Wir Männer kommen in dem Buch nicht so gut weg. Allerdings leider nicht so realitätsfern manche Situationen. Und so unangenehme Typen gibt es leider wirklich mehr als genug. Das Ende war dann sehr zufriedenstellend. Werde die Serie um Chas Riley definitiv weiterlesen. crime3 s Paula Learmouth438 24

This is Book Two in 'The Chastity Reloaded Series' This book is translated from the original German book. Chastity Riley, Hamburg State Prosecutor is busy preparing for an upcoming court case when she gets a call to say male body parts, hands, feet, head have been found in the River Elbe in a bin liner. but this isn't going to the only ones that are found. It's not long before more body parts are found, but also a full body is found. Each of the body and parts found have be killed in the same way. It's up to Bruckner, Calabretta and Chastity to find out what happened, why and also who has done this. There is one thing in common, they all have a history of abusing women.
There is also another storyline running alongside, Chastity's best friend Carla and bar owner has been raped by two men. When Chastity sees her she's not in a good place, but the police aren't that interested in the case, so after finding out what happened it's up to Chastity to find out more.
Are to two cases linked in some way, you need to read it to find out. The characters in the story are interesting group of people. Chastity is someone that knows what she wants and will do what she can to get it. This is a book that you will have to read yourself. I just want to say the translation by Rachel Ward is amazing. 1 Alena850 28

Really d this. Chastity Riley is growing on me.

Went FUCK when I figured things out, and had only figured out half of it.

Also, just my kind of melancholy. And again, having knowledge of the place here really adds to my enjoyment.crime-suspense fiction1 Sally Boocock986 54

An entertaining read with lots of great characters and aa good plot. crime1 Sue1,085

Hamburg State Prosecutor, Chastity Riley, and her team, are faced with a troubling investigation when carefully packaged body parts are found in the River Elbe. It transpires that the gory remains belong to men who have a track record of violence towards women, opening up the possibility that the killer might be doing Hamburg a favour.

When Chastity's best friend is attacked by two men, and the police do not seem concerned about catching the offenders, she begins to ponder whether the legal process she holds so dear is doing all it can to protect women, and it gives her pause for thought about whether she really wants to catch the serial killer she has been hunting...

Chastity Riley is back with a timely investigation that delves into violence towards women, and disturbing aspects of predatory male behaviour that are all too easily dismissed as something that comes as part of being a woman in a man's world.

The story plays out in classic, punchy Simone Buchholz style, with catchily entitled chapters that cut between Chastity's first-person narrative; tantalising perspectives on the work of the story's serial killer; and vignettes of gut-wrenching, predatory male behaviour from the points of view of the women involved. It is a clever format that immerses you in the story with a fierce intensity, and allows Buchholz to explore multiple aspects of her subject of choice at the same time.

As a state prosecutor, Chastity believes that the law will protect women who have suffered abuse, but she finds her faith in the tenets she upholds profoundly shaken by the events in this story. Inevitably, this leads to her questioning her moral stance on the investigation into the gruesome murders that have been occupying her and her team. There is quite a lot going on in Chastity's personal life too, embroiling her in a tangle of conflicting emotions that feed into the crisis of conscience she faces.

I love the way Hamburg comes alive in the Chastity books, through the many faces of the city that our unapologetically forthright prosecutor both loves and loathes. Once again, Buchholz takes us deep into the dark side of both her characters and the city, with an inherent feeling of danger at every turn, and the knife-edge tension is enhanced beautifully by the sweltering temperatures of a hot summer. The truth behind the murders is hinted at early on in the game, but this is essentially a character-led piece and that does not spoil the enjoyment a jot. Lashings of deliciously dark plotting, threaded with thought provoking themes, drive you on to Buchholz's tricksy ending - which works perfectly in her Queen of Krimi noir world.

There is quite a lot in this novel that will trouble your nightmares, much of it related to the cracking title The Kitchen, and the disquieting feelings evoked by the abuse story line. But it is not all murder, mayhem and menace, as there is so much pitch black humour that arises from Chastity's irreverent attitude. Her conversations with her colleagues (especially retired former colleague Faller) are often as funny as they are enlightening, and her sardonic observations are comedy gold, which lightens the mood amidst all the gritty realism.

This is the perfect opportunity to heap praise upon translator Rachel Ward. She clearly chooses her words with care, using expression and idiom to make the story flow, while preserving the cynicism and moral ambiguity that characterises noir fiction this. She really understands the assignment in Buchholz's books, maintaining pace, and atmosphere to perfection, which makes reading them eminently satisfying.

I consumed this book in one tasty gulp, despite the shocking (and nauseating) references that are integral to the story, and which may well have you looking askance at a particular kind of trendy establishment. Fresh and exciting, Simone Buchholz's Chastity Riley books really are a literary palate cleanser, especially if you enjoy a walk on the noir dark side.
1 David Prestidge142 3

As her name suggests, Hamburg State Prosecutor Chastity Riley has American antecedents, but her work and life are both firmly centred in the German city that sits astride the River Elbe. Author Simone Buchholz leaves us pretty much to our own devices to imagine what she looks , but we know she smokes, enjoys a drink or three, can be foul-mouthed, and has an on-off relationship with a chap called Klatsche.

From the word go, Buchholz drops a broad hint about what is going on, but Riley only finds out much later. Her immediate problem is that two packages of body parts have been recovered from the Elbe, disturbed by dredging. The men have – literally – been expertly butchered and the parts neatly wrapped up in plastic and duct tape. It turns out that the dead men have a history of serious abuse towards women, and a witness report suggests that two women are linked to the killings.

A third body is found, this one being intact, but Riley has another problem to solve. She has a friend named Carla, who runs a coffee shop and is a very important part of Riley’s life, fulfilling the dual function of sister and mother. When Carla is attacked and raped by two men, Riley becomes angry with the police’s apparent lack of urgency, but is powerless to intervene. As well as trying to solve the mystery of the Elbe packages she is central in a current court case where two people traffickers are on trial. Their business model was to travel to rural areas in places Romania, and persuade young women that a glamorous lifestyle awaits them in Germany. The reverse is true, of course, and the girls are soon put to work in Hamburg’s notorious sex trade.

Events in Riley’s personal and professional life seek to be spinning out of control. First, thanks to the defence lawyers in the trafficking case successfully making out that their clients are really nice chaps who had traumatic childhoods, and who’ve just had a bit of bad luck recently, the smirking criminals get the lightest sentence possible. Then, she and Klatsche discover that Carla – with the assistance of a shady friend called Rocco – have done what the police failed to do, and have captured the two rapists. It is only with the greatest reluctance that Riley realises she must persuade Carla to hand the two men over to the police.


When, with a mixture of instinct and sheer luck, Riley identifies the two women responsible for the three earlier murders, her professional integrity is put to its sternest test. In some ways this is a very angry book and is centred on the evil that men do, particularly to women. It is obviously entirely appropriate to the tone of the book that much of it is set in the St Pauli district of Hamburg, an area that began its notoriety centuries ago as a place that provided entertainment for sailors. Its infamous Reeperbahn remains a living – and sadly prosperous – example of women being made into a commodity to please men. Despite her obvious anger, however, Buchholz (left) doesn’t moralise. Chastity Riley realises that Hamburg is what it is, and if the needle of her moral compass occasionally swings in an unexpected direction, then so be it.

The Kitchen proves that a book doesn’t have to be 400 pages long to be effective. The prose is precise, spare, icy cool and as dark as ink. Simone Buchholz has serious style – in spades. The book was translated by Rachel Ward, published by Orenda Books and is available now. Peter Fleming306 5

Another scorching addition to a fabulous series, one that slices to the heart of the matter, the ill treatment of women by some men. I’m sure it’s happened throughout human history, but in our modern civilised world it is still far too common. A timely novel as women’s hard-fought rights are under threat.

The author has a very individual style, with pared back prose where all superfluous words and actions are excised, leaving a story with laser focus. What the reader is left with is a series of remarkable character vignettes, some weird, some funny, whilst others are touching, interspaced with events ranging from bizarre to the mundane. This slightly staccato form may not be to every reader’s taste but it’s never dull or boring. The prose is sharp, concise and at times very witty; the chapters are short and punchy, one being merely a single sentence, but somehow they seem just right. A perfect example where less is actually more, the reader focusing on every single word. Once again Rachel Ward does a wonderful job of translating from German but keeping all these characteristics within a text that flows almost rhythmically at times.

There are elements of the hard-boiled, but there are no detailed descriptions of how characters are dress or a cigarette is rolled, instead there is more of a delve into the character and motivation of the key players. The events of this story having a profound effect upon Chastity who is very much a woman of justice, one who believes in the sanctity of the law. Instead, she is first ambivalent and then seriously conflicted, as can be expected when events affect a loved one or someone close. It’s almost as if we can see her moral compass wilding spinning as events unfold and we are presented with a very different Chastity. A bit of moral ambiguity to be faced up to, the obviously question being what we would do in just such a situation.

It is left to Chastity’s former boss Faller to provide the wisdom of the ages. Every day he sits by the old lighthouse with a fishing rod, though he appears to have little interest in catching anything. The Buddha masquerading as a garden gnome as he contemplates long-term retirement, it is Faller who provides the equilibrium Chastity so desperately needs.

The story arc may well become apparent, I certainly had more than an inkling, but dare I say may be more enjoyable because of this. In the way that Oliver Hardy comes crashing through a roof or chimney and is hit by a cascade of bricks, we know there will be one final one a couple of seconds later and still we wait and that’s the biggest laugh. Here we have a serious, painful subject suffused with a some very dark and macabre humour that enhances the message rather than diluting it. The balance is perfection.

The dialogue is a joy, succinct and punchy, buzzing along with a sense of energy. Chastity is a whip smart wit with a knack for the well timed put down or withering rebuke, even when they are not vocalised.

The imagery of life in kitchens and butchery figure throughout, amongst the short diversions are how to eviscerate and prepare a pig along with a recipe for black pudding, actions necessary for the diner to experience sumptuous meals. It also proves to be something of a metaphor for aspects of humanity we try to ignore.
J Fearnley446

We are once again travelling back in time for the next in the Chastity Riley series and #ChastityReloaded publications.

Set in Hamburg which Simone Buchholz vividly conjures up in the mind of the reader evoking the sights and sounds of the city with aplomb.

Chastity is called to a crime scene at the riverside where, whilst dredging had been taking place, parts of a body have been found.

In the aftermath of The Acapulco, the first #ChastityReloaded book, we are catching up with the characters as well as diving into a new investigation.

Chastity is the linchpin, the vehicle that connects us to all the wonderful characters that we meet. She is the voice and it is through her that we know what is happening.

Carla, friend and bar owner, turns up at Chastity’s place. She’s a mess, distracted and distressed. It takes all of Chastity’s empathy, understanding and compassion to find out what has happened. Carla has been raped in the basement of her bar. It needs to be reported but Carla shuts down, she sleeps.

More bodies turn up but with little to go on the investigation is dragging its feet whilst the media are asking questions and Chastity’s bosses are wanting answers. Chastity has to work and so Klatsche agrees to keep an eye on Carla.

Chastity questions her relationships particularly her and Klatsche which comes under particular scrutiny when Chastity feels his attentiveness towards Carla, who Klatsche agreed to keep an eye on when Chastity is working, is a sign that he isn’t happy – does this mean it’s over between them?

Strangely Chastity seems uninterested in the investigation lacking her usual need to get justice for the victims, her heart simply isn’t in the investigation as she feels that there are good reasons for their deaths. Are the bodies connected? As information is unearthed about the victims there’s little to go on except that they all seem to have a history of abusing women.

Even though the rape has been reported little seems to be happening. Carla returns to work at the bar. Chastity visits and is introduced to Jules, a chef, who has begun to frequent the bar. The restaurant she works at intrigues Chastity so, when she is asked to dinner by a lawyer she knows, chooses to go there. It’s both awful and amazing the chef is definitely a talented woman.

This story is strongly character based but nevertheless has a fascinating and rather gruesome investigation to it. It also has the storyline of Carla’s rape.

Chastity seeks advice from Faller, they are at Jules’ restaurant, when something clicks with her and she is able to resolve the mystery surrounding the murders.

This is a dark story with real heart, black humour and an ending, perhaps a little controversial, that’s to die for! You will have to decide for yourself whether everyone gets their just desserts.

It’s really great to have more of the Chastity series to read and I can’t recommend it too highly. The Kitchen is another tremendous book from Simone Buchholz. I’m really looking forward to the next one.


Translation is the only way I can read this wonderful series and as ever Rachel Ward does an amazing job. Karen Cole981 135

I've always been a huge fan of Simone Buchholz's series about Hamburg State Prosecutor, Chastity Riley and am delighted that Orenda Books are publishing the earlier novels in the prequel Chastity Reloaded series. There is nobody who writes Simone Buchholz and in The Kitchen she once again throws out the crime fiction rulebook.
At the start of the novel, Chas is preparing for the upcoming trial of three sex traffickers who targeted Romanian girls with promises of fantastic jobs as dancers, waitresses and au pairs but on arrival in Hamburg, they were relieved of their passports and made to work in backstreet brothels. The hell these young women were put through has obviously incensed her and their faces have been stalking her dreams for weeks. Although this case has been solved, Chas is still committed to achieving a fitting conviction but as the novel progresses, she is forced to examine her conscience and consider what justice truly means to her.
When the body parts of a man are found in a bin bag in the River Elbe, Chas has a new investigation on her hands but even after more men are found murdered, clearly by the same perpetrator, Chastity struggles to fully engage with the case. This isn't really a murder mystery, however, and the gripping storyline presents readers with enough hints and clues to figure out both the perpetrator and their motive. Simone Buchholz is more concerned with considering the personal cost of crime and although her writing is frequently caustically witty, The Kitchen is a sharply penetrative look at the abuse, intimidation and sexual violence inflicted on women. This is originally a pre-Me Too era novel and yet it captures all the anger and weariness of the movement perfectly.
Chastity's closest female friend, Carla is brutally attacked in a prolonged ordeal and the already damaged Chas has to endure yet more heartbreak as she attempts to process the news. Simone Buchholz never minimises the cataclysmic repercussions of the assault and it's this, rather than the investigation into the murdered men which weighs most heavily on the outwardly antagonistic yet paradoxically vulnerable Chas. Despite having friends and colleagues who are nearly as dysfunctional as she is, Chastity is a rather lonely, conflicted figure whose proximity to the self-destruct button is almost constant – but as she grapples with both her personal and professional life, she is eventually confronted with a rather unpalatable revelation and an intriguing moral quandary.
The atmospheric descriptions of a humid Hamburg parallels the fevered emotions of the characters perfectly; Simone Buchholz's gritty, whip-smart narrative is electrifyingly noir-ish and Rachel Ward's seamless translation captures not just the words but the distinctive rhythm of the prose. This series continues to hold me in its thrall; The Kitchen is another intense, stylish and compulsive read by this most original, outstanding author. Anne2,252 1,140

The Kitchen is the second in the Chastity Reloaded series, although not the second in the entire series of Chastity Riley books. In her last book; The Acapulco (published 2023), Simone Buchholz took her readers back to the days when Chastity Riley was fairly new in her role as State Prosecutor in Hamburg, Germany. The Kitchen follows The Acapulco, and whilst yes, this is a series, this book is also a fabulous novel that can be read as a stand alone story.

So, explanations of context out of the way .... what about The Kitchen?

Oh my goodness, it is just so good to welcome Chastity Riley back into my life. She is one of the greatest creations that I've ever come across. A strong, independent woman, living and working in what is predominantly a man's world, but holding her own for sure. She's flawed, of course, but she's loyal and honest and determined to make the world a better place.

It's the height of summer in Hamburg and the temperatures are rising daily. Almost unheard of heat envelops the city, bringing out the drinkers on street corners, making people lethargic and angry. It's not a nice heat and doesn't show Hamburg at its best.

Chastity is finishing off the paperwork for the last case she worked on. A case that affected her deeply, more young women traumatised and exploited by men, she gets very angry. When male body parts are found in the city, neatly packaged up, Chastity can't quite find the anger that she had for the last case. When another body is found and the link between these men seems to be that they all have a history of violence towards women, it's even harder for her. However, she's a professional and she and her team are determined to get to the bottom of what is going on.

Interwoven between chapters, there's a narrative from an unknown source. This narrative is frightening and anger inducing, a whole sorry tale of the experiences of a woman at the hands of men. Not always overly violence, but intrusive, unwelcome and intimidating. The narrator is angry.

This is a truly brilliant piece of writing. It's a short novel that packs such a punch. Simone Buchholz writes with a passion and insight that makes the skin creep at times. It is wonderfully translated from German by Rachel Ward, and thank goodness, for I'd hate to think that I would miss out on this exceptional series.

Very dark at times, with a clear message and packed with colourful, complex, often disturbed characters. I realised just what was happening a couple of minutes before Chastity did, and it is horrifying, yet the action that Chastity takes when she solves the case is unexpected, but extremely satisfying.

Another perfectly formed novel in the Chastity Riley series. Highly recommended.
1 Veronika JordanAuthor 2 books37

I can’t pretend that I didn’t find this a bit weird. I couldn’t work out when it was set, but I’m guessing maybe the nineties. Everyone smokes, even in pubs and restaurants, but it’s the way they concentrate on smoking, just enjoying a cigarette, rather than it being something they do while doing something else. And boy can Hamburg State Prosecutor Chastity Riley and her mates drink! I’d be hospitalised.

I was totally out of my comfort zone – I felt a bit Margot in The Good Life asking what’s so funny when everyone else is in on the joke apart from me, except The Kitchen is no laughing matter. Though it has its moments of very dark humour.

So back to the story. Neatly packed male body parts have washed up by the River Elbe. But there’s no torso, just the head and limbs. Then there’s another, again just the head and limbs, and no torso, followed by the complete body of a young man. The victims didn’t know each other, and there appear to be no links. But the similarities between the first two at least, make it ly they have been killed by the same person or persons.

When the three men are eventually identified, it appears that the only link is a history of abuse towards women. In between chapters, we have small snippets of information given by a girl / woman who has suffered abuse from various quarters throughout her young life. Who is she and how is she connected to the murders?

But when Chastity’s best friend Carla is attacked and raped, and the police are slow to act, Chastity begins to question her own belief in the law and justice, and her moral compass is tested to its limit.

It was all very exciting, what with Chastity’s friends, including an ex-police officer and her sketchy boyfriend whose flat is so cluttered, there is nowhere to sit on his balcony. We also get an insight into Hamburg’s nightlife at the time.

I was really enjoying it – it’s a fast-paced, snappy, short read – and then it suddenly turned so dark, it was actually quite comical, in a warped kind of way. The Kitchen is number two in the Chastity Riley series. It’s also an excellent translation from the original German – I would never have known it wasn’t the original.

And if you want to read the first book in the series, the synopsis states that: “A serial killer is on the loose in Hamburg, targeting dancers from The Acapulco, a club in the city’s red-light district, taking their scalps as gruesome trophies and replacing them with plastic wigs.” That’s not something you read every day.

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours1 Louise125 4

Hamburg state prosecutor Chastity Riley is preparing for a court case and remembering once again there are fates worse than death for women. And then a call: body parts have been found - male, in a bin liner, dredged out of a waterway. Not even cigarettes can mask the stench...
Meanwhile, her best friend Carla has been attacked by two men. There are no details, for they aren't needed; it's all crystal clear from the depiction of Carla: broken, comatose; then brittle and chilly. And there are sharp little scenes dropped in between chapters, illustrating the everyday crappiness of men when faced with women and girls.
There are more body parts, and then there's a whole body. All three have been killed in the same clinically violent way. But there are still no obvious suspects for the investigation team until late in the book. Then, with a clue literally right under her nose, Chastity puts it all together. And I have that satisfying feel of having worked it out long before our investigators - letting out horrified shrieks and guiltily gleeful laughs while waiting for the characters to catch up.
For much of the novel, work takes a back seat in the narrative, with our prosecutor's personal life being to the fore. And Chastity's inability to voice or deal with her own emotions actually becomes a source of humour - she turns Johnny Cash on "all the dials up to 10" at one point, rather than thinking about her feelings.
The spare, sharp writing style perfectly suits Chastity's acid one-liners and her sometimes brittle personality, as well as it drawing Hamburg for us in unique fashion - a heatwave, the cooked air so thick "you could plait it into ship's cable".
If you're searching for a standard, stolid police procedural, you're in the wrong place, for it's the why, not the who and how, that matter in The Kitchen - the continuum of violence against women and girls is the focus, explored from several angles that will be wearily familiar to a female reader. But the ending is truly cathartic and a real tonic (possibly with a large vodka to chase it down).
I haven't grinned this much on finishing a book in a very long time - and it was an evil grin at that. The Kitchen is all kinds of dark, and both hard-hitting and hilarious - what a balancing act. Bravo, Simone Buchholz. David Harris979 33

It's SO GOOD to see Chastity Riley return. She must be the most morose woman in noir and, confusingly, every minute spent with her is a joy. Which may be a strange way to welcome what is a very, very dark story.

In this one, Chas is winding up a difficult case, a particularly distressing instance of trafficking which has left its young women victims especially traumatised. Getting her head round the ins and outs, Riley is convinced that the perps will go away for a very long time. We see her coming and going, doing her courtroom thing, as another case looms, one in which young men - possibly, abusive young men - have been dismembered. Somehow Riley can't work up her normal head of outrage over that.

Throughout the book, we are also invited into the head of another woman - or perhaps, a series of women, it's not made clear - each short episode another example of abuse by men. It could be that this is a series of events befalling by one girl/ woman - the subject is growing older as they proceed - or it could be a potpourri of everyday outrages. Either alternative points at a grim reality.

Closer to home, one of Riley's own circle also suffers, perhaps stoking her fury further.

As the city swelters in unaccustomed heat the resulting behaviour of its residents is mercilessly described and dissected in Riley's sardonic internal monologue, which remains as sharp as ever, indeed knife-keen when it comes to the abuse suffered by women. There is a sense that in The Kitchen events are especially aligned with Riley's sensibility. It's as though, attuned to the unheard vibrations of her familiar Hamburg, Riley now finds herself in such sympathy with them that she and the city are in resonance, in such harmony that she encapsulates and articulates the pain suffered by Hamburg's women as well as the deep sense of injustice when nothing is done about it. The fact that those doing the nothing are often Chas' colleagues only heightens the tension. Surely, one feels by the end of this story, some revelation must at hand?

While of course some of Riley's usual gang do feature, the sense of her leading her crew is rather muted. She feels much more on her own than normal (and that's saying something, I know). Yes, Klatsche is around, Riley both reaching for him and pushing him away. Yes, her team are at work. But there's a muffled quality to Riley's work here, she only really seems to sharpen up when she's catching up with retired Faller, who's taken to sitting outside an old lighthouse ostensibly fishing. There seems to be a deep communication between the ex-colleagues, though at a level that isn't put into words for us, the readers.

So, as ever, Chastity Riley makes her murky way though the murky city, navigating by tapping into the strange rhythms and currents of nighttime Hamburg, a kind of pilotfish for her more orthodox colleagues, feeling what they don't feel and suffering wounds that they don't, or won't, see. Deeply alone, even more so than usually, hers are the insights that will crack open the case, and on her shoulders will fall the moral the moral decisions that will result. How does she bear it? Drink and cigarettes, in the main, it seems.

I'd strongly recommend The Kitchen. It isn't a nice book - you just have no idea! - but it is a neat one, an intense story deftly communicated by both author and translator (Rachel Ward is on top form here, conveying the little sallies and the flavour of Riley's deceptively stable but not really narration). Lynsey636 33

‘The Kitchen’ is the second book in the ‘Chastity Riley Reloaded’ series and I am thoroughly loving getting to know about the beginning of her story! All of these books can be read as a standalone very easily but I thoroughly recommend reading everything you can get your hands on as Chastity is one of my favourite characters in crime fiction and every book has been cracking. These ar seriously some of the best crime fiction out there!

When the gruesome discovery of a neatly packaged of body parts is washed up on the Elbe, Hamburg State Prosecutor Chastity Riley is called upon to lead the investigation. Along with Calabretta and Bruckner, they look into who the victim was and soon learn he might have a history of abuse towards women. It's a perplexing case and Riley’s attention is pulled in another direction when her best friend Carla suffers a horrible attack.

Gosh, every time I read one of Simone’s books I am reminded of how surprising and talented a writer she is. From the stripped-back chapters and their emotive headings to the rich and vibrant descriptions of Hamburg and its people. It's the small observations of people having coffee to the banter between Riley and the other characters. It is writing that makes the reader feel alive and excited to pick up her books every single damn time! Kudos, once again to the Orenda translators who really do make Simone’s words sing in the English language.

Despite its darkness, I was engrossed in this book and read as soon as I could! The short chapters mean you just carry on reading and even though I want to savour and take my time over it I can't help but carry on reading. Really, there should be a Simone Buchholz Anonymous as it is addictive reading. There are a number of depressingly familiar topics in this book and the attack against Carla is particularly brutal. But it's the parts in italics that are outwith the normal chapters that really drive home the point of this narrative and how many women suffer every day in modern society.

Thoroughly recommend - let me know WHEN you pick this one up2024 Angi Plant546 21

This is divinely dark! I loved it. Simone Buchholz is so good at keeping you rapt throughout. Her chapter headings give a little teaser into each chapter, and they are of varying lengths and written in such a way that you always want just ‘a little more’. It’s also the type of story that almost makes you pick a side. Her description is so clever. Never overdone. Particularly the scene where she finds Carla. I read it and cried, because of the realism, the things Chas noticed and the reaction from Carla. It felt I was in the room and watching for myself. It makes you desperate to know just how far over the line an investigator might travel. Or more accurately, this one will, or will. she? Because she has such a deeply ingrained right and wrong and therefore wants justice it’s interesting to see her reactions and actually question what you would do.
Chastity Riley is a brilliant character from Buchholz and it’s lovely to read books from the beginning of the series, as I’d only read from later in the series, previously. This proves that you don’t have to read every book, but with this series just so you understand the character and get a delicious slice of dark noir, read from the beginning! Rachel Ward is a fantastic translator. If you want a crime story that will keep you glued and up all night this is the book you need!
With thanks to Anne Cater, Orenda Books and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book. Monika Armet396 51

Chastity Riley, the state prosecutor from Hamburg, is back in this gripping thriller.

This time, male body parts (head, hands, and feet) all neatly wrapped up, are being washed up by the River Elbe.

The body parts were cut off precisely, meaning the killer knew what they were doing. The brutality of the crime suggests a male perpetrator, however, the neatness of the packaging suggests a female touch.

When Chastity’s friend, Carla, is sexually assaulted by two men, she wants to be there for her friend.

How is it all connected?

You have to read this book to find out.

I read it in two sittings. I love Buchholz’s style of writing: chapters are short, snappy, and to the point. Before I realised it, I had read the whole book!

As usual, the translation by Rachel Ward was seamless and the narrative had a smooth flow to it.

The theme of male violence towards women is prevalent throughout the story. We have Chastity working on a case involving human trafficking, then her friend is brutally assaulted and beaten up.

I am still thinking about the ending. OMG! It reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode Specialty of the House (watch it if you can!).

When reading The Kitchen I had chills running down my spine as I figured out what was happening in the end. Blooming brilliant!

Overall, it’s a great book with an unexpected ending. I definitely recommend it. Amanda164 8

I am a huge fan of all of the translated crime fiction published by Orenda Books but for some reason the Chastity Riley series was not on my radar. I read the blurb for The Kitchen and thought it sounded really interesting and now I am hooked on a new series!

What I really loved about this book was that it had short, snappy paragraphs that sometimes seemed to skip forwards in time. This was brilliant because it meant that there was no waffle and no unnecessary padding. Every event or conversation was important to the plot and by cutting scenes in this way it created an insanely addictive story and pace.

I loved the setting, I loved the characters and also the fact that the actual investigation kind of took a back seat. It was almost background noise and whereas most crime novels will centre around the crime, this felt a story about a group of people, living their lives, and one of them just happens to be a public prosecutor investigating a murder. This made it feel very real and meant that as a reader you really get to know the characters in depth. This doesn't mean that the crime/murders weren't important - the whole case was very dark and it was the kind of scenario that throws out more questions and discussions than answers. 2024 Eff61 6

«Es ist fast windstill. Das ist hier oft so, gegen Abend. Als wäre das Wetter müde vom Tag.»

Simone Buchholz‘ Krimis rund um die Staatsanwältin Chastity Riley sind großartige Krimis, vor allem deshalb, weil sie überhaupt nicht wie diese typischen «Who Dunnit»-Krimis sind. Wer hinter den Morden steckt, wird auch im zweiten Teil der Serie relativ schnell klar, nachdem den Ermittlern überhaupt irgendwas klar wird. Aber die Aufklärung des Falls mit den gut verpackten Männerköpfen ohne Körper, die aus der Elbe gefischt werden, gerät fast zur Nebensache.

Das Großartige an Buchholz‘ Romanen ist, dass wir Chastity und ihren Weggefährtinnen und Weggefährten beim Denken zusehen - oder dass Buchholz‘ mit uns gemeinsam auf die Elbe starrt und über die Kompliziertheit menschlichen Zusammenlebens und überhaupt aller Dinge nachdenkt, während sie erzählt, wie sich die Figuren samt ihrer jeweiligen Päckchen so durch die Tage tragen.

Und Riley hat eine gute Beobachtungsgabe, aber oft weder eine Antwort noch selbst einen Plan. Und die Formulierungen. Die Sätze. Die Klarheit der Worte bei der Unklarheit der Dinge. Wer ist gut und wer ist böse und nimmt das der Staat mit der Gerechtigkeit und seinem Gewaltmonopol eigentlich immer so ernst? Das sind zum Beispiel Fragen, die Riley in diesem zweiten Teil ins Wanken und Grübeln bringen.

Sie ist eine ungewöhnliche Ermittlerin, die sich durch ihr Privatleben wurstelt und weiß, dass sie nur durch Zufall auf der «guten Seite» der Macht gelandet ist. Das ist von der Grundidee ein bisschen wie Fiona Griffith in der gleichnamigen Reihe von Harry Bingham, aber Buchholz erzählt es leichtfüßiger und schattiert mehr, auch in ihrer Figurenfülle. Eben gerade weil sie sich die Freiheit und den Raum für ein ganzes Figurentableau nimmt und der Kriminalfall gar nicht so sehr im Vordergrund steht. Und im Hintergrund zusätzlich auch noch die Dauergastdarsteller sprachschön in Szene gesetzt werden: die Elbe - und Hamburg.
2o2o Priya1,661 54

This book has quite a striking cover and I realised something more about it after I finished the book.
Translated from German, it has a state prosecutor and her team investigating a series of murders after body parts are discovered in a river in Hamburg.
It felt some background information about the main character Chastity, and her team and friends was missing from this book or I needed to read another book before this to get a better idea.
Along with the investigation, there is an incident with Chastity's best friend that makes her wonder if she is on the right side of the law.
I am not sure if it's the translation or if the setting doesn't lend itself to being read in English but there was a bit of confusion with all the place names mentioned in German.
Also, there were too many detailed descriptions of every person mentioned, whether they were important to the plot or just passing by. Same with places and buildings. This is something I do not prefer especially in a crime novel as it slows the pace.

The crime itself seemed to be solved in a rush at the end but overall it was a decent police procedural.read-in-2024 Anne French15 1 follower

This is the first book that I've read by this author, and it's translated from the original German, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I understand that it is part of a series, and was originally written some years ago, but has been revised and re-released.

The story is set in Hamburg in northern Germany, and begins with the discovery of well-wrapped male body parts in the River Elbe. More are discovered in the following days. Following an assault on her close friend Carla, which doesn't seem to interest the local police, Public Prosecutor Chastity starts to dig in to the mystery, and eventually discovers what links the male victims: they all have a history of abusing women in some way. Chastity's investigations eventually reveal who is responsible for killing the men and disposing of the bodies.

Firstly I must say that I was very impressed by the translation (shout out to Rachel Ward); too often I find books in translation quite stilted, but this was a welcome exception.

Chastity is sassy and spiky, often drunk - not your everyday Prosecutor. Most of her friends and associates are also "interesting" characters, slightly on the edges of the mainstream, which I also d. I think that most readers, me, will work out who the culprit is before the actual revelation in the book. But for me that didn't spoil my enjoyment, and I will be seeking out more of Simone's books about Chastity Riley! Naturalbri (Bri Wignall)1,146 110

The cover of this book is brilliant. Something about the background, blended with the brilliant pop of colour on the skull and I just felt utterly drawn to this book. I am glad I was because it lives up to the hype that this series has gotten. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as it is very open and honest about the happenings, when they start, meaning that as body parts start to show up and the storyline is shared with us, it is very vivid and puts you in the story. It is so easy to become completely enthralled with the story, especially as it is a bit of a vigilante and karma sort of feel for the time. 

I really d the characters and found them to unique and very exciting. They are each more fringe type characters, leaving them more open to looking toward outside of the box approaches to solve the situation, and they made looking into it really exciting and full of twists.

Overall, I was very impressed with the translation and enjoyed the story a lot. I have definitely added Simone to my list of must reads.  Stephanie H202

I read the first book in this series last year and absolutely loved it, so I always knew I’d be reading the second one.

The book is set in Germany and is translated fiction, which is something I really need to read more of.

We are thrown right back in the thick of things with Chastity and there’s even more gruesome murder cases that need solving.

A great crime read I highly recommend A J Nel296

A series of murders occur in Hamburg, where the victims are men with histories of violence towards women. Prosecutor Chastity Riley slowly descends into a moral grey area between justice and vengeance. Buchholz's signature dark, macabre, melancholic and witty style, shines through each word in this crime noir novella. Yvette Salmon356 16

Loved this book even though it is the second in the series you can read it as a stand alone. Loved the characters and the storyline. I thought I had it worked out and boy was I wrong. Plenty of twists and keeps you guessing all the way through. Kamini Mehta481 10

I enjoyed this second Chastity Riley book. Her life is a mess but she's very good at what she does. Body parts are showing up and somehow there are too many pieces of evidence and yet not enough. I guessed a little but still was surprised as events unfolded. Achim Schmidt146

Großartig und kurzweilig geschrieben und regt in vielerlei Hinsicht zum Nachdenken an. Nadine24

So langsam aber sicher werde ich Chastity Riley Fan. Bin gespannt auf den nächsten Fall. Katie Ludlow55 3

I really enjoyed this book. Dark storyline and complex characters. I struggled to remember the place names, etc though only because of the translation. Great female lead. Sue31 4

When bodies of men start to turn up in the river Chastity a prosecuter has to investigate. Her friend Carla gets attacked and raped and believes that the local police aren't interested so tries to take matters into her own hands. Set in Hamburg Germany during a heatwave this has all the makings of a good crime story but the ending let it down I needed more. I did guess what was happening to the body parts long before the ending. Richard MarzettiAuthor 1 book1 follower

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