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Dead Woods
The body of thirty-four-year-old software developer Philip Birkner is found in the forest. Tracks at the scene of the crime point to several possible killers. Lina Svenson and Max Berg of the Hamburg Homicide Division investigate and soon discover more than one dark secret in the dead man’s past…
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 30, 2015
After discovering Scandi-noir, I've started reading a lot of mysteries set in other European countries. This one is set in the northern German city of Hamburg.
Not a bad first effort. There are a lot of characters, both suspects and police, which makes it a bit difficult to keep them all straight. Our main protagonist is detective Lina Svenson, a young woman With A Past (a bit like Lisbeth Salander without the sociopathic tendencies) investigating the murder of an IT entrepreneur who, despite the protestations of his family, is not the boy scout they describe and who has several skeletons in his closet. It drags a bit toward the end and is perhaps a couple of chapters too long, but we do get there in the end and I'm hopeful regarding the quality and development of any sequels.
Not a bad first effort. There are a lot of characters, both suspects and police, which makes it a bit difficult to keep them all straight. Our main protagonist is detective Lina Svenson, a young woman With A Past (a bit like Lisbeth Salander without the sociopathic tendencies) investigating the murder of an IT entrepreneur who, despite the protestations of his family, is not the boy scout they describe and who has several skeletons in his closet. It drags a bit toward the end and is perhaps a couple of chapters too long, but we do get there in the end and I'm hopeful regarding the quality and development of any sequels.
May 6, 2015
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Amazon Publishing!
This is the third book that I read from a German author featuring a team of male and female detectives, and it's the one I've liked the most. Lina and Max, from the Hamburg Homicide Division, are very likable. While Lina seems a version of Lisbeth Salander, Max is a Buddhist Zen and his calm demeanor is refreshing. The plot runs smoothly and the suspects are well fleshed out. Nothing really surprised me, but it was entertaining enough to keep my interest.
This is the third book that I read from a German author featuring a team of male and female detectives, and it's the one I've liked the most. Lina and Max, from the Hamburg Homicide Division, are very likable. While Lina seems a version of Lisbeth Salander, Max is a Buddhist Zen and his calm demeanor is refreshing. The plot runs smoothly and the suspects are well fleshed out. Nothing really surprised me, but it was entertaining enough to keep my interest.
June 2, 2015
The premise of this story is great. One murder case which evolves into so much more. . There are twists, turns, and red herrings in here that make you question who really did it, and I will admit, I was not completely sure until near the end.
Dead Woods sends you on a hunt to find a killer in the midst of lies, hidden pasts, and sketchy characters. With so many possible suspects, Poets successfully creates intrigue while gripping the reader's attention.
However, what stopped this from being a great book, is how so many things were somehow overlooked (and then Lina would stumble upon them). Did no officer do due diligence when working a case? Background checks, known associates, life insurance policies, alibis, etc seem to be the first things police should check out. I imagine there are a lot of differences between the German justice system and the American, but this seems pretty basic.
*As a side note, some of the writing seemed stilted, awkward, and rudimentary, but this could be because of the translation (originally written in German) and not the writing itself.*
Dead Woods sends you on a hunt to find a killer in the midst of lies, hidden pasts, and sketchy characters. With so many possible suspects, Poets successfully creates intrigue while gripping the reader's attention.
However, what stopped this from being a great book, is how so many things were somehow overlooked (and then Lina would stumble upon them). Did no officer do due diligence when working a case? Background checks, known associates, life insurance policies, alibis, etc seem to be the first things police should check out. I imagine there are a lot of differences between the German justice system and the American, but this seems pretty basic.
*As a side note, some of the writing seemed stilted, awkward, and rudimentary, but this could be because of the translation (originally written in German) and not the writing itself.*
June 8, 2015
I’ve mentioned before that the Germans have taken over for the Swedes when it comes to the mystery genre’s European contingent, but I have to say that, compared to their Scandinavian almost-neighbors, these read a lot more like American. And just like in the last German mystery, something from the past relates heavily to this crime.
This story takes place in Hamburg, though in the suburbs, with very few forays into the city, so you don’t need to imagine much here, except at the end. Also easy to imagine are the detectives, who are not typical cops at all, with Lina barely five feet even sporting a punk haircut, and Max much more usual in look but not demeanor. Both are very likable, much more than the others in the department, who are more typical.
Other than one plot point about another murder which I found rather obvious, I enjoyed both the story and the dialogue, though at times it felt a little padded. The ending is a sea chase in heavy rain, which felt a little overdramatic but didn’t hurt the story.
This story takes place in Hamburg, though in the suburbs, with very few forays into the city, so you don’t need to imagine much here, except at the end. Also easy to imagine are the detectives, who are not typical cops at all, with Lina barely five feet even sporting a punk haircut, and Max much more usual in look but not demeanor. Both are very likable, much more than the others in the department, who are more typical.
Other than one plot point about another murder which I found rather obvious, I enjoyed both the story and the dialogue, though at times it felt a little padded. The ending is a sea chase in heavy rain, which felt a little overdramatic but didn’t hurt the story.
February 10, 2016
I received a free kindle copy of Dead Woods by Maria C. Poets, translated by Maria Poglitsch Bauer, published by Amazon Publishing from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
I gave this murder mystery five stars because it kept me guessing, there were multiple suspects, the characters were well drawn & it kept me turning the pages.
Lina Svenson & Max Berg of the Hamburg Homicide Division are partners investigating the murder of Philip Birkner.
"Trotting along the gravel path next to her colleague, Lina Svenson furtively rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, yearning for a cup of coffee. Max Berg looked very proper with his short black hair, clean jeans, a jacket & perfectly polished shoes. It was not the first time Lina asked herself how the hell he pulled it off."
The partner of Philip Birkner is being questioned by Lina. "Katja Ansmann raised an eyebrow, something Lina hated, especially when, as was the case here, the gesture implied contempt."
I enjoyed & highly recommend reading Dead Woods.
I gave this murder mystery five stars because it kept me guessing, there were multiple suspects, the characters were well drawn & it kept me turning the pages.
Lina Svenson & Max Berg of the Hamburg Homicide Division are partners investigating the murder of Philip Birkner.
"Trotting along the gravel path next to her colleague, Lina Svenson furtively rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, yearning for a cup of coffee. Max Berg looked very proper with his short black hair, clean jeans, a jacket & perfectly polished shoes. It was not the first time Lina asked herself how the hell he pulled it off."
The partner of Philip Birkner is being questioned by Lina. "Katja Ansmann raised an eyebrow, something Lina hated, especially when, as was the case here, the gesture implied contempt."
I enjoyed & highly recommend reading Dead Woods.
October 30, 2015
EXCELLENT read! This is a must for anyone who loves a mystery that starts out blasting you on the first page! DEAD WOODS BY MARIA C POETS starts out with the murder of a software designer. Simple right? Wrong! The book takes twists and turns and runs circles around you. The characters especially the Major Crimes Division are real. We have Lina who's 5 foot 4 a bit of a slob who the only way to get moving is to have her first cup of coffee. Then there's her partner Max who is neat as a pin and drinks OJ. They may be opposite but they are one when it comes to investigating murder. I usually have trouble keeping up with mysteries not set in the US but this one no problem at all. The story is well written and executed and to me it does not matter where it is set its a winner. I look forward to reading more of MS Poets mysteries down the road.
I received this book from goodreads in exchange for a review
I received this book from goodreads in exchange for a review
June 15, 2015
This was my first go round with a German author and I was not disappointed! From the first page I was hooked. The characters were very well developed and the story was well told. I love mysteries always have and always will. This particular one had just enough twists and turns to keep me going until the end. The hardest part for me was the names of places and people; this is due of course to the fact that I don’t speak German so it is no fault of the author. If foreign names of places and people mess up the story for you then I would say you probably won’t enjoy this book, but, however if like me you can just go with the flow and enjoy a different world view then give this one a whirl I would be surprised if you were disappointed!
June 22, 2015
A great new (to me) series about a team of investigators in the major crimes division of the police in Hamburg Germany. I really enjoyed this and will read more in the series. I was surprised the book really focused on just the one mystery and for that reason I think it dragged a little bit toward the end. I hope the author expands a little into the personal lives of the main two characters of the book (partners in their work). Nevertheless the author unravelled they mystery carefully and there were lots of excellent misdirection. A good read.
March 11, 2016
I won this book for free from the Goodreads free book giveaway contest. This was another mediocre story for me. There wasn't much suspense or mystery. There was a murder, there was an investigation, then the result. The end. Nothing dynamic or thrilling. It was a pleasant read. I liked the 2 main investigators Lina and Max, but didn't feel any real connection with them. I don't know. Maybe it's me!
June 12, 2015
This book by Poets was received by me from Goodreads first reads and it was a good one. It is a full bodied mystery with twists and turns and a plot that kept you interested and busy. The characters were sketched out in full body as well. Hopefuly there will be more.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"
May 11, 2015
I received this arc from Netgalley.
I really enjoyed this read. If you like a good whodunit this is definitely the book to read. Well written and a definite page turner.
I really enjoyed this read. If you like a good whodunit this is definitely the book to read. Well written and a definite page turner.
May 25, 2015
Provided by Amazon Publishing and Netgalley. Loved this book and hope there will be more cases for Lina and Max to solve!
December 13, 2015
Good read
Twists and turns with interesting characters. Recommend it for all mystery lovers. I am ready to read next book with these main characters.
Twists and turns with interesting characters. Recommend it for all mystery lovers. I am ready to read next book with these main characters.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews