That trilogy is one heck of a great read. And if you are in for some young adult mystery thriller, then this is for sure your book! In English, this book could be titled Heart in shards. Again, the combination of a fictional story and an interesting curse based on elements of a ship´s tragedy that actually happened in 1884 is woven together by the author in a very fascinating way. And that curse is the base for all the pain and desperation that brought David and his father to the point where they are now.


Herz In Scherben*
by Kathrin Lange
Herz Trilogy #2
Publisher Arena on January 13, 2015
Genre Mystery-Thriller
Pages 377
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶½

Come closer to me, and you´ll regret it. A shot resounds in David´s head. Suddenly the memory is there, and he does not know if it has something to do with Charlie´s death and the terrible events on Martha´s Vineyard. Five months have passed since then, but now a dark idea draws David with power back to the island. His girlfriend Juli follows him full of concern. But against all fears, it is not the island curse that makes life difficult fort them, but the arrogant Lizz. She does everything she can to drive Juli out of David´s side. When suddenly a girl´s body appears, Juli begins to doubt. What really happened on the cliffs in winter? And what role did David play in this? (personal translation ©Vi at Inkvotary)
Story
Juli is shocked when she realizes that her boyfriend David is drawn back to Martha´s Vineyard. For the past six months, she enjoyed a normal life with David and her father far away from the Bell´s family estate Sorrow. And lived an illusion. Because David´s nightmares never stopped. In fact, they are getting worse. Only his return to Sorrow seems the only solution to the problem. But back on the estate Lizz appears again and makes Juli´s and David´s life a living hell.

Style
Again, the combination of a fictional story and an interesting curse based on elements of a ship´s tragedy that actually happened in 1884 is woven together by the author in a very fascinating way.
And that curse is the base for all the pain and desperation that brought David and his father to the point where they are now. A bit melancholic and with a slightly old-fashioned sounding style – that´s the way how Kathrin Lange has written this second part of her Heart-trilogy. The writing style is calm, sometimes almost gloomy, although there are some violent scenes where it is not only verbally loud. The horror that shaped Juli´s winter stay on Sorrow – and from which she had nearly six months of peace and quiet in Boston – beats again and seems to be even crueler this time. By varying lengths of chapters, the author skillfully builds the tension and underscores this by mysterious hints in the dialogues and reflections of Juli and the ever-stranger behavior of David. The end is a breathtaking cliffhanger!

Characters
Even more desperation, pain, agony, hatred, and, jealousy form the foundation of this figural constellation. A network that connects Kathrin Lange with an almost morbid tendency to self-torture and a sophisticated cat-and-mouse game that is played in a relentless grueling war of nerves. The fascinating thing here, the interaction of the individual characters is so convincing and more or less profound that it gives the plot even more fuel. And the contradictory behavior of David compared to Juli makes the special kick of the story. A life-threatening confrontation shakes not only the reader and brings you near a heart attack – the characters are not spared from it either.


Conclusion
A youth thriller, with a wonderful shot of mystery, which ensures a very special thrill. A great elaborated mind game and the beautiful landscape of Martha´s Vineyard offer pure reading enjoyment.



Happy reading

*This book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language.

Kathrin Lange
Kathrin Lange ©Susanne Kraus



Kathrin Lange was born in Goslar in 1969. Although she initially had plans to join the police dog squad, her love for books then won the day and she first became a bookseller and then a writer. Today she is a member of the International Thriller Writers and writes bestselling novels for adults and teenagers. She lives with her husband and two sons in a small village near Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, Germany.

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2 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great read. The setting of Martha's Vineyard plus the escalating tension and mystery definitely have piqued my interest. Glad this was a good one. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really hope that this trilogy will be available in English one day. The author has a great style and knows how to catch her reader. Thanks for stopping by, Greg.

      Delete

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