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Rain Girl
(Franza Oberwieser #1)
by
Veteran homicide detective Franza Oberwieser prefers her job in the winter. Summer is for growing, not for dying. So when the body of a beautiful young woman is found on the autobahn, dressed in a glittering party dress and bathed in June rain, Franza is determined to give her justice.
Revealing victims’ hidden lives is part of the job, but as Franza and her partner, Felix, ...more
Revealing victims’ hidden lives is part of the job, but as Franza and her partner, Felix, ...more
Kindle Edition, 271 pages
Published
August 1st 2014
by AmazonCrossing
(first published December 16th 2010)
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Start your review of Rain Girl (Franza Oberwieser, #1)
Trying out a new author, an unknown quantity at that, is not an easy thing. The normal route many readers would take is to grab the latest from a bestselling author and spend the lazy summer days under the shade somewhere and doze off peacefully. There is the tendency to ignore new and exciting authors who are yet to make a name. In spite of arguments to the contrary, name still sells. And many new authors have taken the safe co-author route to make a name for themselves, sell their books or fin
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Rain Girl (click on book or see below for description)
By Gabi Kreslehner
Releases 8/1/14
Downloaded free through Kindle First program
Rating: 2 bones
Finish Time: 3 nights. Overall I’ve been impressed with the Kindle First selections and have made an effort to read one each month. This month was kind of disappointing, I wasn’t too excited about any and unfortunately this book lived up to just that.
I enjoy a good mystery and thriller, as this book is set up with a murder and subsequent investigation. ...more
By Gabi Kreslehner
Releases 8/1/14
Downloaded free through Kindle First program
Rating: 2 bones
Finish Time: 3 nights. Overall I’ve been impressed with the Kindle First selections and have made an effort to read one each month. This month was kind of disappointing, I wasn’t too excited about any and unfortunately this book lived up to just that.
I enjoy a good mystery and thriller, as this book is set up with a murder and subsequent investigation. ...more
It's always thrilling to discover a really good writer who's relatively unknown. Gabi Kreslehner may have a good reputation in Germany, where she's based, (the book is a translation), but she was undiscovered by me until I stumbled across this gem on sale at Amazon. Wow. What a thought-provoking, suspenseful, and inspired read! It not only is full of mystery and unpredictable twists, but it's a portrait of real people with real flaws that you can somehow come to root for--and shed tears for. A g
...more
3.5 stars
Looking through the dozens of unread books I have in my Kindle app, I found this one, reread the synopsis, and decided to give it a whirl. Turned out to be a pretty good choice.
This is a rather simply mystery set in Munich, Germany, along the Danube and the autobahn. The writing style was terse, with many chapters only a sentence or paragraph long. This felt almost like flipping through a photo album and having the story revealed through simple descriptions rather than in-depth story-te ...more
Looking through the dozens of unread books I have in my Kindle app, I found this one, reread the synopsis, and decided to give it a whirl. Turned out to be a pretty good choice.
This is a rather simply mystery set in Munich, Germany, along the Danube and the autobahn. The writing style was terse, with many chapters only a sentence or paragraph long. This felt almost like flipping through a photo album and having the story revealed through simple descriptions rather than in-depth story-te ...more
Rain Girl was one of those books that was very readable but does not stand out as anything spectacular, certainly not in comparison to other crime fiction I have read this year.
It's the first time one of Gabi Kreslehener's books has been translated into English, therefore my first taste of her writing.
So what's the book about?
Veteran homicide detective Franza Oberwieser prefers her job in the winter. Summer is for growing, not for dying. So when the body of a beautiful young woman is found on ...more
My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
Ranty spoiler-fest follows, you've been warned.
OK, WHAT is with this new trend of fiction books where NONE of the characters are likable? I know people aren't perfect, that we all have our downsides, but REALLY?!? The only character that I liked at ALL was Felix. Everyone else was a miserable, adulterous, piece of poo! I read to ESCAPE reality, not to WALLOW in the miserable parts of it. This is too mu ...more
Ranty spoiler-fest follows, you've been warned.
OK, WHAT is with this new trend of fiction books where NONE of the characters are likable? I know people aren't perfect, that we all have our downsides, but REALLY?!? The only character that I liked at ALL was Felix. Everyone else was a miserable, adulterous, piece of poo! I read to ESCAPE reality, not to WALLOW in the miserable parts of it. This is too mu ...more
Aug 09, 2014
Steve
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley,
review-requested
I never let translation affect my book reviews and this is no exception. While I believe a lot of this story is lost in the language difference, that didn't factor into the rating I give this book.
The characters come across as a bit harsh and unfeeling and with very little depth to them.
This also seems like a continuing book in a series, even though it isn't. There are aspects of lives and events that are alluded too, which seem important to the story, but are never expounded upon.
The story its ...more
The characters come across as a bit harsh and unfeeling and with very little depth to them.
This also seems like a continuing book in a series, even though it isn't. There are aspects of lives and events that are alluded too, which seem important to the story, but are never expounded upon.
The story its ...more
I listened to this on audible and read it on my kindle... it was a short detective thriller type story. It was ok. The story line was ok, the characters were ok. It was entertaining but I'm glad it was short. Otherwise, it might have not held my attention very well.
This book was translated into English from German (I think) and some of the passages were very confusing. I don't think it was so much the writing as the translation. There would be a very serious conversation, a random comment, and ...more
This book was translated into English from German (I think) and some of the passages were very confusing. I don't think it was so much the writing as the translation. There would be a very serious conversation, a random comment, and ...more
I really enjoyed this book. The two lead detectives, Franza and Felix, came to life for me. They reminded me of the detectives on ABC 's Motive. Real chemistry. And the story kept you wondering, while throwing pieces of the puzzle at you. It had a little bit of a dark undertone, a la Gone Girl, I think. Maybe because it was raining when the crime occurred. If you like crime books, I definitely recommend this one. I'd give it 4,5 stars. Oh, and the translation was perfect, I felt like the book wa
...more
This is a very contemporary crime novel. The detectives have complex personal lives, yet continue to pursue killers and solve crimes. These are team players, for all the raw emotion. There are few secrets and a lot of tolerance. While it is towards the noir end of the crime fiction spectrum the motivation for crime remains simple.
I am wary of crime fiction in which the detective’s family get caught up in investigations, especially if it becomes a theme. I’ll have to read more to know if this is ...more
I am wary of crime fiction in which the detective’s family get caught up in investigations, especially if it becomes a theme. I’ll have to read more to know if this is ...more
I read this book in like 4 days! I loved the writing and the descriptions, particularly of the characters and their thoughts and feelings. They were all very relatable and I felt I could understand each of the characters as if I knew them myself. The book is sad, but a page-turner at the same time. It's also very unpredictable - the crime investigation keeps you guessing the whole way. I highly recommend this one!
...more
Terrific book.....starts off with drama....girl wanders into the road and gets hit by a car. There is alot of back and forth between what happened 20 years ago and the present...but if you stick with the book you will soon find out the relation of both stories, the people involved in them...with a few surprises thrown in.....very amazing surprises.....
The story itself was okay - nothing special that I would recommend to anyone else as "must read". The largest factor in the rating I chose to give this book is the actual writing and the writing style. It was so distracting, and clunky, that it was hard to follow the plot at times. I am not sure if that is due to the author, or the translation from German, but I just hated it.
...more
This wasn't terrible, but it was basically a pile of cliches and overwrought language. Unimpressive.
...more
The mystery is pretty good, that characters enjoyable enough and decently-rounded, but the writing style is rather choppy and abrupt. The plot (in terms of ideas and revelations) flows well, but the actual writing does not. Is this the author’s own style, or an issue with the translation? It’s difficult to say, but it kept me from enjoying the book wholeheartedly.
Jan 23, 2015
A Reader's Heaven
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
net-galley,
thrillers
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Veteran homicide detective Franza Oberwieser prefers her job in the winter. Summer is for growing, not for dying. So when the body of a beautiful young woman is found on the autobahn, dressed in a glittering party dress and bathed in June rain, Franza is determined to give her justice.
Revealing victims’ hidden lives is part of the job, but as Franza and her partner, Felix, peel back the layers shrouding the gi ...more
Veteran homicide detective Franza Oberwieser prefers her job in the winter. Summer is for growing, not for dying. So when the body of a beautiful young woman is found on the autobahn, dressed in a glittering party dress and bathed in June rain, Franza is determined to give her justice.
Revealing victims’ hidden lives is part of the job, but as Franza and her partner, Felix, peel back the layers shrouding the gi ...more
Title - Rain Girl
Author - Gabi Kreslehner
Source - Net Galley
Summary -
On the autobahn, just outside of Munich, a young girl staggers onto the shoulder of the road and into oncoming traffic. The collision sends her flying and she is dead before she reaches the ground.
"...They had covered here with a tarp to protect her from the rain and the prying eyes of passing drivers, who were slowly being directed past the accident scene.
She was so young, too young to die, and she had a tenderness about her ...more
Author - Gabi Kreslehner
Source - Net Galley
Summary -
On the autobahn, just outside of Munich, a young girl staggers onto the shoulder of the road and into oncoming traffic. The collision sends her flying and she is dead before she reaches the ground.
"...They had covered here with a tarp to protect her from the rain and the prying eyes of passing drivers, who were slowly being directed past the accident scene.
She was so young, too young to die, and she had a tenderness about her ...more
"She staggered along the northbound shoulder of the autobahn in the mist of the rising dawn unaware of the danger hurtling toward her."
Franza Oberweiser is a veteran homicide detective. Along with her partner, Felix, she investigates the death of a young girl who hit by a car on the autobahn. They know how she died, but they found blood at the rest stop nearby. What happened at the rest stop and how did the girl (Marie) end up in the middle of the highway?
Franza has a difficult home life. Her h ...more
Franza Oberweiser is a veteran homicide detective. Along with her partner, Felix, she investigates the death of a young girl who hit by a car on the autobahn. They know how she died, but they found blood at the rest stop nearby. What happened at the rest stop and how did the girl (Marie) end up in the middle of the highway?
Franza has a difficult home life. Her h ...more
Rain Girl starts with a young girl in a sparkling dress staggering along the autobahn in the pouring rain, before being hit and her life ending. It does rely on the word rain quite a lot in the first few chapters...
It's a book that shows you the scenes it is moving through very descriptively by senses, predominately smell, touch and taste. This was refreshing and made for a different tone of reading which I enjoyed as it effectively transported you into the scene.
I enjoyed the tone of the main ...more
It's a book that shows you the scenes it is moving through very descriptively by senses, predominately smell, touch and taste. This was refreshing and made for a different tone of reading which I enjoyed as it effectively transported you into the scene.
I enjoyed the tone of the main ...more
A generous two stars.
Rain Girl parades around as a mystery but it lacks the twists and turns that define this genre. I think Kreslehner made an attempt at a red herring but it was too transparent, rendering a predictable story with little to no suspense. The investigation unraveled so easily that my dog could have cracked the case.
There were plenty of difficult situations in which the characters' emotions could have been explored in a meaningful way, but Kreslehner passed on these opportunities. ...more
Rain Girl parades around as a mystery but it lacks the twists and turns that define this genre. I think Kreslehner made an attempt at a red herring but it was too transparent, rendering a predictable story with little to no suspense. The investigation unraveled so easily that my dog could have cracked the case.
There were plenty of difficult situations in which the characters' emotions could have been explored in a meaningful way, but Kreslehner passed on these opportunities. ...more
Meh, quite disappointed in this. The first time I tried to read it, I DNF'd it because it was rather dull. I don't like leaving books unfinished so started again from the beginning.
I found it didn't capture my attention as much as I hoped it would but there were parts in the book that I did enjoy. I found a lot of it confusing or it just didn't make much sense. Finishing this was a challenge and I guessed the culprit before it was mentioned and everything exploded.
Overall, it's an okay read wit ...more
I found it didn't capture my attention as much as I hoped it would but there were parts in the book that I did enjoy. I found a lot of it confusing or it just didn't make much sense. Finishing this was a challenge and I guessed the culprit before it was mentioned and everything exploded.
Overall, it's an okay read wit ...more
I discovered this book and author via Amazon’s Kindle First program.
The story is a typical murder mystery thriller and begins with the death of a girl in her early twenties along the German autobahn outside of Munich.
The novel is a very fast read. A few surprises are present, but most plot resolutions are very predictable. Nearly all of the focal characters have multiple flaws adding depth and realism. However, I was not not able to become emotionally connected to any of them.
The conclusion is ...more
The story is a typical murder mystery thriller and begins with the death of a girl in her early twenties along the German autobahn outside of Munich.
The novel is a very fast read. A few surprises are present, but most plot resolutions are very predictable. Nearly all of the focal characters have multiple flaws adding depth and realism. However, I was not not able to become emotionally connected to any of them.
The conclusion is ...more
Decent mystery, but could have built up the suspense a lot more. For instance, the narrator could have waited to reveal to the reader that the main character's son was involved with the girl who was killed/died. This would have added more of an element of surprise than just telling readers from the get-go. It was okay and I enjoyed it but it didn't really build up the suspense for me and it wasn't that shocking when the killer was revealed because he was only briefly mentioned in the story earli
...more
**I received a copy of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.**
There were some really good parts, followed by some okay parts. Most of the book seemed a bit slow to me, more worried about their spouse finding about the "other person" rather than solving the mystery. The character conversations were lacking and I just had a hard time connecting with any of the characters.
I still gave it three stars because at the parts where the suspense picked up, it was good! I really wanted to find out wh ...more
There were some really good parts, followed by some okay parts. Most of the book seemed a bit slow to me, more worried about their spouse finding about the "other person" rather than solving the mystery. The character conversations were lacking and I just had a hard time connecting with any of the characters.
I still gave it three stars because at the parts where the suspense picked up, it was good! I really wanted to find out wh ...more
This book was quite different than what I normally read and I really enjoyed it. It has that writing style which is clearly translated from another language and so it seems some of the descriptions and nuances are lost. However the story was good and the emotions were clear as the story unfolds. As the relationship issues were not clearly resolved, it made me wonder if this was book 1 in a series? Anyway, it was a fun, quick read.
Reminiscent of Girl with Dragon Tattoo
The Rain Girl in many ways reminded me of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, although this misused young woman is a victim who dies before wee know her, not the clever girl who fights back. The other characters left to solve the mystery are left to unravel the mystery of her death as they cope with their own lives. The mystery held plenty of twists and a final mystery that remains unanswered. Wonderful read.
The Rain Girl in many ways reminded me of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, although this misused young woman is a victim who dies before wee know her, not the clever girl who fights back. The other characters left to solve the mystery are left to unravel the mystery of her death as they cope with their own lives. The mystery held plenty of twists and a final mystery that remains unanswered. Wonderful read.
Aug 02, 2014
Samantha
added it
2 stars.
I was very excited to read Rain Girl and when I saw that it was available on the Kindle First program I choose that one for the month of July. Unfortunately I found myself bored before the halfway mark. And I skimmed the last quarter of the book.
I was very excited to read Rain Girl and when I saw that it was available on the Kindle First program I choose that one for the month of July. Unfortunately I found myself bored before the halfway mark. And I skimmed the last quarter of the book.
What I liked best was the short chapters. I hate long chapters. Because I like to get up and do things between chapters. This book had the shortest chapter ever. 1 sentence.
Aug 10, 2014
Caity
added it
Mystery
There were many twists to this story. it was a big mystery who the actual killer was. I was surprised by the ending of the story
There were many twists to this story. it was a big mystery who the actual killer was. I was surprised by the ending of the story
Good read, learn a new word "autobahn". Read full review here www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play Book Tag: Rain Girl - Gabi Kreslehner (3 1/2 stars) | 2 | 6 | Apr 12, 2016 05:29AM | |
| Mic Breaks Only: Rain: Fin! (Full Book Discussion) | 3 | 5 | Oct 23, 2014 07:04PM | |
| Mic Breaks Only: Rain: Do you know where your son is: Ch 1-34 | 5 | 7 | Oct 21, 2014 08:23PM | |
| Mic Breaks Only: Rain: Page 0: Links & Notions | 3 | 4 | Oct 21, 2014 07:18PM |
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“When you love something, you keep it to yourself. Then no one can take it from you.”
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“Let me guess,” Felix said. “The rest area between Lenting and Denkendorf.”
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