Dead of Night: The edge-of-your seat Berlin wartime thriller from the master storyteller

The second book in the Criminal Inspector Schenke thriller series, follows on directly after 'Blackout' ended. It's still in the depths of winter in Berlin, the snow is on the ground, it's freezing cold and the shortages of food and fuel are beginning to bite. Schenke and all the Kripo team are still here, amongst them are, Hauser, his trusted Sergeant, Scharfuhrer Leibwitz, the ex Gestapo man, who's fast becoming a much valued member of the team, although not entirely, fully trusted as yet.The pacing is slightly steadier at the start than with 'Blackout' but just as thrilling, nonetheless. As the book opens, the team are investigating a ration card forgery racket; then the apparent suicide of SS Reich Doctor Manfred Schmesler is brought to Schenke's attention by Ruth Frankel, who was the main witness in the murder investigation from 'Blackout'. Ruth, a friend of the Schmesler family, contacts Schenke, asking him to investigate the case because Schmesler's widow, Brigitte, is convinced he was murdered. This starts a roller coaster of events that draws Schenke and his team into a seemingly unrelated crime: The sudden spate of larger than usual amounts of unexplained deaths of children at the Schiller clinic in Potsdam, which William Shirer, the American Journalist draws Schenke's attention to. This leads to the main theme of the book: The Nazis horrific, Euthanasia programme.I'm not giving any spoilers as this would ultimately ruin the enjoyment of this terrific thriller; suffice to say there are thrills aplenty. Schenke and the team put themselves at great risk during the investigation bringing them on a collision course with some of the highest powers in the Nazi Regime. Which could lead to serious repercussions for them all. On the home front we also get a glimpse into Schenke's home life and increasingly rocky relationship with girlfriend Karin, niece of Admiral Canaris and his developing attraction to Ruth Frankel.A very highly recommended book. I'm hoping there will be many more books in this wonderful, thrilling series.

Very enjoyable novel which describes the period well. I must admit that I’ve read many Scarrow books and I’ve enjoyed everyone. This genre is either new to Scarrow or new to me, either way I’m not disappointed.

A haunting depiction of the terrible atmosphere of the 3rd Reich with an honest detective trying to solve murders while negotiating the politics & threats of the Gestapo. Powerfully written with a great plot and an accurate reconstruction of the historical time and place. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next in the series.

I love the plot and how the story unfolds, its a pity the author a wordsmith finds it necessary to include expletive’s 😕 else it would be 5 stars.

Mr Scarrow has written an excellent novel set in Germany at the start of the war, he gives an in depth account of how and why the nazis achieved power, and the political indoctrination of an entire country. The nazi party were no more than criminal thugs , ruling through fear and intimidation, where people were scared to even criticise them in the safety of their own homes. This book deals with the murder of those the party considered unfit to live, jews, gays, gypsies and anyone not living up to the German ideal , but shockingly they murdered thousands of innocent children unfortunate enough to be born less than perfect.While we may like to think that these horrific events are safely in the past, there are still criminal nations today who carry out the most inhumane practises with impunity, and like the main character of this novel, we must never turn our heads away and remain silent.This is the second in the series featuring CA Schenke, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them, some very interesting characters . Mr Scarrow is a fine writer, and successfully capture Berlin and the German people at the start of the conflict . I look forward to the next in the series.

Well researched and written. The main character is conflicted and confused at a difficult time. Excellent insight into the workings of Nazi Germany with significant detail linked to atrocities related to the disabled. Clearly not an uplifting read with a realistic but depressing outcome.

Another great book by this author. A crime story based in Nazi Germany which draws on certain policies of the regime. A clever mix which is a good story and a thought provoking read. I found it more engaging than the first book in the series and will read the next if there is one.

Following Phillip Kerr’s untimely death I feared we would never see the likes of Bernie Gunther, Police Detective in WW II Germany -+with their engaging Plots and deeply evocative description of good people trying to survive the oppressive Nazi regime. So I was delighted to discover Simon Scarrow’s admirable Kripo Detective, Horst Schenke. The same atmospheric description of life in Nazi Germany, a likeable hero and complex Plot drawn from real life at the time. Highly recommended.

This is a well written novel that focuses on one aspect of the evil perpetrated upon its people. The main character is a devoted Kripo who is determined to find the truth in spite of Heydrich's threats. There is no real surprise for those familiar with Nazi philosophy and tactics. Nevertheless, the characters are interesting, and the moral dilemmas unnerving.

Great second book in the series. I can't wait for more. A must read if you are a Simon Scarrow fan.

An okay book. Would not re-read it. There are far better novels set in Germany during WW2.

The plot is a bit too contrived and CI Schenke a bit too good to be true... naive. Not a bad read though, I'd try another by Simon Scarrow.

Bueno