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The first in a gripping new crime series set in Germany - the Black Forest Investigations - shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger 2018

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NOW SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA INTERNATIONAL DAGGER

"Gripping" Tatler

The first in a thrilling new crime series set in Germany - the Black Forest Investigations

Louise Boni, maverick chief inspector with the Black Forest crime squad, is struggling with her demons. Divorced at forty-two, she is haunted by the shadows of the past.

Dreading yet another a dreary winter weekend alone, she receives a call from the departmental chief which signals the strangest assignment of her career - to trail a Japanese monk wandering through the snowy wasteland to the east of Freiburg, dressed only in sandals and a cowl. She sets off reluctantly, and by the time she catches up with him, she discovers that he is injured, and fearfully fleeing some unknown evil. When her own team comes under fire, the investigation takes on a terrifying dimension, uncovering a hideous ring of child traffickers. The repercussions of their crimes will change the course of her own life.

Oliver Bottini is a fresh and exciting voice in the world of crime fiction in translation; the Rhine borderlands of the Black Forest are a perfect setting for his beautifully crafted mysteries.

Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch

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An exceptional crime novel. Kolja Mensing TAZ

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Bottini, Oliver
Oliver Bottini was born in 1965. Four of his novels, including ZEN AND THE ART OF MURDER and A SUMMER OF MURDER of the Black Forest Investigations have been awarded the Deutscher Krimipreis, Germany´s most prestigious award for crime writing. ZEN AND THE ART OF MURDER was shortlisted for the 2018 CWA International Dagger. He lives in Frankfurt. www.bottini.de.

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