I enjoyed the first book in Louise's journey to be on the lookout for more. The setting seems beautiful and desolate all at once.

Interesting but such a slow beginning!
Full review here: https://murderincommon.com/2020/01/05/oliver-bottini-zen-and-the-art-of-murder/

A truly unusual -- and superbly written -- tale that definitely commands your attention and inspires empathy from the very first page. A unique premise, with a protagonist who's troubled but engaging, and unforgivingly harsh locales. I loved the premise, the characters and the environment! Highly recommended.

*Thanks to both the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an ARC of this book free of charge, in exchange only for an honest review."

There are a lot of reviews for this 2004 novel, so I'll just say this is good, not great. It's unconventional in style and plot with touches of humor. Mystery fans will probably enjoy.

I really appreciate the review copy!!

Zen and the Art of Murder is the first book in a series written by Oliver Bottini. Originally published in German in 2004, this seamless English translation, out 13th Nov 2019 from Dover, is 400 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats (other editions available in other formats).

This is a modern dark procedural mystery with a distinct Scandinavian noir vibe. Main protagonist Louise Bonì is terribly flawed and haunted by the trauma she's experienced as an investigating officer. I found her difficult to like and relate to. She's so self destructive and on the other hand so intuitive and intelligent that I felt rather sad for her for most of the book. The writing is undeniably masterful - tense and extremely well plotted. This is a relatively long novel for a procedural and yet it never felt slow or dragging to me. The characters are complex, distinct, engaging, motivated by internal pressures and interactions. There is a brooding complex melancholy over the whole book which was both distressing and effective.

For connoisseurs of modern Nordic noir, this will absolutely be a good choice. Be warned, the subject matter is dark: murder, trafficking, alcoholism, mental health issues, violence, etc. The writing is superlative and the translation seems quite seamless. There's a lot more to fiction in translation than substituting one word for another, and I would be hard pressed to say that this reads like it's been translated. Kudos to Jamie Bulloch for the translation work.

Five stars for fans of dark noir procedurals with very flawed protagonists. Four for me personally (it made me sad).

Louise Boni is an Inspector in the Serious Crime Squad in Germany's Black Forest. An alcoholic with obvious mental issues. Her boss Rolf Bermann sends her to investigate a Japanese monk, who has been beaten, and is walking in the snow of the Freiburg region.
I found the character of Boni just too obnoxious, and the story was really not interesting enough, or maybe the style of writing was not to my taste.

Germany, France, friendship, alcohol-issues, international-crime-and-mystery, noir, law-enforcement, Buddhism, trafficking

If you're into Scandinavian Noir you'll really appreciate this German voice complete with the ice/snow and the problems for law enforcement with national borders. If you are close to law enforcement personnel you'll easily recognize the way that the job can damage a person who is driven by caring for the innocent, especially after having to kill another human regardless of the horrors he has done.
Despite her alcoholism and other personal demons Louise pursues an innocent monk in sandals and robes through the cold and snow even though they do not speak each other's language only because she knows that he needs help. She pushes on despite getting no support from superiors even after unknown persons murder one officer and critically injure another. It's a very dark mystery, but too much of it is all too likely in any country. It forced me to finish it all in one day.
I believe that translator Jamie Bulloch did an excellent job.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Dover Publications via NetGalley. Thank you!

A conflicted German police inspector struggling with alcoholism is handed a bizarre case. A Japanese monk is wandering the snowy streets, apparently terrified by something, wearing thin clothing and carrying a begging bowl. Louise Boni is a stand out character with real, believable demons she wrestles with as she tries to do her job