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Death in Berlin
Set against a background of war-scarred Berlin in the early 1950s, M. M. Kaye's Death in Berlin is a consummate mystery from one of the finest storytellers of our time.
Miranda Brand is visiting Germany for what is supposed to be a month's vacation. But from the moment that Brigadier Brindley relates the story about a fortune in lost diamonds--a story in which Miranda herself figures in an unusual way--the vacation atmosphere becomes transformed into something more ominous. And when murder strikes on the night train to Berlin, Miranda finds herself unwillingly involved in a complex chain of events that will soon throw her own life into peril.
"Leisurely, well-plotted, affable entertainment." - Kirkus Reviews
Miranda Brand is visiting Germany for what is supposed to be a month's vacation. But from the moment that Brigadier Brindley relates the story about a fortune in lost diamonds--a story in which Miranda herself figures in an unusual way--the vacation atmosphere becomes transformed into something more ominous. And when murder strikes on the night train to Berlin, Miranda finds herself unwillingly involved in a complex chain of events that will soon throw her own life into peril.
"Leisurely, well-plotted, affable entertainment." - Kirkus Reviews
273 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
37 people are currently reading
687 people want to read
About the author
M.M. Kaye
33 books577 followersM. M. Kaye (Mary Margaret) was born in India and spent her early childhood and much of her early-married life there. Her family ties with the country are strong: her grandfather, father, brother and husband all served the British Raj. After India's independence, her husband, Major-General Goff Hamilton of Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides (the famous Indian Army regiment featured in The Far Pavilions), joined the British Army and for the next nineteen years M. M. Kaye followed the drum to Kenya, Zanzibar, Egypt, Cyprus and Germany.
M. M. Kaye won worldwide fame for The Far Pavilions, which became a worldwide best-seller on publication in 1978. This was followed by Shadow of the Moon and Trade Wind. She also wrote and illustrated The Ordinary Princess, a children's book and authored a dozen detective novels, including Death in Kashmir and Death in Zanzibar. Her autobiography has been published in three volumes, collectively entitled Share of Summer: The Sun in the Morning, Golden Afternoon, and Enchanted Evening. In March 2003, M. M. Kaye was awarded the Colonel James Tod International Award by the Maharana Mewar Foundation of Udaipur, Rajasthan, for her "contribution of permanent value reflecting the spirit and values of Mewar".
M. M. Kaye won worldwide fame for The Far Pavilions, which became a worldwide best-seller on publication in 1978. This was followed by Shadow of the Moon and Trade Wind. She also wrote and illustrated The Ordinary Princess, a children's book and authored a dozen detective novels, including Death in Kashmir and Death in Zanzibar. Her autobiography has been published in three volumes, collectively entitled Share of Summer: The Sun in the Morning, Golden Afternoon, and Enchanted Evening. In March 2003, M. M. Kaye was awarded the Colonel James Tod International Award by the Maharana Mewar Foundation of Udaipur, Rajasthan, for her "contribution of permanent value reflecting the spirit and values of Mewar".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
July 6, 2020
I have a soft spot in my heart for all things Germany-related, and this 1955 murder mystery by M.M. Kaye, set in post-WWII Berlin, has its charms and a nicely authentic feel to the setting. But reading this book was kind of like an old-timey train ride ... in fact, the kind this novel actually starts out with.
The train (book) has some reasonably comfortable sleeping compartments, and attendants who direct you when you're feeling a bit lost. The food's a little old-fashioned, but fairly tasty. There are a few odd people in the passenger cars, but you're not too worried about them because your main group of friends on this ride is pleasant, if rather bland. It's really too bad that there's a murderer in this group, but you think you've figured out who it is, so you feel relatively safe as long as you keep your eye on this person, if disinclined to take solitary excursions to dark sections of the train.
The train is chugging along nicely, but then, when you're only thirty miles (pages) from your final destination, the engine starts to make strange noises. A wheel comes off, then another. The entire train derails and several sections tip over sideways. Men bluster; women have hysterics, or faint. Somewhere a shot rings out. A lone wolf howls. Unexpectedly, an 18-wheeler semitrailer truck crashes into the middle of the train! A guy leaps out of the truck, grabs a random passenger from the train and kisses her passionately. The curtain crashes down.
The End.
So, that's the story of my train ride through Germany.
I might, hypothetically, be a bit bitter because I didn't guess the murderer right. All I can say is, most of my irritation is because I thought the final explanation was way too implausible, and the romance was severely underbaked.
M.M. Kaye wrote six "Death in ..." murder mystery novels, each with a side helping of romance. This one in post-war Berlin wasn't my favorite, but it had its moments, and readers who like old-fashioned mysteries with a dash of retro romance (the kind with bossy alpha males) will probably enjoy it. My favorite of the six: Death in Kashmir.
The train (book) has some reasonably comfortable sleeping compartments, and attendants who direct you when you're feeling a bit lost. The food's a little old-fashioned, but fairly tasty. There are a few odd people in the passenger cars, but you're not too worried about them because your main group of friends on this ride is pleasant, if rather bland. It's really too bad that there's a murderer in this group, but you think you've figured out who it is, so you feel relatively safe as long as you keep your eye on this person, if disinclined to take solitary excursions to dark sections of the train.
The train is chugging along nicely, but then, when you're only thirty miles (pages) from your final destination, the engine starts to make strange noises. A wheel comes off, then another. The entire train derails and several sections tip over sideways. Men bluster; women have hysterics, or faint. Somewhere a shot rings out. A lone wolf howls. Unexpectedly, an 18-wheeler semitrailer truck crashes into the middle of the train! A guy leaps out of the truck, grabs a random passenger from the train and kisses her passionately. The curtain crashes down.
The End.
So, that's the story of my train ride through Germany.
I might, hypothetically, be a bit bitter because I didn't guess the murderer right. All I can say is, most of my irritation is because I thought the final explanation was way too implausible, and the romance was severely underbaked.
M.M. Kaye wrote six "Death in ..." murder mystery novels, each with a side helping of romance. This one in post-war Berlin wasn't my favorite, but it had its moments, and readers who like old-fashioned mysteries with a dash of retro romance (the kind with bossy alpha males) will probably enjoy it. My favorite of the six: Death in Kashmir.
April 17, 2018
Miranda is on a train to Berlin, accompanying her cousin Robert, his wife Stella, their daughter Lottie and her governess. There is a murder on the train and the authorities narrowed it down to 11 possible suspects, Miranda included – and possibly at the top of the list since she discovered the body and managed to be the only one with blood on her hands, clothing, and shoes.
In Berlin, they move into their housing. Robert is stationed there with the Army, and Stella is making the best of it for Robert’s sake, despite the fact that she hates being away from home.
Berlin. Eight years after WWII and eight years before the Berlin Wall goes up. The city remains in ruins, yet the people of the city are building mountains out of the rubble that is steadily being hauled outside the city limits.
Although I am certain it is all very different today, the Berlin of 1953 must have been fascinating to live in. The ruins – some left behind and some participating in becoming ski hills – living side by side with new housing and commercial buildings. The very old comingled with the nearly destroyed and the new. This was a splendid opportunity to explore a place and time that I never have before.
Through all of this runs a fabulously written trio of murders whose mystery keeps finding Miranda flat-footed and feeling off centre the bulk of the time.
M. M. Kaye’s writing is fluid, confident, and very accomplished. We are allowed deep into the character’s lives, their personalities, and what motivates them. Some of this we can tell by how they respond or act on any given occasion; other times we can see by what they hide – or attempt to hide.
I found this second in her series of mysteries as enjoyable, if not more so, than the first. I am looking forward so much to the next “Murder in . . . “ of this series – and the location next time will be Cyprus!
In Berlin, they move into their housing. Robert is stationed there with the Army, and Stella is making the best of it for Robert’s sake, despite the fact that she hates being away from home.
Berlin. Eight years after WWII and eight years before the Berlin Wall goes up. The city remains in ruins, yet the people of the city are building mountains out of the rubble that is steadily being hauled outside the city limits.
Although I am certain it is all very different today, the Berlin of 1953 must have been fascinating to live in. The ruins – some left behind and some participating in becoming ski hills – living side by side with new housing and commercial buildings. The very old comingled with the nearly destroyed and the new. This was a splendid opportunity to explore a place and time that I never have before.
Through all of this runs a fabulously written trio of murders whose mystery keeps finding Miranda flat-footed and feeling off centre the bulk of the time.
M. M. Kaye’s writing is fluid, confident, and very accomplished. We are allowed deep into the character’s lives, their personalities, and what motivates them. Some of this we can tell by how they respond or act on any given occasion; other times we can see by what they hide – or attempt to hide.
I found this second in her series of mysteries as enjoyable, if not more so, than the first. I am looking forward so much to the next “Murder in . . . “ of this series – and the location next time will be Cyprus!
February 14, 2020
The cover of my edition of this book is so evocative!
Maybe because this was a sadder time and setting, but I didn't enjoy this Kaye as much as the previous Death In... titles I have read.
Other than with the two main characters Kaye shows her usual gift for characterisation and dialogue. Miranda is a very colourless heroine. So is the hero, Simon. I really was starting to wonder
I also think though that this was in part the construction of the book, as it felt like Kaye was going to originally try her hand at an Agatha Christie style murder mystery and then went more for her usual exotic setting and mystery. Some scenes really felt like filler.Also I'm noticing that Kaye heroines seem to work out what is the stupidest, most dangerous action for the heroine to take and then she does just that. Exasperating to a 21st century reader.
This book was heading for a 2★ rating, but I was slow to guess the villain and the denouement was genuinely thrilling, but i would not describe this book as a "must read."
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
Maybe because this was a sadder time and setting, but I didn't enjoy this Kaye as much as the previous Death In... titles I have read.
Other than with the two main characters Kaye shows her usual gift for characterisation and dialogue. Miranda is a very colourless heroine. So is the hero, Simon. I really was starting to wonder
I also think though that this was in part the construction of the book, as it felt like Kaye was going to originally try her hand at an Agatha Christie style murder mystery and then went more for her usual exotic setting and mystery. Some scenes really felt like filler.Also I'm noticing that Kaye heroines seem to work out what is the stupidest, most dangerous action for the heroine to take and then she does just that. Exasperating to a 21st century reader.
This book was heading for a 2★ rating, but I was slow to guess the villain and the denouement was genuinely thrilling, but i would not describe this book as a "must read."
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
September 12, 2023
M.M. Kaye could conjure atmosphere out anywhere, just give her a setting where she had some personal experience. it really was a gift, that ability to channel her memories and experiences into creating a totally real and immersive setting, while also making sure that that setting is, at different times, intriguingly foreign or weird, unnerving. one would think that post-war Berlin would be bereft of "atmosphere" and instead come across as gray, dull, depressing. not the case here! the military housing where our protagonist is lodged is made supernaturally eerie. Kaye transforms this house - and much of Berlin - into a place of disturbing ambiguity. mysterious motivations, shadowy spaces where who knows who could be watching you, windows that should be locked somehow not, soft footsteps heard where they shouldn't be. perhaps that shadow falling across the lawn at dusk is not a shadow after all.
the mystery itself is aces. I was pretty surprised at who turned out to be the killer, even though the author played fair when setting up their motivations; I should have studied this character even more closely. even in this early novel, Kaye's facility with characterization nearly rivaled her skill with establishing then exploring an evocative setting.
the mystery itself is aces. I was pretty surprised at who turned out to be the killer, even though the author played fair when setting up their motivations; I should have studied this character even more closely. even in this early novel, Kaye's facility with characterization nearly rivaled her skill with establishing then exploring an evocative setting.
October 1, 2021
Halloween Bingo 2021
3.25 stars
I know for a fact that I read this novel back in the 1980s, but I remembered nothing about it. Actually, I think it is the most forgettable of Kaye's mystery books, perhaps because of the grey, dismal surroundings of Berlin immediately after WWII. Kaye manages to make the ruins and relics somewhat impressive, but only the family backyard and the cherry blossoms seem at all beautiful. Quite unlike her usual exotic settings. But she was describing the Berlin that she stayed in as an army wife, the role allotted to Stella Melville in this tale.
These mysteries are frightfully predictable, at least with regards to the heroine’s love life, if not the identity of the murderer. Miranda, our main character, becomes accidentally enmeshed in the very first killing and remains at the centre of the storm for the duration. Of course, there is an improbably attractive man, Simon Lang, in charge of the investigation. How someone young enough to be a romantic interest for our girl in her late teens/early twenties could possibly achieve the rank of lead investigator is conveniently omitted.
Another unusual facet of this story is that Miranda is not as good at putting the clues together as other Kaye heroines. She spends a great deal of the book confused and scared. She is also sans female friends, unlike Death in the Andamans, which I read earlier in this year's Bingo. Although staying with her cousin’s family in Berlin, she has very little emotional support. This also detracts from the charm of the story, at least for me. There also seemed to be an emphasis on possible marital infidelities that seemed overdone. Kaye generally has at least one rather greasy philanderer per novel, but this one seemed rather catty, with women looking to snag one another's husbands.
I'm always nonplussed by the rapidity of the decision to marry in novels of this vintage. However, Kaye's husband is reputed to have proposed to her after five days acquaintance and by the time he got divorced from his first wife, Kaye was pregnant with their second child. They were married on Armistice Day 1945. So perhaps she knew something about wandering spouses, especially in the years just after the war.
This novel will never be my favourite Kaye mystery, but I'm still glad to have renewed my acquaintance with it.
3.25 stars
I know for a fact that I read this novel back in the 1980s, but I remembered nothing about it. Actually, I think it is the most forgettable of Kaye's mystery books, perhaps because of the grey, dismal surroundings of Berlin immediately after WWII. Kaye manages to make the ruins and relics somewhat impressive, but only the family backyard and the cherry blossoms seem at all beautiful. Quite unlike her usual exotic settings. But she was describing the Berlin that she stayed in as an army wife, the role allotted to Stella Melville in this tale.
These mysteries are frightfully predictable, at least with regards to the heroine’s love life, if not the identity of the murderer. Miranda, our main character, becomes accidentally enmeshed in the very first killing and remains at the centre of the storm for the duration. Of course, there is an improbably attractive man, Simon Lang, in charge of the investigation. How someone young enough to be a romantic interest for our girl in her late teens/early twenties could possibly achieve the rank of lead investigator is conveniently omitted.
Another unusual facet of this story is that Miranda is not as good at putting the clues together as other Kaye heroines. She spends a great deal of the book confused and scared. She is also sans female friends, unlike Death in the Andamans, which I read earlier in this year's Bingo. Although staying with her cousin’s family in Berlin, she has very little emotional support. This also detracts from the charm of the story, at least for me. There also seemed to be an emphasis on possible marital infidelities that seemed overdone. Kaye generally has at least one rather greasy philanderer per novel, but this one seemed rather catty, with women looking to snag one another's husbands.
I'm always nonplussed by the rapidity of the decision to marry in novels of this vintage. However, Kaye's husband is reputed to have proposed to her after five days acquaintance and by the time he got divorced from his first wife, Kaye was pregnant with their second child. They were married on Armistice Day 1945. So perhaps she knew something about wandering spouses, especially in the years just after the war.
This novel will never be my favourite Kaye mystery, but I'm still glad to have renewed my acquaintance with it.
December 16, 2019
>>><<<>>><<< re-read review here >>><<<>>><<<
It was not only the sight of a murdered man that has brought those days back, dragging them out of that dark attic in her mind into which her conscious and subconscious mind had thrust them. She should never come here, to this shattered city where the very language in the streets tugged at shadowy memories that were better forgotten.
This is a re-read, spurred on by watching for the first time a classic Billy Wilder movie : “A Foreign Affair” from 1948. While Marlene Dietrich has a great role in there, the most impressive scenes in the movie where the rubble filled streets and the black shadows of the locals wandering through the desolation. All of which made me remember something written by M M Kaye...
Miranda Brand is the heroine of the current episode of Kaye’s murder mystery series. She is a former refugee child from World War II, evacuated alone from Belgium and adopted into an English family when she responds to questions in that country’s language. But her memories of the past are obscured by the trauma of her flight. Coming back to Berlin after the end of the war may trigger these memories, just as she is about to turn 21 and be eligible to inherit a mysterious fortune in diamonds stolen by the Nazis. Or so somebody with a penchant for killings seems to think.
You have a mouth like that plummy pre-Raphaelite female in the Tate Gallery – Mona something. The one dressed up in a pair of brocade curtains and ropes of red beads, clutching a hideous feather fan.
Miranda is a custom made heroine for this light entertainment whodunit written by an author better known for her sprawling Indian romances. She is young, beautiful, adventurous, funny and headed for some exotic location. Murder and romance will soon mix-up in this quasi-pastiche of the successful Agatha Christie formula. The impression is reinforced by the opening gambit of the investigation, a locked-room type of murder taking place on a train to Germany where all the suspects are having dinner together and discuss the object of temptation : the hidden treasure stolen by the Nazis. As the first victim is soon discovered by Miranda, we are introduced to the eye-candy mystery man Simon Lang, who apparently works with Army Intelligence.
I will not bore you with a full list of all the suspects, or with the later developments / corpses that seem to pile up around the mansion rented by Miranda and her friends in Berlin. Suffice to say, this is one of the better plotted novels in the series, making good use of the location and of the various character’s back stories.
Less savory during the re-read are the post-imperial complaints from some of the Brits, still struggling with the loss of their colonies and of their inflated sense of manifest destiny. Robert and Stella, Miranda’s adopting family, are the lead singers of this tune, but there are echoes all through the military class of the occupation force. Stella, an army wife whose husband will soon be posted to Malaya, is particularly distressed, an early form of Brexit-blues:
People like you think of the East as exotic and exciting, but to me it’s only uncivilized and frightening. Perhaps that’s because I’m not an exotic or exciting person. I don’t like strange places. I love my own bit of England and I don’t want to live anywhere else.
Miss Kaye draws on her own experience of living in military accommodations in the colonies and, while she acknowledges the mistakes made in denigrating the natives, she still regrets the loss of privilege and status. She has Miranda, her heroine, dream of living in a rosy-colored version of the Far East that probably never existed:
If I were in your shoes I’d be thrilled to bits! Sunshine, palm trees, temple bells – not to mention masses of servants in lovely eastern clothes to do all the dirty work for you.
Even Robert, who as an officer is more attuned to the feelings of the natives, finds time to moan about how difficult it is to find good servants in the aftermath of the war:
The employee is always right in these days.
>>><<<>>><<<
I didn’t remember much from my first read of the novel, and I suspect I will also forget key details after the current walk through Berlin. It’s a sort of standard Agatha Christie novel. But I did have fun with the journey, especially when the awful Wally Wilkins joined in the investigation. Wally is a wild kid who loves reading penny mysteries and making mischief. He is like one of those brats that keep picking on Bertie Wooster in a P G Wodehouse novel.
I may also continue with another ‘Death’ novel by M M Kaye, next time I’m in the mood for fun and romance in crime.
>>><<<>>><<< old review here >>><<<>>><<<
[7/10] I liked it a lot, but I gave better books 4 stars here, and I felt this was a very pleasant but ultimately a lightweight effort. The heroine is believable, and the rest of characters around her quite good, especially Wally the Snoop. The image of the ruined post-war Berlin is OK but it doesn't take centre stage to the murdeer story. Also fine was the mystery part, in the style of Agatha Christie, where everyone is a possible suspect.
Ultimately though this is not in the same class as the grand Indian epics - Shadow of the Wind and The Far Pavilions
It was not only the sight of a murdered man that has brought those days back, dragging them out of that dark attic in her mind into which her conscious and subconscious mind had thrust them. She should never come here, to this shattered city where the very language in the streets tugged at shadowy memories that were better forgotten.
This is a re-read, spurred on by watching for the first time a classic Billy Wilder movie : “A Foreign Affair” from 1948. While Marlene Dietrich has a great role in there, the most impressive scenes in the movie where the rubble filled streets and the black shadows of the locals wandering through the desolation. All of which made me remember something written by M M Kaye...
Miranda Brand is the heroine of the current episode of Kaye’s murder mystery series. She is a former refugee child from World War II, evacuated alone from Belgium and adopted into an English family when she responds to questions in that country’s language. But her memories of the past are obscured by the trauma of her flight. Coming back to Berlin after the end of the war may trigger these memories, just as she is about to turn 21 and be eligible to inherit a mysterious fortune in diamonds stolen by the Nazis. Or so somebody with a penchant for killings seems to think.
You have a mouth like that plummy pre-Raphaelite female in the Tate Gallery – Mona something. The one dressed up in a pair of brocade curtains and ropes of red beads, clutching a hideous feather fan.
Miranda is a custom made heroine for this light entertainment whodunit written by an author better known for her sprawling Indian romances. She is young, beautiful, adventurous, funny and headed for some exotic location. Murder and romance will soon mix-up in this quasi-pastiche of the successful Agatha Christie formula. The impression is reinforced by the opening gambit of the investigation, a locked-room type of murder taking place on a train to Germany where all the suspects are having dinner together and discuss the object of temptation : the hidden treasure stolen by the Nazis. As the first victim is soon discovered by Miranda, we are introduced to the eye-candy mystery man Simon Lang, who apparently works with Army Intelligence.
I will not bore you with a full list of all the suspects, or with the later developments / corpses that seem to pile up around the mansion rented by Miranda and her friends in Berlin. Suffice to say, this is one of the better plotted novels in the series, making good use of the location and of the various character’s back stories.
Less savory during the re-read are the post-imperial complaints from some of the Brits, still struggling with the loss of their colonies and of their inflated sense of manifest destiny. Robert and Stella, Miranda’s adopting family, are the lead singers of this tune, but there are echoes all through the military class of the occupation force. Stella, an army wife whose husband will soon be posted to Malaya, is particularly distressed, an early form of Brexit-blues:
People like you think of the East as exotic and exciting, but to me it’s only uncivilized and frightening. Perhaps that’s because I’m not an exotic or exciting person. I don’t like strange places. I love my own bit of England and I don’t want to live anywhere else.
Miss Kaye draws on her own experience of living in military accommodations in the colonies and, while she acknowledges the mistakes made in denigrating the natives, she still regrets the loss of privilege and status. She has Miranda, her heroine, dream of living in a rosy-colored version of the Far East that probably never existed:
If I were in your shoes I’d be thrilled to bits! Sunshine, palm trees, temple bells – not to mention masses of servants in lovely eastern clothes to do all the dirty work for you.
Even Robert, who as an officer is more attuned to the feelings of the natives, finds time to moan about how difficult it is to find good servants in the aftermath of the war:
The employee is always right in these days.
>>><<<>>><<<
I didn’t remember much from my first read of the novel, and I suspect I will also forget key details after the current walk through Berlin. It’s a sort of standard Agatha Christie novel. But I did have fun with the journey, especially when the awful Wally Wilkins joined in the investigation. Wally is a wild kid who loves reading penny mysteries and making mischief. He is like one of those brats that keep picking on Bertie Wooster in a P G Wodehouse novel.
I may also continue with another ‘Death’ novel by M M Kaye, next time I’m in the mood for fun and romance in crime.
>>><<<>>><<< old review here >>><<<>>><<<
[7/10] I liked it a lot, but I gave better books 4 stars here, and I felt this was a very pleasant but ultimately a lightweight effort. The heroine is believable, and the rest of characters around her quite good, especially Wally the Snoop. The image of the ruined post-war Berlin is OK but it doesn't take centre stage to the murdeer story. Also fine was the mystery part, in the style of Agatha Christie, where everyone is a possible suspect.
Ultimately though this is not in the same class as the grand Indian epics - Shadow of the Wind and The Far Pavilions
July 26, 2016
Buddy read with Diane Lynn & Jeannette
My re-read of the last of M.M. Kaye's 6 book "Death in..." murder mystery series, and very enjoyable even though post WWII Berlin, Germany isn't the exotic locale Kaye was famous for using in her 5 other whodunits. That being said, I very much liked the change in setting. Kaye easily conjured up the sights, colors and smells of the allied occupied capital in the years following WWII. In her hands, the hopeful optimism of the city years before the rising of the Berlin Wall is wonderfully captured forever, and takes the reader on a tour of a place long vanished.
The murder mystery is well plotted and features all the hallmarks of a Kaye novel: a fresh young heroine, an older, strong, stoic and silent hero, and the 6-8 typical "stiff-upper-lip" British secondary characters (all with means, motive and opportunity to do the deed).
If you enjoy clean, cozy English murder mysteries similar in feel to Agatha Christie or Georgette Heyer, do yourself a favor and try one from M.M. Kaye.
My re-read of the last of M.M. Kaye's 6 book "Death in..." murder mystery series, and very enjoyable even though post WWII Berlin, Germany isn't the exotic locale Kaye was famous for using in her 5 other whodunits. That being said, I very much liked the change in setting. Kaye easily conjured up the sights, colors and smells of the allied occupied capital in the years following WWII. In her hands, the hopeful optimism of the city years before the rising of the Berlin Wall is wonderfully captured forever, and takes the reader on a tour of a place long vanished.
The murder mystery is well plotted and features all the hallmarks of a Kaye novel: a fresh young heroine, an older, strong, stoic and silent hero, and the 6-8 typical "stiff-upper-lip" British secondary characters (all with means, motive and opportunity to do the deed).
If you enjoy clean, cozy English murder mysteries similar in feel to Agatha Christie or Georgette Heyer, do yourself a favor and try one from M.M. Kaye.
October 10, 2024
2022 Review
Even with my vague recollection of whodunit, I got delishious shivers at the climax. Kaye is a master of ambiance.
2021 Review
A fun, vintage adventure story colored with mystery, mayhem, and post-WW2 Germany. Kaye writes from personal experience and it adds another dimension to the setting of the story. I didn't love the conclusion but it certainly kept me guessing.
Even with my vague recollection of whodunit, I got delishious shivers at the climax. Kaye is a master of ambiance.
2021 Review
A fun, vintage adventure story colored with mystery, mayhem, and post-WW2 Germany. Kaye writes from personal experience and it adds another dimension to the setting of the story. I didn't love the conclusion but it certainly kept me guessing.
February 13, 2020
Read with the Retro Reads group. I thought I had read this when it was reprinted in the '80s, but I somehow missed it.
Originally published in 1955 the story has aged fairly well. The descriptions of post-war Berlin are fascinating--the mix of still-standing ruins and gleaming new construction, the new memorials (especially by the Soviets) that replace the destroyed Nazi ones; all serve to set the story firmly in its time and place.
I liked our young heroine, Miranda Brand, even though she always seemed to on edge. She had a few episodes of mindless panic but always managed to pull herself together. I admired her loyalty to her cousin and his wife; and, by extension, the other members of the group who were on the train when the first murder occurred. I also became fond of young Wally-boy detective.
The mystery was nice and twisty, with the motives for the various crimes not being obvious at all. Nor was it immediately clear just how many baddies we were dealing with.
There is a very low-key romance between Miranda and Simon Lang (the main investigator)woven through the story which added a distraction from the murders.
All in all a very enjoyable way to pass a few hours.
Originally published in 1955 the story has aged fairly well. The descriptions of post-war Berlin are fascinating--the mix of still-standing ruins and gleaming new construction, the new memorials (especially by the Soviets) that replace the destroyed Nazi ones; all serve to set the story firmly in its time and place.
I liked our young heroine, Miranda Brand, even though she always seemed to on edge. She had a few episodes of mindless panic but always managed to pull herself together. I admired her loyalty to her cousin and his wife; and, by extension, the other members of the group who were on the train when the first murder occurred. I also became fond of young Wally-boy detective.
The mystery was nice and twisty, with the motives for the various crimes not being obvious at all. Nor was it immediately clear just how many baddies we were dealing with.
There is a very low-key romance between Miranda and Simon Lang (the main investigator)woven through the story which added a distraction from the murders.
All in all a very enjoyable way to pass a few hours.
September 14, 2014
Buddy read with Jeannette and Hannah
Another really good mystery by MM Kaye. This one set in Berlin, Germany in 1953. Kaye did a very good job of describing the bombed out buildings, the piles of rubble that had already been grassed over into ski hills, bullet riddled statues and the different sectors. She was living there at the time so her descriptions have that ring of authenticity.
There is a large cast of suspects and more than one mystery to be solved. I certainly didn't figure everything out. Miranda Brand joins some friends as they move to a new post in Berlin. She is going for a month long vacation. War-torn Berlin doesn't exactly sound like a great vacation spot to me but there is a connection to her past so that is probably why she was drawn there. The book starts with a very good prologue and then we are off on a train ride where things do go "bump in the night." There is also a fortune in diamonds stolen by Nazis that was never recovered. As usual the action really picks up in the last few chapters and I didn't want to put the book down.
Another really good mystery by MM Kaye. This one set in Berlin, Germany in 1953. Kaye did a very good job of describing the bombed out buildings, the piles of rubble that had already been grassed over into ski hills, bullet riddled statues and the different sectors. She was living there at the time so her descriptions have that ring of authenticity.
There is a large cast of suspects and more than one mystery to be solved. I certainly didn't figure everything out. Miranda Brand joins some friends as they move to a new post in Berlin. She is going for a month long vacation. War-torn Berlin doesn't exactly sound like a great vacation spot to me but there is a connection to her past so that is probably why she was drawn there. The book starts with a very good prologue and then we are off on a train ride where things do go "bump in the night." There is also a fortune in diamonds stolen by Nazis that was never recovered. As usual the action really picks up in the last few chapters and I didn't want to put the book down.
June 1, 2025
Very twisty! I would never have guessed any of it. I really like the post-WWII Berlin setting. Quite fascinating!
February 21, 2020
Group read for the Retro Group, Feb 2020
This is a new author for me but I have already ordered a multi novel book of hers because I was enjoying this one so much. I enjoyed the setting of Germany and the time period, several years following WWII. Another thing I really liked was the author's ability to create so much tension. The ending could have been a little less wordy but it did keep me guessing until the end.
This is a new author for me but I have already ordered a multi novel book of hers because I was enjoying this one so much. I enjoyed the setting of Germany and the time period, several years following WWII. Another thing I really liked was the author's ability to create so much tension. The ending could have been a little less wordy but it did keep me guessing until the end.
February 29, 2020
I have enjoyed it more than Death in Kashmir (considering a mystery, it was built and revealed nicely). But it lacked a philosophical level. I was interested in how Berlin looked and 'felt' at that time. Consequently to the location, it lacked humour. And, although a romance was scanty I was thrilled by Simon.
May 5, 2014
1.5 stars. Ok, a 1.5 star rating is probably a little harsh, but I just did not enjoy this M.M. Kaye mystery! I wanted to, because I enjoyed her Death in the Andamans and Death in Kashmir: A Mystery very much.
I tend to not be much of a fan of stories set against the backdrop of WW II, so that probably played a role in my distaste for this book. It's also possible that I almost hated this book because it took for-ev-er for this mystery to get going. I don't think things really started to pick up until about 100 pages in (and it's only a 254 page book)! I should say that I use the term "pick up" loosely here, because this story never did move much beyond a snail's pace, and it was harder than hell for me to get through! I was bored most of the time I was reading it!
Furthermore, I just didn't connect with any of the characters in this story. There were too many of them to keep them all straight (it did not help that some of them were going by aliases), none of them were interesting, and there was absolutely no chemistry between the main character and the man who was supposed to be her love interest. In addition, I thought that the perpetrator of the crimes had a lame motive. Maybe in the 1950s it would have seemed more reasonable, but today it just seemed flimsy and weak. Also, the ending was just, I don't know, eye-roll inducing, almost on the scale of a Shakespearean romance play.
So clearly there was not much about this story that I liked. I wanted to quit reading it several times. But I didn't. What M.M. Kaye did well was capture that sense of panic that we all feel welling up in us sometimes. Like when we're walking alone through a badly lit, somewhat desolate parking garage at night and we start to see murderers lurking in every shadow. Just as I'd about give the book up, Kaye would make me panic along with Miranda, and she'd hook me just enough to keep me reading. In this case I resent that talent, because for me, this book was not one I'm happy I spent a month of my life on.
I tend to not be much of a fan of stories set against the backdrop of WW II, so that probably played a role in my distaste for this book. It's also possible that I almost hated this book because it took for-ev-er for this mystery to get going. I don't think things really started to pick up until about 100 pages in (and it's only a 254 page book)! I should say that I use the term "pick up" loosely here, because this story never did move much beyond a snail's pace, and it was harder than hell for me to get through! I was bored most of the time I was reading it!
Furthermore, I just didn't connect with any of the characters in this story. There were too many of them to keep them all straight (it did not help that some of them were going by aliases), none of them were interesting, and there was absolutely no chemistry between the main character and the man who was supposed to be her love interest. In addition, I thought that the perpetrator of the crimes had a lame motive. Maybe in the 1950s it would have seemed more reasonable, but today it just seemed flimsy and weak. Also, the ending was just, I don't know, eye-roll inducing, almost on the scale of a Shakespearean romance play.
So clearly there was not much about this story that I liked. I wanted to quit reading it several times. But I didn't. What M.M. Kaye did well was capture that sense of panic that we all feel welling up in us sometimes. Like when we're walking alone through a badly lit, somewhat desolate parking garage at night and we start to see murderers lurking in every shadow. Just as I'd about give the book up, Kaye would make me panic along with Miranda, and she'd hook me just enough to keep me reading. In this case I resent that talent, because for me, this book was not one I'm happy I spent a month of my life on.
June 12, 2022
One of Molly Kaye’s ‘Death in…’ series, half a dozen mystery thrillers she wrote during and sometimes after her years of living in exotic locations as the wife of a senior British army officer: Zanzibar, the Andamans, Kashmir, Cyprus, Kenya and in this case Berlin, Germany, post-World War Two. All of which stood her in good stead for her masterwork, The Far Pavilions and three volumes of autobiography, written in her last years.
This story has two outstanding features; first, a claustrophobic atmosphere of suspicion and distrust where the rule of law has been over laid by uneasy occupation, in a country where the defeated citizens all have secrets. Few people are what they seem and many of them are desperate. Second, the pervasive cold: you can feel the chill of the dark, poorly lit Berlin streets, still full of rubble, unwelcoming and forbidding.
The plot is fairly preposterous. There is the familiar Molly Kaye trope of plucky young English heroine (‘Miranda’ this time) who makes a journey into trouble, this time by long distance train, Miranda, of course, meets adversity courageously but needs help from an initially boorish but ultimately pukka fella, although the romantic bits are quite perfunctory. This latter characteristic may be because Kaye was more interested in atmosphere than relationships. Due to her good fortune, in one sense, of finding herself in exotic locations for extended periods she simply made the most of them. They were good places to plonk a murder mystery.
This story has two outstanding features; first, a claustrophobic atmosphere of suspicion and distrust where the rule of law has been over laid by uneasy occupation, in a country where the defeated citizens all have secrets. Few people are what they seem and many of them are desperate. Second, the pervasive cold: you can feel the chill of the dark, poorly lit Berlin streets, still full of rubble, unwelcoming and forbidding.
The plot is fairly preposterous. There is the familiar Molly Kaye trope of plucky young English heroine (‘Miranda’ this time) who makes a journey into trouble, this time by long distance train, Miranda, of course, meets adversity courageously but needs help from an initially boorish but ultimately pukka fella, although the romantic bits are quite perfunctory. This latter characteristic may be because Kaye was more interested in atmosphere than relationships. Due to her good fortune, in one sense, of finding herself in exotic locations for extended periods she simply made the most of them. They were good places to plonk a murder mystery.
Read
October 22, 2016I vaguely recall reading a few of these "Death in..." books a while ago. Mostly romantic suspense. This one was entertaining enough, but while Miranda is semi-redoubtable, she's one of those people who have a lot of things happen to them, but never jump to any logical conclusions, or do anything particularly proactive.
Also very much of-its-era in terms of racial attitudes.
Also very much of-its-era in terms of racial attitudes.
June 15, 2017
Not as good as Death in Cyprus, but not bad as a quick little whodunnit suspense thing.
August 27, 2018
This one read like a whodunit, but it was just really a telling. I'm glad to see that other reviewers have said that this is the weakest of the M.M. Kaye novels, because I've already bought the others.
August 25, 2011
I really didn't see THAT coming! How often can you say that about mystery or suspense fiction where the who in whodunit is often crystal clear and glaringly obvious half-way through the book, especially with clues generously lining the path? It was near the end when I even entertained the notion that the murderer was the one. M.M. Kaye is so deliciously clever.
I also was amused by the fact that the 9-year-old boy Wally and his friend 7-year-old Lottie actually knew all of the facts that would solve the case all along but no one bothered to ask them questions while all of the other 11 suspects were constantly being interrogated.
Miranda is a young woman with an odd past. She had shown up as a frightened child during WW2 on a boat with other escapees from carrying a huge doll with the key to a priceless fortune inside, all alone. Now she has returned and unfortunately, so have some who have reason to kill her. Can Simon save her? Read and see what happens.
I also was amused by the fact that the 9-year-old boy Wally and his friend 7-year-old Lottie actually knew all of the facts that would solve the case all along but no one bothered to ask them questions while all of the other 11 suspects were constantly being interrogated.
Miranda is a young woman with an odd past. She had shown up as a frightened child during WW2 on a boat with other escapees from carrying a huge doll with the key to a priceless fortune inside, all alone. Now she has returned and unfortunately, so have some who have reason to kill her. Can Simon save her? Read and see what happens.
June 4, 2011
This was the first M M Kaye murder mystery I ever read, and it remains one of my favourites. Sometimes I get a bit frustrated by the helpless heroine scenario in the six books, but I guess it was a reflection of the times.
March 22, 2017
Click here to read my full review:
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August 21, 2025
3.5 rounded up. Great atmosphere and suspense.
March 4, 2020
Nazi diamond treasure...hmmm...but not a bad waste of time to read. The characters were engaging enough.
Read
December 8, 2023No rating. Kind of boring, but then it's a genre I don't usually enjoy.
August 22, 2017
While it was not without fault, I enjoyed reading Death in Berlin. This was my second read from the "Death in..."series, the first being Death in Kashmir, and though it seems that most reviewers prefer Kashmir, I think I found Berlin more interesting, for some reason. (That may be due to something as simple-- yet elusive-- as "the right book at the right time".)
Based on what I've read so far (and comments from other readers), Kaye has a formula for her mysteries, and she sticks to it. Murder(s) and suspense in a foreign (usually exotic) setting. Very young Englishwoman on holiday. Handsome man (often in position of authority/law enforcement) comes along/works the murder case, and the two fall in love along the way-- but with as little fuss and romance as possible. This book was no different, though post-WWII Germany is less exotic than her typical choice of setting.
So, formulaic? YES-- spelled out in flashing red light. Still enjoyable? Again, yes.
It seems that many found this a plodding read, but I thought it moved along at a decent clip. However, I do agree that some of the characters could've been better defined and developed. It took a while for me to differentiate between the Leslies and the Merediths (I think that was the name...), for instance.
The mystery kept me guessing through most of the book, and even though the romance element of these mysteries isalways usually somewhat disappointing, at least I actually liked the male lead, this time-- much more appealing than the hero in Kashmir. Miranda herself, I didn't particularly care for in the beginning-- a bit too young and fresh, perhaps-- but by the end of the book, she was fine. Unobjectionable, at least.
All in all, a pleasant read for the genre.
Random Tidbits (with SPOILERS):
Based on what I've read so far (and comments from other readers), Kaye has a formula for her mysteries, and she sticks to it. Murder(s) and suspense in a foreign (usually exotic) setting. Very young Englishwoman on holiday. Handsome man (often in position of authority/law enforcement) comes along/works the murder case, and the two fall in love along the way-- but with as little fuss and romance as possible. This book was no different, though post-WWII Germany is less exotic than her typical choice of setting.
So, formulaic? YES-- spelled out in flashing red light. Still enjoyable? Again, yes.
It seems that many found this a plodding read, but I thought it moved along at a decent clip. However, I do agree that some of the characters could've been better defined and developed. It took a while for me to differentiate between the Leslies and the Merediths (I think that was the name...), for instance.
The mystery kept me guessing through most of the book, and even though the romance element of these mysteries is
All in all, a pleasant read for the genre.
Random Tidbits (with SPOILERS):
August 2, 2020
Miranda Brand is returning to Germany with her cousin Robert, his wife Stella, and their daughter. Miranda will be on a month's holiday and Robert is being stationed in the British half of the recently partitioned country. She doesn't remember much of Germany--having escaped from the country early in World War II after her parents were killed in an accident. While on the journey to Germany, they meet Brigadier Brindley who tells his fellow travelers an incredible story of runaway Nazis and a missing fortune in diamonds--a story that the young Miranda apparently took part in unknowingly. The entire party is fascinated by the tale...but someone has more interest than they let on.
The Germany-bound group (12 in all) board a train en route to Berlin and during the night, the Brigadier is stabbed to death. He had made it known that he didn't sleep well on trains without medication and so the killer knew Brindley would put up no resistance. Miranda and all of her traveling companions are suspects....but Miranda, who discovered the body when she inadvertently entered the wrong compartment, is the one who has blood on her hands.
Simon Lang, a soft-spoken British policeman stationed in Berlin, is also on the train and winds up commanding the investigation. Miranda is sure that he's fixed upon her as the primary suspect, but there's plenty of suspicion to go around--especially after more murders occur.
Though this is the second of Kaye's mysteries, it is the last one that I needed to read to complete the series. The others were much easier to find for some reason. Overall, I was pleased with the story. Kaye gives us an excellent view of Germany in the post-WWII era before the Berlin Wall was erected. Since her husband was posted there during this time period, she was able to give us the benefit of her first-hand experience. She has always been very good at getting place and atmosphere right and Death in Berlin is no exception.
The primary mystery is also interesting with its ties to Nazi Germany and the motives behind the initial killing are quite sound. I do have a couple of minor quibbles (see spoiler portion of the review if you're curious), but did enjoy watching Simon Lang unravel all the threads. I did pick up on some of the solution (Kaye hits us over the head a bit with one particular clue...), but missed how other bits featured in the pattern. I blame that on the second part of my quibbles below. I'm definitely glad I finally found this and was able to finish the series. I do wish I had been able to read them in order because I think her mystery plots improve over time and my expectations might not have been as high for this one. ★★★
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
The Germany-bound group (12 in all) board a train en route to Berlin and during the night, the Brigadier is stabbed to death. He had made it known that he didn't sleep well on trains without medication and so the killer knew Brindley would put up no resistance. Miranda and all of her traveling companions are suspects....but Miranda, who discovered the body when she inadvertently entered the wrong compartment, is the one who has blood on her hands.
Simon Lang, a soft-spoken British policeman stationed in Berlin, is also on the train and winds up commanding the investigation. Miranda is sure that he's fixed upon her as the primary suspect, but there's plenty of suspicion to go around--especially after more murders occur.
Though this is the second of Kaye's mysteries, it is the last one that I needed to read to complete the series. The others were much easier to find for some reason. Overall, I was pleased with the story. Kaye gives us an excellent view of Germany in the post-WWII era before the Berlin Wall was erected. Since her husband was posted there during this time period, she was able to give us the benefit of her first-hand experience. She has always been very good at getting place and atmosphere right and Death in Berlin is no exception.
The primary mystery is also interesting with its ties to Nazi Germany and the motives behind the initial killing are quite sound. I do have a couple of minor quibbles (see spoiler portion of the review if you're curious), but did enjoy watching Simon Lang unravel all the threads. I did pick up on some of the solution (Kaye hits us over the head a bit with one particular clue...), but missed how other bits featured in the pattern. I blame that on the second part of my quibbles below. I'm definitely glad I finally found this and was able to finish the series. I do wish I had been able to read them in order because I think her mystery plots improve over time and my expectations might not have been as high for this one. ★★★
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
February 3, 2018
Death in Berlin by M.M. Kaye is the second book of the Death in... mystery series, set in Berlin in 1953 (when the author lived there). Steeped in authentic period atmosphere of the years between WWII and before the Berlin Wall was constructed.
For a holiday trip, Miranda Brand travels by train to Berlin with a group of military families who work for the British or American sectors. She learns at dinner one night on the train of a famous unsolved jewel theft, a treasure hidden in a doll. A murder occurs on the train, and Miranda discovers the body.
Rather than spending a carefree holiday in Berlin, Miranda spends her days tracking down clues, learning relationships and past history of the small group of train travelers. As she investigates, she trusts only in Simon, a secretive man, who may be in law enforcement or an espionage agency, and on whom she develops a crush.
As in an Agatha Christie cozy mystery, all the suspects are in the group who traveled on the train together, and the solution lies in secrets from their past. A history lesson with a touch of suspense.
For a holiday trip, Miranda Brand travels by train to Berlin with a group of military families who work for the British or American sectors. She learns at dinner one night on the train of a famous unsolved jewel theft, a treasure hidden in a doll. A murder occurs on the train, and Miranda discovers the body.
Rather than spending a carefree holiday in Berlin, Miranda spends her days tracking down clues, learning relationships and past history of the small group of train travelers. As she investigates, she trusts only in Simon, a secretive man, who may be in law enforcement or an espionage agency, and on whom she develops a crush.
As in an Agatha Christie cozy mystery, all the suspects are in the group who traveled on the train together, and the solution lies in secrets from their past. A history lesson with a touch of suspense.
February 21, 2023
Suspenseful, with moments of real tension, and a pretty decent mystery to boot. I didn't expect to enjoy this so much, possibly because I'd never rated Kaye as a mystery novelist. I've only ever seen her sweeping sagas around the secondhand bookstores, so I never realised she'd be so adept at this style.
Miranda's viewpoint, which we only stray from in very small doses on a few occasions, is sincere and intelligent without being overly clever or knowing. Her reactions feel very genuine, and the way she is clearly falling for Simon without really being able to admit it to herself is delightful.
And those moments of tension are extremely well pitched because we're right there with her in that empty, quiet, still house, wondering whether there actually is someone upstairs or if it's just our imaginations. I just recently watched When A Stranger Calls, with its nail-biting opening sequence of a babysitter in a quiet, unfamiliar house, getting creepy phone calls and hearing noises, and the vibe is very much the same here.
Post-war Berlin is cold, unwelcoming, a bit overwhelming, even in its half-demolished state. The army-issue houses and their too-bright or too-dim lights, creaky floors, make for an unsettling setting. This sort of novel sits somewhere between Highsmith and Christie to me: it's not all whodunnit because so much effort is put into to the feel of the scenes, and it's not all domestic thriller because there's a genuine series of potential suspects, motives, red herrings.
Miranda's viewpoint, which we only stray from in very small doses on a few occasions, is sincere and intelligent without being overly clever or knowing. Her reactions feel very genuine, and the way she is clearly falling for Simon without really being able to admit it to herself is delightful.
And those moments of tension are extremely well pitched because we're right there with her in that empty, quiet, still house, wondering whether there actually is someone upstairs or if it's just our imaginations. I just recently watched When A Stranger Calls, with its nail-biting opening sequence of a babysitter in a quiet, unfamiliar house, getting creepy phone calls and hearing noises, and the vibe is very much the same here.
Post-war Berlin is cold, unwelcoming, a bit overwhelming, even in its half-demolished state. The army-issue houses and their too-bright or too-dim lights, creaky floors, make for an unsettling setting. This sort of novel sits somewhere between Highsmith and Christie to me: it's not all whodunnit because so much effort is put into to the feel of the scenes, and it's not all domestic thriller because there's a genuine series of potential suspects, motives, red herrings.
May 13, 2016
This was my first experience with the works of M.M. Kaye. My overall impression with this author is that she has a wonderful knack of illustrating both setting and mood.
The setting here is Berlin...after World War II but before the Berlin Wall was raised, separating the city for decades. Young Miranda Brand accompanies her cousin (who is in the British service) and other British families to their station in Germany. After a dinnertime story told by a brigadier - one that shockingly ties into Miranda's past - the mood becomes one of tension, suspicion...and ultimately murder.
M.M. Kaye does play fairly with the reader, although she cleverly disguises the truth by tossing in a handful of red herrings (many of which are explained away at the end of the book). The back cover of my edition compliments her by stating she is good at "palming the Ace", and I agree with that. The clues were there, but I didn't move the pieces around enough to arrive at the answer. That does make for a fun ride, though, and I look forward to another of her books. She mixes mystery, suspense, romance and a bit of a travelogue...fine ingredients indeed.
The setting here is Berlin...after World War II but before the Berlin Wall was raised, separating the city for decades. Young Miranda Brand accompanies her cousin (who is in the British service) and other British families to their station in Germany. After a dinnertime story told by a brigadier - one that shockingly ties into Miranda's past - the mood becomes one of tension, suspicion...and ultimately murder.
M.M. Kaye does play fairly with the reader, although she cleverly disguises the truth by tossing in a handful of red herrings (many of which are explained away at the end of the book). The back cover of my edition compliments her by stating she is good at "palming the Ace", and I agree with that. The clues were there, but I didn't move the pieces around enough to arrive at the answer. That does make for a fun ride, though, and I look forward to another of her books. She mixes mystery, suspense, romance and a bit of a travelogue...fine ingredients indeed.
October 6, 2021
In den 50er Jahren schrieb M. M. Kaye, die Autorin der international erfolgreichen Romane 'The Far Pavillions' oder 'Shadow of the Moon', in denen sie sich als großartige Geschichtenerzählerin beweist, sechs Kriminalromane, die alle der sogenannten 'Death in...'-Serie angehörten und die sie, bis auf 'Death in Berlin', allesamt an exotischen Schauplätzen spielen lässt. Es sind dies Orte, an denen sie, in ihrer Eigenschaft als Ehefrau eines Offiziers der britischen Armee, jeweils eine Zeit verbrachte, bevor ihr Mann zum nächsten Standort versetzt wurde. Die Tagebucheintragungen, die in diesen Jahren entstanden, und die sich aus einer Ansammlung unterschiedlicher Eindrücke, Beobachtungen, überhaupt allem, was ihr bemerkenswert erschien, zusammensetzten, nutzte sie später, um sie in ihren Kriminalromanen zu verarbeiten – darin nicht unähnlich ihrer großen Schriftstellerkollegin Agatha Christie, die ebenso mit wachen Sinnen die Welt bereiste und deren Charaktere sehr oft Menschen, die ihr dabei begegneten, nachempfunden waren.
Doch hier hört die Ähnlichkeit nicht auf, erstreckt sich vielmehr auch auf die Konstruktion ihrer Krimis, den Spannungsaufbau, das Legen falscher Fährten und das stets überraschende Ende. Nun, es ist gewiss nicht verkehrt, sich eine so ausgefeilte und einfallsreiche Krimi-Schriftstellerin wie Dame Agatha zum Vorbild zu nehmen – denn es ist nur das und beileibe keine Imitation der Hochgerühmten, denn M. M. Kaye bewahrt ihren ganz eigenen Stil und nimmt auch sprachlich keine Anleihen bei Christie, bleibt immer sich selber treu!
'Death in Berlin' (deutsche Titel 'Tod in Berlin' bzw. 'Die Spur führt nach Berlin') ist der zweite Spannungsroman der 'Death in...'-Reihe. Die Handlung ist im Berlin des Jahres 1953 angesiedelt, acht Jahre nach Kriegsende und acht Jahre vor dem Mauerbau, also mitten im Kalten Krieg, der eine nicht unerhebliche Rolle in der Geschichte spielt – so könnte man bis weit über die Hälfte des Romans meinen! Eine der zahlreichen falschen Spuren also, die letztendlich ins Nichts führen, denn die Auflösung des Rätsels, vor das uns Kaye stellt, ist da zu finden, wo der erfahrene Leser der Christie-Krimis sie unweigerlich sucht – in der menschlichen Natur.
Doch kehren wir zurück ins bereits geteilte Berlin, wenige Jahre nach Kriegsende! Noch immer liegen große Teile der Stadt in Ruinen, während gleichzeitig neue Gebäude entstehen. In dieses Berlin, über dem die gesamte Handlung hindurch eine düstere Stimmung liegt, kommt Miranda Brand, um einige Wochen bei ihrem Cousin Robert und dessen Frau Stella zu verbringen. Robert wurde mit seiner Einheit in die geteilte Stadt verlegt und es war Usus, dass die Familien den Soldaten folgten. Stella tat das nur widerwillig, sie, Engländerin vom Scheitel bis zur Sohle, zog das beschauliche britische Landleben jedem exotischen Stützpunkt dieser Welt vor.
Auf der Zugfahrt nach Berlin lernt Miranda, hübsch, aber doch leider recht farblos – so wie die meisten Charaktere in diesem Krimi -, Roberts Kollegen kennen, sowie auch einen gewissen Brigadier Brindley, der es liebt, geheimnisvolle Geschichten zum Besten zu geben und diese weidlich auszuschmücken. Und als er beim Mittagstisch der gespannt lauschenden Gruppe um Miranda von einem Diebstahl wertvoller Diamanten während der Kriegsjahre erzählt, kann er nicht ahnen, dass er damit sein eigenes Todesurteil unterschrieben hat! Ausgerechnet Miranda findet den Brigadier noch in derselben Nacht tot in seiner Zugkabine vor – und er wird nicht die letzte Leiche sein, über die sie stolpern wird! Denn in Berlin häufen sich beängstigende Vorfälle, die zunächst unbedeutend erscheinen, unerklärliche Spannungen bauen sich auf, jeder beäugt wachsam den anderen, die bedrohliche Atmosphäre verdichtet sich – und die neugierige Miranda, die wie alle Protagonistinnen der 'Death in...'-Serie das fatale Talent hat, sich in sämtliche Nesseln zu setzen, gerät in akute Lebensgefahr. Und mehr als einmal erscheint wie ein Deus ex machina der undurchschaubare Simon Lang, wohl eine Art Geheimpolizist, was allerdings niemals recht klar wird, um ihr aus der Klemme zu helfen. Aber hätte dieser mit offenen Karten gespielt, wäre sie erst gar nicht in Lebensgefahr geraten, hätte sie sich stattdessen vorgesehen....
Und wenn den beiden Kindern – Roberts Tochter Lucy und deren pfiffigem Freund Wally, ein Schnüffler vor dem Herrn! - Gehör geschenkt worden wäre, anstatt sie als lästig abzutun, hätte man die Mordfälle im Nu aufklären können und es wäre zumindest Miranda erspart geblieben, die wohl schlimmsten Schockmomente ihres bisherigen Lebens durchstehen zu müssen. Denn diese beiden Kinder wussten, dank Wallys immerwährender Wachsamkeit und nicht zu unterdrückender Neugierde, längst, wer hinter den drei Morden, die es am Ende sein sollten, steckte...
Ja, der Roman ist spannend, unheimlich, düster, lässt einen den Atem anhalten, versteht zu überraschen, aber gleichzeitig verwirrt er auch, lässt den Leser immer wieder den Faden verlieren – wenn er sich nicht gerade ärgert über die nichtssagenden Dialoge, über die ebenso bis auf wenige Ausnahmen, nämlich Wally und Lucy, nichtssagenden Charaktere und die seltsame Liebesgeschichte oder was auch immer es sein soll, das sich zwischen Simon und Miranda entwickelt, zwischen denen ich keine Berührungspunkte ausmachen kann.
Interessant ist einzig das einem Ruinenfeld ähnelnde Berlin, das man bildhaft vor sich hat, das der perfekte Hintergrund dieser trostlosen Geschichte ist. Nirgendwo anders hätte sie spielen können – und kaum jemandem wäre es gelungen, sie so spür- und erlebbar zu machen wie der Autorin Kaye, die hierin eine wahre Meisterin ist. Trotz allem jedoch ist der vorliegende Spannungsroman der mich am wenigsten überzeugende der von mir geschätzten Britin und der erste, bei dem ich Mühe hatte, ihn überhaupt bis zum Ende zu lesen, das, nebenbei bemerkt, so überraschend wie unglaubwürdig ist!
Doch hier hört die Ähnlichkeit nicht auf, erstreckt sich vielmehr auch auf die Konstruktion ihrer Krimis, den Spannungsaufbau, das Legen falscher Fährten und das stets überraschende Ende. Nun, es ist gewiss nicht verkehrt, sich eine so ausgefeilte und einfallsreiche Krimi-Schriftstellerin wie Dame Agatha zum Vorbild zu nehmen – denn es ist nur das und beileibe keine Imitation der Hochgerühmten, denn M. M. Kaye bewahrt ihren ganz eigenen Stil und nimmt auch sprachlich keine Anleihen bei Christie, bleibt immer sich selber treu!
'Death in Berlin' (deutsche Titel 'Tod in Berlin' bzw. 'Die Spur führt nach Berlin') ist der zweite Spannungsroman der 'Death in...'-Reihe. Die Handlung ist im Berlin des Jahres 1953 angesiedelt, acht Jahre nach Kriegsende und acht Jahre vor dem Mauerbau, also mitten im Kalten Krieg, der eine nicht unerhebliche Rolle in der Geschichte spielt – so könnte man bis weit über die Hälfte des Romans meinen! Eine der zahlreichen falschen Spuren also, die letztendlich ins Nichts führen, denn die Auflösung des Rätsels, vor das uns Kaye stellt, ist da zu finden, wo der erfahrene Leser der Christie-Krimis sie unweigerlich sucht – in der menschlichen Natur.
Doch kehren wir zurück ins bereits geteilte Berlin, wenige Jahre nach Kriegsende! Noch immer liegen große Teile der Stadt in Ruinen, während gleichzeitig neue Gebäude entstehen. In dieses Berlin, über dem die gesamte Handlung hindurch eine düstere Stimmung liegt, kommt Miranda Brand, um einige Wochen bei ihrem Cousin Robert und dessen Frau Stella zu verbringen. Robert wurde mit seiner Einheit in die geteilte Stadt verlegt und es war Usus, dass die Familien den Soldaten folgten. Stella tat das nur widerwillig, sie, Engländerin vom Scheitel bis zur Sohle, zog das beschauliche britische Landleben jedem exotischen Stützpunkt dieser Welt vor.
Auf der Zugfahrt nach Berlin lernt Miranda, hübsch, aber doch leider recht farblos – so wie die meisten Charaktere in diesem Krimi -, Roberts Kollegen kennen, sowie auch einen gewissen Brigadier Brindley, der es liebt, geheimnisvolle Geschichten zum Besten zu geben und diese weidlich auszuschmücken. Und als er beim Mittagstisch der gespannt lauschenden Gruppe um Miranda von einem Diebstahl wertvoller Diamanten während der Kriegsjahre erzählt, kann er nicht ahnen, dass er damit sein eigenes Todesurteil unterschrieben hat! Ausgerechnet Miranda findet den Brigadier noch in derselben Nacht tot in seiner Zugkabine vor – und er wird nicht die letzte Leiche sein, über die sie stolpern wird! Denn in Berlin häufen sich beängstigende Vorfälle, die zunächst unbedeutend erscheinen, unerklärliche Spannungen bauen sich auf, jeder beäugt wachsam den anderen, die bedrohliche Atmosphäre verdichtet sich – und die neugierige Miranda, die wie alle Protagonistinnen der 'Death in...'-Serie das fatale Talent hat, sich in sämtliche Nesseln zu setzen, gerät in akute Lebensgefahr. Und mehr als einmal erscheint wie ein Deus ex machina der undurchschaubare Simon Lang, wohl eine Art Geheimpolizist, was allerdings niemals recht klar wird, um ihr aus der Klemme zu helfen. Aber hätte dieser mit offenen Karten gespielt, wäre sie erst gar nicht in Lebensgefahr geraten, hätte sie sich stattdessen vorgesehen....
Und wenn den beiden Kindern – Roberts Tochter Lucy und deren pfiffigem Freund Wally, ein Schnüffler vor dem Herrn! - Gehör geschenkt worden wäre, anstatt sie als lästig abzutun, hätte man die Mordfälle im Nu aufklären können und es wäre zumindest Miranda erspart geblieben, die wohl schlimmsten Schockmomente ihres bisherigen Lebens durchstehen zu müssen. Denn diese beiden Kinder wussten, dank Wallys immerwährender Wachsamkeit und nicht zu unterdrückender Neugierde, längst, wer hinter den drei Morden, die es am Ende sein sollten, steckte...
Ja, der Roman ist spannend, unheimlich, düster, lässt einen den Atem anhalten, versteht zu überraschen, aber gleichzeitig verwirrt er auch, lässt den Leser immer wieder den Faden verlieren – wenn er sich nicht gerade ärgert über die nichtssagenden Dialoge, über die ebenso bis auf wenige Ausnahmen, nämlich Wally und Lucy, nichtssagenden Charaktere und die seltsame Liebesgeschichte oder was auch immer es sein soll, das sich zwischen Simon und Miranda entwickelt, zwischen denen ich keine Berührungspunkte ausmachen kann.
Interessant ist einzig das einem Ruinenfeld ähnelnde Berlin, das man bildhaft vor sich hat, das der perfekte Hintergrund dieser trostlosen Geschichte ist. Nirgendwo anders hätte sie spielen können – und kaum jemandem wäre es gelungen, sie so spür- und erlebbar zu machen wie der Autorin Kaye, die hierin eine wahre Meisterin ist. Trotz allem jedoch ist der vorliegende Spannungsroman der mich am wenigsten überzeugende der von mir geschätzten Britin und der erste, bei dem ich Mühe hatte, ihn überhaupt bis zum Ende zu lesen, das, nebenbei bemerkt, so überraschend wie unglaubwürdig ist!
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