Synopsis/blurb............
Nuremberg is a dead city. In the
aftermath of World War II, two-thirds of its population has fled or is
deceased, with thirty thousand bodies turning the ruined industrial centre into
a massive open grave. Here, the vilest war criminals in history will be tried.
But in Nuremberg’s dark streets and back alleys, chaos rules.
Captain Nathan Morgan is one of those charged with
bringing order to the home of the war crime trials. A New York homicide
detective who spent the war in Army intelligence, he was born to be a spy—and
now, in 1945, there is no finer place for his trade than Nuremberg. As the US
grapples with the Soviets for post-war supremacy, a serial murderer targets the
occupying forces. Nathan Morgan may be the perfect spy, but it’s time for him
to turn cop once more.
This was another freebie book thanks to a Net Galley invite
from Emma at Open Road Media/Mysterious Books and an offer I’m really happy I
took advantage of.
A historical murder mystery set in Nuremberg, Nazis about to
appear on trial, Third Reich sympathisers and gangs still active in the ruins
of a city nearly obliterated by Allied bombing, a local population living in squalor
and deprivation, women reduced to prostitution to survive, corruption within
the police force, an uneasy alliance between the disparate strands of the
victors (East v West) and the vanquished, as the Allies struggle to get the
city moving again and restore law and order to the streets, owned by night by black
marketers and opportunists, whilst the unburied dead rot in the rubble. All
this and more - with the back-drop of the biggest trial of the century looming near
- and a deranged killer on the loose.
I could almost taste the fear and dust and decay as I read
it.
Ruin Value is so far at least, the best book I have read
this month, though ever the optimist with a week or so to go, it may be
topped. Definitely a case of right book
at the right time!
The author has written several other mysteries though I know
little about them.
5 from 5
Thanks again to Emma at Open Road Media.
Col - Sounds like a very good read. I like historical mysteries, too. Might have to give this one a go.
ReplyDeleteWell worth a look Margot, if you get the chance.
DeleteAwesome review, Col! I put this one on my wishlist since it's not quite available yet. I am seriously into some WWII or post WWII novels of late. This one sounds/looks seriously good next to your 5 rating. I need to look around in my library for some good historical mysteries. I keep meaning to try C.J Sansom's Dissolution. Have you read any of his books by chance? Just curious and sorry to derail the discussion again.
ReplyDeleteHey - no apologies allowed on this blog! I'm always happy to digress - C.J. Sansom, no I haven't read him/her - delete as necessary. I just looked the first one up and didn't realise they were set way back when - Cromwell's time? I haven't ventured that far back in my reading, though maybe I should at least to put a tick against that box. I keep promising myself that I'll try Philip Kerr's Gunther series, though haven't yet got around to it - even though I keep hearing they are great.
DeleteI have The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco somewhere - set around 1300's which I should try also.
I think I'm firmly stuck in the late 20th C.
I also forgot to mention David Downing and his series set around Berlin 1939 - another one I need to try!
DeleteI think my comment got eaten and I am short on time to retype all of that.
ReplyDeleteCome back......
DeleteI am envious. I asked to review this at Net Galley because it is my favorite time period to read about and the publisher rejected me. Oh well. I am glad you liked it so much. I will put it on a list for the future.
ReplyDeleteI love Philip Kerr's series (have read 5 of them) and I think you will like them. I have only read one of the David Downing series but plan to continue it.
Tracy, I don't understand why they would turn you down, strange decision. I hope you get a chance to read it later on.
DeleteI went a bit mental when I initially discovered the site......I was greedy, like a kid in a sweet shop ......and now I'm trying to read through what I got before the time expires on them.... I think I will only request 1 at a time in the future!!!!
I'm stuck on my laptop at night as well as for the day job - serves me right I suppose.
Kerr is someone I want to get to soon, but I keep getting diverted and thinking about other things, so maybe next year.....or the year after.....or the year after.
I know, NetGalley is very tempting, although the majority of books there I am not interested in... or they are further into a series than I want to start. It was silly to be bothered by them turning me down, since I already have too many books to read of my own, but I was.
DeleteI know exactly what you mean about taking so long to get to reading books. If I say I am going to read something soon, it usually means at least 6-8 months from now.
I asked for 12 totally including 3 I was invited to apply for - got turned down by 2 and had the hump for the rest of the day! Most were authors I had previously read with a couple of new ones thrown in.
DeleteI have rushed to read 5, with 5 still to go, but I have managed to extend the date on 3 of them.
I lose all common sense when I start looking at books! ( I never had much to begin with to be honest.)
I have the same problem. When Glen was looking for The Hour of the Cat (on Amazon), he bought that and the next book... and is glad he did. And I bought two books by Ed Lin set in New York’s Chinatown that I had never heard of ... that I didn't need. Hope I like them.
DeleteEd Lin......? I'm off to refresh my memory, again - it's my age! Glad Quinn worked out well.
Delete5 out of 5? Praise indeed, Col. I'm intrigued.
ReplyDeleteSarah - a case of the right book at the right time - one that ticked all the boxes for me!
DeleteCol, good choice and review! I'm fascinated by the Third Reich and the events leading up to WWII and its aftermath. I'm definitely going to read this book especially since I've always been intrigued by the Nuremberg Trials. In fact, I've been meaning to watch "Justice at Nuremberg" again.
ReplyDeletePrashant, thank you. Glad you want to try it, hopefully you enjoy it when you do.
Delete