A unique voice in crime fiction.

The Girl Who Wasn’t There

Ferdinand von Schirach

Translated by Anthea Bell

Little, Brown

Hachette

ISBN: 9781408705827

 

Description:

A smart, chilling tale of truth, deception and the reach of the law, The Girl Who Wasn’t There is the latest crime thriller from the acclaimed author of The Collini Case, a Waterstones Book Club pick.

 

Sebastian von Eschburg, scion of a wealthy, self-destructive family, survived his disastrous childhood to become a celebrated if controversial artist. He casts a provocative shadow over the Berlin scene; his disturbing photographs and installations show that truth and reality are two distinct things.

 

When Sebastian is accused of murdering a young woman and the police investigation takes a sinister turn, seasoned lawyer Konrad Biegler agrees to represent him – and hopes to help himself in the process. But Biegler soon learns that nothing about the case, or the suspect, is what it appears. The new thriller from the acclaimed author of The Collini Case, The Girl Who Wasn’t There is dark, ingenious and irresistibly gripping.

 

 

My View:

A unique voice in crime fiction.

 

Stylistically this read is a pared back, almost observational account of the life of Sebastian von Escburgh as related by a distant third party who has limited knowledge of the coming events and Sebastian’s thoughts. Sebastian seems to have little connection to the world at large and has difficulty expressing himself and seems almost locked in a solitary existence full of colour that only he can see. Like Sebastian’s life, the narrative is devoid of excess words and emotion; stark, honest, intelligent, disturbing and enlightened, its voice is strangely compelling, its questions universal. I do not think I have read anything quite like this before.

 

At the core of this work of misdirection and redirection are the questions of guilt, justice, actions and reactions – do the ends justify the means? Is torture ever justified? Who decides innocence or guilt? Who is responsible? We look at trial by media.

 

The psychological probing in this read will prick your conscience. Von Schirach is a brilliant storyteller.