Publication Date: 27th November 2014 from No Exit Press.
Source: Real Readers.
Yugoslavia, a German officer has been shot and killed. Along with him a young, beautiful filmmaker and photographer—a veritable hero to her people—has been brutally murdered.
Assigned to the case is military intelligence officer Captain Gregor Reinhardt. Already haunted by his actions in war and the mistakes he’s made off the battlefield, he soon finds that his investigation may be more than just a murder.
Part crime drama and part war story, The Man from Berlin is a tremendously good read, involving and intriguing with some wonderfully drawn characters not least of which is our main protagonist, Gregor Reinhardt.
During World War 2, Reinhardt is tasked with finding the murderer of a German Officer – found with him, Marija Vukic, a young and free spirited filmaker – in order to solve the crime, Reinhardt must battle his own demons whilst dealing with both political and personal agenda’s which may allow the killer to escape punishment. Determined not to accept a quick and convenient “solution” he finds himself in all sorts of trouble.
I loved the fact that this was what I call a “meaty” story – there are a lot of layers to it, all very well plotted and a bit like a literary jigsaw puzzle, you find yourself slotting the pieces together, not always in the right places. Add to that the very “noir” feel that the author brings to his prose, the absolute depth he gives to all the characters and the really fascinating backdrop and you have a winner.
Descriptively speaking, the war torn Sarajevo comes to life and the exploration of the various political and military groups working in and around the location in 1943 are compelling, realistic and add an intensity to the story which raises it above the level of standard crime and mystery thrillers. Overall I found it to be extremely readable and very very addictive at times, that thing where its 3am and you are thinking “just ONE more chapter then I’ll go to sleep”…
It is not perfect – there are times when you feel less could have been more – but those times are rare, overall the ebb and flow of it is wonderfully accomplished and if you are a fan of tales set in this era you will find a lot to love here. Crime and Thriller fans will also be happy, the “whodunnit and why” portion of the story is brilliantly done and will test your mettle when it comes to working out what may be going on.
All in all then a first rate read and as a start to a series (so pleased that Gregor will return!) I can certainly highly recommend it.
Find out more here: http://lukemccallin.com/
Follow the author on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/mccallinluke
Pre-Order information: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1843445476/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=04ZCS90V8JV5PS0WK5PB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294
Happy Reading Folks!
