The Body on the Beach

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

DI Lena is assigned a case from her home town Amrum when Hein was found dead on the beach. She hasn't been home for fourteen years after her mother death which she blames her father for because he was having an affair and when her mother learn this they had an argument and she storm out and she died. She also dealing with not trusting her boss all the while having relationship trouble as she sort in between her boyfriend Joe who wants more and her having a fling with an old flame why she in town.

She learns that Hein and his wife Sabine runs a children home were there rumors of abuse as she digs deeper with the help of her partner of the moment Johann she learns that there secrets that no-one wants to be known.

This was more of a mystery then a thriller because we learn Hein is not the up standing guy everyone thinks he is I figure out who the murder is but you'll have to read it to find out why they did what they did.

I wouldn't mind reading more about Lena Lorenzo.

The Body on the Beach is a good mystery with interesting characters and storyline. The writing is good and the pace is of the story is steady.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Body on the Beach. It was a quick read that kept me guessing and wanting to find out more. The writing is excellent and the story kept a good pace. I would put this book in the category of mystery instead of thriller, it has more of a who dun it feel.

I love that this story didn’t sway back and forth between a ton of characters. It stayed to the point which helped keep me interested. You could tell that Lena and Johann were great partners and work excellent together. I also love that they threw in just a touch of a love story in there. Not enough to steer away from the story. I would have liked just a little more information at the end about the others involved in the crime. Other than that I loved it!

Hopefully the author Anna Johannsen will write more books involving Lena Lorenzo.

This s an English translation of the first book in a German series by Anna Johannsen (which hopefully means we don't have to wait too long for the next book!). DI Lena Lorenzen is fairly typical of the fictional female murder cop--passionate about justice, bad at relationships, and willing to use any means available to her. The story was engaging, and Lena was an likeable protagonist. If you like the Sandhamm mysteries and Maria Kallio series, you'll probably enjoy the Island mysteries as well.

Good read and a crime story that kept me involved. The heroine was like able but would have enjoyed more back story about the conflict with her Dad. Would enjoy more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
This is the first book in the DI Lena Lorenzen series translated into English from German. I was so looking forward to reading it, as I spent a lot of time in Germany. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed, it was a decent book, but nothing stood out, there was no fresh angle. Instead it seemed like so many other books I've read: stubborn, smart and mouthy policewoman; the subject of child abuse; (which is, to my mind, used all too often lately. Have we gone from serial killers to paedophilia as the 'crime de jour'?) a little romance and a sad childhood. It was an ok read, but nothing special. Sorry!

I really enjoyed this book. Interesting setting and you get to know the character over the course of the story, much like the layers of an onion.
I did feel that the last part was a bit improbable - impersonating others on the DarkWeb and then the story flew to its conclusion.
Still I enjoyed it and look forward to the next instalment

The Body on the Beach by Anna Johannsen. When a body is found on the beach of the small island of Arum, the question arises: natural death, suicide, murder?

DI Lena Lorezen is sent to investigate by a boss she doesn't trust. The victim was the head of a children's home, and the investigation leads to links to the past.

Not a bad mystery/police procedural, but the romance of Lena's reconnection with her youthful boyfriend felt like the author was trying to include a romance for a target audience.

Read in July; blog review scheduled for Sept. 2.

NetGalley/Amazon Publishing, UK
Police Procedural. Print length: 240 pages.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
“The body on the beach” is the first installment in the Island Mystery series by Anna Johannsen. Fast paced and entertaining police procedural where we get thrown straight into the action from the first page. Although I guessed half the ending halfway through the book that didn’t make it less enjoyable. Glad to see there’s four more books in the series, so hoping they get translated into english soon.

3.5⭐️

Not great. The culprit was obvious from very early on. The writing was painfully pedantic and repetitive.
Having another native English or American speaker read the final translation before publication would help. Some of the mistakes are minor—English often uses different prepositions than German; some are just awkward: in English, someone would still ‘have’ a chance. The included phrase ‘in with a chance’ has no meaning in (American) English (at least).
I wouldn’t buy another book by this author and won’t be posting a review., despite the fact that there was a legitimate, if painfully obvious, story under all the awkward phrasing and overdone, heavy-handed characterizations.
Sorry.

As a fan of Scandinavian crime noir I was intrigued to find a similar genre but themed in Germany. A very good story line with a great translation and a very present day theme. I found it quite difficult to get into but well worth persevering with, a great read. Hopefully more from this author in the future.

This is a promising start for a new series. DI Lena Lorenzen returns to the small German town where she grew up to investigate the death of a seemingly well respected man. She’s not happy about it, since she has a complicated past, but with the help of a rookie, she will dredge up a lot of buried secrets. It’s not even clear whether the death was suspicious (it looks like a heart attack) so the twists that the plot takes are truly unexpected. This is a procedural in the classic sense. There is a cast of characters that may or may not have been involved in the shenanigans, and there are many skeletons in everybody’s closets. The final part is very suspenseful. I liked Lena. She is a little standoffish, but competent. Her rookie, Johannes, is still very green and their dynamic keeps the rhythm flowing. But it’s Lena’s relationship with her aunt Bekke that pulled at my heartstrings. I look forward to reading more stories about them.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Amazon Publishing UK!

DI Lena Lorenzen is a policewoman who will go the extra mile to solve her case. She has black marks on her record for doing her own investigations off the record. The case of the suspicious death of a local children’s home owner on her home island of Amrum takes Lena back to her youth. She is given support by her superior but only on the quiet so must use her own contacts to progress further. You will enjoy watching this strong female character stick to her principles and continue the case even when it looks like the case will involve senior public figures. The isolated island of her past adds to the atmosphere of the story and you will not regret picking this book for a lively mystery.
I was given an Arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

***** My first thanks must go to translator Lisa Reinhardt because I don't read German and would have missed out on this excellent procedural! DI Lorenzen of the CID is ordered to bring DS Grasmann with her to her home town to investigate a murder that had seemed like natural causes when it happened two weeks ago. She thinks that the assignment is a bit dodgy and lined up some colleagues to give a surreptitious hand if needed. The due diligence is assisted by a few sneaky tricks covered later by admissible means. Excellent read with twists and red herrings dealing with sensitive subjects, and also some personal interactions with friends from the past.
I requested and received a free ebook copy via NetGalley. Thank you!

this was a really interesting mystery book, the characters were great and the author was able to set a suspenseful mood.

The Body on the Beach by Anna Johannsen

On a small island off the coast of Germany, a body is found. DI Lena Lorenzen is investigating the case which takes her back to the isolated island she left 14 years ago. Lena and Johann work to solve the murder and their investigation leads them a children’s home where the find that the victim was abusive. This was a slow burn police procedural mystery, which was well written and I totally identified with Lena.

An enjoyable read and I loved learning about new places, but moved a little slow for me.

Thanks @netgalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

📚📚📚/5

The body on the beach is found on the North Frisian island of Amrum. DI Lena Lorenzen is sent to the island where she grew up, along with her colleague DS Johann Grasmann, to find out if it is a case of murder.
Hein Bohlen ran a children's home on the island, and is found dead in his beach chair. Was he poisoned, and if so, who did it?
Lena and Johann slowly unravel the case, discovering child abuse, the dark web and some unsavoury characters who could all have had a motive to murder Hein Bohlen.
The plot is well written, as are the characters, and the descriptions of the island of Amrum are evocative of summer holidays and carefree days on the beach. However, something much darker is going on and it is up to Lena and Johann to find out before more innocent children are harmed.
Well worth a read and I hope there are more cases in the future for Lena Lorenzen to solve.

This was an ok book
I felt that it lacked depth and also was very predictable. I did enjoy the book but it was lacking the wow factor

Perfectly serviceable mystery. I like the descriptions of the setting. Wasn't sure about the romance angle - but the mystery definitely had me hooked!

A great read, I enjoyed reading this book. I was not expecting the twists in the story kept me reading in to the early hours. Looking forward to reading more books by Anna

This is a good story with strong characters and a lot of suspense.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is my first venture into German story telling as was not disappointed. Anna has created an extremely likable Police Inspector with the normal personal issues. Starting the book I was sceptical as to whether the story would hold my interest, but WOW as the story progressed I was waiting for the next turn. The subject matter was handled with the care that it deserved. What a relief to see them get what they deserved.
In short this is a book that should be read the public in general as it deals with child molestation in a very sensitive manner.. Anna Johannsen is now on my list of must read authors.

By reading crime fiction from around the world you get to go and learn about places that normally you would never encounter. Here the reader will be taken to Amrun one of the North Frisian Islands on the German North Sea coast. The author Anna Johannsen has since childhood lived in Northern Friesland and it is the setting of her Island Mystery novels starring DI Lena Lorenzen.

By setting a crime mystery on a small island you can add an extra dimension to your story. You have the isolation, individual landscape and a close knit local community where everyone knows everyone else but also where dark secrets can lie buried. In The Body on the Beach we have DI Lena Lorenzen being sent to Amrun, the island where she grew up on but had not returned to in the last 14 years to investigate a possible murder.

The owner of a local children's home has been found dead on the beach and although at first it appears to be from natural causes new evidence has come to light that foul play may be involved. Rumours surround the deceased and soon as she digs deeper Lena is faced with something truly disturbing and shocking. This is a fast paced and well plotted thriller that due to its comparative brevity can be easily read in one or two settings. Ideal for a journey. I think this will satisfy most lovers of the crime police procedural genre and tempt (myself included) a few readers to perhaps pay a visit to the area.

Brilliant book. Absolutely thrilling and well written.

I hugely enjoyed reading this book which is my first by Anna Johannsen and I certainly be reading more.

The body  of Hein Bohlen,a social educator and the director of a local children's home,is found dead in a beach chair on Amrum, a small island of the coast of North Germany. At first sight it looks as if the man has died of a heart attack,but his wife has doubts and demands a post mortem where poison is suspected but not confirmed. DI Lena Lorenzen and sergeant Johann Grassman are sent to this beautiful island to investigate this death. They both realise that not everything is as it should be and that the alleged victim and other inhabitants have some very disturbing secrets indeed...

This is a very pleasant mystery situated on the gorgeous island of Amrum but perhaps the end was a bit too predictable. 

Still,this is the first in the series,in English at least, and I will definitely try another one.

A death has occurred, but is it murder or is there something more sinister lurking around to take Lena down? She's been at odds with her supervisor and now he sends her to investigate a possible non-murder. A well woven tale of murder, intrigue and something a bit more sinister to delight and entertain you for hours. I absolutely love the strong female lead character and the supporting characters as well. They are well fleshed out with unique personalities that definitely bring more depth to the plot that is quite well done. The plot is woven with overlapping story lines to add depth and realism to the overall reading experience. The setting of Amrum also enhances the story as the author brings the beach and villagers to life in the descriptions through the eyes of the characters which makes everything so much more cohesive for the reader.

I am quite looking forward to more from this author in the future as this was my first introduction to her writing. I certainly hope this is the beginning of a long reading relationship for these characters and me!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a review copy of The Body on the Beach, the first novel to feature DI Lena Lorenzen of the Kiel police, set on the North German island of Amrum.

Lena is sent to Amrum, the island she grew up on, to investigate the mysterious death of Hein Bohler, the owner of a children’s home. With no obvious suspects or motive Lena and her sergeant, Johan, have to dig deep and uncover more than they bargained for.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Body on the Beach which is a good read with a really easy reading style and an interesting plot. It held my interest from start to finish. Apart from the odd short chapter from an unnamed, troubled individual it is told entirely from Lena’s point of view. There is good and bad in that as the unnamed writer is easily identifiable and allows the reader to guess a fair amount of where the plot is going but Lena’s narrative gives the reader solid information, putting the guesses on a firmer footing. I should point out that I didn’t read the blurb before starting the novel and thank goodness as it would have spoiled my read as, in my opinion, it reveals too much of the plot and is slightly misleading. Nevertheless, this is an undemanding but absorbing read.

I like Lena Lorenzen who is a tenacious investigator with good instincts and a soft centre beneath her hard as nails shell. I would gladly read more.

The Body on the Beach is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I love reading books, especially thrillers, from different countries. The way each case is handled is different from others. I loved this book. Kept me hooked from the very beginning and kept me in suspense. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not realize at first that this is an English translation of the first book in a German series by Anna Johannsen. “The Body on the Beach” felt more like a mystery than a thriller, but I enjoyed it regardless. This is a promising start for a new series.

I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I downloaded this book from Netgalley, surprised to find a German mystery set in the northern Frisian Islands. During the August holidays I was going to visit other German islands on the Baltic sea (on the east side, where as the novel is set on the west side of the country in North Sea), so it was close enough! I love to read books set in the place I’m vacationing.

The protagonist is Lena Lorenzen, a police inspector in Northern Germany, who is ordered to the tiny island of her childhood to investigate a suspicious death. The body of the director of a children’s home has been found on the beach, but while the local doctor concluded to natural causes, doubts linger. Lena’s boss is not playing straight and she wonders why he has picked her for the job, but she is happy enough to return to the place she grew up and that she has not visited for quite a long time.

[Kinda Spoilers Ahead] Sadly, I didn’t warm up to the main character, nor to the plot. Because the victim is the head of a kids home, I was afraid that the plot would involve child abuse and sure indeed it does, even if it’s not graphic. But it annoyed me that the good guys could dismantle a whole ring of child abusers so easily, it messed with the credibility of the book.

The whole affair was mostly ok, but rather forgettable. I felt that I’ve already read things quite similar to it, and the setting didn’t add anything distinctive. Still, it makes me dream of visiting Amrun or Sylt one day!

A slow starter to begin with. A murder mystery which personally I found to be rather annoying and very predictable. I liked the main characters and the setting. This book reads more like a cosy mystery. I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
I would like to thank the author, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

I cannot quite put my finger on why I enjoyed this book so much, but certainly the characters had a lot to do with it. I couldn’t put it down and took every opportunity to read it. A man is found dead of a heart attack on a beach on Amrum, one of Germany's North Frisian islands in Schleswig-Holstein. DI Lena Lorenzen, who grew up on Amrum, is sent to investigate when traces of poison are found during a postmortem. She’s paired up with Johann, a younger policemen from a different district to investigate. Was the man murdered, or did he die of a heart attack? Those close to him are either difficult or elusive, and gradually it turns out that everyone is not quite who they seem. A mysterious narrator, obviously involved in the death, shares their thoughts and comments on the investigation, thus ramping up the tension. Is there also police skullduggery around the choice of Lena for the investigation? Is she being set up for failure? I was thrilled this book didn’t alternate between past and present. So many of the thrillers I’ve read recently have taken me back in time, often in alternating chapters, and I found this chronological read a pleasant change. It’s also relatively short, and an easy read. The Body on the Beach is not unique; indeed it’s about an unfortunately common theme, yet there was something really compelling about it. Lena is a wonderful character who, despite often being undiplomatically forthright and abrupt, has at least three men in love with her. So there’s a touch of romance wrapped up with the grittiness of the detective work and the horror of the unfolding story. This apparently is the first in a new series, An Island Mystery, and I look forward to meeting Lena again.

The Body on the Beach by Anna Johansen is an enjoyable mystery novel set on an small island off the coast of Germany.

DI Lena Lorezen is tasked to return to her home island to investigate a suspicious death but with her knowing everybody and with her own chaotic life is she the correct person to lead the investigation?

The book is well written and hopefully there will be more books in the series. Recommended

An Island Mystery #1

When Hein's bodybwas found on the beach DI Lena Lorenzenhas een assigned the case. Heinz and his wife Sabine run a children's home. There are rumours that abuse was rife there. Lena had turned her back on the island fourteen years ago.

This book has been translated and it did take me a little while to get used to it. The characters are well developed. I really liked Lena and her partner, Johann Grassman. The investigation is complicated. A well written and sinister tale. The author does a great job describing the scenery in Amrum. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author Sibel Hodge for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A nice and smooth police procedural with a great setting and excellent characters. There could have been more suspense, but all in all a pleasant book.

Inspector Lena Lorenzen is ask if she will go back to the island she grew up on and solve a murder. She is assigned Detective Sergeant Johann Grasmann from another town, she questions if they will be able to work well together but very soon she finds out he is a great worker. The victim was over a children's home. They question the staff and community members to find the murderer.
Lena comes across an old friend. Johann questions some of the methods that Lena uses.
I found this to be very interesting and look forward to other books in the series.

This was a solid police procedural. The setting was interesting and the main lead engaging. I felt the story developed slowly and sometimes seemed to drag. I feel like there is definitely potential in the main character and would read more in the series

When a prominent director of a children's home is found dead, an investigation into his death begins by a local police force. Surprised that she is assigned to the case, DI Lena travels to her home island of Amrum to begin her investigation. She quickly realizes that she is in charge of this case because of her any means necessary approach to get the truth. She also learns that there is a lot more to than this one murder to get to the bottom of.

A quick and fast paces read, A Body on the Beach is a great crime drama with a well developed story and interesting characters. I look forward to more from this author.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel.

Really enjoyed this book by Anna Johannsen. Being the first book I have read by this author I am now a fan. A intense police procedural that has many twist and turns. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.
#netgalley
#THEBODYONTHEVEACH

This was a quick crime read for me. Lena is a detective investigating the death of a man in her hometown, but there seems to be more hiding underneath the surface.

I did enjoy reading this book, but at times it felt a little too much like an episode of some TV crime show with the questions the detectives asked and how they led their questioning.

I liked that the main character, Lena, did have some extra levels to her by adding in family info and a love interest.

I love reading mysteries set in foreign countries and The Body on the Beach by Anna Johannsen is no exception. It is set on the island of Amrum, Germany, where the lead character DI Lena Lorenzen is from. DA Johann Grassman is assigned from another police force to assist her.
Without giving away the plot the story centers on the death of a director of a children’s home under somewhat suspicious circumstances.
The story is interesting and the characters well developed. I especially liked DS Grassman and hope he will return in subsequent books in the series. Description of Amrum definitely makes you want to visit.
This is the first book in a series and I look forward to reading the rest of the series as they become available. I definitely recommend this book without reservation and thank NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Set on a small island off the north coast of Germany, THE BODY ON THE BEACH is the first in a new series by Anna Johannsen. The island of Amrum is one of the North Frisian Islands in the North Sea on the German coast and right away, there is a feeling of separation and isolation of a close knit community where everyone knows everyone but also where dark secrets can hide.

Hein Bohlen and his wife Sabine run a children's home on the island of Aumrum where both are social educators and Hein is a director. Then when Hein's body is found on a beach, local authorities write his death off as a heart attack. But his wife demands a post mortem and it isn't long before poison is suspected but not confirmed throwing a different light on the case.

DI Lena Lorenzen knows the island of Amrum intimately as it's where she grew up but has not returned back to for 14 years. So when her superiors send her off to the island from which she'd come to investigate a possible murder, she does so with mixed feelings. Lena left a lot of unfinished things behind on Amrum - things she would rather not have to face upon her return. Luckily, she has DS Johann Grasmann seconded to assist from Flensburg Police and it isn't long before he proves himself an invaluable investigator and asset.

It isn't long before Lena and Johann uncover several irregularities surrounding the case. Starting with the local police's arrival at the scene and the notification to the doctor who issued the death certificate. What happened in that missing twenty minutes? What was Sergeant Reimers hiding? And then there is the mystery of former teacher Anna Bauer's sudden resignation from the children's home. Why did she suddenly quit without notice? Were the rumours true about her affair with Hein Bohlen? And that she was pressing him to leave his wife? Or was she a victim of sexual harrassment by her employer, as another employee recently claimed a similar incident? Where did Isabel Muller come from prior to applying for Anna's job before the position was even advertised? And where did Hein Bohler really get the €800,000 he put towards the purchase of the home? He claimed he won the lottery, but after a quick and detailed look into the source revealed the letter he put forward stating the fact was indeed a forgery...and he he hadn't won the lottery at all. So where did that money really come from? And why had he taken large amounts of cash from his account over the last weeks before his death? And what of his wife Sabine? Is she as cold and heartless as she appears? But the questioned remained - who would want to kill Hein Bohlen?

With several rumours surrounding the deceased, the questions and irregularities facing Lena and Johann have them digging deep to discover the truth. But what they end up uncovering is something far more sinister, disturbing and shocking.

Well-paced, THE BODY ON THE BEACH is an excellent start to a promising new series. With the inclusion of Lena's childhood love, Erck, leaves the way open to explore more of her backstory hopefully in future books, as well as that of her Aunt Beke who was both a delightful and engaging touch to the story.

I hope we see more of Johann in future stories as I found he and Lena worked incredibly well together and I would love to see him permanently attached as her DS.

Apart from the addition of the odd chapter from an unnamed and rather troubled narrative, THE BODY ON THE BEACH is primarily told from Lena's perspective in the third person. I thought the identity of the unnamed narrative was somewhat obvious but then that could also have been a "red herring". While the reader may think they know where the story is headed, Lena's narrative does provide solid information that will leave readers questioning the truth. Nevertheless, this is still an undemanding and intriguing read.

I would also like to thank Lisa Reinhardt for her smooth translation from German to English. Many books that have been translated from their native tongue usually lose something in the translation making the story a little convoluted in parts but that was not the case here. It's as if the book had always been in English so fluid was her translation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to read this excellent procedural thanks to her effortless translation.

I would like to thank #AnnaJohannsen, #NetGalley and #AmazonPublishingUK for an ARC of #TheBodyOnTheBeach in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free electronic copy of this police procedural set on the islands of Germany from Netgalley, author Anna Johannsen and translator Danice Hamilton, and Amazon Publishing UK. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend The Body on the Beach to friends and family. Lena Lorenzen is a character I thoroughly enjoyed.

Anna Johannsen brings us an excellent German police procedural, taking place on the small insular islands of the Kiel and Amrum. Our main protagonist is DI Lena Lorenzen, who is from Amrum, though she hasn't been home in years, or spoken to her father. When she is called into Detective Superintendent Joachim Warnke's office in her cop shop in Lubeck she assumes she's in it deep again, but instead he is assigning her to investigate a questionable death on the beach of her home island. She is smart enough to know there is something hinky going on, or she would have been at the bottom of the list of detectives for this job, and that goes double when she finds she will be working with Sergeant Walter Reimers who she knows she can't trust to have her back. But she finds DS Johann Grasmann, The Amrum police officer who will be working with her, is competent if perhaps a little too focused on coloring within the lines.

The body on the beach was first diagnosed as a heart attack - the victim, Hein Bohlen, had a history of heart problems. He was the owner and head of a residential children's school under a great deal of stress and pressure, and interviews with his employees and wife, GP and banker point to an uncontrolled constant edge of anger and frenzy in his final days that makes the heart attack sound more and more certain. But for Lena, it just doesn't fit. And there is so much else that just doesn't fit - the thirty minutes of lost time between Sargeant Reimers' arrival at the scene of death and the notification placed with the coroner. Why did Anna Bauer quit her job without notice after years at the school? One recent employee reported a heavy pass pressed on her by Bohlen - did Anna experience the same thing? Who is Isabel Muller who applied for Anna's job before an ad was placed for the position? Where did Hein Bohlen actually get the 800,000 pounds he paid for the school? Why didn't the bank figure out that he didn't actually win the lottery, which was apparent after a simple computer search? Why did he take out a shedload of cash from his account over the last weeks of his life? Is his wife simply well-controlled or cold and heartless? Who would have wanted to Kill Bohlen? More to the point, who wouldn't want to kill Bohlen?

Throw in a boyfriend getting too attached back home, and the re-appearance of the old boyfriend from long ago, also still too attached, and Lena has her hands full. But she can handle it. All.

New to me author and quite an interesting read. I enjoyed this story with its twists and turns, some unexpected some more predictable but overall a good read.

Thanks for my review copy to the publisher, author and NetGalley.

#TheBodyOnTheBeach #NetGalley
A dead body is found on a beach in Germany. DI Lena Lorenzen is assigned to the case. How she would catch the killer? The book is all about it.
Characterization is clever and it makes you guessing about the killer. A clever whodunit.

#NetGalley #The Body on the Beach #Amazon Publishing

The body on the beach is the first book in the Island Mystery series by Anna Johannsen. This is also the first book by Anna Johannsen that I have read. The story is fast paced, with plenty of twists and turns. It has a touch of romance too. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and can not wait to read more in this series.

This was such an amazing read that I couldn’t put it down. It went everywhere with me. To the doctors office, the dentist, the eye doctor. IT WENT ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE. I was so sad when it ended that I immediately went and bought more books from this author!

Description
One victim. One murderer. Which of them is guilty? A man is found dead on a beach on a small island off the coast of Germany. The gruesome discovery rocks the close-knit community of Amrum: in a town where nothing stays secret for long, who among them has a motive for murder? DI Lena Lorenzen is brought in to investigate. For her, it is an unwelcome homecoming to the isolated island she turned her back on fourteen years ago. But now her past – and the island’s – is catching up with her. As her investigation leads her to a children’s home, where rumors of abuse by the murder victim are rife, she learns that the town she thought she knew housed secrets darker than nightmares. When it becomes clear that this is just the beginning, Lorenzen is faced with an unenviable task: in a case where the victims have blood on their hands, can she bring the true criminal to justice?

My Review:
The Body on the Beach is the story of DI Lena going home after fourteen years and being thrust into solving the murder of the director of the children's home in Norddorf. There is a reason why DI Lena has not returned home in all those years - but the real issue is what she finds out during her investigation.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion. As mysteries go this cover some sensitive issues, but overall it is very well written and I highly recommend it.

Really enjoyed this novel, the 1st of the island mystery series. I found Di lena lorenzen to have a very harsh interview technique. At the time of reading I didn’t realise it was a translation which probably explains it. That aside I am very much looking forward to hearing more from these characters and feel it has the beginnings of a very good series.

A very interesting book personally for me to read.I have Dutch family so this book piqued my interest immediately...I thought Friesland was Dutch, you learn something new everyday! Apart from the geography, this was a really good book which has been translated well. A first book in a series that can be read alone also. I thought the characters were well described so I almost felt like I could know them. A police procedural with all the right ingredients for me anyway, would like to read more from this author.

This is the first police procedural novel about , DI Lena Lorenzen. The novel is set on a North Fresian Island called Amrum where the body of Hein Bohlen is discovered on the beach. The small island was DI Lena Lorenzen’s home and she is selected to return and discover if the death was a murder or just natural circumstances. Hein and his wife run a children’s home and right from the start there are hints at the tale that will unfold.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, the characters were well portrayed and believable. I enjoyed looking up the local refrences to traditional homes and discovering what a ‘beach chair’ looked like. I look forward to reading more in this series.

The Body on the Beach is the first in Anna Johannsen’s translated “Island series,” but if you are looking for warm tropical sun and those drinks with the little umbrellas in it, you’re thinking the wrong kind of island. Set on one of the North Frisian Islands on the German North Sea coast, this solid police procedural provided me with a glimpse into an area of the world with which I wasn’t familiar ---something I always enjoy. I also enjoyed the strong female protagonist, DI Lena Lorenzen, who I thought was authentic and multi-layered. The prologue at the beginning sets such a creepy and ominous tone, the author had me hooked from the start.

This was a very good police procedural set in Germany. There are many questions to answer in this investigation and Lena is busy searching for those answers. Great series.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Whilst this was a solid read, nothing about it screamed particularly original to me.
I loved the setting of North Germany, as I have read very few books set there so this was a nice change. Unfortunately, I did manage to figure out the whole premise and the murderer at the 40% mark, which was disappointing, but I still enjoyed the remainder of the book.
It's definitely a slow-burner and not one for those who prefer fast-paced action-filled mysteries.

Overall it was okay, but nothing very special. I don't know whether I'll be picking up the next book in the series yet, but I did particularly enjoy the German setting.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the story, and hearing about the area of Germany when the story was set. I found the story a bit stilted at times, and it didn't flow as well as I would have liked. That said, the story was a good one, and I would probably read the next in the series.

So happy to have found a new crime thriller series.

The bonus is the setting in North Friesland and the islands off the coast. This is a great location and it is to the Island of Amrum that DSI Lena Lorenzen is sent. The investigation is not straight forward. She feels her boss isn’t being completely honest with her; there is more to the case than the suspicious death of the head of a children’s home and it is trickier still for Lena as this is the island she grew up on herself.

This is a clever police procedural where Lena has a number of additional resources to call upon. However, while we do not know why she was chosen to led up this politically sensitive “murder” enquiry we quickly learn she is tenacious, determined and a seeker of justice. The windswept island and the connections to her past and first love give an extra dimension to his story.

I like the novel throughout. Great credit should go to the translator as it was easy to read and flowed naturally. The investigation is difficult but working with a young male officer seconded to her team the facts are presented clearly and unfold logically. It isn’t so much an whodunnit as to the background to the case and why she was sent in the first place. This slightly off centre approach made for an interesting read and the whole plot seemed fresher for the angle the narrative was revealed.

The author has written further books in this series and I shall look forward to their release into English.

Quick read, was a little slow and predictable for me. Couldn't connect to the characters and felt the romance was thrown in just to fit the demographic of the readers.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review. #TheBodyOnTheBeach

Now this one was an excellent read. It honestly surprised me a lot! I’m glad I was able to read it and recommend it to others!

This took me a little while to get into.

I felt there were a few too many cliches and at times the writing felt forced however overall the book was a quick, fast paced read (after the initial lull).

Unfortunately the book didnt add anything different to books I have previously read and whilst it is described as the first in the series I dont think I'll be reading more.

Thank you for proving me with an arc.

I really enjoyed this book as the first in a series. The characters were likable and fun to compare and contrast. This had plenty of action to keep me reading not knowing what to expect next!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a good police procedural, but did not have much tension. I was interested in the story, but not on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.

Really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. There were lots of interesting twists and turns to keep you guessing. I would definitely recommend.

I read 33% of the book and then gave up, I tried to give it a chance but couldn’t last any longer unfortunately. It wasn’t gripping or thrilling or pulling me in at all! Sorry.

Thank you Amazon Publishing and Net Galley for this book.
This was my first book by Anna Johannsen and won't be my last, but I did find it slow at times.
A slow burner which I nearly gave up with but glad I persevered.

I love reading stories that take place in different countries as it is fascinating to get a glimpse of how other people live. This one was especially enjoyable as it takes place in a part of the world that I'm not familiar with. I love mysteries and I love the water. This book offers both of these in spades.

Something a little different. Set on an island off the coast of Germany, I ended up on Google maps to get a clearer idea of where it actually is.
Someone is dead....who is the culprit?Death but without out lots of blood and gore.

Really enjoyed this, so much so I have read another of her books since which was also excellent. Just need the rest to be translated now

Well!! I love a good detective mystery, and this one gripped me right away!
I really enjoyed the personal life of Lena as well as her working life.
And the ending was a lot more than I anticipated, it certainly made me feel emotional!

I would totally recommend this book if you love a good detective story :D

A cracking read, well paced with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. Will be reading more of Anna Johannsen’s books after this.