2/03/2022

Grabesstern by Anne Mette Hancock

Holy smokes! This thriller rocks. The plot may not be new but the way how Anne Mette Hancock unfolded it is bloody great! And with bloody, I mean literally bloody. Some scenes are covered in it. So, if you got a problem with it, don´t read it. If not, I suggest you grab your copy and start reading. It is worth your precious time.

Grabesstern*

by Anne Mette Hancock
Heloise Kaldan Series #3
Translation Karoline Hippe
Original Title Pitbull**
Publisher Fischer Scherz on January 26, 2022
Genre Thriller
Pages 378
Format Paperback
Source Fischer Scherz
Goodreads
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The end will come. Only for whom?

Actually, Journalist Heloise Kaldan only wanted to write an article about end-of-life care. But when she becomes friends with the terminally ill Jan Fischhof, things start to get close to her. Jan seems to have something on his conscience. His clues lead Heloise to Jutland, to the Flensburg Fjord, to a long-ago case. Heloise´s good friend, Commissioner Erik Schäfer is suspicious: what does she really know about Jan Fischhof? Heloise stumbles upon a dangerous wasp´s nest. Can she trust her intuition? (Personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary)

Story

Heloise is knee-deep in the research for her new article about end-of-life care. But the more she gets into it, the less she wants to write about it. But her new boss insists. And so, Heloise does what she tried to avoid all along. She tells her boss no and goes on the trip alone to find out what her instincts are telling her from the beginning. That something Jan, the terminally ill man, tries to tell her, is true. And is within no time deep in a story that could destroy them all.

Style

The author interweaves the main theme of terminal care with a skillful mixture of sensitivity and directness into a story about revenge and perverse, almost morbid lust. In terms of style, the author has remained true to herself. On the one hand, she writes gently and sensitively, but also with words that sometimes develop a brute strength. Blood is as plentiful as secrets. And right in the middle is her protagonist, who takes up a topic that moves society and yet is alien to most. And the fact that she then almost incidentally met her great love of the past was a plus for me as a reader. In the end, the author caught me off guard so nicely. I wasn´t expecting the ending at all. Although from a logical point of view no other solution would have made sense. Brilliant move by the author.

Characters

Heloise Kaldan has evolved. Personally, and professionally. Not that she´s changed in terms of her principles. No. But she now follows her instinct more, sometimes says no, and is more willing to allow a different perspective. Even if that means you have to completely rethink your plan.

Conclusion

I´m excited. This thriller convinces with a strong plot, surprising twists, and excellently developed characters. Everything together results in a suspenseful and great story, which is not only recommended for fans of the author.

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer Scherz in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Das Hauptthema Sterbebegleitung wird von der Autorin mit einer gekonnten Mischung aus Feinfühligkeit und Direktheit in eine Geschichte verwoben, in der es um Rache und perverse, ja fast schon morbide Lust geht. Vom Stil her ist sich die Autorin treu geblieben. Sie schreibt einerseits sanft und feinfühlig, aber auch mit Worten, die teilweise schon eine brachiale Stärke entwickeln. Blut gibt es ebenso reichlich wie Geheimnisse. Und mittendrin befindet sich ihre Protagonistin, die ein Thema aufgreift, das die Gesellschaft bewegt und dennoch den meisten fremd ist. Und dass sie dann noch fast nebenbei ihrer einstigen großen Liebe begegnet, ist für mich als Leserin ein Plus gewesen. So schön eingelullt hat mich die Autorin am Ende dann kalt erwischt. Mit dem Schluss hatte ich absolut nicht gerechnet. Obwohl vom logischen Standpunkt ausgesehen, keine andere Lösung Sinn gemacht hätte. Genialer Schachzug der Autorin.

Charaktere

Heloise Kaldan hat sich weiterentwickelt. Persönlich und beruflich. Nicht, dass sie sich, was ihre Prinzipien angeht, verändert hätte. Nein. Aber sie folgt jetzt mehr ihrem Instinkt, sagt auch mal deutlich nein und ist eher bereit, auch mal eine andere Perspektive zuzulassen. Selbst wenn das für sie heißt, ihren Plan noch mal komplett neu zu überdenken.

Resultat

Ich bin begeistert. Dieser Thriller überzeugt mit einem starken Plot, überraschenden Wendungen und hervorragend ausgearbeiteten Figuren. Alles zusammen ergibt eine spannungsgeladene und klasse in Szene gesetzte Story, die nicht nur für Fans der Autorin empfehlenswert ist.

**This book was originally published Pitbull by Lindhardt og Ringhof on January 2, 2020. 

Anne Mette Hancock

Anne Mette Hancock, born in 1979, is a young star of the Scandinavian crime scene: her Copenhagen thrillers about investigative journalist Heloise Kaldan and Commissioner Erik Schäfer are number 1 bestsellers in her home country Denmark and have been translated into many European languages. The author has received several awards for the novels. Anne-Mette Hancock studied history and journalism in Roskilde and worked as a freelance journalist for daily newspapers and magazines. She comes from Gråsten on the Danish Baltic coast, lived in France and the USA, and lives with her husband and two children in Copenhagen.

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