Tension and climate crisis: Mathijs Deen inspires at the Lüneburg Crime Festival

Tension and climate crisis: Mathijs Deen inspires at the Lüneburg Crime Festival

Crime fans in Lüneburg recently enjoyed an exciting evening: Mathijs Deen presented his new crime novel “The Lotsin” as part of the Lüneburg Crime Festival. The author, known for his captivating stories about the investigator Liewe Cupido, has ushered in an exciting and politically explosive turn in the series with this fourth part. At a reading in front of around 150 visitors, which was moderated by actor Sebastian Dunkelberg, Deen took his listeners into the world of a gripping setting in which climate research and criminal cases merge in a dramatic way.

The focus of the story is the missing climate researcher Dr. Iona Grimstedt-Tauber, who fell overboard a research vessel under mysterious circumstances. The tragic circumstances of their discovery - hypothermic and struggling to breathe - raise questions about the dangers faced by researchers in the Arctic. What's special about this story is that Deen worked closely with climate scientists to make what happened realistically; The idea for the plot arose, among other things, from conversations with experts from a research station in Greenland and a man from a research ship. Here, Deen not only follows the investigation, but also highlights the challenges scientists face in the context of the climate emergency and the pressures researchers face due to threats from climate change deniers. NDR reports on Iona Tauber's critical tasks on the IPCC report and the shadow that the threats cast over her fate.

The characters and their stories

The novel also sheds light on the internal struggles of Chief Inspector Liewe Cupido, who only appears late in the course of the story. His feelings of guilt over the death of his father Jan are another heartbreaking facet of his character development that is brought home to the reader. Liewe Cupido's younger colleague Xander takes over the investigation of the case, which gives him the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a legendary investigator. The moral ambivalence and the interpersonal relationships that influence the course of the plot are at the center of the action. Despite Liewe Cupido's few appearances, Deen makes a clear announcement: Although it will be the end for this character in his fifth and final case, which appears under the title "The Fisherman", in 2027, the fourth part by no means signals the premature end of the series. Landeszeitung also points out that the titular pilot plays a metaphorical role and only an entertaining but concise role in the entire event holds.

A crime thriller with social relevance

With “The Pilot”, Mathijs Deen not only tackles the classic criminal case, but also deals with important current topics. The dystopia of the climate crisis raises the pressing question of how humanity can deal with the challenges ahead. The combination of captivating plot and social relevance makes this crime novel a particularly striking work in the cross-genre field of literature. The price of the book is 23 euros and it has a total of 368 pages. The original title was part of a planned trilogy, which has now morphed into a "trilogy in five parts". NDR emphasizes that Deen offers an authentic and well-researched perspective on the challenges of climate research through his journalistic research.

“The Pilot” is not just another crime novel in Mathijs Deen's oeuvre, but also offers a critical look at the necessary conversations about our environment and how they can be appreciated with thrill and suspense. It remains exciting to see where the path will lead for Liewe Cupido in his last case.