Hotel Cartagena Simone Buchholz 4*#Review Translated by Rachel Ward @ohneKlippo @FwdTranslations @OrendaBooks #International #CrimeFiction #HotelCartagena #ChastityRiley #BookReview #BlogTour @RandomTTours

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.

Amazon UK

I received a copy of this book from Orenda Books in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts…

For a relatively short novel, this story has an impact and resonates. This is book nine in the Chastity Riley series and the fourth translated into English. The characters are quirky, and the story is a believable mix of action, emotion and introspection. As a new reader of the series, I let the characterisations and flashbacks flow into my mind assimilating the relationship dynamics as I read.

This is literary crime fiction, enjoyable for its lyrical writing and originality. The themes are contemporary, and the plot credible. The relationship dynamics are fascinating, more so because the characters are new to me.

It’s an intriguing story that tempts me to read more in the series.

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.