In this episode, translator Alexandra Roesch reads an English sample of Elisa Hoven’s »Dark Moments«.

This absorbing debut novel draws from Elisa Hoven’s experience as a professor of criminal law and high-court judge. Nine cases unfold as gripping legal dramas, exploring moral and ethical dilemmas through the lens of law and justice.

»Dark Moments« takes the reader into the world of protagonist and narrator, Eva Herbergen, a seasoned defence lawyer from Berlin, as she unravels the complexities of the human condition in a captivating array of legal quandaries that shape and test her resolve. Each tale is woven with unforeseen twists and revelations.

From rape to fraud, assault to murder, each case challenges conventional notions of right and wrong, blurring the lines and forcing Eva Herbergen to confront her own issues from the past. As she explores the intricate web of moral ambiguity, her resolve is tested, and her boundaries are constantly pushed.

Elisa Hoven (1982) is a professor of criminal law at the University of Leipzig. Her research focuses on German and international criminal law, economic criminal law, media criminal law, and sexual criminal law. Since 2020, she has also been a judge at the Saxon Constitutional Court. She has worked in Australia, Cambodia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States during her various academic and research endeavors.

Rights to the title have so far been sold to: Czech Republic (Alpress), Italy (Neri Pozza), Japan (Tokyo Sogensha), Netherlands (Thomas Rap), Norway (Bonnier Norsk), Spain (Maeva).

Head to our website to find a pdf of today’s sample here.

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Credits

Text originally published as “Dunkle Momente” by Elisa Hoven

Translated and read by Alexandra Roesch

Copyright © S. Fischer Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt am Main 2025

Concept: Verena von Bassewitz, Martin Butz & Elisa Diallo

Production, Editing & Sound Design: Martin Butz

⁠Impressum

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