Synopses & Reviews
From Ferdinand von Schirach, one of Germanys most prominent defense attorneys, comes a jolting debut collection of short stories that daringly brings to light the motivations stirring within the criminal mind. By turns witty and sorrowful, unflinchingly brutal and heartbreaking, the deeply affecting, quietly unnerving cases presented in
Crime urge a closer examination of guilt and innocence.
In “Fähner,” a small-town physician and avid gardener betrays little emotion when he takes an ax to his wifes head, an act that shocks the locals but provides a
long-awaited reprieve for the good doctor. Abbas, a Palestinian refugee who is cornered into a life of crime, finds true love and seemingly a saving grace with a beautiful student named Stefanie in “Summertime.” But when she is viciously murdered in a hotel room after having been paid to sleep with one of the countrys wealthiest men, is Abbas to blame or is it the man who seems to have it all? And in the startling story “Love,” a young mans infatuation with his girlfriend takes a grisly turn as he comes to grips with his unconventional—and uncontrollable—impulses to truly know a woman.
“Guilt,” writes von Schirach, “always presents a bit of a problem.” In this beautifully nuanced and telling collection, guilt is indeed never as clear-cut as the crime, and justice is more nebulous still.
Synopsis
The jolting debut collection of stories from one of Germany’s most prominent defense attorneys, based on his own experience in court and as a close observer of the criminal mind and motive.
The narrator of the nine stories in Crime is coolly intelligent, yet full of compassion for the worldweary, lonely, sometimes foolish characters who populate its pages. Among the cast of criminals is Fahner, a small-town doctor whose patience with his cruel wife runs out after what feels like a lifetime of abuse; Theresa and Leonard, privileged, neglected, and ultimately doomed siblings whose escape from their father’s uncaring household offers only a short-lived freedom; Karim, the youngest, pluckiest brother in a family of petty criminals who hides his wiles behind the cards he plays close to the vest; and a nameless man who ceases to speak after killing two skinhead attackers. Yet, however heinous the crimes, the author lets us see the human at the core.
Writing from his unique perspective, Ferdinand von Schirach offers a quietly powerful, nuanced perspective on guilt and justice.
About the Author
Ferdinand von Schirach was born in Munich in 1964. Since 1994, he has worked as a criminal defense lawyer in Berlin. Among his clients have been the former member of the Politburo Günter Schabowski, the former East German spy Norbert Juretzko, and members of the underworld.