Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for Operation Berlin, via Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources.
Blurb
In a city rebuilding from war, truth can be the most dangerous weapon of all.
Berlin, 1930.
Historian Archie Laverick, scarred mentally and physically by the Great War, travels to Berlin to research a famed Prussian general. His quiet study is shattered when he crosses paths with Esme Carmichael, a spirited young American intent on making her name as a foreign correspondent. When a shooting at a Saxon castle leaves a young Jewish woman accused of murder, Archie and Esme are drawn into a perilous hunt for the truth.
Their investigation cuts through the glittering façades and lingering scars of a nation still reeling from war – where resentment simmers, political alliances shift, and the first shadows of a new conflict fall across Europe. Amid whispers of blackmail and betrayal, the pair must navigate intrigue and danger to unmask a killer hiding in plain sight.
A tense, atmospheric mystery set in a world between wars – perfect for fans of Philip Kerr’s Berlin Trilogy, Robert Harris’s Fatherland, and Alan Furst’s spy novels.
My Review (4 stars out of 5)
Still troubled by his experience of war, historian Archie Laverick is in Berlin from where he intends to start researching a famed Prussian general. Eager correspondent Esme Carmichael takes on a role as his secretary, though Archie isn’t initially over enamoured with her. Another young woman leaves a more lasting impression on him when she is murdered at a Saxon castle. The killer appears to be a young Jewish woman, but Esme isn’t convinced, and soon she and Archie are hot on the trail of the real killer.
This is the first book I‘ve read by this author, and if you enjoy his writing style there are plenty of others to keep you reading. To begin with, I really liked this book, especially the historical aspects. The relationship between ‘Sir Archibald’ and Esme is amusing, though she is the more interesting of the two. Following the murder, the plot seemed to slow down a little, but all in all it’s a jolly romp with plenty of secrets and lies to keep us guessing.
Author Bio
Michael Ridpath is the bestselling author of over 20 crime novels and thrillers. His first novel, after a career in finance, was Free to Trade, a No 2 bestseller about the murky world of bond trading which was translated into over thirty languages. He is currently writing the Foreign Correspondent series of murder mysteries set in the capitals of Europe in the 1930s. He splits his time between London and Massachusetts.
Social Media Links
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Bookbub profile: @MichaelRidpath
Colin Garrow 