As of: February 8, 2024, 7:35 p.m
By: Stephanie Uehlein
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Christina Pörsel-Spar at the city wall in Weilheim, her hometown.
Her Oberland crime novel, a loosely written book about an investigative journalist, is also set there, where she has been living again since 2018 after several other positions.
© Ralf Ruder
“Starkbier Sabotage” is the name of the new Oberland crime novel written by a 37-year-old woman from Weilheim.
She was inspired by her family history.
Weilheim
– Christina Pörsel-Spar from Weilheim wanted to write a book as a child.
Now – on parental leave – she has made this wish come true.
With “Starkbier Sabotage”, the 37-year-old mother of two children published an Oberland crime novel.
This is about the journalist Moni Maurer, who cannot believe that the death of brewery owner Fritzi Fuchs from Weilheim - he was killed by a barrel - was an accident.
Stephanie Uehlein spoke to the author, a native of Weilheim, about her first book, which she self-published.
Ms. Pörsel-Spar, how did you come up with the idea of writing a crime novel?
The pink one from my crime novel is based on a real woman.
She was my great-grandfather's sister.
Like the character in the book, she was also engaged to a brewery owner, but in Munich.
After her fiancé was killed by a barrel, she died, it was said, of a broken heart.
I thought this story was something for a book.
But writing a historical novel was out of the question for me because it would have required a lot of specialist knowledge.
Because I didn't want to write a love story, it became a crime novel, the plot of which developed as I wrote it.
Did you have a role model when you were writing?
Regional crime stories are often very similar.
I like reading books by Rita Falk and Jörg Maurer, but also completely different books;
My favorite book is “The Bargain Hunter” by Sophie Kinsella.
When I was writing I was of course inspired by the usual crime novels, but what you can read in the book is also my own style.
You never mention Weilheim in your crime novel, but many descriptions make it clear that the story takes place in the city. Why is that?
I did that consciously.
The reader may ask himself where the action takes place.
The fact that Weiheimer recognizes Weilheim at the scene of the incident is of course completely fine.
I think you describe the main character, Moni Maurer, as a person quite realistically. In my opinion, this does not apply to the description of Moni's job as a journalist or, for example, to that of the police. You work a lot with clichés. For what reason?
I also can't imagine a police officer working like Franz Eberhofer from the Rita Falk crime novels.
My book should have entertainment value, it can contain fiction.
Yes, not everything is supposed to be the way it is in real life.
But I didn't want to offend anyone with my descriptions.
I thought that Moni - I also have a real role model for her - could investigate well as a journalist.
My book shouldn't be heavy, it should help you forget about everyday life.
What experiences have you had with writing?
It worked well for me to sit on the couch to write when the kids were asleep.
The ideas usually come by themselves. But sometimes there is a problem, for example you are looking for a funny idea.
My husband provided good, sometimes even absurd, but still useful ideas.
Have you already thought about having Moni Maurer investigate in another book?
That depends on whether the first book is well received or not, how sales go.
But, to be honest, I'm already writing.
The material is there, I have already written the first chapters.
But I don't assume that I will ever be able to make a living from writing books.
However, it would be nice if a publisher would contact me who would like to publish something by me.
The book
can be ordered from Amazon for 9.99 euros.
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