Dark Moments

• As a criminal law expert, Elisa Hoven grapples daily with law and justice, morality and moralism.
• A fast-paced novel full of unrest that keeps us breathless until the end.
• For readers of Ferdinand von Schirach, Juli Zeh, and Bernhard Schlink.

Read the English sample translation or listen to an audio sample read by translator Alexandra Roesch on our Foreign Rights Podcast Catch of the Day

What does law have to do with justice?

This absorbing debut novel draws from Elisa Hoven’s experience as a professor of criminal law and high-court judge. Nine cases unfold as gripping legal dramas, exploring moral and ethical dilemmas through the lens of law and justice.

“Dark Moments” takes the reader into the world of protagonist and narrator, Eva Herbergen, a seasoned defence lawyer from Berlin, as she unravels the complexities of the human condition in a captivating array of legal quandaries that shape and test her resolve. Each tale is woven with unforeseen twists and revelations.

From rape to fraud, assault to murder, each case challenges conventional notions of right and wrong, blurring the lines and forcing Eva Herbergen to confront her own issues from the past. As she explores the intricate web of moral ambiguity, her resolve is tested, and her boundaries are constantly pushed.