An excellent book, sadly the last in this ground-breaking series. Appropriately, METROPOLIS brings Bernie Gunther back to his roots, showing us his first days on the Berlin Murder Squad. The horror of the past war and the growing Nazi dominance of the German police are perfectly balanced in this tale told so well by a master writer.

The last book written by Philip Kerr before his untimely passing. A great final book that hits all the key notes on Bernie's development as a detective, the rise of Nazism, Communism, and the debauchery Berlin between WWI and WWII. I have enjoyed all of his books since they a great read, provide some historical context, and is a good detective novel. I'm going to miss them.

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Metropolis by Philip Kerr is a novel featuring German detective Bernie Gunther, this time between World War I and II. This is the fourteenth book in the series, sadly published after Mr. Kerr’s death.

The Weimar Republic is dying, and before the Nazis take power, Berliners live in worry free excess, still recovering from the devastation that World War I brought on. A young detective, Bernie Gunther, has been transferred from Vice to the KIA (Criminal Inspection A), investigating homicides.

Bernie’s task is to investigate the murder of four prostitutes that have been scalped, a low profile case until the daughter of Berlin’s primary criminal is also murdered. Then the second set of murders begin.

I have enjoyed the Bernie Gunther books previously, and was surprised to see this unfamiliar one pop up in my browser. I quickly found out that Metropolis by Philip Kerr was published after the author’s untimely death last year.

This book is chilling, not because of the murders which occur, but because of the first hand eye witness to the rise of Nazism and Hitler. The excuses people make, to themselves and others, to support such regime while spitting on actual war heroes (for example) in order to make themselves feel better about their support.

Bernie Gunther, the protagonist, doesn’t actually care, as usual. He is not a political animal, but a policeman stuck in a gray zone in which no one in particular gets his alignance. But at least he hates Nazis (and Communists).

After World War I, Germany is crusted, many people live in poverty, or a step away from it. Getting nutrition is a daily quest and every Jew is a fair game, including high ranking police officials. In this atmosphere we find the “other” Berlin, the one that is decadent, fulfilling every dream of the sex tourist trade, where one could find whatever they want, but only have to have money.

I enjoyed the real people Bernie meets, including genius film make Fritz Lang, whose movie Metropolis is still considered a visionary sci-fi epic, and his wife Thea von Harbou, the screen writer. I have always enjoyed movies and remember seeing Metropolis when it was released in 1984 with a new soundtrack by contemporary artists.

I always enjoy Mr. Kerr’s excellent stories, but the star of all his books is the atmosphere he manages to create. While indulgence rules the day, everyone in Berlin can smell fear and change in the air, unable to do anything about it. The way the author captures Berlin of the time, the train which is hurdling towards another world war without being able to stop and the way people are so easily manipulate is scary and relevant almost a decade later.

I have read every Bernie Gunther novel and this one does not disappoint! I was so sad to hear about Philip Kerr's passing but he left us one great going away gift. This novel, is a "prequel" of sorts. It's set in 1928, pre-Nazi Germany, and introduces us to young Bernie. He is his characteristic sardonic self, but has not quite reached the peak of his melancholy. You get a little insight into what made Bernie...Bernie.

The murder mystery is a good one, and quite enjoyable to follow. While the plot is entertaining, the writing is what makes these books so special. The way Kerr writes is reminiscent of the 1930's and definitely transports the reader to that time. I love the dialogue from back then. Kerr will be sorely missed. Thank you to NetGalley for providing and ARC for review.

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on April 9, 2019

Philip Kerr died in March 2018. He is survived by a memorable body of work. About half of Kerr’s novels record the career of Bernie Gunther, from Berlin police detective to private investigator to investigator for a Nazi intelligence agency to POW to private detective again to fugitive. Gunther is one of the most interesting and complex characters in crime fiction.

Metropolis is Kerr’s last Bernie Gunther novel, published posthumously. Other than the first three, which were written as a trilogy, they can be read in any order, as they jump around the stages of Gunther’s life, following no particular chronology.

Metropolis tells the story of Bernie Gunther’s promotion from Vice to the Murder Commission in 1928. His first assignment involves the murders and scalping of four prostitutes near Berlin’s Silesian Station. Unemployment is rampant, forcing more women onto the streets, sparking waves of violence, and leading to clashes between communists and Nazis. Fritz Lang wants to make a film about mass murderers and his wife, who is writing the script, meets with Bernie to get the juicy details about the scalpings. The novel shares the title of Lang’s best-known film which, like the book, contrasts a beautiful and cultured city with the injustice suffered by its workers.

A second serial killer appears before the Murder Commission can get a handle on the scalper. This one is shooting disabled war veterans, apparently practicing a form of eugenics to make a point about patriotism. Since the deaths of veterans make bad press, the police are told to drop the first investigation (the victims are just prostitutes, after all) and to focus on the new killer. Bernie goes undercover, a new concept in police work, as he plays the role of a legless veteran on a cart, serving as bait for the killer. Like most undercover operations, the effort does not go as planned, but it does lead Gunther’s investigation in new directions.

Metropolis is a classic detective novel with the kind of intricate plot for which Kerr is known. The reader and Gunther consider an array of clues and possible suspects as they try to identify the killer(s). The resolution is satisfying and surprising.

The time frame allows Kerr to consider the limits of democracy. “What use is it when it can’t deliver a viable government?” Gunther asks. Another character opines: “There’s only so much democracy that one country can take before people get tired of the idea.” Unfortunately, as the rise of Hitler demonstrated, authoritarians use democracy only to undermine it. They appeal to weak minds and get themselves elected by demonizing scapegoats. Gunther is an intriguing character because he managed to survive without losing his humanity in a country that repeatedly chose hatred and ethnic purity over tolerance and empathy.

Vigilantism is another theme. Bernie finds himself arguing with vigilantes who do not believe killers deserve a fair trial. With as much crime and injustice as Gunther has seen, he might be tempted to agree, but he understands that civilization depends on applying the same rules of fairness to the best and the worst equally. The concepts of fairness and equality, of course, will soon be lost in Gunther’s Germany. Gunther is, in the words of one character, “guarding an empty safe,” yet the safe will never be replenished if people like Gunther do not stand up for principles.

The historical settings always make Bernie Gunther novels fascinating, but the novels succeed so admirably because Gunther is such a fascinating character. Dark, snide, jaded, but as honest as circumstances allow him to be, Gunther is a perfect noir character. Fans of crime fiction will miss him.

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Lou Jacobs's review Apr 14, 2019 · edit
it was amazing

What a bittersweet experience ... I've just finished reading the last and 14th installment of the beloved Bernie Gunther series. Philip Kerr provides a tour de force entailing Bernie's origins as a 20 + year old policeman offered a promotion to the prestigious Berlin Murder Squad by his boss to be, Bernard Weiss. The scene is the Summer of 1928 .... in the Weimar Republic .... mired in the ever increasing decadence of Berlin as it tries to recover from the humiliating defeat of World War I. There is an all pervasive feeling of gloom intertwined with the rumblings of an imminent emergence of Hitler and the Nazi's. Nightclubs, cabarets and even sex clubs are thriving , while the general populace scrapes by to put food on the table.
Bernie is immediately thrown into investigating a series of serial killings of prostitutes ... they are viciously being bludgeoned in the back of the neck by a hammer and then scalped. The press provides the appellation of the Winnetou Murderer. Paying homage to the famous series of books penned by Karl May ... regarding the tales of the Nobel Indian Chief Winnetou. As the victims pile-up,Bernie crosses paths with a father of one of the victims ... a notorious gangster and head of probably Berlin's largest and most feared crime syndicate. A somewhat strange and precarious arrangement and bond is reached to help propel the investigation forward. However, a second series of murders interrupt his investigation. Handicaped veterans are being murdered across the city with the killer taunting the police in the newspapers. Supposedly he is cleaning up the city by removing the scourge and blight of Berlin. Intertwined between the investigations are Bernie's encounters with film director Fritz Lang and his scriptwriter wife Thea Von Harbou ... responsible for the highly acclaimed SF film: Metropolis. And, not to be forgotten are Bernie's customary dalliances with the local femmes.
It's always amazing to experience the history of the time through Bernie's eyes ... the honest cop with scruples and a sardonic wit ,a sometime philosopher, and anything but a Nazi. Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishers for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this Masterpiece in exchange for an honest review. I will sorely miss Bernie !!!