Novel set in PROVENCE
Thriller set in Germany’s BLACK FOREST
21st February 2025
The Invisible Web by Oliver Bottini, thriller set in Germany’s Black Forest (and Berlin). Translated by Jamie Bulloch.
The book opens in Berlin. There is a mysterious attack on a man in the corridor of a hotel. The assailant escapes and the man is left wounded. But the local police do not believe it is as straightforward a case of mugging and theft as it may appear. Chief Inspector Louise Boni is drafted in to assist. She is keen to trace two people in rooms close by who may have heard the attack and be able to help her. One is a lady from Freiburg who was in Berlin for a couple of days, and the other is mysterious stranger who registered with a false name. He is impossible to locate.
She travels to Freiburg to interview the lady (who is a very nervous employee of a company called GoSolar, unwilling to say why she went to Berlin) and soon finds herself in the middle of a major investigation into the company by several local and federal agencies – local police, national police, domestic intelligence, and foreign intelligence. The company’s share price (and its reputation) is suffering. There are allegations of financial irregularity. The company CEO is relying on a new venture – DriveSolar – to save the company. As the name suggests this involves fixing innovative solar panels to cars. The technology is state of the art and of interest to competitors who will go to great lengths to steal it.
The various agencies do not, of course, play well together. Louise wonders why so many are involved in what would seem to be a pretty regular investigation into industrial espionage.
The plot is intricate and moves (via violence and kidnapping) to a very well thought through conclusion. There are many twists and turns along the road.
A very satisfying read.
Tony for the TripFiction team
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