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sydsnot71's review
4.0
I enjoyed this.
It takes many of the tropes of the Hollywood noir and dumps them into Nazi Germany in 1936 so our hero’s principles are tainted by his realisation that he has to do little things - and big things - to carry on living in a society corrupted by the Nazis.
Berlin in 1936 is a city where people disappear and are never found again. Some of them are hiding, others have been swept away into the night and fog.
Bernie Gunther is an ex-cop turned Private Detective. He’s hired by a wealthy business man to track down some jewels stolen when his daughter and son-in-law were murdered. But, of course, there is more to it than that.
Bernie’s investigations get him involved with actresses, the Gestapo and the SS. He gets dragged into conversations with Goering and Heydrich. But still he plods on, finding out things others cannot find, getting thumped on the head and having sex with beautiful women.
It’s plot is suitably Byzantine, it’s characters compromised and corrupted and that makes it a superior entry into the canon of hard boiled detectives.
Definitely worth a read.
It takes many of the tropes of the Hollywood noir and dumps them into Nazi Germany in 1936 so our hero’s principles are tainted by his realisation that he has to do little things - and big things - to carry on living in a society corrupted by the Nazis.
Berlin in 1936 is a city where people disappear and are never found again. Some of them are hiding, others have been swept away into the night and fog.
Bernie Gunther is an ex-cop turned Private Detective. He’s hired by a wealthy business man to track down some jewels stolen when his daughter and son-in-law were murdered. But, of course, there is more to it than that.
Bernie’s investigations get him involved with actresses, the Gestapo and the SS. He gets dragged into conversations with Goering and Heydrich. But still he plods on, finding out things others cannot find, getting thumped on the head and having sex with beautiful women.
It’s plot is suitably Byzantine, it’s characters compromised and corrupted and that makes it a superior entry into the canon of hard boiled detectives.
Definitely worth a read.
clidgard's review
4.0
An ingenious mash up of Nazi jackboot-era Gestapo heavy-handedness, Chandler-esque intrigue and hard-boiled noir. A thoroughly enjoyable read that is much more than purely a guilty pleasure.
beckycliffe's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
anitaw16's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
eharden's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
tamsbooknook95's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thinkingbookishthoughts's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
pact83's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Violence, and Sexual violence