Babylon Berlin

Berlin, 1929. Detective Inspector Rath, was a successful career officer in the Cologne Homicide Division before a shooting incident in which he inadvertently killed a man. He has been transferred to the Vice Squad in Berlin, a job he detests, even though he finds a new friend in his boss, Chief Inspector Wolter. There is seething unrest in the city and the Commissioner of Police has ordered the Vice Squad to ruthlessly enforce the ban on May Day demonstrations. The result is catastrophic with many dead and injured, and a state of emergency is declared in the Communist strongholds of the city. When a car is hauled out of Berlin s Landwehr Canal with a mutilated corpse inside the Commissioner decides to use this mystery to divert the attention of press and public from the casualties of the demonstrations. The biggest problem is that the corpse cannot be identified. 'Kutscher successfully conjures up the dangerous decadence of the Weimar years, with blood on the Berlin streets and the Nazis lurking menacingly in the wings.' -Sunday Times 'Gripping evocative thriller set in Berlin's seedy underworld during the roaring Twenties. A massive hit in its native Germany, Volker Kutscher's series, centered on Detective Inspector Gereon Rath, is currently being filmed for television.' -Mail on Sunday 'The first in a series that's been wildly popular in Germany is an excellent police procedural that cleverly captures the dark and dangerous period of the Weimer Republic before it slides into the ultimate evil of Nazism.'-Kirkus Reviews 'James Ellroy fans will welcome Kutscher's first novel and series launch, a fast-paced blend of murder and corruption set in 1929 Berlin. Kutscher keeps the surprises coming and doesn't flinch at making his lead morally compromised. -Publishers Weekly 'Gereon's inquiries drag him through the mire of Berlin's underworld and the chaos of the politics of the period. Riveting and atmospheric...' --Library Journal 'Babylon Berlin is a stunning novel that superbly evolves Twenties Germany in its seedy splendour. An impressive new crime series.'-Sarah Ward, author of In Bitter Chill 'Gripping, skilfully plotted and rich in historical detail, Babylon Berlin introduces us to Detective Inspector Gereon Rath, who navigates the turbulent waters of Weimar Germany in a suspenseful and noirish tale. The novel is hopefully the first of many to be translated from this best-selling German crime series.' --Mrs Peabody Investigates 'Kutscher's undertaking to portray the downfall of the Weimar Republic through the medium of detective fiction is both ambitious and utterly convincing. Let's hope it receives the attention it deserves.'-Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 'With his detective novel Babylon Berlin, Volker Kutscher has succeeded in creating an opulent portrait of manners.'-Der Spiegel 'A highly readable piece of crime fiction set against a politico-historical background.' --Österreichischer Rundfunk