Wild Twists and Murderous Turns with Sebastian Fitzek

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It's a Mystery Podcast

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All she did was take in a parcel for a neighbour. Sebastian Fitzek is one of Europe’s most successful authors of psychological thrillers and I was thrilled to talk to him about his brand new book, The Package. In the interview, Sebastian shares how the idea for the book grew out of the every-day occurrence of a package delivery to his quiet street in Berlin. Interestingly, Sebastian has also created several board games. We talk about how these games came to life and how he collaborated with others to make them a reality. In the introduction I mention that I'm reading Cynthia Harrod-Eagle's most recent Bill Slider police procedural, Cruel as the Grave. If you've been reading the blog for a while you know how much I love these books. ;-) Today's show is supported by my patrons at Patreon. Thank you! When you become a patron for as little as $1 a month you receive a short mystery story each and every month. And the rewards for those who love mystery stories go up from there! Learn more and become a part of my community of readers at www.Patreon.com/alexandraamor This week's mystery author Sebastian Fitzek is one of Europe’s most successful authors of psychological thrillers. His books have sold 12 million copies, been translated into more than twenty-four languages and are the basis for international cinema and theatre adaptations. He was the first German author to be awarded the European Prize for Criminal Literature. He lives with his family in Berlin. Learn more about Sebastian and all his books at SebastianFitzek.com Press play (above) to listen to the show, or read the transcript below. Remember you can also subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts. And listen on Stitcher, Android, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, and Spotify. Excerpt from The Package Chapter Two Taking hold of her wheelie case, Emma hesitated before entering room 1904, for the simple reason that she could barely see a thing. The little illumination that did penetrate the darkness came from the countless lights of the city, nineteen floors beneath her. The Le Zen on Tauentzienstrasse was Berlin’s newest five-star chrome-and-glass palace, with over three hundred rooms. Taller and more luxurious than any other hotel in the capital. And – in Emma’s eyes, at least – decorated with relatively little taste. That, at any rate, was her first impression once she’d found the main switch by the door and the overhead light clicked on. The interior design looked as if a trainee had been instructed to exploit every possible Far Eastern cliché when selecting the furnishings. In the hallway, which was separated from the neighbouring bedroom by a thin, sliding door covered in tissue paper, stood a Chinese wedding chest. A bamboo rug extended from the door to a low futon bed. The lamps beside the floor sofa looked like the colourful lanterns that the toddlers carried on St Martin’s Day in the parade organised by the Heerstrasse Estate kindergarten. Surprisingly stylish, on the other hand, was a huge black-and-white photograph of Ai Weiwei that stretched from floor to ceiling between the sofa and fitted wardrobe. Emma had recently visited an exhibition by this exceptional Chinese artist. She looked away from the man with the tousled beard, hung her coat in the wardrobe and took her phone from her handbag. Voicemail. She’d already tried calling him once, but Philipp hadn’t answered. He never did when on duty.  With a sigh she moved over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, slipped off her peep toes, without which she shrunk to the average height of a fourteen-year-old, and gazed down at the Kurfürstendamm. She stroked her belly, which still showed nothing, although it was a bit too early for that yet. But she was comforted by the idea that something was growing inside her, which was far more important than any seminar or professional recognition. It had taken a while before the second line on the pregnancy test...