Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Peter Bernhardt's books

54 ratings | 24 reviews | avg rating:4.11

Peter’s Year In Books

Peter’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Peter’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Peter’s 2025 Year in Books

Peter Bernhardt’s Followers (7)

Peter’s Bookshelves

to-read (4)
currently-reading (24)
read (81)
did-not-finish (0)
wishlist (0)

Peter’s Friends (63)

Susan Bernhardt

243 books | 319 friends

Jan

433 books | 48 friends

Elma Schemenauer

66 books | 147 friends

M.P. Anderfeldt

39 books | 119 friends

Bob Sanchez

313 books | 1,547 friends

Silvia Villalobos

38 books | 109 friends

Annabelle

442 books | 56 friends

Rick Bylina

158 books | 188 friends

More friends…

Peter Bernhardt

Goodreads Author

Born

in Stuttgart, Germany

Website

https://sedonauthor.com

Twitter

sedonawriter

Genre

Fiction, Thriller, Historical Fiction

Member Since

April 2009

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/sedonawriterfastmailnet

edit data

As I approached my prime, I developed the powerful urge to write thrillers. My wife harbored the absurd suspicion midlife crisis had struck, because I was bound in those days to courtroom and desk at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. So my dream remained just that for a long time. As soon as I retired, though, we moved to Arizona and I took things in hand by enrolling in a workshop for wannabe authors. German is my native tongue, not English, and my experience as an author consisted of the publication of a couple of student papers and law journal articles, plus cranking out numberless legal pleadings and briefs. What was I thinking?

The workshop was a bust, but it did push me into tackling my first book, The Stasi File – Opera and Espionage: A De As I approached my prime, I developed the powerful urge to write thrillers. My wife harbored the absurd suspicion midlife crisis had struck, because I was bound in those days to courtroom and desk at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. So my dream remained just that for a long time. As soon as I retired, though, we moved to Arizona and I took things in hand by enrolling in a workshop for wannabe authors. German is my native tongue, not English, and my experience as an author consisted of the publication of a couple of student papers and law journal articles, plus cranking out numberless legal pleadings and briefs. What was I thinking?

The workshop was a bust, but it did push me into tackling my first book, The Stasi File – Opera and Espionage: A Deadly Combination, in which, following the age-old advice to “write what you know,” I wove together the unlikely combination of a German upbringing, a lifelong love of opera and my experiences as an attorney. After a beginning that seemed to take forever, I was surprised when the challenge of creating characters and building a plot that was real and intriguing started to take over my waking hours, and a few sleeping ones too.

My skill and talent developed quickly, but there were many times they seemed almost superfluous--I was too busy holding on tight as my characters and their actions took over and went their own ways, leaving me to serve as their scribe and menial servant. What a journey!

The Stasi File was named a finalist for Book of the Year by the British-Arts-Council sponsored website www.youwriteon.com, and is ranked a bestseller by the site. The novel was a quarter finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. Reviews and reader comments on the book include “breathtaking roller coaster ride,” and “comparable to the books of Clancy, Ludlum and Follett.”

The sequel, Kiss of the Shaman's Daughter, pits The Stasi File protagonists, Sylvia and Rolf, against ruthless smugglers of Indian artifacts during Sylvia's engagement at the Santa Fe Opera, interweaving as subplot the story of thirteen-year old Indian girl, Teya, during the Pueblo Indian Revolt of 1680 that drove the Spanish from New Mexico.

The fierce cold-war espionage battle between East and West Germany inspired me to write my third novel, Red Romeo. The plot takes the reader inside the Stasi spymaster's ingenious method of unleashing his small army of spy gigolos on lonely women working in the West German government's most secret divisions.
...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Peter Bernhardt questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Peter Bernhardt’s books

Average rating: 3.7 · 60 ratings · 26 reviews · 11 distinct works

	The Stasi File: Opera and Espionage - A Deadly Combination 3.67 avg rating — 30 ratings — published 2009 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Red Romeo 3.65 avg rating — 26 ratings — published 2015 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kiss of the Shaman's Daughter (#2) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2013 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wily Violets and Underground Orchids, Revelations of a Botanist by Peter Bernhardt (Goodreads Author), illustrated (illustrator) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Roter Romeo 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kuss der Schamanentochter: Revolte, Verlorener Schatz und Schmuggler (Diva Unverzagt Buch 2) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	植物との共生 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Le baiser de la rose 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Abgefahren. 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Elektronisches Geld: D. neuen Dienstleistungen der Banken 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Peter Bernhardt…

1 post
Peter Bernhardt's Blog

German edition of The Stasi File

The German edition of The Stasi File is selling very well in e-book format in Germany.

Peter Bernhardt, Author: "The Stasi File," Quarter Finalist 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award; German edition: "Die Stasi-Akte." Sequel: "Kiss of the Shaman's Daughter." http://tinyurl.com/a7rnpql - http://sedonaauthor.com - http://tinyurl.com/lc6tzdf Read more of this blog post »

1 like · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on July 07, 2014 16:07

Peter is Currently Reading

Peter is currently reading

Act of Oblivion

by Robert Harris (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Aug 30, 2026 01:43PM

Peter is currently reading

The American School of Spies: The Archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece

by Stephan Talty (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Aug 06, 2026 05:18PM

Peter is currently reading

Bad To The Bones (Evan Buckley Thriller, #1)

by James Harper (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jun 06, 2026 04:56PM

rss
Peter’s Recent Updates

Peter is currently reading Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 30, 2026 01:43PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter is currently reading The American School of Spies: The Archaeologists Who Fought the Nazis and Saved the Treasures of Ancient Greece by Stephan Talty (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 06, 2026 05:18PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The American School of Spies by Stephan Talty. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The American School of Spies by Stephan Talty <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter rated a book it was amazing The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 30, 2026 04:19PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter rated a book did not like it You Don't Want to Know by Lisa Jackson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oooo, major whiplash! Back and forth, up and down, round and round. How many times can a plot make completely unbelievable "twists" without losing reader interest? credibility? respect? I mean, I'm all for a surprise or two, but this book takes it to ...more
Jun 23, 2026 03:12PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of You Don't Want to Know by Lisa Jackson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — You Don't Want to Know by Lisa Jackson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter finished reading Kiss of the Shaman's Daughter (#2) by Peter Bernhardt (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 06, 2026 05:19PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Kiss of the Shaman's Daughter by Peter Bernhardt. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Kiss of the Shaman's Daughter by Peter Bernhardt <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter is currently reading Bad To The Bones (Evan Buckley Thriller, #1) by James Harper (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 06, 2026 04:56PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Bad To The Bones by James Harper. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Bad To The Bones by James Harper <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter rated a book really liked it The Fix by Mia Sheridan (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Very enjoyable. With the exception of the obvious-from-page-one romance and a few grammatical glitches, this was a very good read. I will look for more by this author.
May 07, 2026 04:00PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Fix by Mia Sheridan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Fix by Mia Sheridan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter rated a book it was ok Divided We Stand: Fractured Union - Book One by Robert Cole (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Premisegreat; book not so much. What an intriguing idea - a complex plan to use the US Constitution to bring down the country! Unfortunately, the cardboard characters, innumerable unbelievable coincidences, poor pacing and repetitious subplots make fo ...more
Mar 01, 2026 10:39AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Divided We Stand by Robert Cole. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Divided We Stand by Robert Cole <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter finished reading I Came Back for You by Kate White (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 25, 2026 09:48AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I Came Back for You by Kate White. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I Came Back for You by Kate White <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Peter is currently reading I Came Back for You by Kate White (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 20, 2026 07:45PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I Came Back for You by Kate White. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I Came Back for You by Kate White <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Peter's books…

Peter’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-2) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 2: by Peter

Sep 04, 2013 02:30PM

Thank you, Susan. Happy writing. Peter.

reply | flag

message 1: by Susan

Sep 04, 2013 02:27PM

Peter, I looked to see if my son was on goodreads and then saw that you were here and remembered our emails about dinner...lol. Glad to have you as a friend here. Thanks. Susan

reply | flag

Peter Bernhardt’s Followers (7)

Peter Bernhardt

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssPeter’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris

See a Problem?

Preview — The American School of Spies by Stephan Talty

See a Problem?

Preview — The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni

See a Problem?

Preview — You Don't Want to Know by Lisa Jackson

See a Problem?

Preview — Kiss of the Shaman's Daughter by Peter Bernhardt

See a Problem?

Preview — Bad To The Bones by James Harper

See a Problem?

Preview — The Fix by Mia Sheridan

See a Problem?

Preview — Divided We Stand by Robert Cole

See a Problem?

Preview — I Came Back for You by Kate White

See a Problem?

Preview — I Came Back for You by Kate White

rss
Peter’s Recent Updates