‘Book off’ - Reading by Horst Eckert - 15 March 2026

Horst Eckert, freelance journalist and author, comes to "Buch ab!" with "Die Praktikantin." He will read from his freshly printed thriller at the Heilig-Geist Church, which is set to be released on March 11. Eckert's novels are based on political crime themes. In 2024, he was awarded the Political Crime Prize of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Baden-Württemberg. He received the Stuttgart Crime Nights Prize for the best economic thriller in 2022. Eckert has recently been in Bernkastel-Kues with "Nacht der Verräter," a book about the Mocro Mafia and the European cocaine trade, which captivated the attendees.
In "Die Praktikantin," the focus is on Carla Bergmann, new to the local editorial team of the Morgenpost. While following a police report about a break-in at the home of regime-critical exiled Russians, she uncovers inconsistencies. It seems likely that the Russian secret service is behind it. But why did German authorities want to cover up the case? After a informant is murdered before Carla's eyes, she receives support from capital city correspondent Jan Koller. In their search for the truth, Carla and Jan encounter increasing resistance, even from within their own house. And quicker than they realize, their own lives are also in danger.

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