Hunkeler’s Secret set in Basel – Hansjorg Schneider

Submitted: 23rd May 2025

Hunkeler’s Secret set in Basel

Hunkeler, now a retired inspector of the Basel police force, is hospitalized and sharing a room with Stephan Fankhauser, an old acquaintance terminally ill with cancer. One night, a groggy Hunkeler wakes up to see a young nurse with a ruby ring on her hand administering an injection to his friend. The following day Fankhauser is found dead. Was the injection just a dream?

Map of literary locations in Hunkeler’s Secret

Hunkeler's Secret Hansjorg Schneider

BOARDING PASS INFORMATION

Destination : Basel

Author guide: Hansjorg Schneider

Genre: translated crime

Food and drink to accompany: chocolate!

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A novel to transport you to Basel

Map of literary locations in Hunkeler’s Secret

Bitter Lemon Press really do some great books. This is one of them.

Hunkeler’s Secret is quite a short book but it is full of drama!

Set in Basel, Switzerland and in France close to the German border, the setting adds a very unique angle to the story as this is a cool mix of locations. Hunkeler is a very unique character – he’s just retired but was a great inspector of the Basel Police Force. Well, I say retired, he can’t keep away so is back on a case. This was his life after all and it’s quite sad to see how he feels lost when he has no job to go to.

It’s an interesting premise from the start – a hospital room, an old friend and then….a murder. When his friend is cremated a bit too quickly for his liking, Hunkeler starts to investigate…but there’s a problem as he was on medication himself at the time so has no idea if what he saw or suspects could be the truth.

For such a complex set up and a short novel, this is a class act on how to write short and shar. The translator has done a blinding job as this feels like the original language but still has that unique feel of Wallander in Switzerland mashup. Very French or European in many ways too. So, you see, hard to pin down but easy to pick up!

I’m really starting to like Hunkeler but worry for him at the same time. A complicated family history and life but there’s something about him that I really wanted more of. He’s an intriguing man that’s for sure.