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Melanie Raabe
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The Trap Kindle Edition

by Melanie Raabe (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.6 out of 5 stars 1,186 ratings

The Trap by Melanie Raabe is set, and ready to spring.

I know you killed my sister.
I wrote this novel for you.

Twelve years ago, Linda's sister Anna was murdered. Her killer was never caught, but Linda saw him. Now, all these years on, she's just seen him again. On TV.

He has since become a well-known reporter, and Linda – a famous novelist and infamous recluse – knows no one will believe her if she accuses him, so she does the only thing she can think of: she writes a thriller about a woman who is murdered, her killer never caught. When the book is published, she agrees to give just one media interview. At home. To the one person who knows more about the case than she does.

He knows what happened that night and she wrote a book about it but, when the doorbell rings, neither of them can be sure how the story will end.

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  1. Print length
    353 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Mantle
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    19 May 2016
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. File size
    3.3 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product description

Review

"A complex, amazingly written book that deals with the subject of walking the line between sanity and insanity based on one dreadful night that changes a life forever....An excellent job in all facets of storytelling from plot to characters to tone, this one definitely deserves the full 5-stars!"--Suspense Magazine

"A real literary phenomenon."--Mía (Spain)

"[An] impressive debut...very artfully told-this is an enjoyable read which shows that the line between madness and genius is sometimes very thin."--True Viral News, "If You Liked Girl on a Train You'll Love These"

"A fast, twisty read for fans of Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn."--Booklist

"A superb psychological thriller with a storyline that will have you hooked. Not suitable for sensitive constitutions."--AR (Spain)

"This one has everything: intriguing characters, a great sense of place that grounds the action, and a devious and enthralling plot."--The Globe and Mail

"If you think you know what's going on in this winding psychological thriller, you're probably wrong...[a] Misery-in-reverse story."--Elle, "11 of the Best Books to Read in July"

"Intricately constructed... nicely done twists and turns."--Kirkus Reviews

"Suspenseful...taut storytelling."--Publishers Weekly

"In a crisp translation from the German by Imogen Taylor, Raabe delivers on a sly premise."--Seattle Times

About the Author

Melanie Raabe was born in 1981 and grew up in a small village in former East Germany. After studying media and literature, she went on to become a magazine editor, freelance journalist, writer, and stage actor. While juggling several jobs by day, she wrote at night, crafting two plays and The Trap, which is her debut novel. Melanie Raabe currently lives in Cologne and loves the stage, traveling, cooking, bungee jumping, tattoos, indie rock, and cats.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B016L5L3AI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mantle
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 19 May 2016
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Main Market
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.3 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 353 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509810680
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Customer reviews:
    3.6 out of 5 stars 1,186 ratings

About the author

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Melanie Raabe

Melanie Raabe

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MELANIE RAABE began her working life as a journalist but secretly wrote books by night. Her debut novel, The Trap (2015), was published in more than twenty countries and became an international bestseller. It was followed by The Stranger Upstairs (2016), The Shadow (2018) and The Woods (2019). In 2020 Raabe published her first nonfiction book, Creativity. Melanie Raabe lives in Cologne, Germany.

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
1,186 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book has good twists and turns with an interesting plot and unexpected ending, making it a good read. However, the pacing receives mixed reactions, with some finding it thrilling while others describe it as boring. Moreover, the writing style and character development get mixed reviews, with some praising the characters while others find them unbelievable, and several customers describe the book as badly written.

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11 customers mention ‘Twists and turns’11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the twists and turns of the plot, particularly the unexpected ending and the story of a broken woman, with one customer noting how tragedy can affect a person.

"...Satisfying ending. Would take it on a train journey." Read more

"An interesting plot but I wasn't a huge fan of the style of writing and it didn't grab me as straight away like some other books nor did I connect..." Read more

"A great read with many twists and turns. I would certainly recommend this writer for a hard to put down read." Read more

"A captivating opening and a startlingly original concept are about as good as this meandering and highly protracted thriller gets, sadly after that..." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Readability’8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable.

"A great read with many twists and turns. I would certainly recommend this writer for a hard to put down read." Read more

"...From the moment that Victor Lenzen arrives, composed and affable, this is a game of cat and mouse and a dexterous battle of wits with both avoiding..." Read more

"...This is a fantastic read, a story of a broken woman and her inability to come to terms with her past...." Read more

"...and turning, and not knowing until the end what really happened,well written and believable characters, hope there's more to come from this author." Read more

13 customers mention ‘Pacing’6 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it a super story while others describe it as boring and awful.

"Took a while to get into but overall a good story. Kept me occupied for a few days, the story line keeps you on your toes constantly changing..." Read more

"...it is the translation or if it is just very badly written but this was poor and not enjoyable...." Read more

"A captivating opening and a startlingly original concept are about as good as this meandering and highly protracted thriller gets, sadly after that..." Read more

"...The first person style of writing was so boring and monotonous that I actually didn't care how or why she trapped him...." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Character development’3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some praising the great characters while others find the main character unbelievable.

"...I was gripped from the start - the settings, the characters, the tension, the pace, the mystery all added together to create a really great novel!..." Read more

"...The characters are never really fully explored, and the fact that the 'story within a story' entitled Blood Sisters is itself a dull and very..." Read more

"...knowing until the end what really happened,well written and believable characters, hope there's more to come from this author." Read more

"...The main character was unbelievable and the author appeared to have little understanding of mental health, trauma or the difference between being a..." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Writing style’0 positive4 negative

Customers find the writing style of the book very badly written.

"I firstly found this novel to have an unusual writing style but as I became more and more gripped, I considered that to be possible due to..." Read more

"I don't know if it is the translation or if it is just very badly written but this was poor and not enjoyable...." Read more

"...The first person style of writing was so boring and monotonous that I actually didn't care how or why she trapped him...." Read more

"Awful book, badly written and with a main character you can't empathise with or like. Actually gave up reading it half way through it was so bad...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Execution’0 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the execution of the book, with one noting it starts slowly and another describing it as patchy.

"...But like I said, a good storyline just not executed as well as you'd hope." Read more

"...Great concept, patchy execution.. wait for the film!..." Read more

"Stick with it! This book starts slowly but is a terrific thriller with an unexpected ending, I thoroughly enjoyed it." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Took a while to get into but overall a good story. Kept me occupied for a few days, the story line keeps you on your toes constantly changing directions. Satisfying ending. Would take it on a train journey.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Istahil
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ok
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 July 2016
    Verified Purchase
    An interesting plot but I wasn't a huge fan of the style of writing and it didn't grab me as straight away like some other books nor did I connect with the main character. But like I said, a good storyline just not executed as well as you'd hope.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • MrsChippie
    5.0 out of 5 stars good intriguing book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 May 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A great read with many twists and turns. I would certainly recommend this writer for a hard to put down read.
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  • Read and Reviewed
    2.0 out of 5 stars Startlingly original premise but little depth and endless repetition. A struggle to wade through in the end.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A captivating opening and a startlingly original concept are about as good as this meandering and highly protracted thriller gets, sadly after that then it is a rocky and uneven yawn of a read until the final page. I presume the term thriller has been used in the euphemistic sense of the word as The Trap runs the risk of leaving readers twiddling their thumbs awaiting a development. Whilst this is a debut novel, two fundamental issues hamper the direction of the novel from the off: namely that the author makes her intentions blatantly clear and proves herself an unreliable narrator with a frustratingly vivid imagination.

    When the novel opens we are introduced to the world of thirty-eight year old prolific author Linda Conrads whose 'world' for the past eleven years has been reduced to the remote villa she occupies just outside Munich. Somewhat melodramatic, she speaks of a constant ambient temperature maintained between the walls and the different rooms representing her equivalent of geographic regions. Unable to leave her house following the murder of her sister, Anna, twelve years ago at the age of just twenty-four, she occupies a liminal state, doing little more than over-analysing her part in the horrific event and the shadowy figure of the killer whose eyes she looked into. Afflicted by panic attacks and bouts of chronic depression, the fact that her sister's killer was neither identified or prosecuted haunts her allowing little peace of mind. That is until the days that the voice of the monster impinges upon her dream and she is horrified to discover that the man she caught a glimpse of is now a charismatic and influential news presenter and a journalist, Victor Lenzen. If she is ever going to see the man held to account, she knows that she has to lure him to her world and allow a monster to cross the threshold. Her rather unique solution is to turn her back on her usual poetic literary fare and publish her first thriller loosely based on the events of that fateful night. Famously reclusive with a mysterious aura surrounding her existence, she plans to grant an exclusive interview and snare the interviewer and her sisters murderer in a foolproof trap. After all, unlike Linda, he has so much to lose - family, career, reputation and freedom.

    The first third of the novel focuses on preparation for putting her safety at risk and letting a man with blood on his hands into her home. Delivering the novel in the space of just six-months (which might explain its monotonous retelling, she spends her time facing her fears and phobias via confrontational techniques, honing her fitness and strength training, consulting a variety of experts in military type interrogation techniques. Sadly this is a far too padded and between seeing Linda rebounding between the grasp of her nightmares and endless circumlocutions of how the interview will proceed, we never really learn more about the haunted Linda to even begin to explore her complex relationship with sister, Anna, and her part in proceedings. From the moment that Victor Lenzen arrives, composed and affable, this is a game of cat and mouse and a dexterous battle of wits with both avoiding enunciating the real questions at issue. Linda and Victor are like two gladiators, circling each other, taking the measure of their opponent and angling for the upper hand. The dialogue is contrived and appears laboured, as Lenzen turns the tables on Linda and dissects the 'do-gooder' nature of Anna and the psychopathic murderer in her new novel, both of whom conform to the archetypical expectations. As Lenzen questions the actions and guilt complex of fictional sister Sophie in the novel, he turns the spotlight on the fictitious sister's part in events, including implying she dealt the deadly blow that ended her sister's life and the shadow she reports seeing on the night was nothing more than a figment of imagination. The endless circuitous questioning quickly grates and feels like wading through treacle. The final third, does deliver a resolution to both Linda's confrontation and the fictional Blood Sisters novel, both of which are sadly rather uninspiring.

    The highly novel premise has definite potential, but the actual substance of the story is limited and more ideally suited to novella length. Repetitive, with endless thinking around the dilemma but never really delivering much in terms of forward momentum, The Trap feels bloated and overdone. The characters are never really fully explored, and the fact that the 'story within a story' entitled Blood Sisters is itself a dull and very average recounting of a crime holds the novel back. Stick to sprawling literary tomes Linda because thrillers certainly aren't the genre for you! Great concept, patchy execution.. wait for the film! For me, The Trap was the thriller equivalent of jogging on the spot: an awful lot of exertion but never managing to progress very far.

    Review written by Rachel Hall (@hallrachel)
    6 people found this helpful
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  • isobel m bain
    4.0 out of 5 stars Super story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 June 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Loved it great page turner
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  • Ninaminacat
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not as engaging as the title implies
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 June 2019
    This debut novel, with its enticing tag line "I know you killed my sister: I wrote this novel for you", which fills the reader with hope of an original exciting plot, starts off well enough, but soon, sadly, rather loses itself.

    The protagonist, famous author, Linda Conrads, isn't the most credible or developed character - something of an impediment to a successful psychological thriller: one has to be able to believe in even the most unreliable narrator. (What's more, a contradiction in her preparations for her trap, which could conceivably be put down to her unreliability, but is probably an editorial error, compounds the difficulty.) Even more problematical is the inclusion of chapters from this fictional author's crime novel. I am not at all surprised at her publisher's outrage at not being informed of her change in direction from literary novel to thriller; she would clearly not have achieved such status on the basis of "Blood Sisters"! This is a great pity because had the "novel within a novel" concept been successful, it would have been a superb device for handling the dual timeline. As it was, I wished I could skip "Blood Sisters" and concentrate on Linda's story, which was better written and more convincing, even given the reservations I have already indicated.

    On the positive side, there are twists and turns and, as entered the last quarter of the book, I was keen to read it uninterrupted to its conclusion. 3.5 stars
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  • Anne bonny book reviews
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a fantastic read, a story of a broken woman and ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 July 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I firstly found this novel to have an unusual writing style but as I became more and more gripped, I considered that to be possible due to translation. This is a fantastic read, a story of a broken woman and her inability to come to terms with her past.
    I don't want to write too much or any potential spoilers. but this is definitely one for the book worms!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Paddocks
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 June 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Kept me awake
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on 14 June 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Great read. Slow at start but lots of twists
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  • turtle65
    4.0 out of 5 stars Loved everything
    Reviewed in Canada on 18 September 2016
    Verified Purchase
    About the characters, writing, suspense of character personality the introduction of Anna and Linda I couldn't put the book down. The Trap is a definite winner with a mystery within a mystery
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  • Deanna
    4.0 out of 5 stars It was a great debut novel by this author
    Reviewed in the United States on 1 October 2016
    Verified Purchase
    If you are looking for something to read after "Girl on the Train" or "Gone Girl" this is the book for you. It was an enjoyable physiological thriller that kept me turning the pages. It was a great debut novel by this author.
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  • Tanmay
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
    Reviewed in India on 2 July 2024
    Verified Purchase
    "The Trap" by Melanie Raabe gripped me from the first page.The story unfolds with Linda, a reclusive writer haunted by a traumatic event of her sister's death.When she spots a man on TV whom she believes killed her sister, She makes a meticulous plane to confront him.Each twist heightened the suspense, making it impossible to put the book down.

    "The Trap" is a masterclass in psychological thriller writing, with its tense atmosphere and unpredictable storyline leaving a lasting impression on me.
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  • G.I.Forbes
    5.0 out of 5 stars entrapment
    Reviewed in the United States on 7 July 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This interesting first novel from this author has been trans lated from the German and has a much different feeling from a novel written in English.
    The story concerns a journalist who witrnessed her sister being murdered but for 12 years she becomes withdrawn and never leaves her house until she sees the murderer on TV. and becomes determined to bring him to account which she eventualld does.
    Very well written by an author who introduces many origional twists and turns in her search.
    First class read -highly recommended.
    Customer image
    G.I.Forbes
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    entrapment

    Reviewed in the United States on 7 July 2016
    This interesting first novel from this author has been trans lated from the German and has a much different feeling from a novel written in English.
    The story concerns a journalist who witrnessed her sister being murdered but for 12 years she becomes withdrawn and never leaves her house until she sees the murderer on TV. and becomes determined to bring him to account which she eventualld does.
    Very well written by an author who introduces many origional twists and turns in her search.
    First class read -highly recommended.
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