Stealing the Future: An East German Spy Story

East Berlin Series #1

by Max Hertzberg

Behind the Berlin Wall a dissident is on the trail of a killer
1993. After forty years of communist rule it's time for change in the GDR.

Direct democracy, citizen's movements and de-centralization are changing the political landscape.

But when a politician's crushed body is found a constitutional crisis erupts.

Former dissident, Martin Grobe, is caught up in an investigation that points towards the KGB, the Stasi and the West Germans—but is it really the start of a putsch against the new GDR, or just a murder?

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Germany, Fiction, Espionage, Crime, Alternate History

241 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2015

About the author

Previously an academic researcher (evaluating Stasi and SED files on opposition movements and on security on the Berlin Wall). More recently a social change trainer and facilitator.

Often to be found living in Berlin, Max is currently travelling around Eastern Europe and Germany doing research for further novels.

Reviews

[Cold War Conversations Podcast · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating alternative history of the two Germanys as well as a gripping thriller.

Max Hertzberg has come up with a fascinating alternative history of 1989 and after for Germany. It’s 1993, the Wall is open, however East Germany hasn’t been subsumed into West Germany. It has decided to stay independent and run the country via a grassroots participatory democracy, resulting in decentralising most decision making to neighbourhood committees in which everyone participates. However, all is not well in the new GDR as dark forces are trying to destabilise it.

The story revolves around Martin Grobe, a former dissident and now part of the Republicschutz, a post 9th Nov 1989 counter-espionage service which has responsibility for monitoring attempts to undermine the new East Germany. He is investigating the murder of prominent politician at a mine in West Silesia, a region looking to join West Germany.

The author certainly knows Berlin and East Germany well and captures the period in great detail even down to way the 1980s era S-Bahn train doors operate. However, what brings the story alive are the characters struggling to keep alive their dream of freedom, justice and equality in the face of corruption, West German pressure for unification and the dark forces that enforced the old regime.

Whilst some may see this book as some sort of left wing fairy tale I found the book stimulating and vastly different from standard spy thriller fare with its parallel exploration of political self-determination and de-centralisation of power.

Further books in the series are planned and I for one will be keen to follow how Grobe and the “new” East Germany fares further into the 1990s.

This book is currently free (as of Jan 2016) on Smashreads, link here https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Description: 1993: Behind the Berlin Wall, dissident turned investigator Martin Grobe is on the trail of a killer—but is there something bigger at stake?

After forty years of dictatorship it’s time for change. The 1989 revolution in East Germany led to economic collapse and a failed takeover attempt by the West.

Four years on, the people of East Germany are building a utopian society. But when the crushed body of a prominent politician is found a constitutional crisis erupts—Martin needs to find the links before the young republic breaks up.

Read here

Opening: Sunshine and darkness march across my path, the car diving through bands of light and shade. My eyes are struggling to adjust to the glare flickering through the trees lining the road, but after a few more kilometres of peering through the dusty windscreen I make out a pair of petrol pumps and a prefab hut. The Trabant rumbles across the concrete slabs and the attendant comes out, wiping his hands on his overalls

Uh-oh, first person, present tense opening.

Not my cuppa at this time

[Rod Raglin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insights in East German spy story overshadowed by didactic passages and convoluted conspiracy It's 1993 and East Germany (GDR), recently free from the grip of the Soviet Union, is experimenting with a socialist style of direct democracy. The country is struggling - economically, politically, even psychologically and it's citizens are doing their best to cope.Martin Grobe is sort of a cop, but without much authority. His job is to keep the new republic on course. How he and his colleagues do this is by attending a lot of meaningless meetings and talking philosophy.A minor official is found murdered. Why Grobe is sent to investigate is never clear. In fact quite a bit of Max Hertzberg's, Stealing the Future, An East German Spy Story is vague including the conspiracy theory behind the murder.However, if you're interested in the landmarks of East Berlin this story reads like a guidebook and there's some interesting history of what it was like to live in the German Democratic Republic while controlled by the Soviets and the difficulty it's citizens had in changing from a totalitarian regime, where you were told what to do and how to think, to democratic system where you must take control of your own destiny.There's some good characterization with realistic relationships and dialogue but overall the plot is plagued by didactic passages and the conspiracy that drives the narrative was beyond this reader's comprehension.  

[Toni Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An East German Spy Story

Book 1, in East Berlin Trilogy

“Stealing the Future” is an ambitious counterfactual thriller that depicts what would happen if the East German had refused unification with West Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. This fiction is definitely an exciting and richly imagine story narrated by Martin Globe, who works for a counter-espionage service and has been tasked to look into the murder of a prominent politician in West Silesia. The story is set over 10 days.

This book is not your standard spy novel and is quite stimulating. The author certainly knows the area and has vividly captured a period where a population was struggling to keep their dreams of freedom alive. The characters are superbly drawn and I could easily visualize how they got caught into a crisis that involves the Stati, the KGB and British Intelligent among other colourful players they encountered.

This gritty and mostly hopeful story may have a slow start but once the stage is set, the characters introduced and the perfect atmosphere created I couldn’t help but to be intrigued and pulled into one of those gripping portrayal of a young country and its people trying to rebuilt their society.

I am looking forward to book 2

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting concept and quite well executed though the denouement and the ending seems a little telescoped..

[David Lowther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stealing the Future introduces us to a world where the German Democratic still exists. The Stasi has gone and a new democratic process is developing but there are still factions who prefer the old ways.

This is the background to this thriller which, unfortunately, lacks thrills for two-thirds of its narrative. Fair to say that the climax is excellent but the build up has far too much preaching. However, the characters are superbly drawn and it's easy to get to know each and every one of them intimately. The idea of a truly democratic DDR is a fascinating one. I believe that Stealing the Future is part of a planned series and, if this is the case, its a promising start and such a series would have potential if more time was spent on suspense and less on political diatribe.

David Lowther. Author of The Blue Potential, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at War, all published by Sacristy Press.

[Debs Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always interesting when a story starts with a "what if ..." in terms of big events in history. That said, this one didn't really work for me. It may've been that the Cold War didn't have the same impact on me as it did on my peers as I was brought up overseas experiencing civil unrest and civil war, or maybe it just wasn't clear what was happening.

The main character, Martin, was likeable enough but, he and the other characters all felt a bit surface. There was lots of him groping around in the (metaphorical) dark and I felt we were doing the same. I never felt entirely clear what Martin and his team were - spy, police, conscience?

This felt like a fairly typical spy novel of a certain type and era but, as it was a "what if ..." I really did hope for more nuance.

[David C Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

1993 Berlin, between the fall of the wall and reunification, and dissident turned security officer Martin Grobe unravels a murder mystery and a counter revolutionary plot against the people’s revolution (at the same time Gorbachev is under threat in Russia.) Interesting and instructive but just too didactic and earnest to work as a spy/detective novel. Very little actually happens until the last third as much of it reads as a primer and celebration of the brief revolutionary moment.

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

All world-building and too little murder mystery.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/22/1993, Lichtenberg. 1st. Lieutenant Martin Grobe (narrator), Bärbel (dept. secretary), Klaus, & Erika were in the meeting.
The West Silesian PD was at the crime scene.
Johannes “Hans” Friedrich Maier (West Silesian Union Party Secretary, Westschlesische Bund WB) body was found on the rails. The open cast mining machine wheels had run over him several times.
Officer Schadowski (m, Murder Investigation Commission, Dresden) had been assigned the case.

Martin met with Minister Benno (Pastor Hartmann).
Gisela Demnitz (f, asst.) also wanted a word with Martin.
He was to cease all investigation on the Hans case.
Martin was appointed to be a liaison between this Ministry (Central Round Table committee) & the 4 Powers (GDR, Soviet Union, Republic of France, US, UK).
Martin (Papa) will also meet with Major Mikhail Vassilovich Sokolovski (Soviet Army) in Berlin-Karlshorst.
Martin was too next meet with Annette Ruhle.
She worked for the Alternative Liste (AL, Green Party branch) & Grüne Liga (alternatives fuel resources).
Imports of brown coal come from the Czech Republic & Poland.
Karo (f) is an Energy Brigades member. This group volunteers to insulate houses for more heat efficiency & cost savings.
Rummelsburg prison. Captain Weber (Marchlewskistrasse PD) had locked Chris Fremdiswalde in a cell.
Martin was asking him several questions. Chris did not answer.
Martin had to go back the next day only to find out Chris had hung himself.

Dieter, Laura, & Schimmel, joined in the next Central Round Table committee meeting.
Benno & Evelyn Hagenow had been arrested also.
Will the Hans case get solved?

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A fairly well written historical fiction thriller book. It wasn’t always very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish, but never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. It was pretty good but I am only going to rate it at 4/5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; EBookStage; Smashwords; Wolf Press; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons (Washburn)

[Vidar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved. this book. Set in an alternative universe in East Germany, an East Berlin not reunited. East Germany has chosen to follow a different path and beginning to put into practice, a radical, grassroots, participatory democracy – decentralising most decision-making to neighbourhood committees. The books plot is this lovingly-depicted anarchist utopia. The narrator, Martin Grobe. works for the Republicschutz – a 'stopgap' counter-espionage service 'crewed by amateurs' – which has responsibility for monitoring interference in, and attempts to undermine, the new East Germany (GDR). He and his colleagues are mostly kept busy tracking smugglers from West Berlin, who are undermining the fragile post-communist economy.

[Phil Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows Berlin and government department trying to establish and recover after unification and the removal of the Wall, with its twists, turns and corruption.

I really enjoyed this book, not just because it is Berlin based but because it is really well written, gives a great insite into the city and its history. It is definately well worth the read.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and interesting reading. You will need some background in East and West Germany's history to totally understand everything that is going on.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great History

I knew the history of the collapse that East Germany went through. I found this very interesting. It showed what went on during that time. Eye opener!

[Gregory Beaman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Incredibly naive and unbelievable to anybody with the slightest knowledge or experience of the DDR and West Germany.

[J.R. Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1989 this is an interesting take on the GDR having chosen not to align itself with the West but rather becoming a separate country. The struggle of this new state—and its tenuous relationship with the West exemplified by the other Germans living in Berlin who are not part of the GDR, though there is no longer a wall— is served up using the murder of a West Silesia politician being investigated by GDR bureaucrat Martin Grobe. While the jacket bills this as an "East German Spy Thriller" it is not IMHO an espionage novel in the conventional sense but more of an atmospheric police procedural set in a utopian society. The story moves fairly well but is hampered by an assumption that German locations, practices and organizations mean something to the reader that they did not to me because they were not either more fully explained or better detailed. (I believe this work was first published in German.) The author helpfully includes a walking tour at the end of some of the more memorable locations highlighted in the book, including the infamous Stasi headquarters. Enjoyable but not particularly memorable.

[Pippa Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intriguing book!

There are many layers to this story, and I suspect that if you're not prepared to take the time to understand the narrator's politics then you will also be disinclined to unpick the sub-plots, seeing only the top layer of the story.

If on the other hand you're happy to go with the counter-factual flow, immerse yourself in realistically crafted atmosphere of post-1989 East Germany and imagine how it must have been there at the time, (so many ideas for the future floating around!), then you're in for a treat.

As with Ursula Le Guin's "The Dispossessed" The Dispossessed this book pulls no punches - after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the society in Stealing The Future rejects unification with West Germany in order to try out a different political system, and it's not going to be perfect. The narrator, Martin Grobe, acknowledges this: "it just has to be better than the alternatives," he says. But there is plenty of conflict, plenty of flaws and plenty of work for the East Germans to do.

A thoughtful book, with a cracking story line, but all the better for reading between the lines. Agree with it, argue with it, because the narrative is all the richer for it.

Very much looking forward to the sequel!

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, I liked the spy crime/thriller part of this book the best. I think it was a good book over all but without these extra spy thriller elements for me, I think the book would not have been as good. I enjoyed it very much though. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Kerry Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow to start but a great outlook into what it must have been like to live with a constant fear of being detained. Built to an exciting finish, will look forward to reading the next book later I n the year.

[Roger McCall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly deep and thoughtful