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Chas Riley #10
River Clyde
Mired in grief after tragic recent events, state prosecutor Chastity Riley escapes to Scotland, lured to the birthplace of her great-great-grandfather by a mysterious letter suggesting she has inherited a house.In Glasgow, she meets Tom, the ex-lover of Chastity’s great aunt, who holds the keys to her own family secrets – painful stories of unexpected cruelty and loss that she’s never dared to confront.In Hamburg, Stepanovic and Calabretta investigate a major arson attack, while a group of property investors kicks off an explosion of violence that threatens everyone.As events in these two countries collide, Chastity prepares to face the inevitable, battling the ghosts of her past and the lost souls that could be her future and, perhaps, finally finding redemption for them all.
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First published July 1, 2022
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About the author
Simone Buchholz
29 books58 followersSimone Buchholz is a German author, best known for her crime fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
April 25, 2021
I found this in a bookshop and bought it because of the title.
It is the first novel by Simone Buchholz I have read and I loved it, even though I realised pretty soon, it would have been better to have read at least the preceding one to understand the background better. Still, it is a captivating story, I loved the elyptic and sparse but still poetic language. It also managed to take me back to Glasgow and made feel a little homesick.
It is the first novel by Simone Buchholz I have read and I loved it, even though I realised pretty soon, it would have been better to have read at least the preceding one to understand the background better. Still, it is a captivating story, I loved the elyptic and sparse but still poetic language. It also managed to take me back to Glasgow and made feel a little homesick.
March 23, 2022
There's something about a river that just lends itself to introducing a place, don't you think? Or as a character, a situation, a mood? 'the river lies there like over a hundred miles of dead man' writes Buchholtz. Here comes Chastity Riley, sideswiped by grief, loss ('I think about my dead friend, Faller'), PTSD, call it what you will, after the events of Hotel Cartagena, making a very personal journey into the heart of (her own) darkness and also into her - and her family's - past.
Buchholz is really bold with this one. It's not a crime story. There's a little bit of a crime thing going on back in Hamburg (more about that in a moment) but it doesn't concern Riley so much as show up the effects of the dreadful blow that the group of friends has suffered. Rather, here, the moodiness, the noiriness, the silent scream which has haunted Riley through all these books, has now fully swallowed her, and it looks as though she's run off. But is she running from - or to?
So. Why Scotland? Why Glasgow? Well, it seems Riley's inherited a house from a distant relative, and she's come to take a look and decide what to do with it. But Riley being Riley, nothing is straightforward, so she gets off on a bad footing with the solicitor who's handling the estate, can't find the house and sets to exploring Glasgow's pub scene. She eventually locates the house through a man she meets in a bar, of course - Riley is most enthusiastic in exploring Glasgow's pubs. Indeed the book shows a familiarity with (and love of) the city - and not just its drinking dens - as our heroine orients herself. It's a different Riley we see from when in Hamburg where she's on familiar, if tainted, ground. In Glasgow, she's exploring, evaluating, assembling a relationship with the place.
As it is with her, for in this story Buchholz doesn't give us hard-boiled noir: there are sections in the voice of the Clyde himself, responding to Riley. There are time-slips, showing glimpses back into the lives that came before her and indeed condensing into a couple of pages what could form an entire family saga - a story of emigration, loss, disillusion, struggle that tells us a great deal about the woman she is. There are, too, moments that approach the ghost story though whether that is an objectively real ghost or a projection of Riley's tormented memories I really wasn't sure.
It's a kind of dark homecoming, Riley finally being forced - by the losses she's been through - do the work, confront the things, we've seen her shutting out all through her Hamburg life.
And, yes, we do meet the little circle of friend back there: Stepanovic and Calabretta are investigating a wave of outrageous arson attacks, the café is open for business but there is a hollowness, an uneasiness that was hinted at in earlier books but has now finally blossomed. They discover that they are, in fact standing too close to the Blue Night, which is not 'just any old pub, it's a place of yearning, it's the desire for old times, when everything was broken just enough, so not too much, not ripped to shreds'. Rocco and Carla are sitting at a pavement table facing realities:
'Perhaps Carla's not even this irresistible Venus fly trap but a pub beauty who's no longer in the first flush of youth. Maybe Rocco's not even this audacious survival artist, but a guy with gradually thinning, tousled hair, who's never actually completed a thing'.
Similarly, from the moment that Schulle, Brückner, Inceman and Anne Stanislawski are introduced 'lying on a colourful chequered blanket' in a park, we understand that all is not well. Buchholz is excellent at conjuring the spiritual malaise that has fallen on this vivacious, bawdy group of people but she doesn't present to offer answers to it. Perhaps, by the end of the story they're groping out of the dark, or perhaps not. Riley's still missing and her absence counts for a lot...
As ever, Rachel Ward's translation is glorious, interacting gleefully with Buchholz's text to give gems such as 'I love it, it's the opposite of innocuous small talk. It's enormous talk, and very nocuous indeed' and conveying the different moods of the various point of view characters - including a river. The result is glorious, haunting, sad, funny and breathtakingly readable. A great addition to the series and - if this is where it ends (I hope it doesn't) - a fitting conclusion
Buchholz is really bold with this one. It's not a crime story. There's a little bit of a crime thing going on back in Hamburg (more about that in a moment) but it doesn't concern Riley so much as show up the effects of the dreadful blow that the group of friends has suffered. Rather, here, the moodiness, the noiriness, the silent scream which has haunted Riley through all these books, has now fully swallowed her, and it looks as though she's run off. But is she running from - or to?
So. Why Scotland? Why Glasgow? Well, it seems Riley's inherited a house from a distant relative, and she's come to take a look and decide what to do with it. But Riley being Riley, nothing is straightforward, so she gets off on a bad footing with the solicitor who's handling the estate, can't find the house and sets to exploring Glasgow's pub scene. She eventually locates the house through a man she meets in a bar, of course - Riley is most enthusiastic in exploring Glasgow's pubs. Indeed the book shows a familiarity with (and love of) the city - and not just its drinking dens - as our heroine orients herself. It's a different Riley we see from when in Hamburg where she's on familiar, if tainted, ground. In Glasgow, she's exploring, evaluating, assembling a relationship with the place.
As it is with her, for in this story Buchholz doesn't give us hard-boiled noir: there are sections in the voice of the Clyde himself, responding to Riley. There are time-slips, showing glimpses back into the lives that came before her and indeed condensing into a couple of pages what could form an entire family saga - a story of emigration, loss, disillusion, struggle that tells us a great deal about the woman she is. There are, too, moments that approach the ghost story though whether that is an objectively real ghost or a projection of Riley's tormented memories I really wasn't sure.
It's a kind of dark homecoming, Riley finally being forced - by the losses she's been through - do the work, confront the things, we've seen her shutting out all through her Hamburg life.
And, yes, we do meet the little circle of friend back there: Stepanovic and Calabretta are investigating a wave of outrageous arson attacks, the café is open for business but there is a hollowness, an uneasiness that was hinted at in earlier books but has now finally blossomed. They discover that they are, in fact standing too close to the Blue Night, which is not 'just any old pub, it's a place of yearning, it's the desire for old times, when everything was broken just enough, so not too much, not ripped to shreds'. Rocco and Carla are sitting at a pavement table facing realities:
'Perhaps Carla's not even this irresistible Venus fly trap but a pub beauty who's no longer in the first flush of youth. Maybe Rocco's not even this audacious survival artist, but a guy with gradually thinning, tousled hair, who's never actually completed a thing'.
Similarly, from the moment that Schulle, Brückner, Inceman and Anne Stanislawski are introduced 'lying on a colourful chequered blanket' in a park, we understand that all is not well. Buchholz is excellent at conjuring the spiritual malaise that has fallen on this vivacious, bawdy group of people but she doesn't present to offer answers to it. Perhaps, by the end of the story they're groping out of the dark, or perhaps not. Riley's still missing and her absence counts for a lot...
As ever, Rachel Ward's translation is glorious, interacting gleefully with Buchholz's text to give gems such as 'I love it, it's the opposite of innocuous small talk. It's enormous talk, and very nocuous indeed' and conveying the different moods of the various point of view characters - including a river. The result is glorious, haunting, sad, funny and breathtakingly readable. A great addition to the series and - if this is where it ends (I hope it doesn't) - a fitting conclusion
March 27, 2021
Wow!
1. man muss auf jeden Fall das Vorgängerbuch gelesen haben.
2. der Stil, die Bilder, die Dialoge, die Stimmung und die Abgründe sind etwas ganz Besonderes. Kein Satz zu viel, absolut tiefgründig. Nachdenklich und oberflächlich / flapsig zugleich - das ist echter Blues in Buchform!
1. man muss auf jeden Fall das Vorgängerbuch gelesen haben.
2. der Stil, die Bilder, die Dialoge, die Stimmung und die Abgründe sind etwas ganz Besonderes. Kein Satz zu viel, absolut tiefgründig. Nachdenklich und oberflächlich / flapsig zugleich - das ist echter Blues in Buchform!
April 1, 2022
Where do you start with this book? It’s so much of everything and not JUST anything! There’s the crime/thriller element, obviously. But there’s also the character dealing with her past, herself, and relationships. Almost anything you can mention is in this book. In the cleverest, most unique ways possible. It’s lyrical and almost poetic in description such as the River which almost becomes a breathing being. As do some streets, bridges and buildings. If this story doesn’t keep you glued from the outset I don’t know what will.
I’d suggest you read the previous book if you’ve not read the author before just to give you a flavour of how she is where she is. I loved every single moment of this book as it breathed life into areas and almost made them hum with the aliveness that Buchholz brings to her stories.
With thanks to Anne Cater, Orenda Books and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
I’d suggest you read the previous book if you’ve not read the author before just to give you a flavour of how she is where she is. I loved every single moment of this book as it breathed life into areas and almost made them hum with the aliveness that Buchholz brings to her stories.
With thanks to Anne Cater, Orenda Books and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
March 29, 2022
I’m not going to lie this book wasn’t what I thought it was going to be so I was a bit lost and confused to start with so I reorientated myself and started again without any preconceptions and absolutely loved it. This book is really lyrical and the words ebb and flow beautifully just like the River Clyde. This book is definitely beyond pigeonholing and that is what makes it so good. It is dark, a little bit wild in places, it definitely has a ghostly vibe and there is even some romance but it all works so well.
March 8, 2021
Mutig, aber ja, sie kann es.
Achtung: Dieses Buch nicht als erstes von Simone Buchholz lesen und es hilft wenn man den direkten Vorgänger «Hotel Cartagena » gelesen hat.
Achtung: Dieses Buch nicht als erstes von Simone Buchholz lesen und es hilft wenn man den direkten Vorgänger «Hotel Cartagena » gelesen hat.
March 9, 2022
It’s perhaps apt to review a story featuring Simone Buccholz’s Chastity Riley on International Woman’s Day as I feel as a literacy character Riley has epitomised almost all the strengths that you would wish to see in a female character in a crime fiction series. River Clyde is the tenth overall book in this series by Hamburg based author Simone Buccholz and the fifth consecutive novel from the series to be translated into the English language. While in the scope of her work as a public prosecutor Riley has been taken out of Hamburg in the past, in this book, she is drawn to Scotland’s largest city for a very different reason. Riley was aware that her great great grandfather Eòin Riley had been born in Glasgow, however she receives a letter out of the blue which suggests that she has inherited a house from a recently deceased relative.
For Riley who has been on sick leave due to the traumatic experiences she endured in the previous novel in the series “Hotel Cartagena”, the letter comes as an intriguing prospect and a way to break out of her current malaise and negative habitual cycle. While we do continue to follow the story of her colleagues in Hamburg through the story, who are gradually returning to work to investigate a major fire in the city. Hamburg is a duller place without Riley and the mundane time awaiting suspects allows Stephanovic and Calabretta to discuss the absence of their leader. Overall their roles continue to be marginalised in a story which focuses primarily on Riley’s character.
With last year's Hotel Catagena, I wrote that had Buchholz switched tact from multifaceted investigative fiction to absorbing situational fiction. This is further progressed through River Clyde which takes the character into a completely new environment. While you might suspect that Riley would be like a fish out of water away from Hamburg, it becomes clear that her spirit actually begins to feel revitalised on her arrival in Glasgow, finding the city a “dark yet friendly grey”. As a metaphor, this flowing spirit is represented through a portrayal of the flowing artery through the city that the book is named after.
I also wrote last year that the previous book in the series showed a writer who was “self-aware to challenge herself, demonstrate further her superb writing capabilities and steer away from rereading familiar ground”. This is definitely the case for River Clyde as the location of Glasgow would be unfamiliar to the majority of Buchholz’s readers. It could even be claimed that the book comes across as an ode to the Scottish city. As one reader who is very familiar with the location, I feel Buchholz attempt to tap into the psyche of city is very successful. I enjoyed her discoveries as she made her way across the city encountering several Glaswegian institutions.
Riley feels very detached from the stuffy solicitor based in Partick whose letter has brought her to the city. She’s suspicious when she’s told that her great aunt Eliza has left her a house. Departing quickly she funds that old habits die hard as she does find herself more comfortable in a nearby pub. However as she gets to know Glasgow, she finds that the place where she really starts to find herself more at home in the working class districts to the east if the city where the locals faces are friendly and faces can be “nicely wonky”. Eòin Riley had lived in Dennistoun before emigrating to America and in nearby Gallowgate where the pubs are more populous even than St Pauli, Riley finds herself in a bar called the Hielan Jessie where she befriends some Glasgow Celtic supporters and encounters that famous Glasgow hospitality – “These men had known me for precisely a couple of minutes but they’re talking to me as though we have been pals for half an eternity; they bare their souls completely.” While in the Hielan Jessie Riley then has a chance encounter with Tom, Eliza’s former lover.
While seeing her own life from a different perspective in Glasgow, Riley learns more about her great aunt and is finally convinced to visit the house that has been left to her. This is located in the relative tranquillity of Garelochhead which is in a rural location which nearby houses the British nuclear arsenal. Left to her own devices in this house Chastity feels a connection which is spiritual in more ways than one with her great aunt Eliza. Could this compel her to take ownership of the house, leave her old life behind and relocate permanently to Scotland?
Ultimately River Clyde is a journal of self-discovery for Chastity Riley which rounds off a series which has engaged and enthralled a worldwide audience. I would however not recommend it as a starting point and would definitely urge beginners to either begin with Blue Night or at the very least read Hotel Catagena before this book. As per the previous English language versions, this book has been translated by Rachel Ward who yet again does an excellent job of capturing the characterisations and descriptions that Buccholz intended including capturing the gallows humour typical of Glaswegians. The book delves further into Riley’s relationship with her father and as I understand that we will next encounter her far earlier in her career as Buchholz has revised Riley’s first story Gun Heart and this should see the light before the four other books from the series which have not yet appeared in English. So there is very much more to look forward to for fans of Chastity Riley!
For Riley who has been on sick leave due to the traumatic experiences she endured in the previous novel in the series “Hotel Cartagena”, the letter comes as an intriguing prospect and a way to break out of her current malaise and negative habitual cycle. While we do continue to follow the story of her colleagues in Hamburg through the story, who are gradually returning to work to investigate a major fire in the city. Hamburg is a duller place without Riley and the mundane time awaiting suspects allows Stephanovic and Calabretta to discuss the absence of their leader. Overall their roles continue to be marginalised in a story which focuses primarily on Riley’s character.
With last year's Hotel Catagena, I wrote that had Buchholz switched tact from multifaceted investigative fiction to absorbing situational fiction. This is further progressed through River Clyde which takes the character into a completely new environment. While you might suspect that Riley would be like a fish out of water away from Hamburg, it becomes clear that her spirit actually begins to feel revitalised on her arrival in Glasgow, finding the city a “dark yet friendly grey”. As a metaphor, this flowing spirit is represented through a portrayal of the flowing artery through the city that the book is named after.
I also wrote last year that the previous book in the series showed a writer who was “self-aware to challenge herself, demonstrate further her superb writing capabilities and steer away from rereading familiar ground”. This is definitely the case for River Clyde as the location of Glasgow would be unfamiliar to the majority of Buchholz’s readers. It could even be claimed that the book comes across as an ode to the Scottish city. As one reader who is very familiar with the location, I feel Buchholz attempt to tap into the psyche of city is very successful. I enjoyed her discoveries as she made her way across the city encountering several Glaswegian institutions.
Riley feels very detached from the stuffy solicitor based in Partick whose letter has brought her to the city. She’s suspicious when she’s told that her great aunt Eliza has left her a house. Departing quickly she funds that old habits die hard as she does find herself more comfortable in a nearby pub. However as she gets to know Glasgow, she finds that the place where she really starts to find herself more at home in the working class districts to the east if the city where the locals faces are friendly and faces can be “nicely wonky”. Eòin Riley had lived in Dennistoun before emigrating to America and in nearby Gallowgate where the pubs are more populous even than St Pauli, Riley finds herself in a bar called the Hielan Jessie where she befriends some Glasgow Celtic supporters and encounters that famous Glasgow hospitality – “These men had known me for precisely a couple of minutes but they’re talking to me as though we have been pals for half an eternity; they bare their souls completely.” While in the Hielan Jessie Riley then has a chance encounter with Tom, Eliza’s former lover.
While seeing her own life from a different perspective in Glasgow, Riley learns more about her great aunt and is finally convinced to visit the house that has been left to her. This is located in the relative tranquillity of Garelochhead which is in a rural location which nearby houses the British nuclear arsenal. Left to her own devices in this house Chastity feels a connection which is spiritual in more ways than one with her great aunt Eliza. Could this compel her to take ownership of the house, leave her old life behind and relocate permanently to Scotland?
Ultimately River Clyde is a journal of self-discovery for Chastity Riley which rounds off a series which has engaged and enthralled a worldwide audience. I would however not recommend it as a starting point and would definitely urge beginners to either begin with Blue Night or at the very least read Hotel Catagena before this book. As per the previous English language versions, this book has been translated by Rachel Ward who yet again does an excellent job of capturing the characterisations and descriptions that Buccholz intended including capturing the gallows humour typical of Glaswegians. The book delves further into Riley’s relationship with her father and as I understand that we will next encounter her far earlier in her career as Buchholz has revised Riley’s first story Gun Heart and this should see the light before the four other books from the series which have not yet appeared in English. So there is very much more to look forward to for fans of Chastity Riley!
Read
March 22, 2022Facing an empty page as I start to write this review, I have to say I am filled with trepidation. This book is unlike anything I have read before and I am not sure that I can adequately describe this book. When you reach for this book, you can expect a kind of surreal dreamscape rather than your typical crime novel.
I have not read the other books in the series and found myself a little lost at times while reading River Clyde. I would suggest reading the other books in the series as I am sure that will fill in the blanks.
The author tells a story about a woman on a journey of self-discovery while focusing on depicting the psyche of a city. She personifies the river, giving the reader an unusual reading experience and adding a ghost element that keeps you on your toes while exploring this character’s exploration of her roots.
Chastity Riley is on sick leave and living a life filled with negative habits. When she receives a letter from a solicitor in Scotland telling her that she has inherited a house, it is the escape she is craving. Leaving Hamburg and all who depend on her behind. Her visit to Glasgow feels dreamlike as she explores the city and its culture and she finds herself with a sense of belonging. When she finally visits her great-aunt’s house, she has a ghostly encounter and details of her family history is revealed.
This book is an unusual read filled with sparse, poetic language. The author personifies the river which adds a colourful touch to this story and focuses on Chastity Riley’s self-discovery as her visit to Glasgow reveals details of her family history.
River Clyde is the fifth book in the series to be translated and I got the feeling that reading the other books would give you a better understanding of this story and its characters.
You can expect the unexpected when you reach for this book – it is an “arty” poetic read rather than your classic crime novel.
I have not read the other books in the series and found myself a little lost at times while reading River Clyde. I would suggest reading the other books in the series as I am sure that will fill in the blanks.
The author tells a story about a woman on a journey of self-discovery while focusing on depicting the psyche of a city. She personifies the river, giving the reader an unusual reading experience and adding a ghost element that keeps you on your toes while exploring this character’s exploration of her roots.
Chastity Riley is on sick leave and living a life filled with negative habits. When she receives a letter from a solicitor in Scotland telling her that she has inherited a house, it is the escape she is craving. Leaving Hamburg and all who depend on her behind. Her visit to Glasgow feels dreamlike as she explores the city and its culture and she finds herself with a sense of belonging. When she finally visits her great-aunt’s house, she has a ghostly encounter and details of her family history is revealed.
This book is an unusual read filled with sparse, poetic language. The author personifies the river which adds a colourful touch to this story and focuses on Chastity Riley’s self-discovery as her visit to Glasgow reveals details of her family history.
River Clyde is the fifth book in the series to be translated and I got the feeling that reading the other books would give you a better understanding of this story and its characters.
You can expect the unexpected when you reach for this book – it is an “arty” poetic read rather than your classic crime novel.
July 28, 2023
I’ve read the first three novels in this series but I’ve jumped ahead and reading this one out of sequence, seeing as it’s set here in Scotland. Chasity Riley a prosecutor with the Hamburg Public Prosecutors Office receives a letter from a Glasgow solicitor and heads over to Glasgow at his behest. It turns out she has been bequeathed a property in Scotland in her great aunt’s Will but she is unsure whether to accept it or not. Meanwhile back in Hamburg her team led by Stepanovic are on the trail of a group of estate agents hellbent on an arson and killing spree.
This is a bit of a change from the previous Chasity Riley novels I’ve read as Chasity isn’t involved at all in the criminal aspect of this novel, which is also just a minor subplot to her story. Chasity frequents several Glasgow pubs and meets and befriends several characters including her great aunt’s partner. Ultimately Chasity through learning her family history must confront her own demons and decide which path her life will take. This is a touching, thoughtful novel in which Chasity must learn to heal before she can move on. It also really captures the spirit of the city of Glasgow and the welcoming people who populate it. I also liked how the River Clyde, on which the city is built, is used as a living Brest character too and how it appears to influence Chasity’s decisions.
It’ll be interesting to see where Buchholz goes next with Chasity’s character as this novel feels like a watershed moment and could even signal the end of the series ?
This is a bit of a change from the previous Chasity Riley novels I’ve read as Chasity isn’t involved at all in the criminal aspect of this novel, which is also just a minor subplot to her story. Chasity frequents several Glasgow pubs and meets and befriends several characters including her great aunt’s partner. Ultimately Chasity through learning her family history must confront her own demons and decide which path her life will take. This is a touching, thoughtful novel in which Chasity must learn to heal before she can move on. It also really captures the spirit of the city of Glasgow and the welcoming people who populate it. I also liked how the River Clyde, on which the city is built, is used as a living Brest character too and how it appears to influence Chasity’s decisions.
It’ll be interesting to see where Buchholz goes next with Chasity’s character as this novel feels like a watershed moment and could even signal the end of the series ?
January 23, 2022
Schon als Riley auf Seite 13 erzählt: "Er legt sich auf den Rücken und nimmt mich in den Arm,... Ich lege meinen Kopf auf seine Brust. In letzter Zeit enden wir öfter mal so.", ahnte ich, uhhh, jetzt wird's romantisch. Wurde es auch. Und melancholisch. Sehr melancholisch. Dazu ganz viel Bier, Zigaretten, noch mehr Bier und vor allem Whiskey, gaaanz viel Whiskey.
Schönes Buch, konnte es nicht in eins lesen. Das brauchte ich häppchenweise.
Hätte mir nur gewünscht, "danke schön" und "bitte schön" wären richtig geschrieben (S. 215) Partikel vs. Als Dankeschön überreichte er ihr einen Blumenstrauß. 🤓😉
Schönes Buch, konnte es nicht in eins lesen. Das brauchte ich häppchenweise.
Hätte mir nur gewünscht, "danke schön" und "bitte schön" wären richtig geschrieben (S. 215) Partikel vs. Als Dankeschön überreichte er ihr einen Blumenstrauß. 🤓😉
July 30, 2025
J'ai commencé la série de Chastity Riley, procureure de son état, par le dernier tome... Je découvre en même temps l'auteure allemande, Simone Buchholz. Strange affaire que tout cela !
Riley est partie en Écosse, à la rencontre et en même temps à la découverte de ses racines. Elle est bizarre, et ses collègues allemands restés à Hambourg aussi. Very strange. Mais ne serait-ce pas dû à une affaire policière vécue récemment et très mal digérée ? Possible, je n'ai pas lu les autres livres, mais on en retrouve des lambeaux dans celui-ci. Mais bon, Riley est à moitié Écossaise, et le réalisme magique n'est pas plus étonnant ici que Nessy du loch 😉! Bonne lecture !
Riley est partie en Écosse, à la rencontre et en même temps à la découverte de ses racines. Elle est bizarre, et ses collègues allemands restés à Hambourg aussi. Very strange. Mais ne serait-ce pas dû à une affaire policière vécue récemment et très mal digérée ? Possible, je n'ai pas lu les autres livres, mais on en retrouve des lambeaux dans celui-ci. Mais bon, Riley est à moitié Écossaise, et le réalisme magique n'est pas plus étonnant ici que Nessy du loch 😉! Bonne lecture !
March 16, 2022
I always go into writing reviews of Simone Buchholz’s books with a sense of inadequacy and trepidation because I know, whatever words I put down on the page, they are going to be inadequate to describe what I just read. In the case of River Clyde, I am feeling this even more keenly than usual because this book is so unlike anything I’ve read before, so difficult to describe, so impossible to categorise.
It’s more of a surreal dreamscape than a classic crime novel, with the story wandering between the mean street of Hamburg, the mean streets of Glasgow, the blasted heath of Rannoch Moor and the interiors of the messed up minds of the main characters, all still trying to process the tragic events which occurred in Hotel Cartagena. This book brings the reader much closer to Chastity than we have ever been before, I left the book feeling like I had crawled into her skin and was watching things unfold from behind her eyes, and it was sometimes a bizarre place to be.
Anyone who has read any of the previous Chastity Riley novels will know that they are not your run of the mill crime novel, but Simone has taken the story telling to a completely different place in this book. The crime that the police in Hamburg are trying to solve is a mere footnote in the book, and afterthought, a distraction from the real meat of the story, which is the fallout that are all feeling personally after the horror that unfolded in the last book and the fact that Stepanovic treats the investigation as such is a clear indicator of what is important to all of these people now. Riley has gone a step further and removed herself from Hamburg and her old life altogether to travel to Scotland in search of family history. Both running away, and running towards, her story here is one of soul-searching. She is looking for a place in the world, now that everything she had in Hamburg seems to be gone.
Anyone looking for a straight forward crime investigation is looking in the wrong place and I think, if you aren’t familiar with the previous Chastity Riley books, this wouldn’t be the ideal place to start. Go back, at least one novel, and catch up on previous events. It will help make sense of what is going on here and be immensely rewarding in its own right. For those of you who have read the previous books, be prepared to be confronted by a completely different novel, and a different view of all of the characters you believe you’ve come to know. They are all finding surprising ways to process their grief, none more so than Chastity herself. All of her usual BS-free, no-nonsense acerbic personality is here, but we see more of her underbelly, more of her inner softness and vulnerability and it is enlightening. There is a blurring of reality and fantasy throughout, the reader, along with the character, finds it hard to tell what is true and what is imagination. There is confusion, pain, understanding, realisation and a letting go. It’s melancholy and life-affirming in equal parts, and I found the whole thing painful and very moving.
Simone Buchholz writing continues to be brutal, honest, startling, fearless and utter unique and her books leap out from the literary landscape in a way that demands they be given attention. Once you’ve read one, you’ll never forget her voice and you’ll be addicted to the rush immediately. A year is too long to wait between hits. I feel the need now to go back to the beginning and ride the whole rollercoaster from beginning to end, although I’m unsure if my nerves could take the force of the full blast in one sitting. I don’t know where she will go with this character next, that’s part of the appeal of the books, but I’m here for the hit.
It’s more of a surreal dreamscape than a classic crime novel, with the story wandering between the mean street of Hamburg, the mean streets of Glasgow, the blasted heath of Rannoch Moor and the interiors of the messed up minds of the main characters, all still trying to process the tragic events which occurred in Hotel Cartagena. This book brings the reader much closer to Chastity than we have ever been before, I left the book feeling like I had crawled into her skin and was watching things unfold from behind her eyes, and it was sometimes a bizarre place to be.
Anyone who has read any of the previous Chastity Riley novels will know that they are not your run of the mill crime novel, but Simone has taken the story telling to a completely different place in this book. The crime that the police in Hamburg are trying to solve is a mere footnote in the book, and afterthought, a distraction from the real meat of the story, which is the fallout that are all feeling personally after the horror that unfolded in the last book and the fact that Stepanovic treats the investigation as such is a clear indicator of what is important to all of these people now. Riley has gone a step further and removed herself from Hamburg and her old life altogether to travel to Scotland in search of family history. Both running away, and running towards, her story here is one of soul-searching. She is looking for a place in the world, now that everything she had in Hamburg seems to be gone.
Anyone looking for a straight forward crime investigation is looking in the wrong place and I think, if you aren’t familiar with the previous Chastity Riley books, this wouldn’t be the ideal place to start. Go back, at least one novel, and catch up on previous events. It will help make sense of what is going on here and be immensely rewarding in its own right. For those of you who have read the previous books, be prepared to be confronted by a completely different novel, and a different view of all of the characters you believe you’ve come to know. They are all finding surprising ways to process their grief, none more so than Chastity herself. All of her usual BS-free, no-nonsense acerbic personality is here, but we see more of her underbelly, more of her inner softness and vulnerability and it is enlightening. There is a blurring of reality and fantasy throughout, the reader, along with the character, finds it hard to tell what is true and what is imagination. There is confusion, pain, understanding, realisation and a letting go. It’s melancholy and life-affirming in equal parts, and I found the whole thing painful and very moving.
Simone Buchholz writing continues to be brutal, honest, startling, fearless and utter unique and her books leap out from the literary landscape in a way that demands they be given attention. Once you’ve read one, you’ll never forget her voice and you’ll be addicted to the rush immediately. A year is too long to wait between hits. I feel the need now to go back to the beginning and ride the whole rollercoaster from beginning to end, although I’m unsure if my nerves could take the force of the full blast in one sitting. I don’t know where she will go with this character next, that’s part of the appeal of the books, but I’m here for the hit.
September 17, 2022
This series is usually cracking good. And I understand that a novel with so much grief is not going to be like that. But I couldn't figure out what was really happening and what was imagined - and not just in the Riley scenes. Maybe that was the author's intention. As a result, though, I felt disconnected as a reader, and wondered if this is just a filler book and whatever follows next will be much more gripping - or at least a loose connection.
November 6, 2021
Ich konnte das Buch im Frühjahr nicht zuende lesen, weil ich zu traurig war oder nicht traurig genug. Ist schon fast ein Buchholzsatz.
Wenn mehr Leute beim Krimischreiben so ins Risiko gehen würden wie sie, hätten wir kein Problem.
Wenn mehr Leute beim Krimischreiben so ins Risiko gehen würden wie sie, hätten wir kein Problem.
January 9, 2022
Ich liebe den Schreibstil! Diese norddeutsche Schnoddrigkeit - HERRLICH!
Besonders hat mir der Trinkgeldteller in Schottland gefallen 😉
Besonders hat mir der Trinkgeldteller in Schottland gefallen 😉
June 8, 2022
Dreadful in so many ways…
September 20, 2023
Kein Krimi im herkömmlichen Sinne, eher ein nach-Hause-Kommen in Buchform. Wie üblich Holzschnitte von Figuren, die mehr auf VHS-Niveau als auf dem des Suhrkamp-Verlags sind. Enttäuschend, aber immerhin ist die Reihe damit beendet. Good Riddance.
February 10, 2022
River Clyde is the fifth instalment in the Chastity Riley series published in the UK by Orenda Books. I would highly recommend you read at least the previous instalment (Hotel Cartagena) if you want to tackle River Clyde since it will help you understand the state of mind of the characters a whole lot better.
Without going into too much detail, Hotel Cartagena left Chas Riley and her colleagues in a rather dark place. The Chas we see in River Clyde is therefore not quite the Chas of old. Call it PTSD, call it holes in her heart, Chas is not doing well and getting a letter stating she’s inherited a house in Glasgow is a welcome excuse to leave her job as public prosecutor and go to Scotland to try and escape all those painful memories.
While I didn’t hesitate to put the previous Chas Riley books in the crime fiction / crime thriller box, I have not the slightest clue how to classify River Clyde. While Chas is in Glasgow finding out more about her family history, the detectives she usually works with are investigating an arson attack, so there is a bit of crime involved, but contrary to the previous books, it remains on the backburner cos everyone has just so much personal shit to deal with, and anyway it’s the Chas-in-Glasgow storyline that takes the lead throughout River Clyde. You could call it drama, or contemporary fiction, or literary fiction, or magical realism even, but none of those fit the bill perfectly.
Leave it to Simone Buchholz to come up with an entirely new, yet to be defined genre! One in which memories are living things, rivers are characters in their own right and you may just find yourself sharing a bottle of whisky with a ghost. Although I came for the crime, I was more than happy to stick around while Chas worked through all the emotions she has been burying in concrete and smothering in sarcasm, alcohol and cigarettes ever since we met.
A word of appreciation for Rachel Ward and another excellent translation. I really do think she was presented with a number of language conundrums with this one. I think the Chas Riley books are tough books to translate in general, to still get the author’s unique voice and style and message across, but it never shows. Wherever Simone Buchholz goes, Rachel Ward not only keeps up, but does so with pizzazz, and I’m a fan of both!
I feel like River Clyde might be a bit of a transitional book, bringing closure on the one hand and shaping the future on the other. Of course I won’t know if I’m right about that until the next instalment, but in any case I can’t wait to find out where Simone Buchholz might take her protagonist next!
River Clyde is rather short and snappy but it does pack a punch. It’s lyrical and always beautiful even when it turns ugly. I do believe it’s quite unlike anything I’ve ever read, and that’s really saying something coming from this jaded reader.
Without going into too much detail, Hotel Cartagena left Chas Riley and her colleagues in a rather dark place. The Chas we see in River Clyde is therefore not quite the Chas of old. Call it PTSD, call it holes in her heart, Chas is not doing well and getting a letter stating she’s inherited a house in Glasgow is a welcome excuse to leave her job as public prosecutor and go to Scotland to try and escape all those painful memories.
While I didn’t hesitate to put the previous Chas Riley books in the crime fiction / crime thriller box, I have not the slightest clue how to classify River Clyde. While Chas is in Glasgow finding out more about her family history, the detectives she usually works with are investigating an arson attack, so there is a bit of crime involved, but contrary to the previous books, it remains on the backburner cos everyone has just so much personal shit to deal with, and anyway it’s the Chas-in-Glasgow storyline that takes the lead throughout River Clyde. You could call it drama, or contemporary fiction, or literary fiction, or magical realism even, but none of those fit the bill perfectly.
Leave it to Simone Buchholz to come up with an entirely new, yet to be defined genre! One in which memories are living things, rivers are characters in their own right and you may just find yourself sharing a bottle of whisky with a ghost. Although I came for the crime, I was more than happy to stick around while Chas worked through all the emotions she has been burying in concrete and smothering in sarcasm, alcohol and cigarettes ever since we met.
A word of appreciation for Rachel Ward and another excellent translation. I really do think she was presented with a number of language conundrums with this one. I think the Chas Riley books are tough books to translate in general, to still get the author’s unique voice and style and message across, but it never shows. Wherever Simone Buchholz goes, Rachel Ward not only keeps up, but does so with pizzazz, and I’m a fan of both!
I feel like River Clyde might be a bit of a transitional book, bringing closure on the one hand and shaping the future on the other. Of course I won’t know if I’m right about that until the next instalment, but in any case I can’t wait to find out where Simone Buchholz might take her protagonist next!
River Clyde is rather short and snappy but it does pack a punch. It’s lyrical and always beautiful even when it turns ugly. I do believe it’s quite unlike anything I’ve ever read, and that’s really saying something coming from this jaded reader.
January 23, 2022
Hotel Cartagena was just one of those books that really left a mark. On the characters and the readers, to be fair, so I was really intrigued to see how Simone Buchholz would follow it. The answer is with a book that combines all the hallmarks of a classic Chastity Riley story with a real notable change in tone and style, but one that perhaps endeared me to our unusual protagonist in a whole new way.
The final chapter of the book left us facing Chastity Riley in a very unusual situation, even by her standards, and certainly a world away from the familiar streets of Hamburg, seeking out answers to a question she doesn't really yet know she needs to ask, on the rain soaked streets of Glasgow and beyond. River Clyde picks up just before the conclusion to HC, as Chastity, still grieving for the loss of a good friend, is faced with a very unexpected windfall, one that takes her deep into her familial roots within the West Coast of Scotland. Her swift departure leaves her colleagues in uncertain territory, especially Ivo Stepanovic who has been growing increasingly closer to Chastity seemingly against his better judgment. Meanwhile, in Hamburg, her friends are finding new and unexpected ways to deal with their own grief and tragedy, as well as trying to catch the people behind a serious and deadly case of arson in the city. It all makes for an eclectic and unexpected mix of stories and emotions, much as you'd expect from this series, but in a novel that focuses largely on the personal and much less so on the crime.
I really enjoyed seeing Chastity uprooted and navigating her heritage, travelling the unfamiliar streets of a new city and getting to grips with the various personalities she comes into contact with. We have her usual sardonic narrative, her cool and minimal conversation, that has come to typify the series, but also that sense of a search for something ... more. There is a real blend of the here and now but also something a little mystical about the tale, scenes in which we are not sure if Chastity is lost in the depths of grief, a strange psychotic episode, or just experiencing visions which are ultimately to lead her to her future. There is something beautifully lyrical about those scenes, scenes in which. the ebb and flow of the River Clyde becomes a living breathing thing, seeking to orchestrate and manipulate the future of our heroine. It is almost surreal in portrayal, but ultimately very fitting for this series which has always felt quite quirky and alternative in its execution.
The scenes in back in Hamburg are almost equally surreal, people developing new and very complicated relationships that both seemed out of place and yet very apt for this series. This has always been a series in which the way in which the characters lives intersect and intertwine is often so complex that it is hard to keep track, but it's fair to say that the author has elevated a particular quartet, or would that be quintet(?), to a whole new level of complication. I'm not quite sure how that will play out for them all, but it will certainly be intriguing to see.
As I said, the crime, the arson that takes place very early on in the book, is mostly secondary to the story, a reminder perhaps that the characters we are engaged with are actually officers of the law and the like, and that life, quite like crime, does go on. It does allow for the development of a new kind of kinship between Ivo and Calabretta, bonding over Fortnite, whilst lamenting the complexity of knowing Chastity. There are some key moments of revelation there, steeped in emotion and contemplation, that lead to a key decision and perhaps even a new beginning?
This is not your typical crime fiction novel. I'm not sure it is even entirely fitting of your traditional noir, although if you go by. the google definition of cynicism and moral ambiguity, there is plenty of that in those pages. Perfectly translated by Rachel Ward, and capturing the spirit and the wild heart of Scotland with the same passion and visual power as the author has always portrayed Hamburg, this is a real mix up of the old and the new. A tale of family, friendship, loss, grief and understanding. A literary novel that captures the mind, and perhaps the heart, in unexpected ways.
The final chapter of the book left us facing Chastity Riley in a very unusual situation, even by her standards, and certainly a world away from the familiar streets of Hamburg, seeking out answers to a question she doesn't really yet know she needs to ask, on the rain soaked streets of Glasgow and beyond. River Clyde picks up just before the conclusion to HC, as Chastity, still grieving for the loss of a good friend, is faced with a very unexpected windfall, one that takes her deep into her familial roots within the West Coast of Scotland. Her swift departure leaves her colleagues in uncertain territory, especially Ivo Stepanovic who has been growing increasingly closer to Chastity seemingly against his better judgment. Meanwhile, in Hamburg, her friends are finding new and unexpected ways to deal with their own grief and tragedy, as well as trying to catch the people behind a serious and deadly case of arson in the city. It all makes for an eclectic and unexpected mix of stories and emotions, much as you'd expect from this series, but in a novel that focuses largely on the personal and much less so on the crime.
I really enjoyed seeing Chastity uprooted and navigating her heritage, travelling the unfamiliar streets of a new city and getting to grips with the various personalities she comes into contact with. We have her usual sardonic narrative, her cool and minimal conversation, that has come to typify the series, but also that sense of a search for something ... more. There is a real blend of the here and now but also something a little mystical about the tale, scenes in which we are not sure if Chastity is lost in the depths of grief, a strange psychotic episode, or just experiencing visions which are ultimately to lead her to her future. There is something beautifully lyrical about those scenes, scenes in which. the ebb and flow of the River Clyde becomes a living breathing thing, seeking to orchestrate and manipulate the future of our heroine. It is almost surreal in portrayal, but ultimately very fitting for this series which has always felt quite quirky and alternative in its execution.
The scenes in back in Hamburg are almost equally surreal, people developing new and very complicated relationships that both seemed out of place and yet very apt for this series. This has always been a series in which the way in which the characters lives intersect and intertwine is often so complex that it is hard to keep track, but it's fair to say that the author has elevated a particular quartet, or would that be quintet(?), to a whole new level of complication. I'm not quite sure how that will play out for them all, but it will certainly be intriguing to see.
As I said, the crime, the arson that takes place very early on in the book, is mostly secondary to the story, a reminder perhaps that the characters we are engaged with are actually officers of the law and the like, and that life, quite like crime, does go on. It does allow for the development of a new kind of kinship between Ivo and Calabretta, bonding over Fortnite, whilst lamenting the complexity of knowing Chastity. There are some key moments of revelation there, steeped in emotion and contemplation, that lead to a key decision and perhaps even a new beginning?
This is not your typical crime fiction novel. I'm not sure it is even entirely fitting of your traditional noir, although if you go by. the google definition of cynicism and moral ambiguity, there is plenty of that in those pages. Perfectly translated by Rachel Ward, and capturing the spirit and the wild heart of Scotland with the same passion and visual power as the author has always portrayed Hamburg, this is a real mix up of the old and the new. A tale of family, friendship, loss, grief and understanding. A literary novel that captures the mind, and perhaps the heart, in unexpected ways.
March 23, 2022
We begin with a scene of men purchasing fire accelerant it’s obviously a somewhat dodgy if not totally illegal action.
Chastity and the team are not all back to work as yet.
This book takes place in the wake of what happened in Hotel Cartagena (book 4 in the series) and I would strongly advise anyone who has not read it to do so before reading River Clyde.
Chastity still suffering from the aftermath of the siege receives a letter from a solicitor in Glasgow which Chastity uses as the perfect excuse to leave Hamburg. Once in Glasgow Chastity is told that she has inherited a house from her Aunt. Not sure if she wants it Chastity explores Glasgow. It’s not the tourist areas to which she is drawn but areas that feel more like Hamburg or at least where she feels more comfortable and where she comes upon a pub. She has a drink and meets some locals.
Meanwhile back in Hamburg Stepanovic is at work. Three of the others are having counselling.
Each of them is dealing with the grief and injury as best they can.
An arson attack takes place and then other events that have Stepanovic and Calabretta investigating.
However, we are focused on Chastity and the inheritance from her aunt. Should she take it or will it be a millstone around her neck? It is whilst she is wondering about this in the pub that she meets hers aunts former lover, Tom.
Once again in Hamburg the investigation is continuing as is the counselling and we have both these threads along with Chastity’s story interwoven through the book.
Chastity arranges to go with Tom to the house that her aunt has left her. He know where the key is kept. Once there the house brings memories and thoughts that Chastity hasn’t wanted to face for many years.
There is a fourth point of view that of the River Clyde the title of the book, which runs through Glasgow, and it brings a strange, haunting almost spooky atmosphere to the book.
As we learn of Chastity’s Scottish ancestry and what happens when she is at her Aunts house we wonder what is going to happen – to Chastity, to the relationship with Stepanovic, indeed what will happen with the team in Hamburg? Will any of them fully overcome the pain – physical and mental – that was a consequence of the Hotel Cartagena siege?
Chastity is a wonderful character and one I love to read. Still, I’m glad we had plenty of Hamburg, the other terrific characters and a criminal investigation as part of the storyline too – after all I love crime fiction.
This book is, as with all Simone Buchholz’s Chastity Riley series, quite unique in it’s structure, she writes in an innovative style and quite beautifully. Rachel Ward’s translation is, as always, wonderful.
I do hope that there will be more of Chastity Riley in the future not just the books prior to Blue Night which have yet to be translated into English, although that would be great too, because I want to know what happens next.
This is another wonderful book in her amazing series from Simone Buchholz who is quite rightly hailed as the Queen of Krimi.
Chastity and the team are not all back to work as yet.
This book takes place in the wake of what happened in Hotel Cartagena (book 4 in the series) and I would strongly advise anyone who has not read it to do so before reading River Clyde.
Chastity still suffering from the aftermath of the siege receives a letter from a solicitor in Glasgow which Chastity uses as the perfect excuse to leave Hamburg. Once in Glasgow Chastity is told that she has inherited a house from her Aunt. Not sure if she wants it Chastity explores Glasgow. It’s not the tourist areas to which she is drawn but areas that feel more like Hamburg or at least where she feels more comfortable and where she comes upon a pub. She has a drink and meets some locals.
Meanwhile back in Hamburg Stepanovic is at work. Three of the others are having counselling.
Each of them is dealing with the grief and injury as best they can.
An arson attack takes place and then other events that have Stepanovic and Calabretta investigating.
However, we are focused on Chastity and the inheritance from her aunt. Should she take it or will it be a millstone around her neck? It is whilst she is wondering about this in the pub that she meets hers aunts former lover, Tom.
Once again in Hamburg the investigation is continuing as is the counselling and we have both these threads along with Chastity’s story interwoven through the book.
Chastity arranges to go with Tom to the house that her aunt has left her. He know where the key is kept. Once there the house brings memories and thoughts that Chastity hasn’t wanted to face for many years.
There is a fourth point of view that of the River Clyde the title of the book, which runs through Glasgow, and it brings a strange, haunting almost spooky atmosphere to the book.
As we learn of Chastity’s Scottish ancestry and what happens when she is at her Aunts house we wonder what is going to happen – to Chastity, to the relationship with Stepanovic, indeed what will happen with the team in Hamburg? Will any of them fully overcome the pain – physical and mental – that was a consequence of the Hotel Cartagena siege?
Chastity is a wonderful character and one I love to read. Still, I’m glad we had plenty of Hamburg, the other terrific characters and a criminal investigation as part of the storyline too – after all I love crime fiction.
This book is, as with all Simone Buchholz’s Chastity Riley series, quite unique in it’s structure, she writes in an innovative style and quite beautifully. Rachel Ward’s translation is, as always, wonderful.
I do hope that there will be more of Chastity Riley in the future not just the books prior to Blue Night which have yet to be translated into English, although that would be great too, because I want to know what happens next.
This is another wonderful book in her amazing series from Simone Buchholz who is quite rightly hailed as the Queen of Krimi.
March 9, 2022
River Clyde is another instalment of the Chastity Riley series although unlike the others it doesn’t work as well as a stand-alone. The whole series does not necessarily need to be read in order however I’d recommend you at least read the previous book to this, ‘Hotel Cartagena’ as river Clyde is heavily influenced by the events of that novel.
Wow! I have become accustomed to Simone Buchholz’s trademark writing style and punchy, to the point story telling and her voice as a writer is still very recognisable in River Clyde however there’s a shift in mood, genre and narrative which completely and unexpectedly knocked me sideways – in the best way possible. It was such a surprise!
After the events of Hotel Cartagena, the whole team are struggling to put themselves back together and after a mysterious letter arrives, Riley finds herself on a plane to Glasgow to follow the contents of the letter and suddenly we are in a whole new city. I have never been to Glasgow and what I loved about this was I felt as though I was experiencing it through Riley’s eyes in the same way she did. She wasn’t necessarily drawn to the touristy, pretty spots but explored in such an interesting manner. Buchholz uses so much personification to describe Glasgow (and also the places in the introduction of the book) and it really drew me in. In this novel River Clyde is as much of a character as anyone else. I also felt as though discovering Glasgow was a stark contrast with the streets of Hamburg that always feel grittier and darker is a clever way of potentially starting a new chapter in Riley’s life or taking the series in a different direction. Only time will tell!
Usually a Riley novel is packed full of action, starting with something shocking on the very first pages. This novel has a more gentle and human beginning – focussed on Chastity, her current state of being and her struggles. I think this completely sets the tone for the novel where the primary plotline is focussed on Chastity and her character development.
There is of course a secondary plot taking place in Hamburg and involving a crime. Familiar faces join us here and it was good to see them all working together again but heart-breaking to witness the damage done by previous events. This plot adds a little ‘noir’ to the story however the whole book branches out into other genres too.
It’s a testament to Buchholz’s writing talents that she can switch writing styles mid series but keep her trademarks as well as showing off a softer, more lyrical and gentle side to her talents too. Very clever and a very intelligent way to show contrast.
As always, Rachel Ward has done a fantastic job translating but keeping the feel of the book and the unique writing style so well.
This whole series is a must for crime fans!
Wow! I have become accustomed to Simone Buchholz’s trademark writing style and punchy, to the point story telling and her voice as a writer is still very recognisable in River Clyde however there’s a shift in mood, genre and narrative which completely and unexpectedly knocked me sideways – in the best way possible. It was such a surprise!
After the events of Hotel Cartagena, the whole team are struggling to put themselves back together and after a mysterious letter arrives, Riley finds herself on a plane to Glasgow to follow the contents of the letter and suddenly we are in a whole new city. I have never been to Glasgow and what I loved about this was I felt as though I was experiencing it through Riley’s eyes in the same way she did. She wasn’t necessarily drawn to the touristy, pretty spots but explored in such an interesting manner. Buchholz uses so much personification to describe Glasgow (and also the places in the introduction of the book) and it really drew me in. In this novel River Clyde is as much of a character as anyone else. I also felt as though discovering Glasgow was a stark contrast with the streets of Hamburg that always feel grittier and darker is a clever way of potentially starting a new chapter in Riley’s life or taking the series in a different direction. Only time will tell!
Usually a Riley novel is packed full of action, starting with something shocking on the very first pages. This novel has a more gentle and human beginning – focussed on Chastity, her current state of being and her struggles. I think this completely sets the tone for the novel where the primary plotline is focussed on Chastity and her character development.
There is of course a secondary plot taking place in Hamburg and involving a crime. Familiar faces join us here and it was good to see them all working together again but heart-breaking to witness the damage done by previous events. This plot adds a little ‘noir’ to the story however the whole book branches out into other genres too.
It’s a testament to Buchholz’s writing talents that she can switch writing styles mid series but keep her trademarks as well as showing off a softer, more lyrical and gentle side to her talents too. Very clever and a very intelligent way to show contrast.
As always, Rachel Ward has done a fantastic job translating but keeping the feel of the book and the unique writing style so well.
This whole series is a must for crime fans!
March 6, 2022
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I’ve talked before about how much I love Simone Buchholz’s Chastity Riley series of books, which starts, in the UK with Blue Night, a book which knocked my socks off. The latest is River Clyde which follows on from the events of Hotel Cartagena. I would usually say that you can read these books as standalones, but I would suggest in this case to go back and read the previous book to get a feel for what exactly is going on in Chastity’s life.
This is a more reflective and sombre book and features a Chastity who is reeling from the events of Hotel Cartagena. She seems to be on an evermore self destructive path, until she receives a letter telling her that she has inherited a house in Scotland. So off she goes to Glasgow, leaving her friends, colleagues and sometime lover Ivo Stepanovic behind in Hamburg. The bleak, grey weather of Glasgow suits Chastity’s mood, but there is something about the straight talking Glaswegians which Chastity finds an affinity with.
Her confusion over just who has left her a house propels the narrative forward, taking her down avenues to discover more about her past, and consequently she ends up finding more out about herself. This book features a Chastity I haven’t seen before. Her hard edges seem to have been worn down, less spiky and she is more open. Something about Glasgow seems to crack her wide open, putting her emotions and heart on full display. I found it quite emotional to read. Buchholz’s writing is almost poetic, and at times feels cinematic. She can do more with a sentence than some writers can do with a page of prose.
Back in Hamburg, Chastity’s friends are also recovering from the events of Hotel Cartagena, but more than that they are missing Chastity. She is the lynchpin that holds them together. Without her they are unmoored and ricochet from searching for arsonists setting fire to buildings across the city to drinking and losing themselves in video games. This is a different Hamburg to the one which is usually depicted, as if, without Chastity it has lost its sparkle.
These two cities contrast wonderfully, with Glasgow representing growth and a possible new future, and Hamburg seemingly decaying without her. There are also some quite beautiful mystical and ethereal moments, taking Chastity, and the reader down another path entirely. Again, it is very emotional, with Buchholz taking her smart, compelling protagonist down an unexpected yet, in hindsight, an almost inevitable avenue.
I’m not sure what is next for Chastity, but I do hope for some happiness for her. There are glimmers, but she doesn’t always allow herself to feel that that could be a future for her. Perhaps Glasgow has done this for her. A bit of spike, sardonic humour and sarcasm is all well and good, but there’s got to be some light against the darkness.
I love Buchholz’s writing (and the wonderful translation by Rachel Ward). There is something very special about it indeed. It is visual, lyrical and unlike I have read anywhere else. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I’ve talked before about how much I love Simone Buchholz’s Chastity Riley series of books, which starts, in the UK with Blue Night, a book which knocked my socks off. The latest is River Clyde which follows on from the events of Hotel Cartagena. I would usually say that you can read these books as standalones, but I would suggest in this case to go back and read the previous book to get a feel for what exactly is going on in Chastity’s life.
This is a more reflective and sombre book and features a Chastity who is reeling from the events of Hotel Cartagena. She seems to be on an evermore self destructive path, until she receives a letter telling her that she has inherited a house in Scotland. So off she goes to Glasgow, leaving her friends, colleagues and sometime lover Ivo Stepanovic behind in Hamburg. The bleak, grey weather of Glasgow suits Chastity’s mood, but there is something about the straight talking Glaswegians which Chastity finds an affinity with.
Her confusion over just who has left her a house propels the narrative forward, taking her down avenues to discover more about her past, and consequently she ends up finding more out about herself. This book features a Chastity I haven’t seen before. Her hard edges seem to have been worn down, less spiky and she is more open. Something about Glasgow seems to crack her wide open, putting her emotions and heart on full display. I found it quite emotional to read. Buchholz’s writing is almost poetic, and at times feels cinematic. She can do more with a sentence than some writers can do with a page of prose.
Back in Hamburg, Chastity’s friends are also recovering from the events of Hotel Cartagena, but more than that they are missing Chastity. She is the lynchpin that holds them together. Without her they are unmoored and ricochet from searching for arsonists setting fire to buildings across the city to drinking and losing themselves in video games. This is a different Hamburg to the one which is usually depicted, as if, without Chastity it has lost its sparkle.
These two cities contrast wonderfully, with Glasgow representing growth and a possible new future, and Hamburg seemingly decaying without her. There are also some quite beautiful mystical and ethereal moments, taking Chastity, and the reader down another path entirely. Again, it is very emotional, with Buchholz taking her smart, compelling protagonist down an unexpected yet, in hindsight, an almost inevitable avenue.
I’m not sure what is next for Chastity, but I do hope for some happiness for her. There are glimmers, but she doesn’t always allow herself to feel that that could be a future for her. Perhaps Glasgow has done this for her. A bit of spike, sardonic humour and sarcasm is all well and good, but there’s got to be some light against the darkness.
I love Buchholz’s writing (and the wonderful translation by Rachel Ward). There is something very special about it indeed. It is visual, lyrical and unlike I have read anywhere else. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
July 5, 2022
Wow. Lost in the afterglow of this book, sneaking up on you with its originality and quiet brilliance, until all of a sudden, whoosh, you’re basking in it so deeply there’s no escape till you’ve sucked in every last glimmer and ray.
The fifth in the Chastity Riley series - although this book worked beautifully stand-alone for this reader, some additional background would have changed the reading experience early in the book.
Chastity Riley is one of the most unusual characters you will meet between the pages.
Painfully thin, darkly humorous, almost (and if so, unabashedly) scary in her seething energy, - Chastity is deeply tortured, resolute, sardonic, brash, unmovable and of course, terribly, terribly broken.
Recovering from a recent horror, Chastity, a public prosecutor in a suburb of Hamburg, Germany, has looked death and destruction in the eye so closely that it is all she can see, or fear, or experience. As Chastity and her police colleagues (most notably, the weary and quietly lovelorn Ivo Stepanovic) attempt to come to terms with their devastation and grief following a terror-fueled explosion that claimed the life of a colleague, a strange and eerily compelling letter from Glasgow lands on Chastity’s desk.
As Chastity pursues a strange new avenue in Scotland, her colleagues drifting back on staggered timetables (to work on new crimes or their own continued healing), the author quietly props up in place a highly-charged atmosphere - rickety, radical and definitely unstable, this tone is quite literally mesmerizing.
“The witch - her eyes are dark-edged, on a grand scale, an eyeshadow massacre, her lips quiver a dark red.”
A welcoming rhododendron bush, ghostly apparitions, a river steeping with burbling (benevolent?) intent, ice mermaids, philosophical conversations with red deer in a cemetery, psychological collapse, PG Wodehouse-style battles of wit and honor, endless Scottish pubs (with haggis), - and everywhere, souls falling, crumbling and clumping together, ungainly in their single-minded attempts to find solace, healing and the will to go on.
I loved this book, am blown away by this author’s skill in building a word so highly charged and eclectic that it manages to simultaneously captivate with the beauty of its language, chill in its exploration of human evil, chuckle with the absurdity of it all, and most tellingly of all, bedazzle with the poignancy, promise and possibility of help from beyond, and the power of love to mend and restore.
A great big thank you to OrendaBooks for an ARC of this wonderful book. All thoughts presented are my own.
The fifth in the Chastity Riley series - although this book worked beautifully stand-alone for this reader, some additional background would have changed the reading experience early in the book.
Chastity Riley is one of the most unusual characters you will meet between the pages.
Painfully thin, darkly humorous, almost (and if so, unabashedly) scary in her seething energy, - Chastity is deeply tortured, resolute, sardonic, brash, unmovable and of course, terribly, terribly broken.
Recovering from a recent horror, Chastity, a public prosecutor in a suburb of Hamburg, Germany, has looked death and destruction in the eye so closely that it is all she can see, or fear, or experience. As Chastity and her police colleagues (most notably, the weary and quietly lovelorn Ivo Stepanovic) attempt to come to terms with their devastation and grief following a terror-fueled explosion that claimed the life of a colleague, a strange and eerily compelling letter from Glasgow lands on Chastity’s desk.
As Chastity pursues a strange new avenue in Scotland, her colleagues drifting back on staggered timetables (to work on new crimes or their own continued healing), the author quietly props up in place a highly-charged atmosphere - rickety, radical and definitely unstable, this tone is quite literally mesmerizing.
“The witch - her eyes are dark-edged, on a grand scale, an eyeshadow massacre, her lips quiver a dark red.”
A welcoming rhododendron bush, ghostly apparitions, a river steeping with burbling (benevolent?) intent, ice mermaids, philosophical conversations with red deer in a cemetery, psychological collapse, PG Wodehouse-style battles of wit and honor, endless Scottish pubs (with haggis), - and everywhere, souls falling, crumbling and clumping together, ungainly in their single-minded attempts to find solace, healing and the will to go on.
I loved this book, am blown away by this author’s skill in building a word so highly charged and eclectic that it manages to simultaneously captivate with the beauty of its language, chill in its exploration of human evil, chuckle with the absurdity of it all, and most tellingly of all, bedazzle with the poignancy, promise and possibility of help from beyond, and the power of love to mend and restore.
A great big thank you to OrendaBooks for an ARC of this wonderful book. All thoughts presented are my own.
March 22, 2022
In March 2021, I read and reviewed Hotel Cartagena, the fourth of the Chastity Riley series to be translated into English and published by Orenda Books.
A year later and it's time for the fifth book; River Clyde. I've been a huge fan of this author and her wonderful character Chasity for some years and always look forward to reading more about Chas's adventures. In River Clyde, we are treated to a style that is different from the norm, as Chasity travels to Glasgow when she learns about an inheritance.
She's not just travelling to find out more about the house that has been left to her though, she's also doing her best to leave the tragic and traumatic events that arose in the previous novel behind. I would advise readers to go back and read Hotel Cartagena at least, you'll then have some understanding of Chasity's state of mind and the reason for it.
This is powerful, lyrical and poetic writing that shows a side of this talented author that hasn't really been seen before. She's always been adept at relaying Chastity's inner feelings, but in River Clyde, she goes one step further. The city of Glasgow, with its greying tenement buildings and run-down pubs become a character in itself, and of course, the River of the title; the Clyde. Weaving it's way through the city and also through the narrative, taking on a personality and voice of its own.
Meanwhile, as Chastity travels around Glasgow on a journey of discovery, her team are back in Hamburg, dealing with arson attacks in the city. The guys feel incomplete with Chastity as part of the team, and they also begin to discover things. They learn more about each other, they find that Chastity really is the glue that holds them together and they begin to share thoughts and experiences.
This is a difficult book to review, whilst there is a crime, it's not the heart of the story. It's literary, domestic, self discovery. It's beautifully structured and wonderfully translated from the German by Rachel Ward. It's an inside peek into another side of a character that readers have come to know and love and it is revelatory and enlightening.
I am eager to know what is next for Chastity. I have enjoyed her time in Scotland and learning more about her. I've loved the juxtaposition of Glasgow and Hamburg and the differences in how she behaves in the two cities.
Simone Buchholz is an extraordinary talent and Chastity Riley is one of the best female characters ever created.
A year later and it's time for the fifth book; River Clyde. I've been a huge fan of this author and her wonderful character Chasity for some years and always look forward to reading more about Chas's adventures. In River Clyde, we are treated to a style that is different from the norm, as Chasity travels to Glasgow when she learns about an inheritance.
She's not just travelling to find out more about the house that has been left to her though, she's also doing her best to leave the tragic and traumatic events that arose in the previous novel behind. I would advise readers to go back and read Hotel Cartagena at least, you'll then have some understanding of Chasity's state of mind and the reason for it.
This is powerful, lyrical and poetic writing that shows a side of this talented author that hasn't really been seen before. She's always been adept at relaying Chastity's inner feelings, but in River Clyde, she goes one step further. The city of Glasgow, with its greying tenement buildings and run-down pubs become a character in itself, and of course, the River of the title; the Clyde. Weaving it's way through the city and also through the narrative, taking on a personality and voice of its own.
Meanwhile, as Chastity travels around Glasgow on a journey of discovery, her team are back in Hamburg, dealing with arson attacks in the city. The guys feel incomplete with Chastity as part of the team, and they also begin to discover things. They learn more about each other, they find that Chastity really is the glue that holds them together and they begin to share thoughts and experiences.
This is a difficult book to review, whilst there is a crime, it's not the heart of the story. It's literary, domestic, self discovery. It's beautifully structured and wonderfully translated from the German by Rachel Ward. It's an inside peek into another side of a character that readers have come to know and love and it is revelatory and enlightening.
I am eager to know what is next for Chastity. I have enjoyed her time in Scotland and learning more about her. I've loved the juxtaposition of Glasgow and Hamburg and the differences in how she behaves in the two cities.
Simone Buchholz is an extraordinary talent and Chastity Riley is one of the best female characters ever created.
May 25, 2023
Finished reading: May 24th 2023
“They see her face drawn everywhere, and each time it's like a slap in theirs.”
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
September 11, 2023
A mystery and more set in GLASGOW and HAMBURG
River Clyde is very different from the other books in Simone Buchholz’s Chastity Riley State Prosecutor thriller series. It is set in two locations, Hamburg and Glasgow. In Hamburg, Chastity’s police colleagues are investigating a major arson attack in the city, but they are all suffering from the fallout of an enforced leave of absence following the death of their friend, Chief Inspector Faller, in the previous book in the series, Hotel Cartagena.
Chasity, though, is not with them. She is visiting Glasgow. She received a letter from a lawyer saying she had inherited a property from a long lost aunt. Partly on a journey of self-discovery and partly on a journey of self-pity she heads off from Hamburg to Scotland to see what is on offer. In Glasgow she drinks far too much, is befriended by a couple of people, but is really pretty lost. She encounters a former lover of her aunt and heads out with him to Loch Lomond to inspect the property. Here, perhaps a little weirdly, she has conversations with the ghost of her aunt as she learns more about her and her relationships.
It is a very different side to Chastity when compared to what we have encountered in the previous books. And it makes for really interesting reading even if it is not a customary thriller. The River Clyde of the title is a character in the book, commenting on Chastity’s progression around the city. Eventually Chastity decides to stay in the city, but we are left unsure as to how long.
The next book in the series, The Acapulco, is in fact a prequel to the other adventures. So we don’t as yet know where Simone will take Chastity as we move forward. Will she stay in Glasgow or will she return to Hamburg?
A more than rewarding read but River Clyde is not perhaps for those anticipating a fast moving police thriller.
River Clyde is very different from the other books in Simone Buchholz’s Chastity Riley State Prosecutor thriller series. It is set in two locations, Hamburg and Glasgow. In Hamburg, Chastity’s police colleagues are investigating a major arson attack in the city, but they are all suffering from the fallout of an enforced leave of absence following the death of their friend, Chief Inspector Faller, in the previous book in the series, Hotel Cartagena.
Chasity, though, is not with them. She is visiting Glasgow. She received a letter from a lawyer saying she had inherited a property from a long lost aunt. Partly on a journey of self-discovery and partly on a journey of self-pity she heads off from Hamburg to Scotland to see what is on offer. In Glasgow she drinks far too much, is befriended by a couple of people, but is really pretty lost. She encounters a former lover of her aunt and heads out with him to Loch Lomond to inspect the property. Here, perhaps a little weirdly, she has conversations with the ghost of her aunt as she learns more about her and her relationships.
It is a very different side to Chastity when compared to what we have encountered in the previous books. And it makes for really interesting reading even if it is not a customary thriller. The River Clyde of the title is a character in the book, commenting on Chastity’s progression around the city. Eventually Chastity decides to stay in the city, but we are left unsure as to how long.
The next book in the series, The Acapulco, is in fact a prequel to the other adventures. So we don’t as yet know where Simone will take Chastity as we move forward. Will she stay in Glasgow or will she return to Hamburg?
A more than rewarding read but River Clyde is not perhaps for those anticipating a fast moving police thriller.
June 12, 2022
River Clyde is the fifth Chasity Riley book published by Orenda Books and once again Simone Buchholz has produced a story that will challenge her readers with her quirky style. Chasity and her friends are all still recovering from the events that took place in Hotel Cartagena and they have all been affected in different ways. Normally I would say that you can read the books in isolation however for this book I would recommend that you at least read Hotel Cartagena first just so that you can understand some of what happens.
After receiving a letter advising her that she has inherited a house from a relative Chastity decides to go to Scotland to see it for herself and maybe learn about the woman who had died. Whilst she is there she finds herself in the company of someone she meets by chance who has a link to her family and gives her an insight into the person that she was. Despite Chastity clearly wanting to escape her life there is still flashes of the character we have come to enjoy and it was nice to see a bit more of the person behind the professional persona of the past
Whilst there is still a crime element to this book with Stepanovic and Calabretta involved in investigations into arson and murder it does seem this time that the book focuses more on the personal lives of all the characters therefore giving it a different vibe than the ones before as we get to see how they are coping with loss. What you have to decide is if the mystical elements are down to grief, PTSD or something else altogether.
I am not going to lie when I say that the 3 almost separate storylines in the book did at times leave me a little confused at first but as I settled in, it did kind of make sense that the once close group had fractured and telling their stories were reflected as such.
After receiving a letter advising her that she has inherited a house from a relative Chastity decides to go to Scotland to see it for herself and maybe learn about the woman who had died. Whilst she is there she finds herself in the company of someone she meets by chance who has a link to her family and gives her an insight into the person that she was. Despite Chastity clearly wanting to escape her life there is still flashes of the character we have come to enjoy and it was nice to see a bit more of the person behind the professional persona of the past
Whilst there is still a crime element to this book with Stepanovic and Calabretta involved in investigations into arson and murder it does seem this time that the book focuses more on the personal lives of all the characters therefore giving it a different vibe than the ones before as we get to see how they are coping with loss. What you have to decide is if the mystical elements are down to grief, PTSD or something else altogether.
I am not going to lie when I say that the 3 almost separate storylines in the book did at times leave me a little confused at first but as I settled in, it did kind of make sense that the once close group had fractured and telling their stories were reflected as such.
March 15, 2022
I haven’t read this author before and this book is book 10 in the Chastity Riley Series. I think it might have helped my understanding of the story had I read previous books. This writer has a very distinctive style of writing, short and punchy, think some chapters four or five lines long! Telling two different stories, the primary one in Glasgow, Scotland and a further tale back in Hamburg, Germany; with additional narrative by the River Clyde - I know, I thought that as well.
Briefly, Riley, a public prosecutor, is on sick leave following a recent traumatic case when she finds out she has been left a house in Scotland in her Great Aunt’s Will. Seeing this as a chance to escape from her depression she decides to go and see it for herself, however, she is soon spending more than a little time in pubs drinking heavily. When she meets her Great aunt’s former lover, Tom he offers to take her to visit the house, even though she isn’t planning on keeping it. Meanwhile, back in Hamburg her team are gradually returning to work investigating a major fire that killed a number of people, and three other bodies found with gunshots.
The book is really a journey of self discovery for Riley, I felt she had an affinity with the house, and with Glasgow, and was left wondering if she may decide to to keep it after all. I can see this is a cleverly written book but for me I found it a bit disjointed and I think that’s down to not knowing the background to the characters. I would read this author again as I’m keen to see where it goes from here ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Briefly, Riley, a public prosecutor, is on sick leave following a recent traumatic case when she finds out she has been left a house in Scotland in her Great Aunt’s Will. Seeing this as a chance to escape from her depression she decides to go and see it for herself, however, she is soon spending more than a little time in pubs drinking heavily. When she meets her Great aunt’s former lover, Tom he offers to take her to visit the house, even though she isn’t planning on keeping it. Meanwhile, back in Hamburg her team are gradually returning to work investigating a major fire that killed a number of people, and three other bodies found with gunshots.
The book is really a journey of self discovery for Riley, I felt she had an affinity with the house, and with Glasgow, and was left wondering if she may decide to to keep it after all. I can see this is a cleverly written book but for me I found it a bit disjointed and I think that’s down to not knowing the background to the characters. I would read this author again as I’m keen to see where it goes from here ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
March 18, 2022
State Prosecutor Chastity Riley receives a letter from Glasgow informing her she inherited a property there. She decides to leave Hamburg and travels to Scotland to find out more about it. The lawyer tells her that the house belonged to her aunt Eliza Broome, whom Chas never met.
While in Glasgow, Chastity finds herself bar hopping, drinking a lot of beer and whisky, and not eating much. She is plagued by grief after recent events and alcohol offers a form of escapism. This may be a trigger for some, as Chas would consume large quantities of alcohol and would forget to eat.
In one bar, she meets Tom who was Eliza’s on and off partner for years. From him she finds out the truth about her family…
Meanwhile in Hamburg, Ivo Stepanovic and Vito Calabretta investigate an arson attack, where two and a half streets were razed to the ground before firemen controlled the spread. They soon discover the identities of the men behind the attack and began a stake out operation.
Weaved in between the chapters, we read from the River Clyde’s point of view – something I found unusual. Buchholz personifies a body of water and gives it a voice with poetic relish and beautiful descriptions.
As it was my first book by Buchholz, I was a tiny bit confused as I didn’t really know what happened in the previous books – my fault, as I thought it could be read as a stand alone novel. I feel that I need to go back and read the previous novels by this author.
Overall, it’s an easy read with short chapters, however they convey a lot of information.
While in Glasgow, Chastity finds herself bar hopping, drinking a lot of beer and whisky, and not eating much. She is plagued by grief after recent events and alcohol offers a form of escapism. This may be a trigger for some, as Chas would consume large quantities of alcohol and would forget to eat.
In one bar, she meets Tom who was Eliza’s on and off partner for years. From him she finds out the truth about her family…
Meanwhile in Hamburg, Ivo Stepanovic and Vito Calabretta investigate an arson attack, where two and a half streets were razed to the ground before firemen controlled the spread. They soon discover the identities of the men behind the attack and began a stake out operation.
Weaved in between the chapters, we read from the River Clyde’s point of view – something I found unusual. Buchholz personifies a body of water and gives it a voice with poetic relish and beautiful descriptions.
As it was my first book by Buchholz, I was a tiny bit confused as I didn’t really know what happened in the previous books – my fault, as I thought it could be read as a stand alone novel. I feel that I need to go back and read the previous novels by this author.
Overall, it’s an easy read with short chapters, however they convey a lot of information.
March 24, 2022
Riley receives a letter from a solicitor in Glasgow which has the news that she has been left a property in the will of a great aunt she knows nothing about. Riley heads to Glasgow curious and in search of a means to recover her wellbeing and release the ‘concrete’ inside.
Once in Glasgow Riley quickly makes new friends and fits in with drinkers in the East End pubs. In one pub she is introduced to Tom Gomoszynski, an artist who has recently had a stroke. He is instantly besotted by her and eventually produces an old photograph of a woman who looks just like Riley. That woman is Eliza Broome, Riley’s recently deceased great aunt, who was Tom’s lover. Friendship blossoms between them and Tom offers to take Riley to the house so that she can decide whether to accept the bequest. This trip has a profound impact on both of their lives.
To borrow from Marks and Spencer, “This is not Pulp Noir, this is Existential Noir.” This really is something different to the usual Noir or crime fiction story. This beautiful novel covers the themes of belonging, personal healing and acceptance with a delicate light touch.
The writing is sparse and tight but at the same time manages to convey so much. The chapters are short, one being just one sentence, but the structure works perfectly as the narrative switches between Glasgow and Hamburg, reality and spirituality. The work by the translator is incredible to maintain such brevity.
Once in Glasgow Riley quickly makes new friends and fits in with drinkers in the East End pubs. In one pub she is introduced to Tom Gomoszynski, an artist who has recently had a stroke. He is instantly besotted by her and eventually produces an old photograph of a woman who looks just like Riley. That woman is Eliza Broome, Riley’s recently deceased great aunt, who was Tom’s lover. Friendship blossoms between them and Tom offers to take Riley to the house so that she can decide whether to accept the bequest. This trip has a profound impact on both of their lives.
To borrow from Marks and Spencer, “This is not Pulp Noir, this is Existential Noir.” This really is something different to the usual Noir or crime fiction story. This beautiful novel covers the themes of belonging, personal healing and acceptance with a delicate light touch.
The writing is sparse and tight but at the same time manages to convey so much. The chapters are short, one being just one sentence, but the structure works perfectly as the narrative switches between Glasgow and Hamburg, reality and spirituality. The work by the translator is incredible to maintain such brevity.
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