I think that the Bernie Gunther trilogy is one of the finest
historical
mysteries series that I have read, and ranks right up at the
top with Max
Allan Collins. MARCH VIOLETS has a mystery that is relatively
simple, but
the setting, time period and character more than make up for
it. THE PALE
CRIMINAL also takes place prior to WWII, and begins around a
case of
blackmail that leads to Bernie's partner being killed (can we
see a
connection here?). Bernie is forced to return to the Kripo
(Criminal
Police) on a different case that involves the murder of
teenage girls.
Again, I was most impressed with the use of the time period
and setting,
but I really like Bernie as a character as well. A GERMAN
REQUIEM gives us
Bernie after the war, in a Europe that is much changed.
Because I thought
this book had less focus on Bernie and more on focus on the
lingering
effects of Nazism and the disappearance of some Nazi agents,
I did not
think was as effective as the first two. But I would
recommend the series
to all P. I. buffs, WWII buffs, or hardboiled fans.
Kerr's other work I have skipped, as it seems to have gone
quite far afield
of anything P. I. related. Best, GWN.
P.I.E.S. (Private Investigator Entertainment Service)
Catalogs of new and used private eye fiction
Gary Warren Niebuhr, Owner
P. O. Box 341218
Milwaukee, WI 53224
piesbook@execpc.com
<http://www.execpc.com/~piesbook/piescatalog.html>
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