Horst Eckert's Thriller 'Die Praktikantin' Champions Investigative Journalism
Horst Eckert's novel 'Die Praktikantin' follows Carla Bergmann, a young intern at the Morgenpost, who stumbles upon a political scandal involving a murdered Russian exile and a German minister. With support from veteran journalist Jan Koller, she uncovers links to a German arms manufacturer in Kyiv. The book is described as a timely plea for fearless investigative journalism. Eckert, born in 1959 in Weiden, Oberpfalz, and based in Düsseldorf, worked as a TV journalist for 15 years, including for Tagesschau. His debut 'Annas Erbe' was published in 1995. His novels have won the Marlowe Prize and the Friedrich-Glauser Prize, and have been translated into French, Dutch, and Czech. 'Die Praktikantin' made kulturnews.de's list of best crime novels for May 2026.
Key facts
- Title: 'Die Praktikantin' by Horst Eckert
- Protagonist: Carla Bergmann, intern at Morgenpost
- Jan Koller is a Hauptstadtkorrespondent and former investigative journalist
- Plot involves a murdered Russian exile and a German minister
- Traces lead to Kyiv and a German arms manufacturer
- Eckert was born in 1959 in Weiden, Oberpfalz
- Eckert worked 15 years as a TV journalist, including for Tagesschau
- His debut 'Annas Erbe' was published in 1995
- Novels have won Marlowe Prize and Friedrich-Glauser Prize
- Translated into French, Dutch, and Czech
- Listed as best crime novel for May 2026 by kulturnews.de
Entities
Artists
- Horst Eckert
Institutions
- Morgenpost
- Tagesschau
- kulturnews.de
Locations
- Weiden
- Oberpfalz
- Düsseldorf
- Kyiv
- Germany