Another fabulous novel. This author knows historical fiction and the details are always top notch. Love her novels.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher. I enjoyed this book, great storyline and great characters. Would recommend to others.

Set against the evocative backdrop of post-war London in 1952, this gripping tale of justice, resilience, and unlikely partnership plunges readers into the heart of a city still finding its feet. London is beginning to sparkle once more, with the energy of jazz clubs and cinema marquees, but the shadows of war linger for many—none more so than widowed policewoman Helen ‘Dexie’ Dexter and visiting German officer Harri Schroder.

Dexie is a determined yet overlooked member of the Metropolitan Police, relegated to minor duties and patronised by her male colleagues. Her frustrations are palpable, and her longing to prove herself as a capable officer is a poignant reminder of the limitations women faced in that era. Harri, seconded from Hamburg, carries his own burdens, haunted by personal loss yet grounded in his belief in justice.

Their partnership begins when Harri is assigned the daunting task of tracking down a former Nazi officer who has rebranded himself as a respected British businessman. The fugitive’s connections reach into the highest circles of society, making their mission fraught with danger and deceit. It’s Dexie, with her intelligence and tenacity, whom Harri turns to as an ally. Their growing camaraderie is beautifully portrayed, rooted in mutual respect and a shared commitment to exposing the truth.

As their investigation deepens, the narrative is intensified by the infamous Great Smog of 1952, which shrouds London in a lethal fog, creating a chilling atmosphere that mirrors the peril they face. The city becomes both a character and a maze of shadows as Dexie and Harri race against time to prevent their quarry from disappearing into the mist.

The story deftly weaves historical detail with compelling characterisation, painting a vivid picture of a post-war world rife with moral ambiguity. The tension between Dexie and Harri adds a layer of emotional depth, offering moments of tenderness amidst the suspense.

This is a captivating blend of historical fiction and crime thriller, where themes of justice, redemption, and breaking societal boundaries shine. Perfect for fans of richly detailed period dramas and mysteries with strong, resourceful protagonists. A thoroughly engrossing read.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

An absolutely stunning read. I couldn’t put it down. So atmospheric in the description of the fog. Fully rounded characters that have you rooting for them all through the book. Best one yet from Mandy.

A captivating story full of adventure and intrigue. A glimpse into post war Britain and the hold that Nazis still had over people. It was great to revisit some old characters and meet new ones, don’t worry though, if you haven’t read the previous books it does not detract from this one.

This book follows one of the characters from The Hidden Storyteller, Harri Schroder who is a detective with the police in Hamburg. Five years after war is over he is sent over to London and the Metropolitan Police Force.
At first Harri thinks this is a show of friendship between the two countries, a ticking the box job. He then discovers that he's there to go undercover to identify a Natzi war criminal who has had plastic surgery to disguise how he looks.
Harri knew the man from police training college years ago and knows that he is a dangerous sort.

Harri meets a female police constable Dexie and feels he can trust her more than anyone he has met so far in London. She becomes his partner to find and identify the Natzi.

A cat and mouse game follows with Harri beginning to think that someone from the police force is trying to stop them from achieving their goal and put them both in significant danger.
I enjoyed this book and it was nice to hear how Harri and Georgie were getting on, although this not a sequel and you don't have to have read the other book. The book is a bit slow to begin with but when it heats up I was kept on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next and if Harri and Dexie were going to come out of it alive at the end.
I enjoy Mandy's book and learn so much from them at the same time.

A Dangerous Game by Mandy Robotham is a cat and mouse thriller set in London in December of 1952 as the city was experiencing a dense and deadly fog that killed hundreds and was an ideal way of hiding a dead body or two. Helen Dexter, or Dexie to her friends and colleagues is a woman in a mans world, widowed shortly after the war ended she joined the police force and dreams of becoming a detective, but is more often reduced to making the tea for her colleagues or if she is lucky intervening in a domestic dispute. The last thing she needs is to be assigned to babysit a representative from a foreign police force, and especially not a German one given that the war ended less than a decade before. Harri Schroder is not what she was expecting, he is intelligent and kind and most importantly of all treats her as a valued and equal colleague. What started out as a diplomatic exchange becomes something much more dangerous when Harri is tasked with hunting down a former Nazi turned businessman. Their target has dramatically altered his physical appearance making a positive identification difficult but Harri knew him as a younger man in Germany and the hope is that he will be able to recognise him and confirm that he is indeed the fugitive. Needless to say this is a dangerous task that becomes even more so when it becomes clear that their target is now involved in some shady business dealings with members of British high society but Harri and Dexie will do whatever it takes to get their man , even if it means putting their own lives at risk.
I really liked the oremise of this book, I thought the post war setting was interesting and not a period that I read about very often. The idea of having one of the main characters be a female police officer in the Fifties was also a reason I was drawn to the story and I warmed to the character of Dexie very quickly, I very much enjoyed seeing the glimpses of the difficulties she experienced in a male dominated workplace and how she dealt with them. Harri was also a compelling character to follow, and I appreciated the complexities of the guilt he felt about his life during the war. His dynamic with Dexie was just lovely , he immediately accepted her as a colleague and encouraged her to believe in herself and her skills and pursue her dreams. The pacing of the book was the only thing that I had any real quibbles with, it did seem to slow down and drag just a little in the middle section, I think that for a book with such a cat and mouse like story it could have been just a little more fast paced to make the most of the potential tension. From the way this book ended I think there is potential to revisit these characters and I for one would certainly be happy to spend more time with them.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I really like this author, but this is not one of my favorite books. Setting the story against the Great Smog of 1952 in London puts up some pretty solid boundaries within which the events need to take place. We meet an old friend from one of Mandy’s previous books. Harri Schroder, the Hamburg detective, is sent to London to expose a Nazi. He’s assigned a side-kick, and off they go. It is great to catch up with Harri and his friends Georgie and Max. I also appreciate learning about the Great Smog and its impact. Since the fog is central to the story, it is mentioned a lot. I cannot imagine how the author must have agonized over thinking up different descriptions. Sickly sulphur, toxic cloud, cloying smog, pea soup, and several more. Although I enjoyed the plot, the smog aspect is overpowering and I was immensely relieved when it was finally over, just like the people who had to live through it! The story itself is a good one with very pleasant characters and addresses several important issues. It has a lovely ending as long as you can put up with, well lots of smog.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Set in 1950's London A Dangerous Game is an excellent historical thriller with great characters,and a compelling plot .
When Hamburg Detective Harri Schroder is seconded to London's Metropolitan Police he discovers that far from the goodwill visit he's reluctantly been pushed into he's actually been selected for a specific mission with links to his ,and Germany's, past.
Paired with WPC Dexie Dexter Harri is tasked with checking the identity of a highly connected businessman suspected of being a Nazi war criminal who has "reinvented" himself and his past.

This a very entertaining book that perfectly captures the atmosphere and culture of a Britain still recovering from a war that women played a crucial part in but were later expected to step back from "men's jobs" , preferably as far back as the kitchen where it was generally believed they belonged. Fighting the rampant sexism of the time as well as crime,Dexie is a feisty character who finds herself drawn ever closer to her German colleague, Postwar London is almost a character in itself as the investigation progresses amidst the capital city's infamous "smog", a combination of fog and pollution that was common until the early 60's and almost like a chemical attack on the population,killing thousands over the years.
The increasingly claustrophobic and deadly smog adds to the mounting tension,with Dexie and Harri being both hampered by it and using it to their advantage in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

A great read,compelling characters and most importantly excellent entertainment.

A Dangerous Game has engaging characters that take us on a journey through London in 1952 to find a Nazi war criminal. Mandy Robotham is a talented writer who delivers page turner books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

A Dangerous Game is the first in a new 1950s series by exceptional author Mandy Robotham. If subsequent installments are this good (and they will be), wow. This is more than a superb read, it is one heck of an experience. There are thrills of a chase interlinked with chills of evil and grief. Characters are very realistic and human. Atmosphere fills nooks and crannies as the devastating 1952 London fog blankets the city, making it easy to imagine people lurking and languishing in the darkness.

In the post World War II years, people are rebuilding their lives and are desperate to leave the horrors behind. But mental scars are deep and jagged. Women struggle in an unjust man's world. Helen "Dexie" Dexter is a police officer but as a woman is relegated to coffee duties and basic cases. However, she knows her worth and is pleasantly surprised to meet respectful German Inspektor Harri Schroder from Hamburg who is briefly in London. Tasked with finding Nazi War criminals, Harri knows just the person to join him. The dream team builds on each other's strengths and trust as they interview and ingratiate. As a German "hiding" in London, Harri has advantages and disadvantages. But oh, what a team! I was with them all the way. Harri's heartache at losing his wife and child years ago formed a deep empathy and compassion for others. But when the financial wizard behind the Nazis enters the picture, I felt the evil seep in. Other quality character which melted my heart imclude the Spenders whose family felt like a steady anchor.

Robotham deftly and intelligently adds historical details everywhere. Her research is impeccable and her writing is evocative and gorgeous. I wonder where the subsequent books in the series will go? Looking forward to it. All it takes is to see her name and I'm in.

My sincere thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this captivating novel. I adored it!

As. Ever Mandy Robotham has not disappointed in her latest novel. Follow the story of Dexie , an English constable frustrated by her lack of progress in the force and Harri, a German detective.
Their lives come together in a world of trust. and eventually love, after the dangerous task of taking down a german nazi .
A wonderful read

I loved this book from the start. Set in 1952 a German Inspektor of Police is seconded to the Met in London. He is given Dexie a WPC to show him around but after a few days he realises that she has a lot more to offer than helping old ladies across the road. He is then approached by MI5 to hunt down a Nasi War criminal who he knew 20 years ago.
The whole plot then becomes quite dangerous and thrilling.
I was really taken with the twists and turns of this book bearing in mind they had no modern methods to help them.
Well worth a read.

In the 1950’s the city of London is vibrant once again.

This story brings Dexie Dexter an officer in the London Metropolitan Police presently stuck intervening in domestics cases when she is teamed up with ex Nazi, Harri Schroder, from Hamburg police. They clicked immediately and when Harri was tasked with hunting down, a Nazi war criminal. Joining him was Dexie and soon they set on a dangerous hunt for this shadowy figure….and the fun is on….enjoy.

Mandy Robotham is a stellar author. Her stories are well-written, powerful, intense, very suspenseful and historical fact-based of course to make the reading enjoyable she also uses her creative mind for our pleasure. In her latest she not only touches the hunt for Nazi war criminals but also dabbles beautifully in WW11 post war London, the Cold War as well as setting her story during the Great Smog that paralysed this bustling metropolis.

What an engaging story this turned out to be. Following Harri and Dex on their harrowing mission filled with twists and turns just kept me glued to every words. I couldn’t help but rooting for them wanting so much for them to succeed. A real page turner it turned out to be.

Well-said and well-done once again. “A Dangerous game” is a winner no doubt

Thank you to @netgalley, @AvonBooks, and @HarperCollinsUK for this ARC. Harri Schroder is transferred from his beat in Hamburg, Germany just after the war to a special division of MI6 in London because he grew up with a former Nazi who is on the run. With Harri having the ability to identify him, he is on the case. Helen "Dexie" Dexter seems like the perfect partner to pair with Harri on the hunt as she knows London inside and out. Can these partners find this Nazi war criminal before it is too late? This is a cute book that I hope she makes into a series. I would read about Harri and Dexie again! #ADangerousGame #MandyRobotham #HarperCollinsUK #AvonBooks #Jan2025

A cat and mouse thriller that keeps you engaged throughout the book.
Harri Schroder a German police detective is seconded to London in 1952, during the Great Smog of London, to hunt down and identify a high ranking Nazi war criminal who Harri had undertaken police training with. Helmet Praxer has had extensive plastic surgery but MI5 is hoping Harri can identify Praxer by his mannerisms.
Harri has assistance from a young police woman Helen Dexter ‘Dexie’ and they form an impressive partnership in the hunt for Praxer.
This really is a cat and mouse chase as the duo find and identify Praxer but for him to then hunt the duo down. Harri and Dexie only have themselves to rely on.
This is a suspenseful, atmospheric read with wonderful characters and it will keep you reading well into the night

Another thriller from Mandy Robotham, this time putting events in the time frame of the 1950's during the great smog where it's estimated 4,000 or more people died. The reader will be drawn to similar foggy, smog scenes by Charles Dickens, who was a social campaigner regarding London's air quality. The scene is set even with Londoners still making mayhem after the end of the war.

Helen Dexter (Dexie) had been in the midst of the carnage during the war even putting herself into danger but now at the end of the war, as a young Police officer she has been given only menial work with the pre war chauvinism raising its ugly head with her almost relabelled as ‘tea lady’. Dexie longs to stretch her legs and her mind to prove herself beyond her present position within the London Metropolitan Police. What gives her added compunction to push for greater fulfillment; she is a war widow. While she has accepted the situation, the thought of gallavanting out like her best friend is not something she is interested in or forming new romantic attachments. She visits her mother as much as possible but remains resolute to stay at her present digs close to work.

Dexie’s life begins to change when she is introduced to an ex SS Officer, Harri Schroder, a German policeman who has been seconded from Hamburg to the Met. The whole relocation thing seems to be a bit of a ferfy before Harri is finally informed of why he is in England. All this doesn't do much for him as he is still in a deep state of despair with the death of his wife and child, however to help fill in his time in the first instance, Dexie is given the job of showing him her daily responsibilities and Police work. It's during an incident that Harri realises the potential of this quick thinking, problem solving officer giving him a partner for the main investigation that he has been brought to England to solve. He is tasked with hunting down a Nazi war criminal, turned respected businessman who has connections to those of upper British society. Harri had studied with the Nazi when both were young men but it seems his fellow student, now war criminal has had a total face reconstruction, so how to prove he is; who he was?

Fear and the unknown: it keeps the pages turning.

Two people agreed to go on a mission to identify a high-level Nazi officer who managed to escape. Inspecktor Harri Schroder from Hamburg and Constable Helen Dexter from London had a lot of experience with crime on the streets but now they were working on a new beast requiring more expertise and risk-taking. They needed to be careful or they would be headed for extreme pain and the unimaginable.

It took place in 1952, a time when WWII was still on everyone’s thoughts with loved ones who died and the devastation that occurred. One character talked about how it takes a long time to regain trust between nations. Prejudice remained everywhere. These were the days when women made tea for men at work. The kids today would ask why.

This story kept me up late at night. I wanted to read just one more chapter until I couldn’t. At one point, I had to walk away from the book as it was beginning to feel too real based on the possibility of secret negotiations. I had chills thinking about the injustice of an evil person making millions getting away with manipulating the system. And then I had chills thinking of the description of the cold London fog.

The story had a strong chain of events that kept me engaged. It was another book by Mandy Robotham that will be remembered.

My thanks to Avon and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of January 16, 2025.

Harri Schroeder is a police detective in Hamburg in 1952. Despite his anti Nazi proclivities, he survived World War II, although his wife and daughter did not. He is sent on assignment to London. Dexie is a widowed police constable in London. She yearns to do more than just walk the beat and be the one to bring tea to her fellow male officers.

When He arrives in London, Harri learns that his assignment is to help identify a Nazi war criminal whom he knew as a young police recruit in Hamburg. After meeting Dexie, Harri is impressed by her and requests her as his teammate. They embark on a very dangerous cat and mouse chase made more difficult by the Great London Smog of 1952.

I really enjoy Mandy Robotham’s books and have read a number of them. This adds to her exceptional body of work. Well written, atmospheric, suspenseful, with fully developed characters, this was a five star read for me….another one I couldn’t put down.

Robotham’s books are always historically accurate and I enjoyed learning more of post World War II days in London, the Cold War, and the Great Smog.

I recommend this for fans of historical fiction or anyone who just likes a good story with fascinating characters.

A Dangerous Game is an atmospheric read that I simply did not want to put down.

Its London 1952 and the background is the Killer Fog.

I love the fog but this fog you can almost taste and it will send chills down your spine.

Harri Schroder is back and he is on loan to the Met for a special assignment hunting down a suspected Nazi war criminal.

Harri knows him well.

I love Harri, he is smart, kind, a bit of a rebel and very witty.

He meets Dexie (Helen) a police constable and Harri immediately trusts her and has her join his mission.

Time is of the essence, the fog has settled in, people are dying in droves and there is danger around every corner.

Evil is among them.

Mandy Robotham takes the reader down this chilling path with twists and turns that keep you guessing and holding your breath for Harri and Dex.

I highly recommend this atmospheric, well researched and well written book.

My only complaint was I did not want it to end and I hope we see more of Harri in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the privilege of reading and reviewing A Dangerous Game.