The Sinner

By: Petra Hammesfahr, John Brownjohn

Narrated by: Christa Lewis

Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Cora Bender killed a man. But why? What could have caused this quiet, lovable young mother to stab a stranger in the throat, again and again, until she was pulled off his body? For the local police it was an open-and-shut case. Cora confessed; there was no shortage of proof or witnesses. But Police Commissioner Rudolf Grovian refused to close the file and began his own maverick investigation. So begins the slow unraveling of Cora's past, a harrowing descent into a woman's private hell.

Hailed as Germany's Patricia Highsmith, Petra Hammesfahr has written a dark, spellbinding novel. At the top of the best seller list, The Sinner has been reprinted 16 times and sold over 760,000 copies at home. Translated into 11 languages, this is the first Hammesfahr title published in English.

©1999 Rowohlt Verlag GmbH, Reinbek bei Hamburg; English translation copyright 2007 by John Brownjohn (P)2017 Tantor

An Exquisite Story

I loved listening to the twists and turns of the plot. It's very well written and I couldn't shut off the audio book.

Suspenseful

I didn't want to stop listening! The performance was great, and the story has lots of dark twists and turns. Every time I thought I had the story figured out or a grasp on what was going on, there would be a twist, or something new.

I really enjoyed this book, even though the overall story was dark.

Very twisted

Twists and turns and shifting timelines all draw together. Narrator takes too many breaths so it gets annoying . Otherwise she voices well.

Great Story but hard to follow

Hard to follow, watching the tv series helped me keep up. I think it was the accent that threw me off

Terrifyin,Dreadfull,Fantastic

Incredible well written, different and strange.
Noir and sad.
Suspenssfull, twisred, and on top all ,entertaining
Would love to read more from this author

Different for me but a good read

I wanted to listen to the audible version before watching the mini series with Jessica Beil. I was excited to see her in a mini series and the opening looked intriguing! The book kept me interested and had a flow that kept me wanting to hear more. I really loved the German names and accents and while it was a different read than my usual purchase I really feel it was a great book.

Average and tedious

Compelling story but was a bit tedious and predictable. Just drug on in the middle. Didn't love the narrator.

INTENSE PSYCHOLOGICAL RIDE!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Sinner to be better than the print version?

Yes. The reader was awesome. I think her reading/acting made the book!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Sinner?

Too many to count and don't want to give anything away.

What about Christa Lewis’s performance did you like?

Her accents. The different tones she use. The quiet way she speaks to get your attention.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The closeness of the sisters. The doggedness of the detective.

Any additional comments?

Tough tough subject matter. But if you are in the mood for a head trip, listen to this book.

Story and Narrator is superb

The story line was excellent. I loved how each character was given life by the narrator.
I would totally recommend this audio to those who love suspense.
I gave the rating 5 stars, how could I not!

Captivating Story

When I heard that the tv series of the same name was based on a book, I decided I had to read (listen to) it first. I'm glad I did! It's hard to find a book that really keeps you guessing, and this one definitely does. I'm sure it's especially appealing to those interested in psychology. :) I decided to give it 4 stars because I found it hard to keep all the characters straight at times. Maybe it was all the different German names that I couldn't quite keep track of. :P But speaking on that matter, I have to say the narrator was fantastic. She actually makes the German accent sound pretty. :) And I imagine this would be a difficult book to narrate, what with many different perspectives that she had to jump between. But she did it flawlessly! Anyway, now I'm excited to watch the tv show and hopefully delve even deeper into this fascinating story.