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| Twenty7 Bonnier Publishing Ebook |
East Berlin,1975. Questions are dangerous. Answers can Kill.
Communist East Germany in 1975
was a place of shadows, a time of oppression and deceit, and an uncertain time
for police officer, oberleutnant, Karen Müller, who attempts to maintain law
and order on the dark streets of East Berlin. When the mutilated body of a
young woman is found lying exposed in a city cemetery, Müller and her
underleutnant, Werner Tilsner are faced with the difficult task of trying to investigate
a killing which seems to throw up more questions than it does answers. When
they discover that they will be assisted by Klaus Jäger, Minister for State
Security, the level of secrecy and collusion becomes heightened to an, almost, impossible
level.
Keeping the dystopian atmosphere of
Eastern Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall is a difficult task, as so
much during this time, was shrouded in secrecy, however, this debut author does
a commendable job of bringing both time and place distinctly alive in the imagination.
There is a subtle darkness to the narrative which, in my mind, is entirely in
keeping with that of the shadowy world of communist politics. Shrouded in
mystery, the central theme of the story works well; it’s atmospheric without
being enclosed in too much unnecessary detail and the crispness of the
narrative allows the story to move forwards and backwards in time with seamless
precision. There are more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep even
the more erudite crime aficionados guessing right until the very end.
And yet, the story is also about so
much more than its underlying plot. It’s also about sharply delineated characters
that become frighteningly realistic. I was entirely beguiled by Karen Müller,
she is as much an enigma as the communist world she inhabits, and I am delighted
to learn that this is the first book in a proposed series, where I hope we will
learn more about this charismatic and, it must be said, supremely flawed, oberleutnant.
Best enjoyed with ice cold Vodka shots and black coffee chasers...
About the Author
Follow on Twitter @djy_writer
David Young was born near Hull and, after dropping out of a
Bristol University science degree, studied Humanities at Bristol Polytechnic.
Temporary jobs cleaning ferry toilets and driving a butcher’s van were followed
by a career in journalism on provincial newspapers, a London news agency, and
international radio and TV newsrooms. He now writes in his garden shed and in
his spare time supports Hull City AFC.
Stasi Child is great read – not just for the story itself (exciting and gripping as it is) – but also because it brings back most vividly a time that most of us have forgotten (or, indeed, are too young to remember). East Germany, and its institutions, have a place in modern history. David Young has researched the book extensively, and its believability shines through.... Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteHi TripFiction. Thanks so much for your insightful comments. I agree, it' a timely reminder of what happened, not so long ago...
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