Die Zwillingsfalle - The Twin Trap

350 pages, published by Grafit, Dortmund, in 2000
Friedrich-Glauser-Award 2001 (best crime novel in German language)

Leo Köster of the Düsseldorf special police squad (SEK) is in a dilemma. When he tragically injures a colleague during an operation he is transferred to the criminal investigation department. Ela Bach wants to become head of the homicide squad but is faced with a lot of opposition. Martin Zander of the police station "Nord" and his partner Haffke have some questionable outside interests. However, Haffke is too careless and Zander is frightened of being caught.
A brutal murder causes their paths to cross. Six people have been killed in the sauna of a gym. Köster discovers the murder, and finds a woman among the victims that he met the day before. Zander finds out that his partner Haffke is also one of the victims. Ela Bach conducts the investigation into the crime.
Everyone of the three has an own interest in solving the case ...

Read a review by William Adamson, Raymond-Chandler-Society

Also the laudatio, held on the winner of the Friedrich-Glauser-Award

The novel has been translated into French language (Gallimard, Paris 2003, "Sèrie Noire" No. 2677)

 

"Eckert destroys the nice world of TV-police-serials, but he builds up an own, fascinating universe. (...) The noir writing of Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler gets a new impulse. But Eckert´s universe is even darker." (Reutlinger General-Anzeiger)