Blackout
A Berlin Wartime Thriller - The Richard and Judy Book Club pick
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- €0.99
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- €0.99
Publisher Description
THE STUNNING SECOND WORLD WAR THRILLER FROM THE CELEBRATED SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR SIMON SCARROW
The Richard and Judy Bookclub Pick
The Times Top Ten bestseller
'A wonderfully compelling thriller, reeking of authenticity, and a terrific depiction of the human world within the chilling world of the Third Reich' Peter James
Berlin, December 1939
As Germany goes to war, the Nazis tighten their terrifying grip. Paranoia in the capital is intensified by a rigidly enforced blackout that plunges the city into oppressive darkness every night, as the bleak winter sun sets.
When a young woman is murdered, Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is under pressure to solve the case, swiftly. Distrusted 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 . . .
Readers love BLACKOUT:
'Superb thriller, with a heroic anti-Nazi Kripo detective ... I look forward to more books about him' *****
'Highly recommended ... A top-class murder case set in war-time Berlin' *****
'Fantastic ... Keeps you guessing and in suspense until the end' *****
'Great story about the excessive Nazi regime ... Really loved this book' *****
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Horst Schenke, the protagonist of this exceptional mystery set in 1939 Berlin from British author Scarrow (the Eagles of the Empire series), became a respected Kriminalpolizei inspector after a near-fatal accident six years earlier ended his career as a racing driver. His decision not to join the Nazi party has stymied any hopes for advancement, but his distance from the party leads to his being tapped to investigate a high-profile homicide. Once-prominent film star Gerda Korzeny, ex-mistress of Josef Goebbels and wife of the Nazi attorney "who rewrites certain laws to make the party's actions legal," was found near some railroad tracks, her skull crushed by a single blow. Korzeny's possessions were undisturbed, and her state of undress suggests she was resisting a sexual assault. Schenke's role is to reduce the prospects of friction between Nazi factions and to serve as a scapegoat if things go south. Scarrow plausibly conveys the complexities of his hero's efforts to do an honest job of seeking justice while serving under a corrupt and criminal regime. Fans of Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther will hope for a sequel.
