this review refers to the audiobook version.Walters is a master of the convoluted mystery: whodunit is not only a matter of the puzzle, but a matter of the person. the candidates' character and psychology are inextricable from motive, means, and opportunity. this is what makes her books such great reads.in this book, our protag is a wounded iraq war veteran suspected of a string of vicious murders of middle-aged--and possibly gay--men. Charles Acland is a prickly fellow, prone to sudden outbursts of oddly controlled violence. the book begins with his slow recovery from terribly disfiguring wounds and his psychiatrist's attempts to understand this angry and disturbed young man.it's a fitting if unusual opener for a mystery, because we cannot hope to guess whether Acland did murder the men if we don't understand his character and psyche. Acland isn't the most traditionally sympathetic of characters, but i have to say, having long experience of PTSD-damaged people, he's entirely accurate to the syndrome. that in itself is an accomplishment on Walters' part. and if the reader has ever known a war veteran, Acland is actually a profoundly sympathetic--and deeply moving--character.i find this an interesting addition to the growing body of war literature. too little of it deals with what happens after the soldiers come home. in this novel, we get a feeling for the aftermath of extreme violence... not always pleasant, but quite enlightening.and of course we get it wrapped up in an expertly-told mystery. the narrator of this audiobook did a quite fabulous job of handling a number of different characters--my own personal fave is Jackson, which must have been an interesting conundrum for the narrator. if it can be said that an audiobook can't be put down, well, i couldn't put this one down. i listened in an almost one unbroken stretch. now i'm going to start it again, and listen for the pleasure of watching Walters toss out clues and herrings and seeing the puzzle unfold.
Zum Buch:Der Schatten des Chamäleons – Minette WaltersISBN: 978-3-442-46796-9Verlag: Goldmann TaschenbücherSeiten: 448Veröffentlicht: Mai 2010Zum Inhalt:Das Fremde in dir. Wehe, wenn es erwacht!Das Böse hat viele Gesichter. Wer kennt unser wahres Ich? Sind wir vielleicht nicht der, der wir zu sein glauben?Als der junge Lieutenant Charles Acland bei einem Einsatz im Irak eine schwere Kopfverletzung erleidet, wird er umgehend in ein Hospital in Birmingham überführt. Doch nicht nur sein Gesicht ist für immer gezeichnet von dem traumatischen Erlebnis – auch seine Seele ist zutiefst verwundet. Gequält von furchtbaren Alpträumen und ohne Perspektive für sein weiteres Leben, entwickelt sich der bisher als heiter und offen geltende Charles zu einem unberechenbaren Mann, der seine Umwelt mit Ausbrüchen unkontrollierbarer Aggression terrorisiert. Er zieht nach London, doch dort gerät erschon bald ins Visier der Polizei, die im Fall eines kaltblütigen Serienmörders ermittelt. Und alles weist darauf hin, dass Acland mit den Taten in Verbindung steht …Fazit:Was ich an Minette Walters Romanen mag, ist das sie nie 0815 sind. Man fängt in diesem Buch an zu lesen und lernt erst Charles Acland kennen. Die Geschichte entwickelt sich langsam aber nicht langweilig und erst spät erfährt man um welche böse Tat es eigentlich geht. Mir macht das Spaß, es könnte aber einigen Lesern nicht so gehen, weil es wirklich lange braucht bevor man weiß um was es wirklich geht. Die ersten Kapitel nimmt man nämlich nur Teil an der Reha von Acland und lernt einen verbitterten, stark verwundeten und aggressiven Menschen kennen. Wegen dieser langen Entwicklung muss ich auch fairerweise einen Stern abziehen, wegen der Entwicklung und weil ich aus unerfindlichen Gründen zwar sehr interessiert war, aber oft nach einigen Abschnitten einfach aufhören musste zu lesen. Dafür fand ich keinen Grund, aber es störte das Lesevergnügen.4 Sterne für Minette! :D
What do You think about The Chameleon's Shadow (2007)?
Although I enjoyed this I didn't feel it was as good as Disordered Minds. The main character Lt Charles Acland has been returned home from Iraq with serious head injuries, the question is are they the reason for his aggression or was he aggressive before he went? He is suspicious of his psychiastrist, hates his ex-fiancee and on his release from hospital moves to London where he lives alone suffering from migraines until a serious outburst of anger bring him to police attention. Does he have anything to do with the murders they are investigating or is it all coincidence?
—Debbie
She's my favourite crime writer, and this was a return to form. I liked the main character, an angry, bitter and damaged returned Iraq veteran who gets caught up in the serial murders of old men who were paying for sex. It's got a really twisted conclusion, and while I'm not sure she exposed enough clues along the way for the reader to accept the perpertrator as revealed, I really liked the tension of the investigation. She's another writer who uses a lot of epistolatory text, but again, she manages to write in character very well.
—Alarra
Bloody awesome. Ok not bloody, there's no gore in it, no graphic details. But still awesome.If you've been looking for a quality follow-up to the Stieg Larsson's Millenium series, something a bit like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and yet highly original - this is it. Matter of fact style, incredible the psychological depth, keeps you guessing till the very end. For a moment there I was damn convinced my favourite character was the psychokiller. That gave me quite a high. Then you have great cast of characters. There's the female bodybuilder with brains, Quasimodo with a case of bad temper (which I found very twisted but more troubled than evil), Uma Thurman lookalike (that girl's got issues), a homeless duder, and then another one... You've got Iraq, psychiatrists, streets of London. Lesbians, homophobes and pure hatred. There's so much. (And there's much more than this but my lips are sealed, find out on your own.) What's not to like? Great recommendation, Seth. Much appreciated.
—Kasia
