"When evil came" is one of the top titles at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
A thriller that easily rivals other bestsellers.
My book tip.
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There are days when Ivar Leon Menger still finds it hard to believe that his debut novel “When evil came” would become one of the top titles at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
As a radio play producer, he had had great success in recent years with "Monster 1983" and "Ghostbox" 1983.
But he always wanted to write a book.
His knowledge of imagery and forms of dialogue made it easier for him to get started.
"When Evil Came": About the Book
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Ivar Leon Menger "When Evil Came"
© dtv
They live in complete isolation deep in the woods of a small island: mother, father and two growing children in a log cabin, the mainland is barely visible in the distance.
16-year-old Juno and her brother spend their time fishing, baking cakes and playing board games on Sundays.
And in constant fear.
Because evil is already lurking on the other side of the river.
Strangers can show up at any time.
And they want to take revenge for something their father is said to have done to them a long time ago.
The strangers will come to wipe out the whole family.
For this reason, the father dug a secret shelter.
There you can feel safe.
Still ...
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When I started the book, I thought it was an end-time thriller.
A family retreats to a self-built shelter after the warning sound of a siren.
It's cramped, stuffy, and dark except for dim lighting.
Emergency supplies are piled up in the back corner of the bunker.
The mood is depressing, the children of the family don't want to stay there for long.
The 16-year-old first-person narrator Juno vividly describes her feelings.
The daily routine of Juno and her younger brother Boy, who always address their parents as "mother" and "father", is monotonous and without much variety.
There are no technical gadgets in the book, such as game consoles or mobile phones, which young people otherwise use to pass the time.
The entire family and the prevailing situation appear to have been removed from the current world.
Only the Sunday afternoon games with board games provide some variety.
“I had a real writing trauma at school”
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Ivar Leon Menger presents his thriller When Evil Came at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2022
© S. Trautwein
The protagonists cannot leave the island.
The risk of them being found is too great.
The secret behind the "guardians" who seek the life of the family remains open at first.
Only the father is allowed to leave the island every few weeks at full moon to get supplies of food and drink.
The children believe all the stories their parents tell without questioning them too much.
If this seemed a bit strange to me at the beginning of the book, it becomes clear as the book progresses: the first-person narrator has been living there with her parents for 12 years.
Another world is unthinkable for them.
The same goes for the seven rules they should follow.
We'll have to hide when Uncle Ole comes.
We must never lie.
Nobody is allowed in father's library.
We have to go to the shelter when the siren goes off.
We must not eat unknown berries.
We must kill quickly and painlessly.
Nobody is allowed to leave the island without permission.
When reading Ivar Leon Menger you notice his experience for the right dialogues.
As a radio play producer, he has given a voice to numerous projects of his own and customers over the years, which create images in the listener like in a film.
His narrative style is short and concise, without omitting anything important.
In an interview at the Frankfurt Book Fair, he revealed that he had a writing trauma at school.
Only slowly could he free himself from it.
This is not noticeable in the thriller.
But on the contrary.
"When evil came": My conclusion
In addition to the setting on an island in the middle of nowhere and the young female first-person narrator, the writing style in the debut convinced me.
The short chapters and the exciting dialogues that create images in your head were a lot of fun.
If you're looking for another thriller beyond gory details, such as "Schmerzwinter", you'll find it here.
Ivar Leon Menger "When Evil Came"
2022, dtv ISBN-13 978-3-423-26339-9
Price: Paperback €15.95, e-book €12.99 – order now (promotional link)
Ivar Leon Menger
Ivar Leon Menger, born in Darmstadt in 1973, studied graphic design at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hildesheim.
Among other things, he is the author and director of numerous radio play series.
"Monster 1983" and "Ghostbox" are among the most successful productions in Germany.
As a copywriter and graphic designer, Menger quickly discovered his love for film, which also shapes his stories.
When Evil Came is his debut novel.
List of rubrics: © S. Trautwein