Chastity “Chas” Riley is a state prosecutor working in Hamburg’s St. Pauli neighborhood, one of the city’s roughest areas. She spends her time in courtrooms and dive bars, dealing with criminals and the people caught up in their wake. She is not a detective, but her work puts her at the center of some dark cases that go beyond the usual courtroom business.
Chas is sharp, stubborn, and fond of beer and cigarettes. Her personal relationships tend to be messy, and she does not pretend to have everything figured out. What makes her interesting is how Simone Buchholz writes her: in short, punchy prose that matches Riley’s no-nonsense attitude. She has appeared in nine novels across two series, starting with The Acapulco in 2008 and continuing in the Chastity Reloaded books from 2023.
Reading Order
See the complete Chas Riley reading order for all books in the series.