Scan barcode
justvervaart's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lukesblog1's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
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
4.0
katiescho741's review against another edition
4.0
This is both an interesting look at post-WWII alternate history, and an effective political thriller. This book is set in a universe where Nazi Germany won the war and became the largest and most powerful empire in the world, and it makes an intriguing (and terrifying) backdrop to the crime narrative of Xavier March.
I find it so difficult to find decent alternate histories, and this is one of them. The author has researched the period and events, and he puts forward a very realistic and believable version of the world. Recognisable and yet horrifically changed.
The story of a murder investigation means the author has to find ways to weave history into the story, and it's done very well. We learn about the day-to-day lives of ordinary Germans, and the suspicion and fear they live in. There are maps at the start of the book so you can see the Greater German Reich, and the huge monuments Hitler built to commemorate the triumph of Germany.
This is a world where the president of the USA makes a state visit to see Hitler, and the British Royal family send him their best wishes.
Great if you're a fan of crime novels, and even better if you're a fan of history!
I find it so difficult to find decent alternate histories, and this is one of them. The author has researched the period and events, and he puts forward a very realistic and believable version of the world. Recognisable and yet horrifically changed.
The story of a murder investigation means the author has to find ways to weave history into the story, and it's done very well. We learn about the day-to-day lives of ordinary Germans, and the suspicion and fear they live in. There are maps at the start of the book so you can see the Greater German Reich, and the huge monuments Hitler built to commemorate the triumph of Germany.
This is a world where the president of the USA makes a state visit to see Hitler, and the British Royal family send him their best wishes.
Great if you're a fan of crime novels, and even better if you're a fan of history!
welshrebel1776's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jorisrot's review against another edition
4.0
What would the world be like if Nazism had won the war? I think it's an interesting theme and a pretty dark universe to build. The author commits itself to this difficult mission through a novel of crime, corruption, and journalism. March is a police detective in Berlin, being a relatively prominent veteran of the war but currently a not very active member of Nazi society, he comes across the case of the murders of certain former important figures of the regime. While investigating, he realizes that the Gestapo and Heydrich are behind this, intending to eliminate the witnesses of the Holocaust and prevent the talks between the Nazi empire and the United States from being interrupted.
In this dramatic novel, we also see glimpses of German society, where everything is militarized, uniformed, and monitored. The monuments are gigantic and the military hierarchy is fundamental. March ends up involved with the American journalist Charlotte Maguire, who is a witness and also ends up being the detective's lover. They both investigate and find clues on their trips to Switzerland (which is still the banking capital of the world) and in their different jobs in Berlin. After discovering the reasons why the regime wants to eliminate the witnesses and the evidence, our lovers decide to flee, but only the American woman we believe is successful since it is something that the protagonist only imagines.
I think the best part is the whole ending, when you discover how the ideology of the regime causes March's son to hand him over to the authorities, how his best friend was involved throughout the case informing the Gestapo, and how all the characters who say being shocked by the information about the Jewish Holocaust they simply do it to obtain information about where the journalist is. The end is a race of emotions betrayals and hope. We assume that March commits suicide when he is surrounded and we are left with the hope that the information that Charlotte "manages" to get will change the world, but as they repeat in the book there is not much hope that they will believe or care.
In this dramatic novel, we also see glimpses of German society, where everything is militarized, uniformed, and monitored. The monuments are gigantic and the military hierarchy is fundamental. March ends up involved with the American journalist Charlotte Maguire, who is a witness and also ends up being the detective's lover. They both investigate and find clues on their trips to Switzerland (which is still the banking capital of the world) and in their different jobs in Berlin. After discovering the reasons why the regime wants to eliminate the witnesses and the evidence, our lovers decide to flee, but only the American woman we believe is successful since it is something that the protagonist only imagines.
I think the best part is the whole ending, when you discover how the ideology of the regime causes March's son to hand him over to the authorities, how his best friend was involved throughout the case informing the Gestapo, and how all the characters who say being shocked by the information about the Jewish Holocaust they simply do it to obtain information about where the journalist is. The end is a race of emotions betrayals and hope. We assume that March commits suicide when he is surrounded and we are left with the hope that the information that Charlotte "manages" to get will change the world, but as they repeat in the book there is not much hope that they will believe or care.