Hotel Cartagena by Simone Buchholz BLOG TOUR #HotelCartagena @ohneKlippo T. Rachel Ward @FWDTranslations @OrendaBooks #HotelCartegena #ChastityRiley

 

Twenty floors above the shimmering lights of the Hamburg docks, Public Prosecutor Chastity Riley is celebrating a birthday with friends in a hotel bar when twelve heavily armed men pull out guns, and take everyone hostage. Among the hostages is Konrad Hoogsmart, the hotel owner, who is being targeted by a young man whose life and family have been destroyed by Hoogsmart's actions.

With the police looking on from outside their colleagues' lives at stake and Chastity on the inside, increasingly ill from an unexpected case of sepsis, the stage is set for a dramatic confrontation and a devastating outcome for the team all live streamed in a terrifying bid for revenge.

Crackling with energy and populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, Hotel Cartagena is a searing, relevant thriller that will leave you breathless.

Hotel Cartagena by Simone Buchholz is the latest in the Chastity Riley series and was published in paperback by Orenda Books on 4 March 2021.

Hotel Cartagena was translated from the German by Rachel Ward. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour.

It is a whole year since we last met Chastity Riley, when Hamburg was on fire in the last novel, Mexico Street. It is always great to meet up with Riley again, Simone Buchholz has created one of my all-time favourite female characters. We see so many sides to this feisty, brave, outspoken woman. This series is an utter joy to read.

The author takes her readers on a different journey in Hotel Cartagena, whilst the plotting is clever and wonderfully structured, this is more of a look at Chastity's inner thoughts. With very little dialogue for the main part, we are treated to her observations, of what is happening and of those involved.

Chastity and her police colleagues are celebrating a birthday in the bar of Hotel Cartagena. Twenty stories up, this is a bar where the beautiful people usually congregate as they socialise whilst looking out onto the Hamburg harbour. What begins as a regular celebration, albeit somewhat awkward for Chastity, as she has quite intimate knowledge of more than one of her companions, soon turns into a night of terror. Twelve armed, masked men burst into the bar, and suddenly there's a hostage situation. 

Buchholz cleverly interweaves the back story of the hostage takers, with flash backs to the life of a man who has experienced nothing but pain and trouble in his relatively short life. As the reader learns more about the motives for the situation, our loyalties begin to shift. Same for Chastity, she cannot help but be a little attracted to the number one hostage taker, and her contempt for their main target is quite obvious. 

This is a relatively short novel that packs a massive punch. Along with the tension of the hostage situation, there's some dry and quite fabulous humour, and as Chastity's own discomfort rises, so does that of the reader. It's really really clever stuff this. It is utterly compelling throughout. 

Once again Simone Buchholz, ably assisted by the excellent translation from Rachel Ward puts on quite a performance. This is a top-notch, supremely plotted thriller with characters who leap from the page. This starts with a steady pace, with some long and descriptive musings from Chastity and then becomes faster and faster until the prose is staccato, and so sharp that my heart was pounding. 

Addictive, extremely hard to put down. Another fabulous chapter in what has become a favourite series of mine. Highly recommended. 

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. 

She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son.

www.simonebuchholz.com

Twitter @ohneKlippo

BOOK YOUR TICKET FOR THE ONLINE BOOK LAUNCH!

River Clyde by Simone Buchholz BLOG TOUR #RiverClyde @ohneKlippo t. @FwdTranslations @OrendaBooks #ChastityRiley #Noir #Glasgow #BookReview

 

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.

Breathtakingly emotive, River Clyde is an electrifying, poignant and powerful story of damage and hope, and one woman’s fight for survival.

River Clyde by Simone Buchholz was published in paperback by Orenda Books on 17 March 2022 and is translated from the German by Rachel Ward. This is volume five in the Chastity Riley series. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this blog tour. 

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. 

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 and Hotel Cartagena all followed in the Chastity Riley series, with River Clyde out in 2022. 

She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son.

Twitter @ohneKlippo

Rachel Ward is a freelance translator of literary and creative texts from German and French to
English. 

Having always been an avid reader and enjoyed word games and puzzles, she discovered a flair for languages at school and went on to study modern languages at the University of East Anglia. 

She spent the third year working as a language assistant at two grammar schools in Saaebrücken, Germany. 

During her final year, she realised that she wanted to put these skills and passions to use professionally and applied for UEA’s MA in Literary Translation, which she completed in 2002. 

Her published translations include Traitor by Gudrun Pausewang and Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel, and she is a Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.

@FwdTranslations

www.forwardtranslations.co.uk

The Kitchen by Simone Buchholz BLOG TOUR #TheKitchen @ohneKlippo @OrendaBooks t. @FwdTranslations #ChastityReloaded

 

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 offenders, Chastity takes matters into her own hands. As a link between the two cases emerges, horrifying revelations threaten Chastity’s own moral compass, and put everything at risk…

The Kitchen by Simone Buchholz was published on 11 April 2024 by Orenda Books and is translated by Rachel Ward. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. 

The Kitchen is the second in the Chastity Reloaded series, although not the second in the entire series of Chastity Riley books. In her last book; The Acapulco (published 2023), Simone Buchholz took her readers back to the days when Chastity Riley was fairly new in her role as State Prosecutor in Hamburg, Germany. The Kitchen follows The Acapulco, and whilst yes, this is a series, this book is also a fabulous novel that can be read as a stand alone story. 

So, explanations of context out of the way .... what about The Kitchen?

Oh my goodness, it is just so good to welcome Chastity Riley back into my life. She is one of the greatest creations that I've ever come across. A strong, independent woman, living and working in what is predominantly a man's world, but holding her own for sure. She's flawed, of course, but she's loyal and honest and determined to make the world a better place. 

It's the height of summer in Hamburg and the temperatures are rising daily. Almost unheard of heat envelops the city, bringing out the drinkers on street corners, making people lethargic and angry. It's not a nice heat and doesn't show Hamburg at its best. 

Chastity is finishing off the paperwork for the last case she worked on. A case that affected her deeply, more young women traumatised and exploited by men, she gets very angry. When male body parts are found in the city, neatly packaged up, Chastity can't quite find the anger that she had for the last case.  When another body is found and the link between these men seems to be that they all have a history of violence towards women, it's even harder for her.  However, she's a professional and she and her team are determined to get to the bottom of what is going on. 

Interwoven between chapters, there's a narrative from an unknown source. This narrative is frightening and anger inducing, a whole sorry tale of the experiences of a woman at the hands of men. Not always overly violence, but intrusive, unwelcome and intimidating. The narrator is angry. 

This is a truly brilliant piece of writing. It's a short novel that packs such a punch. Simone Buchholz writes with a passion and insight that makes the skin creep at times. It is wonderfully translated from German by Rachel Ward, and thank goodness, for I'd hate to think that I would miss out on this exceptional series. 

Very dark at times, with a clear message and packed with colourful, complex, often disturbed characters. I realised just what was happening a couple of minutes before Chastity did, and it is horrifying, yet the action that Chastity takes when she solves the case is unexpected, but extremely satisfying. 

Another perfectly formed novel in the Chastity Riley series. Highly recommended. 

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 Krimi ZEIT 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. 

Hotel Cartagena won the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger in 2022. 

The Acapulco (2023) marked the beginning of the Chastity Reloaded series, with The Kitchen out in 2024. 

She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son.

Rachel Ward is a freelance translator of literary and creative texts from German and
French to English. 

Having always been an avid reader and enjoyed word games and puzzles, she discovered a flair for languages at school and went on to study modern languages at the University of East Anglia. 

She spent the third year working as a language assistant at two grammar schools in Saaebrücken, Germany. 

During her final year, she realised that she wanted to put these skills and passions to use professionally and applied for UEA’s MA in Literary Translation, which she completed in 2002. 

Her published translations include Traitor by Gudrun Pausewang and Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel, and she is a Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.

Follow Rachel on Twitter @FwdTranslations, and on her website www.forwardtranslations.co.uk

My Top Reads of 2021 #AmReading #TopReads2021 #FavouriteBooks2021 #BookBlogger

 

My Top Reads of 2021

I remember writing my Top Reads of 2020 post and saying that I hoped that we would never ever live though another year like 2020.

My hopes did not come true. For me, my family and my friends, this year has been one of utter devastation. We have been rocked to the core by losing loved ones and seeing those closest to us suffer. Sadly, for my little family, it is inevitable that the coming year will bring more pain and sadness.

Despite the often overwhelming feeling of despair, I have continued to read and shout about the books that I love. I have been able to grow my Blog Tour organising business and once again, I have been fortunate enough to work with some truly amazing books, authors, publishers and fellow bloggers. 

I read around 170 books this year, this includes the submitted books for the CWA International Dagger for which I am a judge. I have already reviewed most of these, either here on my blog, or for the Express.

A few statistics :

I've posted 148 book reviews on the blog this year

107 of these were by female authors, 38 by male authors and 3 were by various authors

Of these reviews, nine were non-fiction titles, 28 were debut books and 16 were translated into English from another language

As always, I rarely finish a book that I'm not enjoying, so to pick my top books out of so many that I've really enjoyed has, once more, been very difficult. 

As always, my list is split into three sections; I start with some of the 2021 books that I read in 2020. I mentioned them last year and hoped that they would be huge.

The second part is my list of  Top Books of 2021

Finally, I'll give a mention to some 2022 publications that I've read early.

I really think that 2022 is going to be another fabulous book year!

Enjoy! 

2021 books that I predicted would do well

At the end of last year, I'd read these 2021 books pre-publication, and predicted that they would do well. I'm still recommending them, twelve months later.  (click on the title for my full review).

The Push by Ashley Audrain - 7 January 2021 from Michael Joseph

The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean - 7 January 2021 from Hodder & Stoughton

Daughters Of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson - 18 February 2021 from Mantle/Pan Macmillan

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles - 9 February 2021 from Two Roads

Everything Happens For a Reason by Katie Allen - 10 April (digital), 10 June (paperback) from Orenda Books 

My Top Reads of 2021

My Top Reads of the year are listed in order of reading. The list contains some favourite authors who pop up year after year, and also some debuts. I think it's a great list, with something for everyone. I heartily recommend all of these books.  (click on the title for my full review)

The Source by Sarah Sultoon published (ebook) 15 February (print) 15 April by Orenda Books
Gripping, emotional, eye-opening and so brilliantly written. Highly recommended by me.

You Me And The Sea by Elizabeth Haynes published 11 February by Myriad Editions

It transported me to a place that felt so much safer than our existing world. It's beautiful and wonderful and I recommend it highly

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin published 18 February by Doubleday
An utter and total delight. Wonderful characters who worm their way into your life and leave little traces on your heart.

How To Survive Everything by Ewan Morrison published 1 March by Saraband

A terrifying and harrowing novel, yet is is also deeply touching

Bound by Vanda Symon published 18 March by Orenda Books

Do not miss this, it's edge-of-the-seat drama that will satisfy any fan of crime fiction. Highly recommended.

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller published on 25 March by Fig Tree

Clever, sharp and irresistible, this is a novel that has to be savoured

Hotel Cartagena by Simone Buchholz published 4 March by Orenda Books

Addictive, extremely hard to put down. Another fabulous chapter in what has become a favourite series of mine

Watch Her Fall by Erin Kelly published 1 April by Hodder

 It is so intricate, so tightly plotted and in my opinion, the author's best book to date. 

When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins published 5 April by Pan Macmillan

This is an accomplished, brutal and moving story, and comes highly recommended by me.

Boys Don't Cry by Fiona Scarlett published 6 May by Faber

This book is one that will evoke every emotion from anger, to compassion, despair and hope

Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins published 29 April by Harper360 UK

It's a complex and intricately woven story with hints of magical realism that reminded me at times of Alice Hoffman's work

True Crime Story by Joseph Knox published 17 June by Doubleday

It is masterfully created and it's a story that will stay with me for a very long time

Dead Ground by MW Craven published 3 June by Constable

Breath-taking, fascinating and gripping

This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech published 10 June by Orenda Books 

Wonderfully moving, emotional and very thought provoking. A book to savour and love. Highly recommended. 

Fragile by Sarah Hilary published 10 June by Pan Macmillan 

It is a superb mix of gothic tension, obsession, young love and disappointment, woven together masterfully

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau published 27 May by Harper360 UK

Full of sunshine, love, music and utter joy, Mary Jane is a stunning read that I would highly recommend. 

No Honour by Awais Khan published 19 August by Orenda Books 

This is a very special book. One that will stay with me forever, and one that I will re-read, for sure.

Love And Missed by Susie Boyt published 26 August by Virgo

An utter joy to read. A book that touched me deeply and one that I highly recommend. 

The Sound of Sirens by Ewan Gault published 28 October by Leamington Books

This is Ewan Gault's debut novel and it is stunning. Highly recommended from me, one of the best books I've read this year.

The Shadowing by Rhiannan Ward published 16 September by Trapeze

This is an excellent gothic mystery, with a hint of the supernatural

The Woman In The Middle by Milly Johnson published 14 October by Simon and Schuster

It's a warm, touching read and you'll be longing for Shay to find her own happy ending

The Leftovers by Cassandra Parkin published 1 October by Legend Press

A really stunning piece of writing, nuanced, uncomfortable at times but incredibly powerful. Highly recommended. 

The Red Monarch by Bella Ellis published 18 November by Hodder

It's intricately detailed, full of vibrant and vividly created characters and has such heart. 

The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen published 28 October from Orenda Books 

Death, a touch of violence, fraud and a tender emerging romance all combine to create the most magical story

The Quiet People by Paul Cleave published 25 November by Orenda Books

So very very intense, so dark and utterly compelling

Fall by West Camel published 9 December by Orenda Books

An author who uses words like an instrument, creating a symphony that will thrill any reader. 

Books to look out for in 2022 ....

I've already made a start on the 2022 books, and if the ones that I've read already are anything to go by, we are in for another outstanding book year.

Here are a few tips; books that I think will be huge next year. 

Some of these reviews have not  been published yet but I can assure you that I enjoyed every one of them. 

Should I Tell You? by Jill Mansell - 20 January 2022 from Headline

Anything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond - 6 January 2022 from

 Quercus

The Impulse Purchase by Veronica Henry - 3 February 2022 from Orion

How To Find Your Way Home by Katy Regan - 3 February 2022 from Mantle

Other Parents by Sarah Stovell - 20 January from HQ Stories 

Wahala by Nikki May - 6 January from Doubleday 

Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes - 17 February from Michael Joseph

That's 2021 over and done with. Thank goodness!

It's been a fabulous year for books, but honestly, not for much else!

I want to wish everyone the VERY BEST for next year and I really hope to see lots of lovely book friends soon.

In the meantime, thank you to everyone who reads my reviews and puts up with my book shouting.

The Acapulco by Simone Buchholz BLOG TOUR #TheAcapulco t. @FwdTranslations @ohneKlippo @OrendaBooks #Chastityreloaded #BookReview

 

A serial killer is on the loose in Hamburg, targeting dancers from The Acapulco, a club in the city’s red-light district, taking their scalps as gruesome trophies and replacing them with plastic wigs.

Chastity Riley is the state prosecutor responsible for crimes in the district, and she’s working alongside the police as they investigate. Can she get inside the mind of the killer?

Her strength is thinking like a criminal; her weaknesses are pubs, bars and destructive relationships, but as Chastity searches for love and a flamboyant killer – battling her demons and the dark, foggy Hamburg weather – she hits dead end after dead end.

As panic sets in and the death toll rises, it becomes increasingly clear that it may already be too late. For everyone…

The Acapulco by Simone Buchholz is published in paperback on 13 April 2023 by Orenda Books and is translated by Rachel Ward.

My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. 

The Acapulco is the latest instalment in the Chastity Riley series, written by the awesome and talented Simone Buchholz. Expertly translated from German by Rachel Ward, this is another thrilling and exciting addition to what is one of my all time favourite series. 

Although this is the latest book, it doesn't follow on from the last (River Clyde). At the end of the last book we really were not sure where Chastity would go to next, in The Acapulco, the author has gone back in time. Allowing her readers to see a younger Chastity and we become aware of what shaped her future career. 

I honestly think this is my favourite of the series so far. Chastity is a State Prosecutor in Hamburg, Germany. Her role means that she gets really involved in solving crimes, and not just in the prosecution of the criminals. 

There are some pretty brutal killings in this book. A young woman has been found murdered, she's been scalped and a bright disco wig has been placed on her head. This case really affects Chastity. She's an emotional women, despite the bravado, the drinking, the smoking, the swearing and the sex! 

More dead women are found. Same MO, and all are dancers at a seedy club called The Acapulco. That's what connects them, but who is doing this, and why?

Simone Buchholz creates such a sense of place. We are taken through Hamburg and it's almost cinematic when reading. I really felt as though I were walking the same streets, it's often not very pretty, it's often a dangerous place to be. It can be dirty and it can be trashy, but it's always a joy to read. 

Alongside the murders of the women, there's also a local pimp who has been found battered to death. Chastity needs to get to the bottom of this too, are the deaths linked?

Now lets come to Chastity herself. She is an amazing creation. A woman who knows what she wants, who works hard and is determined to fight crime. However, she's also a woman with such a lot of baggage that she'd have to pay for excess weight at any airport. Her mother abandoned her, and her beloved father is dead. She's in a fairly casual relationship with her neighbour who just happens to be a lock breaker. Whilst she is alone regarding family, she is surrounded by people who love and care for her, not least her friend Carla, who watches out for her and tries her best to match her up with a man.

It is one of these blind dates, arranged by Carla that becomes central to the plot, slowly unravelling and revealing the horror that lurks in the mind of damaged men. 

Simone Buchholz writes with such depth and atmosphere. The tension can be almost unbearable at times, the plot is complex and the characters are a joy to discover. 

Remember I said it feels very cinematic?  I'm a huge fan of the new series of Van Der Valk with Marc Warren in the lead role, and whilst that is set in Amsterdam rather than Hamburg, I get the same feeling when reading as I do when watching Van Der Valk. That dark, noir feeling, the damaged yet fabulously drawn lead character, the seediness of some of the locations. They all fit and I think Chastity Riley really should be seen on screen too. 

Highly recommended. Over far too quick, and now I want more! 

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, with The Acapulco out in 2023. 

She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son

Twitter @ohneKlippo

Rachel Ward is a freelance translator of literary and creative texts from German and
French to English.
Having always been an avid reader and enjoyed word games and puzzles, she discovered a flair for languages at school and went on to study modern languages at the University of East Anglia.
She spent the third year working as a language assistant at two grammar schools in Saaebrücken, Germany.
During her final year, she realised that she wanted to put these skills and passions to use professionally and applied for UEA’s MA in Literary Translation, which she completed in 2002.
Her published translations include Traitor by Gudrun Pausewang and Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel, and she is a Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.

Follow Rachel on Twitter @FwdTranslations