Changes

|title=Crime and Guilt

|author=Ferdinand von Schirach and Carol Brown Janeway (translator)

|reviewer=Ani Johnson

|publisher=Vintage

|date=March 2012

|website=http://www.schirach.de

|summary=Eleven cleverly crafted stories of guilt and consequences that will shock, provoke tears, anger and the occasional smile while leaving you with the realisation that the grass where you are now is green enough by comparison.

}}

A fictitious, unnamed German criminal defence lawyer opens his files and takes us through some of the cases with which he's been involved over the years. Each of the eleven chapters is a fully formed recollection introducing us to such people as tragic Theresa and Leonhard, a sister and brother bound by deep affection despite the 'tough love' tactics of their millionaire father, the tale of the two muggers who picked the wrong (and very mysterious) victim and the story of Dr Fahner's fatal promise made to his wife.

By the way, I'm sure that you will have surmised this already but, just in case it needs saying, this is definitely not a children's book due to there being some graphic scenes and occasional moments of extreme out-of-body blood flow. If you're highly squeamish it may be an idea for you too to choose something else from the bookshelves. However, if you can take some blood-letting, the fact that Ferdinand writes in the style of reportage does help to reduce the pronounced feelings of goriness there would otherwise be.

If this has whetted your interest for more stories connected with crime, try [[Murders of London: In the steps of the capital's killers by David Long]]. If you'd prefer something more humorous than bloodthirsty, perhaps [[Anonymous Lawyer by Jeremy Blachman]], or [[Rumpole at Christmas by John Mortimer]] would be better.