What do you think?
Rate this book
Inspector Pekkala #7
Berlin Red
April, 1945.
East of Berlin, the Red Army stands poised to unleash its final assault upon the ruined capital of Hitler's Thousand Year Reich.
To the north, at a lonely outpost near the Baltic sea, German scientists perfect a guidance system for the mighty V2 rocket, which has already caused massive damage to the cities of London and Antwerp. This device, known only by the codename Diamondstream, will allow the rocket to arrive at its target with pin-point accuracy. So devastating is the potential of this newly-mastered technology that Hitler's promise to the German people of a 'miracle weapon' that will turn the tide of the war might actually come true.
When a radio message sent to Hitler's Headquarters, heralding the success of Diamondstream, is intercepted by an English listening station, British Intelligence orders one of its last agents operating in Berlin to acquire the plans for the device, Desperate to evacuate their agent from the doomed city before the Red Army swarms through its streets, British Special Operations turns to the Kremlin for help.
They ask for one man in particular - Inspector Pekkala.
Anxious to acquire the plans for himself, Stalin readily agrees to risk his finest investigator on what appears to be a suicide mission.
But when Pekkala learns the reason that the British have singled him out, he knows that he must make the journey, no matter what the outcome might be. The agent he must rescue is the woman he had planned to marry, before the Revolution tore them apart, sending her to Paris as a refugee and Pekkala to a gulag in Siberia.
This time, for Pekkala, it is personal.
East of Berlin, the Red Army stands poised to unleash its final assault upon the ruined capital of Hitler's Thousand Year Reich.
To the north, at a lonely outpost near the Baltic sea, German scientists perfect a guidance system for the mighty V2 rocket, which has already caused massive damage to the cities of London and Antwerp. This device, known only by the codename Diamondstream, will allow the rocket to arrive at its target with pin-point accuracy. So devastating is the potential of this newly-mastered technology that Hitler's promise to the German people of a 'miracle weapon' that will turn the tide of the war might actually come true.
When a radio message sent to Hitler's Headquarters, heralding the success of Diamondstream, is intercepted by an English listening station, British Intelligence orders one of its last agents operating in Berlin to acquire the plans for the device, Desperate to evacuate their agent from the doomed city before the Red Army swarms through its streets, British Special Operations turns to the Kremlin for help.
They ask for one man in particular - Inspector Pekkala.
Anxious to acquire the plans for himself, Stalin readily agrees to risk his finest investigator on what appears to be a suicide mission.
But when Pekkala learns the reason that the British have singled him out, he knows that he must make the journey, no matter what the outcome might be. The agent he must rescue is the woman he had planned to marry, before the Revolution tore them apart, sending her to Paris as a refugee and Pekkala to a gulag in Siberia.
This time, for Pekkala, it is personal.
377 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2016
51 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
December 11, 2022
Many historian believe the reason we are not now all goose-stepping members of the Thousand-Year Third Reich, or dead, is due to Hitler's decision to invade Russia. But those of us that cannot kick our addiction to pulp WWII spy novels know better. The real reason the Nazis were doomed is that thousands of devious spies, though clever thinking, relentless focus, misplaced lust, dumb luck and/or brute force were able to ruin his plan. Don't believe me? There's whole library shelves filled with novels to support my case. The real wonder is that, from about 1943 onwards, Hitler was able to hold enough meetings for all these spies to spy on.
This book was among the better-written examples of the genre, with a manageable number of plot lines and characters converging in nonobvious ways to a satisfactory conclusion, and not overburdened with disgusting torture scenes that some authors seem to relish. This is the sort of book you turn to as a frothy treat after reading a depressing book about how difficult it is for brain-damaged patients to get adequate medical care, for example.
I do have one complaint, which is not with the author but rather the publisher 'Opus, a division of Subtext, Inc., a Glenn Young Company by arrangement with Faber and Faber'. You usually only see this sort of shell-gaming in the context of organized crime or international shipping, but I can see why the publisher was anxious to distance themselves. I am convinced that this particular publishing house wrote their own software to handle book design, because there's no way an actual human read this before sending it to press. The number of formatting and line errors, particularly around quotes, was both astonishing and distracting. caveat emptor
This book was among the better-written examples of the genre, with a manageable number of plot lines and characters converging in nonobvious ways to a satisfactory conclusion, and not overburdened with disgusting torture scenes that some authors seem to relish. This is the sort of book you turn to as a frothy treat after reading a depressing book about how difficult it is for brain-damaged patients to get adequate medical care, for example.
I do have one complaint, which is not with the author but rather the publisher 'Opus, a division of Subtext, Inc., a Glenn Young Company by arrangement with Faber and Faber'. You usually only see this sort of shell-gaming in the context of organized crime or international shipping, but I can see why the publisher was anxious to distance themselves. I am convinced that this particular publishing house wrote their own software to handle book design, because there's no way an actual human read this before sending it to press. The number of formatting and line errors, particularly around quotes, was both astonishing and distracting. caveat emptor
February 7, 2023
The last in the series!
Which I think is a shame as for the most part I’ve enjoyed following Inspector Pekkala
We spend the first part recapping some of Pekkala’s history which is a little unnecessary I have to say as a follower of the series, almost feels like padding in amongst the real story which revolves around testing V2 rockets in the Baltic Sea where we follow a German General/scientist, his technicians & a trawler crew in said Baltic Sea.
Then we see the reason for the recap, I take it all back, as it involved a specific character, his fiancée from way back in 1917 who makes an appearance in 1945 Berlin as a British agent working inside the Reich!
Well I never……!
It’s all laid out how she got to this station, taking her time to move up the Nazi echelons to a position now within reach of the Fuhrer’s bunker in Berlin, that of driver to Himmler’s personnel assistant, privy to many a secret which she relays to her British handlers.
The story evolves with Pekkala coming to the rescue? The British having asked the Russians for help through Uncle Joe (AKA The Boss)
As to the story/plot, well Pekkala is in there but it’s the characters on the Nazi side that we mostly follow for the majority of the book…… Pekkala is certainly MIA for most of the read….
So there you have it, how will it turn out, you’ll jus have to read it cause I won’t post any spoilers
3.5 stars, jus rounded to a four as although it was a good enough read our main protagonist didn’t take up much of the story which was slightly remiss, I would say.
An enjoyable series if perhaps this last one is slightly out of keeping with the rest although it does neatly wrap up the story of Inspector Pekkala at it’s conclusion.
Which I think is a shame as for the most part I’ve enjoyed following Inspector Pekkala
We spend the first part recapping some of Pekkala’s history which is a little unnecessary I have to say as a follower of the series, almost feels like padding in amongst the real story which revolves around testing V2 rockets in the Baltic Sea where we follow a German General/scientist, his technicians & a trawler crew in said Baltic Sea.
Then we see the reason for the recap, I take it all back, as it involved a specific character, his fiancée from way back in 1917 who makes an appearance in 1945 Berlin as a British agent working inside the Reich!
Well I never……!
It’s all laid out how she got to this station, taking her time to move up the Nazi echelons to a position now within reach of the Fuhrer’s bunker in Berlin, that of driver to Himmler’s personnel assistant, privy to many a secret which she relays to her British handlers.
The story evolves with Pekkala coming to the rescue? The British having asked the Russians for help through Uncle Joe (AKA The Boss)
As to the story/plot, well Pekkala is in there but it’s the characters on the Nazi side that we mostly follow for the majority of the book…… Pekkala is certainly MIA for most of the read….
So there you have it, how will it turn out, you’ll jus have to read it cause I won’t post any spoilers
3.5 stars, jus rounded to a four as although it was a good enough read our main protagonist didn’t take up much of the story which was slightly remiss, I would say.
An enjoyable series if perhaps this last one is slightly out of keeping with the rest although it does neatly wrap up the story of Inspector Pekkala at it’s conclusion.
July 9, 2023
Another solid tale of Inspector Pekkala, formerly the Tsar's top policeman and now, after almost a decade in a Siberian labour camp - working for Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. This time, it's very personal as Pekkala (The Emerald Eye as he was christened when Russia was under Tsarist rule) and his assistant Major Kirov are parachuted into war torn Berlin (the Red Army is almost at the gates) on a mission to help the British obtain super secret rocket plans. Much of the book centres on Berlin and major Nazi figures such as Hitler, Himmler and various generals who meet up in the Fuhrerbunker below the now bombed shell of the Reich Chancellery. In fact, Hitler is probably a more central figure in this 7th book in the series than Pekkala, who along with Kirov, doesn't really get into the action until 2/3rds of the way through the story. As usual, author Sam Eastland has done his research and students of World War II history will note his wide knowledge of the final days of the senior Nazi figures and their "1000 year Reich" (it only lasted 12 years), along with details of Germany's "Vengeance weapons" - the V1 flying bomb and the v2 rocket - and how they became a bargaining chip for some as the war came to a close. This entry in the Pekkala series can be read as a stand-alone as Eastland provides background on how Pekkala came to be working for Stalin following the 1917 Russian Revolution.
October 23, 2016
This is the seventh in the Inspector Pekkala series. He is one of the great characters in 20th century cop/spy fiction. Remarkably, Eastland is not getting bored with the characters -- they keep getting more engaging. This book is available in paper from the UK, not in US at this time. Worth the postage, mate.
October 5, 2016
I loved reading every page. I will dearly miss the Emerald Eye.
May 9, 2023
This time, for Pekkala, it is personal. But Pekkala almost wasn’t there.:-(
Well, if it had to end, this is a great way how to do it. Circle is complete. But I do still hope there will be another book about Pekkala.
I do love this book but I have some things to say. I guess that Sam Eastland needs more beta readers.
- I love a new scene “How I met Ilya” but where exactly was that photo during his time in Siberia?
- The Red Coffin, page 53: “He had not actually gone to the party, but saw it on his way home from the station.”
Berlin Red, page 6: “He had been passing by on his way from a meeting with the Tsar at the Alexander Palace.”
- In The Red Coffin he was “the Tsar’s new detective”, not a legend as he is in Berlin Red .
- Pekkala was sending money to Ilya for years. And he didn’t know the truth about her husband and child?
- He sent money via bank in Moscow? Not in Finland? The Red Coffin: “The funds are channeled through a bank in Helsinki.”
- Berlin Red, page 180: “Madam Obolenskaya had always taken good take of Lilya” Really?
Siberian Red, page 118: “Probably, the headmistress had kept her behind again to discuss (…) not in spite of the fact that she must have known it way Ilya’s birthday (…) The headmistress had done things like this before and now Pekkala clenched his fist upon the tablecloth as he silently cursed the old woman.
- Berlin Red, page 182: “Rada Obolenskaya refused to leave and Red Guards burned the school, with her inside it.”
The Red Coffin, page 218 “She was shot by Red Guards the day before I left Tsarskoye Selo.”
- Pekkala was 4745? Not 4745-P?
- Does he eat slowly (book 1, 7) or fast (book 2-6)?
- Tsar’s Finnish regiment is now Chevalier Guard?
- Twenty-five sentence? Not thirty?
- I know that Ilya isn’t a feminine given name but change character’s name after six books? It’s very very odd.
- I guess that Pekkala couldn’t know what will happen to Kirov in Moscow. I’d suppose that Stalin would kill him without hesistation.
nb, I have never liked Ilya. I still guess that Pekkala should get somebody else. Anybody else.
Well, if it had to end, this is a great way how to do it. Circle is complete. But I do still hope there will be another book about Pekkala.
I do love this book but I have some things to say. I guess that Sam Eastland needs more beta readers.
- I love a new scene “How I met Ilya” but where exactly was that photo during his time in Siberia?
- The Red Coffin, page 53: “He had not actually gone to the party, but saw it on his way home from the station.”
Berlin Red, page 6: “He had been passing by on his way from a meeting with the Tsar at the Alexander Palace.”
- In The Red Coffin he was “the Tsar’s new detective”, not a legend as he is in Berlin Red .
- Pekkala was sending money to Ilya for years. And he didn’t know the truth about her husband and child?
- He sent money via bank in Moscow? Not in Finland? The Red Coffin: “The funds are channeled through a bank in Helsinki.”
- Berlin Red, page 180: “Madam Obolenskaya had always taken good take of Lilya” Really?
Siberian Red, page 118: “Probably, the headmistress had kept her behind again to discuss (…) not in spite of the fact that she must have known it way Ilya’s birthday (…) The headmistress had done things like this before and now Pekkala clenched his fist upon the tablecloth as he silently cursed the old woman.
- Berlin Red, page 182: “Rada Obolenskaya refused to leave and Red Guards burned the school, with her inside it.”
The Red Coffin, page 218 “She was shot by Red Guards the day before I left Tsarskoye Selo.”
- Pekkala was 4745? Not 4745-P?
- Does he eat slowly (book 1, 7) or fast (book 2-6)?
- Tsar’s Finnish regiment is now Chevalier Guard?
- Twenty-five sentence? Not thirty?
- I know that Ilya isn’t a feminine given name but change character’s name after six books? It’s very very odd.
- I guess that Pekkala couldn’t know what will happen to Kirov in Moscow. I’d suppose that Stalin would kill him without hesistation.
nb, I have never liked Ilya. I still guess that Pekkala should get somebody else. Anybody else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2020
An appropriate ending to this wonderful series. Although I didn't like the author's growing tendency over the last three books to delve into unnecessary side-stories for negligible characters, the main plotline was great and very compelling. I also wish Kirov's character had been a little bit more strongly-felt in this last novel before we have to say goodbye to him instead of mostly following Pekkala around throughout it, but still, this is a good read with a satisfying ending, a treat for the readers who stuck with the characters throughout the seven books. Thank you, Eastland, I'm now going to try some of your other novels under your real name, Paul Watkins.
November 2, 2018
Clearly one of the best books I've read all year. The characters are deep and real, the plot was exciting and realistic, and I loved the historical backdrop. A very good book. I'll read more.
My only complaint: horrible editing! Misspellings, improper indentations, and two characters speaking on the same line. All of those mistakes briefly took me out of the story every time they happened.
My only complaint: horrible editing! Misspellings, improper indentations, and two characters speaking on the same line. All of those mistakes briefly took me out of the story every time they happened.
June 6, 2016
A further excellent addition to the Inspector Pekkola series. Is this the end? Seems like it could be, but you never know! Fast moving plot with intriguing twists. Most enjoyable .
June 5, 2016
Great read
Poignant, suspenseful, exciting, adventurous, All around a great, satisfying read which I strongly recommend to any lover of war and suspense stories.
Poignant, suspenseful, exciting, adventurous, All around a great, satisfying read which I strongly recommend to any lover of war and suspense stories.
May 11, 2023
Začnu koncem.
Jednou jedinou větou poslal Sam Eastland celou sérii do tmy.
Kdyby tam nechal jen tu věc s rokem 1928, tak by to bylo geniální. Ale ten bonus, že to vlastně s Pekkalou tak nějak domluvili už při prvním setkání... to nefunguje. A dost pochybuju, že to byl původní záměr.
Vzhledem k tomu, co Stalin vyváděl, když se mu Pekkala ztratil v gulagu.
Zatímco v Sibiři myslí Pekkala na Kirova a na Ilju si ani nevzpomene, tady ani nepomyslí na to, co se stane s Kirovem (který ho dostal na povel a měl ho hlídat, aby se nezatoulal), který se vrátí do Moskvy sám a sdělí Stalinovi, že Pekkala se mu cestou ztratil.
Podle všech logických zákonitostí by Kirova nechal prostě zastřelit a bylo by po žížalkách.
Navíc Pekkala nechal chudáka Kirova dva dny od Berlína v lese a Kirov neuměl německy ani pozdravit, natož aby věděl, kde je sever.
Ráno jede kolem lesíka x sovětských tanků a sovětští vojáci se na Kirova, který stojí u lesa a vypadá jako maďarský prodavač bot, vesele zubí?
Pekkala a Ilja v noci spálili všechny svoje věci a Kirov vedle klidně spinkal? No tak.
A jakkoliv oceňuju tu věc se smaragdovým okem, je zjevné, že Eastland jenom slibuje a stěží dojde k nějakému dalšímu dílu. I když nějaký mezidíl by jistě dopsat mohl.
Je tam hromada zbytečných a nudných postav i zápletek.
Dočetla bych ji, kdyby tam nebyl Pekkala? Ne.
Jako každovečerně – Sam Eastland neudrží myšlenku.
s. 6 Pekkalu s Iljou seznámí madam Obolenskaya a Pekkala coby slavný detektiv vypráví dětem historky.
The Red Coffin, s. 54 – madam Obolenskaya se ho vydá zeptat, jestli někoho hledá a říká mu Tsar’s new detective.
Za rok požádá Ilju o roku, ale vleze jim do toho
revoluce.
A jsme zase u toho, že nejsme schopní se dopočítat, kolik vlastně Pekkalovi je.
Pokud by byl v roce +/-1916 „nový“ carův detektiv, stěží by byl už v únoru 1907 s carem na opeře. (Red Icon, s. 337)
Ilja... to je moje velké osobní t��ma. Nemám ji ráda. Slovy klasika: „Ta ženská v těch šatech je jediný kaz.“ ;-)
I když Ilja není ženské jméno, měnit to v sedmém díle je hloupé.
Pokud už v roce 1916 Ilja učila, tak v roce 1945 jí bude táhnout na padesát. Přesto je krásná, mladá, svěží, žádoucí a blázní po ní půlka Berlína.
Do toho je od roku 1938 francouzská špionka, britská agentka a skončí v nacistickém Berlíně krok od Hitlera.
Nemůžu se zbavit dojmu, že její příběh je taková verze filmu Záblesk.
Není mi jasné, kde tak najednou vzal Pekkalu fotku sebe a té ženské. Že se mezi lety 1929-1945 nikdo ani nezmínil, že existuje, natož, že by ji měl. A že toho v roce 1929 moc neměl.
s. 27 a sentence of no less than twenty-five years
Do teď to bylo 30, např. Eye, s. 8.
s. 61, 62 Car pošle pro Pekkalu. Po půlnoci. Aby mu sdělil, že má pro Ilju cestovní povolení. A vlak jede za tři hodiny.
Nikdy mi nepřišlo, že scéna loučení na nádraží se odehrává v noci, nebo ještě ráno za tmy.
Do teď to vypadalo, že to byl Pekkalův nápad, viz Eye, s. 187.
Berlin Red – She will have to travel via Finland, Sweden and Norway... Do Paříže.
Eye of the Red Tsar – s. 187 train (...) heading east towards Warshaw. From there it would travel to Berlin and on to Paris
To ani nemluvím o tom, že konverzace je (většinou) přibližně stejná, ale mění se díl od dílu, občas přehodí pořadí vět, občas vynechá půl strany rozhovoru.
Nemluvě o tom, že jí Pekkala složitě posílá peníze a za všechny ty roky si nedokázal zjistit, jak je to s jejím manželstvím? Tady posílá peníze přímo z Ruska, zatímco předtím to bylo složitě přes Finsko.
A ona nemá ani tušení, jestli Pekkala vůbec žije, zatímco Pekkala by mohl mít nabídek, protože je slavný daleko za hranicemi SSSR a se svými schopnostmi by se uplatil kdekoliv?
Ale Ilja ví, že ho poslali do Borodku? (s. 139).
Zvláštní.
s. 69 Ilja měla rodiče až do roku 1920?
Ani na jejich osud nebyl Pekkala zvědavý?
Její otec byl tak loajální carské rodině, že se přestěhoval s rodinou do Petrohradu, změnil si jméno na Simonov a zemřel v potyčce s kozáky, kteří vjeli na pozemek Carského sela. (s. 70)
Podle s. 69 byli její rodiče zavražděni bolševiky na začátku 20. let.
Neodporuje si to?
s. 180 It was transferred from a Moscow bank under name of Rada Obolenskaya, the headmistress of the school where she had worked before Revolution. According to Pekkala, Comrade Obolenskaya had always taken good care of Lilya.
Vážně?
Siberian Red, s. 118: Probably, the headmistress had kept her behind again to discuss (…) not in spite of the fact that she must have known it was Ilya’s birthday (…) The headmistress had done things like this before and now Pekkala clenched his fist upon the tablecloth as he silently cursed the old woman.
A to ani nemluvím o tom, že Ilja má narozeniny v létě i v zimě.
s. 182 The poor woman [Obolenskaya] was in the school when the Red Guards came to burn it down. They told her to leave, but she refused, so they burned the school anyway, with her inside.
The Red Coffin, s 218. She was shot by Red Guards the day before I left Tsarskoye Selo.
Je s podivem, že Pekkala nepřišel o svůj odznak, když je čapli na políčku v jetelíčku.
This time, for Pekkala, it is personal.
Vážně? Pekkala je na 97 stranách a na 17 se o něm mluví. To máme 25,7 %, popř. 30,2 %. To je sakra málo.
Hunyadi je poprvé zmíněný na s. 109. Pak se o něm mluví na s. 142, abychom už na s. 143 znali jeho křestní jméno, které jsme se u Pekkaly nedozvěděli za celou dobu, bez ohledu na to, jak si Rusové na křestní jména a otčenstva potrpí. Taky se dozvíme Hunyadiho věk.
Hunyadi je na 78 stranách, tj. 33,2 % od objevení, celkově 20,7 %.
Hunyadi je takový Pekkala. I Eastland si toho ke konci všiml.
Zatímco Pekkala o Hunyadim a jeho úspěších ve vyšetřování slyšel, Hunyadi si myslí, že Pekkala je mrtvý. Ztrácím se v tom.
s. 143 Berlin Justice Department informed us that Leopold Hunyadi was condemned to death more than a month ago.
Jsme někde po 10. dubnu 1945.
s. 148 In November of 1944, Leopold Hunyadi (...) received the news that he had been sentenced to death by hanging
Mezi listopadem a dubnem je pravda more than months, ale spíš zase neudržel myšlenku.
s. 150 As Hunyadi left his cell for the first time in months
Matoucí.
s. 156 [Pekkala] his arrest (...) at lonely, snowbound checkpoint on the Russo-Finnish border
Checkpoint si představuju jinak než být zatčený of Red Guard Railway Police at a tiny station called Vainikkala (Eye, s. 231)
Ale budiž.
s. 373 Kirov pressed his hands against his face. As he did so, his fingers brushed against some unexpected object, pinned beneath the collar of his coat.
Na to mi fantazie nestačí.
Chápala bych, že se o stopách mluví v letadle, ale proč tady – leaving a crater some 20 feet deep in the road (s. 329), když do teď používal km, mm...?
s. 66 44 Ulitsa Vorovskovo
V ostatních dílech je běžně 22 Pitnikov Street
Vypadá to, že se mu úplně nespojilo, že Ulitsa je Street.
s. 72 „And they gave her Simonova?“
„Her“ jako Hermannu Fegerleinovi?
uvozovky - s. 112
Jednou jedinou větou poslal Sam Eastland celou sérii do tmy.
Kdyby tam nechal jen tu věc s rokem 1928, tak by to bylo geniální. Ale ten bonus, že to vlastně s Pekkalou tak nějak domluvili už při prvním setkání... to nefunguje. A dost pochybuju, že to byl původní záměr.
Vzhledem k tomu, co Stalin vyváděl, když se mu Pekkala ztratil v gulagu.
Zatímco v Sibiři myslí Pekkala na Kirova a na Ilju si ani nevzpomene, tady ani nepomyslí na to, co se stane s Kirovem (který ho dostal na povel a měl ho hlídat, aby se nezatoulal), který se vrátí do Moskvy sám a sdělí Stalinovi, že Pekkala se mu cestou ztratil.
Podle všech logických zákonitostí by Kirova nechal prostě zastřelit a bylo by po žížalkách.
Navíc Pekkala nechal chudáka Kirova dva dny od Berlína v lese a Kirov neuměl německy ani pozdravit, natož aby věděl, kde je sever.
Ráno jede kolem lesíka x sovětských tanků a sovětští vojáci se na Kirova, který stojí u lesa a vypadá jako maďarský prodavač bot, vesele zubí?
Pekkala a Ilja v noci spálili všechny svoje věci a Kirov vedle klidně spinkal? No tak.
A jakkoliv oceňuju tu věc se smaragdovým okem, je zjevné, že Eastland jenom slibuje a stěží dojde k nějakému dalšímu dílu. I když nějaký mezidíl by jistě dopsat mohl.
Je tam hromada zbytečných a nudných postav i zápletek.
Dočetla bych ji, kdyby tam nebyl Pekkala? Ne.
Jako každovečerně – Sam Eastland neudrží myšlenku.
s. 6 Pekkalu s Iljou seznámí madam Obolenskaya a Pekkala coby slavný detektiv vypráví dětem historky.
The Red Coffin, s. 54 – madam Obolenskaya se ho vydá zeptat, jestli někoho hledá a říká mu Tsar’s new detective.
Za rok požádá Ilju o roku, ale vleze jim do toho
revoluce.
A jsme zase u toho, že nejsme schopní se dopočítat, kolik vlastně Pekkalovi je.
Pokud by byl v roce +/-1916 „nový“ carův detektiv, stěží by byl už v únoru 1907 s carem na opeře. (Red Icon, s. 337)
Ilja... to je moje velké osobní t��ma. Nemám ji ráda. Slovy klasika: „Ta ženská v těch šatech je jediný kaz.“ ;-)
I když Ilja není ženské jméno, měnit to v sedmém díle je hloupé.
Pokud už v roce 1916 Ilja učila, tak v roce 1945 jí bude táhnout na padesát. Přesto je krásná, mladá, svěží, žádoucí a blázní po ní půlka Berlína.
Do toho je od roku 1938 francouzská špionka, britská agentka a skončí v nacistickém Berlíně krok od Hitlera.
Nemůžu se zbavit dojmu, že její příběh je taková verze filmu Záblesk.
Není mi jasné, kde tak najednou vzal Pekkalu fotku sebe a té ženské. Že se mezi lety 1929-1945 nikdo ani nezmínil, že existuje, natož, že by ji měl. A že toho v roce 1929 moc neměl.
s. 27 a sentence of no less than twenty-five years
Do teď to bylo 30, např. Eye, s. 8.
s. 61, 62 Car pošle pro Pekkalu. Po půlnoci. Aby mu sdělil, že má pro Ilju cestovní povolení. A vlak jede za tři hodiny.
Nikdy mi nepřišlo, že scéna loučení na nádraží se odehrává v noci, nebo ještě ráno za tmy.
Do teď to vypadalo, že to byl Pekkalův nápad, viz Eye, s. 187.
Berlin Red – She will have to travel via Finland, Sweden and Norway... Do Paříže.
Eye of the Red Tsar – s. 187 train (...) heading east towards Warshaw. From there it would travel to Berlin and on to Paris
To ani nemluvím o tom, že konverzace je (většinou) přibližně stejná, ale mění se díl od dílu, občas přehodí pořadí vět, občas vynechá půl strany rozhovoru.
Nemluvě o tom, že jí Pekkala složitě posílá peníze a za všechny ty roky si nedokázal zjistit, jak je to s jejím manželstvím? Tady posílá peníze přímo z Ruska, zatímco předtím to bylo složitě přes Finsko.
A ona nemá ani tušení, jestli Pekkala vůbec žije, zatímco Pekkala by mohl mít nabídek, protože je slavný daleko za hranicemi SSSR a se svými schopnostmi by se uplatil kdekoliv?
Ale Ilja ví, že ho poslali do Borodku? (s. 139).
Zvláštní.
s. 69 Ilja měla rodiče až do roku 1920?
Ani na jejich osud nebyl Pekkala zvědavý?
Její otec byl tak loajální carské rodině, že se přestěhoval s rodinou do Petrohradu, změnil si jméno na Simonov a zemřel v potyčce s kozáky, kteří vjeli na pozemek Carského sela. (s. 70)
Podle s. 69 byli její rodiče zavražděni bolševiky na začátku 20. let.
Neodporuje si to?
s. 180 It was transferred from a Moscow bank under name of Rada Obolenskaya, the headmistress of the school where she had worked before Revolution. According to Pekkala, Comrade Obolenskaya had always taken good care of Lilya.
Vážně?
Siberian Red, s. 118: Probably, the headmistress had kept her behind again to discuss (…) not in spite of the fact that she must have known it was Ilya’s birthday (…) The headmistress had done things like this before and now Pekkala clenched his fist upon the tablecloth as he silently cursed the old woman.
A to ani nemluvím o tom, že Ilja má narozeniny v létě i v zimě.
s. 182 The poor woman [Obolenskaya] was in the school when the Red Guards came to burn it down. They told her to leave, but she refused, so they burned the school anyway, with her inside.
The Red Coffin, s 218. She was shot by Red Guards the day before I left Tsarskoye Selo.
Je s podivem, že Pekkala nepřišel o svůj odznak, když je čapli na políčku v jetelíčku.
This time, for Pekkala, it is personal.
Vážně? Pekkala je na 97 stranách a na 17 se o něm mluví. To máme 25,7 %, popř. 30,2 %. To je sakra málo.
Hunyadi je poprvé zmíněný na s. 109. Pak se o něm mluví na s. 142, abychom už na s. 143 znali jeho křestní jméno, které jsme se u Pekkaly nedozvěděli za celou dobu, bez ohledu na to, jak si Rusové na křestní jména a otčenstva potrpí. Taky se dozvíme Hunyadiho věk.
Hunyadi je na 78 stranách, tj. 33,2 % od objevení, celkově 20,7 %.
Hunyadi je takový Pekkala. I Eastland si toho ke konci všiml.
Zatímco Pekkala o Hunyadim a jeho úspěších ve vyšetřování slyšel, Hunyadi si myslí, že Pekkala je mrtvý. Ztrácím se v tom.
s. 143 Berlin Justice Department informed us that Leopold Hunyadi was condemned to death more than a month ago.
Jsme někde po 10. dubnu 1945.
s. 148 In November of 1944, Leopold Hunyadi (...) received the news that he had been sentenced to death by hanging
Mezi listopadem a dubnem je pravda more than months, ale spíš zase neudržel myšlenku.
s. 150 As Hunyadi left his cell for the first time in months
Matoucí.
s. 156 [Pekkala] his arrest (...) at lonely, snowbound checkpoint on the Russo-Finnish border
Checkpoint si představuju jinak než být zatčený of Red Guard Railway Police at a tiny station called Vainikkala (Eye, s. 231)
Ale budiž.
s. 373 Kirov pressed his hands against his face. As he did so, his fingers brushed against some unexpected object, pinned beneath the collar of his coat.
Na to mi fantazie nestačí.
Chápala bych, že se o stopách mluví v letadle, ale proč tady – leaving a crater some 20 feet deep in the road (s. 329), když do teď používal km, mm...?
s. 66 44 Ulitsa Vorovskovo
V ostatních dílech je běžně 22 Pitnikov Street
Vypadá to, že se mu úplně nespojilo, že Ulitsa je Street.
s. 72 „And they gave her Simonova?“
„Her“ jako Hermannu Fegerleinovi?
uvozovky - s. 112
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2016
Approached this with a sense of trepidation since it seemed to have a curious air of finality to it - and it does, while being one of the most expansive of all with events taking a full circle... a brilliant portrayal of Hitler and Stalin comes over as most sinister - and complex
July 22, 2016
It looks like the end of the series. This book was short. Too short. I hope there are more from "Sam Eastland"
September 10, 2016
Didn't think this was as good as the previous Pekkala stories. But I am really hoping it isn't the last.
February 22, 2019
So sad that this is the last book in the series, the fictional characters were well developed and their interaction with historical figures of the time were well done.
June 20, 2019
The Last of Pekkala?
All of these books are good, but this one seemed hurried at the end. That may just my unwillingness to let it go.
All of these books are good, but this one seemed hurried at the end. That may just my unwillingness to let it go.
January 30, 2020
Another great Inspector Pekkala story describing life in Berlin at the end of the war.
Unfortunately it seemed to finish a bit fast leaving me wanting a bit more.
Unfortunately it seemed to finish a bit fast leaving me wanting a bit more.
February 3, 2022
Not as intense as some of the previous books.
If this is the end of the series, however, it's a satisfying ending.
If this is the end of the series, however, it's a satisfying ending.
December 23, 2020
A gripping tale of parallel lives - two inspectors, Pekkala and Hunyadi, both separated from their loved ones, reluctantly working for Stalin and Hitler respectively, bound to meet in Berlin during the final days of the Second World War in Europe. There are action and melancholic scenes, grim as well as humorous events. I can see how it could be made into an entertaining movie or tv series if anyone has kept the props and wardrobe of Downfall, Enigma and Death of Stalin.
For the readers of espionage literature, there are a few Easter Eggs referring to the novels of John le Carré and Orson Scott Card - and maybe some others I missed.
Nevertheless there are some curious mistakes (apart from misspelling German words like Fraülein or Volksturm) that could be just sloppy editing, but you’d almost suspect it’s a trail of errors (not essential to the plot) that could be just another clue or code hidden in the text:
- a Danish prize cow on the island of Bornholm wearing a tag with German wording: “beste Kuh” in stead of “bedste ko” (Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany at the time, but they didn’t impose their language in everyday life);
- a German defector called Luther Strohmeyer (it would be very uncommon to turn last names into Christian names in Germany in that period, although maybe some boy is named Luther for Dr King or the Idris Elba character today)
- a policeman leafing though a girlie magazine called Youth (that title existed, but Jugend was an artsy publication that gave its name to the German version of Art Nouveau or Liberty-style, it had been discontinued at the outbreak of war - however the nazis did allow other magazines of „Freikörperkultur“)
- a man climbing up a Flak tower in Charlottenburg near the Zoo, west of Berlin centre, but looking down from the top over the Friedrichshain cemetery which is on the east side of the city (there were such towers in both places);
- parts for German V2-missiles being made in Sovietsk on the Lithuanian border - which is the post-war name of the town since it became annexed by Russia, but it was called Tilsit when it was part of East-Prussia (possibly the author used a post-war map, but it remains curious that the novel starts in an all-night eatery called the Café Tilsit in Moscow, so Eastland must have been aware of the name when he wrote this).
For the readers of espionage literature, there are a few Easter Eggs referring to the novels of John le Carré and Orson Scott Card - and maybe some others I missed.
Nevertheless there are some curious mistakes (apart from misspelling German words like Fraülein or Volksturm) that could be just sloppy editing, but you’d almost suspect it’s a trail of errors (not essential to the plot) that could be just another clue or code hidden in the text:
- a Danish prize cow on the island of Bornholm wearing a tag with German wording: “beste Kuh” in stead of “bedste ko” (Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany at the time, but they didn’t impose their language in everyday life);
- a German defector called Luther Strohmeyer (it would be very uncommon to turn last names into Christian names in Germany in that period, although maybe some boy is named Luther for Dr King or the Idris Elba character today)
- a policeman leafing though a girlie magazine called Youth (that title existed, but Jugend was an artsy publication that gave its name to the German version of Art Nouveau or Liberty-style, it had been discontinued at the outbreak of war - however the nazis did allow other magazines of „Freikörperkultur“)
- a man climbing up a Flak tower in Charlottenburg near the Zoo, west of Berlin centre, but looking down from the top over the Friedrichshain cemetery which is on the east side of the city (there were such towers in both places);
- parts for German V2-missiles being made in Sovietsk on the Lithuanian border - which is the post-war name of the town since it became annexed by Russia, but it was called Tilsit when it was part of East-Prussia (possibly the author used a post-war map, but it remains curious that the novel starts in an all-night eatery called the Café Tilsit in Moscow, so Eastland must have been aware of the name when he wrote this).
October 5, 2017
Eigentlich gefällt mir der erste Teil immer noch am besten. Eastland ist spätestens im dritten Teil irgendwie zu routiniert geworden, Pekkala so eine Art Überfigur, der nichts passieren kann, egal wie widrig die Umstände auch sein mögen.
Und der Charakter wurde so immer flacher, im Lauf der Teile, ist jetzt zumindest meine Meinung.
In Berlin Red schickt Eastland Pekkala nach Berlin, er soll dort auf eine Bitte der Engländer einen wichtigen Spion rausholen. Aufgrund der Tatsache, dass die Russen im April 1945 vor Berlin stehen, keine einfache Aufgabe.
Noch dazu ist es die ehemalige Verlobte Pekkalas, welche er seit bald 30 Jahren nicht mehr gesehen hat. Alleine das ist schon so eine seltsame Geschichte, es ist nicht ganz plausibel, wie diese Verlobte tatsächlich bei den Deutschen landen konnte, sie muss zu diesem Zeitpunkt 1945 mindestens 42 Jahre alt sein, Eastland beschreibt sie aber wie eine Mitte Zwanzigjährige.
Dann geht es im Roman eigentlich um die V2 Rakete, die ist der heimliche Hauptdarsteller, und seltsamerweise Hitler, der hier als gewiefter Typ hingestellt wird, der nicht paranoid sondern relativ schlau ist. Auch das fand ich seltsam, weil Eastland das für das Narrativ der Geschichte hinzubiegen scheint.
Zumindest sind die groben Geschehnisse alle relativ genau recherchiert, das Buch ist sehr gut geschrieben, und sehr spannend, ich konnte es eigentlich nicht mehr wirklich weglegen.
Und man lernt beim Lesen einiges über die letzten Kriegstage, Spionage und das Chaos innerhalb des engsten Führungsstabes.
Wenn das aber alles nicht wirklich interessiert, der wird sich hier evtl langweilen.
Auf jeden Fall ist der Schluss gut geworden, mehr möchte ich aber dazu nicht spoilern.
Fazit: bei den Pekkala Büchern empfiehlt es sich, von vorne anzufangen. Ein gerütteltes Interesse für Geschichte sollte man ausserdem mitbringen, dann machen diese Bücher auf jeden Fall Spaß.
Und der Charakter wurde so immer flacher, im Lauf der Teile, ist jetzt zumindest meine Meinung.
In Berlin Red schickt Eastland Pekkala nach Berlin, er soll dort auf eine Bitte der Engländer einen wichtigen Spion rausholen. Aufgrund der Tatsache, dass die Russen im April 1945 vor Berlin stehen, keine einfache Aufgabe.
Noch dazu ist es die ehemalige Verlobte Pekkalas, welche er seit bald 30 Jahren nicht mehr gesehen hat. Alleine das ist schon so eine seltsame Geschichte, es ist nicht ganz plausibel, wie diese Verlobte tatsächlich bei den Deutschen landen konnte, sie muss zu diesem Zeitpunkt 1945 mindestens 42 Jahre alt sein, Eastland beschreibt sie aber wie eine Mitte Zwanzigjährige.
Dann geht es im Roman eigentlich um die V2 Rakete, die ist der heimliche Hauptdarsteller, und seltsamerweise Hitler, der hier als gewiefter Typ hingestellt wird, der nicht paranoid sondern relativ schlau ist. Auch das fand ich seltsam, weil Eastland das für das Narrativ der Geschichte hinzubiegen scheint.
Zumindest sind die groben Geschehnisse alle relativ genau recherchiert, das Buch ist sehr gut geschrieben, und sehr spannend, ich konnte es eigentlich nicht mehr wirklich weglegen.
Und man lernt beim Lesen einiges über die letzten Kriegstage, Spionage und das Chaos innerhalb des engsten Führungsstabes.
Wenn das aber alles nicht wirklich interessiert, der wird sich hier evtl langweilen.
Auf jeden Fall ist der Schluss gut geworden, mehr möchte ich aber dazu nicht spoilern.
Fazit: bei den Pekkala Büchern empfiehlt es sich, von vorne anzufangen. Ein gerütteltes Interesse für Geschichte sollte man ausserdem mitbringen, dann machen diese Bücher auf jeden Fall Spaß.
August 23, 2023
April 1945. Germany is facing imminent defeat, but it has one more trick up its sleeve: an in-progress program for a missile guidance system that would allow its V-2 rockets to pinpoint targets with unerring accuracy, code name Diamond Stream. The Allies have a highly-place spy in Berlin who is intercepting secrets and also sending tidbits of gossip about the workings of the Nazi inner circle to be broadcast by London.
The Kremlin has gotten wind of the spy, who is none other than Inspector Pekkala's one-time fiancé. Pekkala put her on a train to Paris just as the Tsar and his family were about to be taken prisoner. Since then, Pekkala has been presumed, and certified, dead; Lilya Simonova has been in Paris and now is working as a translator for the occupying German forces as of the end of the war. The Kremlin wants to repatriate Simonova so as to get the information about Diamond Stream before London does. Enter Pekkala, who now learns for the first time that she is not only alive but is still single, presumably still waiting for him.
The story is woven together following several threads: Pekkala is on his way to retrieve Lilya from the Nazis; the Kremlin is trying to get its hands on the Diamond Stream information before their temporary allies; General Hagemann is trying to perfect the missile guidance system; Himmler and his allies are trying to seize power from Hitler and get their hands on a weapon that will give them power over the term's of Germany's surrender; and Hitler is trying to find the leak that is turning over information to the Allies. A very taut and suspenseful read; excellent!
The Kremlin has gotten wind of the spy, who is none other than Inspector Pekkala's one-time fiancé. Pekkala put her on a train to Paris just as the Tsar and his family were about to be taken prisoner. Since then, Pekkala has been presumed, and certified, dead; Lilya Simonova has been in Paris and now is working as a translator for the occupying German forces as of the end of the war. The Kremlin wants to repatriate Simonova so as to get the information about Diamond Stream before London does. Enter Pekkala, who now learns for the first time that she is not only alive but is still single, presumably still waiting for him.
The story is woven together following several threads: Pekkala is on his way to retrieve Lilya from the Nazis; the Kremlin is trying to get its hands on the Diamond Stream information before their temporary allies; General Hagemann is trying to perfect the missile guidance system; Himmler and his allies are trying to seize power from Hitler and get their hands on a weapon that will give them power over the term's of Germany's surrender; and Hitler is trying to find the leak that is turning over information to the Allies. A very taut and suspenseful read; excellent!
May 3, 2024
Wie das so ist mit dem Abschluss einer Reihe. Ich werde ein bisschen wehmütig. Die Figuren des Inspektor Pekkalla und seines getreuen Begleiters Major Kierow sind mir einfach sehr ans Herz gewachsen. Es ist seltsam, das dieser Band also den Abschied bedeutet. Und ich bin hin und her gerissen. Denn eigentlich finde ich eine bestimmte Entwicklung richtig gut, weil es ein echter Abschluss ist. Aber gleichzeitig ärgere ich mich über andere Dinge. Denn die Handlung bietet viel zu wenig Inspektor Pekkala, der fast schon eine Nebenfigur bleibt. Das ist in allen anderen Bänden nie der Fall gewesen, weshalb ich Eastlands Entscheidung hier auch nicht nachvollziehen kann. Außerdem hat Eastland überhaupt nichts aus dem Ausgangspunkt gemacht, es hätte so viel Möglichkeiten geboten über Lilja und Pekkalas Beziehung zu schreiben. Eigentlich weiß man gar nichts über sie als Person, warum und wie sie sich in ihn verliebt hat oder wie die Beziehung sich festigen konnte.
Dadurch blieb Lilja mir fremd.
Die historischen Ereignisse im Roman konnte ich nur zum Teil nachvollziehen. Schade fand ich das Eastland auf ein Nachwort verzichtet hat, das hätte vielleicht manches besser eingeordnet. Der Roman spielt im April 1945, also wirklich kurz vor Schluss. Für mich wirkte aber vieles wie aus der Zeit gefallen. Ich fand, das der Autor zu Schlaglichtartig erzählt hat und daher die Zeit und die Umstände nicht besonders gut eingefangen wurden. Es war andererseits trotzdem so geschrieben, das ich gerne wissen wollte, wer wem als erstes auf die Schliche kommen würde.
Wenn ich die Reihe Revue passieren lasse, ist Band 1 mein absoluter Favorit geblieben. Auch weil Eastland sich oft wiederholt, ganze Passagen aus der Vergangenheit Pekkalas sind eins zu eins Passagen, die man schon kannte. Das war auch in diesem Abschlussband der Fall. Ich finde Eastland hat da manches Mal das Potential seiner Idee und den historischen Hintergründen nicht genutzt. Immerhin ist der Inspektor eine Figur, die das Zarenreich und die Familie Romanow noch erlebt hat, das Gulag überstanden hat und durch Stalin einer neuen Willkür ausgeliefert ist.
Für mich eine Reihe die aber an vielen Stellen einfach unterhaltsam war. Das Re-read vor diesem nun letzten Band war trotz meiner Kritik eine gute Idee.
Dadurch blieb Lilja mir fremd.
Die historischen Ereignisse im Roman konnte ich nur zum Teil nachvollziehen. Schade fand ich das Eastland auf ein Nachwort verzichtet hat, das hätte vielleicht manches besser eingeordnet. Der Roman spielt im April 1945, also wirklich kurz vor Schluss. Für mich wirkte aber vieles wie aus der Zeit gefallen. Ich fand, das der Autor zu Schlaglichtartig erzählt hat und daher die Zeit und die Umstände nicht besonders gut eingefangen wurden. Es war andererseits trotzdem so geschrieben, das ich gerne wissen wollte, wer wem als erstes auf die Schliche kommen würde.
Wenn ich die Reihe Revue passieren lasse, ist Band 1 mein absoluter Favorit geblieben. Auch weil Eastland sich oft wiederholt, ganze Passagen aus der Vergangenheit Pekkalas sind eins zu eins Passagen, die man schon kannte. Das war auch in diesem Abschlussband der Fall. Ich finde Eastland hat da manches Mal das Potential seiner Idee und den historischen Hintergründen nicht genutzt. Immerhin ist der Inspektor eine Figur, die das Zarenreich und die Familie Romanow noch erlebt hat, das Gulag überstanden hat und durch Stalin einer neuen Willkür ausgeliefert ist.
Für mich eine Reihe die aber an vielen Stellen einfach unterhaltsam war. Das Re-read vor diesem nun letzten Band war trotz meiner Kritik eine gute Idee.
September 1, 2017
Berlin is rubble, Hitler is living in an underground bunker and getting more and more deranged and paranoid. For the first time since trying to develop a controlled rocket launching system, it appears success has come. A rocket at its launch leaves a trail of vapor that looks like shimmering diamond dust and one of its designers becomes hopeful that perhaps the tide of defeat may yet be turned.
At the same time that word is being passed through the upper echelons of Nazi command, a British intelligence agent arrives at Stalin's office asking for assistance in locating and removing a British agent from Berlin. Stalin has just the man-Pekkala, The Emerald Eye. He is sure the Inspector will be willing to take on the task, since the agent in question is the long lost love of his life, Lilya. Stalin sends Kirov as well since Lilya has the plans for the rocket system and he would like them, too.
While Kirov and Pekkala are largely absent from the narrative, the tension and anxiety of Hitler's underlings, the Allied bombings and imminent invasion of Berlin and the shadowy activities of the various agents trying to make the best of a losing proposition are enough to keep the reader glued to the pages until the last --Kirov's report to Stalin.
At the same time that word is being passed through the upper echelons of Nazi command, a British intelligence agent arrives at Stalin's office asking for assistance in locating and removing a British agent from Berlin. Stalin has just the man-Pekkala, The Emerald Eye. He is sure the Inspector will be willing to take on the task, since the agent in question is the long lost love of his life, Lilya. Stalin sends Kirov as well since Lilya has the plans for the rocket system and he would like them, too.
While Kirov and Pekkala are largely absent from the narrative, the tension and anxiety of Hitler's underlings, the Allied bombings and imminent invasion of Berlin and the shadowy activities of the various agents trying to make the best of a losing proposition are enough to keep the reader glued to the pages until the last --Kirov's report to Stalin.
August 21, 2018
Over the years I have read 5 of the six previous Pekkala books and rated them all with 4 or 5 Stars. "Red Moth" was published only in paperback and I missed it. I have it on order, now, the 4th title in the series; "Berlin Red" is number 7 and the final effort. I might note that 'Sam Eastland' is a pseudonym for Paul Watkins.
Reading the present volume was difficult. The problems were with the book, not any amount of curmudgeonly talent I am developing. Most, if not all of the groaners may be laid at the feet of the editorial staff and the publisher. Every 50 pages or so a half dozen lines would be crushed together, paragraphing omitted and dialogue squished into a monologue. Outrageous. And five or six times one is assaulted by grievous syntactical errors. This in a hardcover, signed, first edition. Should it have been an Advance Reader's Copy?
By book's end, I determined it was a 4 Star experience for me, although for one less familiar with The Emerald Eye there might be too many stumbles.
Recommended
Reading the present volume was difficult. The problems were with the book, not any amount of curmudgeonly talent I am developing. Most, if not all of the groaners may be laid at the feet of the editorial staff and the publisher. Every 50 pages or so a half dozen lines would be crushed together, paragraphing omitted and dialogue squished into a monologue. Outrageous. And five or six times one is assaulted by grievous syntactical errors. This in a hardcover, signed, first edition. Should it have been an Advance Reader's Copy?
By book's end, I determined it was a 4 Star experience for me, although for one less familiar with The Emerald Eye there might be too many stumbles.
Recommended
September 23, 2018
Berlin Red is the seventh and best of the Inspector Pekkala novels. It also looks like being the last.
For the past year or so I have enjoyed following the fortunes of this strange Finnish/Russian man as he serves first the Tsar and then Stalin.Sometimes the appearance of real people amongst the fictional ones feels contrived. Not so in this series. Apart from the Tsar and Stalin, in Berlin Red we meet Hitler and Himmler, although Pekkala himself never has that pleasure.
The plot is complex but easily tracked and immensely satisfying. Although the narrative is gripping throughout, the climax is very exciting for a number of reasons and to reveal these here would spoil the reader's enjoyment.
The characters are fascinating, each with his or her own personal features that bring them too life. One word of caution. The Pekkala books should be read in order for maximum enjoyment. Farewell Inspector Pekkala. It has been great knowing you.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39.
For the past year or so I have enjoyed following the fortunes of this strange Finnish/Russian man as he serves first the Tsar and then Stalin.Sometimes the appearance of real people amongst the fictional ones feels contrived. Not so in this series. Apart from the Tsar and Stalin, in Berlin Red we meet Hitler and Himmler, although Pekkala himself never has that pleasure.
The plot is complex but easily tracked and immensely satisfying. Although the narrative is gripping throughout, the climax is very exciting for a number of reasons and to reveal these here would spoil the reader's enjoyment.
The characters are fascinating, each with his or her own personal features that bring them too life. One word of caution. The Pekkala books should be read in order for maximum enjoyment. Farewell Inspector Pekkala. It has been great knowing you.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39.
November 17, 2017
Rich in character development and dripping in suspense this page-turner had me wondering about a number of basic emotions. As I read this epic book, based in WWI, with all the devastation Europe faced, how I wondered, could the people possibly find the courage and resilience to go on.
What compels a person to betray their country? What obliges an individual to spy for their freedom? What does "freedom" really mean? Does power have the ability to corrupt and be more powerful than love or is it the other way around?
Our minds play funny tricks on us in good times. I can't even begin to imagine what they must do to people who have been living in gulag conditions or war bombed cities for a long time. Eastland does a fabulous job of taking us there in his "Berlin Red" book. He pushes the envelope on humanity and resilience.
It is a breath-taking ride of historical laden names, dates, places, and near events. He is an excellent storyteller extraordinaire!
What compels a person to betray their country? What obliges an individual to spy for their freedom? What does "freedom" really mean? Does power have the ability to corrupt and be more powerful than love or is it the other way around?
Our minds play funny tricks on us in good times. I can't even begin to imagine what they must do to people who have been living in gulag conditions or war bombed cities for a long time. Eastland does a fabulous job of taking us there in his "Berlin Red" book. He pushes the envelope on humanity and resilience.
It is a breath-taking ride of historical laden names, dates, places, and near events. He is an excellent storyteller extraordinaire!
January 23, 2019
We are reaching the final stages of WWII. The Allies are closing in on Berlin. Hitler is in his bunker.
And someone is spreading tittle-tattle about the goings on in the bunker that, whilst not critical to Germany's fight to stave off disaster, is nevertheless making it a laughing-stock.
And Hitler demands to know who is passing on this information.
Meanwhile, Pekalla has been told by Stalin that his long-lost lover is in danger and he must get her out of Berlin before it gets over-run. She is the key, and she must not fall into the wrong hands. As if Pekalla doesn't already have enough motivation!
Another rattling good story, that pounds along as our hero rides to the rescue. But, what will happen next?
And someone is spreading tittle-tattle about the goings on in the bunker that, whilst not critical to Germany's fight to stave off disaster, is nevertheless making it a laughing-stock.
And Hitler demands to know who is passing on this information.
Meanwhile, Pekalla has been told by Stalin that his long-lost lover is in danger and he must get her out of Berlin before it gets over-run. She is the key, and she must not fall into the wrong hands. As if Pekalla doesn't already have enough motivation!
Another rattling good story, that pounds along as our hero rides to the rescue. But, what will happen next?
August 6, 2018
Disappointed
The last two books in the series have failed to live up to the standard set in the earlier stories. Perhaps due to different writers? The story is compelling and the build up to the climax is detailed and interesting but the.ending just kills it. All this time developing a solid, somewhat simplistic plot and then it ends as if a deadline approached and there was no time to put in the effort at a dynamic ending. All the loose ends are tied up nice and neat but I am left wanting much more out of this ending. I will miss Inspector Pekkala but perhaps it's best the tales are over if this is the best writing we get.
The last two books in the series have failed to live up to the standard set in the earlier stories. Perhaps due to different writers? The story is compelling and the build up to the climax is detailed and interesting but the.ending just kills it. All this time developing a solid, somewhat simplistic plot and then it ends as if a deadline approached and there was no time to put in the effort at a dynamic ending. All the loose ends are tied up nice and neat but I am left wanting much more out of this ending. I will miss Inspector Pekkala but perhaps it's best the tales are over if this is the best writing we get.
January 1, 2022
I am a lucky person, I received some really great reading for Christmas. One such book is "Berlin Red" by Sam Eastland a writer I first encountered through Librarything Early reader program, when the first book in the Inspector Pekkala series, "Eye of the Red Tsar", came out. The stories cover Russia under Stalin, the Red Tsar, and his unwilling master spy, Pekkala. I have read all seven of the books and find them suspenseful and well written. Berlin Red is no exception. Started reading it on Dec. 31, finished on Jan.1. With time out for the New Years eve hoopla. And couldn't wait to get back to the book. Mystery, romance, and history all together, what's not to like?
February 29, 2020
One of my favorite series of all time. Paul Watkins (Eastland) has woven together a tale that spans 30+ years, coming to a beautiful conclusion. Or is it the conclusion???
If this were a TV series I would binge watch the entirety in a single weekend.
While I am hoping for a book 8, it would sit fine to end right here. If you are new to this series, I recommend starting with the Eye if the Red Tsar and enjoying sleepless nights while you read through the whole series.
Great prose. Great character development.
If this were a TV series I would binge watch the entirety in a single weekend.
While I am hoping for a book 8, it would sit fine to end right here. If you are new to this series, I recommend starting with the Eye if the Red Tsar and enjoying sleepless nights while you read through the whole series.
Great prose. Great character development.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews