Set in 1939 winter Berlin where the Nazi regime has already started their war efforts and is imposing strict wartime restrictions, including the total blackout of Berlin. With the early sunset, the blackout sets the city as the perfect background for so many criminal acts that the streets are not safe for anyone, including the families of Nazi officers. When a senior party official's wife is brutally murdered, the investigation is immediate and supervisied by the Gestapo. When another woman is killed in the same manner, it's clear that the criminal must be stopped soon or the consequences will roll upstream.

Simon Scarrow skillfully describes the darkness that existed in Berlin during this period, making the tension of the city an added effect to the crimes. You can feel the cold and silence as the investigators move through the streets looking for suspects and finding no witnesses. It's easy to feel the mounting fear of the citizens and the frustration of the law. Easily a 5 star read for me. Though fiction, this will interest anyone who loves the era.

Wow. Was not prepared to jump into this story and enjoy it from start to finish. This is a great whodunit mystery set in WWII Berlin. The writing kept me guessing as to what happens next. I felt invested in finding out who was responsible for the crimes carried out in the Blackout. I thank Simon Scarrow for a great read. Pick up this book and enjoy it.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

This was a great book. I enjoyed the mystery aspect intermixed with the beginning of WWII in Berlin. I enjoy mysteries as well as WWII stories and this was a well done mix of both.

I found the characters to be realistic and products of the time and environment they were living in. I had never read this author but will definitely look into other books by him.

Blackout is an excellent WWII historical fiction novel which takes place in December 1939 in Berlin. Simon Scarrow is a prolific author of historical fiction novels, but this is the first one reviewed in this blog. By December of 1939, Hitler had already invaded Poland, therefore breaking the Munich Agreement between the English Prime Minister Chamberlain and Hitler regarding nonagression. While the Nazi forces were working to subdue the captured Poles, Berlin was struggling with the new Nazi Party, the changes that were happening in the country, the cold winter, and all the food and fuel shortages. In the midst of this disorganization of Germany, a series of murders were occuring along the Berlin railways.

The protagonist was Criminal Inspector Schenke, who importantly was not a member of the Nazi Party. He argued that he was a professional police officer who worked to keep the citizens safe and he had no interest in a party affiliation. The title of the book has to do with Berlin being in blackout mode every night, and that allowed all types of criminal activity to go on during the long cold nights. Schenke actually worked for Kripo, a group of highly professional investigators, but the usual police officers were gradually coming under the control of the Gestapo, led by Heinrich Himmler and his deputy Richard Heydrich. Himmler had formed the SS which gradually began to dominate all forms of law enforcement within Germany.

The Nazi party seemed to have an unexpected interest in this case and began putting unusual pressure on Schenke with regard to his findings. Meanwhile, the death toll was mounting. Women were being sexually assaulted and murdered. The method of murder was very specific, and despite the Nazi interference Schenke kept following the evidence. The one of the assaulted women got away after having wounded her assailant, but since she was a Jewess, her credibility was immediately devalued. Another party official said, “A Jewess?... How can we trust the word of a Jew…. You might as well trust a pack of rats.” When Schenke said she had not given him any reason to believe she was lying, Muller said, “Of course not. They’re far too crafty for that.” Certainly, the disregard and mistreatment of the Jews left his reader very uncomfortable.

In short, the characters of the police, the victims, and the Nazis were all well described and believable. I did not see the conclusion coming until it was on top of me. The writing is excellent and compelling. The historical fiction aspect only added to the drama. The ending was appropriate to the historical setting, but one that was otherwise unsettling. This story gets my strongest recommendation.

Early during WWII, just before Christmas 1939, Berlin citizens hope for a quick resolution to the war. The weather has turned bitterly cold and a government blackout has been issued. These two circumstances provide a cover for a serial killer preying on women who are alone on the streets. Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is tasked by the Nazi regime to quickly solve the case. Scarrow’s writing has readers feeling the cold plus tension of constantly being watched by Nazi sympathizers. Schenke’s work is professional but his refusal to join the Nazi party makes him a target for criticism by higher authorities. Part police procedural, part mystery, and sprinkles of violence makes this a solid read for fans of Philip Kerr’s Berlin series.

Set in the midst of a freezing Berlin winter during WW2, 1939, and with a bleak Christmas fast approaching, the mood is dark and somber. Blackouts over the city lead to increasing criminality, tension and danger on the streets. The Nazi Party are fractious with paranoid members suspiciously watching each other. The murder of
a former actress with links to the party, is brought to the fore with Inspector Gorst Schenke, Head of Pankow on the case, considered dispensible by the party due to his refusal to join the S.S ranks, fighting against a growing tide of unease and with people afraid to speak out and every move being monitored. A chilling story with a deadly and ruthless atmosphere that will keep you captivated. #blackout #simonscarrow #netgalley

Author Simon Scarrow has written a taut and enjoyable mystery, set in Berlin during the ice-cold winter of 1939-40. Scarrow, who is much better known for his Eagles of the Empire series, which takes place during the first-century AD, moves to “recent past history” with no apparent effort or problems. And he also transitions smoothly to the mystery genre - although some of the early books in his Eagles series already read a bit like mysteries themselves.

The case itself is intriguing. A former movie star has a public spat with her lover at a rather exclusive party, and then heads home in the cold and dark by herself. Someone enters her train carriage, she is startled to recognize them, and readers are then left to imagine what might have happened before her body is found the next day. Was that person her murderer? And is she the only victim, or is there a serial killer loose in Berlin?

It quickly becomes the job of Kripo Inspector Horst Schenke to investigate. This, of course, would be challenging enough in normal times, but in on-edge Berlin, just as World War II is getting underway, it becomes well-nigh impossible. There are political implications to everything, and even if he does figure out who killed Gerda Korzeny, it’s not clear anything will be done about it. Still, throughout the book, as Schenke pursues clues, readers will end up pulling for him both personally and professionally. And in a manner that is a bit reminiscent of some of Donna Leon’s Brunetti cases, as the book closes, Schenke knows the solution, but there’s not much satisfaction in the knowledge.

All-in-all, Blackout is a gem of a book, and I hope it becomes a series-starter - although I am a bit conflicted, since I don’t want Scarrow to neglect his Eagles series either. It gets five stars from me. And finally, my thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for my review copy.

Set in Nazi Germany in 1939, Scarrow's novel follows former racing driver Horst Schenke as he hunts down the murderer of the former-actress wife of a party official. Called in at the request of a high-ranking Nazi, Schenke sets aside his disgust for the new regime as he strives to follow the leads that will uncover a deeper conspiracy than he ever could have imagined. Scarrow deftly allows the reader to feel the feel the tension increasing as Hitler's followers begin their reign of terror and fear over the German populace shortly before the rest of the world wakes up to the need to stop the Nazis from European dominance. Schenke must keep his hatred of the party from surfacing as he searches for the culprit, all along doubting that his superiors really want him to catch the actual murderer. A great piece of historical fiction that will keep you turning the page as you wonder how one man could have had such an effect on a country and the world,

I spent the past weekend reading Blackout by Simon Scarrow (a new author for me). He did not disappoint. In fact, I plan to read other books by him, and I hope that this book is the beginning of a series featuring Kripo Criminal Inspector, Horst Schenke, head of Pankow station. Schenke has an aristocratic background, and he was previously a well-known race car driver who had a career ending injury. The story takes place in Berlin in December, 1939, just a few months after the Germans went into Poland. Schenke’s girlfriend, Karin, is the niece of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, the head of Abwehr, the German military intelligence. Schenke has been asked to investigate the brutal murder of Gerda Korzeny a movie star, we soon find out that Gerda is not the only woman who has been brutally murdered.

I really enjoyed this mystery thriller historical fiction piece. Schenke is a character the reader roots for as he assembles his team and tries to stay true to his beliefs which includes not joining the SS party. I found myself turning the page well after my bed time. My thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

What It's About: Set in 1939 during a blistering winter, Germany is at war and the blackout regulations imposed plunges the city into darkness and dampens the morale of its people. Things become worse when a serial killer is stalking the streets, and Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke and his team is assigned to solve this series of murders.

My thoughts: Wow. Wow. Wow. What a fantastic read! I have not read anything by this author before and was totally blown away by this book! I loved the intricate plot, the well-developed characters and the good story build-up. This was a slow-burn read and a book you cannot rush through.

Schenke is a really interesting character. He is loyal to Kripo and refuse to be a member of the SS party. So there was a lot of tension and pressure from the top and this makes his investigations challenging. I loved his team and they are great secondary characters! However, I wasn't a fan on the chapters about Schenke and his love interest, Karin.

Overall, this was a gripping historical fiction crime thriller! It was well-written and the ending was so good! I enjoyed it thoroughly!


Pub Date: March 29th, 2022

***Thank you Kensington Book and NetGalley for this gifted ARC copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

3.5

My first book by the author and it was a good read. I'm not a big reader of WWII fiction these days but I wanted to give him a try. It was clear this story was setting up for a series, which is not an issue, and it did have some thrilling, page-turning moments. I think if I read more from the author, I will try some of his non-WWII fiction works as he let us in on some of his political views in the author's note and I prefer not to have that in my reading choices unless I specifically go in knowing they will be shown to us, knocked off 1/2 a star. If you like thrilling reads and those set in WWII, I would recommend giving this one a try.

Thanks to netgalley.com and Kensington Publishing for the advance ARC copy for my honest review.

I owe my new found interest into WW2 to my mom, who grew up during the War in Germany, whose gone to heaven, miss her stories and every WW2 book I read is to honor her.

This was my first read from the author Simon Scarrow, 'Blackout' was a slow tedious read, although it was quite good, being a WW2 murder mystery, it's historical, full of twist and turns, suspenseful, with a red herring, has an intertwining storyline, best of all he puts the read into the pages and hope this will end up being a series.

Found how daily life in Germany was fascinating during the WW2, with blackout curtains, partial covers on car lights, food rations and coupons, then the hierarchy with the Nazi's from the SS, Gestapo to the neighborhood wardens and building leaders.

A plus for me was that I really liked the KriPo Berlin Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke character, a former Silver Star race driver who retired due to injury and unable to serve in the German Military due to the injury and his avoidance of politic's adds an element to the storyline. His team, consisting of Sergeant Hauser, Frieda Echs and Rosa Mayer both female officers and probationer Brandt, all add to the storyline, along with it being 1939 right at Christmas time, which they've given up, you have a clever criminal using the Berlin blackout seeking lone women along railway stations, to rape and bludgeon them too death, add a tough Jewish women Rachel Frankel to the mix, along with the pressure from the Nazi hierarchy and you end up with an entertaining read.

Do hope that the author Simon Scarrow makes this a series involving Schenke, will be another author where I only read this series or anything involving WW2 he writes.

Simon Scarrow’s Blackout is a page-turning murder investigation set in Nazi Germany. Inspector Horst Schenke has been assigned by a high level Nazi official to investigate the murder of a former actress, Gerda Korzeny. Although an ex-actress’s murder following a Christmas party hardly sounds like a case of interest to the Nazi Party, Gerda’s Jewish blood has been long covered up. Furthermore, she is married to prominent Nazi Party lawyer and attended the party, not with her husband, but with a Nazi officer with whom her husband knew she was having one of several affairs.

To further complicate the situation, Inspector Schenke’s girlfriend is niece of a Nazi admiral. Schenke, himself, has refused to join the party although he makes some effort to conceal his disagreement. As Schenke and his team begin to investigate, he becomes increasingly aware that his non-party status makes him not only vulnerable, but expendable, should his findings displease a wing of the party at odds with another.

Was Gerda’s murderer a jealous husband? A lover afraid she would expose him to his wife? Someone else? Was it a single act or a part of a serial killer’s work made all the easier by the wartime blackout conditions? As bodies pile up, Schenke’s investigation becomes increasingly difficult and dangerous.
Author Simon Scarrow not only builds and maintains suspense, he fills in the interesting, complex story of Horst Schenke, which adds to the novel.

At the front of the book, Scarrow includes an organizational chart of historical figures in the Nazi Party to help readers keep track of the chain of command as well as to understand Schenke’s position and the occasional ways he uses that chain of command to get what he and his assistants need to do their job.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance reader copy of this skillfully written police procedural made all the more engaging by its historical setting.

The first book I have ever read by Simon Scarrow and it won't be the last. Scarrow has combined quite a lot into this book that I love. It's historical fiction (✓), a mystery (✓), and has a serial killer (✓). It's also very good.

Kirpo Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is called to investigate a murder, of a celebrity by the Gastpo. Of course, Schenke has a problem, he isn't a member of the party. He must walk a very thin line if he hopes to succeed. Pretty soon, he is dealing with a lot on his plate. A girlfriend that's outspoken, a Jewish girl, the Secret Police, the Gestapo, his subordinates, and working out of a different office.

I think this could become a series, and hope it does. If you enjoy WWII novels, historical novels, or mysteries, do yourself a favor and grab this book on March 29, 2022.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kensington Books and Scarrow for the Kindle Version of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's 1939 and brutally cold in Berlin and a serial killer is stalking women. The Third Reich has forced nightly blackouts and Germany has crushed Poland. Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke of Berlin's Kripo has been chosen to solve the murder of Gerda Korzeny, a film star and once lover of Josef Goebbels. Schenke's views of The Fuhrer and The Third Reich are at odds with the Nazis. Will Schenke be able to fight for justice over the power of the Nazis? This is a heart-pounding, gripping thriller that makes you race to the end to find out the answers. It is not your typical WWII novel about the war. It is an authentic account of the Nazi party and their attempt to cover up the truth about what is really happening. Unputdownable! If you love historical crime thrillers then you will enjoy this book. I will definitely be seeking more books by Scarrow as he is a very talented writer. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Gerda Korzeny, a married, aging movie star, and her military officer escort current paramour arrives at a Christmas Party to a Party in Germany. They have a spat. He walks her partway to the train station and leaves her. She feels that she is being followed. She boards and sits alone in the last car. Someone enters the car. Gerda recognizes the person. The next day, her body discovered near the train tracks. The storyline switches to Criminal Inspector Schenke who is called to visit the head of Gestapo. Schenke is ordered to take over the investigation of the murder of a high party lawyer’s wife. Schenke points out that the murder was not in his precinct. He is sternly informed that this is a politically sensitive issue and a non-party investigator is required that so that the investigation is kept under wraps so some party factions will not influence the investigation. And, oh by the way, solved the murder as fast as he can. The investigation starts from here.

There two main storyline threads. First is the investigation. Schenke is fighting problems than no investigator should face. The acting precinct commander of the station out of which Schenke and his team must operate is giving him a very reluctant and chilly support quite literally. The head of the Gestapo is unhappy with lack of progress, and in Schenke’s point of view withholding information. The prime suspect is a high-ranking officer in Abwehr, military intelligence. Abwehr is led by Admiral Canaris whose niece Schenke is courting. No physical evidence was discovered. The head of the Gestapo is less than pleased and assigns one of his men to go with Schenke everywhere he goes and report back. Schenke’s outright reluctance to become to join the party and the Schutzstaffel as his sergeant has and many other police officers have is starting to become a point of contention that is by his many of his superiors. The second thread is the killers. This thread increased the suspense as the reader is able to see into the killers mind. Schenke finds himself on a tight rope with many sharp thorns and dangers everywhere. The potential of mortal danger at every step keeps a high level of suspense and only increases as the story proceeds. My interest was quickly seized and kept all the way to the end.

The B-storyline is primarily centered on Schenke and is quite multifaceted. Besides conversations and actions in his official capacity, there are many detailed flashbacks of his history and change in professions. The major source of background on Schenke is in his interaction with his girlfriend. As she is the niece of Admiral Canaris, Schenke also has a personal relationship with the Admiral that complicates his official duties. This B-storyline is rich and enhanced my reading enjoyment.

As for the aspects that are major criteria for not reading, there are not any consensual intimate scenes but some before and after scenes, but there are crimes against women. As these were part of murders, the scenes is very tense, but the emphasis was on the woman fighting back. The use of vulgar language is light with a sprinkling of impious language. As for violence, much of it is described in a more edgy manner as it occurs. Lastly, there were many evils that flourished at this time in Germany, and they are evident in this novel. The author skillfully wove these aspects into this novel to increase the suspense and did not portray party members in a good light. These aspects did not stop me from enjoying reading this novel.

Overall, this is a solid police procedural that is set in the worst of times. I especially liked the addition of the Admiral Canaris in this novel given his role in Germany at this time. He was a critical player in Germany’s military, and his later anti-regime actions. This was an excellent character the issues of not being a party member in personal moments with Schenke. Also, I enjoyed how the author set up scenes that I initially understand why it was occurring only to find out that Schenke had obtained an important piece of information. I did not find any aspects in the way the author used these elements. Every time that I had to stop reading, I did not want to stop.

I have read this author before. I read the first six books of his Eagle series, and this was over 15 years ago. This was the first novel in a modern setting. I have assigned this author my second highest rating of Will-Read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I am looking forward in reading future books by this author. I do recommend reading this novel, but with a caveat I hear on news today, “Some may find the following disturbing.” I rate this novel with five stars.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Kensington Books. My review is based only by my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

The Detective and the Gestapo

Berlin, 1939, the dead of winter, a former film star, Gerda Korzeny, is found murdered. The Gestapo calls and detective Schenke of the Kripo is assigned to the case. The Nazi's have now taken over Berlin and even the police must answer to the Gestapo.

It is in the middle of the blackouts to keep the British Army from seeing and bombing lit buildings. It is cold and fuel for heat and food is scarce. The population of Berlin is freezing and starving. When another body is found Schenke is pretty sure he has a serial killer on the loose. Then a young Jewish woman is attacked on a train and manages to fight off her attacker. This gives Schenke a witness, but the Gestapo is not impressed with a Jewish witness.

The Gestapo sends a man to "help" Schenke with the investigation. He knows it is to follow his movements and make sure no bad publicity is given out as the suspects are Gestapo members.
Will Schenke be able to get to the bottom of the murders and find the killer or will the Gestapo hinder his investigation?

The story is a detective story set in a time of oppression, but with many twists and turns. A detective that refuses to join the Nazi party, a Gestapo that dogs his every move, and a mistake he makes that causes harm to his oldest friends. How this investigation turns out is anyone's guess.

A story filled with suspense and fear. It was a good read, it keeps you interested and it moves in a fast pace. I did enjoy reading the book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Simon Scarrow for writing a great story, to Kensington Books for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

This was an amazing read. I truly enjoyed every second of the ride I was taken on. I have a true love of historical fiction novels dealing with World War 2, and this novel ticked all of the boxes for me. The characters were rich and made me feel like they were taking me along on the investigation. The plot was fast paced and left me guessing even as the end neared.

Truly a great read.

3.5 stars
Easy, quick read. I liked the characters more than the story. Each of them had a background that informed their strength and decisions. And it was interesting to follow their thinking, but somewhat predictable.
A good travel book (but not if you're flying!)

This was a really good book and a very well told story that takes place in December 1939. Horst Schenke is a criminal inspector with the Berlin police, initially investigating forged ration coupons but is pulled off and assigned to a murder investigation by a member of the Gestapo. The woman murdered had been attacked and raped before a blunt hit to the head killed her. The Gestapo are interested in the case because the woman had been linked to Goebbels and the Gestapo wanted to avoid any publicity. Horst is a diligent investigator and quickly uncovers that this woman was not the first one to be killed in this manner, and soon after another woman is killed in a similar fashion. The pressure to solve the case is intense, Horst is not a member of the Nazi party nor does he have an interest in politics. This causes him some tense moments during the case as he is reminded of his lack of faith. Another woman is attacked though she is able to fend off the attacker and survives and is able to provide a detailed description of the person and aids in a drawing. There is a lot going on in this book, and the author does a very good job at keeping the tension high, I was flipping through as quick as I could to find out what would happen next. I very much enjoyed this story and would look for another by this author. Thank you to #Netgalley and #Headline for the ARC.