The Pale House

Gregor Reinhardt #2

by Luke McCallin

As the Nazi war machine is pushed back across Europe, defeat has become inevitable. But there are those who seek to continue the fight beyond the battlefield.

German intelligence officer Captain Gregor Reinhardt has just been reassigned to the Feldjaegerkorps —a new branch of the military police with far-reaching powers. His position separates him from the friends and allies he has made in the last two years, including a circle of fellow dissenting Germans who formed a rough resistance cell against the Nazis. And he needs them now more than ever.

While retreating through Yugoslavia with the rest of the army, Reinhardt witnesses a massacre of civilians by the dreaded Ustaše —only to discover there is more to the incident than anyone believes. When five mutilated bodies turn up, Reinhardt knows the stakes are growing more important—and more dangerous.

As his investigation begins to draw the attention of those in power, Reinhardt’s friends and associates are made to suffer. But as he desperately tries to uncover the truth, his own past with the Ustaše threatens his efforts. Because when it comes to death and betrayal, some people have long memories. And they remember Reinhardt all too well.

And now, Reinhardt will have to fight them once more.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, World War II, Historical Mystery, War

365 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

Luke McCallin was born in Oxford, grew up around the world and has worked with the United Nations as a humanitarian relief worker and peacekeeper in the Caucasus, the Sahel, and the Balkans. His experiences have driven his writing, in which he explores what happens to normal people--those stricken by conflict, by disaster--when they are put under abnormal pressures.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second Gregor Reinhardt novel sees him back in Sarajevo, the setting for the first in the series, "The Man From Berlin." Life has been difficult for Reinhardt since that investigation, when he found himself investigated by the Gestapo. So, when he is picked up in a bar by the military police in Vienna, he fears the worst. Finding he is to be transferred to the Feldjaergerkorps (a military police organisation reporting directly to German High Command) is more than a surprise, but, given no choice, he finds himself back where he started.

It is March, 1945, and the war is coming to a close. The German troops are losing control, with the vicious, local Ustase, ruling over the 'Pale House,' where people vanish. Reinhardt has also changed - more aware of his physical vulnerabilities, he is physically afraid of the enormous Bunda, but just as stubborn. Even before he makes it to Sarajevo, Reinhardt comes across a massacre and the bodies just continually appear, in a city run by the Ustase, but with the Partisans poised to attack and the Germans ready to flee.

As before, this has a winding plot, which involves some of the characters from the first novel. I really like Reinhardt - flawed, honest, conflicted about his country and where his loyalties lie. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

[Nigeyb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having really enjoyed The Man from Berlin (2013) (Gregor Reinhardt #1) by Luke McCallin, I was keen to continue the Gregor Reinhardt series.

The Pale House (2014) (Gregor Reinhardt #2) is, if anything, even better than the first instalment. Gregor Reinhardt, the former Berlin police detective, has been transferred to the Feldjaegerkorps, a branch of the German military police and one with far reaching powers. The drama happens during the fall of Sarajevo in 1945.

As before, Reinhardt relentlessly follows a murder investigation wherever it leads which puts him into conflict with both the Ustaše, the Croatian fascists, and German officers too. Beyond that, the less you know about the plot the better. It gets increasingly dramatic and exciting.

Once again, at the end Luke McCallin helpfully explains the inspiration for his story and how it dovetails into actual events.

4/5



More about this book...

'BOLD, BRUTAL, BLOODY AND BRILLIANT' - Crime Review

It is 1944 and German intelligence officer Captain Gregor Reinhardt has just been reassigned to the Feldjaegerkorps - a new branch of the military police with far-reaching powers. While retreating through Yugoslavia with the rest of the army, Reinhardt witnesses a massacre of civilians by the dreaded Ustaše - only to discover there is more to the incident than anyone believes. When five mutilated bodies turn up, Reinhardt's investigation begins to draw the attention of those in power and his friends and associates are made to suffer. The stakes rise as he desperately tries to uncover the truth while his own past with the Ustaše threatens his efforts. When it comes to death and betrayal, some people have long memories... and they remember Reinhardt all too well.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pale House – A Return to Sarajevo

Luke McCallin returns to his Gregor Reinhardt character in The Pale House, his follow up to The Man From Berlin. Once again we are getting a wonderfully written and researched book on a time when Sarajevo was in complete chaos just before she was liberated by the Partisans. Like many places in 1945 as the Germans were in retreat and collapsing there was bloodshed and revenge on a lot of people’s minds. All this is illustrated in this excellent thriller, as we are fighting not only against time to find the truth but his own comrades.

We have moved two years on from The Man From Berlin and Captain Gregor Reinhardt has managed to survive his ‘interview’ with the Gestapo and is in Vienna. He is issued with new orders and a transfer from Intelligence to the Feldjaegerkorps, a new branch of the military police with wide ranging powers. He is being sent back to Sarajevo to a city that is now in chaos as the Germans are in retreat and the Ustase are causing havoc and mayhem.

On the way in to the City Captain Reinhardt discovers burnt bodies and mutilated by whom he has no idea, but one has a piece of German Uniform in his hand, are these German soldiers. As he drives back in to the city he comes face to face with his old adversaries in the Ustase and a German Major. Once in the City he notices the change in atmosphere and the amount of refugees that are seeking help.

When three members of the Feldjaegerkorps are killed on a routine patrol, Reinhardt has to investigate their deaths and at the same time uncovers more bodies on a nearby construction site that is under the command of the 999th Penal Battalion with the Ustase hovering around.

As Reinhardt investigates further he discovers that something is not right as German soldiers seem to be disappearing but the paybooks are still being used, he needs to get to the bottom of this. He is kicking stones over and does not like what he finds and everywhere he goes he seems to have an Ustase shadow.

One night he is taken by force to the Pale House that is the base for the Ustase and he finds that besides not being the most popular person in the building he is still alive. What he sees is the Ustase trying to cover their tracks which makes him more suspicious of what is going on amongst the Ustase and the Penal Battalion. With his life in danger Reinhardt knows he has to carry on to a conclusion and follow it through to the end.

Luke McCallin has once again written an excellent historical thriller set in the days when the Reich was dying a slow and very painful death. Reinhardt once again seems to be the honest ex-detective who wants to find the truth and uphold justice even while there is chaos around. This is well written and researched with some excellent notes to help illustrate the novel. Once again this is a page turning thriller in which the truth will out even in chaos. An excellent historical thriller which is a pleasure to read and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another second book in what is a relatively new series/author for me, one where I enjoyed the first outing immensely.

The MC Captain Gregor Reinhardt, currently Military intelligence in Vienna finds himself reassigned to the Feldjaegerkorps, back on the southern Balkan front (Yugoslavia), who are a branch of the military police with far-reaching powers, more so than the normal field police, feared they are too & likely detested in equal parts as the war nears its end…. Reinhardt being a principled man is not best pleased at his transfer, he being a former decorated officer in the First WW and Kripo detective in Berlin before transferring to the Abwehr (German Military Intelligence) rather than becoming the Gestapo and those are just his highlights… he’s got around a bit.

The beauty of this yarn & series to date is that it covers the Balkan region, which is not oft retold when WWII is mentioned. It’s a region which has known conflict for centuries, right into recent history, its steeped in warring cultures & peoples, one where the Germans had willing collaborators during WWII in the form of the Ustaše who were perhaps worse than the gestapo/SS themselves!!

Its these militia & it’s key members that feature throughout this series as the Germans retreat through the Balkans late into the war, this episode of the series set in March 1945.

German Army (Penal battalion that is), military intelligence, military police, local civilians, Ustaše, Partisans, mystery, murders, black marketeers…. Its all there, a grand second book to a series.

More than enough to keep you guessing, as much to the what & the why than the actual who?

4 stars rounded up for me.

[Keith Currie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a real pleasure for me when I opened the parcel containing this fine novel. It is one that I had fully intended to read as I had enjoyed the first appearance of Captain Gregor Reinhardt in The Man from Berlin. The setting is again Bosnia and more specifically Sarajevo, but this novel takes place two years later in the Second World War as the Germans are on the point of withdrawal in defeat. Reinhardt is now a member of the Feldjaegerkorps, an elite military police force entirely made up of decorated German officers. This unit has a close bond of loyalty to each other. When some of the officers are killed, Reinhardt is asked to investigate because of his pre-war career as a police detective.
The plot is truly intricate, a dark labyrinth carefully and painstakingly negotiated by the dogged Reinhardt. Involved are corrupt German officers, die-hard Nazis preparing for life after the war and the bloodthirsty and brutal Croatian Ustase, including some old enemies from Reinhardt’s past in Sarajevo.
This is a clever, intelligent novel, one to be taken slowly and savoured and one which has much of value to say, not least about the legacy of brutality and human injustice. There are those who might compare McCallin with Philip Kerr and Gregor Reinhardt with Bernie Gunther. As a follower of both novelists, I think the comparisons are unfair. Aside from the setting and similar backgrounds of the chief characters, the tone of each series is quite different. Both are very good and I would certainly encourage the reader of one series to try the other – but not to imagine a carbon copy – McCallin’s books are darker and more serious in my opinion.
There will be at least one more Gregor Reinhardt novel. I look forward to its appearance.

[Steven Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luke McCallin’s second installment of his Gregor Reinhardt series is as compelling and nuanced as his first, THE MAN FROM BERLIN. Two years later, THE PALE HOUSE, finds Reinhardt reassigned from the Abwher, German intelligence to the Feldjaegerkorps, a new branch of the military police with far reaching powers. The assignment came about following a failed attempt on Hitler’s life that brought a severe crackdown and purge against anyone suspected of having questionable loyalty to the Fuhrer. Reinhardt had surreptitious links to the German resistance and was worried about his friends and allies. McCallin creates an unimaginable plot that will place Reinhardt in situations that will call on him to dig deep within himself to survive.

In late March, 1945, near Sarajevo, among rumors of deserters Reinhardt comes across a massacre of civilians. Along with a colleague, Lt. Max Benfeld, Reinhardt investigates the site as a crime scene employing what remained of his past police skills. After examining the bodies and other evidence he concludes that what occurred was perpetrated by the Ustase, a Croatian fascist ultranationalist party. Reinhardt locates three survivors and crosses an Ustase checkpoint and brings them to Sarajevo to try and save their lives. Reinhardt becomes obsessed with the massacre and he begins to wonder if murder was the norm and acceptable behavior in the city as it was surrounded more and more by communist partisans. As the Germans slowly withdrew north the Ustase wanted to control what remained of Croatia, but they were riddled by different factions with their own agendas. It was a world dominated by the likes of Vjekoslav Lubaric, the head of the Sarajevo Ustase and Ante Putkovic, who used dice to determine the innocence or guilt of his prisoners. The Ustase were not an effective fighting force, but were excellent at mass killing.

Reinhardt’s investigation has many threads. As he tries to bring some semblance of reason to his work he encounters a number of interesting characters. War Crimes Division jurist, Major Marcus Dreyer, an old friend from the First World War and post war Berlin asks for his help in his own investigation. It seems that Dreyer suspects German Major Edwin Jansky of a number of illegalities as he is in charge of a Penal Battalion made up of condemned men from all over the Balkans. It is accepted that Jansky and his men are corrupt and taking advantage of the chaos in the region to rob it blind. However, Dreyer believes that Jansky and his men may have something to do with the earlier massacre and a number of other murders.

It seems that death becomes Reinhardt’s specialty. Summoned to an ambush site of dead German soldiers, he finds another five mutilated bodies that were not meant to be found. As in THE MAN FROM BERLIN Reinhardt has to deal with jurisdictional issues, but in the present situation they lead to greater personal danger for himself and those around him. Throughout the dialogue McCallin provides a number of asides that fills the reader in with information about Reinhardt’s past. By doing so we see the further evolution of Reinhardt’s character and moral code as well as how his personal tragedies have affected him.

The mutilated bodies become the axle on which the novel spins as Reinhardt once again has to rely on allies that previously might be considered enemies. As the story unfolds these allies are somewhat surprising, Suzana Vukic, whose daughter, a Croatian nationalist journalist had been killed, the communist partisan leader, known as Valter, Vladimir Peric, and Alexious, a Greek soldier of fortune trying to save his family. As McCallin has Reinhardt deal with these relationships he is able to convey the horrors perpetuated by the Ustase as the war begins to wind down. All the Germans seemed to care about was the withdrawal of as many troops as possible and were not concerned with the actions of their former allies, except for Reinhardt and a few others. But, is Reinhardt reading the situation correctly, is it the Ustase or perhaps rogue Germans with links high up the chain of command?

As the plot broadens Reinhardt is trying to link the massacres of civilians, the murder of German soldiers, and the corruption that seems to exist everywhere. McCallin creates a web of deceit that is hard to fathom and the conclusions that Reinhardt reaches are difficult to predict as is the final act in the drama that unfolds. Once again, McCallin leaves an opening with his final paragraph that will be continued in his recently released third installment, THE DIVIDED CITY.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

As grim as one would expect a book about a German military policeman in Bosnia during WWII to be. A good thriller especially for those who like bleak with a side helping of dark.

[Nooilforpacifists · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shouldn't have started reading this series in reverse. This second installment (and the first I gather) occurs in Sarajevo, a city the author knows far better than the Berlin of the third book. Much richer plot, deeper characters.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

Once again the time and place are unusual and interesting (crumbling Sarajevo, 1945) as well as the faction involved (Ustashis, Feldjägerkorp, Partisans). McCallin drives a clever plot in a chaotic city where violence and retaliation are everyone's share while waiting for the end of the war.
The writing is on the wall. The Partisans nearly surround the city, the Russians are coming... and then what?

Reinhardt is then involved in a case of suspicious deaths as Partisans get closer everyday and some try to play their cards right. Will this be the opportunity to at least do something useful against the despicable regime that threw millions in this war?

The Pale house is a good crime/thriller novel set during WWII. Characters are developed, there's intrigue and credible action. McCallin did his homework again and the end-of-the-world atmosphere prevailing in Sarajevo is well rended.

My main concern, which justifies the not full 4*, would be Reinhardt himself, so indecisive and irresolute most of the book you want to tell him to grow some. No witty remarks à la Bernie Gunther here, no action-oriented former cop with a clear goal. Just an ordinary guy fumbling to position himself once and for all in what was supposed to be his decisive resolution of book one.
Some might think that makes him all the more humane though and I'd understand that perfectly.

NB: It is not essential to have read The Man from Berlin to read this one but it helps some.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pale House is the second book in the Captain Gregor Reinhardt series. Reinhardt joined the police after the First World War, rising to become a detective inspector in the Berlin Kripo before joining the Abwehr and the fringes of the German resistance. In the closing stages of the Second World War he finds himself in Sarajevo as the partisans close in, working for the military police. The city is in turmoil as the Germans prepare to retreat and the Croatian Ustaše lash out at the civilian population, knowing they are about to be overrun. Despite sense of impending doom and savagery, McCallin has Reinhardt conduct a murder investigation, weaving a clever, compelling and somewhat complex plot. He very nicely captures the fear at work in the city, the tension within the German ranks and between them and their Croatian collaborators. Reinhardt is a somewhat sombre character, but his principles and role as a flawed but ‘good German’ in a corrupt regime makes him an interesting anti-hero. The other characters are well penned, though given the case and situation, they’re all a pretty rum lot. I particularly liked the very strong sense of place and it’s clear that McCallin has done his historical research, yet it doesn't dominate the story but rather provides good context. Overall, an excellent historical crime tale and a strong addition to what’s shaping up to be a very good series.

[Robert Ronsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm no expert on crime fiction but it seems to me that every mystery has a certain number of key clues that the detective needs in order to reach a solution. The rate that the author reveals these clues – either by the detective teasing them out or stumbling across them – dictates the pace of the novel. The gaps between the revelations gives the writer space to introduce red herrings for the detective to follow or confrontations with characters who have only minor roles in the solution.
Had Philip Kerr, creator in my opinion of the definitive Nazi-era, German detective, contrived this plot I think Bernie Gunther would have reached the end sooner, without involving so many characters and by-passing the violent encounters that poor Gregor Reinhardt has to endure. Bernie would have had this case done and dusted well before the partisans came to town.
For me, this book was unnecessarily complicated. The crime behind the dead bodies was straightforward and obvious but as the body count increased so did the number of suspects and, in the spaces between the key clues clunking into place, Gregor Reinhardt had too much time to wrestle with his conscience, a blonde and various thugs intent on killing him in the slowest way possible.
I will read the third in the series mainly because it was nicely set up in the afterword to this book but I've read Bernie Gunther and, sorry Luke McCallin but, for me, Philip Kerr is still the master of this sort of stuff.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I did enjoy this book, but it did lose my attention at some points. Some of that may have been due to my lack of reading time over the past three days, though.
I found the characters fairly easy to enjoy and Captain Gregor Reindhart was a very strong, likeable character.
I do not think that I will read the next book in the series for a while, if at all, unless the summary really draws me into the story. I may reread this book at some point, because I really do think that part of my low rating for this book is due to my reading break over three days and that, if I reread this book, I could enjoy immensely.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking study of evil run amok.

The second book in the Gregor Rheinhardt series see's him once again embroiled in the horror of the Balkans during WW2. Transferred to a Feldjaeger unit he finds himself investigating an increasing number of murders in Sarajevo all seemingly linked.
Coming up against the brutalities of the Ustasha and an increasingly corrupt German army Reinhardt fights not only to complete his investigation but also to stay alive in the horrors of the apocalyptic last stand of the Ustasha.
Carrying on from The Man From Berlin, Reinhardt continues to find his personal redemption in the face of a brutalizing war machine.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a little more laboured than the first book, though equally gruesome. The intrigue was slightly lacking. But weirdly, it made me want to go and visit Sarajevo. Good gripping and well written thriller though.

[BlackKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non, Gregor Reinhardt n'a pas déserté à l'issue de son enquête ciblant le général Verhein (Cf L'homme de Berlin). Non, il n'a pas rejoint les anglais. C'eût été une trahison envers ce pays qu'il aime, qui est le sien, même s'il n'est pas en accord avec ceux qui le dirigent dans cette Seconde Guerre Mondiale qui n'en finit plus. Il reçoit même une distinction pour sa bravoure dans la retraite de Belgrade en Octobre 1944.

Et le voilà de retour à Sarajevo, dans les Balkans, sa situation chaotique, les guerres intestines face au conflit mondial, l'avancée des russes, la débâcle, le flux des réfugiés et de ceux qui aimeraient se faire oublier pour échapper à l'ordre nouveau qui s'amorce.

Reinhardt est transféré aux Feldjaegerkorps, pour mener une enquête sur des exécutions, des meurtres. Civils, militaires, partisans, hommes, femmes et enfants. Le mystère pourrait passer inaperçu parmi la somme devenue banale des décès quotidiens mais Reinhardt soupçonne une série de meurtres prémédités et organisés. Et le puzzle sera ardu à reconstituer en ces temps mouvementés.
La maison pâle est une référence à la Maison de la terreur, QG des oustachis sur les rives de la Miljacka, qui ont étendu leur répression par un nombre ahurissant d'exécutions sommaires assorties de tortures n'ayant rien à envier aux œuvres de la Gestapo quand ils ont senti le vent tourner en leur défaveur. 

J'ai eu plaisir à retrouver ce personnage tourmenté, obligé de survivre, écartelé entre ses valeurs personnelles et son appartenance au camp des nazis mais qui a décidé de reprendre sa vie en mains, malgré tous les dangers et les compromis nécessaires, en évitant toute compromission. Son travail de policier est son essence mais les circonstances et conditions de l'exercice de son travail l'oppressent.
Malgré tout, il est plus sûr de lui, volontaire et frondeur. Il fonce, notre Reinhardt, ne se laisse pas démonter, affronte le Mal sous toutes ses formes. Il tâtonne, rage de son travail de fourmi mais n'abandonne rien. 

Et si les progrès pour retrouver son estime de soi sont lents et sans cesse contrariés par les événements, on sent un homme plus fort et qui reste profondément humain par ces questionnements et surtout la peur qui lui colle à la peau. Il sait qu'il n'est pas seul, même si la trahison est omniprésente dans ses rangs et ceux de ses amis.

Nous recroisons également certains protagonistes du premier tome, avec plus ou moins de plaisir, mais affranchis de la perception de la complexité propre aux Balkans, entre croates, serbes, musulmans, juifs, catholiques, partisans, communistes et résistants. La situation de la Yougouslavie est très particulière et l'auteur a su retranscrire cette spécificité et cette instabilité extrême durant le chaos de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale.

Ajouté à cela une intrigue complexe autour de ce que les historiens appelleront plus tard les ratlines (filières d'exfiltration utilisées par les nazis et fascistes pour fuir l'Europe à la fin de la guerre), je ne vous cacherais pas qu'il faut apprivoiser la bête! La lecture est attentive pour ne pas perdre le fil mais là aussi, l'auteur a le talent de mêler action et réflexion, introspection et contexte historique. Nous avons plusieurs points de vue selon l'intervention d'un partisan comme Valter, d'un Oustachi, d'un nazi pur et dur ou d'un grec embarqué dans un bataillon disciplinaire allemand et nous vivons tout autant la "petite" histoire policière que la grande.

Ce roman, tout comme le premier, est dense, riche, complexe et formidablement bien mené et documenté. Et si quelques détails vous ont échappé au cours de la lecture, quelques notes en fin d'ouvrage mettent à niveau en perspective la vue d'ensemble historique.

De plus, une petite aventure amoureuse vient pimenter, si besoin était, l'action déjà bien trépidante et soutenue du roman! 

Encore un excellent moment passé en compagnie de Reinhardt et de son papa, Luke McCallin, et je recommande très vivement cette série aux fans d'Histoire car je me suis régalée, autant pour le côté purement historique que pour l'intrigue policière qui sont tous deux intiment liés. 

Et vous savez quoi? J'ai hâte de me plonger dans Les cendres de Berlin! Va-t-on quitter Sarajevo? Reinhardt va-t-il réussir à se sortir de son guêpier nazi? 

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

About four years ago I read the first book in the "Gregor Reinhold" series (The Man From Berlin), featuring a Berlin police detective trying to make the best of being sucked into the apparatus of Germany's WWII war machine. At the time, I felt Reinhold's similarities to Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther were rather disappointing, and I found it hard again to read this book while ignoring the shadows cast by that other series.

The writing in the first book struggled under the weight of the historical research, with the pacing really sluggish. Many of the same issues arise in this second entry, although the pacing is a little better -- forced by the ticking clock of Germany's imminent defeat. The story is set maybe a year or so after the events of the first book, and this is a case where it really would have helped to have read the books back-to-back, as there were constant references to characters and events that I'm pretty sure were part of the earlier story. Here, Reinhold is transferred to the Feldjaergerkorps , a kind of elite military police who answer to no one. He is soon back in Sarajevo, tangled up in suspicious killings involving civilians, partisans, a penal battalion, and the fascist Croatian Ustache who have taken the city over.

As in the first book, the plot is incredibly convoluted, with layers upon layers of interests, all manner of organizations jockeying for influence and power as the end of the war draws near. It's all dark stuff, as Reinhold tries to piece together what the point of the murders are, even as the concept of investigating murder becomes increasingly absurd. It's not a bad portrait of an army on the brink of collapse, and the historical elements are certainly capably deployed, but I once again found it to be a little more of a slog than a page-turner. Not sure if I'll continue on with the third and fourth books.

[S.J.A. Turney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in April I read McCallin’s first Reinhardt novel (The Man From Berlin) completely off the cuff, as it sounded different and interesting. Set in wartime Sarajevo with a rather lost, bitter detective in the Abwehr, it was a fascinating, complex read with an unusual point of view and setting. Without wanting to risk spoilers, the way it ended suggested that any sequal would have rather a different feel, and the character would be different.

It’s taken me a while to find the time, but now I’ve read the second book (The Pale House) and, while I had initial reservations, I am impressed and thoroughly enjoyed it. Reservations why? Well, as I said above the previous book had a somewhat game-changing ending, and I think the first maybe 10-15% of The Pale House is spent putting Reinhardt back in a position where he can investigate the plot. It feels a little like the suggested future at the end of book 1 has been glossed over to allow book 2 to flow. So to be honest it took me maybe 10% to settle into it. Then, as Reinhardt returns to Sarajevo, this time as one of the Feldjaeger – the Wehrmacht’s military police – he stumbles across a grisly scene that will have long-reaching effects for him and the military in Bosnia. And with that discovery, the plot begins to roll forward.

And what a plot. You see, while I thought this book took a short while to untangle its legs and get running, once it did it quickly began to outstrip the first book. The plot is tighter, more delicate, intricate, and yet carefully, cleverly revealed to the reader. Moreover, the plot is compounded with a number of subplots, some of which are linked and others not, forming a grand scheme that, while it was easy to pick out about half way through some of what was happening, right to the very end I was still being hit by surprises.

In Reinhardt’s world, no one can be trusted. The enemy are not the allies (Britain, the USA and Russia.) They are, to some extent, the partisans plagueing Bosnia. They are also the native para-military nominally organisations allied to Germany and yet causing more trouble than any enemy. But the most insidious enemies in Reinhardt’s world almost always come from among his own people – among the hierarchy of the German military.

Quite simply, I’m not going to tell you anything about the plot other than how nice it is, as it would be far too easy to accidentally drop in a spoiler. I shall just say that this book is set some time after the first, and while there are a few faces cropping up who we met in book 1, they are largely incidental or at best supporting characters. This is a whole new tale with a whole new cast and it shows that McCallin is anything but a one trick pony. The Pale House is, despite my initial worries, better than The Man From Berlin. I heartily recommend them both. They are tales outside my era-based comfort zone, but I love this series and I am excited to note that a third novel (The Divided City) is due out in December.

[Atlaread · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai dévoré « La maison Pâle ». Il m’a fallu énormément de temps pour me mettre dedans mais lorsque cela est arrivé, je ne pouvais plus m’arrêter. Je pense que j’aurais apprécié lire ce livre avec davantage de connaissances historiques.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really surprised when The Pale House by Luke McCallin dropped through the letter box. I have been a member of Real Readers for ages and this is the first book I have received. Because of that I wish I liked it more.
This is the second book featuring Gregor Reinhardt. Perhaps if I had read The Man From Berlin, the first in this series, I would have had a better knowledge of the character of Gregor and would have been able to care more about him.
The story is set towards the end of the 2nd WW, in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Gregor has been reassigned to the Feldjaegerkorps. This was a branch of the military police who, in theory, answered to nobody but themselves.
It is obvious to most of the characters that they are on the losing side of this war and no one wants to be left behind waiting for the Partisans and the Allies to arrive.
Gregor is called upon to investigate the non-combat deaths of several German soldiers. At the same time, members of the Croatian Fascist police force are disappearing. Could the two be connected?
It is difficult for me to put my finger on quite why this book didn't appeal to me.
It has lots of good points
it is well written with a taut narrative
It has a logical plot with no gaping holes
It is well researched, but the research is not flaunted at the expense of the story.
And yet for some reason it didn't strike a chord with me.
If you like Historical/War/Crime fiction, and usually I do, then I would still recommend that you give this book a try. It might not be the book of the year for me, but it is still worth the reading time.

[Northern Light · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Real Readers in exchange for a review.

This book tells the continuing story of Gregor Reinhardt who is back in Sarajevo where the German army is preparing to withdraw at the end of WWII. He is sent to investigate when bodies are found in the forest which leads him into the murky world of the Ustase, Partisans and a penal battallion.

Sadly though this book doesn't live up to The man from Berlin, going from one violent scene to another for no reason other than to fill out this short book.


I did enjoy the scenes between Gregor and Susanna which showed the vulnerable side of both of them.

Maybe this book would have benefited from more time spent on it as it seems to have been rushed to publication on the sucess of the first book.

look forward to the next book though to see how he develops after the war.

[Rayrumtum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second novel in the series about the German soldier who had been a police detective before the Nazis took over. This book happens two years after the first, The Man From Berlin, and is again situated in Sarajevo. The war is drawing to an end and the partisans are in the process of driving the Germans and Croatian Ustashe out. Meanwhile there are some puzzling deaths in a period when even life was cheap.
This book and its author's note give a sense of the horrors of Sarajevo during this period. In particular, it highlights the depravity of the Ustashe. They were as vile--if not even more vile--than the Nazis. Unfortunately, because of dimming remembrances of WWII history, they have been largely forgotten. You can also get a sense of the ethnic hatred that bubbled up after Tito died and Milosevic and Tudszman fed the fires of nationalism.

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a follow up novel to The Man from Berlin which I haven't read and many references to that are made in this book.

A decorated war hero and former detective, Gregor Reinhardt is a perfect fit for the new branch of military police who answer to no-one.

WWII is coming to an end and in Sarajevo Reinhardt discovers a civilian massacre but something doesn't add up and it niggles him but he doesn't know why. Then, other murders are committed and Reinhardt really comes into his own when he digs deeper.

Although I thought this was a well written story, I struggled at times to remember all the characters, there were so many. It is intricate and detailed with a good strong plot and, especially towards the end, fast-paced.

[T. Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

In preparing to go on a trip, I picked out some e books from the library without knowing the titles well. I was therefore pleasantly surprised by "The Pale House" as it easily exceeded my expectations and I read it entirely over a few days of travel. Focused around a German military police officer in Sarajevo in the last months of the Second World War, it is a fascinating mix of murder mystery and military history. The author obviously knows Sarajevo very well as his story moves through different parts of the city. He manages to paint a mood of fear, despair and danger that must have existed in that city as the partisans closed in, the German army fought for survival, and the Croatian Ustashe militia threatened all with their brutality.

[Alonzo Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our hero, having had an epiphany in the last novel on how best to fight the Nazis from the inside while fulfilling his destiny as a policeman, returns to Sarajevo in need of another epiphany. Will he find death, his destiny, or nothing much in particular in The Pale House of the Croatian Secret Police?

This second novel of the series feels like a rewrite of the first novel of the series, and has a little bit less of the virtues of book one, and a few more of the flaws. Like novel one, the case is intriguing, and like book one, that case gets lost in the frenzied running about that is the book’s final act.

Note that this one has serious spoilers for book one, so be sure to read that one first.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent story in the Gregor Reinhardt series. This time Gregor has been beaten by the Gestapo but they have found nothing and he now finds himself promoted to the Feldjaegerkorp, an investigative unit within the army but answering to the high command. He quickly has suspicions of corruption and malpractice when a number of bodies are found and then three of his own unit are killed in suspicious circumstances. This is a fine tale of the crumbling Reich and how so many were trying to feather their own nests without care for others.

At times brutal, at times compassionate and always a man with some morals and hopes for tomorrow.
Great read.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book the end of the war is near and Reinhardt is in Sarajevo.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first in the Reinhardt series. It is very complex purely in terms of the number of organisations.

There is also a lot of violence ,but that is not a criticism, merely a comment as it is necessary given the distasteful subject matter.

The epilogue which puts the story in its place in history did help to explain some of the things I had struggled to grasp during the reading of the novel.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be reviewing this for the Historical Novel Review, but in the mean time, I thoroughly enjoyed this...well, as much as one can 'enjoy' a thriller set in 1945 Sarajevo involving the murders of German soldiers. But it was well written, complex, mature, and emotionally-engaging. I intend to pick up book one, and follow Reinhardt into book three.

[Suellen Stover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such descriptive writing to fuel my imagination

It helps to know a little bit of the history of the Balkans and also to have a notion of the geography when you read this second book in the trilogy, but you will learn a lot as you read. This is a time period and a region that are of great interest to me. Pair that with wonderful writing, and you have a winner!

[Gail Barrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this Gregor Reinhardt series. A conflicted hero in a very tough position, a former police detective from Berlin now with the German army in Sarajevo, with many different warring factions, all equally brutal, trying to find himself and rediscover his basic values.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed, but at the same time exciting thriller. Sometimes it can be difficult to follow the characters and their affiliation to the various groups, and the book needs to be read carefully. The writing is of a high standard throughout.