity Riley is a state prosecutor in Hamburg and has been involved in an investigation of a series of arson attacks on cars. These burnouts are random, with no obvious connection to any gang. But on the night a torched Fiat car is discovered with a body inside, the investigation moves up a notch. Who was the victim? And why?
Chastity Riley sets the scene for the reader throughout with some great lines……
‘It’s as if the buildings are breaking over people. One, two, puke: big chunks, everyone dead. A couple of architects on speed wanted to play Tetris against each other, and then everything got out of hand. Brutal boulders in washed concrete and steel stand around the place; they were white once, in the sixties and seventies of the last century; they used to gleam, but now the light is peeling off in great flakes. There are cracks everywhere.’
There are very dark and unsettling incidents taking place behind closed doors. As Chastity Riley starts to delve further into this case she gets some shocking insights into clan warfare, family loyalty and how deep blood really flows.
With her colleague, Stepanovik, by her side, the two team up with other associates to uncover the real reasons behind the apparent murder of a young man, named locally as Nouri Saroukhan. Nouri’s backstory unveils the hatred and the heinous behaviour among family and among communities. Disowned by his family and living a life full of dreams and hopes for a future with the girl he loved, Nouri tried to break free. But something happened. Somebody murdered him? What did he know? Why Nouri?
‘At night, he lay awake and missed her. But he also missed her while he slept. He missed her with his eyes open and with them closed. although it was worse when they were closed, because then he saw her everywhere, in every face, at every second.’
When reading a Buchholz novel, the writing style, the personalities and the dynamic between the characters is as much of a draw as the story-line. Chastity Riley is quite the unknown, almost an enigma. She works hard, plays hard and is a woman with a reputation that precedes her. A kick-ass, no bull kinda girl, she gets work done and accepts few excuses for others behaviour. Quick-witted, snappy and sassy, Chastity Riley is a person who struggles with personal relationships. There is a sense of loneliness about her that adds an extra dimension to her. Littered with one-liners and with short, brilliantly titled, chapters, Mexico Street is a fast paced read that packs a punch.
If Philip Marlowe is your movie go to, then Chastity Riley might just be your fictional one!
‘They walk through the streets and take in every bar, and then they sit there and drink and look at each other as if they had something to catch up on but it wasn’t available anywhere anymore. Sometimes he holds her hand, sometimes she holds his.’
March 23, 2020
As always this review also appears on my blog at: https://livemanylives.wordpress.com/
There are a flurry of leading female crime fighters at the moment, especially from Orenda Books, all of them with different voices, personalities and settings, all brilliant. Hamburg’s Chastity Riley written by Simone Buchholz may not be the best of them, but she’s in the top one.
This is the third in the Riley series and the writing is even more accomplished. It’s a police procedural in the same vein as Ed McBain but up to date and relevant to a modern Europe. Cars are burning, families are at war and the Hamburg police and their nearest and dearest are struggling on. None of them is capable of saving any of the others but if they all lean into the middle together then they can stay on their feet, just.
The people are one of the great strengths of the books. They don’t hide their faults or their pain, they just try to cope and be whatever they can be to each other, to keep them all going. Along the way they’re surprisingly effective at their jobs. Every day is a battle, pushing through the sleepless nights before, but they make it work. The coffee, the cigarettes, the shoulder to sleep on during an interrogation, the love that still survives amongst those who feel unable to love.
The other big appeal for me is the location that allows me to inhabit St Pauli, an area of Hamburg that fascinates me with its strong identity and values, in a way I likely never will in person. I’m much more the mild mannered janitor than Hong Kong Phooey, but Chas provides the disguise that means I can walk those streets, hang out in their bars and fight crime like I belong.
Ironically a fair portion of Mexico Street actually takes place in Bremen amongst the Mhallami, a tribe used to existing between established worlds and whose tightly knit clans live brutally alongside and in opposition to each other. Cars are burning across Germany but Chas couldn’t care less about burning cars, no one’s asking why the cars burn, no one’s dealing with the real issues so why should she worry about cleaning them up? Until one of the burning cars contains a body and then Riley gets involved.
Inside the car is Nouri Saroukhan, a member of the Saroukhan crime family of Bremen but now exiled from his family. So, what led him from Bremen to Hamburg? Who has decided that now he not only needs to be ex-communicated but dead too? And who is the red head who seems to be watching Riley and her colleagues as they investigate the crime scene?
The action shifts between Hamburg and Bremen as the team brings together old and new faces, old and new hang ups and foibles to both grate and reassure. That’s where a series like this comes into its own, great individual crime stories beautifully told but all tied together by a common strand of Riley, Stepanovic, Faller, Carla, Rocco, Calabretta, Klatsche. Oh and the Turkish Travolta is back in town too.
The writing doesn’t waste a word and the short sharp chapters squeezed into a little over 200 pages make it a quick but also deeply satisfying read. This is a character led series of crime novels that has me waiting on tenterhooks for each new instalment. Mexico Street was published on 5th March 2020 and you really should go get your copy now.
There are a flurry of leading female crime fighters at the moment, especially from Orenda Books, all of them with different voices, personalities and settings, all brilliant. Hamburg’s Chastity Riley written by Simone Buchholz may not be the best of them, but she’s in the top one.
This is the third in the Riley series and the writing is even more accomplished. It’s a police procedural in the same vein as Ed McBain but up to date and relevant to a modern Europe. Cars are burning, families are at war and the Hamburg police and their nearest and dearest are struggling on. None of them is capable of saving any of the others but if they all lean into the middle together then they can stay on their feet, just.
The people are one of the great strengths of the books. They don’t hide their faults or their pain, they just try to cope and be whatever they can be to each other, to keep them all going. Along the way they’re surprisingly effective at their jobs. Every day is a battle, pushing through the sleepless nights before, but they make it work. The coffee, the cigarettes, the shoulder to sleep on during an interrogation, the love that still survives amongst those who feel unable to love.
The other big appeal for me is the location that allows me to inhabit St Pauli, an area of Hamburg that fascinates me with its strong identity and values, in a way I likely never will in person. I’m much more the mild mannered janitor than Hong Kong Phooey, but Chas provides the disguise that means I can walk those streets, hang out in their bars and fight crime like I belong.
Ironically a fair portion of Mexico Street actually takes place in Bremen amongst the Mhallami, a tribe used to existing between established worlds and whose tightly knit clans live brutally alongside and in opposition to each other. Cars are burning across Germany but Chas couldn’t care less about burning cars, no one’s asking why the cars burn, no one’s dealing with the real issues so why should she worry about cleaning them up? Until one of the burning cars contains a body and then Riley gets involved.
Inside the car is Nouri Saroukhan, a member of the Saroukhan crime family of Bremen but now exiled from his family. So, what led him from Bremen to Hamburg? Who has decided that now he not only needs to be ex-communicated but dead too? And who is the red head who seems to be watching Riley and her colleagues as they investigate the crime scene?
The action shifts between Hamburg and Bremen as the team brings together old and new faces, old and new hang ups and foibles to both grate and reassure. That’s where a series like this comes into its own, great individual crime stories beautifully told but all tied together by a common strand of Riley, Stepanovic, Faller, Carla, Rocco, Calabretta, Klatsche. Oh and the Turkish Travolta is back in town too.
The writing doesn’t waste a word and the short sharp chapters squeezed into a little over 200 pages make it a quick but also deeply satisfying read. This is a character led series of crime novels that has me waiting on tenterhooks for each new instalment. Mexico Street was published on 5th March 2020 and you really should go get your copy now.
March 10, 2020
There are so many reasons to love Simone Buchholz’s work. She has a tremendously ironic brain, from the name she gives to her principal characters through to the wonderful chapter headings that are mini works of art in themselves.
Her prose is taut and sometimes poetic, sometimes so hard-boiled that it hurts to read it and often both combined. Chastity Reilly is a woman in a man’s world and chapter by chapter she’s making it a woman’s world too. Uncompromising, just a little bit lonely and with no patience for anyone but the best in her life, she hand picks her friends and kicks her enemies in the balls every chance she gets.
Reading a Simone Buchholz book is like watching a film by Nicholas Ray or Fritz Lang. You know there’s something very special going on and occasionally elements of the surreal will creep in, but underneath there’s a damned good story with brilliant characters and a surprising amount of heart. The writing though….this is writing that sparks and crackles as it unsettles the reader with unpleasant truths and dark behaviours; behaviours that occur day in, day out across Europe and the world.
In Mexico Street, public prosecutor Chastity Reilly is dealing with a rash of cars that have been set on fire in Hamburg. It’s nothing new. That sort of thing happens everywhere, it’s just that this time, the car had a man inside and he’s now dead. Chastity and Ivo Stepanovic from Special Forces investigate Nouri Saroukhan’s background as part of determining why he was killed. They learn a great deal about the Saroukhan clan, their rise to prominence as gangsters and the way in which they treat those who do not follow their orders.
This element of Mexico Street has a strong emotional core and its impossible not to be swept up in Nouri and Aliza’s story and to recognise the sheer strength of Aliza’s character as she does what she has to stay under the radar.
But there’s more going on in Mexico Street than gangs and tribalism. There’s corruption and plain evil oozing out of the financial sector that makes gang beatings and gorilla like male dominance look like an honest approach. (but not sufficiently, obvs).
Around Chastity is a team that shifts and changes. Old friends return, new people come in for Chastity to be rude to and break in while she learns their strengths and weaknesses. The dynamic of her relationships is slowly changing and this is having an impact on those around her, though her best quality apart from her toughness is her loyalty. Old friends will always matter and she will always gravitate home to her favourite bar after a bruising encounter.
Buchholz lets us into Chastity’s life a little more each time, but that hard shell, the one that houses the tough talking, hard drinking, always smoking prosecutor is still pretty impenetrable, even as she admits her loneliness to herself, if to no-one else.
Verdict: I am a real fan of Buchholz’ writing and I think Mexico Street is her best yet. Taut, well-plotted and a fabulous read, this is intense literary noir that is blacker than pitch and pitch perfect in tone. If you like noir, you will love this. Chastity Reilly is a force to be reckoned with. Long may she stay that way.
Her prose is taut and sometimes poetic, sometimes so hard-boiled that it hurts to read it and often both combined. Chastity Reilly is a woman in a man’s world and chapter by chapter she’s making it a woman’s world too. Uncompromising, just a little bit lonely and with no patience for anyone but the best in her life, she hand picks her friends and kicks her enemies in the balls every chance she gets.
Reading a Simone Buchholz book is like watching a film by Nicholas Ray or Fritz Lang. You know there’s something very special going on and occasionally elements of the surreal will creep in, but underneath there’s a damned good story with brilliant characters and a surprising amount of heart. The writing though….this is writing that sparks and crackles as it unsettles the reader with unpleasant truths and dark behaviours; behaviours that occur day in, day out across Europe and the world.
In Mexico Street, public prosecutor Chastity Reilly is dealing with a rash of cars that have been set on fire in Hamburg. It’s nothing new. That sort of thing happens everywhere, it’s just that this time, the car had a man inside and he’s now dead. Chastity and Ivo Stepanovic from Special Forces investigate Nouri Saroukhan’s background as part of determining why he was killed. They learn a great deal about the Saroukhan clan, their rise to prominence as gangsters and the way in which they treat those who do not follow their orders.
This element of Mexico Street has a strong emotional core and its impossible not to be swept up in Nouri and Aliza’s story and to recognise the sheer strength of Aliza’s character as she does what she has to stay under the radar.
But there’s more going on in Mexico Street than gangs and tribalism. There’s corruption and plain evil oozing out of the financial sector that makes gang beatings and gorilla like male dominance look like an honest approach. (but not sufficiently, obvs).
Around Chastity is a team that shifts and changes. Old friends return, new people come in for Chastity to be rude to and break in while she learns their strengths and weaknesses. The dynamic of her relationships is slowly changing and this is having an impact on those around her, though her best quality apart from her toughness is her loyalty. Old friends will always matter and she will always gravitate home to her favourite bar after a bruising encounter.
Buchholz lets us into Chastity’s life a little more each time, but that hard shell, the one that houses the tough talking, hard drinking, always smoking prosecutor is still pretty impenetrable, even as she admits her loneliness to herself, if to no-one else.
Verdict: I am a real fan of Buchholz’ writing and I think Mexico Street is her best yet. Taut, well-plotted and a fabulous read, this is intense literary noir that is blacker than pitch and pitch perfect in tone. If you like noir, you will love this. Chastity Reilly is a force to be reckoned with. Long may she stay that way.
March 13, 2020
So, following my review of the first two books in the Chastity Riley series (which you can find here), we are now on to the author’s latest novel and the third in the series, Mexico Street and I was wondering how she was going to keep the momentum going after the first two stunning books. Was there anywhere different to go, anything new to explore? The answer is, of course, yes.
The third book might even be my favourite so far. In this book, Chastity is drawn into an investigation that takes her to Bremen and a world away from what she knows and understands in Hamburg. A world dominated by tribal gangs with animosities and traditions going back generations, a societal hierarchy that is completely separate and unique, an attitude to family, and women in particular, which is archaic and unforgiving, and a section of the population that simply does not recognise the right of Germany’s legal system to police them and their affairs.
Again, the author switches her narrative approach to divide it between events in Chastity’s current life, the present investigation and the historic story of the victim of the crime which gives us the foundations of motive for what has occurred. I found the window that the author creates on to the community she is exploring in Bremen riveting – rich and detailed – and quite startling. It is an issue that is very current and relevant, as the strains in society between different communities is constantly under the spotlight and influencing decisions we make at the highest levels, and this book explores the idea that the strains are on both sides. There is a very stark question to be addressed here, what do you do when a community won’t integrate and simply refuses to submit to the local rules of law and society?
Well, this book explores this question, but doesn’t necessarily supply all the answers, and this is one of the unique factors of Simone’s writing and one of the things I love about it. The author is constantly posing conundrums and queries, both in the crime and in Chastity’s personal life, but doesn’t then supply an easy answer. She leaves work for the reader to do, for us personally to explore those questions and make our own judgements or possibly reach the conclusion, as maybe Chastity does, that there is no easy, obvious answer to be found. It is intelligent writing that assumes a pleasing and stimulating level of intelligence and curiosity in the reader, and there is nothing I love more than a book that challenges me.
Of course, Chastity’s personal life is not progressing smoothly either. She is missing Klatsche, her relationship with Ivo is complicated and, to top matters off, a face from the past makes a reappearance to muddy the waters. Chastity has some working out to do but, as a woman, she is a law unto herself and seems in no hurry to do it, I adore that about her. In this book, her personal relationships take somewhat of a back seat, she seems to be gaining some confidence again on her professional front, and I think the way the author switches the focus up between books to reflect how Chastity’s life and priorities and ebb and flow and change is inspired.
Another great addition to this series, possibly the best so far and, as for the ending well, what the hell just happened? A book that left me oddly satisfied, yet breathless and wanting more at the same time. Yes, more please.
The third book might even be my favourite so far. In this book, Chastity is drawn into an investigation that takes her to Bremen and a world away from what she knows and understands in Hamburg. A world dominated by tribal gangs with animosities and traditions going back generations, a societal hierarchy that is completely separate and unique, an attitude to family, and women in particular, which is archaic and unforgiving, and a section of the population that simply does not recognise the right of Germany’s legal system to police them and their affairs.
Again, the author switches her narrative approach to divide it between events in Chastity’s current life, the present investigation and the historic story of the victim of the crime which gives us the foundations of motive for what has occurred. I found the window that the author creates on to the community she is exploring in Bremen riveting – rich and detailed – and quite startling. It is an issue that is very current and relevant, as the strains in society between different communities is constantly under the spotlight and influencing decisions we make at the highest levels, and this book explores the idea that the strains are on both sides. There is a very stark question to be addressed here, what do you do when a community won’t integrate and simply refuses to submit to the local rules of law and society?
Well, this book explores this question, but doesn’t necessarily supply all the answers, and this is one of the unique factors of Simone’s writing and one of the things I love about it. The author is constantly posing conundrums and queries, both in the crime and in Chastity’s personal life, but doesn’t then supply an easy answer. She leaves work for the reader to do, for us personally to explore those questions and make our own judgements or possibly reach the conclusion, as maybe Chastity does, that there is no easy, obvious answer to be found. It is intelligent writing that assumes a pleasing and stimulating level of intelligence and curiosity in the reader, and there is nothing I love more than a book that challenges me.
Of course, Chastity’s personal life is not progressing smoothly either. She is missing Klatsche, her relationship with Ivo is complicated and, to top matters off, a face from the past makes a reappearance to muddy the waters. Chastity has some working out to do but, as a woman, she is a law unto herself and seems in no hurry to do it, I adore that about her. In this book, her personal relationships take somewhat of a back seat, she seems to be gaining some confidence again on her professional front, and I think the way the author switches the focus up between books to reflect how Chastity’s life and priorities and ebb and flow and change is inspired.
Another great addition to this series, possibly the best so far and, as for the ending well, what the hell just happened? A book that left me oddly satisfied, yet breathless and wanting more at the same time. Yes, more please.
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