The Bernie Gunther series by Philip Kerr (1989- )
This is a series of books by Edinburgh born author Philip Kerr set, initially, in Berlin during the 1930’s and features Bernie Gunther a policeman who tries to maintain his integrity despite his Nazi bosses. Later the setting and time moves on to the Second World War and then the Cold War, with Gunther becoming a private detective, a hotel detective, a pawn in machinations of senior Nazis and in the latest (as of writing) a concierge at a hotel on the French Riviera.
The books can be read as stand-alone novels but gain from being read in order because various characters come and go through the series.
Apart from the ability to write gripping plots, I think Kerr’s true genius is in accurately recreating the time and place of each story – 1930’s Berlin, 1940’s Prague and the 1950’s South of France or Cuba come completely and believably alive.
Apart from the ability to write gripping plots, I think Kerr’s true genius is in accurately recreating the time and place of each story – 1930’s Berlin, 1940’s Prague and the 1950’s South of France or Cuba come completely and believably alive.
I love the way he throws real people into the mix; Nazi’s like Gestapo Chief Heinrich Muller, Josef Goebbels, Hermann Goering, Reinhard Heydrich, and Walther Funk; Cold War figures like Somerset Maughan, Anthony Blunt, Sir John Sinclair and Roger Hollis.
11 books in the series so far. Obviously some are better than others but do yourself a favour and, at least, read the first three ‘March Violets’, ‘The Pale Criminal’ and ‘A German Requiem’ (aka The Berlin Noir Trilogy).
I find those set during World War II the weakest, possibly because I don't really like war fiction, be it books of films. But I would recommend ‘The Other Side of Silence’ set in 1956 on the French Riviera.
No comments:
Post a Comment