Hammesfahr's darkly depressing yet engrossing crime novel, a bestseller in Germany, examines the price of survival for two young girls growing up in a small German community. Police commissioner Rudolf Grovian is assigned the case of Cora Bender, a young woman who murders an apparent stranger in a crowded park. The local constabulary deems it an open and shut case, but Grovian, intrigued by Cora's strange behavior, pursues his own investigation. Cora reveals the bizarre circumstances of her claustrophobic family life, from her mother's relentless blaming of Cora for stealing her life to Cora's own complicated relationship with her disabled younger sister. The mixture of both first- and third-person perspectives and the explicit discussions of religious and sexual obsessions set this work apart from standard psychological fare. Dubbed Germany's answer to Patricia Highsmith, Hammesfahr should win new American fans with this English translation. (Feb.)
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Warning: if you like to be surprised, stop reading right now. Get a glass of water or look at Buzzfeed or start working on your memoir. But if you’re curious about these books and their kick-to-the-stomach endings, then by all means, read on. (Because I’m not completely cruel, I’ve whited out the spoilers—just highlight the empty space […]
The social media hills are alive with the sound of people discussing USA Network’s adaptation of Petra Hammesfahr’s The Sinner, leading a lot of folks to wonder how executive producer and star Jessica Biel knew this twisty, tension factory of a story would be a massive hit. We know Biel’s secret: she read the book, […]