Time Heals No Wounds by Hendrik Falkenberg [Book Review]
Time Heals No Wounds by Hendrik Falkenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed reading this. A new author for me, and although I read the odd bit of crime fiction I don’t read it as often as I read other things.
Time Heals No Wounds
The story is mainly told through the point of view of Hannes, an elite sportsman who is also a police officer. Bored with routine police work he requests a transfer. Time Heals No Wounds is his first assignment as a detective. There are interludes with unspecified other characters. Some tortured dream sequences, and also from Merle, a woman being held captive.
These hang together very well, and provide clues that I only recognised when I’d read all the way to the end. The story is internally consistent. There are plenty of hooks to keep you reading, and more than a few red herrings to keep you guessing. The solution wasn’t totally obvious to me, but it didn’t feel like it was sprung on me either. It made perfect sense, but only when it was revealed.
The backdrop to the story is interesting too. There are is a wider cast than just those absolutely needed. In part this is where the red herrings hide. There is good misdirection at points, and also the opportunity for a wider story arc. I can’t be sure about whether that plays out, I’ve not yet read the rest of the series. However what it does is give Hannes a more rounded character and allows some of his flaws to show his humanity.
In all, a very well written thriller, and very well translated. The pacing and choice of language was excellent, showing a high level of skill in the translator (bringing out the excellent plotting and pacing in the original author).
Leave a comment