by Philip Kerr
Part of Bernie Gunther, book 2
First published 2005
Berlin swelters in the summer heat of 1938 as Germans wait to learn whether Hitler will drag Europe into war at the Munich conference. Bernie Gunther, now working as a private investigator, finds himself juggling two blackmail cases. His first client is a wealthy widow seeking his help. His second case hits closer to home because Bernie himself is the victim. The Berlin criminal police have discovered that Bernie once framed an innocent Jewish man for a string of brutal murders. Now the Kripo wants to use this knowledge against their former colleague. They temporarily restore Bernie's rank of Kommissar and force him to hunt down the actual killer. As Bernie investigates both mysteries, he descends into the savage underbelly of Nazi society. Each lead pulls him deeper into a world where brutality masquerades as order and where survival depends on navigating the twisted moral landscape of a regime built on hatred.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity
Setting: Berlin, Germany, Munich
Period: 1938
273 pages · Paperback · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: violence