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Stefan Gillespie #1
The City of Shadows
Dublin 1934: Detective Stefan Gillespie arrests a German doctor and encounters Hannah Rosen desperate to find her friend Susan, a Jewish woman who had become involved with a priest, and has now disappeared.
When the bodies of a man and woman are found buried in the Dublin mountains, it becomes clear that this case is about more than a missing person. Stefan and Hannah traces the evidence all the way across Europe to Danzig.
In a strange city where the Nazi Party is gaining power, Stefan and Hannah are inching closer to the truth and soon find themselves in grave danger...
Longlisted for the CWA John Creasy New Blood Dagger Award 2013.
The City of Strangers, the sequel to The City of Shadows publishes in ebook on 10 October 2013 and paperback on 7 November 2013.
When the bodies of a man and woman are found buried in the Dublin mountains, it becomes clear that this case is about more than a missing person. Stefan and Hannah traces the evidence all the way across Europe to Danzig.
In a strange city where the Nazi Party is gaining power, Stefan and Hannah are inching closer to the truth and soon find themselves in grave danger...
Longlisted for the CWA John Creasy New Blood Dagger Award 2013.
The City of Strangers, the sequel to The City of Shadows publishes in ebook on 10 October 2013 and paperback on 7 November 2013.
468 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2012
144 people are currently reading
1062 people want to read
About the author
Michael Russell
10 books49 followersMichael Russell was born in England. He grew up in one of those English-Irish families where the first stories he heard at his grandmother's knee were about murder, mayhem, Thompson Machine Guns and civil war in Ireland in the 1920s.
Determined to make himself unemployable, so that he could at least attempt to earn a living as writer, he studied Old English, Old Irish and Middle Welsh at Oxford before working for three years as a farm labourer in North Devon. His knowledge of farming (rather than writing) eventually got him a job as script editor on the English soap opera 'Emmerdale', in the days when it was still called 'Emmerdale Farm'. He went on to become a television writer and producer, writing for such programmes as 'All Creatures Great and Small', 'Eastenders', 'Between the Lines', 'The Bill', 'Midsomer Murders', 'A Touch of Frost'.
By the time he decided to write his first novel he was living in Ireland and it seemed inevitable that he would combine a passion for crime fiction with the stories about Ireland between the First and Second World Wars that he had once heard from his grandmother. The result was 'The City of Shadows'.
Source: Excerpt from Amazon author profile
Determined to make himself unemployable, so that he could at least attempt to earn a living as writer, he studied Old English, Old Irish and Middle Welsh at Oxford before working for three years as a farm labourer in North Devon. His knowledge of farming (rather than writing) eventually got him a job as script editor on the English soap opera 'Emmerdale', in the days when it was still called 'Emmerdale Farm'. He went on to become a television writer and producer, writing for such programmes as 'All Creatures Great and Small', 'Eastenders', 'Between the Lines', 'The Bill', 'Midsomer Murders', 'A Touch of Frost'.
By the time he decided to write his first novel he was living in Ireland and it seemed inevitable that he would combine a passion for crime fiction with the stories about Ireland between the First and Second World Wars that he had once heard from his grandmother. The result was 'The City of Shadows'.
Source: Excerpt from Amazon author profile
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
October 2, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book about an Irish DS very much. The 20 pages with the historical frame round the story up very nicely.
November 17, 2016
An-mhaith, beidh mé insint duit níos déanaí!
So as promised.
A book I really had been aiming to read for a while now due to my family background. As a young un I oft heard one set of grandparents tell me the Germans were nice people as they gave them electricity......! whilst my others said the f@!*@@s bombed us!!
It’s a story of pairs!
2 religions (Catholics & Jewish)
2 Free States (Irish & Danzig)
2 heroes (Steffan Gillespie & ??)
2 Wrongs (they be murders)
2 protagonists (Cant say but will keep you going deep into the read!)
2 ideologies (Nazis & Catholicism)
I was hoping for a bit more grit especially considering the period but as the writer formerly wrote for Emmerdale & despite some of the storyline its fairly family friendly which is understandable s’ppose.
Have to admit the opening chapters are a little clichéd as we go from diddling catholic priests too hard drinking Irish coppers to the Magdalene laundries but i’d ask you to stick with it as it’s a very good story which knits perfectly with the politics of the time. A very likeable character in Sergeant Steffan Gillespie of the Garda in the lead follows a crime to its completion unsettling all as he goes.
I’ll leave it at that, as to say more would tip yer hat.
Recommend highly.
So as promised.
A book I really had been aiming to read for a while now due to my family background. As a young un I oft heard one set of grandparents tell me the Germans were nice people as they gave them electricity......! whilst my others said the f@!*@@s bombed us!!
It’s a story of pairs!
2 religions (Catholics & Jewish)
2 Free States (Irish & Danzig)
2 heroes (Steffan Gillespie & ??)
2 Wrongs (they be murders)
2 protagonists (Cant say but will keep you going deep into the read!)
2 ideologies (Nazis & Catholicism)
I was hoping for a bit more grit especially considering the period but as the writer formerly wrote for Emmerdale & despite some of the storyline its fairly family friendly which is understandable s’ppose.
Have to admit the opening chapters are a little clichéd as we go from diddling catholic priests too hard drinking Irish coppers to the Magdalene laundries but i’d ask you to stick with it as it’s a very good story which knits perfectly with the politics of the time. A very likeable character in Sergeant Steffan Gillespie of the Garda in the lead follows a crime to its completion unsettling all as he goes.
I’ll leave it at that, as to say more would tip yer hat.
Recommend highly.
May 17, 2022
1st in the series an interesting read based in southern Ireland and free City of danzig based in 1930's
February 8, 2018
Sergeant Stefan Gillespie is called to investigate 2 sets of remains found buried in the mountains. This is the start of a long, complicated investigation which involves Special Branch, Military Intelligence, the Catholic Church, Zionist activism and the Nazi Party amongst others. This novel has an amazing breadth and depth not often found in the genre but, at the same time, it is easy to follow and draws you in effortlessly. If you want an intelligent page turner this is the book for you.
December 24, 2012
The City of Shadows is quite simply a brilliant crime novel. Although his debut novel, Michael Russell has a wealth of experience as a television scriptwriter (Midsomer Murders, A Touch of Frost, Emmerdale) and it shows in the quality of the story, which works at every level - plotting, sense of place, historical contextualisation, characterization. Whilst the plot is expansive and complex, it is straightforward to follow and utterly compelling, grabbing the reader from the start and not letting up in intrigue or pace, and very well structured. There are plenty of twists, turns and feints, with the reader kept guessing until the very end as to the mystery of the disappearance of Hannah’s friend. Russell drops the reader into the landscapes of Dublin, rural Wicklow and Danzig, and the heady mix of state and religious politics both at a senior actor level and how it played out in everyday life. There is real attention to historical detail and recreating the social and political atmosphere of the time. Stefan Gillespie and Hannah Rosen are both wonderful characters, each trying to fight a system that is seemingly too large and powerful. Russell brings both to life and their fragile relationship is well penned, as are the myriad of secondary characters. Overall, The City of Shadows is a entertaining and gripping story that I thoroughly recommend.
November 17, 2013
Detective Stefan Gillespie is a nonconformist in 1930's Ireland - a troubled country now free of British rule and under governance of the Irish Free State. He is a single parent, raising his young son Tom in rural Wicklow, where Stefan's parents run a small farm. Because of Tom's education, Stefan finds himself in conflict with the local priest. This latter is one of several asides which intertwine as the main plot unfolds.
Meanwhile, in his role as a policeman, Stefan arrests a German doctor and meets a young Jewish woman, Hannah who is desperately trying to find her friend Susan, another young Jewish woman who had become involved with a Catholic priest. But Susan seems to have vanished.
Then, as the bodies of a young man and young woman are found in the mountains above Dublin - both executed by a shot to the back of the head, the story takes a very dark twist. There are rumours involving both dead people, with the young man seemingly a homosexual who had links to Dublin's Gate Theatre and possibly to a young man training for the priesthood.
As a result of his investigations into both deaths, Stefan, aided by Hannah, finds himself travelling to pre-war Europe and the free city of Danzig where the local Nazi Party, aided by its powerful leaders in Berlin, is trying to gain control.
The plot thickens and Stefan's police work seems to be being stalled not only by the Catholic Church but also by his own superiors with the backing of the Irish Government. Even Hannah appears to have an agenda of her own, although both find themselves in danger - first from the Nazis in Poland and on their return to Dublin. There, as Stefan works painstakingly to uncover the truth, he finds himself involved in the intrigues of a charismatic Catholic priest who has connections and protection at the highest levels of Church and State.
For me, this book works as both a well-written and intelligent thriller with a number of fascinating characters - in Ireland and mainland Europe - and as a very atmospheric historical, albeit fictional, account of Ireland in the 1930's and the early signs of Nazi dominance in Europe.
NOTE: I read this book back in the summer of 2013, but received the 2nd book in this series (The City of Strangers) as a giveaway from Harper Collins, so I thought I'd review "City Of Shadows", which the publisher also sent me - even though I'd already bought it and read it. Clear? I hope so.
Meanwhile, in his role as a policeman, Stefan arrests a German doctor and meets a young Jewish woman, Hannah who is desperately trying to find her friend Susan, another young Jewish woman who had become involved with a Catholic priest. But Susan seems to have vanished.
Then, as the bodies of a young man and young woman are found in the mountains above Dublin - both executed by a shot to the back of the head, the story takes a very dark twist. There are rumours involving both dead people, with the young man seemingly a homosexual who had links to Dublin's Gate Theatre and possibly to a young man training for the priesthood.
As a result of his investigations into both deaths, Stefan, aided by Hannah, finds himself travelling to pre-war Europe and the free city of Danzig where the local Nazi Party, aided by its powerful leaders in Berlin, is trying to gain control.
The plot thickens and Stefan's police work seems to be being stalled not only by the Catholic Church but also by his own superiors with the backing of the Irish Government. Even Hannah appears to have an agenda of her own, although both find themselves in danger - first from the Nazis in Poland and on their return to Dublin. There, as Stefan works painstakingly to uncover the truth, he finds himself involved in the intrigues of a charismatic Catholic priest who has connections and protection at the highest levels of Church and State.
For me, this book works as both a well-written and intelligent thriller with a number of fascinating characters - in Ireland and mainland Europe - and as a very atmospheric historical, albeit fictional, account of Ireland in the 1930's and the early signs of Nazi dominance in Europe.
NOTE: I read this book back in the summer of 2013, but received the 2nd book in this series (The City of Strangers) as a giveaway from Harper Collins, so I thought I'd review "City Of Shadows", which the publisher also sent me - even though I'd already bought it and read it. Clear? I hope so.
October 14, 2013
Very enjoyable book. Parts action adventure, historical fiction, love story, social commentary, it was hard to put this book down. Set in Ireland in the 1930's,in the second decade of independence, at a time of almost absolute control by the Catholic church of all aspects of Irish life, this book tells a story of people on the outside of that society. A young woman is murdered, but no one seems to care part from her best friend. Her path crosses with that of a detective in the newly formed Garda Siochana, who most battle internal politics, as well as religious control in order to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of the crime. Along the way he uncovers secrets that have ramifications all the way to the top of Irish society.
May 4, 2018
I'll go ahead and give this 3.5 stars. I'll start with why I knocked off the 1.5 stars, and that's simply because it was a detective story that didn't really read as a detective story. Honestly for half of it he wasn't a detective. It was also because Hannah just made some really stupid decisions (what Jewish girl consciously goes to Danzig in the middle of Hitler's reign??)
Other than that, I did enjoy the book. The plot was interesting and I liked the way Stefan's family relationships were interwoven into the plot. I enjoyed Michael Russell's writing style - pretty simple and to the point, but still poignant enough to make you really feel the way the characters do.
I probably won't be reading more of this series, but I have definitely enjoyed what I have read of it!
Other than that, I did enjoy the book. The plot was interesting and I liked the way Stefan's family relationships were interwoven into the plot. I enjoyed Michael Russell's writing style - pretty simple and to the point, but still poignant enough to make you really feel the way the characters do.
I probably won't be reading more of this series, but I have definitely enjoyed what I have read of it!
July 13, 2020
The City of Shadows has unusual locations, Dublin and Danzig, in the 1930s. It's quite an angry story; anti-Semitism and dissatisfaction with some aspects of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland are prevalent.
The main character; DS Stefan Gillespie is easy to like and quite vulnerable and one of the two others are interesting although some of the villains are cardboard cutouts. The plot is a bit complex as you would expect with any novel set in the early years of the Irish Free State.
I liked Gillespie and I shall read the next in the series in due course.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.
The main character; DS Stefan Gillespie is easy to like and quite vulnerable and one of the two others are interesting although some of the villains are cardboard cutouts. The plot is a bit complex as you would expect with any novel set in the early years of the Irish Free State.
I liked Gillespie and I shall read the next in the series in due course.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.
August 2, 2022
If there were half-stars this would be 3.5. I liked it well enough and the bonus is added for the Philip-Kerr-like setting of the Stefan Gillespie plot against a very real and interesting backdrop. I was familiar with the Ireland of this period but the situation of Danzig in the 1930s was a revelation.
The reason I'm a bit indifferent is that the characters were devised to fit into their roles so snugly that they didn't feel authentic. Also, whereas Kerr, who is my favourite in this genre, would establish a scene in easy strokes, in this book it was a bit laboured. Russell here would interrupt the action to name the street, describe the room, comment on the weather outside and give us some detail on the clothing worn. This slowed it down, often, for me, at the wrong times.
The reason I'm a bit indifferent is that the characters were devised to fit into their roles so snugly that they didn't feel authentic. Also, whereas Kerr, who is my favourite in this genre, would establish a scene in easy strokes, in this book it was a bit laboured. Russell here would interrupt the action to name the street, describe the room, comment on the weather outside and give us some detail on the clothing worn. This slowed it down, often, for me, at the wrong times.
December 5, 2025
Perfect for anyone who may be a bit jaded by contemporary crime fiction, this is more of a historical novel about 1930s Dublin and Danzig that uses its crime to highlight the social circumstances of the time. And it’s a real eye opener as to how open the Nazi party were there before the outbreak of the Second World War (it’s interested me in finding out more about whether this was common elsewhere), as well as providing a fascinating insight into the free city of Danzig and the surprising Irish influences there at the time. It also explains what can be the fairly complicated history of the early years of the Irish Republic fairly clearly. We do still have the fairly usual ‘detective with difficult family background family situation’ but even that is treated in a way that doesn’t make it feel like a tired trope. I’m delighted to have found the series.
October 7, 2013
A great crime thriller set in Ireland and Danzig. The main character Stefan Gillespie is a likeable and decent member of the police force having to deal with a many number of divisions in Ireland in the early part of the of the twentieth century. He becomes involved in what he thinks is a routine case but the deeper he looks the darker things become.
I enjoyed the historical content that the book was based on as I wasn't particularly aware of this era of Irish history. I would read more books from this author.
I enjoyed the historical content that the book was based on as I wasn't particularly aware of this era of Irish history. I would read more books from this author.
May 4, 2014
Well... I was recommended this on the basis of "because you liked..." on a well known internet site. The idea sounded interesting and the allusion to Carlos Ruiz Zafon's books made me think it would be a good idea. I did enjoy reading it but it is nothing like Shadow of the Wind other than the era and the fact it is set in another country. In practice I did enjoy the Irish parts of the book - they felt like they captured something of Ireland at a time. The part set in Danzig seemed to lack depth for me. Not bad - not brilliant.
January 27, 2013
I couldn't finish this book, it was disjointed. It starts with a young man who falls in love with a priest he had contact with once, the young man is almost killed by gay-baiters but then run over by a car. A woman "the woman" is prevented from getting an abortion, the illegal abortionist is arrested.... The descriptions meander, the plot falls apart like smoke, and the characters are waterlogged and pale.
September 27, 2020
Michael Russell’s THE CITY OF SHADOWS is centered in Dublin, the Free City of Danzig, and Palestine in the 1930s. Russell, a reader of English at Oxford, in addition to a television producer and writer has written an engrossing first novel. The first of six books centers on Stefan Gillespie, a Detective Sergeant out of Dublin’s Pearse Street Garda Station. The series revolves around the murder of two individuals two years apart found in the mountains outside Dublin. The first question to be asked is are the murders related, the answer is yes but not in the traditional sense. The novel itself is tightly written and well-conceived story encompassing murder, love, and rising nationalism in Europe epitomized by Nazi Germany reflected in strong character portraits placed accurately within the context of historical events.
The story begins as Vincent Walsh is searching for a priest who he has fallen in love with. He was to meet his lover after the Eucharist Congress at Phoenix Park in Dublin attended by over one million people and three hundred priests. When the priest does not show, Walsh walks to Carolan’s, a gay bar near the site. Shortly after arriving Irish Blueshirts who fashion themselves after Mussolini’s Black Shirts arrive which brings about the demise of Walsh. The second component that is explained involves another priest, Father Francis Bryce who is having an affair with Susan Field. The young lady becomes pregnant and is last scene at Dr. Hugo Keller’s office to undergo an abortion. Something goes wrong and she is taken to the Convent of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepard which supposedly cares for unmarried pregnant woman where Mother Superior Eustacia, appalled that the young lady is Jewish pronounces her dead.
Gillespie is called in to investigate and immediately is confronted by machinations employed by Detective Jimmy Lynch and Inspector James Donaldson of the Irish Special Branch and Lieutenant John Cavendish of G2 Military intelligence. Both men seemed to have ties to the abortion doctor in addition to the Blueshirts. Gillespie is appalled as is Hannah Rosen, Field’s closest friend he arrives from Palestine to learn about and seek justice for her friend. Rosen is aware that Field was having an affair with Father Francis Bryce, a college professor of philosophy who arranged the abortion with Dr. Kelly, then disappeared from Dublin. Gillespie and Rosen come together to try and solve the murder on their own, but they may have bitten off more than they can handle.
The hypocrisy of the Catholic Church is on full display as the story evolves. Priests seem to enjoy sexual relationships going against their vows in addition to those whose egos dominate their actions. A good example is Father Anthony Carey who does not believe that Gillespie is raising his four year old son Tom as a good Catholic. Gillespie whose wife Maeve had died two years earlier was Catholic and Gillespie is an atheist/Protestant, but the detective is doing the best he can with Tom living with his parents. Father Carey is appalled and after a series of threats tries to have the Church take Tom away from his father to live with an uncle’s family.
Russell provides a vivid description of life in Dublin and the surrounding countryside. The author integrates each character’s personal history allowing the reader to understand the context of each in the story line. A good example of this approach is how Russell explains why Susan Field’s family left the Ukraine and its anti-Semitism as her grandfather Abraham traveled across Europe for three years before arriving in Dublin 1899. Susan’s father, Brian a cantor at the Adelaide Road Synagogue will contact Gillespie seeking help to find out how his daughter died.
Russell is on firm ground as his story progresses with certain historical events forming the background for the plot. Whether discussing the history of the Irish Civil War, events in Palestine as Jews try to create their own state, or the Nazi drive to seize the Free State of Danzig Russell employs a strong knowledge base that allows him to introduce a number of important historical figures to make his story much more credible. Figures such as Eamon de Valera, the first President of the Irish Free State; Joseph Goebbles, Nazi Propaganda Minister; Edward O’Rourke, the Bishop of Danzig; and Sean Lester, the League of Nations High Commissioner for Danzig; Arthur Geisler, President of the Free City of Danzig Senate; Albert Forster, Gauleiter of Danzig-West Prussia; Dr. Adolph Mahr, Director of the National Museum of Ireland and head of the Irish Nazi Party, along with a number of others are all portrayed accurately. Fictional characters abound, the most important of which include Father Monsignor Robert Fitzpatrick, the head of the pro-Nazi Association of Catholic Strength, and Gillespie’s partner, Detective Garda Dessie MacMahon.
Russell provides the background for many of the historical controversies of the 1930s. Religion, fascism, communism, the rise of Nazism, abortion, the division between urban and rural areas are among the topics explored. His protagonist, Stefan Gillespie’s life is complex, particularly his budding relationship with Hannah Rosen, but Russell weaves a rich tapestry as he seems to compare the beauty of Ireland with the street of Dublin and the horrors of Nazism being played out in Danzig. For a debut novel, Russell has done a fine job and I look forward to reading the second installment in the series, THE CITY OF STRANGERS which transports the reader to New York in 1939 as World War II is about to break out.
The story begins as Vincent Walsh is searching for a priest who he has fallen in love with. He was to meet his lover after the Eucharist Congress at Phoenix Park in Dublin attended by over one million people and three hundred priests. When the priest does not show, Walsh walks to Carolan’s, a gay bar near the site. Shortly after arriving Irish Blueshirts who fashion themselves after Mussolini’s Black Shirts arrive which brings about the demise of Walsh. The second component that is explained involves another priest, Father Francis Bryce who is having an affair with Susan Field. The young lady becomes pregnant and is last scene at Dr. Hugo Keller’s office to undergo an abortion. Something goes wrong and she is taken to the Convent of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepard which supposedly cares for unmarried pregnant woman where Mother Superior Eustacia, appalled that the young lady is Jewish pronounces her dead.
Gillespie is called in to investigate and immediately is confronted by machinations employed by Detective Jimmy Lynch and Inspector James Donaldson of the Irish Special Branch and Lieutenant John Cavendish of G2 Military intelligence. Both men seemed to have ties to the abortion doctor in addition to the Blueshirts. Gillespie is appalled as is Hannah Rosen, Field’s closest friend he arrives from Palestine to learn about and seek justice for her friend. Rosen is aware that Field was having an affair with Father Francis Bryce, a college professor of philosophy who arranged the abortion with Dr. Kelly, then disappeared from Dublin. Gillespie and Rosen come together to try and solve the murder on their own, but they may have bitten off more than they can handle.
The hypocrisy of the Catholic Church is on full display as the story evolves. Priests seem to enjoy sexual relationships going against their vows in addition to those whose egos dominate their actions. A good example is Father Anthony Carey who does not believe that Gillespie is raising his four year old son Tom as a good Catholic. Gillespie whose wife Maeve had died two years earlier was Catholic and Gillespie is an atheist/Protestant, but the detective is doing the best he can with Tom living with his parents. Father Carey is appalled and after a series of threats tries to have the Church take Tom away from his father to live with an uncle’s family.
Russell provides a vivid description of life in Dublin and the surrounding countryside. The author integrates each character’s personal history allowing the reader to understand the context of each in the story line. A good example of this approach is how Russell explains why Susan Field’s family left the Ukraine and its anti-Semitism as her grandfather Abraham traveled across Europe for three years before arriving in Dublin 1899. Susan’s father, Brian a cantor at the Adelaide Road Synagogue will contact Gillespie seeking help to find out how his daughter died.
Russell is on firm ground as his story progresses with certain historical events forming the background for the plot. Whether discussing the history of the Irish Civil War, events in Palestine as Jews try to create their own state, or the Nazi drive to seize the Free State of Danzig Russell employs a strong knowledge base that allows him to introduce a number of important historical figures to make his story much more credible. Figures such as Eamon de Valera, the first President of the Irish Free State; Joseph Goebbles, Nazi Propaganda Minister; Edward O’Rourke, the Bishop of Danzig; and Sean Lester, the League of Nations High Commissioner for Danzig; Arthur Geisler, President of the Free City of Danzig Senate; Albert Forster, Gauleiter of Danzig-West Prussia; Dr. Adolph Mahr, Director of the National Museum of Ireland and head of the Irish Nazi Party, along with a number of others are all portrayed accurately. Fictional characters abound, the most important of which include Father Monsignor Robert Fitzpatrick, the head of the pro-Nazi Association of Catholic Strength, and Gillespie’s partner, Detective Garda Dessie MacMahon.
Russell provides the background for many of the historical controversies of the 1930s. Religion, fascism, communism, the rise of Nazism, abortion, the division between urban and rural areas are among the topics explored. His protagonist, Stefan Gillespie’s life is complex, particularly his budding relationship with Hannah Rosen, but Russell weaves a rich tapestry as he seems to compare the beauty of Ireland with the street of Dublin and the horrors of Nazism being played out in Danzig. For a debut novel, Russell has done a fine job and I look forward to reading the second installment in the series, THE CITY OF STRANGERS which transports the reader to New York in 1939 as World War II is about to break out.
May 27, 2022
An interesting read which gave a great insight to 1930s Ireland & Free State Danzig
November 27, 2022
This caught my attention when it was the One City, One Book choice a few years ago.
It’s a murder mystery, but it’s also a lot more than that. It’s an atmospheric account of Ireland between the wars, depicting the turbulent early years of the state and the enormous power the church had.
It’s also a commentary on rising naziism, with parallel themes between the new Irish Free State and the new Free City of Danzig.
I love a novel which I can learn from. I learnt lots of this one and it was a really good mystery to boot.
It’s a murder mystery, but it’s also a lot more than that. It’s an atmospheric account of Ireland between the wars, depicting the turbulent early years of the state and the enormous power the church had.
It’s also a commentary on rising naziism, with parallel themes between the new Irish Free State and the new Free City of Danzig.
I love a novel which I can learn from. I learnt lots of this one and it was a really good mystery to boot.
March 19, 2013
Michael Russell is a man who brings a lot of experience to the table in his debut novel The City of Shadows. After reading English at Oxford, Michael joined Yorkshire Television as Script Editor on Emmerdale Farm, where he became Series Producer. He also spent several years in the Drama Department, first as Script Consultant, then Producer, before leaving ITV to write full-time. A regular contributor to Midsomer Murders, he recently scripted the last ever episodes of A Touch of Frost which topped the TV ratings.
Russell certainly lands the reader firmly in 1930’s Ireland, exploring controversial territory, religion, democracy, fascism, communism, the rise of Nazism, those considered outsiders of the Free State, murder, abortion, the rural/city divide, and a whole lot more besides. This is a period of history that seems to have dug its claws into Russell, and would not let go, the book partly inspired by stories told to him from his grandmother,about the Black and Tans, murders, and Thompson machine guns. If you read The City of Shadows, you will be immersed in the complex life of Stefan Gillespie, a character who never quite settles into the world around him, and therefore presents a deeper reflection to the reader of this time in history.
You can’t really discuss Stefan Gillespie without touching on the engaging, exotic, and at times intoxicating Hannah Rosen, Stefan’s dark eyed acushla. It was a strange combination, these two characters crossing paths, almost as if destiny deemed it to be, but with a destiny governed by the macro picture. In a time when, if you were Catholic, you were Irish, Protestant,almost Irish, and if Jewish, in some circles, definitely not. The character of Hannah, an Irish Jew, is also a window to what’s happening in Europe, therefore opening up the macro picture in the process.
There was one particular quote in the novel where Stefan’s young son, Tom speaks about the swastika flag, saying – ‘I like their flag, don’t you Daddy?’ It’s said with the innocence of a child’s viewpoint, but actually, it seemed to reflect the viewpoint of many at the time, who didn't have the benefit of hindsight.
One of the most mesmerizing chapters in The City of Shadows is the opening one. It has a very distinctive tone and rhythm to it, which stays with you throughout the remainder of the novel.
The novel also includes references to an Irishman, Sean Lester, part of League of Nations in Danzig, and the Russian Bishop of Danzig, who surprising enough was called O’Rourke.
Some people think Russell gave the Catholic Church a bit of a hard time in this book, but overall it felt balanced to me, presenting someone within the church who was quite a heroic figure along with the less attractive elements.
The next novel finds Stefan as part of Special Branch during the Emergency, taking us to New York in the process. One which I will be watching out for.
Russell certainly lands the reader firmly in 1930’s Ireland, exploring controversial territory, religion, democracy, fascism, communism, the rise of Nazism, those considered outsiders of the Free State, murder, abortion, the rural/city divide, and a whole lot more besides. This is a period of history that seems to have dug its claws into Russell, and would not let go, the book partly inspired by stories told to him from his grandmother,about the Black and Tans, murders, and Thompson machine guns. If you read The City of Shadows, you will be immersed in the complex life of Stefan Gillespie, a character who never quite settles into the world around him, and therefore presents a deeper reflection to the reader of this time in history.
You can’t really discuss Stefan Gillespie without touching on the engaging, exotic, and at times intoxicating Hannah Rosen, Stefan’s dark eyed acushla. It was a strange combination, these two characters crossing paths, almost as if destiny deemed it to be, but with a destiny governed by the macro picture. In a time when, if you were Catholic, you were Irish, Protestant,almost Irish, and if Jewish, in some circles, definitely not. The character of Hannah, an Irish Jew, is also a window to what’s happening in Europe, therefore opening up the macro picture in the process.
There was one particular quote in the novel where Stefan’s young son, Tom speaks about the swastika flag, saying – ‘I like their flag, don’t you Daddy?’ It’s said with the innocence of a child’s viewpoint, but actually, it seemed to reflect the viewpoint of many at the time, who didn't have the benefit of hindsight.
One of the most mesmerizing chapters in The City of Shadows is the opening one. It has a very distinctive tone and rhythm to it, which stays with you throughout the remainder of the novel.
The novel also includes references to an Irishman, Sean Lester, part of League of Nations in Danzig, and the Russian Bishop of Danzig, who surprising enough was called O’Rourke.
Some people think Russell gave the Catholic Church a bit of a hard time in this book, but overall it felt balanced to me, presenting someone within the church who was quite a heroic figure along with the less attractive elements.
The next novel finds Stefan as part of Special Branch during the Emergency, taking us to New York in the process. One which I will be watching out for.
January 1, 2016
This was my Secret Santa book from one of my "on line" book clubs so was a complete surprise and what a terrific one it turned just out to be, thank you Secret Santa whoever you are. Set between the wars in 1932-35 in Dublin and Danzig/ Gdansk. The rise of the nazi party in Germany and the links with Ireland are covered and it was enlightening as this part of Irish history I am not overly familiar with. I was grateful to the author for the two brief resumes at the back of the book explaining the Irish Free State and the Free city Danzig/ Gdansk moving between Germany and Poland as borders changed. The grip of the Catholic Church on Irish society and the control it had on its citizens was clear as were the sinister implications with Ireland and Europe. The plot had everything, murders, mystery,historical fiction, social and political history, plus a love inteterest. The likeable character of Stefan Gillespie the detective trying to unravel the murders of two bodies found in the Wicklow mountains but as he starts uncovering the secrets he finds that they go right to the top of the church and Irish Society. A bit wordy at times but I will forgive this as it was entertaining, gripping, absorbing, strongly recommended and I will definitely be reading the next Stefan Gillespie "city of strangers".
August 31, 2021
2.5 Stars. I enjoyed the overall arch of this story but there were alot of aspects that I really didn't enjoy. I think the main problem was that reading it I didn't really care about solving the mystery as everything seemed pretty convenient so you know by the end it will be solved.
The main character was done well and to say how many secondary characters there were we got to know them pretty well.
I didn't care about the religious storylines but that was more of a personal thing. However I also really didn't care about the Nazi's and Nazi Germany being such a big part of the story how it was done felt quite lazy and there was little detail actually given about the individuals in the book as your expected to know the history.
The books seemed to long for the amount of information given but I was satisfied with the ending and it was good that absolutely everything was wrapped up without loose ends.
The main character was done well and to say how many secondary characters there were we got to know them pretty well.
I didn't care about the religious storylines but that was more of a personal thing. However I also really didn't care about the Nazi's and Nazi Germany being such a big part of the story how it was done felt quite lazy and there was little detail actually given about the individuals in the book as your expected to know the history.
The books seemed to long for the amount of information given but I was satisfied with the ending and it was good that absolutely everything was wrapped up without loose ends.
July 30, 2014
I won a copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway.
This is a fascinating mystery set in Ireland during the 1930s. I’m not too familiar with Irish history and I found this interesting. I never knew about any connections with Germany and the Nazis at the time. As a history nerd, I loved this aspect. As a reader, at times I found the author to be a bit wordy. Once I settled into his style it didn’t bother me. Also, parts of the book take place in Trieste, Italy and I happened to bring this book on my trip and we had a stop in Trieste. It was fun to sit in Trieste and to read about it at the same time. Overall, I enjoyed this book. And the next book I picked up was the second one in the series, The City of Strangers.
This is a fascinating mystery set in Ireland during the 1930s. I’m not too familiar with Irish history and I found this interesting. I never knew about any connections with Germany and the Nazis at the time. As a history nerd, I loved this aspect. As a reader, at times I found the author to be a bit wordy. Once I settled into his style it didn’t bother me. Also, parts of the book take place in Trieste, Italy and I happened to bring this book on my trip and we had a stop in Trieste. It was fun to sit in Trieste and to read about it at the same time. Overall, I enjoyed this book. And the next book I picked up was the second one in the series, The City of Strangers.
January 7, 2014
***RECEIVED FROM FIRST READS GIVEAWAY***
This is a genre I don't tend to pick up too often, as I am extremely nosy and must know exactly what is going on, if I can't figure out the twists and turns of a thriller then I can get frustrated! This is so well written that even though I couldn't figure out who dunnit until the author chose to reveal it, that I didn't lose interest at all. And as theories evolved in my own head, the author takes you away and plants a completely new one there! I also w fascinated by the depth of knowledge piled in regarding nazi politics. How they went about "winning" elections in the run up to the war in the 30s. It is certainly one that I shall be recommending.
This is a genre I don't tend to pick up too often, as I am extremely nosy and must know exactly what is going on, if I can't figure out the twists and turns of a thriller then I can get frustrated! This is so well written that even though I couldn't figure out who dunnit until the author chose to reveal it, that I didn't lose interest at all. And as theories evolved in my own head, the author takes you away and plants a completely new one there! I also w fascinated by the depth of knowledge piled in regarding nazi politics. How they went about "winning" elections in the run up to the war in the 30s. It is certainly one that I shall be recommending.
February 22, 2014
I received this book through goodreads first-reads, along with the sequel 'the city of strangers'. I found this book an interesting read and enjoyed the mystery of who committed the many crimes featured.
An evocative picture is painted of the world in the 1930s, and especially the details around Danzig, which I haven't come across much in fiction, were very enlightening. The history of Ireland and the relationship with the church was described well, enhancing the story rather than detracting from the mystery.
I'm very much looking forward to 'the city of strangers', based on this book.
An evocative picture is painted of the world in the 1930s, and especially the details around Danzig, which I haven't come across much in fiction, were very enlightening. The history of Ireland and the relationship with the church was described well, enhancing the story rather than detracting from the mystery.
I'm very much looking forward to 'the city of strangers', based on this book.
January 5, 2013
Dublin is a city I know, not well but it's familiar. This book made me think about Ireland in the run up to the Second World War and raised issues that were uncomfortable. It's well written tho I thought some of the scenes felt a bit stilted. I would definitely read his next book when it comes out.
February 16, 2013
DId not finish. could not get in to it after half way/
May 2, 2025
Wat heeft Michael Russell met dit boek een briljante en meeslepende historische misdaad roman geschreven. Hij neemt ons mee van Dublin naar het landelijke Wicklow en naar de vrijstaat Danzig in een turbulente tijd waarin de nieuwe angstaanjagende Duitse idealen in opkomst zijn. Dit alles begint met de joodse Hannah Rosen die terugkeert naar Ierland in 1934 om haar beste vriendin Susan te zoeken. Het spoor leidt naar een illegale abortuskliniek.
Wanneer Hannah daar een kijkje gaat nemen wordt zij samen met de duitse arts en zijn verpleegster gearresteerd door rechercheur Stefan Gillespie. De arts en verpleegster worden echter weer vrijgelaten en het lijkt alsof de special branch van de politie een aborteur in bescherming neemt en vrijuit laat gaan. Maar waarom? En wat is er nou precies gebeurd?
De schrijver heeft een mooie en gedetailleerde schrijfstijl en het is te merken dat hij ervaring heeft als scenario schrijver want hij laat dit meeslepende verhaal vol complotten, intriges en geheimen tot leven komen. De vele historische details die hij erin verwerkt heeft zijn gebaseerd op echte gebeurtenissen en dat maakt het nog intenser. De personages zijn perfect en vol diepgang uitgewerkt en we leren ze goed kennen. Door de mooie, gedetailleerde schrijfstijl komt ook de omgeving tot leven en kun je je goed inleven. Erg mooi is dat we ook de mens achter rechercheur Gillespie leren kennen als hij naar Wicklow gaat waar zijn zoontje op de boerderij bij zijn grootouders woont sinds zijn moeder overleden is.
Deze stukken in het verhaal zijn hartverwarmend maar ook in Wicklow zijn machtige mensen die hun zin proberen door te drijven.
Al snel blijkt dat dit om meer gaat dan een vermiste vrouw. De zoektocht naar de waarheid is heel spannend en de complotten en geheimen komen langzaam aan het licht. Het plot is uitgebreid en complex en dat maakt dit boek zeer meeslepend en intrigerend.
Tot het einde blijf je als lezer in het ongewisse over het mysterie rondom de verdwijning van Hannah's vriendin. Dit boek liet me maar niet los, het is geen moment saai en heeft een prettig tempo.
De katholieke kerk was ook zeer aanwezig in deze roerige tijd waarin ook het nieuwe duitse gedachtengoed centraal staat dat later zal leiden tot de tweede wereldoorlog. In de complotten en intriges spelen zowel de katholieke kerk als de overheid een grote rol en de rillingen lopen over je rug als het zich allemaal ontvouwt.
Stefan en Hannah volgen een spoor door Europa naar de vrijstaat Danzig.
Daar beginnen we te lezen vanuit het perspectief van Hannah, zij is op zoek naar een geheimzinnige priester die wel eens de sleutel kan zijn om de moord op haar vriendin op te lossen. Al snel schiet Stefan haar te hulp en bundelen ze hun krachten.
De stad hangt vol rode vlaggen met de bekende zwarte kruizen en de sfeer is grimmig. Als lezer voel je de angst en de sfeer in de stad. In Danzig komt het verhaal in een stroomversnelling en kun je helemaal niet meer stoppen met lezen. De complotten worden steeds uitgebreider en de spanning loopt op.
Het is een meesterwerk, een verhaal dat heel goed geschreven is vol plottwists die je niet ziet aankomen maar ook heel beeldend zodat het je helemaal meesleept.
Ik vond dit een uniek boek, een echte aanrader!
Wanneer Hannah daar een kijkje gaat nemen wordt zij samen met de duitse arts en zijn verpleegster gearresteerd door rechercheur Stefan Gillespie. De arts en verpleegster worden echter weer vrijgelaten en het lijkt alsof de special branch van de politie een aborteur in bescherming neemt en vrijuit laat gaan. Maar waarom? En wat is er nou precies gebeurd?
De schrijver heeft een mooie en gedetailleerde schrijfstijl en het is te merken dat hij ervaring heeft als scenario schrijver want hij laat dit meeslepende verhaal vol complotten, intriges en geheimen tot leven komen. De vele historische details die hij erin verwerkt heeft zijn gebaseerd op echte gebeurtenissen en dat maakt het nog intenser. De personages zijn perfect en vol diepgang uitgewerkt en we leren ze goed kennen. Door de mooie, gedetailleerde schrijfstijl komt ook de omgeving tot leven en kun je je goed inleven. Erg mooi is dat we ook de mens achter rechercheur Gillespie leren kennen als hij naar Wicklow gaat waar zijn zoontje op de boerderij bij zijn grootouders woont sinds zijn moeder overleden is.
Deze stukken in het verhaal zijn hartverwarmend maar ook in Wicklow zijn machtige mensen die hun zin proberen door te drijven.
Al snel blijkt dat dit om meer gaat dan een vermiste vrouw. De zoektocht naar de waarheid is heel spannend en de complotten en geheimen komen langzaam aan het licht. Het plot is uitgebreid en complex en dat maakt dit boek zeer meeslepend en intrigerend.
Tot het einde blijf je als lezer in het ongewisse over het mysterie rondom de verdwijning van Hannah's vriendin. Dit boek liet me maar niet los, het is geen moment saai en heeft een prettig tempo.
De katholieke kerk was ook zeer aanwezig in deze roerige tijd waarin ook het nieuwe duitse gedachtengoed centraal staat dat later zal leiden tot de tweede wereldoorlog. In de complotten en intriges spelen zowel de katholieke kerk als de overheid een grote rol en de rillingen lopen over je rug als het zich allemaal ontvouwt.
Stefan en Hannah volgen een spoor door Europa naar de vrijstaat Danzig.
Daar beginnen we te lezen vanuit het perspectief van Hannah, zij is op zoek naar een geheimzinnige priester die wel eens de sleutel kan zijn om de moord op haar vriendin op te lossen. Al snel schiet Stefan haar te hulp en bundelen ze hun krachten.
De stad hangt vol rode vlaggen met de bekende zwarte kruizen en de sfeer is grimmig. Als lezer voel je de angst en de sfeer in de stad. In Danzig komt het verhaal in een stroomversnelling en kun je helemaal niet meer stoppen met lezen. De complotten worden steeds uitgebreider en de spanning loopt op.
Het is een meesterwerk, een verhaal dat heel goed geschreven is vol plottwists die je niet ziet aankomen maar ook heel beeldend zodat het je helemaal meesleept.
Ik vond dit een uniek boek, een echte aanrader!
February 25, 2019
The City of Shadows is the first and debut book in the Stefan Gillespie series written by Michael Russell and centered on Stefan Gillespie, a Detective Sergeant of the Garda Síochána in Dublin.
When Stefan Gillespie, a detective sergeant in Dublin, stakes out a German back street abortionist, he little realizes he's about to stumble into a tangled conspiracy of blackmail and murder that stretches from Dublin to Danzig.
Upon entering the clinic, Gillespie encounters Hannah Rosen, a strong willed woman of the Jewish faith, who has returned to Dublin from Palestine to investigate the disappearance of her best friend. Very quickly Special Branch grabs the abortionist case from Gillespie and he swaps his attention to discovering what happened to Hannah’s friend, who’d been having an affair with a priest.
As he starts to investigate it's clear that others want him to drop the case and they're prepared to use coercion if necessary. Gillespie is already vulnerable, a Protestant and single father to Tom in a country that favors neither status, but he's also resilient and doesn't react well to threats. Meanwhile, Hannah has followed the trail to the priest to Danzig, a free city under political siege by Nazis keen to reintegrate it into Germany.
The City of Shadows is written rather well. It takes place 1934, which is a rather interesting time both in Ireland and the world. The shadow of the war of independence and civil war still hangs over Ireland, their politics and factions infusing everyday life along with the rising power of the Church. On the continent, fascism is a growing force, particularly in Germany as the Nazi party consolidates its grip on government, terrorizes Jewish citizens and threatens other nations.
While the plot is expansive and complex, it is straightforward to follow and utterly compelling, grabbing the reader from the start and not letting up in intrigue or pace, and very well structured. There are plenty of twists, turns, and feints, with the reader kept guessing until the very end as to the mystery of the disappearance of Hannah's friend.
All in all, The City of Shadows is written rather well and is a strong start to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to read in the very near future.
When Stefan Gillespie, a detective sergeant in Dublin, stakes out a German back street abortionist, he little realizes he's about to stumble into a tangled conspiracy of blackmail and murder that stretches from Dublin to Danzig.
Upon entering the clinic, Gillespie encounters Hannah Rosen, a strong willed woman of the Jewish faith, who has returned to Dublin from Palestine to investigate the disappearance of her best friend. Very quickly Special Branch grabs the abortionist case from Gillespie and he swaps his attention to discovering what happened to Hannah’s friend, who’d been having an affair with a priest.
As he starts to investigate it's clear that others want him to drop the case and they're prepared to use coercion if necessary. Gillespie is already vulnerable, a Protestant and single father to Tom in a country that favors neither status, but he's also resilient and doesn't react well to threats. Meanwhile, Hannah has followed the trail to the priest to Danzig, a free city under political siege by Nazis keen to reintegrate it into Germany.
The City of Shadows is written rather well. It takes place 1934, which is a rather interesting time both in Ireland and the world. The shadow of the war of independence and civil war still hangs over Ireland, their politics and factions infusing everyday life along with the rising power of the Church. On the continent, fascism is a growing force, particularly in Germany as the Nazi party consolidates its grip on government, terrorizes Jewish citizens and threatens other nations.
While the plot is expansive and complex, it is straightforward to follow and utterly compelling, grabbing the reader from the start and not letting up in intrigue or pace, and very well structured. There are plenty of twists, turns, and feints, with the reader kept guessing until the very end as to the mystery of the disappearance of Hannah's friend.
All in all, The City of Shadows is written rather well and is a strong start to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to read in the very near future.
December 12, 2021
I found this to be a pretty suspenseful book except for the relationship between Stephen and Hannah. The book had a a myriad of historical references to real people and events, which helped make the events of the story feel more real and concrete. I looked up quite a few historical references and learned some things from it. In regard to the characters, each main character was different and unique.
Back to the part about Stephen and Hannah, which kind of lessened my appreciation and immersion in the book. More on that in the spoilers section below:
Besides above, I found it to be a suspenseful and intriguing story about a less well-known place/time.
Back to the part about Stephen and Hannah, which kind of lessened my appreciation and immersion in the book. More on that in the spoilers section below:
Besides above, I found it to be a suspenseful and intriguing story about a less well-known place/time.
August 6, 2025
I was planning to read this historical thriller for a long time and finally got around to it. It was a pleasant surprise. Michael Russell wrote a well-researched thriller set in mid 1930s Dublin and in the Free-City (state) of Danzig. Stefan Gillespie is a likeable protagonist. He's a Garda detective who lost his wife and as a single father is trying to cope with work and doing his best for his young son who is in County Wicklow with Stefan's parents.
The book combines fact with fiction and there are a few real historical figures incorporated in the story. The Catholic church doesn't come out so well, but that is to be expected. They were very conservative, had a firm hold on Irish society and some of the priests, nuns, mother superiors and bishops were total bolloxes. We're talking Magdalene laundries, meddling in families, taking children away from families, etc.
There are a few murders, there's a love story of a kind and the book is well-written and well-paced. The characters are believable and the dialogues natural. I also learned a few more things about Dublin in the 1930s.
I'm glad I came across this series and will happily start the next book. Highly recommended.
The book combines fact with fiction and there are a few real historical figures incorporated in the story. The Catholic church doesn't come out so well, but that is to be expected. They were very conservative, had a firm hold on Irish society and some of the priests, nuns, mother superiors and bishops were total bolloxes. We're talking Magdalene laundries, meddling in families, taking children away from families, etc.
There are a few murders, there's a love story of a kind and the book is well-written and well-paced. The characters are believable and the dialogues natural. I also learned a few more things about Dublin in the 1930s.
I'm glad I came across this series and will happily start the next book. Highly recommended.
March 5, 2019
Recommended reading for sure. Cast in pre-WWII Dublin, post "the troubles" as the all powerful Catholic Church and the fledgling but growing quickly Irish Nazi party emerge as unlikely allies, redoubling the discrimination against Protestants, gays and Jews. Forces contending for their places in history. Stephen the Irish detective ignites a maelstrom as he investigates two murders seemingly unrelated and disconnected but somehow involved with Nazi sympathizer abortionist, priests and cardinals. Stephen has to fight to keep his family in tact after his wife died, keeping his promise to raise their son Catholic. Stephen travels to Dazing, which later became the Polish city Gdansk, to get to the bottom of the mystery. Gripping terror of the burgeoning Nazis who are preparing to take over Europe. Excellent book, a real page turner. And so relevant to today's anti-immigrant, xenophobic, white-supremacist US President and his followers. The parallels are disturbing. Nazis then and Nazis today.
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