Welcome to Litsy!

Reading some noir.

Reading another from my TBR shelf

A solid detective noir, most interesting for its setting—1933 Berlin. Some shocking/graphic violence at points. It‘s part of a trilogy with an overarching missing person mystery so I will probably keep reading, at least the next one.

It‘s a good thriller (private eye in Berlin in the 1930s as Nazism is taking over) but it‘s a particularly difficult time to read about the rape/murder of a random woman as a plot point.

Started this mystery set in pre-WW2 Nazi-ruled Berlin. Everything‘s so ominous.

First of Kerr's Bernie Gunther series, set in pre-war Nazi Germany. Gunther is a wise-cracking tough-guy-with-a-soft-centre PI in the time-honoured Chandler/Hammett tradition. The historical background and descriptions of the seedier side of 1936 Berlin and the cast of thugs, pimps and ordinary joes just trying to keep their heads down in a world gone mad is totally believable and the final chapter is stunning.

An excellent read. The writing was witty and had me chuckling more than once despite the serious subject matter. Kerr has created a wonderfully heroic yet flawed character in Bernie. I'll return to catch up with him another time.

A few years ago I saw Philip Kerr interview Ian Rankin - jolly good he was at it as well. I've never read any of his books and only recently discovered that he'd passed away, so thought I'd give his first Bernie Gunther book a go while I train it to Edinburgh.

@jesshowbooks #friyayintro

1. Berlin Noir by Philip Kerr, Dr. Siri Paiboun by Colin Cotterill, the Robin Hobb trilogies/series
2. Bosch, Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad, The Crown, The Wire
3. Only when the Cubbies won
4. Not a clue
5. My dad was a big reader when I was young, BOTM, Literary Guild etc. But not so much now.

Sad to hear the news. Rest in ✌️

Philip Kerr's debut novel is a crackling historical noir crime thriller (the first in a trilogy that later expanded into a series) that goes to the heart of Nazi Germany and exposes the cynicism and corruption running through it.

"He shrugged unabashedly. 'It is only with death around me that I am constantly reminded that I am alive.'" - Phillip Kerr in March Violet. A particularly poignant quote to me as I work as a forensic death investigator.