The Collini Case

De: Ferdinand von Schirach

Narrado por: Steven Crossley

The internationally best-selling courtroom drama centering on a young German lawyer and a case involving World War II

A best seller in Germany since its 2011 release - with rights sold in 17 countries - The Collini Case combines the classic courtroom procedural with modern European history in a legal thriller worthy of John Grisham and Scott Turow.

Fabrizio Collini is recently retired. He’s a quiet, unassuming man with no indications that he’s capable of hurting anyone. And yet he brutally murders a prominent industrialist in one of Berlin’s most exclusive hotels.

Collini ends up in the charge of Caspar Leinen, a rookie defense lawyer eager to launch his career with a not-guilty verdict. Complications soon arise when Collini admits to the murder but refuses to give his motive, much less speak to anyone. As Leinen searches for clues he discovers a personal connection to the victim and unearths a terrible truth at the heart of Germany’s legal system that stretches back to World War II. But how much is he willing to sacrifice to expose the truth?

©2012 Michael Joseph (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A magnificent storyteller." (Der Spiegel)

"A miracle of purpose and precision that leaves most bloated thrillers on the starting blocks." (Financial Times)

"Everything about Ferdinand von Schirach and The Collini Case...is extraordinary." (Sunday Times, London)

Doesn’t come to life as a novel

As any student of creative writing can attest, one of the basic axioms of fiction writing is to “show don’t tell.” The Collini Case, alas, is about 85% “tell.” As a result, the characters are one dimensional and never come to life as people a reader might care about, despite the compelling subject matter. The material is competently presented and read, but there’s a world of difference between a dry docudrama and a story you get lost in.