An interesting account of the murder of a German industrialist that echoes into the past as a young lawyer tries to uncover the motive for it. It's not the outstanding story that the blurbs would have you believe, but it held my attention from start to finish despite the fact that I had a rough idea of where it was going. The author also does his pen portraits of the characters really well, and you believe in both them and their motivations. Worth reading. This is a great book with high aspirations that it tends to hit. The technicality of it and the history of it is its appeal. Schirach gives you a glimpse of shocking reality and backs it up with research and fact that is a life-changing history lesson. The Appendix of this book speaks volumes for what has just been read and in this respect I could not recommend this book more highly. However, it is too short, it is a Novella in anyone's language. Where it soars with legal knowledge it doggie paddles a little in the current day plot progression and is a little simplistic and even cursory in its handling of relationships. Some of the plot turns are too simple, our hero is too clean and his success feels like it hasn't been examined closely enough. The relationships could easily have been expanded and I would have welcomed a further 100+ pages to bed down this extrodinary achievement. This is all nitpicking, a bit like saying there weren't enough drawings in Macbeth. Read this book, let's face it, it wont take up much of your time, a great one for book clubs with busy memebers, plenty to discuss. 4.5 stars.
What do You think about El Caso Collini (2011)?
Intriguing. Quick easy read, but depressing theme.
—Trinidre
An excellent court room procedural with a twist.
—romasiri
