A whole family has been murdered with a pickaxe. They were old Danner the farmer, an overbearing patriarch, his put-upon devoutly religious wife, and their daughter Barbara Spangler, whose husband Vincenz left her after fathering her daughter, Marianne. Also murdered was the Danners' new maidservant, Marie, who was regarded as slightly simple. Despite the brutal nature of the killings and the small village where it has taken place, the police have no leads. Officially the crime is unsolved. And then a former resident returns home… The Murder Farm is an unconventional detective story. The author interweaves testament from the villagers, an oblique view of the murderer, occasional third-person narrative pieces and passages of pious devotion. The narrator leaves the village unaware of the truth, only the reader is able to reach the shattering conclusion.
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With only a limited number of ways in which violent death can be investigated, crime writers have to use considerable ingenuity to bring anything fresh to the genre. Andrea Maria Schenkel has done it in her first novel, The Murder Farm - Times Literary Supplement
The Murder Farm lingers on in the memory like an old tune, long after you've turned the final page - Sunday Tribune
A chilling little debut number… short, nasty and effective - Daily Mail
A fascinating, refreshingly short and laudably ambitious mystery' reviewingtheevidence website.
The Murder Farm lingers on in the memory like an old tune, long after you've turned the final page - Sunday Tribune
A chilling little debut number… short, nasty and effective - Daily Mail
A fascinating, refreshingly short and laudably ambitious mystery' reviewingtheevidence website.
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Reviews for the Murder Farm:
Already an international bestseller, this superior German crime novel explores the murder of an entire family. The novel is a collage of various voices and testaments with no `drawing-room' expose at the end - the reader has to solve the case - Scotland on Sunday
Already an international bestseller, this superior German crime novel explores the murder of an entire family. The novel is a collage of various voices and testaments with no `drawing-room' expose at the end - the reader has to solve the case - Scotland on Sunday
With only a limited number of ways in which violent death can be investigated, crime writers have to use considerable ingenuity to bring anything fresh to the genre. Andrea Maria Schenkel has done it in her first novel, The Murder Farm...that this has been packed into such a short novel is a considerable achievement - The Times Literary Supplement --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Simon Clarke
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This short novel is ideally suited to being read in one
sitting.It stays in the mind long after completion.Set in
rural 1950's Germany, the narrator returns to an isolated
community where a whole family and their maid have been
slayed.Nobody in the community knows who is responsible,
they have turned a blind eye just as doubtless they were used
to doing living under the Nazis.The investigation takes
the form of terse testaments from the villagers,and these
are interspersed in the book with Christian devotions,which
adds to the mood of inner bleakness.The reader can come to
their own conclusion regarding the murderer on the basis of
the testaments.
The Murder Farm is an immensely creative and unusual novel,
that deserves a wide readership.
sitting.It stays in the mind long after completion.Set in
rural 1950's Germany, the narrator returns to an isolated
community where a whole family and their maid have been
slayed.Nobody in the community knows who is responsible,
they have turned a blind eye just as doubtless they were used
to doing living under the Nazis.The investigation takes
the form of terse testaments from the villagers,and these
are interspersed in the book with Christian devotions,which
adds to the mood of inner bleakness.The reader can come to
their own conclusion regarding the murderer on the basis of
the testaments.
The Murder Farm is an immensely creative and unusual novel,
that deserves a wide readership.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By jd
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a very promising first novel, and indicates that Schenkel will have much to offer in future years.
The other reviews give a good indication of the content and style, so I'll confine myself to noting that the novel could be seen as an extended metaphor for the collective guilt often addressed in modern German literature, and the tendency of those embroiled in it to affect ignorance, incredulity and resignation. The multi-angled style of the narration is especially apropriate to this, and Schenkel is to be congratulated on a thoughtful and original contribution to the modern European novel.
The other reviews give a good indication of the content and style, so I'll confine myself to noting that the novel could be seen as an extended metaphor for the collective guilt often addressed in modern German literature, and the tendency of those embroiled in it to affect ignorance, incredulity and resignation. The multi-angled style of the narration is especially apropriate to this, and Schenkel is to be congratulated on a thoughtful and original contribution to the modern European novel.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By H. NORTH
Format:Paperback
The story is a simple "who did it" but told in an unusual way. The local people tell their points through interviews mix that with the other bits of infomation given and you really get to play the detective. The atmosphere is dark and gives you a feel for post war rural Germany. It is a quick and easy read and ideal for a one sitting read.
As this was originally written in German some of the translation into english was poor but this did not effect the overall reading experience.
As this was originally written in German some of the translation into english was poor but this did not effect the overall reading experience.
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3.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
a story more noted for its telling and prose, than the tale itself
The intrigue of The Murder Farm is created through the whodunit storyline and its telling. Taking a relatively novel approach, Schenkel tells the story through the voices of a... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Rob Kitchin
4.0 out of 5 stars
Told through the locals viewpoint
`The Murder Farm' is a simple and unusual story about the Danner family who are murdered in their home; an isolated farm in post war Germany. Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2011 by booklover
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Very Well Written Murder Mystery, who leaves you guessing until the...
I am an avid reader of anything murder mystery related. I was recommended this book by a family friend who just happens to be the publisher. Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2009 by Mr. N. R. A. Williamson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Multiple perspectives on a gruesome murder. Nicely wrought.
Andrea Maria Schenkel's debut novel The Murder Farm is an attempt at multiple perspective, and it succeeds in most part. Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2009 by Feanor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great writing
Not a crime buff. Easy read but evocative imagery with such concise writing. Brilliant writing really.
Published on 16 Jan 2009 by M Nasrudin
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