Bernie Gunther book # 14
In “Metropolis” the final story of Bernie Gunther, Mr. Kerr’s created a timeless moment by taking us back to 1928 Berlin, when Bernie was on his first case as a homicide cop looking into a string of murders committed by a killer nicknamed “Winnetou”. I am not going to give the plot away you will have to find out for yourself. This is definitely a fitting end to Philip Kerr storied career.
Mr. Kerr style is appealing, I love the first person narrative, with his wise-cracking voice and trademark banter Bernie tells what is happening. Bernie is a detective caught up in an increasingly Nazified Berlin police department and he hates it “Metropolis” give us a tour of a city in chaos with its seedy sideshows and sex clubs, not forgetting a taste of the underground gangs, the homeless, the abandoned and the bewildered citizens. As always, the setting is brought to life with vivid description and through perfectly drawn characters. Weaved in are a number of real life historical characters and of course plenty of intrigue is found throughout. What a fine job of immersing us in the seamy side of Weimar Germany, through the facts of history and the vagaries of human nature.
On the other hand, this latest is not the author’s best, it seems more of an unfinished draft. Some plot lines appear out of nowhere and abruptly die there. Some sentences are clumsy and hard to follow, at times I didn’t know where I was or what I was reading... did I miss something?. ..As a whole “Metropolis” is a good read but one that did not meet my expectation.....
Saying goodbye is hard to do.....you will be missed...
The Clifton Chronicles book # 5
This is the fifth novel in The Clifton Chronicles series could be accessible as a stand-alone story although to have a better feel of what’s going on it is by far better to read it in sequence otherwise you may find yourself wanting to see what had happened previously. And if you have read the previous novel “Be Careful What You Wish For” you will remember it ended in a major cliff hanger....But as a great storyteller, Mr. Archer thought of his newbies and thankfully volume 5 begins with repeating the final chapter of the last book.
Like the other entries in this series this story is an episodic adventure following a large cast of diverse characters and their political, romantic and financial machinations. It covers the tumultuous years from 1964 through 1970.
“Mightier Than the Swords” is a real page-turner that starts with a bang. The IRA sets of a bomb during MV Buckingham’s maiden voyage across the Atlantic. From then on cover-up with more cover-up, more machinations trump more machination, back stabbing over back stabbing, lies on top of lies...you name it. Of course, we see much of the same struggles of the families as they face off again with old foes. I couldn’t put this story down, definitely an engaging one.
We also have a new plotline in the quest to publish a biography of Stalin that is now behind the iron Curtain and once again Mr. Archer leaves this riveting saga with a cliff-hanger.
Another runaway read written by a master. I am so addicted to this series.
This is a psychological suspense at its best, one that plays with the mind of the protagonist and also with the one of its readers.
Not everything is as it seems
Sidney “Doc” O’Keefe is free after being incarcerated for 10 years in a maximum-security for a murder he did not commit. He needs a change in pace so with his wife and daughter he heads to Lake Placid but soon things turned ugly when his daughter is abducted from the beach just steps away from their hotel room. Sid thinks his old crime boss Mickey Rabuffo to be behind the act. Unfortunately, with his history of violence both in and out of jail Sid becomes the prime suspect. With nowhere to go Sid and Penny (wife) decide to take matters in their hands…Is this a mistake? Both are led down a path too convoluted to discover the truth. What a story.
This is a classic noir writing style at its best. Told from Sid’s point of view, he is a simple man driving by his unwavering love for his daughter. We immediate feel a connection with him. I loved him and rooted for him hoping all would end well.
This story needs full attention, Mr. Zandi knows how to execute twists that seem to lead somewhere but just when you thought you had it all figured it out and knew where he is going with his next move, he throws a curve to derail us and teases us with something new. I couldn’t resist turning the pages to see what would happen next. What a smart and cunning drama. The words are perfectly weaved to grab from the start and not let go. We have many chase scenes, lots of violence, blood and gore to make this not only an intense and captivating read but also a cinematic page-turner hard to put down. What a conspiracy is played out here.
And by the end:
Was this saga the fruit of Sid’s fertile imagination ……an illusion of some kind...the question is up for debate....well-done.
I received a digital copy of this book from Oceanview Publishing via Netgalleys for my thoughts
