Max A Edelmann
Self-Published
30 November 2025
382
eBook - EPUB
Contemporary Fiction
ARC via NetGalley
Düsseldorf, on a winter before the eyes of his Spanish colleague, the lawyer Thomas Siebenmorgen throws himself to his death, destroying a valuable work of art in the process. María, who liked Thomas, is horrified and at a loss. What on earth drove him to this insane act? Viktor, a member of the crisis intervention team who has been called in, also begins to Are there any clues from the past that can help to understand Thomas's desperation? And what insights can Simon, the young star lawyer from the Munich office, who is assigned to an internal investigation that same night, uncover? In their attempt to find out the truth, three very different people discover the blind spots in Thomas's soul – and are simultaneously confronted with their own past, which goes back much further than they realise. An Elephant in the Wohnzimmer not only exposes the abysses hidden behind the shiny façade of a typical star law firm with an international reputation, but also delves into the depths of European history, a history that continues to have an impact on the present. Not only for Thomas Siebenmorgen...
An Elephant in the Wohnzimmer was a book that started strongly. I was immediately caught up in the story and wanted to understand the reason behind Thomas' actions. The early stages of the book worked like an investigation and held my interest, but towards the last quarter of the story my attention waned a little when the characters started to delve more into their own pasts and feelings and it became less focused on Thomas. Nonetheless, the book offered an intriguing study of human emotion, hidden trauma and how the past can shape the future. There was one thing that jumped out at me, though, and that was the prose. I couldn't find much information to confirm if the author had chosen to write in English from the outset or if the work had been translated from a German original text. Either way, there were a few moments when things felt 'off' either because a phrase sounded unnatural or the meaning seemed to be the opposite of what I would have expected the text to read in that moment. I have studied both German and translation, so it was something that stood out to me, but other readers may not notice so much. Nonetheless, this was still an interesting read that had something worthwhile to say and to explore, and I am giving it 4 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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