By Charlotte Printz Translated by Marina Sofia
Published by Corylus Books
Berlin, August 1961.
*Since the death of her beloved father, Carla has been running the Nightingale & Co detective agency by herself. It’s a far from easy job for a female investigator* When the chaotic, fun-loving Wallie shows up at the door, claiming to be her half-sister, Carla’s world is turned upside down. Wallie needs Carla – the Berlin Wall has been built overnight, leaving her unable to return to her flat in East Berlin.
There's a very fine line between right & wrong, sometimes. It's how we navigate that line that makes the difference. Running a business is always a huge challenge. Carla certainly doesn’t need Wallie, with her secret double life and unorthodox methods for getting results. Yet the mismatched pair must find a way to work together when one of their clients is accused of murdering her husband.
Within the confines of a unique, volatile geographical & political situation, this story of friction, crime, family & intrigue pans out in directions you might not expect. The interesting cast of characters challenges us to read between their own versions of mystery & crime-solving in difficult, parallel emotional worlds.
Even within the pages of Berlin's troubles & underlying eccentricities, the author manages to include elements of humour that are definitely not lost in translation.
As the first in a series, Nightingale & Co is definitely paving the way for future reads I believe many people will enjoy.
Charlotte Printz is the pseudonym of a successful former TV editor with a penchant for writing gripping historical novels and screenplays.
She is one of the founders of the Munich Writing Academy.
Marina Sofia is a translator, reviewer, writer and blogger, as well as a third culture kid, who grew up trilingual in Romanian, German and English. This is her first translation of a German crime novel to be published by Corylus Books.
Thank you Corylus Books for having me on another great tour. Have an excellent 2025 everyone 🎲
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