The Body in the Snow by Christoph Fischer was the last book I read in 2018, giving me the major achievement of completing my Mount TBR target of 36 books. I’ve missed this by two in the last two years. I’m really pleased to have kicked on and done it this year – with three hours to spare!
I’m very grateful to Christoph, who I met at the Bloggers Bash last year, for making it an easy and enjoyable read. The 2019 Bloggers Bash has been announced already, so start making your travel arrangements now.
The Body in the Snow
Fading celebrity Bebe Bollinger is on the wrong side of fifty and dreaming of a return to the limelight. When a TV show offers the chance of a comeback, Bebe grabs it with both hands – not even a lazy agent, her embarrassing daughter, irritating neighbours or a catastrophic snowfall will derail her moment of glory. But when a body is found in her sleepy Welsh hamlet, scandal threatens. Detective Sergeant Beth Cooper has a string of unsolved cases to her name. Her girlfriend left her and she’s a fish out of water in rural West Wales. Things couldn’t get much worse – until the case of the Body in The Snow lands in her lap. Can Beth solve the case and save her career and can Bebe make her comeback? All will be revealed in this light-hearted, cosy murder mystery by best-selling and award winning historical and crime fiction novelist Christoph Fischer. [goodreads]
My Review
The Body in the Snow got to the top of my TBR pile two years running. It hovered there throughout 2018. As a result, when I met Christoph Fischer at Bloggers Bash I felt a huge pang of guilt: it was still sitting in the top five, patiently waiting. I promised him it was the next one I would read….
Frankly, it was worth waiting for. If every book in my TBR was this good, I’d be chomping my way through them at a rate of knots.
yes, the review
Intriguingly, we start with the murder, but only find the body several chapters later. The author does a fine job of introducing us to the dysfunctional neighbours, forced into closer proximity than they like by being cut off by the worst snowfall for centuries—decades, at any rate. These folks are: a Portuguese woman divorced from an extremely rich establishment family; a couple where he is a mouse and she is a career-woman control freak with a strong streak of OCD (makes me look like a pussy cat); and Bebe Bollinger, a middle-aged singer on the comeback trail. I’m really sorry she’s got such bad arthritis at age 58. Crikey, what will she be like when she’s my age??
Anyway, the characters are fabulous, the delving into show-business great fun, although Will Young won Pop Idol not X Factor. I assume this is artistic licence; I don’t remember Engelbert doing Eurovision, but come to think of it, that’s a great idea! Bebe’s absolutely right to hanker after doing duets with young Will—he must be middle-aged Will by now—she’ll be perfect.
There’s plenty of delving into snow, plenty of police work with a personality clash between the investigator and her boss, masses of red herrings, and of course, we saw all of it through all the suspects’ eyes in the first place. What did I miss? I asked myself.
It’s a gem
I’m really looking forward to reading more Bebe Bollinger mysteries, and maybe straying off into some of Christoph’s other work, too. It was a wonderful end to my reading year. The Body in the Snow is a gem – get it now!
I’d love to read this! Thanks so much for the wonderful review and introduction to this book and author. And congrats on achieving your reading goal!
Thanks, Laura!
I’m a huge Bebe Bollinger fan and got to read this book when it was in the works!
Lucky girl! Which shall I read next?