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Der Schwimmer
Helen, eine pensionierte Lehrerin, verbringt ihren Ruhestand in einem kleinen Haus an der irischen Küste. Es könnte so schön und friedlich hier sein, wäre da nicht ihre sauertöpfische Schwester Margaret, die vor drei Jahren zu Besuch kam und seitdem keine Anstalten macht, wieder zu gehen. Vom Garten aus hat man einen herrlichen Blick aufs Meer. Eines Tages, als Helen auf der Terrasse liegt, sieht sie einen rothaarigen Mann ins Wasser gehen. Kurz darauf schläft Helen in der warmen Nachmittagssonne ein. Als sie aufwacht, ist der Mann verschwunden, nur seine Kleidung liegt noch am Strand. Ihm muss etwas zugestoßen sein, da ist Helen sich sicher. Wer war der geheimnisvolle Mann, der offenbar von niemandem vermisst wird? Gemeinsam mit Patrick, dem charmanten Wirt des örtlichen Pubs, stellt Helen Ermittlungen an. Und muss zugleich ihre neugierige Schwester davon abhalten, sich ständig einzumischen …
Audiobook
First published April 14, 2022
About the author
Graham Norton
27 books2,080 followersGraham William Walker is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist, known by his stage name Graham Norton. He is the host of the comedy chat show The Graham Norton Show and the BBC commentator of the Eurovision Song Contest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 359 reviews
July 23, 2022
I read Graham Norton’s biography some time ago and thoroughly enjoyed his writing so when he started writing novels I couldn’t resist. I have now read all four of his novels and found all of them written to an incredibly high standard. So well written with characters that come to life on the pages, you really should give them a try.
The Swimmer is a short read but there is so much on offer, great characters, an atmospheric read and an intriguing mystery.
The main character Helen is sitting looking out at the ocean, enjoying some time to herself when she spots an unknown swimmer. The stranger never returns from the ocean and is assumed to have died in the sea. For some reason Helen does not feel comfortable with this assumption and won’t let things lie.
The characters are the real plus point for me in Graham Norton’s novels, interesting and easy to imagine. A quick read but so enjoyable.
The Swimmer is a short read but there is so much on offer, great characters, an atmospheric read and an intriguing mystery.
The main character Helen is sitting looking out at the ocean, enjoying some time to herself when she spots an unknown swimmer. The stranger never returns from the ocean and is assumed to have died in the sea. For some reason Helen does not feel comfortable with this assumption and won’t let things lie.
The characters are the real plus point for me in Graham Norton’s novels, interesting and easy to imagine. A quick read but so enjoyable.
May 25, 2022
I really like it. The little book kept me wanting more and the suspense was very well paced as well. I was surprised at how quality it seemed and how much could be packed in such a short story.
I figured the solution before the ending and the ending seemed a bit rushed, which is really the only reason I took a star away. Lovely.
I figured the solution before the ending and the ending seemed a bit rushed, which is really the only reason I took a star away. Lovely.
August 25, 2022
Fun and fast pace, I really enjoyed it and I couldn’t have guessed that plot twist.
An excellent quick one.
An excellent quick one.
July 26, 2022
An old lady spots a swimmer from the comfort of her beach house before falling asleep. An hour later she wakes up and the swimmer is gone. But his bag is still on the beach. Anyone else would have figured the swimmer went home and simply forgot his bag. But she’s retired and this is the most exciting thing that’s happened to her in a long time. So she quickly decides to investigate.
Celebrities and fiction writing don’t always do so well together. That’s because the books don’t actually need to be all that good, as they can mostly be sold by the celebrity’s name value alone. Graham Norton’s already got more than one fiction book under his belt though and considering this is a novella, I thought it might be to perfect way to dip my toe in the water and see if his books might be for me.
The writing style is quite good, easily grabbing us from the first page. The protagonist is likeable and fleshed out pretty well for such a short story. In terms of plot, it’s a decent little mystery. Not much actually happens here, though there is a really good twist at the end.
A perfect introduction to Graham Norton’s fiction writing. It’s a short, cozy and relaxing but rather uneventful read.
Celebrities and fiction writing don’t always do so well together. That’s because the books don’t actually need to be all that good, as they can mostly be sold by the celebrity’s name value alone. Graham Norton’s already got more than one fiction book under his belt though and considering this is a novella, I thought it might be to perfect way to dip my toe in the water and see if his books might be for me.
The writing style is quite good, easily grabbing us from the first page. The protagonist is likeable and fleshed out pretty well for such a short story. In terms of plot, it’s a decent little mystery. Not much actually happens here, though there is a really good twist at the end.
A perfect introduction to Graham Norton’s fiction writing. It’s a short, cozy and relaxing but rather uneventful read.
December 22, 2023
Relishing in finally having a bit of peace and quiet, Helen takes a moment to herself to sit and watch the ocean just outside her front door. As she watches, she sees a stranger swim out into the ocean, a trip from which he never returns. Missing, presumed dead, there is something that doesn't quite sit right with Helen about his disappearance.
I found myself at once warming to the character of Helen and becoming as intrigued as she was about what was going on. Being slightly older as a character, she is quite steady and you feel that immediate trust in her instincts.
I found myself at once warming to the character of Helen and becoming as intrigued as she was about what was going on. Being slightly older as a character, she is quite steady and you feel that immediate trust in her instincts.
September 1, 2022
For a short one, I really loved this quiet mystery set on the Irish coast by one of my favourite authors.
Helen is a retired teacher living with her sister and finding it tiresome.She sees a swimmer go into the sea and when he doesn't emerge again she raises the alarm...and feels she has to investigate.
I loved the humour, laid back tempo and the small town vibes.
Helen is a retired teacher living with her sister and finding it tiresome.She sees a swimmer go into the sea and when he doesn't emerge again she raises the alarm...and feels she has to investigate.
I loved the humour, laid back tempo and the small town vibes.
January 3, 2023
I love Quick Reads. I managed this short story in just over an hour.
The swimmer is a crime mystery thriller by Graham Norton. A writer I have previous enjoyed and whose character development and story telling is as good as many more established authors.
Quick Reads are an invitation to new readers to find joy and interest in reading. The vocabulary and sentence building of the story assist in the process of getting into a book. More regular readers will find they are a place where interesting writers offer their skills in the short story format.
Many are put off by close small print and thick volumes of pages that have not end in sight. New and less confident readers can find books accessible and manageable in this abbreviated offering. When the quality of story as in this case is so good then picking up a book is a delight and hopefully a habit forming hobby.
The Swimmer is a fresh twist on the mystery of the clothes left on the beach, a missing person and the lack of a body.
A book that demands to be read with an ending few will see coming with drama and thrills along the way.
A riveting and rewarding read.
The swimmer is a crime mystery thriller by Graham Norton. A writer I have previous enjoyed and whose character development and story telling is as good as many more established authors.
Quick Reads are an invitation to new readers to find joy and interest in reading. The vocabulary and sentence building of the story assist in the process of getting into a book. More regular readers will find they are a place where interesting writers offer their skills in the short story format.
Many are put off by close small print and thick volumes of pages that have not end in sight. New and less confident readers can find books accessible and manageable in this abbreviated offering. When the quality of story as in this case is so good then picking up a book is a delight and hopefully a habit forming hobby.
The Swimmer is a fresh twist on the mystery of the clothes left on the beach, a missing person and the lack of a body.
A book that demands to be read with an ending few will see coming with drama and thrills along the way.
A riveting and rewarding read.
December 27, 2022
An enjoyable short read, my first experience of a book by Graham Norton. Descriptive in location with some interesting characters, bordering on cosy mystery with a reveal that took me by surprise. Definitely worth your time.
November 30, 2023
The Swimmer by Graham Norton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)
I knew Graham Norton only from his tv-show and for a long time I didn‘t know, he is also a writer. When I first found that novel I really liked the premise of it and since it is just a short novel I thought I‘d give it a try. 🙂
„Helen is a retired teacher living on the Irish coast. She enjoys the peace and quiet - despite the burden of Margaret, her unpleasant sister. Margaret arrived three years ago for a short holiday, but somehow managed to stay and worm her way into Helen's life. One day, Helen sees a man swimming in the sea. She doesn't quite know what it is, but something about it feels very strange.“
I thought it would maybe get to a 3-Star or even less but I was really surprised. It was a solid 5-Star-Read for me. It actually felt like one of the old Agatha Christie crime novels, combined with some deeper thoughts like „Our Souls at Night“. No fancy-shmancy psycho-thriller with more twists than pages and too much unnecessary drama but a solid mystery with loveable characters and a great atmosphere. I liked that one very much and I‘m sure this wasn‘t my last Norton. 100% recomandation. 😁👍🏻
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)
I knew Graham Norton only from his tv-show and for a long time I didn‘t know, he is also a writer. When I first found that novel I really liked the premise of it and since it is just a short novel I thought I‘d give it a try. 🙂
„Helen is a retired teacher living on the Irish coast. She enjoys the peace and quiet - despite the burden of Margaret, her unpleasant sister. Margaret arrived three years ago for a short holiday, but somehow managed to stay and worm her way into Helen's life. One day, Helen sees a man swimming in the sea. She doesn't quite know what it is, but something about it feels very strange.“
I thought it would maybe get to a 3-Star or even less but I was really surprised. It was a solid 5-Star-Read for me. It actually felt like one of the old Agatha Christie crime novels, combined with some deeper thoughts like „Our Souls at Night“. No fancy-shmancy psycho-thriller with more twists than pages and too much unnecessary drama but a solid mystery with loveable characters and a great atmosphere. I liked that one very much and I‘m sure this wasn‘t my last Norton. 100% recomandation. 😁👍🏻
April 24, 2022
Enjoyed this one. I really enjoy quick reads to break up other books
February 15, 2023
I’ve always been a fan of Graham Norton’s personality and sense of humour, so I’ve been quite curious to see how well that translated to the written world. This was an impressive sample that has sold me on his skills. Although only 80 pages long, Norton still finds a way to establish enough about this world that you can invest in the characters and feel at least some of the tension in those final pages.
August 6, 2022
3.5 stars. It's a quick read, 80 pages, so a short mystery. I have to say I liked this novella/short story more than I expected to. I bought it in an impulse, wondering if Graham Norton could be a fun writer with a topic like this and I am kinda over the whole 'what happened/who dunnit' genre. But this actually had some whit to it. Though I do admit, the sisters Helen and Margaret almost immediately reminded me of Patty and Selma Bouvier, the two sisters in The Simpsons and that made it a lot more fun. Over all, I finished it in one sitting, liked the twist in the end and enjoyed the writing over all.
August 16, 2023
wundervoll! schade, dass es so kurz ist.
June 3, 2022
I love Graham Norton's books and, even though this was a short story, it didn't disappoint. The characters were developed and the story was interesting, although I had guessed the motive. My only complaint was that the prose was quite clunky, often saying "that is" or "I will" rather than "that's" or "I'll' but I wondered if this was to do with the book being aimed at people who struggle with reading, as I haven't noticed this in his other books.
April 14, 2022
I loved this! My sister brought it for me as an introduction to Graham Norton. I know him from the tele, but not his books, so this was a perfect place to start.
Helen is fantastic, and I can see this being a mini-book series. PI Helen lol
A fabulous cosy murder mystery.
I Highly recommend it. And I’ll be reading more from Graham Norton.
Helen is fantastic, and I can see this being a mini-book series. PI Helen lol
A fabulous cosy murder mystery.
I Highly recommend it. And I’ll be reading more from Graham Norton.
January 5, 2023
I don’t know why I keep reading short stories when I’m not a fan of them 🙈 this was a very mild mystery about a man who goes missing. There’s also a very mild twist at the end. I didn’t really like his writing style either!
March 26, 2023
Read this book if you like short observatory sentences. There’s a lot of them. It has no flow. This is my review.
May 7, 2022
A boring start. One plot twist which you couldn’t see coming. The others, you could see coming.
Overall, okay for a short story.
Overall, okay for a short story.
May 30, 2022
I don't normally enjoy short stories as there is little time for the characters to develop and often the endings are quite sudden and unsatisfactory, but this managed to have characters with depth and came together nicely at the end. A good short read, perfect for a few quiet hours on the sofa.
November 19, 2023
Good way of passing the time
Graham Norton’s strength is the depiction of Irish life - the small towns, the quirky townsfolk, the pub-centered traditions, and of course, throw in a Gardai officer or two. This very quick read ticks all those boxes, with a side helping of crime, and luckily, everything gets wound up in time for dinner. With potatoes, of course.
Graham Norton’s strength is the depiction of Irish life - the small towns, the quirky townsfolk, the pub-centered traditions, and of course, throw in a Gardai officer or two. This very quick read ticks all those boxes, with a side helping of crime, and luckily, everything gets wound up in time for dinner. With potatoes, of course.
April 7, 2024
2,5*.
Wenig überraschend, sprachlich unauffällig. Das Verschwinden des Mannes ist aber mysteriös genug, um den Kurzkrimi anzulesen, und die Protagonistin ist interessant genug, um dranzubleiben.
Wenig überraschend, sprachlich unauffällig. Das Verschwinden des Mannes ist aber mysteriös genug, um den Kurzkrimi anzulesen, und die Protagonistin ist interessant genug, um dranzubleiben.
June 5, 2022
This is the first book I've read by Graham Norton and although only 80 pages, I really enjoyed it. A cracking little crime novel.
I will definitely look for others by him.
I will definitely look for others by him.
May 31, 2022
Brief rating and review can be found here:
https://www.tiktok.com/@kirstys_readi...
https://www.tiktok.com/@kirstys_readi...
February 28, 2024
Ich bin völlig ohne Erwartungen an diese Novelle von Graham Norton gegangen und irgendwie war’s überraschend nett.
July 30, 2022
A quick and harmless read, this short story/tiny novella by Graham Norton is set in West Cork (as most of his books are) and tells the story of a woman (Helen) who sees a man heading for a swim one day. The man doesn’t return from his swim, leaving a shopping bag with his clothes behind, presumed drowned. Helen feels uneasy about it though, and when no body is found, she begins to do some investigating of her own.
I’ve enjoyed Graham Norton’s three novels, they have a certain charm and this story does too. It was a really gentle, uncomplicated read that would be perfect for someone who is looking to get (back) into reading, or who isn’t a confident reader.
I picked it up for €1.40 in a local bookshop and I imagine these “quick reads” books are readily available at the library too.
I’ve enjoyed Graham Norton’s three novels, they have a certain charm and this story does too. It was a really gentle, uncomplicated read that would be perfect for someone who is looking to get (back) into reading, or who isn’t a confident reader.
I picked it up for €1.40 in a local bookshop and I imagine these “quick reads” books are readily available at the library too.
January 21, 2023
I enjoy Graham Norton’s novels, The Swimmer is no different. This novella is a clever mystery with intrigue and shock factor weaved into the story exquisitely. A fun little read which kept me guessing. A few questionable features, but not enough to dwell on.
December 17, 2023
4.5 stars. Behind on my reading goal so a little 100 pager was required 😂 this was really good for such a short book! A fun, fast-paced little mystery.
April 23, 2022
Graham Norton, you can really write well! I have read all your books and they are all brilliant. But to write a shirt story that has an excellent plot, loads of tension, great characters and do all that in a limited amount of words, that is just excellent.
I have just finished watching The Thief, His Wife and A Canoe, a true story of a man and his wife who conned the insurance people out of money after he faked his death. He went out to sea, rowed back to land and let his canoe go into the sea where it smashed, allowing everyone to think he had accidentally died. This reminded me of that..
A man swims out into the sea and he lands on an island where he has a canoe hidden. He is fine and he had been paid by someone to do this as a trick, allegedly. It is all part of a bigger plan, but they have reckoned without the old lady sitting in her garden, watching the world go past. She has fallen asleep but is worried that his plastic bag is still on the shoreline.
The alarm is raised. The police are involved and everyone is looking for the man that has swum out to sea. He has red hair and a Dublin accent. When she goes to Dublin, she is sure that one of the waiters who served her is the swimmer. When she goes after him, he gives her the slip, and no one at the hotel will tell her his name.
She gets caught up in the attempts to find this man, not realising she is putting herself at risk by doing so. Not just her, but her sister Margaret too. This was an excellent short story by the writer whose work I would recognise anywhere. Such a great storyteller. Fabulous.
I have just finished watching The Thief, His Wife and A Canoe, a true story of a man and his wife who conned the insurance people out of money after he faked his death. He went out to sea, rowed back to land and let his canoe go into the sea where it smashed, allowing everyone to think he had accidentally died. This reminded me of that..
A man swims out into the sea and he lands on an island where he has a canoe hidden. He is fine and he had been paid by someone to do this as a trick, allegedly. It is all part of a bigger plan, but they have reckoned without the old lady sitting in her garden, watching the world go past. She has fallen asleep but is worried that his plastic bag is still on the shoreline.
The alarm is raised. The police are involved and everyone is looking for the man that has swum out to sea. He has red hair and a Dublin accent. When she goes to Dublin, she is sure that one of the waiters who served her is the swimmer. When she goes after him, he gives her the slip, and no one at the hotel will tell her his name.
She gets caught up in the attempts to find this man, not realising she is putting herself at risk by doing so. Not just her, but her sister Margaret too. This was an excellent short story by the writer whose work I would recognise anywhere. Such a great storyteller. Fabulous.
September 18, 2022
I love these short reads and this one is no exception.
Somehow Graham Norton manages to get all of the mystery and thrill of a normal thriller into just 80 pages. I was gripped from the first couple of pages and read it within an hour.
We start off with Helen who is sitting having a drink in front of her house when a man walks past her, she sees him wander down the road and appear on the beach where he then goes into the sea and has a swim. With it being a very quiet place, Helen can see him clearly and watches him for a while before falling asleep. When she wakes, she realises that the swimmer hasn’t reappeared and his bag is still on the beach. She decides to go down to the local pub and speak to the man behind the bar, Pat, they investigate the bag in case it is filled with rubbish and when they find the man’s clothes and watch in the bag, they realise that there is something wrong. They ring for a lifeboat and the police. It seems an open and shut case, but nothing is as it seems.
This was so well written that I forgot that it was only 80 pages long, it was fast paced and I didn’t feel as though it was rushed or that the loose ends weren’t tied up by the end. I definitely didn’t see the twist in the story coming, but it still made sense and wasn’t too shocking.
Another great read from Graham Norton!
Somehow Graham Norton manages to get all of the mystery and thrill of a normal thriller into just 80 pages. I was gripped from the first couple of pages and read it within an hour.
We start off with Helen who is sitting having a drink in front of her house when a man walks past her, she sees him wander down the road and appear on the beach where he then goes into the sea and has a swim. With it being a very quiet place, Helen can see him clearly and watches him for a while before falling asleep. When she wakes, she realises that the swimmer hasn’t reappeared and his bag is still on the beach. She decides to go down to the local pub and speak to the man behind the bar, Pat, they investigate the bag in case it is filled with rubbish and when they find the man’s clothes and watch in the bag, they realise that there is something wrong. They ring for a lifeboat and the police. It seems an open and shut case, but nothing is as it seems.
This was so well written that I forgot that it was only 80 pages long, it was fast paced and I didn’t feel as though it was rushed or that the loose ends weren’t tied up by the end. I definitely didn’t see the twist in the story coming, but it still made sense and wasn’t too shocking.
Another great read from Graham Norton!
August 23, 2022
This one I feel a little mean about giving 3 stars and to all you who will hate me for my low score review I will give the warning that I have come off of recently reading very intense plots and the reason for my low score is actually very contradictory.
I went into reading one of these ‘quick reads’ thinking it would be a great palette cleanser almost but my biggest problem with it is that it’s too quick a read 😂
Yes I know, I sound mad but although I wanted a really simple quick read to get my reading mojo flowing this story just wasn’t right for me. It had so much promise and should be a full story , instead I felt like I had been cheated out of a really good plot.
It had all the essentials to be a book that I could really get my teeth into and fantastic characters but it felt as though it was just skimming over the story and I want to know more . I want to know how the characters felt , picture the locations more and have more build to the plot.
So in effect my biggest criticism of this quick read is that it is too quick of a read , yes… I know … I’m impossible 🤣🤣
Have you tried any of the quick reads and if so how have you found them?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 359 reviews