Andrea Maria Schenkel
Encyclopedia
Andrea Maria Schenkel is a German writer. She published her debut novel
Tannöd
in 2006.
Based on the Hinterkaifeck
murder in the 1920s, Schenkel’s fictional account takes place in the 1950s. She describes, in ghastly and suspenseful detail, how a small Bavarian village, called Tannöd, became the unlikely site of a horrific crime.
In her novel, a whole family - the farmer, his wife and children, the maidservants and farm laborers - are all killed in one night.
Nobody had liked the family: they had been unfriendly, greedy and crabby. But now after the outrage, fear dominates life in the village. Nobody knows the murderer. Slowly, anxious and shocked every witness gives his statement. Speculation and assumptions about the case are described in a direct, merciless and impressive manner.
With her debut novel, Andrea Schenkel presents not only thrilling crime and fiction. She also draws the pitiless portraits of a bigoted and unromantic rural society influenced by traumatic relations that finally lead to death.
More than 120.000 copies were sold in Germany. Foreign rights are sold to France (Actes Sud), Italy (Riuniti), the Netherlands (Signature), Sweden (Ersatz), Norway and Denmark. Also film option rights are about to be sold.
Her first novel won the "Deutsche Krimi-Preis" (German award for crime thrillers) in the category "Best National Crime Thriller 2007". In 2008, Tannöd won Sweden’s Martin Beck Award
, which is given to the best detective story translated into Swedish.
The English translation of the novel was released by Quercus Publishing on 5 June 2008. The title is The Murder Farm. Quercus released a paperback edition of "The Murder Farm" on 26 December 2008.
In August 2007 Andrea Maria Schenkel published her second novel Kalteis, which focuses on a serial killer
in 1930s Germany. It is set in Munich
where female bodies keep surfacing around the city and the circumstantial evidence points to the unassuming and married Joseph Kalteis.
Kalteis also won the "Deutsche Krimi-Preis" in the category "Best National Crime Thriller 2008" - the first time an author won the award for two consecutive years.
Andrea Maria Schenkel lives with her family near Regensburg
.
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
Tannöd
Tannöd
Tannöd is a crime thriller by the German author Andrea Maria Schenkel. The book was first published in January 2006.- Contents :The novel narrates the story of a multiple murder at an isolated Bavarian farm called Tannöd in the 1950s. The points-of-view of the victims, the witnesses and the...
in 2006.
Based on the Hinterkaifeck
Hinterkaifeck
Hinterkaifeck, a small farmstead situated between the Bavarian towns of Ingolstadt and Schrobenhausen , was the scene of one of the most puzzling crimes in German history...
murder in the 1920s, Schenkel’s fictional account takes place in the 1950s. She describes, in ghastly and suspenseful detail, how a small Bavarian village, called Tannöd, became the unlikely site of a horrific crime.
In her novel, a whole family - the farmer, his wife and children, the maidservants and farm laborers - are all killed in one night.
Nobody had liked the family: they had been unfriendly, greedy and crabby. But now after the outrage, fear dominates life in the village. Nobody knows the murderer. Slowly, anxious and shocked every witness gives his statement. Speculation and assumptions about the case are described in a direct, merciless and impressive manner.
With her debut novel, Andrea Schenkel presents not only thrilling crime and fiction. She also draws the pitiless portraits of a bigoted and unromantic rural society influenced by traumatic relations that finally lead to death.
More than 120.000 copies were sold in Germany. Foreign rights are sold to France (Actes Sud), Italy (Riuniti), the Netherlands (Signature), Sweden (Ersatz), Norway and Denmark. Also film option rights are about to be sold.
Her first novel won the "Deutsche Krimi-Preis" (German award for crime thrillers) in the category "Best National Crime Thriller 2007". In 2008, Tannöd won Sweden’s Martin Beck Award
Martin Beck Award
The Martin Beck Award is an award given by the Swedish Crime Writers' Academy for the best crime novel in translation. It is one of the most prestigious international crime-writing awards....
, which is given to the best detective story translated into Swedish.
The English translation of the novel was released by Quercus Publishing on 5 June 2008. The title is The Murder Farm. Quercus released a paperback edition of "The Murder Farm" on 26 December 2008.
In August 2007 Andrea Maria Schenkel published her second novel Kalteis, which focuses on a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
in 1930s Germany. It is set in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
where female bodies keep surfacing around the city and the circumstantial evidence points to the unassuming and married Joseph Kalteis.
Kalteis also won the "Deutsche Krimi-Preis" in the category "Best National Crime Thriller 2008" - the first time an author won the award for two consecutive years.
Andrea Maria Schenkel lives with her family near Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
.
Books
- The Murder Farm, Quercus Publishing, London (2008), ISBN 1847243665
- Ice Cold, Quercus Publishing, London (2009),
External links
- Article in Der Spiegel (German)
- Reading excerpt (German)
- Website of Andrea Maria Schenkel
- Andrea Maria Schenkel 2-Minute-Video Portrait of Andrea Maria Schenkel
- Quercus Publisher's website