Silver Pebbles by Hansjorg Schneider (translated by Mike Mitchell)
I would like to thank Anne from Random Things Tours and Bitter Lemon for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review
Publisher – Bitter Lemon
Published – Out Now
Price – £8.99 paperback £5.79 Kindle eBook
A Lebanese man carrying diamonds in his bag is on the train from Frankfurt to Basel, a drug mule on the return journey. At the Basel train station Inspector Hunkeler is waiting for him after a tipoff from the German police. The courier manages to flush the stones away in the station WC. Erdogan, a young Turkish sewage worker, finds the diamonds in the pipes under the station. To him they mean wealth and the small hotel he always wanted to buy near his hometown. To his older Swiss girl-friend Erika, the stones signify the end of their life together. She knows that Erdogan has a wife and children in Turkey. For the courier, finding the stones is a matter of life and death. His employers are on their way to 'tidy things up'. For Hunkeler the stones are the only way to get to the people behind the drug trade. They turn out to include not only the bottom feeding drug gangs, but bankers and politicians very high up the Basel food chain.
With the growth of our interest in crime fiction from other countries it is always interesting to see what stays the same and what is different. Each country’s legal system and own domestic problems can give us insights into a whole culture but also there is the universality of exploring humanity’s darker impulses and what that does to those impacted by it. In Silver Pebbles by Hansjorg Schneider translated by Mike Mitchell we explore Switzerland’s crime landscape with a story less interested on who did it and more what happens afterwards.
Inspector Hunkeler does not have a good day at the office. The prime suspect in a diamond smuggling ring is located but does not have any diamonds. Kayat demines any knowledge knowing the diamonds are cruising through the Swiss sewage system. Unfortunately for the smuggler they are found by a sewage worker removing a blockage named Erdogan a Turkish immigrant who sees the potential for riches for himself and his Swiss girlfriend Erika. But diamond smugglers have important bosses and don’t want to lose their money so soon the young couple find themselves in a danger and the rebellious Inspector may be their only hope.
This brisk tale rattles along at a fair pace. Schnieder is exploring Switzerland’s reputation as a smuggling paradise with its relationship to borders and being a perfect meeting point for European crime gangs. There is also a really interesting look at how this type of crime may have support in the richer and powerful parts of society. Its unusual to see a crime novel suggest the criminals and state are so entwined (surely a model for future UK crime tales). On top of this there is a weaving of cat and mouse as the tale switches between police, smugglers and naïve people who think they can suddenly become millionaires but are actually in way over their heads. It’s a lean tale and keeps you on your toes all the way to the finale.
Inspector Hunkeler reminds me a little of Rebus. A bit of a mess socially with the traditional broken-down family relationship and a lot of memories of his rebellious youth but also has a desire for justice and not necessarily doing it by the book or following orders. Crime fans may find him a little too familiar, but he is a good entry point into understanding how Swiss life is maintained which made him more readable.
This was a fun and engaging quick crime tale with an interesting set-up, good use of tension and exploring a country I knew little about. Would recommend this to those who enjoy international crime tales and want a new world to explore.
