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graff_fuller's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Gathering my thoughts of this story is difficult. Bernie Gunther is not a perfect person. He is working within the environment of Berlin, Germany in 1938. He isn't a Nazi, but he also isn't a person of 2022. He has his prejudices, but he KNOWS that what is going on is WRONG.
He hired to find the extortionist of wealthy german lady...who's son is gay. A person who was gay at that time and in this country...especially in Berlin, was living life on the edge. If found by the SS, that person would be sent to a DK (Concentration Camp) or even just shot.
During this investigation, Bernie Gunther (our protagonist) is recruited to take back his job within the police and given the title of Commissar. With this rank he would be able to conduct an expansive enough investigation of who was penetrating the crimes of abducting young arian German girl (raping and killing them). This became high profile.
In the case went far and wide...and it became know who had done these crimes, but it also showed that the problem was even more difficult.
Without spoiling the book, for which I want people to read...the hardes thing about this time period in Germany...EVERYTHING was blamed on the Jews...even when they (individually or corporately) had NOTHING to do with it.
What is interesting in these stories written by Philip Kerr, is he is writing his fictional story around true facts of the time. So when we get mad at what is going on...we also KNOW that this isn't pure fiction. Things like THIS were actually happening. So, when the reader is reading the story...they feel the weight of the hatred against the Jews...making is very uncomfortable.
Through it all, Bernie Gunther does his best to thread himself between the powers that are in charge, the Nazis and what he know is right. He is literally between a "rock and a hard place". His moral judgments are going to get him killed one of these days. I know it as the reader. He thumbs his nose at the Nazi party and Hitler, but he also tries to conform as best he can...so the good that he DOES do, he can continue to do it.
As I read these books, especially in the climate of the dictators of our real world...especially our newly ousted president Trump...and the sway he had over a certain portion of the country. We are on a knife's edge, really. We feel that we could never allow the attrocities that happened in Germany at this time while Hitler was in power, but look at what we allowed in the short time that Trump was in power. Ugh.
Okay. Enough. I need to read something that makes me happy.
He hired to find the extortionist of wealthy german lady...who's son is gay. A person who was gay at that time and in this country...especially in Berlin, was living life on the edge. If found by the SS, that person would be sent to a DK (Concentration Camp) or even just shot.
During this investigation, Bernie Gunther (our protagonist) is recruited to take back his job within the police and given the title of Commissar. With this rank he would be able to conduct an expansive enough investigation of who was penetrating the crimes of abducting young arian German girl (raping and killing them). This became high profile.
In the case went far and wide...and it became know who had done these crimes, but it also showed that the problem was even more difficult.
Without spoiling the book, for which I want people to read...the hardes thing about this time period in Germany...EVERYTHING was blamed on the Jews...even when they (individually or corporately) had NOTHING to do with it.
What is interesting in these stories written by Philip Kerr, is he is writing his fictional story around true facts of the time. So when we get mad at what is going on...we also KNOW that this isn't pure fiction. Things like THIS were actually happening. So, when the reader is reading the story...they feel the weight of the hatred against the Jews...making is very uncomfortable.
Through it all, Bernie Gunther does his best to thread himself between the powers that are in charge, the Nazis and what he know is right. He is literally between a "rock and a hard place". His moral judgments are going to get him killed one of these days. I know it as the reader. He thumbs his nose at the Nazi party and Hitler, but he also tries to conform as best he can...so the good that he DOES do, he can continue to do it.
As I read these books, especially in the climate of the dictators of our real world...especially our newly ousted president Trump...and the sway he had over a certain portion of the country. We are on a knife's edge, really. We feel that we could never allow the attrocities that happened in Germany at this time while Hitler was in power, but look at what we allowed in the short time that Trump was in power. Ugh.
Okay. Enough. I need to read something that makes me happy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, and Homophobia
Moderate: Racism, Torture, Rape, Violence, Sexism, and Sexual violence
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