Barbara's (Ameise1) world and adventures (2)

So, it's time for a new thread. I'm currently enjoying a wellness holiday in the Black Forest. Next week I'll be spending another week's holiday at home before my last nine weeks before retirement begin on 13 May, 35 working days to be precise. I can then cross them off one by one :-D.

January
# 1 The Invisible Man From Salem by Christoffer Carlsson (4 stars)
# 2 Closed For Winter by Jørn Lier Horst (4½ stars)
# 3 The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher (5 stars)
# 4 Schach mit dem Tod by Steffen Jacobsen (4 stars)
# 5 The Golem by Isaak Bashevis Singer (4 stars)
# 6 Mordsand by Romy Fölck (4 stars) 🎧
# 7 Leichenschilf by Anna Jansson (3½ stars)
# 8 The Hunting Dog by Jørn Lier Horst (4½ stars)
# 9 Mitten im August by Luca Ventura (4 stars)
#10 You Will Never Be Found by Tove Alsterdal (4½ stars)

February
#11 Das Leuchten über dem Gipfel by Lenz Koppelstätter (4½ stars)
#12 Aquitania by Eva García Sáenz (5 stars)
#13 Murder At Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge (4½ stars)
#14 Whiteout by Ragnar Jonasson (4 stars)
#15 The Seventh Cross by Anna Seghers (3½ stars) 🎧
#16 Number 11 by Jonathan Coe (3½ stars)
#17 Todesmelodie by Andreas Franz, Daniel Holbe (4 stars)
#18 The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths (4½ stars)
#19 Dunkelkinder by Nora Luttmer (4 stars)

March
#20 I Am Your Judge by Nele Neuhaus (4½ stars)
#21 Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (4½ stars)
#22 Die Hornisse by Marc Raabe (4½ stars) 🎧
#23 Zorn – Tod und Regen by Stephan Ludwig (4 stars)
#24 Die rote Mütze by Daniel de Roulet (4½ stars)
#25 The Bone Readers by Jacob Ross (4½ stars)
#26 Die Spur der Aale by Florian Wacker (4½ stars)
#27 Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati (4 stars)

April
#28 Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford (4 stars) 🎧
#29 Eine Formalie in Kiew by Dmitrij Kapitelman (4½ stars)
#30 The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo (4½ stars)
#31 Zorn - Vom Lieben und Sterben by Stephan Ludwig (4½ stars)
#32 Bittersüsse Zitronen by Luca Ventura (4 stars)
#33 Farewell Ghosts by Nadia Terranova (4½ stars)
#34 Die Kunst zu sterben by Anna Grue (4 stars) 🎧
#35 The Bastards of Pizzofalcone by Maurizio de Giovanni (4½ stars)
#36 Death in Summer by Lina Areklew (4½ stars)

May
#37 Rachewinter by Andreas Gruber (4½ stars)
#38 Deadline in Athens by Pétros Márkaris (4 stars)
#39 Die Infantin trägt den Scheitel links by Helena Adler (5 stars)
#40 Eine Frau aus Tirana by Helena Kadare (4 stars)
#41 Der rote Judas by Thomas Ziebula (4 stars)
#42 Congo Requiem by Jean-Christophe Grangé (4½ stars) 🎧
#43 A Grave for Two by Anne Holt (4 stars)
#44 Teufelsfrucht by Tom Hillenbrand (4 stars)
#45 Rotes Gold by Tom Hillenbrand (4 stars)
#46 Die Schatten von Paris by Ulrich Wickert (4 stars)
#47 Die letzte Ernte by Tom Hillenbrand (4 stars)
#48 Vollmond Über der Cote d'Azur by Christine Cazon (4 stars) 🎧

June
#49 Im Kopf des Mörders - Toter Schrei by Arno Strobel (3½ stars)
#50 Achtsam morden am Rande der Welt by Karsten Dusse (4 stars) 🎧
#51 Died in the Wool by Melinda Mullet (4 stars)
#52 Die Wüstenkönigin by Ulrich Wickert (4 stars)
#53 Mutterliebe by Rebecca Russ (4 stars)

July
#54 So dunkel der Wald by Michaela Kastel (4 stars)
#55 Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens (4 stars)
#56 Die Totentänzerin by Max Bentow (3½ stars) 🎧

August
#57 Red Roulette by Desmond Shum (4 stars)
#58 Inspektor Takeda und die Toten von Altona by Henrik Siebold (4 stars)
#59 The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (4½ stars)
#60 Loch of the Dead by Oscar de Muriel (4 stars)
#61 Terra di Sicilia by Mario Giordano (4 stars)
#62 In einer stillen Bucht by Luca Ventura (4½ stars)
#63 The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (4 stars)
#64 Inspektor Takeda und der leise Tod by Henrik Siebold (4stars)
#65 Das letzte Sakrament by Thomas Kowa (4 stars)
#66 Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon (4½ stars)
#67 Karwoche by Andreas Föhr (4 stars) 🎧
#68 Unwanted by Kristina Ohlsson (4½ stars)
#69 Bitterkalter Tod by Ilaria Tuti (4½ stars)

Currently reading
 Three Burials

Currently listening
 Body Language

book 35 Read in German

 The Bastards of Pizzofalcone

I'm a big fan of Maurizio de Giovanni's crime novels and the second volume of the Giuseppe Lojacono series also gripped me from the first to the last page.
The Pizzofalcone police station is in danger of being disbanded. The most 'hated' officers from various police stations in Naples are transferred to this police station. What nobody thinks is possible is that this conspiratorial squad can get together and solve unsolvable cases.
The wife of a notary is found dead in her flat. All the evidence points to the notary and his mistress. Only Inspector Lojacono doubts it. But finding the real murderer seems to be a sisifus job. At the same time, an old woman reports the new occupant of the neighbouring house. Is she being held captive there? This case also seems to be tricky, but the two new ruffians at the police station have a good feeling and are able to solve this mystery too. There are also various 'suicides' that the station's oldest policeman refuses to believe in. And last but not least, there is Lojacono's love and family life, where things don't seem to be moving forward either.

book 36 Read in German

 Death in Summer

This is the first volume in the Sofia Hjortén series, set in the archipelago of Sweden. Written in a very exciting and varied way, with lots of details about the different characters. I will definitely continue reading this series.
Sofia Hjortén has turned her back on her career as a detective in Stockholm and is devoting herself to the unagitated police service in the coastal region of Ulvön. But then, on Midsummer, a man is found horribly beaten to death on the jetty. Not only Sofia's current love life, but also that of the past, interfere with her solving the case. What's more, nobody realises for a long time that this murder and the subsequent ones have something to do with a midsummer forty years ago. Who is taking revenge after such a long time?

My lazy April stats:



Authors Gender and origin:

Women: 4
Men: 5

Denmark: 1
Germany: 1
Italy: 2
Japan: 1
Sweden: 1
Ukraine/Germany: 1
UK: 1
unknown: 1

>7 Ameise1: Solid April's reading, Barbara!

Happy new thread.

Thanks so much Rdear. *smooches*

Getting comfy in my armchair to enjoy your thread

Whereabouts in the Black Forest are you vacationing, Barbara? I have stayed in Baden-Baden and in the Freiburg area. I hope the weather is good so you can get in some nice walks.

>10 Nickelini: Thanks so much Joyce, glad to see you here.

>11 labfs39: I am in Schluchsee. It rained on Sunday and Monday morning. Since then, in addition to spa treatments and fine dining, I've been enjoying reading on the terrace in mild temperatures.

>12 Ameise1: in addition to spa treatments and fine dining, I've been enjoying reading

Those are all good options too!

>Isn't it? 😀

Happy new thread, Barbara!

Enjoy your time in Schluchtsee. We have been near there once, a bit more north in Gütenbach.
So glad you are getting near your retirement,

>15 FAMeulstee: Thank you very much, Anita. I had to google Gütenbach. It's actually only 50 kilometres from here. Yes, I'm really looking forward to retirement 😍.
I'm travelling home again tomorrow.

Glad you are having a relaxing time! How exciting that your retirement is close.

Happy new thread and safe travels

>17 figsfromthistle: Thank you very much, Anita. I really enjoy it. 😀

>9 Ameise1: Good gravy! Someone made a 1959 Cadillac even LONGER?! Those beasts are almost 6 meters long from the factory!

Good weekend-ahead's reads!

>19 richardderus: Isn't it? I was very surprised when I saw the photo. It's not for nothing that we call these cars 'ships'. Have a great weekend too. *smooches*

book 37 Read in German

 Rachewinter

The third volume of the Walter Pulaski series was also captivating.
People are being murdered by a mysterious woman in a red dress in and around Leibzig and Vienna. While Pulaski is convinced that the dead man in the motel, who was the father of his daughter's best friend, did not die of natural causes, the dead man in Vienna was brutally murdered. Evelyn Meyers is supposed to represent the guilty party in court, but soon realises that the accused is probably not the culprit, but someone else who bears a striking resemblance to him. What is behind this?
In Leibzig, Pulaski is mainly concerned with preventing his daughter and her friend from investigating on their own.
Very slowly, with enormous suspense, the reader is drawn into the machinations of a family drama. Whereas in previous cases Pulaski and Meyers investigated very quickly, in this case it takes a long time for their paths to cross.

>21 Ameise1: I like that book's cover, as well as its plot. Maybe someday an English version of the series will be released....

Happy New Thread, Barbara!
>21 Ameise1: And another series to be read...

Ah, cool! A new thread. Glad to have found it sooner rather than later. I always enjoy your reviews. Cheers!

>22 richardderus: Rdear, I'm a huge fan of Andreas Gruber's books. I hope for everyone that his books will be translated one day.

>23 SirThomas: I can highly recommend it to you, Thomas. Have you already read the Sneijder & Nemez series? Also highly recommended.

>24 rocketjk: Thank you very much, Jerry. It's good to hear that you like my reviews.

book 38 Read in German ROOT 4

 Deadline in Athenes

This is the first volume in the Inspector Kostas Charitos series. He is the head of the homicide squad in Athens and is supervised by Nikolaos Gikas. They are not always on the same page, as Charitos is a gut man and his boss only works with facts. Despite many misunderstandings, Gikas has Charitos' back. Charitos is married, and even though he loves his wife, they often have arguments.
Charitos investigates together with Sotiris and Thanassis. They are called to a house where two Albanians have been found dead. Despite questioning the neighbours, they make no progress. If it wasn't for the ambitious journalist Jana Karajorgi, who spreads the word that there must be another child. The TV journalist stops at nothing and keeps spreading new stories until she is found murdered shortly before the midnight programme. Now Charitos and his team get a new lead and wonder why the journalist had to die. Her successor is also found dead shortly afterwards. Charitos also realises that there is a mole inside the police department. Who is it?
The case escalates into child trafficking and power games. It is written in such an exciting and varied way that the reader only realises who the culprit is on the last page.

book 39 Read in German

 Die Infantin trägt den Scheitel links

The first thing to say: Powerful language - unambiguous-ambiguous. The author has such powerful language that it is a real pleasure to read this book.
She, the youngest daughter, the tender child, burns down her parents' farm. It is not an accident, but also self-defence. An act of self-assertion against the imposition of growing up under the regime of her parents, a sanctimonious, bigoted mother and a father with a fatal penchant for alcohol, pyrotechnics and esotericism. Not to mention the older twin sisters, two ice princesses who have sprung from an evil fairy tale and play tricks on her, the infanta in stable boots, wherever they can. And, of course, the huntsmen, priest, relatives and mayor are not absent from this idyllic home, which is painted in the most beautiful colours of hell and where things are so tangible and hearty. It tells of things as if they were beyond belief. Shrill, coarse, unadorned, snotty and tough as country life can be.
I had a great time, even if certain things make you think.

>25 Ameise1: The series is high up on my mount TBR!
I know the Sneijder & Nemez series and enjoyed the reading.

>26 Ameise1: Thank God I have already read this one ;-).

>27 Ameise1: And another BB!

Have a wonderful long weekend, Barbara.

Not long now until retirement, Barbara! Dave is sure enjoying his retirement. It's just been since April 21st, but know he wonders how he had the time to work! But he is 67 . Have a great long weekend and Happy New Thread!

>28 SirThomas: Hello Thomas, it's good that you've already read a few books ;-), but of course I'm pleased that I was able to recommend another one to you.
Have a nice Whitsun weekend.

>29 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deborah, there are only 31 working days left. Yes, we keep hearing that retired people have a full daily schedule. I'm really looking forward to it.

book 40 Read in German

 Eine Frau aus Tirana

I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but it was definitely worth reading.
The story is told by a young woman who works in the state book publishing house in Albania, which was still closed at the time under the leadership of Enver Hoxha. 'The Big Boss', as he is known in the publishing industry, dominates the events of this book.
On the one hand, it is forbidden to make references to great authors from earlier times because, despite their great renown, they do not fit in politically with the times. It is as if they are trying to erase the history of Albania. This is almost unbearable for many employees in the publishing industry. They live in constant fear of being punished and the punishments were terrible.
On the other hand, the protagonist talks about the role of women in the closed Albania, which nobody would accept from today's perspective of the Western world.
This story gives a deep insight into life at that time, how people tried to cope with everyday life and how 'rebellious spirits' tried to create small freedoms for themselves.
It is a book that I can warmly recommend.

book 41 Read in German

 Der rote Judas

A new series for me centred around Inspector Paul Stainer, set in Leibzig around 1920.
Inspector Paul Stainer is one of the first soldiers to return home from being a prisoner of war in France. He is back on his birthday of all days and wants to fall into the arms of his beloved wife Edith. But some of the letters he received from her during the war do not bode well. The marriage had not been perfect before, too often his job took precedence. Then Edith thought he was dead and has been in a relationship with Eugen Brand for some time, who, to Paul's annoyance, is around twenty years older. But while things are in crisis in his private life, an unexpected professional opportunity arises, as the Chief of Police, Dr Kubitz, is expecting him back on duty. Not only that, but he is also promoted to detective inspector and thus head of the criminal investigation department. However, there is not much time for reflection as events suddenly come thick and fast. A secondary school teacher is murdered, a tax official from Berlin allegedly commits suicide by hanging and there is a wild shoot-out in a villa belonging to Weingarten, a well-known factory owner, in which three people are killed. Stainer and trainee detective Siegfried Junghans are soon on the trail of a perfidious network, as the deaths are connected and affect Stainer more personally than he could have imagined.
A very vivid portrayal of the post-war period with a gripping plot that frequently switches between the police and the perpetrators. The characters are superbly designed, there is plenty of action and political background knowledge. This makes history fun.

book 42 Read in German 🎧

 Congo Requiem

A hellish ride into the heart of African darkness.
No one keeps his dark secrets as well hidden as Grégoire Morvan: family tyrant, unscrupulous businessman and grey eminence of the French Ministry of the Interior. In the 1970s, Morvan brought down a bestial killer in the Congo. Following a cruel ritual, the "nail man" left his victims riddled with nails and shards of mirror.
And now he seems to have a mysterious successor who is threatening Morvan's entire family! Morvan's son Erwan, an inspector with the Paris police, travels to the Congo on his own to find out his father's true story. Little does he realise that he is opening the gates to hell.
What impressed me was that Grangé is able to describe the political events in the Congo and the catastrophic life for the population there so accurately. The tragic thing is that not much has changed to this day.
It was exciting from the very beginning and keeps you guessing until the very end how things will turn out.

book 43 Read in German

 A Grave for Two

This is the first volume in the Selma Falck series and it grabbed me straight away.
Selma is a lawyer, but because she has done some crooked things and relieved clients, in particular Jan Morell, of money, she is now faced with nothing and fights to prevent charges being brought against her. Jan Morell gives her a chance, but in return she has to find out why Jan's daughter, a gifted cross-country skier, gave a positive doping test. Selma soon realises that things are going wrong in the Norwegian cross-country skiing association. What's more, well-known personalities (athletes, but also members of the association) are being found dead. Who is behind it all? Selma gets support from a sports journalist. While Morell was more of a hindrance at the beginning, he proves to be a help towards the end.
Grippingly written, with many twists and turns. I will definitely continue with this series.

>31 Ameise1: Ooh, I wish this one were translated into English.

>31 Ameise1: and >32 Ameise1: both sound good but not available in English, unfortunately. Perhaps translations will come...

>32 Ameise1: Drat the luck! It doesn't look like this series has been translated into English...I hope yet, but suspect it won't be because it's pretty resolutely German. I tried learning German years ago and it just refused to click into place, and I'm still disappointed about that.

Lovely week-ahead's reads, Barbara!

>30 Ameise1: Thank you very much, Barbara, I wish you the same.
I still have 64 working days left.
Sometimes I feel like a child waiting for Christmas...

book 44 Read in German - ROOT 5

 Teufelsfrucht

This is the first volume in the culinary crime series about Xavier Kieffer, a chef from Luxembourg who trained with a French Michelin-starred chef and then went on to have a stellar career in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris. But now he is back in Luxembourg, wants nothing more to do with stars and cooks excellent Luxembourg cuisine.
A test eater from the Guide Gabin drops dead in Xavier's restaurant.
Xavier is immediately suspected of having something to do with the death. Of course, he can't let that sit on his head, so he starts to investigate on his own initiative. In the process, we get to know his comrades-in-arms. Firstly, there is his friend Pekka, who works for the EU, Valérie, the boss of Guide Gabin, and Esteban, with whom Xavier did his cookery apprenticeship.
Xavier soon realises that investigating on his own initiative not only puts him in danger, but also others, and there are more deaths.
The main theme in this cosy crime thriller is glutomatous. It is a competition between companies that use Glutomat to turn poor quality products into fine food and bring these products to the masses. They don't care that they are risking people's health in the process.
As I make everything myself from fresh produce, I am fortunately not dependent on Glutomat. Even more so after reading this book.
What I particularly liked is that you can immerse yourself in the delicious Luxembourg cuisine with Xavier.

>35 labfs39: Lisa, maybe one day it will be translated into English.

>36 CDVicarage: Kerry, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the books will be translated one day.

>37 richardderus: Rdear, learning languages is not always easy. The best and quickest way to learn is when you're young. As a Swiss, I had to learn German German and French from a young age. After that I learnt Italian and English and then Spanish so that I didn't get bored.

>38 SirThomas: Thomas, I can understand you very well. It feels like a birthday, Christmas and Easter all rolled into one.
I wish you a relaxing weekend.

book 45 Read in German - ROOT 6

 Rotes Gold

I also really enjoyed the second volume about Xavier Kieffer. This time the main theme was overfishing of the oceans, in particular the ‘extermination’ of tuna and dangerous experiments with fish farming.
Together with his girlfriend Valérie, Xavier is invited by the mayor of Paris to an exquisite fish dinner organised by a Japanese celebrity chef. The chef prepares the food at the table and suddenly drops dead. If the mayor had not been a good friend of Valérie's, Xavier would probably not have had to start investigating again, but . . .
Xavier soon realises that dubious fishmongers based in Luxenbourg are involved in the murder. The greed for quick money is enormous among these dealers and so they literally walk over dead bodies. The trail leads Xavier from tranquil Luxenbourg to Sicily, where he can even call on the Mafia for support and help.
Another exciting adventure that makes you think about what fishing and the fish trade can do.

book 46 Read in German

 Die Schatten von Paris

Until now, I only knew Ulrich Wickert as an excellent news presenter, whom I greatly appreciated. So I was somewhat surprised that he is also the author of countless books, including the Jacques Ricou series, of which this book is already volume seven. But I had no trouble immersing myself in the story, even if I hadn't known all of the protagonists before.
Jacques Ricou gets caught up in a swamp of betrayal and political intrigue. Near Lake Geneva, a man is executed with five targeted shots. A short time later, Jacques' friend, a fellow investigating judge, is murdered in the same way. Together with Commissioner Jean and Jacques' life partner, the journalist Margeaux, he tries to get to the bottom of the matter.
At the same time, you learn about the machinations of the secret service but also what AI can do.
Very excitingly written and I hope that I can read other books by Wickert.

book 47 Read in German

 Letzte Ernte

The third volume of the Xavier Kieffer series was also exciting.
A glass of wine, Riesling pie and then a piece of Quetschetaart with cream - at the Luxembourg summer fair, the former star chef Xavier Kieffer and his girlfriend, the food critic Valerie Gabin, are having a really good time. But in a beer tent, a stranger suddenly hands him a magnetic card and disappears. The next morning, the man is found dead under the Red Bridge. Why did he give Kieffer this card? What's the deal with the computer codes on it? And why are so many people suddenly after him? The Luxembourg chef suddenly finds himself at the center of a conspiracy and realizes that his girlfriend is in great danger.
"Tom Hillenbrand lets fame-hungry TV chefs, food hunters, food industrialists, laid-back gourmets appear. Exciting, entertaining and, we fear, not all that unrealistic."

book 48 Read in German 🎧

 Vollmond Über der Cote d'Azur

It is April in Cannes. The weather is changeable. Duval is expecting family visitors over the upcoming Easter holidays, and his girlfriend Annie is heavily pregnant. That would be enough of a challenge, but then a woman dies in a bistro in Cannes under initially unclear circumstances. Her companion disappears when the emergency doctor arrives. Apparently the murdered woman was a patient at a psychiatric clinic in Mougins, where she had been admitted after an accident that caused her to lose her memory.
Duval takes over the investigation. In this case, the inspector is confronted with art and artists, with drugs, prostitution and bizarre figures who practice yoga under the full moon. And during a raid, the drug investigators also catch Duval's half-brother. Will the inspector succeed in unravelling all the threads in this complicated story and still do justice to his family and Annie?
This was another exciting case from the Duval series.

>31 Ameise1: That's another book in my wishlist - the French translation is only available second-hand, but at least, it exists, so I feel luckier than English readers...

My lazy May stats:



Authors Gender and origin:

Women: 4
Men: 6

Albania: 1
Austria: 2
France: 1
Germany: 4
Greece: 1
Norway: 1

>45 Dilara86: I can highly recommend it to you. I knew that this book had also been translated into French. The author has lived in Paris for a long time.

>39 Ameise1:, >40 Ameise1: At least this one's available in Italian, a language I *can* read albeit slowly.

Where I grew up in Texas there was, like your Swiss youth, significant advantage in learning to speak Spanish. From there, French and Italian came easier. Just could never grasp three genders and the trillions of case endings they require to explain the world.

Tom Hillenbrand's been a busy man! Series galore to explore. Kind of the German Ann Cleeves it seems.

Be well! Enjoy June. *smooch*

>31 Ameise1: Wow - I had no idea there was another Kadare writing - probably because she hasn't been translated into English. I'm a huge fan of that other Kadare, her husband.

I see this book has been translated into French, so maybe I will give that a try. It looks as if it will have to be a second hand search.

I didn't know you spoke Italian! I want to get back to my Italian studies this year.

Good thing I already know the Xavier Kieffer series, so this BB just missed me, my TBR pile is already way too high - but I guess it's not just me ;-)
All the best for the new week!

>48 richardderus: Rdear, yes, Tom Hillenbrand is a series junkie. I love the Xavier Kieffer series.
Re languages: Long live the Latin languages ​​with all their conjugations. Here in the 'old' world, they are particularly keen to make sure all cases and conjugations are correct. For example, Spanish in South America was MUCH easier because there isn't as much conjugation as here in Europe.
I hope you have a great June too. *smooch*

>49 SassyLassy: I love her husband's books too. I hope you find a French copy of her book. It's worth a read.

>50 Nickelini: Joyce, I still have a lot of hidden talents ;-). Understanding and reading Italian is no problem these days. But since I haven't spoken it for a long time, I'll probably need time to immerse myself in the language again.

>51 SirThomas: Thomas, who are you telling? I saw that you read the Kieffer series. My pile of books is growing every day. I get recommendations from everywhere that interest me.
I wish you a good new week too.

...and thanks for your BB for Farewell Ghosts, I wasn't quite as excited as you, but enjoyed the reading.

It's been over a month since I last posted. It's been a crazy time.
Firstly, I'm extremely sad about Anita's death. She was a good friend of mine here on LT and I was lucky enough to be able to talk to her over the phone, even though I never met her in person.
Then it was the end of my working life. I had to muck out my classroom, say goodbye to my class and had various farewell parties, which I really enjoyed.
Now I've been retired since Saturday, which I was really looking forward to. The next big thing I have to do is clean out my office at home, but I'm going to take it easy.
We haven't booked any holidays yet. We will certainly go to the mountains in early autumn and take our bikes with us. In the second half of August there's the annual theatre spectacle in Zurich. We've already booked tickets for three performances.
Otherwise, we'll be doing a few bike tours from home.
I read five books in June, which I will now write about. So far, I haven't finished reading any books in July. There was just too much going on.
My health has been a bit poor over the last few weeks. I was plagued by a terrible cough. I had to undergo various investigations as whooping cough is currently rampant in our schools. Luckily I didn't have it, I've also been vaccinated against it, but unfortunately I'm one of the 'lucky' people who picks up every virus etc.
So, that's the latest from me, now I have to get to work on the reviews.

book 49 Read in German

 Im Kopf des Mörders - Toter Schrei

This was the third volume in the series and I wasn't entirely convinced.
Inspector Max Bischoff is afraid. For his sister Kirsten, who hasn't felt safe for weeks. A stranger is watching her, knows where she is and is sending her threatening messages. And then what Max has always feared happens. The stranger takes control of Kirsten and tries to force Max to sacrifice himself. If he doesn't, Kirsten will die. Max Bischoff finds himself in the worst hell imaginable. Should he save his own life or that of his sister?
Max soon realises that he can't trust his police colleagues, as the culprit must be one of them. Left to his own devices, he goes in search of the kidnapper and realises far too late that he is falling into a trap.

Goodness, Barbara, you have had a lot of changes and challenges lately. I hope you are able to find your equilibrium soon and enjoy your retirement. Get well soon and thanks for giving us an update.

book 50 Read in German 🎧

 Achtsam morden am Rande der Welt

This was a great pleasure, as always.
Björn Diemel is back! After a celebration - or actually a planned "non-celebration" - of his 45th birthday has gone horribly wrong, it's time for another visit to his therapist Joschka Breitner. He then puts his finger on the wound and asks the crucial question: What does he actually want from his life? A question that has certainly puzzled many people. Nevertheless, Diemel is not (or no longer) a man who runs away from such existential problems and so, like legions of other seekers, he sets out on the path of knowledge - namely the Way of St James. Here he hopes to answer his questions in quiet contemplation and strenuous walking. Nevertheless, even Björn Diemel has to realise that the question of the meaning of life takes on a completely different dynamic when someone tries to take it away from someone else. Even in the pious guise of a pilgrim, not everyone seems to like lawyers, and certainly not this lawyer ...

>56 labfs39: Thank you very much, Lisa. As they say, it can only get better. I'm taking things slowly now, as I realise that the last few weeks have taken their toll on me. As I am an optimist, I know that things are now looking up and I will enjoy life.

book 51 Read in German

 Died in the Wool

The fourth volume in the Whisky Business Mysteries series was also a great read.
Abigail Logan, the owner of an award-winning distillery, attends a whisky seminar in Edinburgh. There she befriends Amanda, who runs a women's refuge. When one of the women is found dead shortly afterwards, Amanda asks Abigail for help. Then another woman disappears without a trace and a ransom demand reaches the women's refuge. While Abigail looks after the kidnapped woman's daughter, she begins to investigate on her own - because she has a terrible suspicion.
Abigail's love life also takes a pleasant turn.

book 52 Read in German

 Die Wüstenkönigin

Having recently read 'The Shadows of Paris' by Ulrich Wickert, I knew that I wanted to read the other books as well.
I was also captivated by this book right from the start. Bribery, corruption, betrayal in the highest circles - a new case for the judge from Paris. Investigating magistrate Jacques Ricou actually thought he knew what atrocities people are capable of. But when a trivial incident leads him to come across respected men who disregard all human values, he can no longer pretend that this is an everyday occurrence. Jacques Ricou is determined to uncover the links between arms dealers and oil tycoons, cynical politicians and unscrupulous secret service agents and their illegal dealings in Angola. But the closer he gets to the case, the more explosive the situation becomes for his adversaries, the more dangerous it becomes for him. Confronted with the deepest depths of human greed, he throws caution to the wind and flies to Luanda, even when Lyse, the woman he loves, knows more than is good for her. And thus to almost certain death.

book 53 Read in German

 Mutterliebe

A nightmare comes true for single nurse Nora Somweber when her six-year-old daughter Louisa disappears without a trace after a visit to her father Matthias and his girlfriend Ellis.
After an unsuccessful search, the young woman finally reports her daughter missing. However, she has to be very careful with her statements to the police, as she has been harbouring a secret since Louisa's birth that must never come to light.
With this gripping novel, the author has presented a very well constructed psychological thriller about misguided maternal love. The story shows how far some women will go when they are convinced that they only want the best for a child. They don't even realise that they are slipping into crime, as they are acting morally correct from their point of view.

My lazy June stats:



Authors Gender and origin:

Women: 2
Men: 3

Austria: 1
Germany: 3
USA: 1

I wish you an ever-increasing amount of joy in your new phase of life, Barbara. Your many transitions over the past few years are reason enough to move slowly as you keep your balance in the world.

You have done some very good quality reading...I think I need to study German again to read them. (Not really, I hit the wall of declension and declined. But you do make me think about it!)

Rdear, thank you so much for your kind words. They have touched me.
Yes, it's such a crux with languages. For a while, I mostly read books in English. I got to know so many English, Canadian, American and Australian writers. As a result, I neglected the many great European authors that I am now reading and have realised that there are many interesting contemporary writers for me.

>43 Ameise1: this looks like a fantastic series.

>65 figsfromthistle: It is, Anita. I can highly recommend it. 😃

What a crazy and busy time for you. I hope you can relax and enjoy your summer. And I hope your weather settles down. It seems every time I look at the Swiss weather it's either "hard rain" or sunny and 28 degrees. Time for something more moderate.

Congratulations on your retirement, Barbara. Be sure to take the time to wind down and get healthy now before committing to anything else!

Happy Retirement, Barbara! Yes, the sudden passing of Anita was very sad indeed. It hit me too, and you have actually spoken with her.

>54 Ameise1: The farewell parties are just starting for me too, it makes me happy to be shown appreciation but also sad, because something beautiful is coming to an end.
All the best for your new phase of life - and get well soon!

>57 Ameise1: I love the series!

>59 Ameise1: The first book in the series was a BB from you, Barbara, I'll be returning soon

>67 Nickelini: Thanks Joyce, I already feel better than I did at the beginning of the week. Today is the last hot day with over 30C. It should be more pleasant from tomorrow.

>68 ronincats: Thank you Roni, yes, I certainly won't be embarking on any big adventures at the moment. I'll take it one thing at a time.

>69 vancouverdeb: Thank you Deborah, it's very hot here at the moment, so not too much activity at the moment. More on this later.

>70 SirThomas: (>57 Ameise1:) Yes, I know, thanks to you I started using it and it's addictive. (>59 Ameise1:) I hope you enjoy the other books as much as I did. Saying goodbye is not easy, but imagine that many exciting adventures await you in the next stage of your life and to top it all off, you no longer have to live with an alarm clock. It's nice to hear that you get to enjoy farewell parties.

book 54 Read in German

 So dunkel der Wald

A dark story that is well worth reading. It's about the ‘Stockholm syndrome’. Young children, mostly girls, but occasionally also a boy, are abducted by a man and taken to a very remote place in the Austrian Alps. There they are subdued and sexually abused. As soon as they are a little older, the fiend leaves them sexually in peace. To punish them if they are disobedient, they are locked in a crevice for a few days. Very few survive this, so there is a kind of mass grave on the mountain. Two young adults, a teenage girl and a little boy and girl are the main characters. A policewoman takes on these abductions over the years and tries to solve the cases. You learn a lot about how the Stockholm Syndrome works and why the perpetrator came to do what he did.

So, on Thursday we went on a mini bike tour. It was far too hot to cycle a longer distance. We cycled from home around the Katzensee lake. There we enjoyed fish with chips/salad for lunch. Back home, we first had to take a cold shower.


  
 This is the rear part of the lake.

Lovely photos! It has cooled off a bit here as well, with lower humidity. Just having cool nights does a lot to restore my equilibrium.

>74 labfs39: Yes, cool nights are worth their weight in gold. Good to hear that you can relax at night.

Happy retirement, Barb. I am sure you will love it. Looking forward to seeing you around.

>76 msf59: Thank you very much, Mark. Nice to see you here. Yes, I hope I can spend more time on LT now. 😃

Thank you for the great pictures - have a pleasant rest of sunday, Barbara.

>78 SirThomas: You are welcome. Our next bike tour will be next Tuesday.
I hope you have a great Sunday too.

Thank you, I have.
This morning I went to the golf course with a friend, then we had a delicious eggplant casserole for lunch.
This afternoon it's too hot and humid outside, so I'm at LT...

Hi Barbara! I'm glad to have come to the right thread, and thank you for pointing me here.

>73 Ameise1: Ah, just like old times - you posting pics of your adventures including mouth-watering food.

Congrats on your retirement and what looks to be a great reading year.

>81 karenmarie: Thank you very much Karen. It's nice to see you here.
The way the weather forecast looks, we'll be going on another bike ride on Tuesday.
Yes, I'm very happy with my reading year so far, even if I won't get much done in July and August.

Happy Birthday!!!

>83 ronincats: Roni, I think you're confusing me with someone else. My birthday isn't until September.

Okay, thanks.

Hi, Barb. Many thanks for the link.

>9 Ameise1:. What a beautiful car.

I envy you your bike-riding. Such beautiful areas to ride through.

I see you read Elly Griffiths. Have you read the most recent Ruth Galloway novel? It ties up some loose ends in a satisfying way.

Happy newly-retired summer week of reading, Barbara!

>86 jnwelch: Hello Joe, I am happy that you have found me.
So far I've only read eight books in the Ruth Galloway series. I borrow them each from my local library. I would have to see if the ninth volume is available yet.
Cycling is great. It looks like we're going on a tour around the Greifensee tomorrow.

>87 richardderus: Thank you very much, Rdear. Somehow I can't get away from the spot as far as reading is concerned. There are too many other things to do. Today I downloaded some audio books that I borrowed from the library onto my computer.
I wish you a good reading week too.

Happy retirement, Barbara! It sounds like things are going well. I hope you can stop catching all the school bugs now!

>90 susanj67: I'm glad you found me. Yes, I also hope that I can now live without these annoying bugs.
We really enjoy our grandsons. It's great that I now have more time for them.

Today we went on a bike tour around Lake Greifensee. First we went along the Glatt river. Then 3/4 around the lake, where we saw lots of storks and grey geese. We had lunch in Greifensee before heading home again. In Dübendorf we saw a gelato van where we ate some delicious ice cream.


 

 

 

>92 Ameise1: What a lovely trip that looks to be! Glad you enjoyed it.

>93 richardderus: thanks so much, Rdear. We enjoyed it very much. But now I'm pretty tired. 😴

Gorgeous day! Thank you for sharing the journey

That looks like a lovely day, Barbara! I would have particularly enjoyed the gelato :-)

>54 Ameise1: A bit late to the game, but congratulations on your retirement! I hope the next phase is full of joy.
>86 jnwelch: Aha! I'm glad to see more Elly Griffiths readers here. I'm in the queue at the library to read the latest Ruth Galloway book.

>92 Ameise1: Oh lovely, sounds like you had a great time!

And if I haven't already said, happy retirement!

I'm glad you are enjoying your retirement so much, Barbara. Your like ride looks great and I am glad you had a great day. The gelato looks yummy!

I imagine my retirement to be something like this...
Many thanks for the beautiful pictures!

Sweet Thursday, Barb. Looks like you had a great bike ride. I love the geese and storks. Keep enjoying that retirement.

Electric bikes have become the craze here. They are just so expensive.

Looks like you’re making a huge success of retirement, Barb.😀

Any chance we’ll be seeing photos of the grandsons?

Found you!! And it looks like retirement is treating you well. Keep it up! : )

Dear friends, once again I am lagging behind in terms of my activity on LT. First there were some family commitments and then the Olympics. So now I'll try to catch up on everything I've missed and write some reviews.

>95 labfs39: You're welcome, Lisa.

>96 susanj67: Susan, it really was a wonderful day, because since then it's been sweltering hot here and we're not even thinking about going on a bike ride. Now it's actually gelati time. Unfortunately there is no such great gelati van near our house.

>97 rv1988: Rasdhar, thank you very much, so far retirement feels great. I love the Ruth Galloway books, the Brighton Mysteries series is great too.

>98 bell7: Thanks so much, Mary. I enjoy it very much.

>99 vancouverdeb: Deborah, we love cycling, but it's very hot here at the moment. We can probably start our next tour next week.

>100 SirThomas: You're very welcome, Thomas. Yes, you can look forward to it, it's really great.

>101 msf59: Thank you very much, Mark. Yes, ebikes are not cheap here either. We bought our first electric bikes 11 years ago. Thomas's lasted nine years before the motor broke down (he also rode more than I did). I had to buy a new one last September. Interestingly, the prices were practically the same as eleven years ago.

>103 Berly: Nice to see you here Kim, welcome. Thank you very much I enjoy my life very much.

>102 jnwelch: Joe, yes, being retired is indeed a great benefit.
Your wish is my command. Here's a new photo of my grandsons:



So, now I have to get to work writing various reviews.

book 54 Read in German

 Never Let You Go

This is a book that gave me a lot to think about and I didn't read through it so quickly. It's about a woman who fled with her daughter years ago from her alcoholic husband, who also brutally beat her up, in order to start a new life. The ex-husband also had to serve a prison sentence for driving a woman to death. You get to know the mother and daughter very well in this book. The daughter feels the desire to get in touch with her father, which her mother must not know under any circumstances. The mother, on the other hand, has the unspeakable talent of getting involved with the 'wrong men' time and time again and so fate takes its course.

book 55 Read in German 🎧

 Die Totentänzerin

Somehow I never really warmed to this story.
A man and a woman, undressed and united in a tight embrace, their bodies tied together with a cord. The bed on which they lie is soaked in blood, with the two victims' nightwear draped bizarrely in front of them. This gruesome sight presents itself to Nils Trojan and his team when they arrive at the flat where the horrific crime took place. What sick spirit has been raging here? How far does hatred go to tempt a person to commit such an act? Trojan is shocked when Theresa Landsberg, his boss's wife, of all people, ends up among the suspects. He doesn't want to believe that she is guilty, and yet he knows that he has to follow every lead. Because another pair of lovers have just been found dead.
The crux of the matter is that Detective Inspector Nils Trojan never knows who he can and cannot trust.

My lazy July stats:



Authors Gender and origin:

Women: 2
Men: 1

Austria: 1
Canada: 1
Germany: 1

book 56 Read in German

 Red Roulette

That was a very interesting read. I've always been interested in what's happening in China.
My husband and I were in Beijing and the surrounding area in 1995. That was a time when much of the old Beijing was still there. There were still a few tower blocks and many hutongs were still there. The street markets were also mostly our 'shopping mile or restaurants'. English was not yet widely spoken, which meant speaking with hands and feet or looking into the cooking pots to order the right food. In any case, the trip was worthwhile for us, even though we realised that big changes were imminent.
This book describes how the political machinations work. It is a kind of autobigraphy by the author. It describes how offices, commissions etc. are awarded among the powerful or the up-and-comers. It also shows the fall of entire clans.
Some things were familiar to me and therefore not surprising, others confirmed my suspicions.
I can highly recommend this book.

Love the photos of your grandsons. They are adorable. Our Jackson turns 3, next week. ❤️

How is retirement treating you? Dumb question?

Red Roulette sounds like a good one.

book 57 Read in German

 Inspektor Takeda und die Toten von Altona

I can't remember where I was recommended this book, but it was definitely worth reading and I've already earmarked the second volume for my library.
The Japanese inspector Takede comes to Hamburg for two years on an exchange programme. There he is assigned to Chief Inspector Claudia Harms. She is not happy about this, but nevertheless endeavours to familiarise herself with Japanese culture so that she can give her new colleague a proper welcome. In Altona, a murdered couple is found in their bedroom. As the patrol officers have the feeling that it must be a suicide, Takeda and Harms are given the task of looking in. However, Takeda is convinced after the first inspection that it is a murder. Who is behind it? Harms is not always convinced by her new colleague's train of thought, but soon realises that he is right.
The search for clues leads the two of them from the political left to the ultra right. The construction industry doesn't come off well either.
The two also become closer in their private lives.

>111 msf59: Thank you very much, Mark. Yes, we love these two rascals to the moon and back. Oh, three years old already? Time flies by. Timo will also be one year old next Monday.
Lol, yes, being retired is definitely great.
I can highly recommend Red Roulette to you.

book 58 Read in German

 The Thursday Murder Club

After seeing on various threads that this book must be a 'hit', I borrowed it as an ebook from my library and was not disappointed.
This crime thriller will tease your diaphragm and get your heart racing - the very finest British entertainment! That's how you could summarise the whole thing.
You would think that a luxurious retirement home in the idyllic county of Kent would be a peaceful place. That's what almost eighty-year-old Joyce thought when she moved into Coopers Chase. Until she meets Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim or, to put it another way, a former secret agent, a former trade union leader and a former psychiatrist. She becomes part of their club, which meets every Thursday in the puzzle room to solve unsolved criminal cases. When a murder is committed right on their doorstep, the four seniors' investigative zeal is naturally awakened, and even the chief inspector of the local police station can only marvel at their ingenuity.
I have already borrowed the second volume of this series from my local library and am looking forward to it.

book 59 Read in German

 Loch of the Dead

The fourth volume of the Frey & McGray series was also great.
Diving into the Scotland of 1889 means lots of mystical things happening again and again.
This time, Frey and McGray are summoned to the far north. The person who has sent them is a maid. She became pregnant by a lord 16 years ago and had to give up her son. Now he is to return to the manor house, but she fears that he is in danger.
Frey travels with his uncle while McGray is sent to collect the boy and bring him safely back to the manor house. Then the first murder occurs and several more follow. Frey doesn't feel at all at home in the Kolomans' manor house. All the inhabitants are hiding a big secret that he can only gradually uncover.
It is wonderfully written, even if the ending is sad in places. I will definitely continue with this series.

Last Thursday, my daughters and my husband invited me to a surprise dinner. We were on the BBQ cruise on Lake Zurich. We had a great and fun time together. The food was excellent and the atmosphere and view were simply spectacular.

 

 

Hello Barbara! The dinner cruise sounds excellent!

I'm glad you enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club :-) Red Roulette sounded familiar and, sure enough, I have found it in the depths of my Kindle. I am part of the way through (but may re-start) Hidden Hand: Exposing how the Chinese Communist Party is Reshaping the World, which sounds similar.

>117 susanj67: Thank you very much, Susan. The dinner cruise was indeed fun and cosy.
BTW have you read Hamilton's book on China? Another branch of my local library has a copy of it. I've put it on my never ending list.

>116 Ameise1: How beautiful the view! I'm glad you got to enjoy di8nner on there, too.

Stay cool!

>119 richardderus: Thanks so much, Rdear. We spent a wonderful time.

I try very hard not to overheat in this heat. I only leave the house early in the morning at the moment and make sure I'm back by 10am at the latest.

>118 Ameise1: Barbara, I re-started the Hamilton book last night, spurred on by Red Roulette! The Kindle version is 650 pages, but the text is only 351 pages, so if you go to pick it up from your library and wonder what on earth you've done, don't worry! I looked up "China" in my Kindle library and I have a few books on aspects of Chinese history, so I hope to pick another one soon.

>121 susanj67: Thanks Susan, I'm glad to hear what you think about the Hamilton book. I will of course also be following what other China history books you read. Maybe there is one or two that I would also like to read.

book 60 Read in German

 Terra di Sicilia

This is a wonderful Sicilian family saga in which the grandfather Barnaba Carbonaro tells his life story. Barnaba was born in 1880. In his stories he jumps back and forth between the years 1890 and 1960.
He tells of his childhood, his teenage years and as a patriarch who never learnt to read but was a genius with numbers.
He talks about the hard years growing up without a father and how he learnt his trade on the citrus plantations, always knowing that he would one day become rich from these fruits. About love, whether it was fulfilled or unfulfilled. About mafia affairs that he tried to stay out of. About arrogance just because others were born into an upper class. About friendships that last a lifetime. How he and his family survived the two world wars and became rich in the process. And how, in the end, he lost all his fortune and became happy.
This book is written with great attention to detail and people. As a reader, I felt like I was right in the middle of it.

>116 Ameise1: How beautiful! What an interesting cruise. Glad you were able to spend time with your daughters :)

>124 figsfromthistle: Thanks so much, Anita. We spent indeed a gorgeous time.

Looks like a really lovely evening with all the right people on your dinner cruise, Barbara.

For school folks, it doesn't really feel like true retirement until school starts up and everyone else goes back to work. When does school start there?

>126 ronincats: Thank you very much, Roni. It was a wonderful trip.
School starts next Monday. I know what you mean, but for the first time during the long holidays not making annual plans, quintals etc. (and this for seven subjects), making arrangements with team colleagues, therapists etc., writing individual support plans for 22 children, was pure relaxation for me during the last five weeks.

Your BBQ Cruise sounds wonderful! What a nice treat. Does your daughter live near you?

Sweet Thursday, Barb.

>128 msf59: Mark, the older daughter, mum to our grandsons, lives about 15 minutes away from us by car. The younger one lives about 30 minutes from us by train. But next week she will be travelling to Maastricht (NL) for a year, as she is doing an international master's degree in law at the university there. Of course we will visit her there.

>127 Ameise1: Congratulations Barbara! Glad you're enjoying retirment.

Love the photos, and so glad retirement is treating you well.

>114 Ameise1: That would have been a BB if I hadn't already read it - phew!
I love the series.

>116 Ameise1: Thanks for sharing wonderful pictures of a wonderful day.

Have a wonderful Sunday, Barbara!

>130 markon: >131 AlisonY: Thanks so much, Ardenne and Alison. Today the new school year starts without me and I'm not sad for a second. I'm enjoying living at my own pace.

>132 SirThomas: Thank you very much, Thomas. Yes, this series (>114 Ameise1:) is very amusing. I'll be writing a review of the second volume shortly.

Last Thursday we went to the Zürcher Theaterspektakel. It was incredibly impressive and got under our skin.
Women - the silent victims of all wars? A cliché that the Warsaw director Marta Górnicka and her women's choir loudly and courageously dispel. When Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine began, the artist, who has always worked politically, sought dialogue with women affected by the war and came up with a play whose great urgency has since captivated theatre-goers throughout Europe.
Together with Ukrainian and Belarusian women, some of whom had fled to Poland with their children, she developed a play about violence against female bodies based on the women's experiences. The result is far more than a documentation of the suffering that war - no matter where in the world it rages - also sows on the other side of the front. Górnicka makes use of one of the most classic means of theatre in a highly contemporary form: both the texts and the interspersed folk songs and nursery rhymes are performed by an impressive female choir. It makes us realise the universality of the individual experiences described.

 

book 62 Read in German

 In einer stillen Bucht

The third volume with the Capri police officers Enrico Rizzi and Antonia Cirillo was also an amusing read.
A suitcase containing a female corpse is found on a rocky outcrop, difficult to access and only accessible by boat. It turns out to be a music director from the music conservatory in Naples. Why did she have to die? She didn't have many friends, was feared and sometimes hated. There are plenty of culprits, but who really did it?
Once again, it was a pleasure to immerse myself in the island life of Capri.

Last Friday evening, our younger daughter organised a farewell party for her friends in our garden. Tomorrow she is travelling to Maastricht (NL) for a year to do an international master's degree in law. Here in Switzerland, she completed her Master's degree in law with summa cumme laude. The party was a great success and we were happy to see all her childhood friends, scouts and students again.

book 63 Read in German

 The Man Who Died Twice

The second volume in this series was also an enjoyable read. You get to know the protagonists better and learn a lot about their past lives, especially about Elizabeth.
As always, many things are intertwined, but the Thursday Murder Club and their helpers always find a solution.
The only question behind it all is who from MI5/MI6 can be trusted.

>134 Ameise1: Wow, that sounds amazing. I hope it makes it way to a nearby US city so I can see it.

>136 Ameise1: Also amazing is your daughter. Congrats on her successes and future plans!

>136 Ameise1: A lovely event, well celebrated. I'm happier just reading about it.

>106 Ameise1:. Thanks, Barb! What good-looking grand-kids you have. Thank you for posting the photo. I bet you have fun with them.

>116 Ameise1:. Nice to see your family. The BBQ cruise looks like a good time.

>136 Ameise1:. How impressive. Congratulations to your daughter. Does she know yet what she wants to do with her law education?

Like you, I enjoy the Thursday Murder Club books. The 3d and 4th are really good, too. The movie adaptation is going to have a great cast, David Tennant and Helen Mirren among them: https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=cast%20of%20the%20thursday%20murder%20club%20(....

>114 Ameise1: >137 Ameise1: I'm glad you enjoyed these! I finished the series earlier this year and liked it very much too.

book 64 Read in German

 Inspektor Takeda und der leise Tod

The second book in this series was also an enjoyable read. Kenjiro Takeda, actually a homicide inspector in Tokyo, is still a little unfamiliar with the weather in Hamburg and German manners. When a celebrated star of the internet scene is found dead, they are faced with a particular challenge: Markus Sassnitz was not only run over, but also suffocated. He obviously had many enemies, but one person immediately becomes the focus of the manhunt: his wife. However, she has a special fascination for Takeda.

>138 labfs39: Thank you Lisa, the Ukrainian women's choir was very powerful.

>139 richardderus: I can understand you very well, Rdear. I also went to bed early, even before all the guests had left.

>140 jnwelch: Joe, our grandsons bring us great joy.
Ah yes, family time is always something very nice. We enjoy it to the full.
At the moment it's still difficult to say where she wants to end up, but at the moment her heart beats more for the court/prosecutor's office.

>141 rv1988: Rasdhar, this series is indeed a great pleasure to read. I will read the other volumes later.

book 65 Read in German - ROOT 7

 Das letzte Sakrament

I bought this book at a reading a long time ago. A video that throws the world into turmoil and triggers a race against time ... The fast-paced Vatican thriller for fans of gripping suspense The body of an employee is found in a laboratory in Basel. He was recently involved in secret investigations into the Shroud of Turin on behalf of the Vatican. One thing is clear to Inspector Alex Pandera: the results of the investigations must have been highly explosive. His suspicions are reinforced by the fact that the Church is doing everything it can to keep these findings under wraps. Shortly afterwards, a reporter in St Peter's Square in Rome claims that a molecular biologist has cloned Jesus from the traces of blood on the Shroud of Turin. As proof, he shows the video of a two-year-old boy: the clone of Jesus Christ. A race against time begins, as some would rather see the boy dead than alive.

book 66 Read in German

 Mother-Daughter Murder Night

Thank you Thomas for this BB. It was great. It literally cries out for a sequel.High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has much to be proud of: her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she's built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, recuperating in a sleepy coastal town with her grown daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana Otter counts instead of square metres-and hopes boredom won't kill her before cancer does.Then Jack-Tiny in stature but fiercely independent-happens upon a dead body while kayaking near her bungalow. Jack quickly becomes a suspect in the murder investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, but Lana has a better idea. She dons her wig, finds the real killer, protects her family, and proves she still has power.With Jack and Beth's help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers. But as their amateur sleuthing moves into increasingly dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they've always resisted: depend on each other.

book 67 Read in German 🎧

 Karwoche

Police chief Kreuthner may be a Bavarian officer, but he's also a real hallodrique. And so he has a race with his mate Kilian Raubert on the Achenpass - illegally, of course. It almost comes to a collision, as his superior, Inspector Wallner, who is actually on his way on holiday, runs into him. In order to disguise one of his numerous misdemeanours, Kreuthner stages a traffic stop on the stubbornly refusing Raubert - and the police find the body of young Hannah Lohwerk in the haulier's van. Wallner stays in Miesbach for the time being to give his testimony, and of course can't resist getting involved in the investigation despite being on holiday. The enquiries lead the police to the illustrious Millruth family. The Millruth family of actors is a group of egotists and snobs that is as mysterious as it is well portrayed. The troupe cultivates a sophisticated lifestyle, presents itself as more than snobbish - and yet is full of psychological problems. The matriarch and her sometimes submissive followers put so-called family honour above all else. It seems to become clear relatively quickly who could be the murderer behind the Christmas crime. At least the group of people can be easily narrowed down, but this does not detract from the enormous suspense, as the second murder and the motive for the two murders are more than enough of a mystery.
As an audiobook, this was great, as the Bavarian dialect made me feel like I was right in the middle of it. I will definitely be listening to more books in this series.

book 68 Read in German 

 Unwanted

This is the first volume in the Fredrika Bergman series. You get to know many of the people she works with.
A little girl disappears from a train. Who has kidnapped her? What secret is her mother hiding? Investigators Alex Recht, Fredrika Bergman and Peder embark on a race against time. The three of them don't always agree on how to investigate, but they each make progress in their own way. First the child's father is suspected. He has a dark secret, but is he the kidnapper? When the girl is found dead and another child disappears soon afterwards, the investigators realise that they first have to find out what the children's mothers have in common.
A very exciting and fast-paced crime thriller. I will certainly read the other books as well.

>144 Ameise1: Wow, I wish that was translated! The Vatican hijinks trope always piques my interest.

Happy week-ahead's reads, dear lady.

>112 Ameise1: >142 Ameise1: ...and another BB.
I've already got the first part, it's next on my list.

>145 Ameise1: With pleasure...

>146 Ameise1: Thank God I've already read this one...

All the best for the rest of the week, Barbara.

What a great picture of your grandsons @ 106 ! They are so cute! We'll see our grandson and granddaughter on Sunday for lunch and the afternoon. Miles, our grandson is turning 4 on September 8th, so it's a get together for that. I've read the Thursday Murder Club and enjoyed it, and my husband has read all in the series so far.

>145 Ameise1:, >147 Ameise1: Barbara, those both look really good! My elibrary has them as audiobooks, which I might try when I have more time (three weeks to go!!)

>148 richardderus: Yes, I know what you mean Rdear. I also love the stories from the Vatican.
Have a great Sunday. *smooch*

>149 SirThomas: Thomas, the Inspektor Takeda series is really great. I hope you enjoy it.
It will still happen from time to time that you have already read a book, as they are often BBs by you.
I wish you a relaxing Sunday.

>150 vancouverdeb: Thank you very much, Deborah. I love the two rascals to the moon and back. But I hardly need to explain that to you, you have wonderful grandchildren yourself.
Yes, the Thursday Murder Club series is very funny. I'm going to read the other volumes too.

>151 susanj67: I'm sure you'll enjoy both books. I mainly listen to audio books when I'm out and about on foot, in the gym or doing household chores.
Heja, the time until your retirement will fly by.

book 69 Read in German 

 The Sleeping Nymph

Even though this is the second volume in the Teresa Battaglia series - I bought the first volume later - it captivated me right from the start.
Northern Italy, in narrow mountain valleys: Teresa Battaglia is a detective suffering from the onset of dementia, which nobody is allowed to know about. So she writes everything down in a notebook. Her colleague Inspector Massimo Marini also has a big secret that nobody is allowed to know. Both are fond of each other in their own way and try to solve a tricky case with the help of close colleagues.
A seventy-year-old painting turns up. It was painted with human blood. The painter is still alive, but hasn't spoken a word since he painted it. Teresa and her team try to unravel the mystery, which is not so easy because the locals are very secretive and only reveal what can be directly proven. As a result, more people have to die.
What I particularly liked is that the story jumps between time periods, that you get to know the mysticism and the cult of this secretive community better and that Teresa's care for her team is always paramount.
This book is very excitingly written. I'm really looking forward to the next books in the series.

My lazy August stats:



Authors Gender and origin:

Women: 3
Men: 8

China: 1
Germany: 3
Italy: 1
Mexico: 1
Sweden: 1
Switzerland: 1
UK: 1
USA: 1
unknown: 1

>152 Ameise1: I loved the book and ist is definitively not the last one I will read of the series...

>153 Ameise1: This sounds very fun, and fortunately for me, I can see there's an English translation. I will add this to my list!

I also am intrigues by the Teresa Battaglia series, and my library has them, so onto the pile they go.

>155 SirThomas: Nice to hear that you like this series too. I'll be reading the rest of the books too.

>156 rv1988: >157 markon: Rasdhar, Ardene I hope you enjoy this series too. I always try to put the English title next to the book when a book is available in English.