by Simon Scarrow
SYNOPSIS Berlin, December 1939
As Germany goes to war, the Nazis tighten their terrifying grip. Paranoia in the capital is
intensified by the rigidly enforced blackout – Die Verdunkelung – that plunges the city into
oppressive darkness every night, as the bleak winter sun sets.
When a young woman is found brutally murdered, Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is under
immense pressure to solve the case, swiftly. Treated with suspicion by his superiors for his failure to join the Nazi Party, Schenke walks a perilous line – for disloyalty is a death sentence. The discovery of a second victim confirms Schenke's worst fears. He must uncover the truth before evil strikes again.
As the investigation takes him closer to the sinister heart of the regime, Schenke realises there is danger everywhere – and the warring factions of the Reich can be as deadly as a killer stalking the streets…
REVIEW
In December 1939, Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is called in to investigate the murder of a former film star who was married to senior Nazi party lawyer. With suspicions about his refusal to join the party, Schenke is aware that he is dispensable - he is under pressure to solve the case quickly and in a way that doesn't cause any embarrassment. When a second body is found, it becomes clear that a serial killer is on the loose and Schenke and his team must hunt for the killer who is using the chilling darkness of the Berlin blackout as cover.
I studied history, in particular the Interwar years, and really enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction books about this period. Usually when I read historical fiction it takes a while for me to get used to the style of writing, the setting and the characters. The thing which stood out to me the most about Blackout was how modern the story felt. Despite the historical setting, it seemed completely fresh and contemporary. It was like reading any other modern day police procedural that just so happened to be set in 1939, which I loved.
It was really interesting to read a thriller from the perspective of someone in the German police force (Kripo) during the Nazi regime. Schenke is not a member of the Nazi Party, indifferent to their way of thinking and keeps his opinions to himself out of necessity. The fact that many people in Germany had found themselves in a situation that they had no say in, is something that I don't often think about, but made him a really fascinating character.
Blackout is a book which simultaneously paints an atmospheric and bleak picture of what life was like in wartime Berlin, but is also a compelling and exhilarating murder mystery.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Simon Scarrow is one of the most successful British historical novelists of the 21st Century and a
multiple Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author. After a childhood spent travelling the world, he
pursued his great love of history first as a schoolteacher, before becoming a full-time writer. His Roman era Eagles of the Empire series has sold over 4million copies of the books in the UK alone, and his work has been translated into 24 languages. He is also the author of a quartet of novels about the lives of the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon Bonaparte, Young Bloods, The Generals, Fire And Sword and The Fields Of Death; a novel about the 1565 Siege of Malta, Sword & Scimitar; Hearts Of Stone, set in Greece during the Second World War; and Playing With Death, a contemporary thriller written with Lee Francis. He also wrote the novels Arena and Invader with T. J. Andrews.
Thanks to Anne Cater - @RandomTTours, @headlinepg @colinbookshaped and @SimonScarrow for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Crime / Thriller / Historical Thriller
Publisher: Headline
ISBN: 978-1472258564
Pages: 432pp
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