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11. Taunaus crime thriller “Monster” by Nele Neuhaus: best-selling author in an interview © Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
In “Monster,” a rejected asylum seeker comes under suspicion of murder.
The new Taunus crime novel by Nele Neuhaus is political.
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This doesn't change anything for you.
The 11th Taunus crime novel by Nele Neuhaus is likely to be a huge success.
The author's books have been successful for years.
“Monster” was published in bookstores on November 16th and went to number 1 on the Spiegel bestseller list shortly after its release.
Nele Neuhaus talks about writing in an interview.
Dear Ms. Neuhaus, how did you get started writing?
I have dreamed of writing since I was a child.
At first there were exercise books and fountain pens that I used to write.
For one birthday, my parents gave me a yellow portable typewriter.
Much to the chagrin of my siblings.
How did the writing go?
I always read a lot as a child and teenager.
Reading a lot is a basic requirement in order to be able to write.
I enjoyed writing short stories, which were essentially “commissioned works” for my siblings and friends.
A good practise!
I was always open to constructive criticism and it helped me a lot later.
Writing remained a hobby for a long time.
In my mid-30s, I managed to finish a story all the way to the end.
“Among Sharks” was finished and I was looking for a publisher.
But numerous rejections followed.
After more than twenty negative letters, I decided to self-publish my stories.
What is “Monsters” about?
The 11th Taunus crime thriller has a well-known setting with the introduced team around Bodenstein and Sander from K11.
When a young girl who did not spend the night with her friend as stated is found dead, a rejected asylum seeker who had recently been released from prison finds himself in the crosshairs of the investigation.
But he manages to go into hiding before he can be questioned.
This current, political issue is a kind of backstory to the actual story.
I like to do something like that, as I did in my previous books, for example with the 2006 World Cup in my second crime novel.
My readers like the combination of reality and fiction.
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Is there a “typical” writing day?
Yes, if you will, writing is an almost “bourgeois” job for me.
Of course, writing requires a lot of thinking and countless notes, mainly handwritten.
And after plotting it comes to the real writing and that is a real craft.
I write the text, fine-tune the wording and sentences.
When he is finished, the rough version goes to proofreading.
Then it's my editor's turn before I get the proofs for final correction.
What kind of books do you like to read?
I haven't read much crime fiction for a long time.
I'm currently reading Bret Easton Ellis' The Shards and Britney Spears' autobiography is on my nightstand.
I count the books by Elizabeth George, review of “What lies hidden” here, and John Grisham as some of my role models.
Which books are planned?
Ideas for new and further cases from the Taunus are there.
But next I'll be writing a new volume for my young adult book series "Elena".
This is a nice change.
Thank you for the interview.
Nele Neuhaus' Taunus crime novels are being filmed by ZDF with a time delay.
Filming for “In Eternal Friendship,” a two-part series about the murder hunt in the Frankfurt publishing world, was recently completed.
More crime novels set around Frankfurt can be found here.
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Nele Neuhaus “Monster”
2023 Ullstein, ISBN-13 978-3-550-20225-4
Price: Hardcover €24.99, e-book €19.99, 560 pages (different format)
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Nele Neuhaus
Nele Neuhaus, born in Münster/Westphalia, has lived in the Taunus region since her early childhood and has been working as an author ever since.
Her crime novel “Snow White Must Die,” published in 2010, marked her breakthrough and made her the most read crime author in Germany.
In addition to crime novels, the enthusiastic rider also writes children's books with horse themes and entertainment literature.
Her works are published in more than 30 countries.
The police chief of West Hesse appointed Nele Neuhaus as an honorary chief detective.
You should definitely read these four crime novels by Nele Neuhaus.
You can read why Berlin is the perfect place for crime novels in our interview with crime author Johannes Groschupf.