Reviews

March Violets by Philip Kerr

fictionwriter's review against another edition

4.0

Bernie Gunther isn't for the squeamish, but his intelligence, his wisecracks and his strangely skewed morality keep you reading. That said, I've been warned away from Book 2 and think I will go for the later ones as I've had enough of the violent and evil turns a plot can take in World War II Germany ...at least for the moment.

myrthekorf's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.75

canuck35's review against another edition

4.0

Standard detective novel with the cool twist of being set in pre-ww2 Nazi Germany. It takes me forever to get through these historical fiction type books because I'm constantly stopping to wiki characters and locations. I was a little let down by the ending but I suspect I need to read the next entry in the series to clear up the loose ends. Definitely recommended if you're into mysteries.

anki47's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

mickledore's review against another edition

adventurous informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I love the Bernie Gunther series, in essence they're are gumshoe, Chandleresque series of books, but against the rise of the Nazi empire. It actually made me understand why so many German's  supported Hitlers rise. Fear is a powerful tool and Philip Kerr addresses it really well in this book. The writing is superb, and although some in the series flag it's a great read. 

colinlusk's review against another edition

4.0

Really good quality detective fiction, told in the classic noir style (and read in that voice by the American narrator). The detective is a tough guy who cracks wise with everyone he meets - and inevitably those people's appearance reflects their character: the women are all Hollywood-sexy and the hoods are all massive lunks with brutish faces and fists like hams.
But although everything about the narrative voice screams Bogart and San Francisco, it's set in Berlin, in the years before the Second World War. The Berlin Olympics are in full swing and the Nazis are tightening their grip on the country. The author seems to have researched it really thoroughly. He employs slang which certainly comes across as authentic (admittedly I'm no expert!), refers to actual historical events, mentions economic and political forces at work.
Against this background, Bernie Gunther investigates a double murder that takes him into all the murkiest parts of the underworld.
It's expertly done and definitely recommended for fans of twisty, well-executed crime thrillers.

twrafferty's review against another edition

4.0

Gritty detective fiction, neatly plotted, lots of baddies. Very good!

wrp123's review against another edition

5.0

I loved this book. Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe is probably my all time favourite character and Bernie Gunther is of the same ilk, only set in 1930's Germany. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

gjbm2's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

books4lifejr's review against another edition

5.0

This was a very slow burn for me but by the end it was hard not to be invested in Bernie and the powerful rendering of Nazi Germany.