Thriller set in Switzerland
Thirty-something Josefa Rehmer is as smart and ambitious as they come, qualities that have earned her the enviable position of events manager at Loyn, an exclusive Zurich leather accessories company. But when Werner Schulmann is appointed to be her new supervisor, Josefa’s professional ambitions are dealt a serious blow. After all, it was Schulmann’s sexual harassment that nearly derailed her career years earlier. Unable to stomach the thought of working for such a man, Josefa resigns, abandoning Loyn for another local firm. But when Schulmann is murdered and Loyn’s CEO commits suicide, Josefa begins to suspect that something other than sexual impropriety is plaguing her former company. She sets out to uncover the truth and soon realizes the two deaths are just the tip of the iceberg. As she digs deeper, Josefa finds herself caught in a complex and dangerous web of blackmail, corporate espionage, and murder. And if she’s not careful, she will be the next one to take the fall. This dramatic tale of corporate intrigue doubles as an intricately plotted thriller about the darkest side of office politics and the people who will do anything to come out on top.
(Published by AmazonCrossing in 2012. Translated by Gerald Chapple.)
Click here to read an excerpt.
Reviews
“This mystery novel . . . . is a remarkable debut that follows the rules of the genre and keeps the reader in suspense until the solution of the case is revealed.”
Schweizer Illustrierte, Zurich
“With convincing knowledge of locations, credible plot lines and solid command of knowledge, the writer depicts Josefa Rehmer`s life full of vicissitudes who finds herself entangled in a net of perceived friends. With the modern corporate world, Calonego opens a new field for the mystery novel.”
Krimikritik Paul Ott/Paul Lascaux
“To make it clear right away: With her first novel Nutze deine Feinde, Bernadette Calonego has created a crime story with an excellent plot.”
Südkurier, Germany
“Subtly interwoven are the stories of revenge, greed and intrigues . . . the answer to the ultimate question appears eventually . . . how it has to be with a good thriller . . . in the last paragraph.”
Rheinpfalz, Germany
“’The novel has wit, charm and quite a few side blows to the vanity and macho behaviour of certain males. So be it! I absorbed the read without any damage. On the contrary: I had a whale of a time!”
Martin Limacher, online-quer.ch
“A book with absolute star qualities!”
In Style Magazine, German edition
“It turned out to be a crime story from Zurich that has really nothing to do with the cliché of Swiss fussiness. It depicts in an authentic, relevant and fast manner the jet set scene and Big Business wheelings and dealings of the company elite.”
Aviva-Berlin.de, The Online Magazine für Women
“The life of the writer is as compelling as her first novel.”
Bote der Urschweiz