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Basic Law: A Mystery of Cold War Europe
A peace-seeking man must unravel the mystery that led to his former lover’s death
Expat American journalist Sam Kramer is burned out: too many dead bodies, too many wars covered, too little meaning in it all. He’s got a dead-end job at the Daily European as the correspondent for Vienna, where nothing happens now that the Cold War is over. And that is exactly how Kramer likes it.
But his private neutral zone is shattered with news of the suicide of Reni Müller, a German left-wing firebrand and Kramer’s long-estranged ex-girlfriend. To his surprise, Kramer suddenly finds himself the executor of Reni’s literary estate—but the damning memoir named in her will is nowhere to be found. Tracking down the manuscript will lead Kramer to the unsettling truth of Reni’s death, drawing him back into the days of the Cold War and showing him the dark side of the woman he loved.
Expat American journalist Sam Kramer is burned out: too many dead bodies, too many wars covered, too little meaning in it all. He’s got a dead-end job at the Daily European as the correspondent for Vienna, where nothing happens now that the Cold War is over. And that is exactly how Kramer likes it.
But his private neutral zone is shattered with news of the suicide of Reni Müller, a German left-wing firebrand and Kramer’s long-estranged ex-girlfriend. To his surprise, Kramer suddenly finds himself the executor of Reni’s literary estate—but the damning memoir named in her will is nowhere to be found. Tracking down the manuscript will lead Kramer to the unsettling truth of Reni’s death, drawing him back into the days of the Cold War and showing him the dark side of the woman he loved.
324 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2015
8 people are currently reading
364 people want to read
About the author
J. Sydney Jones
36 books64 followersJ. Sydney Jones is the author of twenty books, including the six installments of the critically acclaimed Viennese Mystery series, as well as stand-alone mysteries and thrillers, including TIME OF THE WOLF, THE GERMAN AGENT, RUIN VALUE, BASIC LAW, THE EDIT, THE CRY OF CICADAS, and others. His books have been translated into eight languages.
A long-time resident of Vienna, he has also lived and worked in Florence, Paris, Molyvos, and Donegal. Jones currently lives on the central coast of California.
Visit the author at his homepage and at his blog, Scene of the Crime.
A long-time resident of Vienna, he has also lived and worked in Florence, Paris, Molyvos, and Donegal. Jones currently lives on the central coast of California.
Visit the author at his homepage and at his blog, Scene of the Crime.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 29, 2015
A good solid post cold-war thriller.
"Red Reni", poster girl of the German left appears to have committed suicide. However her former lover, journalist Sam Kramer, believes otherwise when he discovers at Reni's funeral that he is the executor of her literary estate and that her memoirs are missing.
As a result Kramer sets out to track down Reni and Kramer's former friends who were part of a left wing group they were involved with in the '60s and '70s.
The detail of the German left wing politics in the 1960s and 70s made the story convincing and plausible with the tension building to some unexpected twists and turns toward the end.
I wouldn't put it down as brilliant, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
"Red Reni", poster girl of the German left appears to have committed suicide. However her former lover, journalist Sam Kramer, believes otherwise when he discovers at Reni's funeral that he is the executor of her literary estate and that her memoirs are missing.
As a result Kramer sets out to track down Reni and Kramer's former friends who were part of a left wing group they were involved with in the '60s and '70s.
The detail of the German left wing politics in the 1960s and 70s made the story convincing and plausible with the tension building to some unexpected twists and turns toward the end.
I wouldn't put it down as brilliant, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
May 14, 2018
The title "Basic Law: A Mystery of the Cold War Europe" serves as a fine synopsis of this book. Written by J. Sydney Jones, we travel back in time to 1994 before cell phones and computers would have quickly unraveled the mysteries that await us in this novel. As a result of the lack of these impressive tools, we instead rely on a burned out reporter, as we meander with through multiple countries multiple times, seeking multiple people of whom are made subject to multiple inquiries about multiple issues that reporter Sam Kramer has about his former lover, Renata Muller and her involvement with the current leader of a Neo-Nazi group.
Renata is found dead a number of days later after her apparent suicide. Those who know her can't fathom why this woman, who was so dynamic and full of life would be motivated to do something so drastic. When Kramer discovers that he was named as her Memoir Executor, a document which he can't locate, his suspicions turn to murder. The more he doggedly he digs, the more dangerous his life becomes. Those closest to Renata begin to reinforce his perception that she was in fact murdered. As in any good story, few key people are who they seem, nor are those from the past as we remember them to be. As the dots begin to connect, more questions arise and people closest to Renata face death attempts, too. Little is what it seems until major piece of the puzzle is identified and the links between people and situations are much more obvious.
Basic Law, "Grundesetz" refers to a code in current German law. In the story, it is stated, "The law as written decrees membership in both right and left terrorist organizations to be illegal." It is basis of the premise of Basic Law that Kramer manages to get confessions from some ugly characters that Renata had been investigating to revealing their activities past and present in Europe following World War II as it relates to Nazism .
Yet, this as the underlying premise for the book didn't really wow this reader. The book starts off powerfully with many curious matters to digest, but the main plot stumbles and falters as new, underdeveloped characters are utilized in moving the story forward. As we learn the big reveal, it tends to drift as it concludes in wrapping up loose ends, while relevant motivations just seemed to pat. As a reader, I was much more invested at the start of the story than I was past the middle, primarily because the characters never evolved beyond their introduction. Jones is talented but I doubt I'll be reading more of his work. I read a variety of genre's, so I may not serve as the best assessor of his Cold War story writing style, however, I offer a modest recommendation of this book on the basis that he capably delivered a strong action driven plot, despite my disappointment in its weak characterizations.
Thank you to Amazon Vine for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. 3/15
Renata is found dead a number of days later after her apparent suicide. Those who know her can't fathom why this woman, who was so dynamic and full of life would be motivated to do something so drastic. When Kramer discovers that he was named as her Memoir Executor, a document which he can't locate, his suspicions turn to murder. The more he doggedly he digs, the more dangerous his life becomes. Those closest to Renata begin to reinforce his perception that she was in fact murdered. As in any good story, few key people are who they seem, nor are those from the past as we remember them to be. As the dots begin to connect, more questions arise and people closest to Renata face death attempts, too. Little is what it seems until major piece of the puzzle is identified and the links between people and situations are much more obvious.
Basic Law, "Grundesetz" refers to a code in current German law. In the story, it is stated, "The law as written decrees membership in both right and left terrorist organizations to be illegal." It is basis of the premise of Basic Law that Kramer manages to get confessions from some ugly characters that Renata had been investigating to revealing their activities past and present in Europe following World War II as it relates to Nazism .
Yet, this as the underlying premise for the book didn't really wow this reader. The book starts off powerfully with many curious matters to digest, but the main plot stumbles and falters as new, underdeveloped characters are utilized in moving the story forward. As we learn the big reveal, it tends to drift as it concludes in wrapping up loose ends, while relevant motivations just seemed to pat. As a reader, I was much more invested at the start of the story than I was past the middle, primarily because the characters never evolved beyond their introduction. Jones is talented but I doubt I'll be reading more of his work. I read a variety of genre's, so I may not serve as the best assessor of his Cold War story writing style, however, I offer a modest recommendation of this book on the basis that he capably delivered a strong action driven plot, despite my disappointment in its weak characterizations.
Thank you to Amazon Vine for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. 3/15
May 4, 2015
Basic Law by J. Sydney Jones is a 2015 Mysterious Press publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sam Kramer is shocked to learn a former lover, “Red Reni” has committed suicide. He is even more puzzled when she names him the executor of her literary estate. When he begins looking for Reni's memoirs, he discovers they are missing, and when another death occurs, it makes him wonder if Reni really committed suicide or was murdered. Could one of the old friends and political radicals that were once so close, and so idealistic, who dubbed themselves “The Magnificent Seven”, during the late sixties and seventies be responsible?
This is an interesting and unique mystery, with a old fashioned detective feel to it, as Kramer and his buddy,hit the pavement in order to look into the mysterious death of their old friend and reacquaint themselves with the old gang in search of Reni's memoirs. The gang waxes nostalgia, like people attending a high school reunion, but all of them on edge as they fear their present day lives could fall apart if Reni's tell all journals ever see the light of day. So, you can see how the suspense begins to build, giving the book a taut edge.
However, despite all that, the book is understated in many ways, moved at an excruciatingly slow pace at times, and for some reason I kept feeling like I had walked into the middle of the play, because I could never get a feel for what this group was into back in the cold war era. It's all rather vague and shadowy, which might have been the author's intent.
Nevertheless, the story did keep my attention had a couple of surprising plot twist, and was a change of pace from the types of mysteries I usually read. 3.5 rounded to 4
Sam Kramer is shocked to learn a former lover, “Red Reni” has committed suicide. He is even more puzzled when she names him the executor of her literary estate. When he begins looking for Reni's memoirs, he discovers they are missing, and when another death occurs, it makes him wonder if Reni really committed suicide or was murdered. Could one of the old friends and political radicals that were once so close, and so idealistic, who dubbed themselves “The Magnificent Seven”, during the late sixties and seventies be responsible?
This is an interesting and unique mystery, with a old fashioned detective feel to it, as Kramer and his buddy,hit the pavement in order to look into the mysterious death of their old friend and reacquaint themselves with the old gang in search of Reni's memoirs. The gang waxes nostalgia, like people attending a high school reunion, but all of them on edge as they fear their present day lives could fall apart if Reni's tell all journals ever see the light of day. So, you can see how the suspense begins to build, giving the book a taut edge.
However, despite all that, the book is understated in many ways, moved at an excruciatingly slow pace at times, and for some reason I kept feeling like I had walked into the middle of the play, because I could never get a feel for what this group was into back in the cold war era. It's all rather vague and shadowy, which might have been the author's intent.
Nevertheless, the story did keep my attention had a couple of surprising plot twist, and was a change of pace from the types of mysteries I usually read. 3.5 rounded to 4
July 9, 2021
An alright mystery from Jones. I just don’t think these other mysteries of his can hold a candle to his Viennese Mystery series. I read this because I thought it was set in Vienna, but ironically, it ended up being set 95% in Germany. It was mid-90s Germany — around the same year I lived there — so it was interesting and fun to journey back to that world of faxes and modems and landlines.
March 9, 2016
A kind of complicated treasure hunt that starts from the suicide of a famous exponent of the German left politics at the time of the Cold War to tell how, even in the Germany after unification, Nazis ideals are still alive and present and how, behind the screen of the most vulgar neo-Nazism, political and economic forces are actually working exploiting for their own interests the social hardship. Despite some ingenuity typically American - American is author and Americans are some of its protagonists,thing that gives to their being naive a nuance of credibility - and despite its length and complexity, with constant changes and upheavals in history, this is a great novel that combines entertainment and historical reality.
Thank Open Road Integrated Media and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Una specie di complicata caccia al tesoro che parte dal suicidio di una nota esponente politica della sinistra tedesca ai tempi della guerra fredda per raccontare come, anche nella Germania post unificazione, siano ancora vivi e presenti gli ideali nazisti e di come, dietro il paravento del neonazismo più becero, ci siano in realtà al lavoro forze politiche ed economiche che sfruttano per i propri interessi il disagio sociale. Nonostante alcune ingenuità tipicamente americane - americano è l'autore e americani sono alcuni dei suoi protagonisti, il che da al loro essere naif una patina di credibilità - e nonostante la sua lunghezza e complicazione, con continui cambiamenti e rivolgimenti nella storia, è un ottimo romanzo che unisce intrattenimento e realtà storica.
Ringrazio Open Road Integrated Media e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
Thank Open Road Integrated Media and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Una specie di complicata caccia al tesoro che parte dal suicidio di una nota esponente politica della sinistra tedesca ai tempi della guerra fredda per raccontare come, anche nella Germania post unificazione, siano ancora vivi e presenti gli ideali nazisti e di come, dietro il paravento del neonazismo più becero, ci siano in realtà al lavoro forze politiche ed economiche che sfruttano per i propri interessi il disagio sociale. Nonostante alcune ingenuità tipicamente americane - americano è l'autore e americani sono alcuni dei suoi protagonisti, il che da al loro essere naif una patina di credibilità - e nonostante la sua lunghezza e complicazione, con continui cambiamenti e rivolgimenti nella storia, è un ottimo romanzo che unisce intrattenimento e realtà storica.
Ringrazio Open Road Integrated Media e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
March 4, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Expat American journalist Sam Kramer is burned out: too many dead bodies, too many wars covered, too little meaning in it all. He's got a dead-end job at the Daily European as the correspondent for Vienna, where nothing happens now that the Cold War is over. And that is exactly how Kramer likes it.
But his private neutral zone is shattered with news of the suicide of Reni Müller, a German left-wing firebrand and Kramer's long-estranged ex-girlfriend. To his surprise, Kramer suddenly finds himself the executor of Reni's literary estate—but the damning memoir named in her will is nowhere to be found. Tracking down the manuscript will lead Kramer to the unsettling truth of Reni's death, drawing him back into the days of the Cold War and showing him the dark side of the woman he loved.
I have to say I was disappointed with this novel. Mostly due to the fact that it says right there on the front cover: "A mystery of the Cold War" - well, that was kinda true. I was expecting the story to take place during that time, rather than a modern-day investigation to what happened all those years ago.
Also, the story wasn't that interesting, nor were the characters. Disappointing.
Paul
ARH
Expat American journalist Sam Kramer is burned out: too many dead bodies, too many wars covered, too little meaning in it all. He's got a dead-end job at the Daily European as the correspondent for Vienna, where nothing happens now that the Cold War is over. And that is exactly how Kramer likes it.
But his private neutral zone is shattered with news of the suicide of Reni Müller, a German left-wing firebrand and Kramer's long-estranged ex-girlfriend. To his surprise, Kramer suddenly finds himself the executor of Reni's literary estate—but the damning memoir named in her will is nowhere to be found. Tracking down the manuscript will lead Kramer to the unsettling truth of Reni's death, drawing him back into the days of the Cold War and showing him the dark side of the woman he loved.
I have to say I was disappointed with this novel. Mostly due to the fact that it says right there on the front cover: "A mystery of the Cold War" - well, that was kinda true. I was expecting the story to take place during that time, rather than a modern-day investigation to what happened all those years ago.
Also, the story wasn't that interesting, nor were the characters. Disappointing.
Paul
ARH
March 18, 2015
"Basic Law" is a solid, enjoyable mystery. Basic law (German constitution) plays a part in the story - a piece of that law explains that it's against the law to belong to any terrorist organizations.
The story revolves around Renata Muller, queen of the German left, called "Red Reni," who might have committed suicide, or might have been murdered. Reni's former lover, Kramer, who used to be a widely traveled foreign correspondent and is now a journalist working in Vienna, hasn't seen Reni in decades, but he attends her funeral. Kramer then discovers after Reni is buried that she has made him executor of her literary estate - namely, the one in charge of memoirs that Reni has been working on for some time. The problem is, the memoirs are missing.
Along with Randall, a very interesting sidekick (he's a laid-back drifter with hidden talents who lives on other people's couches and who loves to eat) who is also part of a group of people Reni associated with in the '60s and '70s, Kramer sets out to find out if Reni really killed herself or not, and what happened to her memoirs - if there ever were any.
We meet many people along the investigation, including Reni's father, Reni's husband, more old friends of Reni's, Kramer's and Randall's, some questionable lawyers, one a half-interested cop who seems bent on avenging his daughter's death, and a leader who's called "Fuhrer" of a group of neo-Nazis called Germany United. Once I got the characters straight, the story is easy to follow, despite the twists and turns - there is always something going on, from traveling to jumping out of the way of speeding purple cars and from eating to dodging bullets and climbing mountains. Also, the characters came alive, which made it easier to stay involved in the story. I liked the mix of good and bad, instead of exaggerating villains or heroes - it was more human and believable.
The only thing I didn't enjoy was the several stragglers of an ending. There is one major reveal, which was timed well and which I felt ready for and had been able to piece together as the clues had been strategically left for me. Then there is another "guess what else?" I was okay with that one, too, but as the discoveries kept coming, at one point, I was thinking, "Enough is enough - let it end." Each later discovery or twist is explained so much that it felt like it dragged on just a little too much. At times, there was a feeling of too much crammed into one story. Overall, I'm not unhappy I read it; I'd pick up another book by this author.
The story revolves around Renata Muller, queen of the German left, called "Red Reni," who might have committed suicide, or might have been murdered. Reni's former lover, Kramer, who used to be a widely traveled foreign correspondent and is now a journalist working in Vienna, hasn't seen Reni in decades, but he attends her funeral. Kramer then discovers after Reni is buried that she has made him executor of her literary estate - namely, the one in charge of memoirs that Reni has been working on for some time. The problem is, the memoirs are missing.
Along with Randall, a very interesting sidekick (he's a laid-back drifter with hidden talents who lives on other people's couches and who loves to eat) who is also part of a group of people Reni associated with in the '60s and '70s, Kramer sets out to find out if Reni really killed herself or not, and what happened to her memoirs - if there ever were any.
We meet many people along the investigation, including Reni's father, Reni's husband, more old friends of Reni's, Kramer's and Randall's, some questionable lawyers, one a half-interested cop who seems bent on avenging his daughter's death, and a leader who's called "Fuhrer" of a group of neo-Nazis called Germany United. Once I got the characters straight, the story is easy to follow, despite the twists and turns - there is always something going on, from traveling to jumping out of the way of speeding purple cars and from eating to dodging bullets and climbing mountains. Also, the characters came alive, which made it easier to stay involved in the story. I liked the mix of good and bad, instead of exaggerating villains or heroes - it was more human and believable.
The only thing I didn't enjoy was the several stragglers of an ending. There is one major reveal, which was timed well and which I felt ready for and had been able to piece together as the clues had been strategically left for me. Then there is another "guess what else?" I was okay with that one, too, but as the discoveries kept coming, at one point, I was thinking, "Enough is enough - let it end." Each later discovery or twist is explained so much that it felt like it dragged on just a little too much. At times, there was a feeling of too much crammed into one story. Overall, I'm not unhappy I read it; I'd pick up another book by this author.
July 8, 2015
Imagine you’re a veteran correspondent from the time of the Cold War. Well, now that it’s over, what do you write about, what use are your old contacts. So, you end up at a dead end job, banging out worthless copy, you’re just going through the motions. You feel as useful as a condom in the bedside draw of a eunuch.
That’s what Sam Kramer is doing in Vienna. To say he’s bored is to say the rich like to travel. His only emotion is ennui. Then out of the blue he receives a notice from a lawyer. His one-time girlfriend from the good-old days has died (okay that’s not so good) and left him the manuscript to her biography.
So what’s the big deal? His ex was a member of a radical extreme-left group (think Bader-Meinhoff lite) who became the darling of the intelligentsia and served in Parliament. She knows where all the bodies are buried, how they were killed and who buried them. This is very explosive stuff.
Of course the manuscript disappears, but we all know that this can’t be the only copy. So Kramer goes back to Germany to find it. Most of her old Cadre is still around. Some have done well, others have disappeared or are still in hiding, some have changed identities and become upstanding citizens. (It has a very “The Third Man” feel to it.)
The biggest question that remains from those days is, was this group a Soviet Sleeper unit, working for the East German Stasi, the West German government or the CIA. The manuscript supposedly tells the truth of who helped and funded the group. Criminal charges for the remaining members are possible.
The book is well written and Jones manages to keep the tension on for most of the story. Well worth your time.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com zebsblog@gmail.com
That’s what Sam Kramer is doing in Vienna. To say he’s bored is to say the rich like to travel. His only emotion is ennui. Then out of the blue he receives a notice from a lawyer. His one-time girlfriend from the good-old days has died (okay that’s not so good) and left him the manuscript to her biography.
So what’s the big deal? His ex was a member of a radical extreme-left group (think Bader-Meinhoff lite) who became the darling of the intelligentsia and served in Parliament. She knows where all the bodies are buried, how they were killed and who buried them. This is very explosive stuff.
Of course the manuscript disappears, but we all know that this can’t be the only copy. So Kramer goes back to Germany to find it. Most of her old Cadre is still around. Some have done well, others have disappeared or are still in hiding, some have changed identities and become upstanding citizens. (It has a very “The Third Man” feel to it.)
The biggest question that remains from those days is, was this group a Soviet Sleeper unit, working for the East German Stasi, the West German government or the CIA. The manuscript supposedly tells the truth of who helped and funded the group. Criminal charges for the remaining members are possible.
The book is well written and Jones manages to keep the tension on for most of the story. Well worth your time.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com zebsblog@gmail.com
April 17, 2015
Some books grab you by the neck and never let go. Some books start slowly and build quickly. Some book start slowly and it takes them a long time to fuel momentum. This book, for me, was in the last category.
I found the first half of the book slow and without much fire. Once the book found its rythm, it turned into a roaring good time. Neo-Nazi and good old fashioned Nazis, the East German secret police, politics, corruption, youthful ideals and jaded realities- it is a potent brew for post Cold War intrigue.
The suicide of one of a group of Left Wing students from the 1960's brings the people back together. A cryptic bequest is made of the former lover who now is a seedy journalist. The dead woman wants him to solve the puzzle she has left him and in doing so brings death and despair to the people it touches. He is a man on a mission and determined to unlock the secrets that have been hidden for so long.
I think had the beginning of the book snagged me earlier, this might have warranted five stars. As it is, it is still a worthwhile read.
I found the first half of the book slow and without much fire. Once the book found its rythm, it turned into a roaring good time. Neo-Nazi and good old fashioned Nazis, the East German secret police, politics, corruption, youthful ideals and jaded realities- it is a potent brew for post Cold War intrigue.
The suicide of one of a group of Left Wing students from the 1960's brings the people back together. A cryptic bequest is made of the former lover who now is a seedy journalist. The dead woman wants him to solve the puzzle she has left him and in doing so brings death and despair to the people it touches. He is a man on a mission and determined to unlock the secrets that have been hidden for so long.
I think had the beginning of the book snagged me earlier, this might have warranted five stars. As it is, it is still a worthwhile read.
August 13, 2015
I received a free copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads giveaways.
I really enjoyed Basic Law by J. Sydney Jones. This was a great thriller about the post-Cold War. The main character, Sam Kramer, who is a journalist, believes there is a “story” into the death of his former lover, Reni Muller. Upon her death/suicide she left Sam in charge of her memoirs which have gone missing. The author takes the reader on quite an adventure throughout Germany and through the memories of Sam, Reni and their past acquaintances to determine the truth about Reni’s passing. I had a hard time putting this book down and was shocked by the ending as I didn’t expect it. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and I would enjoy seeing this book being turned into a movie as I think it would have great potential.
July 17, 2015
I received this book from netgalley in return for an honest review. Thank you.
Journalist Sam Kramer receives the tragic news that his former girlfriend has committed suicide and he has been appointed her literary executor over her memoirs. There are no memoirs and Reni was not the type to commit suicide. Was it really suicide or was there a more sinister reason for her death.
Sam and Reni had belonged to a radical left wing political group in the cold war of the 60s and 70s with 5 other friends. Sam begins the hunt to track them down to try and find answers. Then friends begin to die.
This is a well written cold war thriller with some surprising twists. It starts very slowly but tension builds and becomes a great read unravelling all the different strands and well hidden secrets.
Well worth a read.
Journalist Sam Kramer receives the tragic news that his former girlfriend has committed suicide and he has been appointed her literary executor over her memoirs. There are no memoirs and Reni was not the type to commit suicide. Was it really suicide or was there a more sinister reason for her death.
Sam and Reni had belonged to a radical left wing political group in the cold war of the 60s and 70s with 5 other friends. Sam begins the hunt to track them down to try and find answers. Then friends begin to die.
This is a well written cold war thriller with some surprising twists. It starts very slowly but tension builds and becomes a great read unravelling all the different strands and well hidden secrets.
Well worth a read.
April 1, 2015
This is the author's fourth novel, and third in the series of Vienna crime mysteries. I read this entire 312 page book in 36 hours, which reveals how hard it was for me to put it down. Vienna is one of Europe's most fascinating and beautiful cities, home of Sigmund Freud and formative home of Adolph Hitler. You find serious art, architecture, and classical music. The end of the Cold War only sent the cat and mouse game of espionage, intrigue, and murder underground. No tells here, suffice it to say that this well-developed story wraps up nicely. I hope this author finds comfort in this review, and inspiration to plunge forward with new creative endeavors. My rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
April 29, 2016
Jones, a scholar and the creator of a series of 19th Vienna mysteries, has taken a dark and exciting turn with this exploration of neo-Nazism during the Cold WR. Set principally in Bonn and Prague, the plot lifts the curtain in corruption and the rising force of right wing fascists whose identities were revealed in a missing memoir. Part chase and part intrigue, this book's central figures include a dogged journalist following the trail of crumbs left by his former lover who has committed suicide. Just enough detailed settings for me to mentally picture the unfolding of events, and just enough red herrings to make my race through the story worth my time in the wee hours of the morning.
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March 9, 2019Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for my honest review.
This isn't my usual type of reading fare. I was afraid that it would be boring, confusing, and/or require too much of my undivided attention to be enjoyable. However, I found my fears to be unwarranted. It's an interesting mystery with a satisfactory resolution to the story at the end. I recommend giving it a shot.
This isn't my usual type of reading fare. I was afraid that it would be boring, confusing, and/or require too much of my undivided attention to be enjoyable. However, I found my fears to be unwarranted. It's an interesting mystery with a satisfactory resolution to the story at the end. I recommend giving it a shot.
April 15, 2015
Wow, this was one heck of a ride! Once I finally got all the characters straightened out and got down to the nitty gritty I could not put this thriller down. There were so many plot twists and twists on the plot twists. This was one twisting thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.
If you like thrillers, I highly recommend this one!
Thank you Open Road Integrated Media and Net Galley for this free e-galley which kept me totally entertained on this dark, gloomy, rainy day.
If you like thrillers, I highly recommend this one!
Thank you Open Road Integrated Media and Net Galley for this free e-galley which kept me totally entertained on this dark, gloomy, rainy day.
April 3, 2015
3.5 Stars
An action-packed mystery and thriller set in Europe (during the mid-1990s interlaced with flashbacks). An interesting read, but there's so much going on, it was a bit hard at times to keep up with it all. A good plot with quite a few twists. For mystery/thriller fans and readers of historical fiction.
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An action-packed mystery and thriller set in Europe (during the mid-1990s interlaced with flashbacks). An interesting read, but there's so much going on, it was a bit hard at times to keep up with it all. A good plot with quite a few twists. For mystery/thriller fans and readers of historical fiction.
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January 13, 2017
This novel by J. Sydney Jones is a mystery taking place in modern times but whose history reaches back to the Cold War. I was disappointed in the writing from the beginning and found it jarring and inarticulate. I suspect that the writer intended the book to in the hard boiled style of James Cain. The mystery wasn't interesting to me either. Maybe I wasn't my type of novel.
March 26, 2015
A Thrilling mystery with plenty of action. I received this book through Good Reads first reads.
March 25, 2015
i received this book for free as part of a first reads promotion
April 16, 2015
Intriguing mystery with several twists and turns.
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