This novel is based on a real case that occurred in Germany in the 1920s: an ageing farmer, his elderly wife, their daughter, the daughter's two young children and a maid were all brutally murdered on their farm in the remote countryside. Schenkel's narrative gradually untangles the mesh of events, each chapter being a different eyewitness's account of events. Its gentle sketching-in of events of the decade preceding the murders also makes this a fascinating portrait of postwar Germany (the murders are relocated by the author to the 1950s). I read it in two hours - it is not long, almost a novella, and is easy to read - but the story was extremely compelling and it kept me guessing until the very end. Without spoiling the story, more horrifying than the murders themselves are the dark family secrets revealed during the course of the investigation - this is a dark book. Would appeal to both crime and general readers alike.
Elizabeth J. (Elly!)
