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Werewolf: August, 1945
This is an updated cover edition of ISBN13:9781907773808
August 1945, Germany. The Allies have won the war. Now they have to win the peace ...Silas Payne is a Scotland Yard officer seconded to Germany to help implement the Allied policy of denazification. When a former Waffen SS soldier is found murdered in the cellar of a requisitioned house, Payne begins an investigation that leads him on a tortuous path of discovery through the chaos of post-war Germany and pits him against a depraved killer who will stop at nothing to protect his secret.
August 1945, Germany. The Allies have won the war. Now they have to win the peace ...Silas Payne is a Scotland Yard officer seconded to Germany to help implement the Allied policy of denazification. When a former Waffen SS soldier is found murdered in the cellar of a requisitioned house, Payne begins an investigation that leads him on a tortuous path of discovery through the chaos of post-war Germany and pits him against a depraved killer who will stop at nothing to protect his secret.
- GenresThriller
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 2012
18 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Pritchard
15 books22 followersMatthew Pritchard worked as a journalist in Spain for ten years.
He has currently written four books: three in the Danny Sanchez crime series, and Werewolf, a standalone historical thriller set in post-war WWII Germany. Two of his Danny Sanchez novels have been published in Germany.
He now lives in Hampshire, UK, and writes full-time, as well as playing guitar in rock group, The 109s.
He has currently written four books: three in the Danny Sanchez crime series, and Werewolf, a standalone historical thriller set in post-war WWII Germany. Two of his Danny Sanchez novels have been published in Germany.
He now lives in Hampshire, UK, and writes full-time, as well as playing guitar in rock group, The 109s.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 20, 2020
I appreciated all the effort the Author put into presenting the realities of those days. The hunger, the homelessness, the displaced persons, hunt for the war criminals, denazification etc were the issues that required attention on the part of the Allied Forces, and the soldiers who were given the tasks to rid Germany of its past were not all knights in ther shiny armours ..
I liked Detective Silas Payne, who was tasked with training the new police force, and happens to investigate the apparent murder of a former SS officer and a woman, found in one of the houses. Silas is level-headed, full of integrity and able to distance himself from the reality he finds himself in.
An interesting array of characters, of different background and nationalities, adds to the dynamics of this book.
The fourth star is definitely for the supeb analysis of the problems Germany faced after the defeat.
*A big thank-you to the Author and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I liked Detective Silas Payne, who was tasked with training the new police force, and happens to investigate the apparent murder of a former SS officer and a woman, found in one of the houses. Silas is level-headed, full of integrity and able to distance himself from the reality he finds himself in.
An interesting array of characters, of different background and nationalities, adds to the dynamics of this book.
The fourth star is definitely for the supeb analysis of the problems Germany faced after the defeat.
*A big thank-you to the Author and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
November 10, 2014
Werewolf is the second book from Matthew Pritchard and quickly proved itself a bit of a hit with this reader. Set in Germany at the close of World War II, the story focusses on the discovery of two corpses, one of them a former Waffen SS soldier, in the basement of a house requisitioned by British troops. Detective Silas Payne of Scotland Yard has been seconded to Germany to assist with the Allied policy of denazification, and finds himself drawn into the investigation, which quickly spirals into a hunt for a ruthless serial killer.
A very simple analogy for this book would be Foyle’s War with added ‘grrr’, as Payne is quickly revealed as a determined, but curiously passive and empathetic character, who carries the weight of his role in the book with a wonderfully understated air, despite the horrors that await him. I found him a very enjoyable protagonist, with his sure and steady character beautifully juxtaposed with the more testosterone fuelled characters in evidence amongst the British Army protagonists. As the book progresses, Pritchard carefully interweaves the corruption of some soldiers as the Allied troops stake their claim on German properties and possessions, skilfully interwoven with truly heartfelt diversions into the mental state of some others as a result of their combat service and witnessing the death camps. As Payne’s investigation starts to jangle some nerves amongst the less than honest protagonists, Pritchard carefully uses this to bring into the story some fascinating historical detail of the period, and the behaviour- both good and bad- of the Allied forces in the context of denazification on the German citizenry, and the avid hunt for the worst perpetrators of war crimes amongst the German military echelons. This was genuinely eye-opening for me, as so much is written about the turning points, and major confrontations during the theatre of war itself, but I quickly realised how little I knew about the fate of Germany in peacetime, and Pritchard provides a balanced and truthful interpretation of the effects on the ordinary German populace, along with the more familiar hunt for Nazi war criminals. Pritchard also incorporates the story of a young German woman, Ilse, formerly married to a high ranking Nazi, who now finds herself living a life of subterfuge to conceal her former links with the enemy, and the way she uses her manipulative feminine wiles to evade punishment. With the arrival back into her life of her callous brother, with his plans for escape from Germany, all her resourcefulness is called on to save her own skin, but will she succeed? Thrown into the already gripping mix is Payne’s hunt for a serial killer, and Pritchard carefully inserts small vignettes from the killer’s point of view, which consistently beguile the reader as to his true identity, and instilling in us a grudging admiration for how he has remained undetected for so long, despite a few close calls. With the impetus of the book not solely focussed on this storyline, this worked really well, with the sense of danger slowly growing as the other storylines ebbed and flowed around this. I didn’t feel, as I usually do when this structure is employed, a bigger compunction to get from one storyline back to another, as all of them melded seamlessly together, with definite and cohesive points of interest in each.
I enjoyed the path of Payne’s investigation immensely, and the attendant barricades he faces, and with Pritchard’s control of the other multifarious storylines remaining constant throughout, there was no decrease in my overall engagement with the book. I learnt a few things I didn’t know along the way, as well as being shocked and entertained in equal measure. It’s always a delight to discover a new author, and having missed the first book from Matthew Pritchard, Scarecrow, I will be back-tracking to read this as well. Overall Werewolf proved itself an intelligent and well-conceived thriller, and a thoroughly good read.
A very simple analogy for this book would be Foyle’s War with added ‘grrr’, as Payne is quickly revealed as a determined, but curiously passive and empathetic character, who carries the weight of his role in the book with a wonderfully understated air, despite the horrors that await him. I found him a very enjoyable protagonist, with his sure and steady character beautifully juxtaposed with the more testosterone fuelled characters in evidence amongst the British Army protagonists. As the book progresses, Pritchard carefully interweaves the corruption of some soldiers as the Allied troops stake their claim on German properties and possessions, skilfully interwoven with truly heartfelt diversions into the mental state of some others as a result of their combat service and witnessing the death camps. As Payne’s investigation starts to jangle some nerves amongst the less than honest protagonists, Pritchard carefully uses this to bring into the story some fascinating historical detail of the period, and the behaviour- both good and bad- of the Allied forces in the context of denazification on the German citizenry, and the avid hunt for the worst perpetrators of war crimes amongst the German military echelons. This was genuinely eye-opening for me, as so much is written about the turning points, and major confrontations during the theatre of war itself, but I quickly realised how little I knew about the fate of Germany in peacetime, and Pritchard provides a balanced and truthful interpretation of the effects on the ordinary German populace, along with the more familiar hunt for Nazi war criminals. Pritchard also incorporates the story of a young German woman, Ilse, formerly married to a high ranking Nazi, who now finds herself living a life of subterfuge to conceal her former links with the enemy, and the way she uses her manipulative feminine wiles to evade punishment. With the arrival back into her life of her callous brother, with his plans for escape from Germany, all her resourcefulness is called on to save her own skin, but will she succeed? Thrown into the already gripping mix is Payne’s hunt for a serial killer, and Pritchard carefully inserts small vignettes from the killer’s point of view, which consistently beguile the reader as to his true identity, and instilling in us a grudging admiration for how he has remained undetected for so long, despite a few close calls. With the impetus of the book not solely focussed on this storyline, this worked really well, with the sense of danger slowly growing as the other storylines ebbed and flowed around this. I didn’t feel, as I usually do when this structure is employed, a bigger compunction to get from one storyline back to another, as all of them melded seamlessly together, with definite and cohesive points of interest in each.
I enjoyed the path of Payne’s investigation immensely, and the attendant barricades he faces, and with Pritchard’s control of the other multifarious storylines remaining constant throughout, there was no decrease in my overall engagement with the book. I learnt a few things I didn’t know along the way, as well as being shocked and entertained in equal measure. It’s always a delight to discover a new author, and having missed the first book from Matthew Pritchard, Scarecrow, I will be back-tracking to read this as well. Overall Werewolf proved itself an intelligent and well-conceived thriller, and a thoroughly good read.
April 15, 2018
Very interesting and entertaining read.
What a nice surprise. I had no idea of what to expect when I started to read this book, but from the outset I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the writing and the originality of the plot.
The desperation of post war Germany and it's people grips you from the start,whatever your feelings about the culpability of Germany's civilian population. The plot is well structured with characters that fit the story perfectly; from blimpish army officers, crusading police officers and spivish army quartermasters to psychopathic SS killers, no one appears surplus to the story.
A fine book and I look forward to reading more from Matthew Pritchard.
What a nice surprise. I had no idea of what to expect when I started to read this book, but from the outset I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the writing and the originality of the plot.
The desperation of post war Germany and it's people grips you from the start,whatever your feelings about the culpability of Germany's civilian population. The plot is well structured with characters that fit the story perfectly; from blimpish army officers, crusading police officers and spivish army quartermasters to psychopathic SS killers, no one appears surplus to the story.
A fine book and I look forward to reading more from Matthew Pritchard.
June 7, 2020
Well written.,brutal and disturbing. Evokes immediate post- war defeated Germany , the shambles of official administration, the absolutely horrendous task the British have in their occupied zone at trying to restore order. The interplay between the aftermath of the genocidal Nazi regime and the emergence of a serial killer who has already committed some ghastly murders during the Third Reich along with the British policeman who seems to be foundering in the whole chaos of the time, are incredibly well done. Mr Pritchard, during his afterword , admits how much another novel has inspired him, as well as citing the history books that have assisted him.
May 25, 2017
I found this a little difficult at first as the main character is so different to the vibrant and cynical protagonist of the Danny Sanchez novels. In comparison, Silas Payne is slow, careful and dogged. But after a few chapters, I began to warm to him, while the brutal realism of Pritchard's post-war setting began to sink in - the research and eye for detail are really top notch.
Again, a corker of a book, and one that I read in two sittings.
Again, a corker of a book, and one that I read in two sittings.
January 17, 2022
Have to say I have read better and read worse. The good points include showing what it was like in Germany immediately post war, the allied forces trying to restore order, and the nazi sympathisers trying to hide. The negative points include a predictable storyline, a traditional crime drama with traditional characters. If you like these type of stories, then read, you'll enjoy it
September 10, 2019
Good read
Really enjoyed this book set an interesting period of history, a good pace to it, informative, liked the characters . Nice to read a post WW2 novel not set in Berlin but in another part of Germany
Really enjoyed this book set an interesting period of history, a good pace to it, informative, liked the characters . Nice to read a post WW2 novel not set in Berlin but in another part of Germany
May 24, 2017
Fantastic read from start to finish. My fav Mathew Pritchard book.
May 24, 2017
Historical setting is amazing, although brutal. It deal with very interesting period in history, what happen after war is over and English take over part of Germany.
October 9, 2019
Nothing amazing.
October 20, 2014
The central premise behind Werewolf had me hooked right off the bat. The thought that a serial killer was going about their ghastly business using the ending of a war for cover. It seems so blindingly obvious now when I think about it. Confusion and chaos on every street corner, Allied soldiers getting contradictory orders, while Axis forces attempting to flee or surrender. It’s the perfect place to indulge the darkest of acts isn’t it? People are still dying every day, who is going to miss a few more? More to the point, will anyone even care?
Silas Payne is more than used to dealing with worst of humanity. He has spent years working at Scotland Yard and is no wide eyed innocent; he is more than aware of the crimes that people of capable of. That said, trying to uncover a serial killer when you are already surrounded by death on such a huge scale, is a new twist. Everywhere he looks, Payne seems to find nothing but seedy characters and shady types, from swindlers using the cover of the Allied forces to gouge as much profit as they can, to ex-Nazis on the run doing anything to escape justice. Germany in 1945 is an uncontrolled mess. The good inspector has to try and untangle all the chaos, separate fact from fiction and uncover the truth no matter what the cost. It doesn’t help that as a mere civilian his investigations are viewed as interference by the local military authorities and he is given little assistance in his work. Just as well Silas Payne is such a tenacious sort.
Interspersed throughout the main narrative there are also short chapters detailing events seen through the eyes of the killer. You get the opportunity to learn the innermost thoughts and feelings of this particular animal. Pritchard’s writing does a fine job detailing the pathology of a psychopath. World War II was such a huge conflict it acts as the perfect stalking ground for a crazed killer. There are so many atrocities, occurring on both sides, it seems almost possible for a maniac to hide in plain sight.
Unsurprisingly, due to the dark nature of the subject matter, there are some pretty brutal moments. Be warned Pritchard doesn’t shy away from the horrors that occur during wartime. The violence committed, by both the lone psychopath and soldiers from each side are explored in depth. The physical and mental after effects of the fighting have left their mark and changed many in ways they could have never imagined.
This is the first novel featuring the character of Silas Payne, and it strikes me that the aftermath of such a turbulent conflict is the ideal setting for further tales of horrific crime. Watching Payne pull together the random pieces of evidence and making sense of it all is engrossing stuff. I rattled through the entire novel in a couple of sittings. Pritchard leaves some tantalizing suggestions towards the end of the novel that this is not the last investigation for the Inspector, I do hope he’ll return.
Werewolf is a good example of how successful fiction can be when blending together a couple of genres, in this case crime and historical fiction. Matthew Pritchard has taken the facts surrounding the phenomena of the Nazi resistance fighters known as Werewolves and has used their existence as a jumping off point to create an intelligent, engrossing thriller. Crafting a tale that highlights a little known element of the second World War he has created a novel perfect for fans of history and crime alike.
Silas Payne is more than used to dealing with worst of humanity. He has spent years working at Scotland Yard and is no wide eyed innocent; he is more than aware of the crimes that people of capable of. That said, trying to uncover a serial killer when you are already surrounded by death on such a huge scale, is a new twist. Everywhere he looks, Payne seems to find nothing but seedy characters and shady types, from swindlers using the cover of the Allied forces to gouge as much profit as they can, to ex-Nazis on the run doing anything to escape justice. Germany in 1945 is an uncontrolled mess. The good inspector has to try and untangle all the chaos, separate fact from fiction and uncover the truth no matter what the cost. It doesn’t help that as a mere civilian his investigations are viewed as interference by the local military authorities and he is given little assistance in his work. Just as well Silas Payne is such a tenacious sort.
Interspersed throughout the main narrative there are also short chapters detailing events seen through the eyes of the killer. You get the opportunity to learn the innermost thoughts and feelings of this particular animal. Pritchard’s writing does a fine job detailing the pathology of a psychopath. World War II was such a huge conflict it acts as the perfect stalking ground for a crazed killer. There are so many atrocities, occurring on both sides, it seems almost possible for a maniac to hide in plain sight.
Unsurprisingly, due to the dark nature of the subject matter, there are some pretty brutal moments. Be warned Pritchard doesn’t shy away from the horrors that occur during wartime. The violence committed, by both the lone psychopath and soldiers from each side are explored in depth. The physical and mental after effects of the fighting have left their mark and changed many in ways they could have never imagined.
This is the first novel featuring the character of Silas Payne, and it strikes me that the aftermath of such a turbulent conflict is the ideal setting for further tales of horrific crime. Watching Payne pull together the random pieces of evidence and making sense of it all is engrossing stuff. I rattled through the entire novel in a couple of sittings. Pritchard leaves some tantalizing suggestions towards the end of the novel that this is not the last investigation for the Inspector, I do hope he’ll return.
Werewolf is a good example of how successful fiction can be when blending together a couple of genres, in this case crime and historical fiction. Matthew Pritchard has taken the facts surrounding the phenomena of the Nazi resistance fighters known as Werewolves and has used their existence as a jumping off point to create an intelligent, engrossing thriller. Crafting a tale that highlights a little known element of the second World War he has created a novel perfect for fans of history and crime alike.
November 8, 2016
Free Copy From Netgalley
Werewolf is a slow and steady novel but it's climax is worth the ride. Set in the recovery phase of WWII, Payne has been brought in to help with some of the police, however after a mysterious murder occurs he quickly takes interest in finding the killer.
The setting helps build interest and Mr. Pritchard does a great job keeping it realistic and dreary. These weren't happy times for either side of the war and you can feel the depression seeping through the pages.
The biggest drawback for myself wasn't the characters themselves, but it is how each chapter switches perspective and can cause confusion with so many people being introduced so fast. After events started picking up and I found out more about the characters the more I enjoyed the novel. However, the characters don't have any growth through out the novel, and it's difficult to cheer for most of them in the novel.
Overall, minus the setting and intriguing climax there isn't much new here in a murder thriller story. I would recommend getting through the first part before putting this book down because that is when I started to enjoy it more.
Werewolf is a slow and steady novel but it's climax is worth the ride. Set in the recovery phase of WWII, Payne has been brought in to help with some of the police, however after a mysterious murder occurs he quickly takes interest in finding the killer.
The setting helps build interest and Mr. Pritchard does a great job keeping it realistic and dreary. These weren't happy times for either side of the war and you can feel the depression seeping through the pages.
The biggest drawback for myself wasn't the characters themselves, but it is how each chapter switches perspective and can cause confusion with so many people being introduced so fast. After events started picking up and I found out more about the characters the more I enjoyed the novel. However, the characters don't have any growth through out the novel, and it's difficult to cheer for most of them in the novel.
Overall, minus the setting and intriguing climax there isn't much new here in a murder thriller story. I would recommend getting through the first part before putting this book down because that is when I started to enjoy it more.
July 26, 2015
In Werewolf Matthew Pritchard joins together a story about the British occupation of the Western Germany and acts of profiteering, revenge, poor management, trying to place order onto a chaotic society and chase down war criminals, with a serial killer tale. At one level, it’s pretty well executed, except towards the end where it becomes a little ragged and a few loose ends are left hanging, on another level the serial killer angle felt like a different kind of story interwoven into an end of war tale; a kind of sensational twist to an already murderous war. There was, to my mind, plenty of interesting avenues to explore concerning the British occupation, Nazi war crimes and ratlines on their own. Nonetheless, the story rattles along at fair clip and its engaging fare, there is some nice contextualisation with respect to the period, and Silas Payne is a strong lead character. Overall, a quick-paced, tightly written piece of post-war crime fiction.
October 8, 2019
1945, Germany and Detective Silas Payne of Scotland Yard and the Contol Council for Germany (CCG) has been sent to Eichenrode to run a police training school. But events lead him to investigate the death of two people found in an abandoned house. One of whom is Waffen SS officer, Conrad Jaeger
But these deaths seems to be just the latest in a long spree.
Thankfully Payne's steady character carried him through the case, contrasting somewhat with those of the British Army.
An interesting well-written plotted mystery. I look forward to reading more from this author.
A NetGalley Book
But these deaths seems to be just the latest in a long spree.
Thankfully Payne's steady character carried him through the case, contrasting somewhat with those of the British Army.
An interesting well-written plotted mystery. I look forward to reading more from this author.
A NetGalley Book
February 7, 2017
Germany August 1945. The war is over, it's chaos in Germany and what better place for a serial killer to go about his business? Silas Payne is a Scotland yard officer seconded to Germany to help the denazificaction but when two bodies turn up in a cellar. Silas finds that the Nazis aren't the only monsters.
October 22, 2015
A good, fast moving crime thriller about a serial killer operating at the end of the war in Germany. Interesting in a number of respects, particularly the main protagonist, Inspector Silas Payne. A good character.
June 21, 2015
3,5 stars. Nice police-novel set in Germany right after WW2. I liked Silas Payne, I enoyed the reflections on the lifes of the people of very different backgrounds and their motivations. Before, during and after the war. Not a very deep-going book but fun to read nevertheless.
July 22, 2015
Action packed. This book incorporates a detective story with the chaos of the British occupation of northern Germany at the end of WWII. It's not for the faint of heart (or the strong of heart who don't like blood and violence) and I wouldn't recommend it as bedtime reading, but a good read.
September 5, 2016
Good right up until the end
Weak ending Took the easy way out to set up a follow-on, but who is interested in a killer you only get to know about right at the end.
Weak ending Took the easy way out to set up a follow-on, but who is interested in a killer you only get to know about right at the end.
Read
January 7, 2017Good well plotted fast read with excellent period detail.
June 17, 2016
The setting is great, but the murder mystery dumbs down to a generic 'born psychopath'
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews