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The Valkyrie Song

(Jan Fabel #5)

Craig Russell (Goodreads Author)

4.07 · Rating details · 471 ratings · 27 reviews

Jan Fabel is a troubled man. His relationships with the women in his life are becoming increasingly complicated: his partner, Susanne, is looking for a deeper commitment. His daughter is considering joining the police and his ex-wife holds him responsible. If that werent enough, after a gap of ten years, a female serial killer - the Angel of St Pauli - again makes the head ...more

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Hardcover, 401 pages

Published August 1st 2009 by Hutchinson Radius

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Apr 13, 2020 Mark rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020, serial-killers, police-stories

Jan Fabel is confronted in his beloved Hamburg once again with a mythical serial killer who strikes down a one-time celibraty before continuing with some other victims.
Still jan suffers with the consequences of his previous cases in which one of his current officers has become a liability because of her style of work and lack of respect for his authority.
Fabel becomes involved in the search of a mythical killer who proves to be three women who were in the times of the old split Germany a creati ...more

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Apr 25, 2011 İlkim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, books-i-own, loved-the-cover, fav-author

O son vuruş müthişti kesinlikle. Beni sonunda dumur eden kitaplara bayılıyorum gerçekten, Craig amcaya teşekkürler.

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Aug 04, 2019 Linda Branham Greenwell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019, police-procedural, psychological-thriller, scandinavian-european-mystery, series

The book's premise features three lethal Valkyries, an East German deadly female group - is unique and they are dangerous. They were taken by the Stasi ( the official state security service of the German Democratic Republic - East Germany) as young teenagers and trained to be deadly.
People are being murdered and Fable is looking for these trained women
Great story - a look back at east German military. ...more

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Jan 02, 2016 EpidermaS rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: russell, posiadam-w-papierze

Russell, po dwóch małych wpadkach, znów sprowadza „Cykl hamburski” na właściwe tory. Chwała mu za to. „Pieśń Walkirii” nie jest może tak rewelacyjna jak „Krwawy orzeł” i „Brat Grimm”, ale zdecydowanie odbiega poziomem od „Zmartwychwstałego” i „Mistrza karnawału”. In plus, oczywiście.

Tym razem podoba mi się i wątek kryminalny, i jego tło. Główny bohater wraz ze swoim zespołem musi rozwikłać zagadkę morderstwa. Okazuje się, że tym razem nie będzie tak łatwo. Trop prowadzi do Walkirii – zimnych, pe Russell, po dwóch małych wpadkach, znów sprowadza „Cykl hamburski” na właściwe tory. Chwała mu za to. „Pieśń Walkirii” nie jest może tak rewelacyjna jak „Krwawy orzeł” i „Brat Grimm”, ale zdecydowanie odbiega poziomem od „Zmartwychwstałego” i „Mistrza karnawału”. In plus, oczywiście.

Tym razem podoba mi się i wątek kryminalny, i jego tło. Główny bohater wraz ze swoim zespołem musi rozwikłać zagadkę morderstwa. Okazuje się, że tym razem nie będzie tak łatwo. Trop prowadzi do Walkirii – zimnych, perfekcyjnych zabójczyń, które szkoliły się pod okiem członków Stasi. Są biegłe zarówno w sztuce mordu, jak i łóżkowej. Z łatwością potrafią zmieniać wygląd i manipulować innymi ludźmi. Dla Fabla jest to nie lada problem. By nie dać się zwieść, nasz spec musi stawić czoła własnym przekonaniom i wyjść ze strefy komfortu.

Autor zauważył najwyraźniej, że tak zarysowany wątek kryminalny jest doskonałą okazją ku temu, by wziąć się za bary z problemem postrzegania kobiet we współczesnym społeczeństwie. W powieści występują liczne postacie płci żeńskiej i przyznam, że niekiedy miałam już dość tej nieco feministycznej otoczki. Zaznaczę jednak, że Russell porusza sprawy ważne i stara się to robić w sposób niebanalny. Jeśli natomiast pojawiają się wzmianki na tematy dość wyświechtane, autor ogranicza się przeważnie do zaznaczenia ich wagi. Tak więc podczas lektury zastanowimy się, czy kobiety, mimo swej natury, potrafiłyby pracować w policji i wyjść z tego bez szwanku (wszak niektóre sceny zabójstw potrafią zniszczyć umysł najbardziej wytrzymałych mężczyzn). Rozważymy, czy prostytucja zawsze jest dla kobiet upokarzająca, a jeśli tak – czy mimo wszystko mogą pragnąć takich zbliżeń. Na koniec przekonamy się, co dzieje się w psychice ofiary gwałtu, niezależnie od jej płci.

„Pieśń Walkirii” na początku rozwija się bardzo szybko i – na szczęście - ciekawie. Po dwustu stronach mamy drobne spowolnienie, ale końcówka przyjemnie przyspiesza. Zdecydowanie warto do niej dojść – epilog jest prawdziwą wisienką na torcie.

Nie byłabym sobą, gdybym nie wspomniała o tym, że w tej części serii wraca stare, dobre poczucie humoru Russella. Nie jest to dowcip intelektualny - w końcu mamy do czynienia nie ze środowiskiem akademickim, a policją. Autorowi daleko jednak od klozetowego humoru. Bardzo spodobał mi się cytat z policjantki: "- Następnemu, który spróbuje się stawiać, odstrzelę fiuta - powiedziała z uśmiechem. - A wierzcie mi, że naprawdę dobrze strzelam, nawet do takich małych celów." ;)

Na koniec – okładka. Podobnie jak w przypadku dwóch poprzednich części cyklu, „nasze” wydanie odbiega od oryginału. Po raz kolejny uważam, że to zagraniczne jest lepsze. Nie będę się jednak wyzłośliwiać. Propozycja Wydawnictwa W.A.B. tym razem też mi się podoba. Nie są to wyżyny przeżyć estetycznych, ale lufa ciągnie wzrok, a i zestaw kolorystyczny jest przyjemny dla oka.

„Pieśń Walkirii” w swoim prywatnym zestawieniu oceniam na 7/10. Dzięki tej części „Cyklu hamburskiego” nie boję się już, że zakończenie całości będzie tragiczne. Mam nadzieję, że autor utrzyma dobrą passę. Jeśli nie, to będzie to dla mnie spore rozczarowanie.
...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Elif rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Bu seriyi okumak isteyenler bütün işini bırakıp, tamamen kitaba odaklanmalı. O kadar yer, kişi, vs. adı geçiyor ki dikkat etmek lazım. Yoksa benim gibi bu kimdi, şu kimdi diye düşünüp durursunuz ;) Gerçi alıştım biraz beşinci kitap sonuçta. Bu kitapta Fabel'e gıcık oldum yaa. Bir de her konuşmaya kadın-erkek eşitsizliğini katmalarına... Hiç tahmin ettiğim gibi gitmedi ama şüphelendiklerim temiz çıktı. Fabel ve ekibi çok kötü çuvalladı. Akıl var mantık var. Karşındaki(ler) öldürmek için özel olar ...more

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Jan 01, 2014 Mandy Bookaholica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller-krimi

Craig Russell greift, obwohl er keine deutschen Wurzeln hat, in seinen Thrillern immer die Hansestadt Hamburg auf, die als Schauplatz seiner Bücher dient. Er scheint eine Schwäche für diese deutsche Stadt zu haben und ich finde allein schon das sehr bewundernswert. Auch in diesem Band gibt er sich der Geschichte, den Mythen und Legenden hin, hier besonderer Fokus auf die Stasi-Zeiten und der vorherrschenden Macht des gesamten DDR-Regimes. Ich finde diesen Teil der deutschen Geschichte ja wahnsin ...more

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Mar 14, 2015 Vivienne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: police-procedural, political-thriller, serial-killer

An excellent crime thriller and with its theme of a female serial killer had some resonance with the Huntress thrillers though not with so sympathetic a antagonist. Russell managed to twist and turn situations in the [lot and managed quite a climax. This is a terrific series and I expect I shall move on to Book 6 soon.

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Sep 17, 2017 Cerisaye rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime

I love the Jan Fabel series but there's an element of Basil Fawlty's "Don't mention the war!" to the novels, which means of course it's there in the background all the time, and I wonder whether this has to do with the writer being British not German? Which is a bit hypocritical of me since part of what attracts me to the novels is my own obsession with WWII.

Finished this book and have moved on already to the next one- the advantage of coming to a series late! They are compulsive reading for su I love the Jan Fabel series but there's an element of Basil Fawlty's "Don't mention the war!" to the novels, which means of course it's there in the background all the time, and I wonder whether this has to do with the writer being British not German? Which is a bit hypocritical of me since part of what attracts me to the novels is my own obsession with WWII.

Finished this book and have moved on already to the next one- the advantage of coming to a series late! They are compulsive reading for sure, and I am very fond now of Jan Fabel and his Hamburg murder squad, various other supporting characters z too, the bookseller friend from university days, for e.g., all well developed. Still not too fond of Susanne though I've learned to tolerate her presence in Fabel's life and Russell doesn't dwell too much on their relationship. When he does, however, it's realistic.

I like that Fabel is a nice guy, professional and widely admired though prone to self-doubt. Not without humour either. He's well adjusted, drinks little (fear of loss of control) and gets on with others including colleagues and, for the most part, his superiors, so not the usual troubled or damaged detective. Fabel has a good life and yet he isn't all that happy, though usually the demands of his job provide distraction. Although he and Susanne have been living together for two years by now still he misses his old flat, the one with the stupendous view. His work is his focus and everything else must give way. Luckily Susanne seems happy enough with what she has, and I like that about her, that she doesn't force Fabel to choose. The cases are complex but not too much to understand, there are plenty of twists and surprises, though careful reading allows the reader to work out what's going on before the police do due to our advantage of the criminals' perspectives. This means even the worst of them can be seen as human beings not simply monsters. I like, too, the way Russell's characters develop and change through the series, reflecting the difficult work they do, the horrors they must deal with, real physical danger faced. And the way history weaves into the stories, reflecting Germany's and Europe's dark past.

I was amused when Russell has one of his characters comment upon the tendency of Brits to dwell on the past and be obsessed with WWII (see above). I was reminded of Deutschland 83 with the Stasi project involving the Valkyrie, three female assassins selected and trained to fight the Cold War. ...more

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Nov 02, 2018 Joanne rated it really liked it

It is good, with lots of twists and turns and it is a page-turner. I can envision myself reading this book again. Some details were lost to me because I was so eager to finish the book and there were so many german sounding names and places and there are many characters to keep track of. I guess my one complaint would be that Craig calls women attractive/pretty/good-looking way too often. It is as though only pretty women were worthy to be included in the story, which is sexist, and grating and ...more

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Sep 30, 2020 Nicole Aroca rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Reading the adventures of Jan Fabel is very interesting, the case is very mysterious and macabre that Jan Fabel faced at a crossroads that he will have to know how to solve so that more people do not die.

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Sep 04, 2017 Barbpie rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime, germany

I love reading about murder in Hamburg. I just wish the books in this series were available in U.S. libraries so I didn't need to buy the ebooks from amazon uk. Although they're worth every penny! ...more

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Sep 24, 2020 Peter Barrass rated it really liked it

Another great book from craig russell. Detective fable up against trained assasins cool

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Dec 05, 2020 Mary rated it it was amazing

A solid entry in the series with murderous females and the heritage of a divided Germany. Features Russell's keen character analysis and succinct site descriptions. ...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013

Hauptkommissar Jan Fabel hat in seinem fünften Fall auch mit privaten Problemen zu kämpfen. Seine Freundin, die Polizeipsychologin Susanne findet, er habe zu wenig Zeit für sie. Seine Tochter möchte gerne zur Polizei und seine Ex-Frau, die damit gar nicht einverstanden ist, macht ihn dafür verantwortlich und möchte, dass er ihr diese Idee sofort wieder ausredet.

Aber auch beruflich läuft nicht alles rund – Fabel ist sich nicht sicher, ob eine Mitarbeiterin in seinem Team auf Dauer noch tragbar is Hauptkommissar Jan Fabel hat in seinem fünften Fall auch mit privaten Problemen zu kämpfen. Seine Freundin, die Polizeipsychologin Susanne findet, er habe zu wenig Zeit für sie. Seine Tochter möchte gerne zur Polizei und seine Ex-Frau, die damit gar nicht einverstanden ist, macht ihn dafür verantwortlich und möchte, dass er ihr diese Idee sofort wieder ausredet.

Aber auch beruflich läuft nicht alles rund – Fabel ist sich nicht sicher, ob eine Mitarbeiterin in seinem Team auf Dauer noch tragbar ist und auf der Reeperbahn wird einem britischen Popstar der Bauch aufgeschlitzt. Bevor er im Krankenhaus stirbt, kann er nur noch die Nachricht seiner Mörderin überbringen: Der Engel ist wieder zurück.

Doch Fabel ist sich von Anfang an nicht sicher, ob dieser Mord wirklich das Werk des Engels von St. Pauli war, der vor zehn Jahren schon einmal auf der Reeperbahn sein Unwesen trieb. Denn bald wird ein serbischer Schwerverbrecher ermordet und einiges deutet darauf hin, dass drei junge Frauen in der ehemaligen DDR von der Stasi als Profikillerinnen, als „Walküren“ ausgebildet wurden. Sie sollten im Westen Auftragsmorde begehen. Ist der Engel nun wirklich zurück, oder hat eine der Walküren die Morde begangen? Existierten die Walküren überhaupt?

Vielleicht war es nicht so klug, nachdem ich vor Jahren (ich glaube, es war 2009) den ersten Band der Thriller-Reihe um Kommissar Jan Fabel gelesen habe, jetzt mit Band 5 weiterzumachen. Aber der Klappentext reizte mich und was mich noch mehr dazu gebracht hat, dieses Buch zu lesen, war das wunderschöne Cover. Es war auch nicht so verwirrend, wie ich vorher dachte, nach Band 1 gleich Band 5 zu lesen, da ich vom Privatleben Fabels, wie ich gestehen muss, sowieso nicht mehr so viel wusste.

Den Schreibstil fand ich sehr gut, was mir auch gefallen hat, war, dass immer wieder aus einer anderen Perspektive erzählt wurde. Es ist in Thrillern ja mehr als üblich, dass ein Teil aus der Sicht des Mörders erzählt wird, aber hier fand ich die Passagen aus der Sicht der Walküre – oder eben doch aus der Sicht des „Engels von St. Pauli“? - besonders spannend. Man bekam hier Einblick in das Leben einer Frau, die einen Auftragsmord auch nur als „Auftrag“ versteht und nichts anderes. Die Menschen tötet, wie andere Leute Akten bearbeiten und sich danach wieder ihrer Freizeit widmet. Mich ließ das nicht so kalt, vor allem, da es bei Craig Russel generell immer ziemlich blutig zugeht.

Dabei war das Buch stellenweise auch wirklich witzig, z.B. wenn es um Fabels Privatleben ging und seine Ex-Frau ihn dazu drängte, seiner Tochter klar zu machen, dass sie auf keinen Fall wie ihr Vater zur Polizei gehen solle. Und mit diesem Ende hat mich Mr. Russel dann total überrascht. Mit dieser Auflösung hätte ich im Leben nicht gerechnet! ...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Bella (Bella's Wonderworld) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: hoerbuecher

Beschreibung

In Hamburg ereignen sich brutale Serienmorde, im Rotlichtviertel wird ein britischer Popstar von Messerstichen zerfetzt aufgefunden. Die einzigen Worte die er der Polizei noch übermitteln konnte sind »Der Engel von St. Pauli ist wieder da«. Dieser Serienkiller hatte vor zehn Jahren seine blutige Spur durch Harmburg gezogen und wurde nie gefasst.

Hauptkommisar Jan Fabel wird mit der Ermittlung dieses Falls beauftragt und zweifelt stark daran dass dies die Tat des Engels von St. Pauli w ...more

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Jun 11, 2016 Ezza Syuhada rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book was a great read for many many reasons of which I shall list below.

It keeps me guessing as to who was the serial killer/murderer, who was the assassin and who was the crazy nut that kept terrorizing people.

I love the variety of strong female characters in this book and I am one who is a sucker for 'em. The female characters in this book are strong in a sense that they are all intelligent in where they know how to apply their strong suits to defeat the enemy.

Most of the main or key char ...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Victoria rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-in-a-series, brit-lit, mystery-thriller

This fifth book in Russell’s Jan Fabel series revolves all around women - even some women killers. It’s a fascinating story with an interesting blend of gender issues, history, politics and even corporate intrigue. The actual series characters play a surprisingly minor role against this rather busy backdrop. Jan has moved in with Susanne after all (rather surprising, considering the events in The Carnival Master) and without any discussion. Anna’s role, in particular, lends a rather discordant n ...more

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Nov 07, 2015 Cliff rated it really liked it

Another excellent novel about Jan Fabel. I cannot begin to type his rank! There is certainly a lot of blood and gore in this one. From the murder of an ageing British pop star near the Reeperbahn (which I learned translates as rope walk) to the murder of a Danish policeman in Hamburg - and those are just two that besmirch that city in the book's pages. Faber is constantly there trying to link the mayhem together. There is a totally unexpected twist at the end. Sometimes, I have to say, it is dif ...more

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Nov 09, 2015 Barış Erdem rated it really liked it

Yine sağlam bir kurgu, güçlü karakterler, etkileyici bir kitap.Paldır küldür okunabilecek bir kitap değil, sindirerek yavaş yavaş okuyabiliyorsunuz. Başroldeki komiser Fabelin zaafları olan gerçeğe yakın bir karakter olması kitabı daha okunur kılıyor. Bence kitabın tek olumsuz tarafı pek gerçekçi bulamadığım kadın seri katil olayı olmuş ama tavsiye ederim.

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Jan 28, 2013 Hermien rated it it was amazing

Shelves: crime-thriller, ebooks, series

A very intriguing plot with an interesting historical German background. The ending was slightly disappointing but a great read nonetheless.

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Aug 07, 2015 Amy rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015

No review.. the end sucked :(

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Feb 08, 2013 Siraj rated it really liked it

A good book. Really worth reading. It really gives the reader a feeling that they are living among the characters. Awesome.

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Nov 07, 2010 Jo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, would-read-more

Very good - would read more

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Jun 01, 2015 Ben Burhouse rated it it was amazing

Another masterclass in crime fiction, intricate plot with twists and turns a plenty. Cannot wait for the next installment which has just been released...

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Aug 17, 2013 Michael Krarup rated it really liked it

http://bogbrokken.blogspot.dk/2013/04... ...more

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About Craig Russell

Craig Russell

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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Award-winning, best-selling and critically-acclaimed author. His novels have been published in twenty-five languages around the world. The movie rights to the Devil Aspect have been bought by Columbia Pictures. Biblical, his science-fiction novel, has been acquired by Imag ...more