Once again I am straying from my work to that of a friend

I like Christian Handel’s books. They mix suspense and emotion in a skilful way. So you have heroines and heroes you can like, because you know what they think and feel. They are so much more than mere stock figures: human beings with a heart and a brain,

So when he asked me to take part in his cover flash mob action, I gladly joined the crew.

THE NIGHT OF THE QUEENS – Christian Handel.

Alix loves her life as it is: at her father’s castle, with her little brothers and Aunt Camille, but the king’s letter leaves her no choice. All the unmarried noble young women are summoned to the ruler’s seat. King Gideon wants to choose one of them as the future queen.

Alix is not worried about actually catching King Gideon’s eye as a potential bride. Her family is too insignificant. But her stay at the royal court soon wears on her nerves: empty knight’s armour stands guard, paintings spy on the visitors. When she hangs the king’s portrait in her room and accidentally injures the canvas, Gideon turns up the next day with a wound in that very spot. By then, at the latest, she has caught his attention. An opaque cat-and-mouse game begins. And on the big ball night, Gideon suddenly changes the rules and with it everything …

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So far, the book is only available in German.