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Monday, 22 March 2021

#BlogTour Hotel Cartagena by Simone Buchholz

 
Such a pleasure to welcome Chastity Riley back to the blog - it's Hotel Cartagena by Simone Buchholz, translated by Rachel Ward.

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

Follow @ohneKlippo on Twitter, on Goodreads, Visit simonebuchholz.com, Buy Hotel Cartagena

About the book

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, stunning thriller that will leave you breathless.


Review

This is the fourth book in the Chastity Riley series, all of which can be read as standalone novels. This is definitely a series I would recommend for readers looking for something that doesn't adhere to the normal rules of crime fiction.

This is a short read, but one with a bite. It's dark and gritty. Chastity finds herself in a hostage situation with her colleagues, by a man with a vendetta. He wants revenge. The target just happens to be in the same place as a birthday party she is attending - of course he is, it's just her luck.

Kudos to the author for the nice homage to Alan Rickman and Die Hard, I must admit the dedication made me smile. then again I wouldn't expect anything less from Buchholz.

It's a gritty urban crime series, a character driven story that inhabits its own world. The surroundings and idiosyncrasies of the country and the people are what make the story in combination with the very specific snark the author brings to the table.

Based on the end of this book the world as Chastity knows it is changed forever and we will have to see what that will entail going forward. I'm sure it won't make her any less cynical, set in her ways or unable to make certain choices.

Buy Hotel Cartagena at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Orenda Books pub date 4 Jan. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.


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