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    The Sinner
    The Sinner
    The Sinner
    Audiobook13 hours

    The Sinner

    Written by Petra Hammesfahr

    Narrated by Christa Lewis

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Cora Bender killed a man. But why? What could have caused this quiet, lovable young mother to stab a stranger in the throat, again and again, until she was pulled off his body? For the local police it was an open-and-shut case. Cora confessed; there was no shortage of proof or witnesses. But Police Commissioner Rudolf Grovian refused to close the file and began his own maverick investigation. So begins the slow unraveling of Cora's past, a harrowing descent into a woman's private hell.

    Hailed as Germany's Patricia Highsmith, Petra Hammesfahr has written a dark, spellbinding novel. At the top of the bestseller list, The Sinner has been reprinted sixteen times and sold over 760,000 copies at home. Translated into eleven languages, this is the first Hammesfahr title published in English.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    TranslatorJohn Brownjohn
    Release dateMay 30, 2017
    ISBN9781541473997
    The Sinner

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    Reviews for The Sinner

    3.5/5

    29 ratings14 reviews

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    • 4/5
      As you can tell from the blurb above, THE SINNER is a whydunnit, as opposed to a whodunnit book, although that's way too simplistic a description. When Cora Bender stabs a man to death in front of family, friends, and a crowded park, nobody realises that she was originally planning to commit suicide. Bender is obviously not in a good place in her life, despite outward appearances. Rejected wholeheartedly by her husband immediately after the attack, it seems an open-and-shut case, which may only be mitigated by a plea of insanity. Except that Rudolf Grovian senses something behind Frau Bender's acknowledgement of her guilt and maniacal desire to declare herself guilty with no reasons or explanations.It's partially Grovian's investigation into Bender's childhood and family life, and partially his patient and careful questioning of her that slowly draws out the truth. Bender's childhood is the stuff of nightmares - a desperately ill younger sister and a fanatical religious zealot of a mother who never hesitated to blame her first-born daughter for all of the younger sister's medical problems. Add a caring but sexually frustrated and ineffectual father, who whilst never sexually abusing his daughter, confronted her with her parent's sexual problems, and everything has combined to create a girl who is guilty, conflicted, and profoundly disturbed. Her closeness with her father creates a complex relationship with him, whilst he is kind and caring towards his daughter, his failure to take firm action in the face of her mother Elsbeth's more extreme behaviour makes him a weak figure, difficult to maintain respect, love and affection for. Bender's ill sister, Magdalena, should have died many times in her childhood, somehow managing to cling to life, she is the centre of her mother's world, swamping everything and everyone with her requirements, draining the families financial as well as emotional resources, isolating them. Eventually the two sisters seem to work out an understanding, a relationship, even love for each other, although, as with everything in this family, there's something not quite right.Because of the way that Grovian goes about drawing out the story of Bender's background and therefore her reasons for violently killing a complete stranger, there's a lot of ground gone back over. As she constantly lies about her past, Grovian is forced to look for the sprinklings of truth within the lies and slowly and steadily disprove the lies, forcing Bender back and back over the same ground, coaxing the truth from the ultimate in unreliable narrators. Because of that narrative device, the pace is slow, emotional, repetitive and intricate. The reader is given every opportunity to share Grovian's frustration, but at the same time you also get a feeling for Bender's distress, her desperation. Whatever it is that she doesn't want known is held close, she's desperate to obfuscate, confuse, deny, avoid. Particularly interesting was the way that Bender's family members, in particular, are characterised. Seen, as they are, mostly from Bender's point of view, there's something misty about them, hesitantly revealing her father's ineffectiveness, her mother's madness, and her sister's memory. It's particularly interesting that Magdalena is both transparent, weak, seemingly just about incapable of even basic communication; yet she's ultimately revealed as a much stronger personality, capable of manipulation, more able than originally contemplated. Remembering that we were viewing Bender's family from her perspective, and the role that Magdalena's entire existence had such a profound affect on Bender - made it a particularly thought-provoking aspect.THE SINNER isn't a straight-forward book. Part thriller, a most unusual psychological study, it wasn't an easy book to read but it was an extremely thought-provoking, worthwhile book to read.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      READ IN DUTCH

      Cora has decided that this is the last day she's going to live. She has planned everything. She'll get an 'accident' while swimming. However, things turn out differently. She stabs a man to death. Why?



      I found this to be a very interesting whydonit. The story was very interesting and although I had my own guesses as to why she killed him, which actually turned out to be quite accurate, I never felt a boring moment. I liked the writing as well. I would recommend it!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      The Sinner is the second book in The Return of the Highlanders by Margaret Mallory.

      Alex love his chieftain (Connor) and will do anything for him but marrying. He loves his single life and lives it to the fullest. After seeing his parents disastrous marriage he has vowed never to marry.
      Alex goes on a diplomatic visit to the MacNeil’s lands. He knows Connor sent him there because he wants him to marry the older daughter of the MacNeil’s chieftain. Alex accepts the diplomatic mission but he’s very clear he’ll not marry anyone.
      Glynis MacNeil was married once to a brute of a man and have swore never to marry again, doesn’t matter her father’s intentions, she will escape before being tied to a man again.
      After meeting Glynis, Alex is happily surprise, not just for her beauty but her aversion to marry. He has found his perfect match. They enjoy spending time together and decide they can be friends.
      After some time their paths cross again. Glynis father has had enough and it’s planing to marry Glynis very soon, for that reason she decides to escape blackmailing Alex into taking her with him to Edinburg where her mother’s relatives lives.
      Their trip to Edinburg is a long way of many days and dangers. They may have an abhorrence towards marriage but not towards sex, therefore they decide to have an affair while traveling together. The more time they spend together the closer they are getting and without realizing they have formed a bond difficult to break. After arriving at Edinburg some other external factors binds them even more, consequently they decide to marry. To make their marriage work they not only will need to work on their trust but to fight ghosts from the past. And in times of political turmoil many dangers awaits them.

      I fell in love with Alex MacDonald in The Guardian (previous book of this series) and was looking forward to his book. I was very glad Mrs. Mallory didn’t disappoint us with his story.
      Alex is still the humorous and playful man, but now we also see more of his responsible and serious side.

      I really loved Glydis personality, she was fun, smart and sassy. She knows what she wants and doesn’t want and does whatever necessary to reach her objective. She is also caring and a protector, not a woman easily cowed. I loved the circumstances in which she left her first husband.

      Their relationship was great because it was slowly progressed and very realistic. The batter between these two was fun and entertaining. The only complaint I have with this book was the misunderstanding between them after being married for couple of months. It was taken completely out of proportion, something that with a little chat would have been easily solve almost ended with their marriage.

      My Final Thought: What made of The Sinner a great book are its amazing characters and their interactions. Not only Alex and Glydis were great but the arrange of the secondary characters were all good, from Alex’s inseparable friends Connor, Duncan and Ian to the villains; I can easily say they all brought something to the story making it a more lively and fun read. One of the characters that really surprised me was Glydis’ father, at the end he was smarter than all of them and I loved him for it.
      The next installment of this series The Warrior will be Duncan’s book, needless to say I’m looking forward to it.
    • 4/5
      I watched the show first so I knew how it ended. There were quite a few things that were different but still good. It was a little tough to read since it was originally in German. Some of the names I wasn’t sure how to really pronounce.
    • 5/5
      An enjoyable historical romance with a action packed plot and exciting finish. For the most part the hero and heroine were strong confident characters but sometimes they could be stubborn. Glynis' father is trying to force her into marriage with Alex a womanizer determined never to take a wife.
    • 4/5
      I don't get all the "I was confused/I had no idea what was going on" comments.

      This is an intricately-plotted novel that rewards by making a deep incision almost immediately, then slowly, delicately peeling back the layers to get to the heart of the crime.

      I won't say more about the story than that, and to have some patience, because it will reward you in the end.

      Really good read.
    • 4/5
      This was a weird book. It sucked me in immediately and kept me even when it dragged on and on in the middle. I could not abandon it until I found out what happened. They made a TV series based on the book that I have recorded but not yet watched. I do not see how they could do a movie with that content so now I will have to watch.
    • 3/5
      Cora goes to the lakeside to enjoy the sun and water with her husband and young son. There she inexplicitly stabs a man to death. There are witnesses and Cora’s own confession but the police commissioner does his own investigation into Cora’s past, uncovering secrets even Cora has trouble remembering.I, like many others, was pulled in by the trailer for the USA mini-series starring Jessica Biel. I figured the book had to be good to have been made into a TV series. But it really dragged for me and I can’t count the times that I thought of putting the book down for good. But something kept making me pick it up.This is yet another unreliable narrator book. Sometimes Cora admits to the reader that she’s lying but sometimes she’s not even sure if she’s lying. So it’s a bit hard to follow what’s happening. Events are gone over again and again, each time a little bit differently. The book has its merits as the story is quite unique and I didn’t see the reveal coming. I’ve recorded the TV series and will probably watch it even though I now know what’s going to happen. Not sorry I read it but I really didn’t find it as gripping as described.
    • 5/5
      “The Sinner”It’s actually the title that lead me to read the book, and sure enough I find myself reading this, just in one sitting. Sure, I’ve read a lot of historical romances, but this is my first time to be faced with a Highland romance.. and I say this definitely blow me up...I know this book comes in 4, and that this is the 2nd. I may not be able to compare it to the first, but since this is a stand-alone, I find myself totally engrossed with the story. For me, the book’s plot and intriguing storyline keeps me reading it until the end.I love the seer's prediction of three women that bring danger, deceit, and deep desire to Alex MacDonald which weave their way through this action-packed, emotionally-intense tale.I really enjoyed reading Alex and Glynis' story. They both grow and learn to love and trust even with their past experiences that led them to believe there’s no real love. From the minute I began reading The Sinner, I was absorbed in the story. I can’t believe, but I’m so into this.Margaret Mallory wonderfully weaves a story, full of facts and historical figures that is both compelling and thrilling. There’s no dull pace in the story, it’s either full of revelations, fighting scenes, steaming romances, or Alex and Glynis’s constant battle of wills…:DAs a woman, or should I say a girl, definitely I’m on with Glynis’ side, I could feel the constant nagging thought of Alex’s infidelity, but I came to a point to hate her, when she mistook Alex action, she should have listened to her heart and Alex’s explanation, instead she followed her overflowing jealousy and doubt…( Sorry I get carried away)…. With this, I think Alex is more likable than Glynis..;)Don’t get me wrong I love everything about the book, but what I love most, are the Gaelic sayings scattered within, it resembles the characters’ actions and enlightens readers too.The book also comes with historical facts at the back pages, stating where some of the characters came from. And also the 3rd book’s excerpt..it really sound promising…Full of action, passion, romance, sacrifice, pride, destiny, honor , this book is a must read for any historical-romance lover…Ms. Mallory is an author to watch out for…I can’t believe I’ll be snooping again for her other books, but sure I will..:)..I can’t wait to read her future books.. Count me in, I’m one of The Highlanders fan now too!lolThe Sinner is a delicious book any romance, historical lover would crave for…Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      Page-turner
    • 3/5
      A good editor would have been Petra Hammesfahr's best friend because The Sinner is at least one-third in length longer than it needed to be. This is a psychological crime novel that strives to get into the head of its main character, one of the most unreliable narrators I've encountered in recent memory, while that character tries to make sense of what happened to her five years earlier. The book has an interesting "reveal" at the end but it takes so long to get to that point that the whole experience is borderline boring...the events of a single night and another day are rehashed and recounted in so many different ways as different investigators give develop their own theories, that the reader is often tempted to chuck the whole thing.I'm rating this one a 3-star book because the essential plot is a good one...the execution of that plot, not so much.
    • 1/5
      The Sinner was just a mass jumble of confusion for me. There's really no other way to put it. I tend to like mysteries as long as they're compelling and not predictable. The Sinner was compelling, so a check for that. And it wasn't predictable. However, I can't give that one a check considering that the only reason it wasn't predictable was because it was so hard to tell what the hell was going on. The narration in this book was all over the place. You had numerous flashbacks told in Cora's first perspective. Then you had the present tense which is was told by Cora in the third person, followed by the chief also in the third person, and the aunt in the third person. It took like five minutes to figure out whether I was in the present or the past and to figure out who the hell was narrating which part. It was way too much work for something that's supposed to be entertaining. The other problem I had with The Sinner was that it was a bloated book. The author seriously could've done with cutting out at least a hundred pages that had nothing to do with anything. For example, I really could care less about the chief's daughter and wife...or their insignificant opinions. His side plot was so boring and extremely unnecessary. It's all fine and dandy to hear his side of the story since he's the one trying to help Cora. But what the hell does his daughter or his wife have to do with anything? They don't. That and numerous other things had me bored for a while. Did I want to know happened in Cora's past? Yes. I was intrigued. However, I went through a point where I just really wanted to finish the book and debated on whether or not I should just put myself out of this misery and just read the last page. Again, I didn't expect the twist to be what it was, but by the time I actually got there, I was so frustrated that I really could care less how twisted it was and was just happy that I would be able to put this book down. So, I don't recommend The Sinner. I don't know if my reaction to this is due to the author or to the author's translator, but the fact remains that this book had an intriguing premise, but the payoff wasn't enough to slog through 300 pages of twisted games (and not in the good way), confusing narration, and boring side plots.
    • 2/5
      I’m reviewing the NARRATION only, as I couldn’t get past it to actually finish the book! Yes, the author is German, and the characters are Germans, in Germany. But this is an English (British, I think) translation, and the narrator or director or some FOOL has made the choice to do all the dialogue in a German accent. I looked at the remaining time of 12 or 13 hours, and couldn’t bear the thought of that much hokey-sounding distraction. Dear audiobook producers: this ruins potentially adequate narrations. It sends the brain down a weird path— are they Germans speaking English somewhere? Like Poirot in England, with his French (Belgian) accented English? If not, just have all the characters speak English normally!

      I might not have made it too much further in this book, even if the dialog hadn’t been in German accents, as the narration was pretty monotonous. Not someone I’ll look for. I see she’s done quite a bit of non-fiction, which is probably less off-putting, although there’s also a funny thing going on with her S which is pretty distracting.

      Alas. I was quite looking forward to the book. I might use eyeballs on it...but this experience has colored my perception enough (perhaps unfairly) that it’s unlikely I’ll bother.
    • 4/5
      Sinner by Eve Langlais2nd in the Space Gypsy Chrnicles. Definitely read the first before reading this one. The adventure draws the reader in immediately. No spoilers. A surprise in store. Loved the arrogance of the main character. He is awesome and will be the first to tell you.And the computer that has a thing for her commander is hysterical.