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From the national bestselling author of Prague Fatale, a powerful new thriller that returns Bernie Gunther, our sardonic Berlin cop, to the Eastern Front.
Berlin, March, 1943. A month has passed since the stunning defeat at Stalingrad. Though Hitler insists Germany is winning the war, commanders on the ground know better. Morale is low, discipline at risk. Now word has reached Berlin of a Red massacre of Polish officers in the Katyn Forest near Smolensk. If true, the message it would send to the troops is clear: Fight on or risk certain death. For once, both the Wehrmacht and Propaganda Minister Goebbels want the same thing: irrefutable evidence of this Russian atrocity. To the Wehrmacht, such proof will soften the reality of its own war crimes in the eyes of the victors. For Goebbels, such proof could turn the tide of war by destroying the Alliance, cutting Russia off from its western supply lines.
Both parties agree that the ensuing investigation must be overseen by a professional trained in sifting evidence and interrogating witnesses. Anything that smells of incompetence or tampering will defeat their purposes. And so Bernie Gunther is dispatched to Smolensk, where truth is as much a victim of war as those poor dead Polish officers.
Smolensk, March, 1943. Army Group Center is an enclave of Prussian aristocrats who have owned the Wehrmacht almost as long as they’ve owned their baronial estates, an officer class whose families have been intermarrying for generations. The wisecracking, rough-edged Gunther is not a good fit. He is, after all, a Berlin bull. But he has a far bigger concern than sharp elbows and supercilious stares, for somewhere in this mix is a cunning and savage killer who has left a trail of bloody victims.
This is no psycho case. This is a man with motive enough to kill and skills enough to leave no trace of himself. Bad luck that in this war zone, such skills are two-a-penny. Somehow Bernie must put a face to this killer before he puts an end to Bernie.
PHILIP KERR is the author of eight previous Bernie Gunther novels. Bestselling Field Gray was nominated for the 2012 Edgar Award for Best Novel. Kerr is also the much-loved author of the fantasy series Children of the Lamp. He lives in London.
Anonymous
Posted Tue Apr 16 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I Also Recommend:
GREAT BOOK
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Apr 16 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Only one review and its a plot spoiler. So much for a true review where a real reader tells if they liked it or not. No, we get a wannabe author who has to take someone elses work, rewrite as a review and claim it as their own. These rude, inconsiderate plot spoilers need to be fined and banned from posting these plot spoilers.
3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.If you think it's hard for a detective to find a killer today in a city like New York or Los Angeles, imagine what it would be like for an investigator in the German Army in the middle of World War II deep in Nazi occupied Russia. A large portion of the German Army has been crushed by Russian troops at Stalingrad. Tens of thousands are dying on both sides of the war as Bernie Gunther, ex-cop from Berlin, now working for the Army, is called in to investigate the mass murder of over 4,000 Polish officers, who were once prisoners of the Russians near Smolensk. If the Germans can prove the Russian Communist forces have ruthlessly executed these men, it may provide a badly needed public relations coup for the Nazi's, glossing over some of their crimes. Gunther is a loyal German, but not a member of the Nazi party. He has to walk a tightrope between the facts and the results that his superiors want. Any facts are hard to come by as everyone involved, both German and Russian, are looking out for themselves. More often than not lying to keep themselves out of trouble and trying to stay alive. This includes Gunther, who has gotten in trouble before over his less than enthusiastic views of the Nazi's. As if this weren't enough, two German soldiers have been murdered. Their throats sliced open with surgical precision. Gunther is the only competent investigating officer, in the middle of the on going international incident, available to track down their murderer. This is a good blend of fact and fiction, full of action and suspense. Author Philip Kerr's series on the Berlin cop, Bernie Gunther, is a great addition to detective fiction. Highly recommended for those who enjoy hard hitting detective fiction with a touch of noir.
3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BookerjJG
Posted Wed Apr 17 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Philip Kerr has done it again. Another terrific Bernie Gunther mystery / historical fiction. I've loved each book in this series and hope to have new ones to read regularly.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Apr 16 00:00:00 EDT 2013
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Overview
From the national bestselling author of Prague Fatale, a powerful new thriller that returns Bernie Gunther, our sardonic Berlin cop, to the Eastern Front.
Berlin, March, 1943. A month has passed since the stunning defeat at Stalingrad. Though Hitler insists Germany is winning the war, commanders on the ground know better. Morale is low, discipline at risk. Now word has reached Berlin of a Red massacre of Polish officers in the Katyn ...