Catherine Shepherd

This is a fascinating mystery. First off, let me say that the translation was well done. I have read books translated from another language in the past, and many do not flow as well as this one did. In addition, the translator worked hard to create a smooth, readable English version from the original German—which is probably not the easiest language to translate into English. Journalist Emily Richter is excited about writing a series of articles about the Zons killings that occurred centuries ago for a well-known newspaper. Just before her first article is published a murder occurs that looks suspiciously like those in the centuries old murders. Is the modern day murder related to those that occurred centuries ago? If so, how? This story follows the tale of several gruesome murders that occurred centuries ago and today’s copycat murders in this small German town. I found the story flowed smoothly and nicely. The characters, though fairly well developed could have been more developed, but that can come in later books. The book is not as long as some others, which may be the reason I felt some characters were not as developed as they could have been. Emily comes across as a serious student who keeps plugging at the story, trying to piece the puzzle together because she realizes how important its solution is to finding out what really happened. I enjoyed watching the puzzle and plot come together piece by piece. I thought the way the author shifted between the two time frames by devoting a chapter to each was great because, whenever I read a book that deals with more than one time frame I can often get confused as to which time frame I am currently in. This method precluded that confusion, allowing me to better follow and enjoy the story. The inclusion of a paranormal element in the book served its purpose, but could easily have been replaced by another non-paranormal element without detracting from the tale. This is a fairly good mystery that can be read rather quickly and easily. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys good mysteries and is looking for a different sort of mystery. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.… (more)