Review: Incredible book.  Don't pass this up!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 12, 2014
I am a Prime member and had to choose a free  book for this month.  I couldn't decide between this and the international thriller (whose name I can't recall right now).  I opted for this one because it looked like an easy read and the thriller was very military, and supposedly overdone with military jargon - not my cup of tea.  I didn't expect too much out of this book, but boy was I wrong!  This is an expertly done mystery and thought provoking look into morals and life's meanings.  I am dumbfounded that some reviewers found this book either boring or confusing, or both.  True, it starts off with very short chapters, like small vignettes, but very early moves into more conventional style.  I disagree with those who said it didn't flow.  I thought it flowed beautifully. Rather than jumping from one character and scene to another, as is the current trend, I find this basically follows a linear flow.  True, it is broken up, almost between every chapter, with flashbacks (in italics) to an earlier time relating to the facts behind the murder/accident.  But that only heightens the mystery.Yes, the characters, basically the lead investigator, Franza, are flawed, but that only makes the book more meaningful. Is there a lot of talking and do we go into Franza's head to see what she is thinking?  Yes, but that makes the book all the more real, and I did not find it in the least boring.  No, this isn't action-packed, with a killer on the loose, threatening everyone, including the detective.  It is more intelligent than that.  It is somewhat like a good foreign film compared to an American blockbuster.  What kept me riveted to this book was the mystery behind the girl and the gradual uncovering of her life and the people who were part of it.  I felt it kept uncovering more and more layers, until I couldn't put the book down without finding the terrific conclusion.You don't have to like Franza, or any of the other detectives to love this book.  Sure, there is infidelity that seems to be more accepted than in this country, but that only adds to the reality of this book. The driving force behind the book was the girl and the mystery behind her death.  There seems to be something hauntingly beautiful about her and you want to find out what really happened to her.  There seems to be much more to the story than meets the eye and you sort of know that and can't wait to find out more.  I did not guess the ending and am surprised at the first reviewer who thought it was easy.  I am also surprised at the reviewer who criticized the translation.  How can you do that, unless you have read it in German, or unless it was unintelligible?  On the contrary.  It was highly intelligent and often poetic.  Would I like to see a sequel?  No.  It ended perfectly.  More novels with these detectives.  Yes.  In short, I thought this book was terrific - and to think it was her first adult novel!  Excellent.  Don't pass this one up!  I'm sorry my review may have come too late to get much attention. I wish I could have reviewed it sooner.