Jacques Berndorf

Jacques Berndorf was the pseudonym of Michael Preute (born in Duisburg in 1936, died in Dreis-Brück in the Eifel in 2022), a German journalist, nonfiction author, and novelist. He worked, among others, for Der Spiegel and Stern before turning to crime fiction. His first Eifel crime novel, Eifel-Blues, was published in 1989 and launched the successful series featuring journalist and investigator Siggi Baumeister. The series helped establish the Eifel as a setting for crime fiction across Germany and sold millions of copies. In 2003, Berndorf received the Ehren-Glauser award for his lifetime achievement. He was also known for smoking a pipe and for his fondness for cats and gardening.