I would have had to rush to finish a book last night for today’s review. When Kevin Tipple sent his review of Kim Hays’ Pesticide, I grabbed it. He and another friend, Aubrey Hamilton, both liked this first book in Hays’ Polizei Bern series. Thank you, Kevin!

Pesticide: A Polizi Bern Novel by Kim Hayes is the first book in the series. Billed as the opening book in the Linder and Donatelli Mysteries, the read takes readers to Bern, Switzerland. It is summer and the street party the night before went out of control and resulted in at least one death.

Detective Giuliana Linder is assigned to the case by her boss, Rolf Straub. A young man is dead on the plaza where the rave was being held and descended into chaos. It appears initially that he died because he was hit over the head with a police baton wielded by Officer Jonas Pauli. Detective Linder knows the young officer and the idea that he bashed in the head of anyone and killed the man is unthinkable to her. He swears he only hit him once and not that hard.

The fact that her daughter was out in that same violent and out of control crowd before she later was arrested, does not escape her attention. A lot is going on with her and she could have been killed or injured in the chaos. It doesn’t help that her husband, Ueli, is not seeing her job as she does or everything else she does. Police brutality is an issue in the book and Ueli has significant concerns about what the police are doing on a daily basis. While his wife, Giuliana, is not part of the problem of abusive police, she works in a group that is, as he sees the world. Coupled with a disagreement regarding parenting styles and the fact that he has to step in when the job takes her away, as it does frequently, and the family dynamic is going through some things.

As if things are not complicated enough, soon it become clear that her case and a case being run by Investigator Renzo Donatelli have clear links. A farmer, François Schwab, was killed and his body was hosed down with pesticide. A fervent organic farmer, he had his enemies as well as numerous friends who thought he was a bit eccentric and overly supportive of organics, but generally liked him. Was he killed over his desire to protect his land and keep things organic? Or was it something else?

Before long, the two cases come together with the identity of the Linder’s victim becoming clear, they discover that both victims knew each other. The fact that they died just hours apart may actually mean something and not random chance as things first appeared. As Linder and Donatelli and their investigative teams join forces, it becomes clear to all involved that the killings are not over. Not even the police are safe.

Part police procedural, part possible romance as Linder and Donatelli have unexpressed feelings for each other, and entirely a rich and complex multilayered mystery, a tremendous amount is going on in this atmospheric and detailed read. The cases are complicated as are the personal lives of Detective Linder, Investigator Donatelli, and others. Much like real life, chaos at home and work to varying levels, is always present. As in real life, at times, the mind imagines a lot of worst-case scenarios with loved ones are involved.

A complicated read and one that holds your attention while also dispensing a lot of education regarding history and culture, Pesticide: A Polizi Bern Novel by Kim Hayes is a very good read well worth your time. Very much recommend.

Publicist Wiley Saichek sent me a copy of the book, with no expectation of a review, after Aubrey’s review ran on the blog.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2023