Reviews

Burnie Gunther, a German who was once a police officer, private detective, soldier and hotel keeper, is now in 1950 Argentina having escaped Germany the way SS officers did because he was mis-identifed as a wanted Nazi officer. But he always finds himself in trouble and despite wanting a quiet life he ends up working for the Argentine secret police, being manipulated all the way. There are throw backs to an old case he worked in Berlin in 1932 and he is finally able to put it to rest. But he also finds secrets in his new country that he wished he never knew. He always lands in trouble but somehow escapes them.

This is a bit drawn out and at times I felt it very directionless. It seems as if the author just wanted to highlight the evil that was behind Juan Peron's Argentina. Bernie rubs shoulders with lots of escaped Nazis living in Argentina at the time as well as with ruling elite. It's informative and thought provoking but not a totally enjoyable read.

prudho11's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.25

ericfheiman's review against another edition

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3.0

I'm not much of a genre fiction reader, but I do admit to being a sucker for Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther detective novels that fuse Raymond Chandler with a well-researched Germany under the Third Reich setting. This combination creates an oddly compelling hybrid that raises the standard moral stakes of detective fiction to something much more existential and tragic. This novel—the 5th in the series—suffers a bit from its post-WWII South America setting, but keeps one's attention by adding a related flashback plotline that takes place just before the fall of the Weimar Republic.

nightchough's review against another edition

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5.0

Bernie Gunther seemed both smarter and more world-weary in this one than the last one. This was also a really great combination of historical fiction and hard-boiled detective novel. I thought the 1932 and 1950 storylines were interlaced nicely - particularly artfully in one chapter.

sandin954's review against another edition

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3.0

Not quite as good as the previous books in the series (the first three are excellent) but a good historical crime read. Much preferred the sections set in 1930's Germany. Kerr does a great job of describing the surreal atmosphere in Berlin at the time.

jmkemp's review against another edition

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4.0

Even though it is several books into a series it was an easy introduction. The story bookends the series so far, with the main action taking place in 1950 Argentina with flashbacks to the very end of the Weimar days in 1932-33 Germany. The history is very cleverly worked into the story and so it feels almost as if you are reading a first person account of the period rather than a work of fiction.

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