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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
I'm not much of a genre fiction reader, but I do admit to being a sucker for Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther detective novels that fuse Raymond Chandler with a well-researched Germany under the Third Reich setting. This combination creates an oddly compelling hybrid that raises the standard moral stakes of detective fiction to something much more existential and tragic. This novel—the 5th in the series—suffers a bit from its post-WWII South America setting, but keeps one's attention by adding a related flashback plotline that takes place just before the fall of the Weimar Republic.
Bernie Gunther seemed both smarter and more world-weary in this one than the last one. This was also a really great combination of historical fiction and hard-boiled detective novel. I thought the 1932 and 1950 storylines were interlaced nicely - particularly artfully in one chapter.
Not quite as good as the previous books in the series (the first three are excellent) but a good historical crime read. Much preferred the sections set in 1930's Germany. Kerr does a great job of describing the surreal atmosphere in Berlin at the time.
Even though it is several books into a series it was an easy introduction. The story bookends the series so far, with the main action taking place in 1950 Argentina with flashbacks to the very end of the Weimar days in 1932-33 Germany. The history is very cleverly worked into the story and so it feels almost as if you are reading a first person account of the period rather than a work of fiction.
There was a lot of interesting tidbittery in this book (I picked it up because it deals with Nazis in Argentina post-WWII), but the mystery part was so all over the place and convoluted that I couldn't keep track of what was even important and by the end I still didn't understand people's motivations and how everything was connected (was it?)
Um triller de fato, muito bom. Eu muitas vezes ouvi falar da ida de nazistas para a Argentina após a derrota da Alemanha na Segunda Grande Guerra, e este livro tem este fato como pano de fundo para a ação do detetive Gunther. Um blind date que deu certo, uma experiência interessante.
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"A Quiet Flame" by Philip Kerr is another tale of the ageless German detective, Bernie Gunther. This one takes place in Argentina din 1950 and quickly enmeshes Bernie in trying to track down a serial killer from his Berlin days. Juan and Eva Perot and a host of Nazi names and a satisfyingly labyrinthine plot provides the impetus for a satisfying pace and conclusion. Recommended.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A good entry in the Bernie Gunther series, but a big step down from the last book. Still, Kerr’s detective series of a PI in Nazi Germany stands tall over most detective fiction.