Extract: In The Dark by Andreas Pflüger

A big lovely welcome to author Andreas Pflüger and the blog tour for his latest novel In The Dark which was released by Head of Zeus on 2nd November. 

She lost her sight, but she can still see the truth…

Jenny Aaron was once part of an elite police unit tracking Germany’s most dangerous criminals. She was the best. Until it all went wrong. A disastrous mission saw her abandon a wounded colleague and then lose her sight forever.

Now, five years later, she has learnt to navigate a darkened world. But she’s still haunted by her betrayal. Why did she run?

Then she receives a call from the unit. They need her back. A prison psychologist has been brutally murdered. And the killer will only speak to one person…

Thanks to Andreas and Head of Zeus, we have an extract from In The Dark. Enjoy. 

‘How old was Dr Breuer?’

The murder victim’s colleague has been crying a lot. Her voice is hoarse, dull, empty. ‘Thirty-three. Her birthday was in December. She invited all her colleagues to go to the cinema.’

‘How long had she been working in the correctional facility?’

‘Three years. We knew each other from university. Then I started here, for a bit of security. Melly always wanted her own practice. But it didn’t work. She waitressed part-time, it wasn’t a life. When the job here came up I was on at her until she applied.’

Tears start to come, but get stuck in her throat.

‘Did she like the job?’

‘No. She found everything here oppressive. She started losing her spirit. I said: “It happens, you’ll get used to it.”’ The tears work their way up a little further, but still don’t reach her eyes.

‘Did she have family?’

‘A sister in Norway, who’s coming today. Both her parents are dead.’

‘Was she married?’

‘She was on her own for a while, because she’d had a few bad experiences. But she’d had a boyfriend recently. Tall, handsome. Melly was really smitten. When she came here in the morning even the wallpaper seemed to brighten.’

‘What did she look like?’

No reply.

‘Do you have a picture you could show my colleague?’

Her voice quivers. ‘She was tall, about a metre eighty. She had black curly hair, freckles and skin like porcelain. Melly was beautiful, she was special. In spite of her black hair she seemed temperamentally quite cool. But she wasn’t, in fact.’

Aaron feels dizzy.

‘You look very like her.’

‘How often did Boenisch come here?’

‘Every week. He hardly opened his mouth. She wondered why he came at all.’

‘Was she uneasy when she went to see him?’

‘Not at all. She was really glad that he invited her to have a cup of—’ She breaks off.

Aaron gives her time.

‘She said: “Hey, maybe he’s going to thaw.”’

‘I’d like to see Dr Breuer’s notes.’

‘I’ll put them together for you. Half an hour?’

‘Fine.’

The woman reaches for Aaron’s hand. ‘Thank you.’

‘What for?’

‘No one from the Homicide Unit has asked about Melly at all. They haven’t even been here.’

(c)Stefan Klüte

About Andreas: 

Andreas Pflüger is a German screenwriter and author. He has written a number of episodes of the hugely popular German police procedural Tatort. In the Dark is published in eight languages.

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Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
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I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
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