Cologne, June 2004 / Köln, Juni 2004
Thriller
A first-class German political thriller
September 1989: Four young police officers are on their first assignment at a demonstration in Cologne against the far-right party, Die Republikaner. The day that everything begins – careers, friendships, loyalties. The four of them are bound by a shared experience that they never speak about.
At the centre is Lissa Kusch – ambitious, provincial, and with a nose for things that don’t add up. Over the years, she climbs the police hierarchy – from the beat to the homicide squad....
At the centre is Lissa Kusch – ambitious, provincial, and with a nose for things that don’t add up. Over the years, she climbs the police hierarchy – from the beat to the homicide squad....
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September 1989: Four young police officers are on their first assignment at a demonstration in Cologne against the far-right party, Die Republikaner. The day that everything begins – careers, friendships, loyalties. The four of them are bound by a shared experience that they never speak about.
At the centre is Lissa Kusch – ambitious, provincial, and with a nose for things that don’t add up. Over the years, she climbs the police hierarchy – from the beat to the homicide squad. Meanwhile, there are repeated attacks on migrants in Cologne. Particularly from 2001 onwards, when the assassinations of the Nationalist Socialist Underground group are take place. Lissa begins to investigate on her own initiative, which does not exactly endear her to her colleagues. When she uncovers links between Cologne’s Nazis and the NSU, she is able to prevent a massive attack on Keupstrasse in June 2004, but cannot prevent deaths among the police and the Nazis. The attacks, however, continue, and Lissa realises that she has overlooked something crucial all these years – a detail that can be traced all the way back to that September of 1989.
At the centre is Lissa Kusch – ambitious, provincial, and with a nose for things that don’t add up. Over the years, she climbs the police hierarchy – from the beat to the homicide squad. Meanwhile, there are repeated attacks on migrants in Cologne. Particularly from 2001 onwards, when the assassinations of the Nationalist Socialist Underground group are take place. Lissa begins to investigate on her own initiative, which does not exactly endear her to her colleagues. When she uncovers links between Cologne’s Nazis and the NSU, she is able to prevent a massive attack on Keupstrasse in June 2004, but cannot prevent deaths among the police and the Nazis. The attacks, however, continue, and Lissa realises that she has overlooked something crucial all these years – a detail that can be traced all the way back to that September of 1989.
2027, 500 pages
Persons
Max Annas
Author
Max Annas was born in 1963 in Cologne and has worked as a journalist and editor at publications such as Cologne’s StadtRevue, has written books on political and cultural themes, and has organised film festivals and series. Annas has lived in Berlin since 2016, after spending many years working at the University of Fort Hare in Eastern Cape province, where his research focused on South African jazz. Since his debut novel Die Farm in 2014, he has been writing successful thrillers, for which he has won the German Crime Fiction Prize on five occasions. A number of his novels have been translated into English and French.
Max Annas
Author
Max Annas was born in 1963 in Cologne and has worked as a journalist and editor at publications such as Cologne’s StadtRevue, has written...
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OTHER PUBLICATIONS
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Year of Publication: 2025
Max AnnasYear of Publication: 2025
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Rock 'n' roll and revenge in postwar Cologne
Like a lot of people in Cologne in 1959, Adi, Hagen and Gisela listen to rock ‘n’ roll. But they also spend plenty of time on the trail of Salz, the owner of the BMW that ran over their friend Karl. They are none too pleased that Salz’s son gets about painting swastikas all over the city, but what gets at the even more is...
Like a lot of people in Cologne in 1959, Adi, Hagen and Gisela listen to rock ‘n’ roll. But they also spend plenty of time on the trail of Salz, the owner of the BMW that ran over their friend Karl. They are none too pleased that Salz’s son gets about painting swastikas all over the city, but what gets at the even more is...