Scan barcode
A review by sistermagpie
March Violets by Philip Kerr
3.0
Interesting old-school noir detective story set in the early days of Nazi power in Germany. A detective is hired to find out who killed the daughter of a wealthy, shady businessman and winds up stumbling into larger conspiracies. Throughout it all, though, is the shadow of the Nazi regime which is just gearing up. You can't help but be all too aware that these kinds of crimes are soon going to get washed away (really they already are) in the state murder spree that's coming.
It's got to be difficult in that context for the author to strike the right balance for the protagonist, a WWI vet and former policeman. Bernard Gunther has no love for the Nazis or their racial purity views, and I think the author does a good job not making him seem as if he's just there to appeal to modern readers who Know Better. I'm definitely considering reading more of the series--the book leaves some mysteries hanging.
It's got to be difficult in that context for the author to strike the right balance for the protagonist, a WWI vet and former policeman. Bernard Gunther has no love for the Nazis or their racial purity views, and I think the author does a good job not making him seem as if he's just there to appeal to modern readers who Know Better. I'm definitely considering reading more of the series--the book leaves some mysteries hanging.