Die Farbe von Verrat

Die Farbe von Verrat continues A.L. Kahnau's dark contemporary series that began with Die Farbe von Schmerz. Tilda, still consumed by her first love for Adam, believes she would do almost anything for him — until he asks for a favor that puts her safety, and her sense of self, at serious risk.

The novel confronts "loverboy" grooming and exploitation, in which a manipulative partner isolates and coerces a young woman into being trafficked to other men. Told from Tilda's perspective, it traces how affection and dependency can be twisted into control, and how difficult it can be to recognize exploitation when it comes wrapped in a first love. While it follows on from Die Farbe von Schmerz, it can be read as a standalone, though the earlier book fills in context that softens some of the novel's darker turns.