Dead of Night: The chilling new World War 2 Berlin thriller from the bestselling author (CI Schenke)

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He is investigating murders but who has sanctioned these murders and does he really want to find out as this might put his own life in danger. This thriller is set in January/February in Berlin 1940, when after a night out SS Dr Schmesler is found dead the next morning in his home office by his wife. Germany has conquered Poland. The world is praying for peace. At home, the Nazi Party’s hold on power is absolute. Writing about the inspiration for Dead of Night, Simon Scarrow describes it as being the story of how ‘an extreme ideology prepares the ground for unthinkable and unconscionable actions’. I expect we can all think of contemporary parallels. Navigating such a situation while keeping his integrity intact is the dilemma Schenke faces. He’s a patriot but one who has become ashamed of what his country is doing. It’s these difficult choices that make the book so powerful, exposing as it does some of the darkest deeds of the 20th century. One freezing night in 1940 Berlin, an SS doctor and his wife return from an evening mingling with their fellow Nazis at the concert hall. By the time the sun rises, the doctor will be lying lifeless in a pool of blood…

I have heard of this author through this Roman series and when a friend told me he had written a series set in Germany during WW2, I thought I’d give them a try. One freezing night, an SS doctor and his wife cheerfully return home from an evening out. By sunrise, the doctor will be lifeless in a pool of blood.

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However, there were moments of dialogue that took me out of the plot, either unnecessary filler or to make grandiose statements about the themes of the novel - was it cowardice not to fight oppression? Is murder ever justified? How do morals and obligation intersect in such a twisted society? The novel did a good enough job of exploring these question without explicit comments by characters. After Germany’s invasion of Poland, the world is holding its breath and hoping for peace. At home, the Nazi Party’s hold on power is absolute. A superb thriller with all the elements that make for a seriously gripping story - an outsider hero in jeopardy, a world of brooding danger, and an entirely, terrifyingly believable denouement - Owen Matthews

The book reads fast, but definitely isn't for the squeamish and those who can't handle the descriptions of the atrocities committed, and to Scarrow's credit, he doesn't go into the detail an historian might go into. For years, Scarrow has kept us entertained with the antics of Cato and Macro, two soldiers in the Roman forces when the Roman Empire was a viable force and ruled much of the known world. Those books always managed to work in a bit of levity. This one does not. It is very dark. Of course, we are dealing with the Nazis and there wasn't much about Hitler and his gang of thugs which could provide much humour, so it's understandable this book doesn't have that lighter touch the Cato and Macro series has.I found the plot engaging- I wont go into details to avoid spoilers, but needless to say the pressure to solve the murder of a prominent Nazi member provides immediate conflict for the characters and the readers. The historical context of the thriller both gives stark emotional weight, shedding valuable light on a dark chapter of the Nazi regime that goes to prove that no matter how much you know, it was always worse than you thought. After Germany's invasion of Poland, the world is holding its breath and hoping for peace. At home, the Nazi Party's hold on power is absolute. This is an interesting and dark read set at a bleak time in the history of humankind. Horst Schenke appears to be an honourable man and a dedicated policeman but he is working for a regime which is not honourable and which bases it’s very existence on crimes against humanity. Thank you so much to Jess Hunt from Ransom PR for inviting me to the Dead Of Night blog tour and sending me a copy of the book. Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke of the Kripo, the criminal investigation department of the police force, is approached by a woman who recently helped him catch a murderer. She asks for his help to investigate the apparent suicide of a friend’s husband, a doctor and member of the Nazi party. His wife believes he was murdered. He feels he owes her this so begins investigating. He finds sufficient evidence that this death points to murder but he is told by his superiors the verdict of suicide will not be changed. Someone high up does not want an investigation. Schenke is warned off investigating further by his superiors and then again after being abducted and threatened with death if he carries on.

In times of war, under a ruthless regime, there are places no man should ever enter. And Schenke fears he may not return alive . . . Schenke’s feelings for Ruth become more apparent in this book and it is a difficult situation and a danger for both of them. I normally try and read most of Simon Scarrow's books, but found the predecessor to this book to be almost clumsy and inarticulate. So I was fortunate to be shared this book by the publisher and NetGalley, as I was intrigued to discover how this very new series has evolved and am appreciative to both.The way that Simon Scarrow writes is utterly compelling, he’s like my favorite History Teacher, because although Dead Of Night is a work of fiction, it is based on truth, and in his exceptional style, taught me to look at how working and living in Berlin under the threat of Hitler and his SS henchmen when one is just trying to do one’s job, becomes a minefield of difficulty. In our protagonist, Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke, we have a man who cannot fight due to an injury sustained whilst racing for the famous Silver Arrows Racing Team, so he has risen to the rank of Criminal Inspector with the Kripos, and he loves his job, and just wants to keep fighting the criminals, murderers and rapists and make sure they are caught and punished….sounds simple right? But during wartime in Berlin, nothing is simple, no one trusts one another, and Horst finds himself embroiled in a case that he has been warned off investigating, and when he continues to do so puts himself and those he cares about in grave danger. At the end of the book you'll notice a very informative Historical Note, where the horrendous treatment of children and other historical details concerning this period of history are wonderfully explained. This is Simon Scarrow's second book featuring Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke in Berlin shortly after the Nazi invasion of Poland.