The Berlin Murders

Miss Clara Vale Mysteries #5

by Fiona Veitch Smith

The new unputdownable case from Clara Vale!
The perfect Golden Age cosy mystery for fans of Helena Dixon, Agatha Christie and Verity Bright won't want to miss this!

September, 1930. Fearless detective Miss Clara Vale is bound for Berlin, but this trip is all about la mode - not murder. Clara is set to walk the runway at Berlin Fashion Week, as a favour to her designer friend Juju, with her assistant Bella in tow.

Elections loom in Germany, and among Juju's Jewish friends, the Spieglers, all the talk is of the National Socialists. But trouble brews closer to home, when a shocking murder at their clothing factory points the finger at the couple's brilliant young son.

With the victim an old friend of the fashion crew, emotions run high - and Clara quickly joins the investigation, setting out to untangle Nazi conspiracies and nasty colleagues. To complicate matters, Clara's old flame Larry Winter is in town, and it seems he may know more than he's letting on...

When a second body turns up, pressure mounts. Amidst the dark glamour of 1930s Berlin, on the eve of the Third Reich, can Clara find the real killer and protect those around her? From silks to secrets, peplums to poison, this will be a Fashion Week like no other...

A page-turning Golden Age mystery, for fans of Helena Dixon, Agatha Christie & Verity Bright.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[Kathleen Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book our lady detective is helping her friends with their fashion show at the Berlin fashion week, it is 1930 and we see the beginnings of the Nazi Party starting to emerge and when Clara stumbles upon a dead body she can’t help but investigate. There was lots to learn and absorb in this book I like the way that Clara investigates and the way the author includes bits of science and chemistry to give Clara something for her scientific mind to sink into. Overall this was a good read and I look forward to the next in the series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of all in the series so far!

[Thebooktrail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discover the locations in the novel here

I am Clara Vale in this book and a detective no doubt. It makes me giggle when I find out that I am going there to walk on a fashion runway! Now this will be a first. However, I remember that it’s the 1930s and that there are elections looming in Germany. It’s a very niche idea to go into a novel knowing what the other characters don’t.

Fiona always draws a city so well and Berlin here really comes alive off the page. I could see the streets, the Nazi signs and feel the sense of fear as I walked around the streets. When there is a murder in the clothing factory we are in, there is fear everywhere. Not surprisingly, a Jew is blamed.

Well Clara – or me as I should say – was flung head first into a mystery and a crime to solve all the while trying to make sense of some of my colleagues whilst avoiding the attention of the Nazi government.

Cosy? well not really as there are some dark moments and themes here. Map and sense of place are second to none. Just thank goodness it’s in a book and not in real life.

Nazi Germany is not somewhere I ever want to visit even if I could. I mean, the museums and Berlin sights are a must to understand the past but it’s only in a book would I want to visit the real thing. This book showed me what it would have been like and what women had to face, not to mention the Jews in particular. A great crime drama with a serious undertone.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

September, 1930 & private detective Miss Clara Vale is bound for Berlin, but this trip is all about la mode - not murder. Clara is set to walk the runway at Berlin Fashion Week, as a favour to her designer friend Juju, with her assistant Bella in tow. Elections loom in Germany, and among Juju's Jewish friends, the Spieglers, all the talk is of the National Socialists. But trouble brews closer to home, when a shocking murder at their clothing factory points the finger at the couple's brilliant young son, Karl. With the victim an old friend of the fashion crew, emotions run high - and Clara quickly joins the investigation. To complicate matters, Clara's old flame Larry Winter is in town, and it seems he may know more than he's letting on.
The fifth outing for Clara, how many strings in her bow does she have? Detective, chemist & now fashion model. I do love Clara & her assistant Bella, they make a good partnership & bring out each other’s strengths. This was an intriguing case, there were a few suspects but there are also outside influences as the author didn’t hold any punches about the rise of Nazism. A very well written cosy mystery, which was well researched & gave a somewhat chilling insight into 1930’s Berlin, I liked the backdrop of the fashion world. I also loved how Clara picked her way through the evidence whilst wanting to ‘clear’ her friends. I look forward to Clara’s next adventure
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Berlin Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith is a Miss Clara Vale Mystery. The story finds Clara and Bella in Berlin with Juju and Jonny for Berlin Fashion Week. Clara was to be Jojo’s model and she was not certain about that at all. They witnessed the earliest years of the Nazi regime and it was frightening. A friend of Jonny, another designer, named Hugh was found murdered in the laboratory of Karl Speigler, the son of their host, who was trying to develop a cheaper version of linen with which to craft read-to-wears fashions, less expensive than couture. Of course, Clara feels the need to investigate and there is an amenable police detective so all was well. While there, the ladies ran into a pilot they had met in Egypt, Larry, and his friend, Rudy. Both welcome additions to the adventure, at least to Clara and Bella, although full of surprises.

Interesting, fun characters, and an especially moving setting make this a must-read. Every move Clara makes is complicated by the fact most of the people involved were Jewish and the authorities didn’t regard them as very important. It is interesting to watch the very beginnings of the Nazi regime. Clara is a good detective but she is not able to do it alone and all these people contributed in small ways. The mystery was good, but involved with politics and spy craft. It was a novel full of industrial espionage, off-color relationships, love, and small complications.

I was invited to read The Berlin Murders by Embla Books. A;; thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #EmblaBooks #FionaVeitchSmith #TheBerlinMurders

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona Veitch Smith sweeps us into the glittering yet shadowed world of 1930s Berlin, where fashion and politics collide in dazzling—and dangerous—ways. The Berlin Murders finds fearless detective Clara Vale stepping onto the runway at Berlin Fashion Week, only to be pulled into a murder investigation that threatens both her friends and the fragile peace of the city.

What begins as a favour to her designer friend Juju quickly spirals into intrigue: a shocking death at a clothing factory, whispers of Nazi conspiracies, and the Spieglers’ son caught in the crossfire. Clara’s sharp mind and steady courage shine as she navigates silks and secrets, poison and politics, all while facing the unexpected complication of her old flame, Larry Winter, reappearing with mysteries of his own.

Smith captures the glamour and menace of Berlin on the eve of the Third Reich with vivid detail. The tension between beauty and brutality is palpable—fashion week’s dazzling gowns set against the rising tide of danger. Clara’s determination to protect those around her makes this installment both thrilling and deeply human.

This is a mystery rich with atmosphere: elegant, suspenseful, and threaded with emotional stakes. The Berlin Murders proves once again that Clara Vale is a heroine worth following, wherever history and danger may lead.

With thanks to Fiona Veitch Smith, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is possibly the best adventure for Clara yet. The Berlin Murders is intricately plotted with well researched historical details describing the locations and fashions of 1930’s Berlin. The storyline gave insights into the fashion industry, the rise of the National Socialists and all the prejudice and upheaval that is associated with the time. The characters are depicted well with varying interests, skills, foibles, grudges and romantic intentions that make them all seem so real. Clara’s academic prowess is admired by other professionals both as a detective and scientist - her skills making her an unusual and brilliant leading lady. I was as invested in her first steps as a fashion model as I was in her solving the murders. You will not regret your visit to Berlin - where history is woven into a gripping storyline and familiar characters make the novel feel cosy as well as intriguing.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the reasons I adore this series is that it is quite historically accurate and, starting in 1928, it covers an enthralling section of world history. However, in this fifth entry in the series, we visit Berlin in 1930. I didn't realize how much the really horrendous anti-semitism and anti-LGBTQ+ actions depicted (quite rightly) were affecting me until I realized I was humming songs from Cabaret while reading. That said, this is another engrossing mystery in the series and well written as always. Recommended as long as you're in a mood for historical reality.

[Peter Rubinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whatn a fabulous book. I have read a number of books, fiction & Non-Fiction, set in this period, during the Weimar Republic & the rise to power of the Nazis & this is up there with the best. It understates the Decadence of Weimar Berlin, but the plot & characters make up for it. I can't wait for Fiona Veitch-Smiths next book whether Poppy Denby, Clara Vale, I'd love a crossover, or an entirely new character.

[JXR · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun cozy mystery with some fantastic plotting and great vibes. our protagonist is excellent, and the tie-ins to both modeling and scientific developments of the time were great. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Berlin Murders

Fabulous book. No skip or speed reading, though. The reader must pay close attention to keep up. IMO not for younger readers.

[Randee Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Private detective Clara Vale and her assistant are bound for Germany to assist their friend, Juju, at Berlin Fashion Week. Juju’s cousins, the Spieglers, operate a clothing factory in Berlin, and they are responsible for hosting the weeklong series of fashion events. Clara’s debut on the runway is postponed when one of the fashion designers is found murdered in the Spieglers’ factory. As a favor to their friend, Clara and Bella, take on the case—not only to find the killer but to prove that Juju’s brother was not involved. Their task is made more difficult thanks the discovery of a second body, the disappearance of certain key players, and the unjust animosity towards Berlin’s Jewish’s designers thanks to the rise of Nazism. Clara’s occasional love interest, Larry Winter, is also in Berlin, and Clara thinks he might be involved in in the murders and with the Nazis.

Clara Vale and Bella Cuddy are two of my favorite historical private detectives. They are both courageous and innovative in their investigating techniques. Juju and her brother play a larger role in THE BERLIN MURDERS than in previous novels, and the reader learns more about their history. And the reappearance of dashing Larry Winter adds another mystery for Clara to solve—can she trust him to help with this investigation and is he involved in the rising Nazi Party? Fiona Veitch Smith brings 1930s Germany to life and gives the reader a glimpse into the fashion industry, the shifts in Jewish sentiment caused by Hitler, and Berlin’s underground LGBTQ community. I strongly recommend THE BERLIN MURDERS to all lovers of historical mysteries.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Tiffany (areyoutellingstories) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly Clara! Thinking a trip to Berlin to help her beloved landlords and friends, Juju and Jonny, with a fashion show would be a vacation! As we know, mystery and intrigue follow Clara everywhere she goes. But, as usual, Clara hunts down the guilty party with the utmost elegance and intelligence.