Snow White Must Die

By: Nele Neuhaus

Narrated by: Robert Fass

Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

On a rainy November day, police detectives Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver von Bodenstein are summoned to a mysterious traffic accident: a woman has fallen from a pedestrian bridge onto a car driving underneath. According to a witness, the woman may have been pushed. The investigation leads Pia and Oliver to a small village, and the home of the victim, Rita Cramer.

On a September evening eleven years earlier, two seventeen-year-old girls vanished from the village without a trace. In a trial based only on circumstantial evidence, twenty-year-old Tobias Sartorius, Rita Cramer's son, was sentenced to ten years in prison. Bodenstein and Kirchhoff discover that Tobias, after serving his sentence, has now returned to his home town. Did the attack on his mother have something to do with his return? In the village, Pia and Oliver encounter a wall of silence. When another young girl disappears, the events of the past seem to be repeating themselves in a disastrous manner. The investigation turns into a race against time, because for the villagers it is soon clear who the perpetrator is - and this time they are determined to take matters into their own hands.

©2010 Nele Neuhaus (P)2012 AudioGO, Ltd.

Surprisingly boring

Would you try another book from Nele Neuhaus and/or Robert Fass?

Probably not. The translation from German to English included an odd combination of German proper names mixed with American slang (e.g. repeatedly referring to prison as "the joint"). This was somewhat annoying, and hurt the flow of the narration. The book itself was surprisingly boring. I liked the concept, but too predictable in many spots.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

No great surprise.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Pace of story was plodding, so yes, the narration matched the pace.

Did Snow White Must Die inspire you to do anything?

No

excellent story and narration

What other book might you compare Snow White Must Die to and why?

Great book for fans of Girl With a Dragon Tatoo series. Similar genre - less creepy.

not as great as the title but still a good read

I went into this book expecting a Jo Nesbo like read. There were some similarities but most notable was the lack of violence in this book. Not a bad thing just an observation.

The title of course is what first got my attention. Then the book drew me in pretty quick and I couldn't put it down. There were familiar themes and characters but the story lines crafted is what was most interesting. Just when you thought you had it figured out there was a new thread. The book seemed to go on and on unnecessarily but as each new thread was revealed you were again pulled in and intrigued .

I enjoyed the book a lot. I didn't love it but would recommend and I'd be interested in another from this author. I read that this is book 4 of 6, though the first translated in the states.

Silly little German Opera should be its name.

Would you try another book from Nele Neuhaus and/or Robert Fass?

Nah

What was most disappointing about Nele Neuhaus’s story?

Ridiculous twists and turns with not one character you can buy into

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Narrated it like a soap opera, over the top with drumroll and all

Foreign Reads are Good, Different

I will be frank. I picked this because the title intrigued me. I looked up a review and I thought I would give it a whirl. I enjoy books translated as they are a different cadence and change order slightly differently from books I normally read.

I will not spoil the story for anyone, but the characters are intricately woven into a believable narrative that enhances the characters. Deception is a constant companion for many characters and the reader is taken all over the place to try to figure out the complex nature of the story. If you like them bloody and complicated, this is the story for you. The characters are also a nice mix of older and younger people so it is not lopsided.

I will look for this author again. I did find a few strings that weren't tied up in the story. If I had the book before me I could look up certain sections to straighten things out in my mind but not so with a long listen.

Couldn't stop listening!

Quick summary: 10 year old murder(s) events are revived when the convicted killer returns to his home town and residents who are not happy to see him. The story is very character driven, and the first few chapters had so many characters I confess I started listing them to keep track! The plot twists and turns and it was great fun trying to discern who really killed these girls. Just when I was sure I had it figured out, new evidence came to light and sent the reader off in a new direction. The reader was great and added to the enjoyment of this book. I hope they translate more and use the same reader.

Another great book.

I love this detective series. the author has a way of showing how evil ordinary people can be without gore. I like horror but the actions of the characters in her books are sometime just shocking. The author gets down the human nature element.

Great title

I have to admit - I was attracted to the book because of its unique title. Good story, good listen.

Not your average Fairy Tale

Excellent listen, constantly pointed to new person of interest. And lots of bitter endings.
It has it all love, hate, destruction, nervous anticipation and death. Well written few things could have been left out but not much! (Was written in German and translated to English )

Stick with it

Any additional comments?

It's easy to get lost by trying to keep the characters straight while listening to a very nasal narrator. I almost gave up because the narrator was honestly grating. Why listen to a book where you can't take the narration and don't remember who is who doing what from chapter to chapter?

BUT...Fass's performance gets very good (maybe he had a cold in the beginning on top of his natural nasal tone?) and the story is so layered, and believably so, that it becomes an overall exceptional listen.