The River Runs Red by Ally Rose - Blog Tour


The River Runs Red by Ally Rose
Genre: Mystery
Source: Dampebbles
Rating: 5/5
Amazon

About The Book
Berlin is in the midst of its worst winter in decades.
Against the backdrop of freezing temperatures, blizzards and snowstorms, the city refuses to grind to a halt. Lurking within the shadows is a Stasi victim, out for revenge against the former East German informants known as ‘The Ears’. Their dark secrets are about to be exposed.
A mix of ice and water and a single gunshot, provides the ultimate payback.
With the Millennium approaching, Hanne Drais, the criminal psychologist working within the Berlin Mitte Police team led by the irascible Oskar Kruger and his laid-back sidekick, Stefan Glockner, are seeking the perpetrator of these violent crimes.
Who is the man they’ve nicknamed Snowflake?
Who is turning the river red?

My Thoughts
This was one of those books that interested me since the first page, not only for the addictive history that the book is based, but also for the courage of the characters. Because this is a fictional book but I am sure that the chore is real, based of thousand stories from people that had lived the cold war in Berlin and the fear they had of the Stasi officers or being reported by an East German informant. 
The story begins with the murder of one the generals of the Stasi police, the police doesn't know were to start and ask for help at the criminal psychologist Hanne Drais and how they try to discover the truth about the murders. The relation between Hanne and the police officers is interesting and add a human touch in the police investigation, but is not the main part of the book
While the story is told between the past and the present, the sensitive part of the book is the past were a family of athletes try to escape the totalitarian regime of the East Germany. Instead of having a happy ending, one brother is being caught by the police and being tortured and killed while the other brother sees it. The main question will be what has this accident in common and the murders that are happening in the present.
This story has made me think a lot, how the people could live with the constant fear of the police or being reported for a nosy neighbour, but mainly for the ones that try to defect and had to leave all her friends and family behind if they want to live, not an easy choice. That's why this book touches your core and makes you re-think if the police should catch the killer or let him live, there's not an easy answer to my question, but you have to admit that it makes you think about it.
This had been a great book, is the third book of the series of Hanne Drais, but you can read it as standalone, and I am eager to make you read this one, is a must read book.

About The Author
"I've always been interested in writing crime stories and with the Cold War era, there is such a rich tapestry to draw from; especially the notorious and quelling Stasi reign in East Germany. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain, gives a contrast between the different worlds and any past crimes are held to account in a unified Germany.
Berlin is one of my favourite cities, and I've spent time living and discovering this diverse city and its surrounding areas. Seeing my characters in familiar places, they seem to come to life.
Hope you enjoy my Hanne Drais books."

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