Competition – The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams

We have yet another competition on the forum, this time for a copy of The Boy in the Dress, by David Walliams.

Full details on the forum.

Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek

Josy is a twelve year old girl, who develops a mysterious illness, then one day disappears. There is absolutely no trace of her, and her body is never found.

Her father, well-known psychiatrist Viktor Larenz, is unable to cope with the loss, and after splitting up with his wife, he retreats to an isolated island, in an attempt to heal.

His time there is shattered by the arrival of Anna Glass, a schizophrenic who claims that characters she writes about come to life; and she has a story to tell about a young girl with an unknown illness, who has disappeared. Is there a connection? Can Anna’s delusions explain what happened to Josy?
Full review.

Therapy is written by Sebastian Fitzek, and has become my ‘must read’ recommendation for 2009! He has written four other books, but these are all in German. Sebastian told me that there are discussions going on about which book to publish in English next.

“My recent thriller “Der Seelenbrecher” (“Spiritbreaker”) seems to become my most successful in Germany (# 1 amazon). The reason for that might be that Victor Larenz, the main character from “Therapy” is playing a small but important supporting role.”

He then went on to tell me about his other books.

“Since I don’t write mystery series with recurring investigators, each book is independent and – depending on the story – also different.

In my second thriller “Playing amok”, a psychopath takes the entire morning crew and the group of visitors in a radio station as hostage. Then he plays macabre game: He calls people out of the phone book randomly. If that person doesn’t say a parole: “Im listening to 101.5 and now let a hostage go” immediately after taking up the phone, the psychopath shoots one of the hostages.

My third thriller is called “The Child.” Its about a ten year old boy with a deadly disease who claims to have lived before – as a serial killer! He consults a lawyer and takes him to the places where they find corpses, who have died exactly the way the boy had described the deaths. And these killings have actually taken place long before the boy was born.

In my fourth psychological thriller a psychopath tortures young women. But he doesn’t physically hurt them, he destroys their psyche. Being with him for only a week, these women seem to be trapped in their own bodies. Around Christmas the psychopath is looking for his fourth victim in a psychological clinic which is snowed in. In a single night of horror the doctors and patients will find out on their own selves what the method of the psychopath is.”

Therapy is a book that’s just so obviously ready to be a film, so I was excited to hear that the rights have been sold, the screenplay is ready, and filming should start next year. When asked who he would like to see in the main role, Sebastian told me:

“My favorite actor is Edward Norton,  I’d even let him play Anna Glass!”

Finally, what is he working on now?

“My fifth psychological thriller is called “Splinter”. Marc Lucas loses his pregnant wife in a self caused car accident. Three weeks later he reads in an ad: “Learning to forget”. A research institute is looking for volunteers who will let themselves be put in an artificial amnesia to forget their worst traumas. Right after the first check up with the doctors a much worse nightmare begins: The key to his apartment no longer fits, there’s a different name on the door and when he rings the doorbell…his pregnant wife opens the door!”

If Therapy is anything to go by, Sebastian Fitzek is definetly an author to look out for. For those of you who can read German, go out and buy them now! :0)

Therapy is published by panmacmillan.

Available at Amazon.co.uk

Featured Author – Lynne Rees

I’m pleased to announce that Lynne Rees will be with us on the forum for the next few weeks. Lynne has written The Oven House, and a collection of poetry, Learning To Fall. She is also the co-author of Messages, with Sarah Salway.

As well as this, she has also taught creative writing courses, and runs a poetry blog.

Please come along and join her for a chat. :0)