by Philip Kerr
Part of Bernie Gunther, book 4
First published 2006
Bernie Gunther has survived the war, but the memories of forced service in the SS haunt his new life in Munich. The year is 1949, and Bernie works as a private investigator in a Germany still reeling from defeat. When the striking Frau Britta Warzok walks into his office with what seems like routine work, Bernie's instincts tell him something feels wrong. The payment she offers is substantial, though, and Bernie needs the money badly enough to ignore his doubts. He takes the case. Soon Bernie discovers that his suspicions were justified. The job pulls him into a web of deception that forces him to flee for his life. In occupied Germany, former enemies pose as allies while old friends harbor deadly secrets. Bernie must navigate this treacherous landscape where distinguishing friend from foe becomes a matter of survival.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Germany, Munich
Period: 1949
384 pages · Hardcover · A Marian Wood Book/Putnam