Ferdinand von Schirach wrote the fantastic thriller, The Collini Case.
Highly recommended.
The Girl Who Wasn't There also displays his exceptional writing and style, wrapped in a stunning mystery involving a famous artist.
We are introduced to Sebastian von Eschburg over the first half of the novel - over 100 pages of his shy and lonely childhood in Switzerland, his family life, and beginnings as an artistic photographer. His work becomes recognized, with wealth and fame following. We feel we know Sebastian, so it's a great surprise to the reader then to find he is the prime suspect in a murder case. Not only is the evidence in his studio, but when interviewed, he admits the crime, revealing the details. His defence attorney Konrad Beigler feels this open and shut case is too clean and begins to investigate. Each step of his progress was met with gasp inducing shock by me, and sometimes I had to read passages over again to make sure that it was real.
Again, Von Schirach uses his background in the legal system to highlight the moral code of the defence attorney - to present the evidence plainly and not dwell on the right or wrong. Sebastian lives in a world of colour while Beigler sees in black and white - they make a compelling pair. Set against the backdrop of the art world, this is a terrific slow-burn thriller, completely engaging, worthy of another read. Both this and The Collini Case were massive hits in Europe. His writing is so precise and clean, he is a pleasure to read.
Highly recommended.
2015 / Tradeback / 216 pages
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