Title: River Clyde
Author: Simone Buchholz
Translated by Rachel Ward
ISBN: 978-1-914585-06-7
Publisher: Orenda Books
Pages: 276
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Blog Tour Organised by Random Things Tours
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.
Nail-bitingly tense and breathtakingly emotive, River Clyde is both an electrifying thriller and a poignant, powerful story of damage and hope, and one woman’s fight for survival.
Official Summary
21 March 2022
Facing an empty page as I start to write this review, I have to say I am filled with trepidation. This book is unlike anything I have read before and I am not sure that I can adequately describe this book. When you reach for this book, you can expect a kind of surreal dreamscape rather than your typical crime novel.
I have not read the other books in the series and found myself a little lost at times while reading River Clyde. I would suggest reading the other books in the series as I am sure that will fill in the blanks.
The author tells a story about a woman on a journey of self-discovery while focusing on depicting the psyche of a city. She personifies the river, giving the reader an unusual reading experience and adding a ghost element that keeps you on your toes while exploring this character’s exploration of her roots.
Chastity Riley is on sick leave and living a life filled with negative habits. When she receives a letter from a solicitor in Scotland telling her that she has inherited a house, it is the escape she is craving. Leaving Hamburg and all who depend on her behind. Her visit to Glasgow feels dreamlike as she explores the city and its culture and she finds herself with a sense of belonging. When she finally visits her great-aunt’s house, she has a ghostly encounter and details of her family history is revealed.
This book is an unusual read filled with sparse, poetic language. The author personifies the river which adds a colourful touch to this story and focuses on Chastity Riley’s self-discovery as her visit to Glasgow reveals details of her family history.
River Clyde is the fifth book in the series to be translated and I got the feeling that reading the other books would give you a better understanding of this story and its characters.
You can expect the unexpected when you reach for this book – it is an “arty” poetic read rather than your classic crime novel.
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About The Author
Author bio from the publisher
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 She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son.
Thank you to Anne Cater, from Random Things Tours for including me on this tour. As always, your support is appreciated, thank you for stopping by. Until next time…Happy Reading!
Interesting review.
Thank you