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Bernhard Aichner
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Woman of the Dead: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Bernhard Aichner (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.6 out of 5 stars 363
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Now a popular Netflix series!

The #1 international bestseller hailed as "one of the most arresting thrillers" (#1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner), Woman of the Dead is the darkly riveting tale of Brünhilde Blum, a successful undertaker whose happiness is struck by tragedy that sets her on the path for revenge.

For the past eight years, Blum has had a good life—a life that masks the terrible secrets of her past. She is a successful undertaker, a doting mother, and the loving wife of a decorated police officer.

Then in one devastating moment, a hit-and-run changes everything. As Blum’s grief over the death of her husband, Mark, overwhelms her, only her two little girls can drag her back to the land of the living. Time passes quietly until while packing up Mark’s office, Blum discovers a recorded conversation from a case he was investigating. She soon learns Mark’s death was no accident—it was murder—and Blum dives headfirst into the abyss to find out why and have her revenge.

Woman of the Dead, the first book in a trilogy, is an unforgettable thriller about the lengths one passionate woman will go to for vengeance and the tug-of-war between good and evil that exists in all of us. Vivid, tense, and written with breakneck narration, this novel introduces Bernhard Aichner as a rising star in crime fiction.
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  1. Print length
    273 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Scribner
  5. Publication date
    August 25, 2015
  6. File size
    1568 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A tense thriller…this thoroughly satisfying novel explores how far a person will go for love.” — Publishers Weekly

“Bloody corpses and an intriguing protagonist combine to flesh out Aichner’s violent tale…fascinating.” — Kirkus

“One of the most arresting thrillers I’ve read in years. A hypnotic thriller! Aichner plumbs the darkest depths of the human psyche in this compelling tale of a female undertaker. As a mother, Blum is touching and relatable, but as a vengeful wife determined to hunt down her husband’s killers... be afraid. Be very, very afraid.” -- Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Aichner packs a lot into a powerful thriller. Wow. You Taylor Stevens and Lisa Gardner readers, Greg Rucka readers, those who like kickass women—buy this.” -- Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen Bookstore

“A wonderful thriller about love and retribution – playful, dark and dangerous – I read it in one sitting.” -- William Ryan, author of The Holy Thief

About the Author

Bernhard Aichneris an award-winning author and photographer living in Innsbruck, Austria. His books have been translated into twelve languages. Woman of the Dead is his first book to be translated into English.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00LD1OOJ8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner (August 25, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 25, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1568 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 273 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.6 out of 5 stars 363

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Bernhard Aichner

Bernhard Aichner

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Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
3.6 out of 5
363 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Maxiecat
5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book and it had been recommended to me ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2016
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I really enjoyed this book and it had been recommended to me by a friend as I had mentioned to her how much I loved the book Gone Girl and Girl with a Dragon Tatoo. Great original story and the author had me hooked right in. Suspenseful read could not put it down and stayed up at night to get to the end. Loved it.
One person found this helpful
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Wicked Humor
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed It
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2016
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I didn't realize this was a translation from German when I downloaded it. I don't usually buy translations. I knew it was set in Germany, but I quickly recognized the rhythm of the German language in the English translation. Once I got beyond my surprise, I really enjoyed it. But then, I liked Dexter too. The story is about Brünhilde Blum, a successful undertaker whose happiness is dashed by the death of her husband that sets her on a path of revenge. If you like a mystery within a mystery, and you liked Dexter, you can't go wrong with this book.
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Jeanette
3.0 out of 5 stars A good page turner with tension, twists and credibility.
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2015
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A fast paced thriller, with mix of "goodies and baddies". Enjoyed reading a novel of this type with the main protagonist in a totally different line of work. Didn't pick the ending!
One person found this helpful
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razza nz
2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2015
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Too much Blood for me
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2016
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Very good
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DesertDiva
1.0 out of 5 stars plus it's easy to figure out how this will all play out ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2015
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Don't expect to care about any of these characters, plus it's easy to figure out how this will all play out in the end. Very superficial read.
One person found this helpful
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Shelleyrae
4.0 out of 5 stars An unusual story, with a rather extraordinary protagonist
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2015
A dark and disturbing tale of vengeance and violence, Woman of the Dead is the first novel by Bernhard Aichner to feature Blum, mother, mortician and murderer.

When Blum's beloved husband is killed in a hit and run she is nearly destroyed until she learns that he was deliberately targeted. The photographer, the cook, the priest, the huntsman, and the clown - these are the men responsible, and Blum is going to make them pay.

Woman Of the Dead has one of the most memorable character introductions I've ever read. The story opens with a during a defining moment in Blum's life before leaping forward eight years to place us in the present. Blum is the devoted wife of Mark, a police detective, the doting mother of their two young daughters, and the owner of a successful funeral business. She is both hero and anti-hero in this story, grieving widow and ruthless killer.

There is raw and visceral emotion in The Woman of the Dead. The pain and numbness of Blum's grief and the horror of the abuse Danya experienced at the hands of the mysterious cabal. There is also grisly and often explicit violence, this isn't a story for the squeamish.

The plot is quite straight forward, perhaps stretched a little thin at times. It's a fast paced story that builds suspense, though astute readers shouldn't have any problems guessing the identity of the last man standing.

Woman of the Dead is an unusual story, with a rather extraordinary protagonist. I'm curious to see how the series develops.
2 people found this helpful
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Judith D. Collins
5.0 out of 5 stars An Exciting New Trilogy - Thriller Love Story; Edgy. Evil, Wicked. "Female Vigilante Justice, at its finest!"
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2015
A special thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOMAN OF THE DEAD by Berhnard Aichner is one edgy, wacky, evil, tense, wicked, suspenseful, and thoroughly creepy mystery crime psycho-thriller. "Female Vigilante Justice, at its finest!"

Meet Brünhilde Blum, a 24-year-old undertaker in Innsbruck. A beautiful mortician married to the love of her life, a cop, Mark. They met on boat out at sea, while her creepy adopted parents drowned. With a dark past, she never thought she could be so happy, with two beautiful girls and a loving husband. Mark’s elderly dad, a former cop, moves in with them, and completes their happy home at the Villa.

Blum’s idyllic life is destroyed when her husband is run down and murdered by a hit-and-run driver in front of their house. Being a cop, Mark is always involved in danger, and loves the thrill of his fast motorcycle. Blum is devastated, and everything she loves has been taken away. How can she go on? She vows she will find his killer, even though the cops do not have any leads---She will find the killer and the man who ran her husband down. She wants justice. She has to remain strong for her children.

After his death she comes across some conversations on his phone; a ring of sadistic evil, slavery, torture, abuse; immigrants, a woman, victims--and her husband Mark was trying to help, gathering information and got too close. There are five powerful men and she will track them down and kill them one by one. She will do it for her children, her husband, and the victims.

Fearless, Blum will use her business, (she is unafraid of the dead), her loyal employee (Reza, with a past), and all her resources as a mortician to take out this ring of evil and abuse. With a ready coffin and a hearse at her fingertips, she is a scary power house! Driven by a dark past, and a powerful need for retaliation, love, and grief –however, who can she trust? How far will she go?

A labyrinth of creepy twists and grotesque turns--assured to offer readers graphic nightmares and sleepless nights; an undertaker, a hearse, crematorium, coffins, bloody corpses, dismemberment, saws, body parts; masked men--a clown, a priest, a cook, a photographer, and an strong obsession for REVENGE. This taunt, heart-pounding fast-paced page-turner thriller, will leave you breathless—anxiously awaiting the next installment with this terrifying new trilogy.

Engrossing and explicit, --- one of those books you cannot put down, as you peak around the corner; not for the faint-hearted! In the theme of Jennifer Hillier (The Butcher), Paul Cleave, Karin Slaughter, Mark Edwards, Lisa Gardner, Laura Lippman, Lisa Unger, Gillian Flynn, and Stephen King --sexy hot Austrian Aichner will wow you with danger and violence, with his intriguing female protagonist who will stop at nothing for retaliation. Can’t wait to see what comes next!

For those who enjoy vigilante movies such as Gran Torino, Dexter, Death Wish, The Equalizer, Falling Down, and Death Sentence, will devour.

WOMAN OF THE DEAD is the first book of a crime trilogy by award-winning Austrian author Bernhard Aichner, as well as his first novel to be translated into English. Welcome to the US!

"Woman of the Dead is both a thriller and a love story. Blum, like Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter, is a serial killer, a character who does terrible things, but the novel wouldn’t work if you didn’t sympathize with her and feel her pain. "

Enjoyed reading the inspiration behind the book from the author: Yes, indeed it works!
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Top reviews from other countries

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Heidi Walkner
5.0 out of 5 stars unglaublich spannend
Reviewed in Germany on November 25, 2022
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ich liebe krimis und ich habe seit jahren nicht so einen spannenden krimi gelesen - zum nägelbeißen!
ich hoffe, dass es bald auch andere bücher von bernhard aichner auf englisch gibt!
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Valerio Pastore
1.0 out of 5 stars Zero empatia, zero voglia di leggere
Reviewed in Italy on January 3, 2018
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Un thriller, per essere interessante, anche se la protagonista è un'antieroina, ti deve proporre un personaggio interessante.
Blum non è interessante, punto. Dà solo l'impressione di essere odiosa, non genera empatia col lettore, e il libro si abbandona fin da subito
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Kaffmatt
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and Different
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2015
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A revenge theme with a very interesting main character-Blum.
Blum is a killer and this is revealed in the prologue. Her world is turned upside down when her husband, Mark, is killed in a motorcycle accident and she seeks to revenge his death. Blum's occupation is an undertaker and this provides an unusual slant to the plot.
The book is well written and the characters believable. I shall definitely look out for another book by this author. Read it, you won't be disappointed.
5 people found this helpful
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Monstermash
4.0 out of 5 stars Dexter meets girl with a Dragon Tattoo
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 10, 2015
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Pacy plot and strong, likeable narrator.
After Blum witnesses the tragic death of her husband, her world falls to pieces. However she finds the will to continue when she realises his death was no accident and people have to pay...
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars ... sure this would be extremely popular with those who like this writing style
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2016
Verified Purchase
I'm sure this would be extremely popular with those who like this writing style. I don't know what the style is called but I've come across it before, usually in Nordic crime. You never quite feel you're actually there involved in the story, you're more like an observer, if that makes any sense at all! I would suggest reading a sample just to make sure you like the style before buying. Having said this the plot was extremely good and quite unique.
One person found this helpful
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