The Schoppenfetzer and the Undead Vintner

Book review of the Würzburg regional novel by Günther Huth

It is the shrill ringing of the telephone that tears the retired criminal chief inspector Erich Rottmann from a "violent REM phase" and forces him to interrupt his sleep. The pensioner and wine lover had just been dreaming of a desperate struggle with the screw cap of a Bocksbeutel, whose contents he craved so much. But his sense of duty and instinct are stronger than the desire for a glass of wine. Even in the middle of the night. And so his first thought "Action!" comes true faster than Rottmann and especially his four-legged alter ego, dog Öchsle, would like. For when the Eibelsdorf wine princess calls from America and asks for help, the tiredness is quickly forgotten. Just as much as the fact that as a former criminal one should better not interfere in the ongoing investigations of one's former colleagues. But when Rottmann learns that the father of the wine princess, vintner Gernot Siebenheilig, has disappeared without a trace after a tractor accident in the vineyard, he does not hesitate for a second to get involved in the case.
What is behind the vintner's disappearance? Will his drinking companions hold it against him that he has missed the regular table meetings? Why is the cellar master lying dead in the drum press of the wine press? Rottmann's Silvaner level drops, the tension rises. Fortunately, there is still neighbour Elvira, who is not only jealous but also extremely useful. For example, when she gets her Bocksbeutel-laden motorhome ready at the Kalte Quelle and declares: motorhome and Elvira, that only comes as a package deal. 

In the eighteenth investigation case of the crime fiction character Erich Rottmann, alias the Schoppenfetzer, author Günter Huth guides readers and fans of the robust Würzburg ex-criminal chief inspector into the fictional Lower Franconian village of "Eibelsdorf". Two murders occur on the Siebenheilig family vineyard, whilst the vintner remains missing. Through the choice of title alone, the author takes the readership by the hand and directs them into speculative thought processes that make a possible death of the vintner seem doubtful. Through the figure of the vintner, Huth creates a certain tension that is maintained from beginning to end. 
The new instalment was published on 15 October 2020. On his homepage, Huth also reveals that the Corona pandemic has not left his artistic and literary work unscathed, but he nevertheless wanted to use the difficult situation and counter the distance from his readers with this new novel. Or in other words: "Erich Rottmann won't be beaten!" – not even by the Corona virus. 

The author: Günther Huth was born in Würzburg in 1949 and has remained there to this day. According to the blurb, he cannot imagine living in another city. As a legal specialist and court officer, his professional experience in particular provides inspiration for his crime and hunting novels. He also writes children's and non-fiction books and has published more than 60 books over the last 46 years. The idea for the Würzburg crime novel came to him in 2003.
So much for the framework of the eighteenth case. For now, the following important question remains to be asked: Why, Mr Huth, why do you call the outside reporter of the Würzburg regional broadcaster Kiffy Gras?
With his dog Öchsle and his 1300cc VW Beetle, Erich Rottmann lives in Würzburg city centre, more precisely in Rosengasse. Through the typical Beetle rattle, not only the curious Elvira, but also all the other neighbours always know exactly when the two of them set off. If they leave the house on foot, their walk usually takes them to the Main riverbank: from Rosengasse to the street "Am Pleidenturm" and to Willy-Brandt-Kai. Once they arrive at the green space on the bank, Öchsle's marking tour routinely begins at one of the old trees. Or to the Schoppenfetzer's regular table, to empty a few Bocksbeutel of dry Silvaner together, whilst Öchsle waits hopefully under the bench in the "liver sausage basic position". However, the disappearance of vintner Gernot Siebenheilig shifts the usual routes for a few weeks, as it takes that long to observe the goings-on at the vineyard in Eibelsdorf. Despite blood traces in the vineyard, the injured or dead vintner seems to be nowhere to be found. Then the cellar master lies dead in the wine press of the cellar and shortly afterwards the cousin of the wine-growing president lies dead in a vat of grape must. Both bodies are found to have hairs from the (undead?) vintner. In parallel, the relationship between the vintner and his wife seems to become increasingly important for the plot. Between jealousy and intrigue, connections can be found and conclusions drawn. And whilst Kiffy Gras interviews the neighbours, the wine princess and her mother return from the USA, Elvira charms Erich Rottmann and fills the motorhome with Bocksbeutel because she doesn't trust the Eibelsdorf vintners, and Rottmann is much deeper in the investigation than he can let his colleagues know, at least one person in the midst of the turmoil keeps a clear head and thinks of what matters: the work! The eccentric, traditional vintner Reinhard Pleiner, who lives in the vineyard's barn and radically rejects mobile phones, not only lies in wait at night to confront the perpetrator – no, he also continues to work during the day, because: "There was nothing for it, the work in the vineyard had to be done." However, only as long as Lieselotte Siebenheilig, the vintner's wife, doesn't slip him a sleeping draught in his coffee to receive male visitors. Elvira seems to have the right instinct from the start when she renames the lady as "Scheinheilig". Of course, Rottmann manages in the end to solve the murder series and restore Lower Franconian peace to Eibelstadt. So much shall be revealed: there is no way around frozen game meat packages to solve the case. 

Conclusion: What was planned as a gift has somehow captivated me with its regional charm and direct Würzburg references. Even though the reading experience is probably best described with the word "cringe", clichés and stereotypes are reproduced, the old refrain of rejecting political correctness finds its place: "Nowadays it is very exhausting to express oneself correctly", the story is probably simply "typical regional crime fiction", so as a Würzburg student you can certainly take a look at one of the Erich Rottmann cases. And who knows, perhaps case nineteen will be somewhat more diverse and modern. 
With a few glasses of Silvaner and the Schoppenfetzer, you can certainly spend another evening in domestic isolation. If you have trouble getting started, simply have the glasses first and then the book. 

The price of the paperback is €9.90. The crime novel is published by Echter-Verlag. Find out more about the adventures of the Schoppenfetzer at: http://www.schoppenfetzer-krimi.de