This was an okay story. It was a quick read. None of the characters seemed real and the plot and conclusion seemed somewhat contrived. I did feel a certain sympathy with the German police detective. I think I might try another of this Author's books to see if the writing has improved.

I re-read this one to make sure I still felt the same way about it and still couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it at all. The writing was good but I guess I just didn't like it. I would recommend it to someone who likes this type of novel, somewhat gritter than I prefer.

Unusual WW2 police procedural

Michael Smith knows the spy trade. He served in British military intelligence and has written numerous espionage books.

Set in the real town of Rosenheim in Southern Germany the story revolves around civilian detective Ritter and his investigation into murder which uncovers hidden political overtones and secrets.

This book has all the detail around spy tradecraft and intrigue, but I felt the characters beyond Detective Ritter lacked any sort of depth. The story bowls along at a sufficient pace, but overall the story didn't engage with me as much as I’d hoped, however I'm sure others will enjoy this more than I did.

It’s still an entertaining read and more interesting as its set away from the usual Berlin locations that typify the German WW2 crime genre shelf. Overall it was not a wasted read, but it didn’t grab me as much as I thought it would.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but wasn’t required to provide a positive review.

I really enjoyed this well written, plotted and thought through thriller which demonstrates the author's deep knowledge of the second world war and the German war machine. There are twists and turns and the book never fails to fascinate and entertain.

Highly recommended.

An interesting and unusual police procedural. The plot was interesting but the setting was what really struck.
There are very few mysteries set in the Nazi Germany and it was really interesting to read about the way of life.
Interesting and recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Diversion Books

This is a World War 2 thriller with a difference. Set in a small town in Bavaria called Rosenheim it is the story of a German police detective, Ritter who is investigating a murder of a stranger. Ritter is anti Nazi and principled so when he discovers the murdered man is Jewish he refuses to give up his investigations despite urging from his superiors who care little about the killers of Jews.
We also see some of his personal life, his crumbling marriage to Sophie whom he suspects of having an affair with Gestapo officer Kleidorfe, his arch rival and nemesis.
The author creates the sinister atmosphere of Second World War Germany where everyone is suspicious and ready to denounce their neighbours in order to curry favour with the authorities.
This is a complicated plot which also includes British spies and assassins and at times it is hard to keep up with all that is going on.
I liked the character of Ritter and his attempts to remain human in difficult conditions. His talks with his late father in law who was a law professor serve to allow the reader an insight into his motivations and choices and are an interesting method of explaining why he acts as he does.
The author has obviously done a lot of research and knows about espionage so the story does seem realistic.
Although it moved at a slow pace as Ritter tried to puzzle out what was happening the book did hold my attention. It reminded me of Child 44 by Tom Robb Smith and would appeal to readers of this type of historical thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Very credible procedural set during WWII inspired by the MI6 plan to assassinate the Fuhrer. The plan never took place in reality, but that what fiction's for. I've never read the author before, but he seems to have a very respectable resume loaded with nonfiction books about spies and things of that nature plus the man has actually worked for British military intelligence, so that's real life experience, and hence this book is, as aforementioned, credible, technically. Dramatically it left something to be desired, though this might be an entirely subjective thing based on my mood at the time. I'm fascinating by that specific historical era, so that wasn't it, it just didn't engage as much as I would have liked, there was something mechanical about the writing. It's dynamic enough with plenty of dialogue and short sentence structure to move the narration along swimmingly, it's just that much like the 90's supermodel there wasn't quite enough meat on the bones to present a very compelling experience of a well rounded novel. Then again it was a quick read and fans of spy fiction should find much to enjoy here, not exactly 007, but complete with the Bondesque title and Bondish femme fatale and more than enough war time intrigue. Thanks Netgalley.

A solid and interesting police procedural at the heart of WW2. Unique in the sense that it’s not in Berlin or Munich for example but centered in a small town that has not really been on the map for this type of story.

It was fascinating to find out about the real life town of Rosenheim and the level of murder and political intrigue at the heart of this town. I looked up the town and researched a bit more to find out that it’s very closely linked to true events and you can tell the author has done his research. Michael Smith is an award-winning UK journalist and author. He served in British military intelligence before becoming a writer, and has written numerous books on spies and special operations. That level of authenticity shines through.

The level of underlying danger, the Gestapo and all that history has told us, made this book really intriguing. I will definately look for the second novel from this author as there’s a lot to learn from him and he’s a great guide to that part of history, putting a unique spin on the subject matter and themes within.