These "particles" are everywhere, invisible, deadly
After a wedding on Sylt, people die. An accident or a terrorist attack? Melissa wants to get to the bottom of it. She has no idea, which nest of wasps she's stirring up with her research. Her enemy is everywhere. He is even within us - and one of the greatest threats to humanity.
In Germany, there are roughly a dozen outstanding thriller authors. Among them is Sebastian Fitzek, the most successful genre representative, particularly in the field of Psychothriller. His next bestseller is coming out in the fall. But Marc Raabe should also be mentioned, whose "Art Mayer" series ("The Dawn", "The Dusk") sets standards in the subgenre Politthriller. When it comes to Science Thriller, Tibor Rode cannot be outdone, with his works "The Mona-Lisa Virus" and "The Forest" being chillingly current. A new book from him is also coming out this year. Until then, Wolf Harlander is causing a stir - with "Particles".
The books of the former economic journalist are all bestsellers. The reader base is as enormous as the topics they tackle: In "42 Degrees" he made Germany run out of water. In "Melt Point" the eternal ice of Greenland melts and in "System Error" the internet collapses. The consequences are always catastrophic, humanity stands at the brink. It's the same this time, as the plot of "Particles" revolves around microplastics.
Plastics Everywhere
Microplastics? Does it even exist? Yes, it's almost everywhere - most often without us knowing. In toothpaste or shower gel, it may even glow. In the sausage packaging, in washing powder, in tap water, in the air, in football jerseys it is also present. The human body absorbs it through the skin, through the mouth. Every week on average, each of us takes in roughly five grams, which is roughly the weight of a credit card.
But weren't plastic bags banned by the EU? Isn't there a recycling system? In Germany, around 60 percent of plastic waste is recycled, in the EU it's only about 30 percent. The rest is burned, ends up on illegal landfills, in the sea - or is sold to other, mainly poorer countries in Asia and Africa in the name of capitalism. The business is booming, the profits also, some of which are mafia-like structures in the background are happy about.
This is the stuff that makes for outstanding thrillers. Harlander's "Particles" is the daring proof. It starts small and ends with a big bang. That's how it has to be: A wedding on Sylt - no Lindner, no scooter -, there's fish and in the end, spoiled stomachs, Intensive Care patients, and dead people. Melissa, volunteer at the news portal "Daily Flashlight", takes up the topic. She senses a chance to prove herself to her colleagues and her boss. At first, she succeeds. The clicks go through the roof, the dwell time on the site takes record-breaking dimensions. But it doesn't take long before Melissa realizes that there's more to it. Food poisoning? It's somehow related - but in a completely different way.
Microplastics are found in the blood of wedding guests. Some become aware of it and cope well. Others' bodies rebel. It's like with gluten or garlic: One can tolerate it, the other cannot. Melissa also has her blood tested. The result is a pure horror: She has microplastics in her.
Harlander would not be Harlander if it weren't for multiple storylines in his story. Melissa's search for the background of the "Horror Wedding on Sylt" (Boulevard) turned into a business crime - and a personal race against time, as Melissa's two-year-old niece Zoe is fighting terminal liver cancer caused by microplastics. The only chance is an experimental therapy in the USA. Cost: two million dollars. The money will be raised through Crowd-Funding and articles, videos, and appeals on "Daily Flashlight".
Melissa is getting deeper into the topic, comes into contact with the company Cyaclean. A US millionaire's startup in Duesseldorf that researches a solution to the plastic problem using algae. Cyaclean is the global leader and the competition is not sleeping. They even go over bodies, as shown in an attack at the Rhine factory.
Now, the familiar BND investigators Nelson Carius and Diana Winkels are mixing in again. It seems there are connections to a missing cargo ship and a transnational environmental disaster. Politics seems to be involved as well as the Mafia. It stinks to high heaven.
Dauerpuls 180
It's the big wheel that Harlander turns with "Partikel". Not less. But the fans of him know that. From the small horror next door, a life-threatening catastrophe of global proportions emerges. One must know that when one dedicates oneself to the work that appeared at Rowohlt and Argon. As an audiobook, it's more than 18 hours full of tension, rapid action, and interpersonal emotional explosions.
There are twists, friction points, and thought-provoking moments. There's Melissa's love for Zoe, but also her journalistic ambition. There's the entire issue of microplastics and the optimistic outlook of a technological solution that is still in its infancy. As a listener, one is torn back and forth. The pulse is constantly heightened. The plot with the various main characters is both diverse and captivating.
All of that are perfect conditions for the speaker Uve Teschner, his entire ability, meaning the entire spectrum of his voice, to throw into the balance. Whether north German shipowner, French environmental activist, American self-made millionaire - Teschner has them all. His versatility can be demonstrated again and again. It's fun to listen to him.
The theme of microplastics, however, is anything but fun. It's rather bitter, deadly serious. Plastics are eternal, they are not degraded by nature. Babies and children are particularly susceptible to microplastics. It's time for this topic to be more present in the broad public. Harlander has already shown impressively with "42 Degrees" that something like this is possible.
In light of the serious issue of microplastics, the thrilling novel "Particles" by Wolf Harlander has gained considerable attention. Its plot revolves around the harmful effects of microplastics, a substance found in various everyday items such as toothpaste and shower gel, and even in food packaging, tap water, and clothing. This alarming topic has sparked numerous reviews and discussions about climate protection and plastic waste, resonating with readers who are concerned about the environment and their health.
