Lately I have found myself reading more and more in the pre- and post WWII era, so when I saw this book, by Karen Robards, I was immediately interested. I have been enjoying her books for decades--wow, that ages both of us, doesn't it?--and when I started reading it, I didn't want to quit till I was finished!

This particular book features a female who lives in Denmark, a police psychiatrist who is renowned for her ability to solve crimes, being asked--forcibly--by the Nazis to come to Berlin to investigate a murder. She arrives with two others who are being looked for in Copenhagen for anti-Nazi activities, and all three of them are in danger from that incident. She is required to work with a German police detective, who used to be the head of that department, but got on the wrong side of Himmler, got sent to the USSR and was wounded, and also suffers from PTSD, or shell shock as it was referred to back then. They get darned little help and a lot of actual hindrance from the Nazi party, and eventually fall in love while working together. They DO solve the crime, and a few others, and then due to the war, return to their separate lives. I was happy to see that there was an HOA!

This book was a very interesting study in how crime was studied and solved in the 1930's and 40's, and just how far women have now come since then in not only this field, but many others. I feel like this author has come a LONG way in her craft since she first started writing romances back in the day! I heartily recommend reading this book!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley; the opinions expressed are all my own.

Elin Lund is a single mother whose husband was killed because he was part of the resistance in WWII Copenhagen. She is summoned to Berlin to solve the murders of several young women. The assignment is perilous because she will be working in Nazi Germany with Nazi police and investigators. Not only that, she has asked two of her coworkers to join her under the auspices of needing their expertise, but really, she is hiding them because they are also part of the resistance effort in Copenhagen. Elin wants to spend as little time as possible on this assignment in order to get back to her young son. Elin is distrustful of the homicide detective to whom she is assigned, Kurt Schneider. However, as she works with him, she sees a different side of him and they form an uneasy partnership. This was a fast-moving story with interesting characters. I enjoyed it very much! Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced readers's copy.

REVIEW WILL RUN IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS

One of my favorite books last year dealt with a killer using the backdrop of war to get away with his crimes, so when I saw Some Murders in Berlin I was excited to revisit that plot. Unfortunately, the author fails to make good use of the possibilities presented by such a setting and instead provides us with a rather generic romantic suspense novel.

September 1943: It’s an offer she can’t refuse. Dr. Elin Lund is summoned to Berlin just days after Denmark is placed under direct military occupation by the Nazis. Elin has earned herself a reputation as an expert in the budding science of psychological profiling, and the German higher-ups have determined to put her and the entire field under scrutiny through the investigation of the horrific murders of eight young women in the Fatherland.

The situation is precarious. The Germans had been permanent “guests” in Denmark since 1939, but this latest maneuver is a frightening escalation of her nation’s troubles. Especially terrifying for Elin, since her in-laws are Jewish, her husband died while opposing the Nazis when they first arrived, and her son is, therefore, a half-Jewish child of a political criminal. Elin does not wish to leave him and travel to her enemy’s homeland, but she has no choice

Elin meets Homicide Detective Kurt Schneider, head of the criminal police unit, at the scene of the latest crime. He’s not thrilled to see her, and at the start, the two find themselves at odds with just how the investigation should be handled. Then they learn that the Fuhrer himself is following the case, which means certain death for them, their teammates, and most likely their families if they fail to find the killer quickly. Realizing that their lives depend on their ability to cooperate, the two combine their expertise to chase down a clever sociopath determined to evade them. But as they grow ever closer to finding their heartless perpetrator, they find themselves with heart issues of their own. Falling in love is impossible - they each have a lot of baggage to handle, which makes the war particularly dangerous for them. But falling in love seems inevitable - she is the brave, beautiful, intelligent partner he has always longed for. And he is the only man caring enough, fearless enough, and protective enough to heal her of the losses this war has inflicted.

This is a murder mystery set in WWII Germany. It deals with subjects relevant to the time in language used by the people of that era. This would include antisemitism, harm to children, concentration camps, infanticide, and many other similar issues. The violence is not graphic, but it is prevalent.

I struggled with this book from the start. It was hard to care about eight people dying at the hands of a serial killer when so many around them were dying equally horrific deaths due to the system those folks were supporting. Whether it was the endless bombing or the concentration camps, a whole lot of innocent people were facing death in Germany or because of Germany at that moment. I also didn’t see a clear distinction between the villain and those chasing him. The police under this regime participated in events like Kristallnacht and the roundup of Jewish Citizens, so for all intents and purposes, they were equivalent to the murderous SS. (For a non-fiction look at a police unit with a particularly brutal history, I recommend Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning). Elin and Kurt often find themselves reporting to generals, some of whom are in Hitler’s inner council. In addition, Robards fell back on her sexually dysfunctional uber-villain formula, a hallmark of her mysteries since 1994. There were many paths she could have taken with that character, given when and where our story takes place, that would have added some depth, but alas, it was not to be. As a result of all of this combined, the mystery was a struggle for me to immerse myself in.

None of the characters fared any better than our trite villain. Let’s begin with Kurt. I knew it would take a lot for a German police officer working for the Third Reich to be a romance-worthy hero, so I was expecting him to secretly loathe the Fuhrer and be actively working against him. Nailed it. However, the fact that Kurt was being carefully scrutinized by numerous military officials but still somehow managed to participate in clandestine anti-government activities triggered my suspension of disbelief. The passing of vital information, perhaps helping forge documents or hiding evidence were all things I could accept, but the other actions he took just made zero sense. They could only have happened in a novel.

While I found Kurt unbelievable, I found Elin confusing. When she first meets Kurt, she’s the typical feisty heroine, eager to assert her expertise and opinions. I wouldn’t have thought that would be wise with a Nazi whom she knew nothing about, especially since her “team” consists of two Dutch resistance agents being searched for in Copenhagen. She brought them with her because she believes they can hide better in Berlin. That logic perplexed me. Equally confounding is that Elin’s husband was hung during the early days of the occupation for resisting, but somehow the Nazis are unaware of his connection to her. (In fairness, she uses her maiden name, but given how thorough the Germans were, I found it hard to believe that’s all it took to hide. ) Due to all this, I would have thought being cautious would have worked better than argumentative but whatever. The author also threw in a complicated midnarrative twist to Elin’s backstory which seemed both unnecessary and unbelievable, disconnecting me from her even more. In the end, she was more of a caricature than a person.

I recognize that life is messy, humans are challengingly multifaceted, and numerous people miraculously evaded the Nazis, but within the confines of this text, it didn’t work. The author failed to convey any sense of plausibility to me as the reader. Much of the blame lies with the fact that the characters had complex backstories but no personality beyond those anecdotes about their past.

There is some interesting history here, and Ms.Robard is a thirty-year veteran of the genre whose experience is exhibited in her smooth prose. However, a mystery that doesn’t work coupled with characters that are little better than tropes makes Some Murders in Berlin a slow, occasionally arduous read.

I dnf'd at 12%. I was in the mood for a thriller tonight and I was allured by the cover. In retrospect, I should have read the blurb beyond gruesome murders of eight young women because I wouldn't have seen the word Nazi and not even given it the time of day. I admit my fault in my poor judgment.

This was my first Karen Robards book and it will not be my last. I really enjoyed this book even though it was about a serial killer in the middle of WW2. The author did an excellent job of portraying the tense atmosphere of the time period and the constant eminent peril of Dr Elin Lund and her team. Elin is known as Dr Murder for solving other cases including another serial. She is brought from Denmark (currently occupied by the Nazis) to Berlin to help solve a case to the consternation of Kurt Schneider who's currently in charge of the investigation. Both Elin and Kurt seem to dislike each other until slowly trust starts to build and their secrets are peeled back which adds even more depth to the story. This book will pull you in and won't let you go until you finish it. Excellent!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

It has been a long time since I’ve read a Karen Robards book - too long. I love historical fiction, and adding in a mystery with the best parts of a thriller, and you have an amazing story. This book is excellent.

The world is at war, and it is September of 1943. There is a serial killer on the loose in Berlin.

Dr. Elin Lund is a psychiatrist and profiler nicknamed Dr. Murder. She is renowned for helping to solve murders. Elin is brought in to help solve the murders of multiple women by a serial murderer. Elin also has secrets she is protecting.

Dr. Lund is sent to Berlin from Copenhagen to work with Homicide Detective Kurt Schneider. Detective Schneider is also keeping secrets of his own. Their tenuous relationship is the heart of this story.

I absolutely loved this book. The history was incredibly well-written and full of suspense. Elin and Kurt are fully realized characters that the reader really gets an opportunity to know. I flew through the pages. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Mira Books for the opportunity to read this phenomenal book! I will be going back to check out this author’s other historical fiction books. This one is out now - pick it up!

4.5 stars! I am a huge Criminal Minds/Bones fan so this book was right up my alley. A whipsmart protagonist working to solve a mystery and race against the clock before the killer strikes again, set against the backdrop of WWII Germany, all while working to protect the secrets of those around her plus her family back home - I loved it! I was immediately drawn into the storyline and the urgency of the request to assist with "some murders in Berlin" (I love when the title is worked into the book!) and found myself rooting for our team almost immediately.

I also enjoyed the brief romance between her and the detective - while I agree with some other reviewers that it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the storyline (i.e., do you really have time/desire for romantic entanglements when you are actively being stalked by a killer??), it really didn't detract from the story. My ONLY gripe with this book is that the secondary characters were not really fleshed out - we were told snippets about her life as it intersected with each of them, but not given enough time on the page to really understanding the struggles or empathize with dangers they faced. I think this could have been fixed with a little more up-front detail as to relationship connections with the secondary characters, and/or use of small flashback scenes to solidify those relationships for the reader.

Otherwise though, really really enjoyed this and will be recommending!

There's quite a bit to like about Robards' latest book set in 1943 Berlin. Elin Lund is on call from Denmark to help solve murders that seem to be the work of a serial killer. Elin is a famous forensic scientist know as Dr. Murder due to her track record of solving crimes. Upon arriving in Berlin, she is put under the charge of Homicide Detective Kurt Schneider. What becomes evident is that the Nazi regime is anxious to solve the case but they must be cautious as everyone is being watched. Elin has a special reason to close the case quickly and return to her young son. Schneider is sort of mysterious and obviously hides his own secrets. Elin and Kurt form an uneasy partnership and enter questionable locations that cover Berlin's illegal underground society while hunting the killer. The story moves at a quick pace and the murder mystery is fairly well done with lots of red herring tangents. Rather than a hard-boiled mystery, this novel is more of a romantic thriller as Elin and Schneider find time away from the case to canoodle. A fine summer read.

This is my first historical fiction mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm a big fan of Crime shows(especially Criminal Minds) so I really enjoyed the murder investigation and serial k!ller profiling. Elin, or Doctor Murder, is an incredible character: educated, witty, and intuitive. The small romance storyline was a little weird for me at first but after a few chapters, I really liked them together. And, something I love: a relatively happy ending.

Another hit for Karen Robards! She's such a good mystery writer. This one is a bit of historical fiction as well set during World Ward II.

Description:
September 1943: Berlin is the heart of darkness—and the last place Dr. Elin Lund wishes to be. An expert in psychological profiling, she’s been summoned from Copenhagen to investigate the gruesome murders of eight young women. Even in the midst of unspeakable evil, these killings stand apart. And with her homeland now under Nazi occupation and a young son to protect, Elin can’t refuse such a request.

Homicide Detective Kurt Schneider, head of the criminal police unit, is grudging in his welcome. The orders to find the killer come from the top, and to fail means death. The stakes are too high to risk any mistakes—or to trust a stranger. Yet the pair, trapped in an uneasy partnership, each has expertise the other needs. And Schneider, like Elin, is clearly guarding secrets of his own.

Racing to complete the investigation and return to her son, Elin feels the net tightening. Every sliver of evidence reveals a killer infinitely more dangerous, and more powerful, than anyone suspected. And in drawing closer to the terrifying truth, Elin has unwittingly made herself his new obsession…

My Thoughts:
This was a very different story than a typical World War II novel. When Elin Lund from Copenhagen was called in to assist the Berlin detectives there were obvious trust issues on both sides and they each had very good reasons for distrust. There was danger everywhere, so the atmosphere thoughout the book was fraught with tension. Everyone had to be careful of what they said and who they said it to - even where they they said it because the Nazis were listening in buildings and on phones. There was added difficulty in trying to keep a lid on the fact there was a serial killer loose in Berlin so that the general public stayed uninformed. This was fast-paced, action-packed, and kept me on edge throughout the book. The danger was palpable. I recommended to anyone who enjoys a good mystery/thriller.

Thanks to MIRA through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I should have liked this more than I did. It's right up my alley as a thriller and historical fiction, but it just didn't do it for me. I found it slow, and way too long. I didn't really connect with the characters. It's just didn't work, in my opinion.

I enjoyed this book but wish it was told in both points of view. Loved the suspense level and how Kurt and Elin work hard at finding a serial killer during the Nazi times. I felt for her as she’s afraid to open up to him, how much can she trust him? Really loved the shock value at who the killer was. Thankfully there’s a happy ever after. I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy and I recommend this book.

I was given an advance reading copy (arc) of this book from NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. Professor Elin Lund, also known as ‘Dr. Murder’ because of her successful criminal profiling is summoned from her home in Denmark to investigate a series of murders in 1938 Berlin. A widow who was once married to a Jewish man, she is desperate to protect her young son. Finding herself in the middle of Nazi-control, she isn’t sure who she can trust, but finds herself leaning on Kriminalinspektor Kurt Schneider, the official in charge of the case. Author Karen Robards weaves an entertaining tale of a murder mystery set in the middle of Adolf Hitler’s reign. In order to return home, she has to solve the case, but she is soon convinced that the killer is one of Hitler’s men. Intriguing twists and turns occur throughout the book, making it interesting, as well as entertaining. The main characters are very likeable and you can’t help but root for them. Overall, ‘Some Murders in Berlin’ is worth the read—not only do the murders keep your attention, but the setting also provides an electrifying background.

Complex thriller in 1943 Berlin!

Heartstopping thriller set in Berlin in 1943. Denmark had just surrendered to the Nazis when Professor Elin Lund, a forensic psychiatrist, from Copenhagen is directed by Nazi command to go to Berlin to investigate a serial killer. Blonde women have been found murdered in identical situations.
Elin can’t disobey. She’s hiding a secret, or two. She takes two fellow academics with her as consultants, members of the Danish Resistance, who need to get out of Denmark. Pia is a photographer and Jens is a brilliant mathematician. They are members of the Danish Resistance.
She is to work the stern CID detective, Kriminalinspektor Kurt Schneider.
It turns out Kurt’s a man with his own set of secrets. I really came to appreciate the man Kurt is.
Convinced the killer has some attachment to the police, Elin methodically follow all the evidence to build a picture of their man.
Elin has always hated being in Berlin. Her mother, a prominent psychiatrist, had been killed in a hit and run accident when Elin had been a young girl. (More revelations!) Going back there was hard, leaving her son was harder. The search for the seriously deranged killer becomes more dangerous as the pair infiltrate his lair and upset his regime. Elin receives threatening notes from the killer. The pair are beset on all sides. It turns out the killer seems to be targeting young women of the Lebensborn Society—women who will give birth to pure Aryan babies.
Add to this Kurt had displeased General Reinhard Heydrich, part of Hitler’s the heirachy, He'd been part of the bloody, failed invasion of Russia, Operation Barbarossa. Kurt had returned wounded by shrapnel blasts and with and shell shock. Elin is made very nervous by General Haupt who’d requested her presence.
The developing relationship between these two wounded people is a thing of delight.
A spine tingling thriller that leads into the jackals’ den that was the Berlin under the Third Reich.

A Harlequin Trade ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I found this book to have a slow start and almost gave up. So glad I didn’t! The story had mystery, history, and romance. And of course, the little twist at the end. Elin is a psychiatrist (surprising for the time) with a specialty in serial murders. She’s also superior and demanding, with, as it turns out, good reason. The crime scene processes might be based more on current times as opposed to the period of the story, but to be fair that’s not my area of expertise. Regardless, once I got into it, I found it difficult to walk away. I would (and do) recommend this book.

This is my first Karen Robards book, and I was riveted. It combines mystery, thriller, unexpected romance, and a WWII story into one awesome read. Elin Lund, a Danish psychiatrist and profiler, is coerced into solving a string of serial killings in WWII-era Berlin. Kurt Schneider, head detective, reluctantly welcomes her to his team. The book is full of twists and turns, most of which I didn't see coming. I highly recommend it—this story kept me on the edge of my seat until the end.

Thank you, Mira, and NetGalley Books, for the early read in exchange for a fair review.

Some Murders in Berlin by Karen Robards

I’m “95 percent sure” (pg.122) readers will be swept into this thrilling murder mystery just as I was.
Set in Berlin in 1943, the main characters are: Dr. Elin Lund, a renowned murder investigator from Denmark, and Kurt Schneider, the Chief Nazi Kripo investigator assigned to find the murderer(s) of several women. As Dr. Lund commences work on the case, the Nazis are overtaking her home country. “The German beast was finally bearing its teeth and claws.” She is extremely apprehensive about her son and in-laws because they are Jewish. She wants to solve these murders and get right back home to her son, Niles.
Without giving away any of the story, I can relate that this mystery unravels like peeling away the layers of an onion. Robards takes us into each scene with rich imagery, “Seven hours later, Elin was in the lab in the basement of the Alex, grainy eyed with exhaustion. Except for the brightly lit area right around her table, the rest of the lab was dark and shadowy. A sliver of light showing beneath the closed door made her think that she was not the only one still working, but she’d seen no one in hours and could hear nothing beyond the clink of her instruments as she finished what she was doing and gathered them up.” (Pg.98) “In the near distance, the imposing spire of Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was silhouetted against the even sky. Closer at hand, the twilight cast its purple cloak over the cobbled street under better conditions, the streetlights at the corners already would have been lit. But instead, blackout curtains were being drawn across windows every as the city prepared for its nightly plunge into darkness.” (Pg.215).
The author masterfully develops the main characters such that we feel their emotions and hear their voices. “As the eerie voice in which he’d said it replayed in her head, it was all she could do not to give in to the dread that seized her and start shivering again.” (Pg.138) “Scheider’s brows snapped together. Brooding gave way to scowling. ‘You should have asked me first… without my permission…You were brought in to help solve the case. The operative word there is help. His eyes narrowed at her, and his jaw had hardened.’” (Pg. 102)
Double lives abound in this story of innocents and murderers. We see the best and the worst of human beings. The twists and turns of this novel will surprise readers. I highly recommend this riveting story and rate it at 5.

This was my first Karen Robards book and I have to say I truly love her writing! This is a great WWII mystery novel that both keeps you wondering what will happen next, but also tells of what was happening behind the scenes in Berlin.

I highly recommend this novel for anyone that wants to get into historical fiction!

This was a wonderfully written book. I have not read this author previously and will definitely take a look at other books. I enjoyed the characters and getting to know them.The suspense was good, and I liked how everything unfolded. This is a historical thriller, and the author did a good job of providing the reader with Berlin history along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping tale. The romance was obvious, but the rest of the plot was delightfully fraught with twists and turns. I enjoyed this glimpse into the World War time period and I really loved the murder mystery. I could not put this book down!