1983 Verfluchte Hitze

By Lukas Holliger

A darkly humorous Cold War novel blending political intrigue, historical reality and tragicomic storytelling.

Set in 1983, at one of the final peaks of Cold War tension, the novel begins with the mysterious death of a Russian clairvoyant in his villa. The case is assigned to Commissioner Heiner Glut, a man more preoccupied with his own failures than with solving a murder.

The only clue is a single word found in the victim’s diary: “Novosti”. As the investigation unfolds, it leads to the Bern branch of the Soviet press agency Novosti, at a time when political pressure in Switzerland is mounting and the agency is on the verge of being shut down.

Drawing on real historical events, including the Novosti scandal and documented espionage cases, Lukas Holliger weaves together fact and fiction into a sharp and darkly humorous narrative.

Set against the backdrop of an oppressive summer heatwave, the novel becomes both a political thriller and a satirical portrait of a society under ideological pressure.

Key Facts:

• Publisher: Rotpunktverlag, Zurich

• Language: German (materials available in EN/FR)

• Genre: Literary Fiction / Political Thriller

• Themes: Cold War, espionage, politics, power, ideology

• Rights: Available