Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Acapulco | 2008 | Simone Buchholz | N/A |
| 2 | Beton Rouge | 2018 | Simone Buchholz | Buy |
| 3 | Mexico Street | 2020 | Simone Buchholz | Buy |
| 4 | Blue Night | 2017 | Simone Buchholz | Buy |
| 5 | Verikuu | 2017 | Simone Buchholz | N/A |
| 6 | Hotel Cartagena | 2019 | Simone Buchholz | Buy |
| 7 | River Clyde | 2022 | Simone Buchholz | Buy |
The Chas Riley series follows Chastity “Chas” Riley, a state prosecutor working in Hamburg’s St. Pauli neighborhood. The cases take her through dive bars, nightclubs, and dockside locations, but these are not standard police procedurals. Simone Buchholz writes in a stripped-down, almost lyrical style that sets her apart from other crime fiction authors.
The series started with The Acapulco in 2008 and grew to seven books. English translations by Rachel Ward brought the series to a wider audience starting in 2017. Each book is relatively short and reads fast, but the writing packs a lot into a small space. The Hamburg setting feels as much like a character as Chas herself.