An entertaining darkly humorous murder story which shows the value of living one’s life mindfully! I enjoyed it immensely. Highly recommended

I read a lot of crime fiction and its rare to find something completely new, but this nailed it- a crime thriller gangland romp interspersed with some amazing mindfulness tips. I've used one or two of them already, they are excellent.
The story itself is a nonstop parade of gangsters, dodgy lawyers and all round nefarious characters with a surprising understanding of the difficulty of finding quality affordable childcare.

Björn is a lawyer, and he was 42 before he killed someone. He reluctantly starts a mindfulness class and to his surprise, it's a revelation. He becomes calmer, more focused, and he's starting to understand what's really important in life. Overall an enjoyable read

If I didn't know it was happening already, I'd probably say this book feels like a one of those witty, mildly absurd hit netflix series.

A darkly funny, bold and utterly ridiculous story about a high strung lawyer who finds himself leaving a trail of bodies but using mindfulness to allow himself to live peacefully with the many parts of his life. It's irreverent, fast paced and wacky with a bloody edge.

At times it could be a little repetitive but I absolutely loved the bastardisation of common mindfulness techniques to apply them to chopping up bodies, strained marriages and gang violence.

"Murder Mindfully" by Karsten Dusse offers an intriguing fusion of mindfulness practices and a murder mystery that is sure to captivate readers looking for something different. Dusse's clever incorporation of mindfulness into the protagonist's life as he navigates a tangled web of crime is both unique and thought-provoking.

The narrative is engaging, though the pacing can feel uneven at times. Some readers might find the blend of self-help and thriller a bit jarring, but it's a refreshing twist on the genre. The mindfulness elements, while central to the story, can occasionally feel overemphasized, potentially diverting focus from the plot.

Overall, "Murder Mindfully" is an interesting read that delivers a mix of suspense and introspection. It may not be for everyone, but for those open to a crossover between mindfulness and mystery, it's worth the read.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4 – a unique, if occasionally uneven, journey into mindful crime-solving.

What a joy!

I wasn’t sure if this was my type of book but I was so wrong.
Not only was it clever, witty and well paced but I felt I was learning some great mindfulness techniques too!

It seems so obscure to come away from this book having learnt some new techniques but I genuinely have.
A brilliant book, highly recommend.

Murder Mindfully is a fun and exciting read!

We follow Bjorn, a lawyer, who somewhat by accident kills his mafia client. This was truly fun and interesting and I look forward to more

Gleeful self-help/crime mash-up

You know exactly what you’re getting with this book. Equally mindfulness cheerleader (full of mantras and advice) and murderer’s POV, this twists both genres on their heads and makes a deliciously high concept mash-up that entertains, with Type A lead Björn taking mindulness to a whole other level.

Enjoyable and suitably episodic (there’s a Netflix adaptation—hang on, let me just binge it… right, I’m back), this doesn’t go where you think it will and then of course it does. Crime, folks, does not pay.*

* Unless you’re a crime writer.

Three and a half stars, gleefully rounded up to four.

As soon as I read the blurb for Murder Mindfully, I knew I had to read it. The premise sounded like nothing I had ever read before I was intrigued.

This book was every bit as good as the blurb promised it would be.

The dichotomy between murder and mindfulness was expertly laid out on the page, to the point of almost, but not quite, being humerous.

This German novel was such a clever mix of crime, humor and mindfulness!
Our MC Björn Diemel is a lawyer whose life is turned upside down by a series of unfortunate events. When his personal and professional life begins to crumble, he turns to a mindfulness coach for guidance, only to find himself accidentally entangled in a murder case.

I loved the dark humor mixed with the mindfulness practices that the MC follows in tense situations. Björn's journey of personal growth through mindfulness techniques adds a refreshing layer to the typical crime novel, as he tries to stay calm and focused while dealing with the increasingly absurd situations that arise around him. His dry wit and often self-deprecating humor make him an interesting and relatable character, even in the face of murder and mayhem.

Final Thoughts-
For readers who enjoy a mix of suspense with humor and mindfulness, this book is definitely worth picking up.

Ok, Bjorn is a lawyer, working mostly for a client involved in organised crime .As the book starts, his personal life is problematic and he also has to sort out the problem of his client killing someone and the proof of that is online in a film. Stressed out by his work, he sees a practioner of mindfullness and this becomes his way of dealing with most problems in his life.
I liked the satirical aspect of the book, though was skimming over most of the mindfullness mantras towards the end of the book. The humour is, given the involvement with the criminal underworld, dark and the descriptions often fairly graphic. I am not sure whether someone could fence his mind off to such an extent, but that is by the way. Not a bad read, it became a little repetitive, so did not need to be any longer. A change of genre for me, thanks to Net Galley for the ARC. I`d read more from the author, but not yet.

Whilst the novel took a little while to get going, by the end it was an enthralling joyride through the German underworld. The characters felt fully realised and like they had real agency in the world. An incredibly strong debut novel for Dusse - I look forward to reading more in the future!

Slow to start I wasn’t sure where this book was going or if I was going to enjoy it. But it suddenly took off and is actually a clever story with plenty of humour. I loved the mindfulness quotes at the start of each chapter and how the main character made them work for him and the situations he found himself in.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This one was such a slow burn but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. Murder blended with mindfulness provided an interesting story filled with dark humour. I got some great mindfulness tips while I followed Bjorn's story as her evolved from scummy lawyer to assertive mob boss. Utterly bonkers, darkly funny and completely compelling to read!

This book was really surprising - I found it quite a slow burn and it took a little time to get into it but I persisted and finished it in one sitting - it’s well thought out and has such an original plot

I really enjoyed Murder Mindfully. A genius, topic premise, a great cover and a clever plot delivered with a smirk and a wink. Recommended for both comedy and crime fans

I wasn't expecting to like this book, but I enjoyed it very much as it is so funny and clever. It is a real antidote to the very earnest "religion" of mindfulness, and the story is well-planned. I will definitely recommend this book.

Great Shades of Walter White in therapy! Addictive, funny, and more than just a lesson in redefining your thinking, this is a quick, easy read and I"m already keen on finding out more...

With thanks to the author, publishers Faber & Faber Ltd, and NetGalley for providing me with a DRC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun and twisted read!

The thought of a lawyer exercising mindfulness to help himself murder his gangster client and then step into his shoes seems ludicrous on so many levels, but the author pulls it off spectacularly! I particularly enjoyed how he weaved that murderous side of the plot with something as everyday and mundane as finding a preschool place for his young daughter and then used that as the driving force for much of the events that followed.

Despite some of the quite violent scenes described in the book, the characters were all remarkably likeable to some extent (even the gangsters), while the dialog was lively and witty and a pleasure to read.

As a bonus, I also appreciated the mindfulness quotes at the start of each chapter and have highlighted some of them to take forward with me. Hopefully, they don’t have the same effect on me as they did on Björn, though!

'I didn't kill anyone until I was forty-two. That's actually a little on the late side for my current professional environment. Admittedly, I did kill almost half a dozen in the week that followed.' (Murder Mindfully, Chapter 1.)

How not to love a book that starts like this! Murder Mindfully delivers what the title promises. There's organised crime and murder, and there's mindfulness. Not two things that are often connected, so of course I was intrigued and eager to read this.

And it was an absolute joy! Yes, it was an absolute joy to read a book with lots of murders and criminality. Because, apparently murder can be part of a joyful, mindful way of living.

Bjorn is a criminal defence lawyer ostracised by everyone in the law firm where he works because he is responsible for one of the firm's most lucrative but distasteful clients, Dragan, the boss of an organised crime gang. Dragan is keeping Bjorn so busy that Bjorn is stressed out and his family life is suffering. So he gives in to his wife's demand to pull his socks up, and agrees to take lessons in mindfulness. And discovers the key to continuing his work but with way less stress!

Murder Mindfully is a book to race through. It's intelligent, witty – at times very funny – cleverly plotted and very, very entertaining. Sure it's as light and full of holes as a stick of candyfloss, but who cares, it's fun. No wonder it's been translated (from the German original) into several languages and even been made into a Netflix series (which I haven't seen). It's popularity is well earned. Recommended.