Tag: NetGalley

Book Review – A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow #ADeathInBerlin @headlinepg

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Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow, the third book in the author’s crime thriller series set in WW2 Berlin. My thanks to Sophie at Ransom PR for inviting me to take part in the tour and to Headline for my digital review copy via NetGalley. Do check out the review by my tour buddy for today, Sue at Brown Flopsy’s Book Burrow.

About the Book

Berlin. May 1940. As Hitler prepares to invade Western Europe, there is bloodshed closer to home.

CI Horst Schenke is an exceptional investigator with the Kripo unit. Powerless against the consequences of the wider war, he fights to keep criminals off his patch of Berlin. But with influential men questioning his loyalty to the Nazi regime, he is walking a tightrope. If his secret relationship with a Jewish woman is exposed, that would spell the end.

Berlin’s gangsters run their crime rings with impunity. Decadent senior Nazis are happy to protect them. Schenke is different. He refuses to turn a blind eye when innocent victims are caught in the crossfire between warring gangs. But dangerous enemies know everything about him. They will do whatever it takes to bend him to their will . . .

From the seedy wartime nightlife scene to aristocratic homes frequented by the Führer himself, against a backdrop of a war spiralling into a greater, and closer conflagration, A Death in Berlin conveys the horror and banality of evil. And the terrible danger for those who dare stand against it.

Format: Hardcover (400 pages) Publisher: Headline
Publication date: 13th March 2025 Genre: Historical Fiction, Crime, Thriller

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My Review

A Death in Berlin is the third book featuring Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke, the follow-up to Blackout and Dead of Night.

Horst Schenke is a brilliant character. He has a strong sense of justice and bringing criminals to book is what drives him. It enables him to temporarily put to one side his growing alarm at and distaste for what is happening to Germany under the Nazis. But that’s becoming increasingly difficult. The fact he has not yet joined the Nazi party or applied for membership of the SS and turned down a role working for Heydrich marks him out in the eyes of his new boss Oberfuhrer Radinsky as a maverick. Nazi Germany does not care for mavericks. It’s only Schenke’s excellent results that protect him. Oh, and his previous career as a famous racing driver. It turns out he has an unexpected fan too.

Schenke has an additional weak spot in the form of his relationship with Ruth, a Jewish woman. Their relationship must remain clandestine for both their sakes: snatched meetings in out of the way places organised by coded messages and constant vigilence. For Schenke, discovery would mean the end of his career, and possibly worse. For Ruth it would mean certain death. ‘Caution was not just a watchword but the essence of their survival.’

But a secret makes you vulnerable and open to manipulation, as Schenke discovers. It results in the most difficult moral dilemma he has faced in his career.

Schenke’s team return: the trusty Sergeant Hauser, handy in a brawl; and Scharfuhrer Liebwitz, seconded from the Gestapo and possessed of a remarkable memory and eye for detail. (I did love learning a little more about their personal lives.) Their investigation into forged ration coupons, a valuable commodity in a time of increasing deprivation for ordinary Germans (but not for high-ranking Nazis), takes them into the murky, dog-eat-dog, world of criminal gangs.

For Schenke, increasingly there’s little difference between the immorality of the criminal underworld and that of the Nazi regime. And sometimes – just sometimes – your enemy’s enemy is your friend and the end does justify the means. It’s the cue for some terrific action scenes, including one fuelled by revenge and a desperate attempt to save a life.

As Hitler unleashes the full might of the German army on Western Europe, Schenke can only despair at what his country has become. I’m sure we can all think of contemporary parallels.

If you’re looking for a brilliant historical thriller set against the backdrop of real events with a leading character you can’t help but root for, A Death in Berlin will not disappoint.

In three words: Dramatic, atmospheric, suspenseful
Try something similar: The Ashes of Berlin by Luke McCallin

About the Author

Author Simon Scarrow

Simon Scarrow is a Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author. His books – which have sold over 6 million copies – include two earlier Criminal Inspector Schenke thrillers, Blackout and Dead of Night, and his Eagles of the Empire novels featuring Roman soldiers Macro and Cato, most recently Revenge of Rome, Rebellion and Death to the Emperor.

Connect with Simon
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Book Review – Warrior (Agricola #2) by Simon Turney @AriesFiction

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About the Book

In Nero’s Rome, ambition is a dangerous thing…

Agricola has won renown for his military exploits in Britannia. Now returned to Rome with his new family, he seeks to rise further – but life in the greatest city on earth proves more difficult than he expected. Roman politics are on a knife-edge – often literally. The Emperor Nero is unpredictable, the manner of his rule unstable.

Agricola soon finds himself posted to the troublesome province of Asia Minor. The local governor is ambitious and dangerous. Falling foul of such a man could mean certain death… and yet a rebellious young warrior like Agricola cannot stay silent for long.

When Agricola experiences personal tragedy, he seeks revenge. Rome, meanwhile, burns in a great fire… but further tumult is to come in the wake of Nero’s death. Agricola must tread a careful path to stay alive through the Year of the Four Emperors… a year of blood and ruin throughout the empire.

Format: Paperback (400 pages) Publisher: Aries
Publication date: 13th February 2025 Genre: Historical Fiction

Find Warrior (Agricola #2) on Goodreads

Purchase Warrior (Agricola #2) from Bookshop.org [Disclosure: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops]

My Review

Warrior is the second book in what is now to be a four book series about the renowned Roman soldier and statesman, Agricola. I really enjoyed the first book, Invader, and the third book, Commander, is due out in December.

Agricola is back in Rome seeking advancement, a task that requires acquiring the patronage of influential men. That’s not easy when Rome is a place of division and competing factions as the Emperor Nero’s actions become increasingly crazed. When Agricola does land the position of quaestor (for which read auditor) in the province of Asia Minor he finds himself taking a prinicipled stance against its self-serving Governor, Otho Titianus. Unfortunately, he’s made a dangerous enemy whose desire for revenge will threaten Agricola’s family and livelihood in the years to come.

Soon, however, the tide turns against Nero but without a successor it becomes a free-for-all amongst those who have ambitions to become Emperor, and changing sides becomes not just a frequent occurrence but something of an art form. Agricola makes his choice and with his friend, the Silurian warrior Luci – no longer a slave but a freedman – he finds himself back in the fray as civil war erupts.

It wouldn’t be a Simon Turney book without some exciting battle scenes and Warrior doesn’t disappoint. Particularly striking is the hour by hour description of the Second Battle of Bedriacum which thrillingly depicts the ebb and flow of battle, and in which even the moonlight plays a role. It’s brutal stuff. ‘Hours of periodic mincing and grinding of human flesh into the machinery of empire. Six hours of bloodied rags and broken bones and curses and oaths at a distance, only to begin the cycle again with the roar of the name of the emperor who, in both cases, was nowhere near the battle.’ (By the way, the author describes this as the most interesting battle he’s written about. It was a pivotal moment in the civil war and paved the way for Vespasian to become Emperor.)

The author’s Historical Note demonstrates the depth of research that has gone into the book. It involves navigating the different versions of events in the historical sources and filling in the inevitable gaps with a combination of immense knowledge of the period, informed speculation and a healthy dose of writer’s imagination. The story may be shot through with historical detail but it doesn’t make it any less of a page-turner. And you learn such interesting things along the way, such as the fact that having children could give a man a boost up the career ladder.

Warrior is a thrilling story of vaunting ambition, personal vendettas and treachery set against the backdrop of a turbulent year in the history of Rome. What’s next for Agricola as he returns to Britannia? We’re promised ‘a legion in revolt, an island torn apart by war and a governor struggling to control it’. Like Agricola, I can hardly wait.

I received an advance reader copy courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.

In three words: Authentic, dramatic, exciting
Try something similar: Domitian by S. J. A. Turney

About the Author

Simon Turney author of Bellatrix and The Capsarius

Simon Turney is from Yorkshire and, having spent much of his childhood visiting historic sites, fell in love with the Roman heritage of the region. His fascination with the ancient world snowballed from there with great interest in Rome, Egypt, Greece and Byzantium. His works include the Marius’ Mules and Praetorian series, the Tales of the Empire and The Damned Emperor series, and the Rise of Emperors books with Gordon Doherty. He lives in North Yorkshire with his family.

Connect with Simon
Website | Bluesky | Facebook