What do you think?
Rate this book
Berlin Burning: A Weimar Republic Murder Mystery novella
Berlin, 1932…
Roving gangs of Nazi thugs terrorise the streets.
A weak government looks the other way.
A divided police force struggles against a rising tide of crime.
It's a powder keg waiting to explode. And when the slaying of a young Nazi provides the spark, Berlin detectives Trautmann and Roth must put aside their political differences to solve the murder.
Before the city they love succumbs to the flames of brutal retribution…
"On the face of it, this is an enjoyable murder mystery with enough subtle twists to keep the most die-hard whodunnit fan happy. But it is the characterisation and setting that, like The Killing of Emma Gross, raise the story above the ordinary." – James Oswald, author of the Inspector McLean series of detective novels
Also by Damien Seaman, The Killing Of Emma Gross, a Weimar Republic detective novel, based on a true crime.
"…a fast-paced novel that delves into the dark heart of Weimar Germany. A page-turner that gripped me from start to finish." – William Ryan, author of The Holy Thief
"One of the highlights of my holiday reading." – Stuart MacBride, author of The Missing And The Dead
109 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2014
2 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Damien Seaman
2 books27 followersA former journalist, editor, parliamentary assistant, financial analyst, factory worker and security guard, Damien has lived in Belgium, Germany and Libya.
He has a degree in modern history from the University of Oxford and a morbid fear of camels that he doesn't like to talk about.
He has a degree in modern history from the University of Oxford and a morbid fear of camels that he doesn't like to talk about.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 23, 2014
This novella features Kriminalkommissar Trautman and Kriminalassistant Roth. It is 1932 and there has been a murder in Berlin – a brownshirt has been killed in his apartment and the most likely suspect is his girlfriend, Maria Fleischer, the niece of a club-owner and gangster, well known to the police. Neighbours tell of arguments and violence, but Maria has gone missing and Trautman fears reprisals if there is not an arrest soon.
Complicating things still further is the fact that the brownshirt was living under an assumed name. His step father is Justice Minister Paul von Gaben and, as Trautman realises, politics are becoming increasingly important – and violent – in a Berlin torn apart by the divisions between warring parties. This noir story follows our two heroes as they attempt to track down the truth in a divided city, with organised crime, National Socialism and communism involved, as well as the everyday truth of divided families and secrets. I liked both the central characters – the weary Trautman and Roth, who, despite losing an arm while on duty, is seen by many of his fellow officers as disloyal. There is a lot of tension and virtually non-stop action packed into these pages. I hope that we see Trautman and Roth appear again, as I enjoyed the setting, characters and plot very much.
Complicating things still further is the fact that the brownshirt was living under an assumed name. His step father is Justice Minister Paul von Gaben and, as Trautman realises, politics are becoming increasingly important – and violent – in a Berlin torn apart by the divisions between warring parties. This noir story follows our two heroes as they attempt to track down the truth in a divided city, with organised crime, National Socialism and communism involved, as well as the everyday truth of divided families and secrets. I liked both the central characters – the weary Trautman and Roth, who, despite losing an arm while on duty, is seen by many of his fellow officers as disloyal. There is a lot of tension and virtually non-stop action packed into these pages. I hope that we see Trautman and Roth appear again, as I enjoyed the setting, characters and plot very much.
June 7, 2016
This novella takes place in 1932 and highlights the tension between the political thuggery of the Brownshirts and the regular police forces as the Nazis came to power. It follows the investigation of Kriminalkommissar Trautman and his assistant Roth into the murder of a Brownshirt. The presumed murderer is the dead man’s girlfriend, daughter of a local mafia-type boss and because of the political implications the Schutzpolizei, Schupo for short, under Kessler want to wrest control away from Trautman.
The Kripo (Kriminalpolizei) were the investigative branch of the state who, similar to our detectives squads while the Schutzpolizei were the uniformed branch ostensibly charged with enforcing the more prosaic laws although the overlap and distinctions became quite nebulous as various groups sought power in the thirties in Germany. By 1936, the Kripo had become a national police force with the most power, as far as I can determine.
It’s an OK story that suffers from its brevity. In a full novel the conflict and tensions between the regular police forces and those being taken over by the Nazis to promote their insidious political goals could have been explored in more depth and with more clarity, something Philip Kerr does so well in his Bernie Gunther series.
The Kripo (Kriminalpolizei) were the investigative branch of the state who, similar to our detectives squads while the Schutzpolizei were the uniformed branch ostensibly charged with enforcing the more prosaic laws although the overlap and distinctions became quite nebulous as various groups sought power in the thirties in Germany. By 1936, the Kripo had become a national police force with the most power, as far as I can determine.
It’s an OK story that suffers from its brevity. In a full novel the conflict and tensions between the regular police forces and those being taken over by the Nazis to promote their insidious political goals could have been explored in more depth and with more clarity, something Philip Kerr does so well in his Bernie Gunther series.
February 26, 2015
‘Brace yourself against something Roth. We’re about to jeopardise our pensions.’ Kriminalkommissar Trautmann
Berlin Burning takes place in the summer of 1932, a time when upheaval and economic depression were the order of the day and the nascent Nazi party are becoming increasingly powerful. It’s hard to imagine a more complex or engaging setting for a European crime novel.
The story begins with the central character, police detective Trautmann, trying to persuade an ex-girlfriend of his partner (Roth) to visit the man in hospital. Though not much is gleaned much of the story here, the fact that Trautmann has a burned face and Roth has previously lost an arm in the line of duty make the story that is about to unfold in flashback hugely tantalising.
The flashback begins with the reporting of a murder in an unsavoury district of the city. When Trautmann and Roth arrive, the place is swarming with Schupo under the lead of a hard-nosed man called Kessler. Though Trautmann is going to take control of the case, it’s clear that Kessler isn’t going to let it go completely.
A young man has been murdered. His position in life helps to explain why there are so many at the scene. He’s a brownshirt and the case is therefore politically sensitive. It also happens that his girlfriend and lead suspect is Maria Fliescher, the niece of a local gangster.
There’s not a lot of evidence to go by, but Trautmann and Roth are determined to collect every scrap. In the end, their protection of the scene from the clumsy Schupo will prove crucial to their investigations.
What follows on from the murder scene is a journey of danger and adventure. As this is only a novella, it’s surprising just how much action takes place.
The plot thickens and little is quite as it initially seems. The characters are multi-faceted and are open to manipulation and misunderstanding. When the adventure slows and the plots thicken, the quick-thinking and articulate Trautmann keeps things straight - when the penny drops for him, the prospect of his reveals creates strong hooks..
The atmosphere throughout is oppressive and the tensions of the period are used well to maintain the mood.
The ending brings the complexities of the plot to a satisfying and rather surprising conclusion and the door is left open for future investigations from this intrepid pair. I’d be happy to find out more about this police duo and to watch history unfold when they go about their business. Bring it on.
Berlin Burning takes place in the summer of 1932, a time when upheaval and economic depression were the order of the day and the nascent Nazi party are becoming increasingly powerful. It’s hard to imagine a more complex or engaging setting for a European crime novel.
The story begins with the central character, police detective Trautmann, trying to persuade an ex-girlfriend of his partner (Roth) to visit the man in hospital. Though not much is gleaned much of the story here, the fact that Trautmann has a burned face and Roth has previously lost an arm in the line of duty make the story that is about to unfold in flashback hugely tantalising.
The flashback begins with the reporting of a murder in an unsavoury district of the city. When Trautmann and Roth arrive, the place is swarming with Schupo under the lead of a hard-nosed man called Kessler. Though Trautmann is going to take control of the case, it’s clear that Kessler isn’t going to let it go completely.
A young man has been murdered. His position in life helps to explain why there are so many at the scene. He’s a brownshirt and the case is therefore politically sensitive. It also happens that his girlfriend and lead suspect is Maria Fliescher, the niece of a local gangster.
There’s not a lot of evidence to go by, but Trautmann and Roth are determined to collect every scrap. In the end, their protection of the scene from the clumsy Schupo will prove crucial to their investigations.
What follows on from the murder scene is a journey of danger and adventure. As this is only a novella, it’s surprising just how much action takes place.
The plot thickens and little is quite as it initially seems. The characters are multi-faceted and are open to manipulation and misunderstanding. When the adventure slows and the plots thicken, the quick-thinking and articulate Trautmann keeps things straight - when the penny drops for him, the prospect of his reveals creates strong hooks..
The atmosphere throughout is oppressive and the tensions of the period are used well to maintain the mood.
The ending brings the complexities of the plot to a satisfying and rather surprising conclusion and the door is left open for future investigations from this intrepid pair. I’d be happy to find out more about this police duo and to watch history unfold when they go about their business. Bring it on.
December 17, 2014
Berlin 1932, a political powder keg waiting to go up. A brownshirt is found murdered and the suspicion falls on his lover and her uncle, a local gangland boss. But Kriminalkommissar Trautmann is not convinced, particularly as those associated with the Nazi party declare it to be an open and shut case.
This is Damien Seaman's second outing into the Weimar Republic and the fast-paced narrative delivers a sense of immersion into the seedy underbelly of the politically unstable Berlin from the start.
His tightly observed Chandleresque compositions ('...fluttering the desiccated butterfly corpses that clung to her eyelids in imitation of lashes') provide enormous depth to descriptions without slowing the pace of the story down. He also has talent for conveying a real sense of humanity within the slick, taut prose.
The character of Trautmann brings to mind Maigret with his pipe, solid marriage and his strong sense of justice, as well as doing the right thing while trying to pick his way through the tricky world of politics throwing roadblocks in his way.
This is why, along with the quality of the writing, it is to be hoped that this is not the last we have seen of Trautmann and his dependable, but hot-headed deputy, Roth, in the intriguing and politically tumultuous Wiemar Republic.
This is Damien Seaman's second outing into the Weimar Republic and the fast-paced narrative delivers a sense of immersion into the seedy underbelly of the politically unstable Berlin from the start.
His tightly observed Chandleresque compositions ('...fluttering the desiccated butterfly corpses that clung to her eyelids in imitation of lashes') provide enormous depth to descriptions without slowing the pace of the story down. He also has talent for conveying a real sense of humanity within the slick, taut prose.
The character of Trautmann brings to mind Maigret with his pipe, solid marriage and his strong sense of justice, as well as doing the right thing while trying to pick his way through the tricky world of politics throwing roadblocks in his way.
This is why, along with the quality of the writing, it is to be hoped that this is not the last we have seen of Trautmann and his dependable, but hot-headed deputy, Roth, in the intriguing and politically tumultuous Wiemar Republic.
September 29, 2016
Berlin Burning is a short novel set in 1930s Berlin before Hitler came to power. The difficulty that all authors have in writing detective novels set in this era is that they will forever be compared with the Bernie Gunther books of Philip Kerr.
This latest attempt starts slowly and takes most of the narrative for the action to pick up. However, the climax is exciting and the explanation fascinating. The main characters are certainly interesting and, if there is to be a sequel, I shall read it.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at War, all published by Sacristy Press
This latest attempt starts slowly and takes most of the narrative for the action to pick up. However, the climax is exciting and the explanation fascinating. The main characters are certainly interesting and, if there is to be a sequel, I shall read it.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at War, all published by Sacristy Press
February 12, 2015
If you have never ventured into Berlin Noir before this is a great introduction. Set against the chilling political background of late Weimar Germany, this wonderful novella keeps us on the edge of our seats as we hurl in true Mickey Spillane style in pursuit of a murderer whilst dogged at every step by sneering violent Nazi sympathisers. I think I am now going to read David Seaman's "The Killing of Emma Gross". Give this a go - you will love it!!
January 3, 2016
Not sure what was going on really, seemed very light and the plot didn't shine through for me at all. Might try again to read it but doubt it.
May 15, 2016
Damien's other novel was way better.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews