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 in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.