‘The Eye Collector’ by Sebastian Fitzek

Translated from the German by John Brownjohn

Published by Atlantic Books,
1 August 2013.
ISBN: 978-0-85789-371-0

Ex-policeman Zorbach has never recovered from having shot a woman.  Now, as a journalist, he’s chasing a killer called ‘the eye-collector’ – because he kills mothers and kidnaps the children, whose bodies are later found with one eye gouged out.  Then his wallet is found in a garden with another dead mother ... and the only person who can help him is a blind girl who’s ‘seen’ through the murderer’s eyes.

The stakes in this story were high, ratcheted up by having the kidnapped boy as one of the narration strands.  You sympathised with Zorbach straight away, and the thread of supernatural – blind Alina’s visions, and the radio broadcast he couldn’t have heard – added to the atmosphere of mystery.  Zorbach’s sidekick, Frank, and his former police colleagues were also very real characters, and the pressures of the job came across well.  The Berlin setting wasn’t particularly emphasised – it could have been any city – but the atmosphere of Zorbach’s newspaper office, and his visit to his boat in the woods was good.  There were some ‘yuck!’ passages, but it wasn’t as gory as the description sounds.  The solution was surprising and satisfying.  Warning for those who like their books to finish completely in one volume: this is the first in a pair of books, the second being The Eye Hunter.

A slick PI mystery, whose tension and easy-reading style kept me turning the pages.

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Reviewer: Marsali Taylor

Sebastian Fitzek  has worked as a journalist and author for radio and TV stations  all around Europe, and is now head of programming at RTL, Berlin’s leading radio station. His first and subsequent novels have become huge bestsellers in Germany, and he is currently working on his fifth.

http://www.sebastianfitzek.de

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland's scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland's distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.  Marsali also does a regular monthly column for the Mystery People e-zine.