The WILDLY original, breathtakingly dark, No. 1 BESTSELLER

Hamburg State Prosecutor Chastity Riley and her colleagues investigate the murders of men with a history of abuse towards women … as a startling, horrifying series of revelations emerge.

The award-winning, critically acclaimed Chastity Riley series returns with a slick, hard-boiled, darkly funny thriller that tackles issues of violence and the difference between law and justice with devastating insight, and an ending you will never see coming…

Book blurb

When neatly packed male body parts wash up by the River Elbe, Hamburg State Prosecutor Chastity Riley and her colleagues begin a perplexing investigation. As the murdered men are identified, it becomes clear that they all had a history of abuse towards women, leading Riley to wonder if it would actually be in society’s best interests to catch the killers. But when her best friend Carla is attacked, and the police show little interest in tracking down the offender, Chastity takes matters into her own hands and as a link between the two cases emerges, horrifying revelations threaten Chastity’s own moral compass … and put everything at risk.

My thoughts

We are once again travelling back in time for the next in the Chastity Riley series and #ChastityReloaded publications.

Set in Hamburg which Simone Buchholz vividly conjures up in the mind of the reader evoking the sights and sounds of the city with aplomb.

Chastity is called to a crime scene at the riverside where, whilst dredging had been taking place, parts of a body have been found.

In the aftermath of The Acapulco, the first #ChastityReloaded book, we are catching up with the characters as well as diving into a new investigation.

Chastity is the linchpin, the vehicle that connects us to all the wonderful characters that we meet. She is the voice and it is through her that we know what is happening.

Carla, friend and bar owner, turns up at Chastity’s place. She’s a mess, distracted and distressed. It takes all of Chastity’s empathy, understanding and compassion to find out what has happened. Carla has been raped in the basement of her bar. It needs to be reported but Carla shuts down, she sleeps.

More bodies turn up but with little to go on the investigation is dragging its feet whilst the media are asking questions and Chastity’s bosses are wanting answers. Chastity has to work and so Klatsche agrees to keep an eye on Carla.

Chastity questions her relationships particularly her and Klatsche which comes under particular scrutiny when Chastity feels his attentiveness towards Carla, who Klatsche agreed to keep an eye on when Chastity is working, is a sign that he isn’t happy – does this mean it’s over between them?

Strangely Chastity seems uninterested in the investigation lacking her usual need to get justice for the victims, her heart simply isn’t in the investigation as she feels that there are good reasons for their deaths. Are the bodies connected? As information is unearthed about the victims there’s little to go on except that they all seem to have a history of abusing women.

Even though the rape has been reported little seems to be happening. Carla returns to work at the bar. Chastity visits and is introduced to Jules, a chef, who has begun to frequent the bar. The restaurant she works at intrigues Chastity so, when she is asked to dinner by a lawyer she knows, chooses to go there. It’s both awful and amazing the chef is definitely a talented woman.

This story is strongly character based but nevertheless has a fascinating and rather gruesome investigation to it. It also has the storyline of Carla’s rape.

Chastity seeks advice from Faller, they are at Jules’ restaurant, when something clicks with her and she is able to resolve the mystery surrounding the murders.

This is a dark story with real heart, black humour and an ending, perhaps a little controversial, that’s to die for! You will have to decide for yourself whether everyone gets their just desserts.

It’s really great to have more of the Chastity series to read and I can’t recommend it too highly. The Kitchen is another tremendous book from Simone Buchholz. I’m really looking forward to the next one.

Translation is the only way I can read this wonderful series and as ever Rachel Ward does an amazing job.

Characters: Chastity Riley, state prosecutor | Faller (now retired), Calabretta, Brückner and Schulle, murder squad | Hollerieth head of forensics and Borger, forensic psychologist| Carla, friend, football Buddy & café owner | Klatsche, friend and more, neighbour & locksmith

I have read and reviewed Beton Rouge | Mexico Street | Hotel Cartagena |River Clyde | The Acapulco |I have purchased but, not yet reviewed, Blue Night (I seem to be keeping this one to review last).

Book: eCopy from Orenda Books for review (see thanks below); physical copy purchased for my collection.

#ReadingEurope2024

Counting this one towards my #ReadingEurope2024 challenge.

Thanks

Many, many thanks to the lovely Anne at RandomThingsTours for the invite to this astonishing BlogTour from a favourite author of mine Simone Buchholz and to the amazing Orenda Books for an eCopy of The Kitchen by Simone Buchholz for review.

BlogTour

Why not take a spin around these wonderful blogs before heading down to the links below to get your very own copy of The Kitchen by Simone Buchholz?

Information

Published: Orenda Books | 11/04/2024 | ISBN 13: 9781916788077 | EPUB: 9781916788084 | Price: £9.99 | 276pp

Buy: Orenda Books |AmazonSmileUK |Hive |Your local library | Your local bookshop

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Simone Buchholz was born in Hanau in 1972. At university, she studied philosophy and literature, worked as a waitress and a columnist, and trained to be a journalist at the prestigious Henri-Nannen-School in Hamburg. In 2016, Simone Buchholz was awarded the Crime Cologne Award as well as runner-up in the German Crime Fiction Prize for Blue Night, which was number one on the KrimiZEIT Best of Crime List for months. The critically acclaimed Beton Rouge, Mexico Street, Hotel Cartagena and River Clyde all followed in the Chastity Riley series. Mexico Street won the German Crime Fiction Prize in 2019 and Hotel Cartagena won the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger in 2022. The Acapulco (2023) marked the beginning of the Chastity Reloaded series. Simone lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her son.

Other titles by Simone Buccholz available from Orenda Books

The Chastity Riley Series

Blue Night | Beton Rouge | Mexico Street | Hotel Cartagena | River Clyde

The Chastity Reloaded Series

The Acapulco | The Kitchen

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR

Rachel Ward is a freelance translator of literary and creative texts from German and French to English, specialising in crime fiction and books for children and young adults. Having studied modern languages at the University of East Anglia, she went on to complete UEA’s MA in Literary Translation. She has previously translated Simone Buchholz’s Blue Night, Beton Rouge, Mexico Street, Hotel Cartagena and River Clyde for Orenda Books. Her translation of Hotel Cartagena won the 2022 CWA Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger award. Her non-fiction interests include history, politics, art, journalism and travel. Follow Rachel on Twitter @FwdTranslations, Mastadon as @FwdTranslations and Instagram as @racheltranslates.