Safe Return Doubtful

translated from the German by Jo Heinrich – published August 2026

Hans and Katrin had a son, Daniel, in 1978, but the day after the birth, doctors tell the couple the baby has died from a weak heart on the way to hospital. Time passes and they grieve, but Katrin is convinced that Daniel is still alive.

Some years later they divorce, and Katrin dies from cancer.

Thirty years later, Hans receives a call from someone who claims to be Daniel.

Some reviews give too much away. Despite knowing quite a lot about the story from a basic premise, there are twists, so anyone intending to read this should avoid them in order to get the most out if it.

Hans is a keen angler, and passages of his pastime are interwoven with the fast moving plot, which works well; the fisherman as a symbol for those parents searching for missing children, just the slightest chance, however small, that there maybe a bite on the line.

My GoodReads score 4 / 5