The story itself is great, the way it is told a lot less.
To many coincidences follow each other and the many layers of the book are unlikely. There's a growing feeling of negativity throughout the book which did not speak to me.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I have to say that it's the writing style that put me off, I just wasn't able to enjoy it at all, which is disappointing because there were a few glimmers of promise in the story. I understand perhaps not wanting to give information to the reader in a straightforward way to create interest, but the writing seemed almost gimmicky to me with the constant fragmented stylings. The complexity of the plot was impressive and I did think the protagonist was a strong heroine type but for me, presentation is everything and I just didn't personally get on very well with the tone.

The story, which is set in Amsterdam, revolves around a young unknown child who was found in woods, seriously hurt after a mysterious hit and run accident. The mystery spreads far wider than anyone could imagine A good story that kept me interested throughout, it does chop and change from person to person and I did struggle to 'keep up' with the story at the very end but I would definitely recommend it.

Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. Butterfly on the Storm is a multi-layered thriller involving hard core themes such as corruption, sexual slavery, political espionage and greed. It wanted to achieve so much, and the story and characters were so ambitious, and while in the end it didn’t really work for me, I can acknowledge the mastery in which the author presented these themes.

It was well written and well researched. If you enjoy complex political thrillers that are extremely current with a touch of humour, then you should give this book a try!

This novel can be grim in places but the brutality is counterbalanced by love. it involves a child who is admitted to hospital after being knocked down by a car and what happens next as the doctor first to the scene and a journalist become enmeshed in the boy's backstory. Vividly written and fast-paced this novel has a thoroughly original storyline and promises you an excellent read.

I really struggled to enjoy this book. The plot sounded interesting, a young Afghan boy is found abandoned on a road following a hit & run and the links to international crime seemed intriguing. The comparison to the Millenium trilogy was another thing which tempted me to read - but it was way off the mark.

There are quite a lot of characters to try and keep track of which got kind of confusing. One of the main characters Farah was a bit of a cold bitch, she cheated on her partner and showed no remorse at all. A whole bunch of tedious name dropping every time she drove her car somewhere and parked "the Carrera" - yawn, I'd rather she was driving a Citroen 2CV!

I think the book as a whole would be far better with a couple hundred pages shaved off it, to me it felt like I read something and got nothing relevant out of what I just read. I won't be going on to read the other 2 books when they come out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Michael Joseph for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was very pleased that I had the chance to read this book. I found it intriguing and felt it had a good plot. It kept my attention and I had it read in no time. I would be happy to recommend this book. Thank you for giving me the chance to read this

This crime thriller is the first of a trilogy billed, as many thrillers are, as the new Millennium Trilogy. ‘Butterfly on the Storm’ by Walter Lucius does feature horrific examples of abuse, it does feature a campaigning journalist, but for me it fell short of Stieg Larsson’s trilogy. Without that expectation, I would probably have enjoyed this thriller while at the same time being irritated that so much was crammed in.
The action starts from page one and doesn’t stop to breathe. A young girl is the subject of a hit-and-run accident in the Amsterdam woods. In hospital, it becomes clear the girl is a young boy, dressed as a girl dancer and sexually abused by Afghan men now living in Holland. I found the portrayal of immigrant life in Holland fascinating and almost wish the author had examined this in more depth but the story spreads out to South Africa and Russia and its tentacles become confusing.
Accompanying the child to hospital is Dr Danielle Bernson who, following medical experience in Africa, is traumatized when she sees the child suffer. At the hospital, they meet journalist Farah Hafez, originally from Afghanistan, Farah’s identity was changed when she arrived as a child in Holland. She too has a lot of emotional baggage. Farah’s boss teams her with a more experienced journalist, Paul Chapelle, who she knew in Afghanistan. On the police side we have the pair of detectives assigned to the hit-and-run case, Joshua Calvino and Marouan Diba, a sort of young/old, idealistic/world-weary, good cop/bad cop pairing. There is a huge list of characters to accommodate the various storylines which include child trafficking, police corruption, political corruption, Russian violence and international terrorism. There is too much going on.
In the Millennium Trilogy, the first book had a clear distinctive story which allowed the reader to get to know the key characters which would move forward to book two. In ‘Butterfly on the Storm’, the first book feels like the episode of a television series where the ending has a hook to make you watch next week. This may work with television, but it left me feeling the novel was incomplete.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

So a young boy is knocked down in the countryside and from then on a domino effect begins!

Nobody could predict the repercussions of the hit and run and you learn along the way how and why it is....

I did read the book but struggled along the way and in some parts became bored with the whole thing (sorry). Though persevered and saw it through, the ending was apt but I really hated Farrah and though she seemed, well, fake?? Not sure if that's just me though.

I'd read more as it was an interesting book and storyline but kinda slow for me in my opinion.

I found this book to be hard work. The story was interesting and very topical but it took me over three months to read when I am normally a very quick reader. Perhaps because it isn't my usual sort of book I struggled but I'm glad I did persist even though I initially was wanting to give up after the first few chapters.

The intriguing story of a young Afghan boy found run over in the Netherlands is an interesting concept especially when we are introduced to the practice of Bacha Bazi. From this we are introduced to ambitious journalist Farah Hafez, naive doctor Danielle Bernsen and Detectives Diba and Calvino who take us on a rollercoaster ride of government corruption, shady dealings and murder.

I found the links to Afghanistan intriguing but I feel the need to make Farah into some type of goddess who had men falling at her feet didn't really need to be included in the story.

I was disappointed in the ending until I googled the book and saw that it is part of a trilogy so I do look forward to see what will happen next as I was left extremely confused by the way that the book did end.

outstanding enjoyed the thrill of this thank you for giving me this book

Really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next in the series. I loved reading about amsterdam and the surrounding areas. I did find some of the names complicated to follow and thought some of the characters not particularly credible.. There were a lot of story lines and I did find it difficult to read on a kindle as I wanted to flick back and forth.

A complex, multi layered plot which makes for an interesting read. The author describes an Amsterdam and Netherlands which seems rife with corruption on all levels, I doubt if this makes him popular with everyone. I really enjoyed many parts of this book, the plot is unusual and it is well structured. I particularly liked the different POV on events and the way the author interweaves the different threads is impressive.
My main issue is with the character of Farah. I don't understand why so many writers have to make a female lead character a femme fatale with almost all the male characters besotted with them. It just detracts from the storyline and it wouldn't happen with a male lead character. In addition, she is supposed to be a martial arts expert, I always thought that part of the teaching was self control and yet she flies off the handle all the time.
Even so, it is very readable and covers important issues so I will probably read the the rest of the trilogy to see how it concludes.
My thanks to Netgalley for this copy.

Disturbing issues raised in this thriller

Sometimes a book opens one’s eyes to issues that are so horrifying that they linger long after the last page is turned. This book is one of these. The ancient practice of Bacha Bazi - translated as playing with boys, is the central theme of the story when a young boy is badly injured in a hit and run. He is dressed as a girl with heavy makeup and jewellery. Investigative journalist Farah Hafez is convinced that the boy is a victim of this vile tradition where boys as young as five years old are sold to Afghan warlords as dancers to entertain but are also intended as bedfellows.

I was horrified to learn that whilst under the Taliban this tradition was outlawed, it has now reared its ugly head again. It is a sign of wealth and power amongst the rich and a status symbol.

The Dutch police begin an investigation that uncovers child abuse at the highest levels and they battle against the powerful men at the very pinnacle of Dutch society as they seek to find the men responsible for the heinous crime. Joining forces with them is Farah Hafez, a refugee from Afghanistan who is determined to uncover the truth about the boy. Her investigation uncovers things about her own past that force her to confront her own secrets.

The book is fast-paced with lots of detail and the characters are very well developed and the writer delves behind each persona to explain their motivations and actions. He portrays a society trying to integrate many different cultures whilst remaining true to maintain Western values. Prejudice and bigotry rear their ugly heads throughout the story.

The story is complex and the writer keeps the reader on his toes. I would have awarded 5 stars but the chapter dealing with the car crash as the central characters attempt to bring the killers to justice does not ring true and there was too much going on - it remained me of a Hollywood blockbuster scene and detracted from the rest of the book.

Although the book deals with a disturbing issue, I am never one to shy away from the reality that the world has many awful truths and I believe that knowledge is power. I researched Bacha Bazi as a result of this book and it opened my eyes.

Gillian

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Gripping book couldn't put it down from start to finish. Well worth a read.

The original plot idea is good but it develops to a point way beyond belief. Similarly the heroine seems at times to have been given superpowers and isn't credible. In spite of that its a page turning compelling story. The ending is all too credible.

This was a confusing story with to many things going on.
The ending leaves you as a cliff hanger, I presume to encourage people to buy the second instalment.
Personally I feel this just spoils the ending.

Utterly fantastic! I am now desperate for the next in the trilogy! Brilliantly written and translated. Disturbing, dark crime fiction with a spectacularly strong female lead character. If you enjoyed Stieg Larsson then Walter Lucius is for you!

I did not greatly enjoy this story: the tangled web of intrigue caught me up in a confusion of characters, none of whom caught my imagination. Not for me, I'm afraid.