BOOK TOUR STOP x Random Things Tours - River Clyde by Simone Buchholz (Chas Riley #10)

 

Chastity Riley has had a troubled few years, both through her work as State Prosecutor and in her personal life. The latest point on her long list is a mysterious letter from her great-great Grandfather that lured her to a remote point in Scotland with the suggestion of an inheritance and a house. There, she doesn't just find an escape, but secrets. Secrets about her family and her roots that threaten to sweep over her entire life and drown her. 

At the same time while Chastity is drowning, miles away there is fire burning. Miles away in Hamburg, her colleagues Calabretta and Stepanovic are trying to investigate a terrible arson attack while violence explodes throughout the city and wishing she was there to help. 

Soon enough, Chastity finds herself tied up in events spanning oceans and lives, past and present, on a journey that could either be her end, or a new beginning for everyone. 

"The River lies there, like over a hundred miles of dead men."

River Clyde is the tenth instalment in the Chas Riley series, and the fifth consecutive novel by Buchholz to be widely translated - and while this can definitely be read as a standalone like I did, any reader would definitely benefit from reading the precursor books to fully understand the depth of the character and the rich backstory behind her. 

This story was something unique - this was indeed the gritty, emotive mystery I was promised but the whole thing read like an ethereal fever dream. Haunting and poetic, about not only the ghosts of our pasts but the ghosts that haunt us in reality too. Each setting is crafted for maximum immersion, capturing the essence of people and places over the world. 

You can tell why this story was named after the River - it's deadly but beautiful, and the writing flows naturally like water. A mystery about history and betrayal, with gritty drama and a stunning journey into redemption and discovery. 

River Clyde might be my first dive into Buchholz's work, but it definitely won't be the last. 

About The Author

Simone Buchholz was born in Hanau in 1972. At university, she studied Philosophy and Literature, worked as a waitress and a columnist, and trained to be a journalist at the prestigious Henri-Nannen-School in Hamburg. In 2016, Simone Buchholz was awarded the Crime Cologne Award as well as runner-up in the German Crime Fiction Prize for Blue Night, which was number one on the KrimiZEIT Best of Crime List for months. The critically acclaimed Beton Rouge, Mexico Street and Hotel Cartagena all followed in the Chastity Riley series, with River Clyde out in 2022. She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son.

Thank you to Simone Buchholz, Karen at Orenda Books and Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review.