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In the last days of the First World War, socialist revolution swept across Germany, sending Kaiser Wilhelm into exile and transforming Berlin into a battleground. But for Detective Inspector Nikolai Hoffner and his young assistant, Hans Fichte, the revolution is a mere inconvenience. Four women from the slums of Berlin have turned up dead, all with identical markings etched into their backs, and Hoffner and Fichte have spent the better part of six weeks trying to crack the bizarre case. Things take a troubling turn when the political police begin to show an interest in Hoffner's investigation. Hoffner has no idea why the Polpo would want to get their hands dirty with a serial murderer, until he is shown the lifeless body of Rosa Luxemburg, the same eerie markings on her back. Rumors abound that Rosa, one of the leaders of the suppressed socialist uprising, was assassinated by an angry mob, but the pattern carved into her back tells a different story.
405 pages, Paperback
First published February 22, 2005
74 people are currently reading
2105 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Rabb
15 books120 followersJonathan Rabb grew up knowing he would be an academic. The son and grandson (on both sides) of historians, Rabb’s world shook at its very core when he opted to try his hand at political theory. As an undergraduate at Yale, Rabb divided his time among Locke and Hobbes and Hegel while spending his more reckless hours singing with the Whiffenpoofs and galloping across stage in such roles as Harry the Horse and a perfectly bean-poled Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. He even went so far as to make his living his first years out of college as an actor in New York before settling on a PhD program at Columbia.
Somehow, though, that was not to be. While in Germany researching the very compelling and very obscure seventeenth-century theorist Samuel von Pufendorf (Whiffenpoof on Pufendorf), Rabb got the idea for a thriller in which a young professor at Columbia gets caught up in a vast conspiracy predicated on deciphering a centuries-old manuscript, a response to Machiavelli’s The Prince. Suddenly theater and history had come together in the form of historical fiction and, leaving his Fulbright and academia behind, Rabb spent the next two years teaching test prep and writing furiously.
In 1998, his first novel, The Overseer, reached bookshelves, followed three years later by The Book of Q—another historical thriller—and his marriage to Andra Reeve, the director of prime time casting at CBS television. Having discovered a new kind of bliss in his private life, Rabb decided it was time to dive into the decay and despair of Berlin between the wars. He set to work on what would be the first in his Berlin Trilogy, Rosa, and also began to teach fiction at the 92nd Street Y. In July 2004 his wife had twins, and for the next two years, while writing and researching Shadow and Light, Rabb became their primary caretaker. Somehow, they continued to grow and flourish, and Shadow and Light found its way to the page.
Rabb is now deep into the final book of the trilogy, and still finds time to perform Gilbert and Sullivan with the Blue Hill Troupe of New York, the Harrisburg Symphony, and anyone else willing to indulge his love of Patter roles. This fall, Rabb started teaching in the NYU Creative Writing Program and continues to write reviews for Opera News and essays for the series I Wish I’d Been There.
Somehow, though, that was not to be. While in Germany researching the very compelling and very obscure seventeenth-century theorist Samuel von Pufendorf (Whiffenpoof on Pufendorf), Rabb got the idea for a thriller in which a young professor at Columbia gets caught up in a vast conspiracy predicated on deciphering a centuries-old manuscript, a response to Machiavelli’s The Prince. Suddenly theater and history had come together in the form of historical fiction and, leaving his Fulbright and academia behind, Rabb spent the next two years teaching test prep and writing furiously.
In 1998, his first novel, The Overseer, reached bookshelves, followed three years later by The Book of Q—another historical thriller—and his marriage to Andra Reeve, the director of prime time casting at CBS television. Having discovered a new kind of bliss in his private life, Rabb decided it was time to dive into the decay and despair of Berlin between the wars. He set to work on what would be the first in his Berlin Trilogy, Rosa, and also began to teach fiction at the 92nd Street Y. In July 2004 his wife had twins, and for the next two years, while writing and researching Shadow and Light, Rabb became their primary caretaker. Somehow, they continued to grow and flourish, and Shadow and Light found its way to the page.
Rabb is now deep into the final book of the trilogy, and still finds time to perform Gilbert and Sullivan with the Blue Hill Troupe of New York, the Harrisburg Symphony, and anyone else willing to indulge his love of Patter roles. This fall, Rabb started teaching in the NYU Creative Writing Program and continues to write reviews for Opera News and essays for the series I Wish I’d Been There.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
June 27, 2021
Γιατί το πτώμα της Κόκκινης Ρόζας βρέθηκε παραμορφωμένο πέντε μήνες μετά τη δολοφονία της; Ένα ερώτημα που μέχρι και σήμερα παραμένει αναπάντητο! Ένα ερώτημα αφορμή για αυτό το εξαιρετικό μυθιστόρημα. Ο μύθος της Ρόζας Λούξεμπουργκ και η ταραγμένη εποχή μετά το τέλος του Α' παγκοσμίου πολέμου. Η Κρίπο, η Πόλπο, τα Φράικορπς, συνωμοσίες, δολοφονίες, ερωτικά τρίγωνα..... Καταπληκτικό ανάγνωσμα!
July 28, 2015
Μερικά βιβλία έχουν το δικό τους ρυθμό και σου επιβάλουν να τον ακολουθήσεις..Έτσι έγινε και με τη Ρόζα...Μόνο που η Ρόζα από το δεύτερο μέρος και μετά σε άφηνε ελεύθερο..να μπεις, να βγεις, να βυθιστείς και να μάθεις...και να ανοίξεις κι άλλα βιβλία..Οι ήρωες του Rabb είναι όλοι τους καταδικασμένοι μέσα στη δίνη της αναταραχής. Όλοι έχουν το τέλος που τους αξίζει και σε κάνουν να το καταλάβεις -είτε σου αρέσει είτε όχι. Σε μια επόχή που όλα ήταν κρυμενα και που λίγα μπορούσε κανείς να πιστέψει, κάπου εκει ανακάλυψα τη ματαιότητα της ίδιας της ανθρώπινης φύσης, την γνώση του παρελθόντος, την πείνα, τον σπαραγμό, την σκληρότητα και το μίσος, το οποίο βλέπω να ανθίζει και στη δική μου χώρα -το έτος 2015. Για δυο βράδια ο Χοφνερ με κράτησε άϋπνη και φοβισμένη..αν μπορουσα θα ήθελα να τον έσωζα αλλά όμως τον υπάκουσα και τον άφησα να μου εξηγησει το γιατί..Προτείνω να τον αφήσετε και εσείς!
August 29, 2017
*2.5 stars
ROSA is one of those books that has such a dense atmosphere, you feel as though you are carrying around a heavy gray cloud while you read it. That's not to say it's a bad book. It's just rather exhausting, and in my opinion at least, about 1oo pages too long. The story really begins to drag toward the end and it is all too bleak. Having been to Berlin, I know the sun does occasionally shine there as it must have then, even in Post-war times.
Rabb is clearly extremely dedicated to presenting a well-researched, mostly accurate story. In his effort to show off his knowledge and give endless details to create a bleak and dreary image of the setting and the characters, he loses the tension of the plot. Further, and this is my real issue, there is no character I really cared about. I have written in other reviews that I am a reader who needs to connect, on some level, with the characters, even if the plot isn't brilliant. In this case, the characters were memorable, but not likeable, none of them. The plot was interesting and definitely well written, but bogged down by unnecessary details and an unrelenting aura of misery.
Again, it's not a bad book, because Rabb is a talented writer and the story has an emotional resonance, but I think it's the kind of story someone who has a great appreciation for film-noir will enjoy. Alas, I am not that person.
I know Rabb is depicting a time in Berlin's history that was dark and difficult, but in dark times there is still light; there can still be laughter and sparks of happiness; all of that is missing, and what the reader is left with is a rather hopeless story about personal and national tragedy.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
ROSA is one of those books that has such a dense atmosphere, you feel as though you are carrying around a heavy gray cloud while you read it. That's not to say it's a bad book. It's just rather exhausting, and in my opinion at least, about 1oo pages too long. The story really begins to drag toward the end and it is all too bleak. Having been to Berlin, I know the sun does occasionally shine there as it must have then, even in Post-war times.
Rabb is clearly extremely dedicated to presenting a well-researched, mostly accurate story. In his effort to show off his knowledge and give endless details to create a bleak and dreary image of the setting and the characters, he loses the tension of the plot. Further, and this is my real issue, there is no character I really cared about. I have written in other reviews that I am a reader who needs to connect, on some level, with the characters, even if the plot isn't brilliant. In this case, the characters were memorable, but not likeable, none of them. The plot was interesting and definitely well written, but bogged down by unnecessary details and an unrelenting aura of misery.
Again, it's not a bad book, because Rabb is a talented writer and the story has an emotional resonance, but I think it's the kind of story someone who has a great appreciation for film-noir will enjoy. Alas, I am not that person.
I know Rabb is depicting a time in Berlin's history that was dark and difficult, but in dark times there is still light; there can still be laughter and sparks of happiness; all of that is missing, and what the reader is left with is a rather hopeless story about personal and national tragedy.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
June 28, 2011
A very satisfying mix of darkly atmospheric police procedural and historical fiction in the tradition of Alan Furst or John Le Carre. The novel is set in Berlin in 1919 in the aftermath of WWI and immediately following the failed attempt at Marxist revolution against Germany's new Weimar government by Karl Liebknicht,Rosa Luxemburg, and their followers. The bodies of Liebknicht and others were found brutally murdered by paramilitary thugs, but Luxemburg's body didn't turn up for five months. Rabb's compelling novel is an imagined scenario of why that may have happened as the Luxemburg case is folded into an ongoing serial murder investigation by a Berlin Kripo (Kriminalpolizei) detective, Nikolai Hoffner. It's also an examination of the political forces at work as various groups maneuvered for control of post-war Germany, and a fascinating tour through several social strata of a war-ravaged Berlin that had yet to develop the reckless, creative party culture of the '20s "Cabaret" era, or the subsequent excesses and repressions of National Socialism. Unfortunately, this books seems to be out of print in the US at present, so is somewhat difficult to acquire. Some libraries have copies, the recorded version on CD is available, or you can order from online bookstores in the UK, which is what I did.
February 5, 2010
This book took me forever to read and I think only the inertia of February blahs prevented me from flipping to the end. However, flipping to the end would not have helped. This is a slow story. Well written. Lots of period detail, but I just never warmed to it.
November 14, 2015
Rosa is more packed with atmosphere than a David Lynch classic (but without the brilliant wit & visionary insight). For this, I liked it... enough. In fact, for that reason alone, I liked it - because I have no idea what this book was about (other than the blurb on the cover - there was some sort of murder investigation going on, I gather, in pre-war Berlin). My confusion does not stem from Rabb's poor plotting (stuff happens, throughout), but from his writing/style, which lulled me into a sense of complacency and inattentiveness (to happenings), coupled with a serene sense of being immersed fully in another historical setting. I got and loved the characters, the mood, the historical details, pretty much everything BUT the actual story. It's a bit odd, not sure I've felt this way about a book before.
May 10, 2013
This review really applies to the whole trilogy. I had some serious reservations about particularly the last two books. But in retrospect, I would recommend reading them. My picture of Berlin before and during WWII is so clear now, and I remember the main character so vividly that I'm really glad I read he books. Also the overall tale reflects the sadness and futility of the whole era.
January 20, 2013
A twisted fascinating plot that reveals much about Munich in the 1920s. For me, it was excellent background research for my next novel, tentatively titled CHOOSING HITLER.
March 22, 2015
Rabb has a detailed grasp of the history of Berlin after the first world war in this story. Rosa Luxemburg, the Polish revolutionary, actually does lurk in the background. However, the entire story takes place shortly after her death, sometime in mid-January 1919. Rosa, despite the title, has more of a cameo role in the novel. The Germans have lost the war, the Kaiser has abdicated and headed for exile and Berlin is awash in political upheaval. Detective Nikolai Hoffner, of the Kripo, has his hands full with a serial killer on top of it all. All the victims are dropped in the poorer parts of town with strange patterns carved into their backs and some sort of gel-like substance on the body. And, of course, one victim turns out to be Red Rosa herself? Her body is in the morgue the night that it is found and investigated. Then missing from the morgue the very next morning. Hoffner suspects the political police (the Polpo) of removing the body and all the evidence. That's where the story really begins.
I was confused and lost several times throughout the first half of the story. Practically need a scorecard to keep all the players straight. But, by the last third of the story, Rabb does a masterful job tying up all the lose ends. The intrigue coupled with the ability to build suspense in a realistic manner was excellent. Not for the airport reader but it is an excellent read for those who are well-versed in the background of Germany during and after the Great War. I recommend it to those who have read and enjoy stories relating to World War I, the rise of Hitler and historical mysteries in general.
I was confused and lost several times throughout the first half of the story. Practically need a scorecard to keep all the players straight. But, by the last third of the story, Rabb does a masterful job tying up all the lose ends. The intrigue coupled with the ability to build suspense in a realistic manner was excellent. Not for the airport reader but it is an excellent read for those who are well-versed in the background of Germany during and after the Great War. I recommend it to those who have read and enjoy stories relating to World War I, the rise of Hitler and historical mysteries in general.
October 3, 2016
Berlin 1919: The First World War has only been over for a scant few months, and in the wake of the Kaiser's abdication and exile, a socialist revolution has swept through the city and the country as a whole. Now, with socialist leaders Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg killed and a new government in place, things should be calming down. But Luxemburg's body is still missing and when it does turn up, Detective Inspector Nikolai Hoffner immediately notices the strange markings on her back - markings just like those found on the backs of four other murdered women, all victims of a serial killer Hoffner has been chasing. Then the Polpo, the political police, get involved in the investigation, Rosa Luxemburg's body vanishes once more and things get very tangled and interesting indeed.
Rabb does a fascinating job painting the dark and dreary atmosphere of post-WWI Berlin in the winter, and the plot is full of twists and turns and conspiracies. The characters are interesting, but thoroughly unlikable for the most part, including the protagonist Nikolai Hoffner whose callousness towards his wife (among other things) really doesn't do much to endear him to the reader. Occasionally the story dragged a bit (I could have done without the Lina-subplot) and would have benefitted from being about a hundred pages shorter and thus more concise. 3.5/5
Rabb does a fascinating job painting the dark and dreary atmosphere of post-WWI Berlin in the winter, and the plot is full of twists and turns and conspiracies. The characters are interesting, but thoroughly unlikable for the most part, including the protagonist Nikolai Hoffner whose callousness towards his wife (among other things) really doesn't do much to endear him to the reader. Occasionally the story dragged a bit (I could have done without the Lina-subplot) and would have benefitted from being about a hundred pages shorter and thus more concise. 3.5/5
June 15, 2009
Rosa is a very intriguing historical mystery set in Berlin 1919. Nikolai Hoffner, a brilliant and brilliantly-flawed Inspector with the criminal police (as opposed to the political police) becomes embroiled in a serial killer case that begins to roll out into a broader crime involving the constant shift of political power in the post-WWI Germany. The biggest strength of this book is the character of Hoffner. He is perceptive, intuitive, cynical, and dryly funny. His personal life is on the verge of complete breakdown. The author paints the picture of a likeable, but deeply flawed man. He views the ebb and flow of Berlin and lets it reveal the deviations, the spiked flaws, that will reveal the nature of the crime. He is investing the murders of several women with unusual designs carved on their backs. Suddenly, the case begins to get away from as the latest victim appears to be Rosa Luxumbeg, one of the most dynamic leaders of Berlin's socialist movement.
The book is not only suspenseful and intelligent, but the author does such a good job of immersing the reader into the period and the uniqueness of Berlin. Highly recommended.
The book is not only suspenseful and intelligent, but the author does such a good job of immersing the reader into the period and the uniqueness of Berlin. Highly recommended.
April 8, 2020
Για κάποιον αδιευκρίνιστο λόγο αποφάσισα να ξαναδιαβάσω αυτήν την μυθοπλαστική αναπαράσταση (και τολμηρή προσπάθεια ερμηνείας) του μυστηρίου που καλύπτει την δολοφονία της Ρόζα Λούξεμπουργκ.
Καλό "αστυνομικό" με πολύ πυκνή (στα όρια του κουραστικού) πλοκή που πιστεύω δεν θα απογοητεύσει τους αναγνώστες του είδους αλλά και που λόγω της θεματολογίας του θα έχει και πολύ ευρύτερη απήχηση.
Στην πρώτη ανάγνωση ήμουν λίγο αυστηρός κυρίως για την ελλιπή κατά τη γνώμη μου απόδοση της ιδιαίτερης ατμόσφαιρας του Βερολίνου στο τέλος του α' Παγκοσμίου πολέμου. Σε κάθε περίπτωση η παρέλαση ιστορικών φυσιογνωμιών της εποχής το κάνει ακόμα πιο απολαυστικό και σίγουρα δείχνει ότι ο συγγραφέας μελέτησε σε κάποιο βαθμό την περίοδο. (Βέβαια υπάρχει και ένα χοντρό λαθάκι: σε ένα σημείο γίνεται αναφορά στην Wehrmacht, σώμα που δεν υπήρχε στη Γερμανία πριν το 1935 όταν και αντικατέστησε τη Reichswehr αλλά μικρό το κακό...).
Καλό "αστυνομικό" με πολύ πυκνή (στα όρια του κουραστικού) πλοκή που πιστεύω δεν θα απογοητεύσει τους αναγνώστες του είδους αλλά και που λόγω της θεματολογίας του θα έχει και πολύ ευρύτερη απήχηση.
Στην πρώτη ανάγνωση ήμουν λίγο αυστηρός κυρίως για την ελλιπή κατά τη γνώμη μου απόδοση της ιδιαίτερης ατμόσφαιρας του Βερολίνου στο τέλος του α' Παγκοσμίου πολέμου. Σε κάθε περίπτωση η παρέλαση ιστορικών φυσιογνωμιών της εποχής το κάνει ακόμα πιο απολαυστικό και σίγουρα δείχνει ότι ο συγγραφέας μελέτησε σε κάποιο βαθμό την περίοδο. (Βέβαια υπάρχει και ένα χοντρό λαθάκι: σε ένα σημείο γίνεται αναφορά στην Wehrmacht, σώμα που δεν υπήρχε στη Γερμανία πριν το 1935 όταν και αντικατέστησε τη Reichswehr αλλά μικρό το κακό...).
March 6, 2013
A mystery about the time right after WW1 when Germany is in turmoil after the Kaiser fled into exile, and the detective has to track down a killer leaving bodies around Berlin during a time of a social revolt, but also has to track down a politico using the bodies for his own end.
September 29, 2013
Really enjoyed this. A good detective story and great historical fiction in a rarely written about period.
I felt it captured the mood of 1919 Berlin very well, especially the political atmosphere.
I felt it captured the mood of 1919 Berlin very well, especially the political atmosphere.
February 19, 2022
A very interesting mystery thriller set in Berlin during the interwar period. Inspector Hoffner tries to find what doesn’t fit in the pattern of a series of murdered women with an unusual pattern carved into their back.
Berlin is the capital city of a defeated country. The new government of Germany is trying to find its footing with many competing interests while the poor and former soldiers are trying to find jobs, housing and food.
Inspector Hoffner’s personal life is on edge even as the case becomes cloudy and complex.
I enjoyed the story. The reader of this audio book did an excellent job.
Berlin is the capital city of a defeated country. The new government of Germany is trying to find its footing with many competing interests while the poor and former soldiers are trying to find jobs, housing and food.
Inspector Hoffner’s personal life is on edge even as the case becomes cloudy and complex.
I enjoyed the story. The reader of this audio book did an excellent job.
October 13, 2024
Historiallinen romaani; oli minulle liian raskas ja vaikeasti seurattava. Välillä luin innolla, välillä olin ihan sekaisin nimistä ja tapahtumista. Poliittista juonintaa.. kirja pitäisi lukea muutaman kerran.
July 31, 2014
Kommissar Nikolai Hoffner von der Berliner Kriminalpolizei hat kurz nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg in einem Serienmord an Frauen zu ermitteln. Die Leichen werden auf Baustellen oder in Tunneln gefunden und tragen deutliche Zeichen, mit denen der Täter auf den Zusammenhang zwischen seinen Taten hinweisen will. Hoffner ist eine interessante, unangepasste Persönlichkeit. Seine Mutter ist Russin, die ehemals jüdische Familie konvertierte zum Christentum, um möglichst unauffällig leben zu können. In der Epoche zwischen den beiden Weltkriegen traut man einem Mann mit Nikolais Lebenslauf in der Polizei nicht über den Weg. Irgendetwas wird ihm schon anzuhängen sein, das ihn in die Nähe von Revolutionären stellt. In den Augen von Hoffners Kollegen, alle Kriegsteilnehmer des Ersten Weltkriegs, gibt auch Hoffners Assistent Hans Fichte keine gute Figur ab. Fichte wurde schon in der Grundausbildung bei einem Gasunfall untauglich für den Einsatz an der Westfront.
Während Hoffner noch über Muster bei Serientaten grübelt, verschwindet eine der Leichen aus dem Leichenkeller des Polizeipräsidiums am Alex. Bizarrerweise ist es die Leiche Rosa Luxemburgs, für die die Politische Polizei sich zuständig fühlt. Gegen die Konkurrenz im eigenen Haus und gegen eine undichte Stelle, die in Windeseile die Presse über jeden neuen Leichenfund informiert, ermitteln Hoffner und Fichte. Unterstützt wird ihre Ermittlungsarbeit durch circa 10-jährige Laufburschen, die mit Botengängen und Beschattungen ihren Lebensunterhalt verdienen und die schon lange kein Klassenzimmer mehr von innen gesehen haben. Zu interessanten Begegnungen Hoffners kommt es mit Einstein und Käthe Kollwitz.
Jonathan Rabb kann wunderbar authentische Figuren mit glaubwürdigen Innensichten schaffen. Indem er seine Hauptfiguren durch ihre Persönlichkeit aus der Reihe tanzen lässt, vermittelt er einen besonderen Blick auf die Zeit zwischen den Kriegen. Der amerikanische Autor betreibt einen beachtlichen Aufwand mit der Darstellung von Menschen aus unterschiedlichen Milieus, die Hausmeisterinnen, Prostituierten und die genannten Botenjungen finde ich äußerst gelungen.
Für einen Thriller hat das Buch sehr viel Atmosphäre zulasten der puren Spannung. Mit ein paar historischen Kenntnissen macht die Lektüre immer dann Spaß, wenn man mit Hoffner zusammen schlussfolgern kann oder z. B. schon vor ihm merkt, warum es völlig undenkbar ist, bei einer Familie an einem Freitagabend ohne Anmeldung aufzutauchen.
zur englischen kindle Ausgabe:
Theoretisch hatte Rabb wohl geplant, besondere Authentizität durch die Nennung der deutschen Polizeiränge zu schaffen. Bei den Kommissar-Dienstgraden gelingt ihm das noch korrekt, sie sind - deutsch - konsequent kursiv gesetzt. Bei anderen Rängen und Eigennamen verzettelt er sich – im Text der der englischen kindle-Ausgabe – jedoch mit dieser Trennung zwischen authentischer deutscher Bezeichnung und der Version für die amerikanischen Leser. Einige Wortschöpfungen sind komplett sinnfrei und wirken wie Rechtschreibfehler bei der Recherche.
Weder die Anrede „Fräulein“ ist in dieser Häufung für unverheiratete Frauen ohne Nennung des Nachnamens üblich gewesen, Deutsche haben sich nicht gegenseitig mit „Detective Inspector“ angesprochen, einen Kapitän in den Reihen der Polizei finde ich sehr sonderbar, die Straßennamen sind zum großen Teil fehlerhaft, über das Hallesche „Gate“ kann man streiten, die Siegessäule wird tatkräftig zur „Peace Column“ umgebogen. Schade, dass ein so gutes Buch durch das Einsparen eines deutschsprachigen Korrektors einen so nachlässigen Eindruck hinterlässt.
Während Hoffner noch über Muster bei Serientaten grübelt, verschwindet eine der Leichen aus dem Leichenkeller des Polizeipräsidiums am Alex. Bizarrerweise ist es die Leiche Rosa Luxemburgs, für die die Politische Polizei sich zuständig fühlt. Gegen die Konkurrenz im eigenen Haus und gegen eine undichte Stelle, die in Windeseile die Presse über jeden neuen Leichenfund informiert, ermitteln Hoffner und Fichte. Unterstützt wird ihre Ermittlungsarbeit durch circa 10-jährige Laufburschen, die mit Botengängen und Beschattungen ihren Lebensunterhalt verdienen und die schon lange kein Klassenzimmer mehr von innen gesehen haben. Zu interessanten Begegnungen Hoffners kommt es mit Einstein und Käthe Kollwitz.
Jonathan Rabb kann wunderbar authentische Figuren mit glaubwürdigen Innensichten schaffen. Indem er seine Hauptfiguren durch ihre Persönlichkeit aus der Reihe tanzen lässt, vermittelt er einen besonderen Blick auf die Zeit zwischen den Kriegen. Der amerikanische Autor betreibt einen beachtlichen Aufwand mit der Darstellung von Menschen aus unterschiedlichen Milieus, die Hausmeisterinnen, Prostituierten und die genannten Botenjungen finde ich äußerst gelungen.
Für einen Thriller hat das Buch sehr viel Atmosphäre zulasten der puren Spannung. Mit ein paar historischen Kenntnissen macht die Lektüre immer dann Spaß, wenn man mit Hoffner zusammen schlussfolgern kann oder z. B. schon vor ihm merkt, warum es völlig undenkbar ist, bei einer Familie an einem Freitagabend ohne Anmeldung aufzutauchen.
zur englischen kindle Ausgabe:
Theoretisch hatte Rabb wohl geplant, besondere Authentizität durch die Nennung der deutschen Polizeiränge zu schaffen. Bei den Kommissar-Dienstgraden gelingt ihm das noch korrekt, sie sind - deutsch - konsequent kursiv gesetzt. Bei anderen Rängen und Eigennamen verzettelt er sich – im Text der der englischen kindle-Ausgabe – jedoch mit dieser Trennung zwischen authentischer deutscher Bezeichnung und der Version für die amerikanischen Leser. Einige Wortschöpfungen sind komplett sinnfrei und wirken wie Rechtschreibfehler bei der Recherche.
Weder die Anrede „Fräulein“ ist in dieser Häufung für unverheiratete Frauen ohne Nennung des Nachnamens üblich gewesen, Deutsche haben sich nicht gegenseitig mit „Detective Inspector“ angesprochen, einen Kapitän in den Reihen der Polizei finde ich sehr sonderbar, die Straßennamen sind zum großen Teil fehlerhaft, über das Hallesche „Gate“ kann man streiten, die Siegessäule wird tatkräftig zur „Peace Column“ umgebogen. Schade, dass ein so gutes Buch durch das Einsparen eines deutschsprachigen Korrektors einen so nachlässigen Eindruck hinterlässt.
January 22, 2022
In the last days of the First World War, socialist revolution swept across Germany, sendng Kaiser Wilhelm into exile, and transforming Berlin into a battleground. Order returned only when the two leaders of the movement - Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg - were hunted down and assassinated on the fifteenth of January, 1919. Liebknecht's body was discovered the next morning; Luxemburg's body, however, remained missing until the end of May.Jonathan Rabb gives us this before he opens his book. The Goodreads description had me thinking this was more of a police procedural. I suppose in a way it is that, for there are women being found dead and Nikolai Hoffner is responsible for solving the crimes. As I read, however, this became so much more - so very much more.
Speculation about Rosa's fate during those months continues to this day.
This is one possibility.
I have read more about the prosecution, armies, battles and civilians during First World War than about its ending. I did know that the Kaiser left Germany in exile and before the War officially ended. And then I knew (and who didn't know) that Germany became chaos mostly, I thought, due to the reparations imposed on it and the inflation that ensued, eventually giving rise to Hitler. Somehow the reality of a German Communist Revolution on the heels of the Russian Communist Revolution excaped me; that there were other factions also fighting to dominate. Rabb does a superb job dropping us right into that chaos, murdered women aside. It isn't just this one speech, but it encapsulates it well.
"Berlin wants to dictate to the rest of Germany, but the rest of Germany isn't all that keen to listen. Communists in Bremen, Social Democrats in Hamburg, royalists n Stuttgart, God knows what else in Berlin, and on and on and on. The revolution isn't over. It's smply waiting to see who has the will to see it through."I expected a mystery, I got superb historical fiction. I thought the writing excellent and Hoffner's characterization perfect. I have just marked the second in the Trilogy as wishlist and will plan on acquiring it soon. I have been privileged to have some very good reads of late. This is another and a full 5-stars.
July 9, 2014
Nikolai Hoffner is a Kripo (criminal police) Detective Inspector in 1919 Berlin. This was a time of utter confusion and shifting political tides as revolution in post WW1 Germany became a real possibility. Forces on the left and right struggled to gain power against the backdrop of the downfall and exile of the previously autonomous Kaiser and the successful Russian revolution of 1917.
Amidst this chaos, Hoffner is trying to catch a serial killer with a distinct signature but his work is hampered by constant Polpo (the political police) interference once the body of Rosa Luxemburg, a revolutionary socialist leader, is found dead with the same symbols carved into her back. The author cleverly weaves the politics into the crime drama and I got a real feel for the time which includes the birth of the German Workers Party later to became the vehicle for Hitler's rise. Hoffner is an enjoyably complex character and I'm really looking forward to reading books 2 and 3 in which he features. Although marketed as part of a trilogy note that this can be read as a stand alone novel. And finally, if you like Bernie Gunther you'll love Nikolai Hoffner.
Amidst this chaos, Hoffner is trying to catch a serial killer with a distinct signature but his work is hampered by constant Polpo (the political police) interference once the body of Rosa Luxemburg, a revolutionary socialist leader, is found dead with the same symbols carved into her back. The author cleverly weaves the politics into the crime drama and I got a real feel for the time which includes the birth of the German Workers Party later to became the vehicle for Hitler's rise. Hoffner is an enjoyably complex character and I'm really looking forward to reading books 2 and 3 in which he features. Although marketed as part of a trilogy note that this can be read as a stand alone novel. And finally, if you like Bernie Gunther you'll love Nikolai Hoffner.
November 5, 2012
A first-rate historical thriller, on a par with Phillip Kerr, Martin Cruz Smith, and even the great Alan Furst. With Rosa, in fact, Jonathan Rabb shows himself to be, in my view at any rate, more politically sophisticated than all of his peers, with the possible exception of Kerr. He paints a dark and foreboding portrait of Berlin just after the first World War and the violent suppression of the ill-starred Spartacist uprising. It is a world of semi-secret right wing paramilitary organizations, a cynical and naive press, a corrupt police force that offers safe haven for racists of all stripes, a hapless and compromising centrist government that wears the socialist badge while marginalizing workers organizations and propping up what's left of the Kaiser's welfare state, and shadowy corporate interests pulling all the strings. Sound familiar?
March 6, 2014
Inventive, well researched, well crafted -- I think my rating is 3.5 and that might just be about when I read it. (That's a flaw with ratings, isn't it? It might be a book I would have rated more highly at another time, in a different mood.) I can't point out flaws, but the rating is my "impression." It was a solid, competent detective novel, set in interwar Germany, laden with all the details of the politics of the period, and yet I felt I was plodding along instead of zipping through it. I think that's faint criticism, but there you go. I will likely read the next installment of the series in a bit, but I'm not burning to move on to it. Maybe it's because it is dark, as it needs be. What a horridly unhelpful review. Sorry.
February 16, 2011
I really enjoyed getting some history along with a murder mystery. Even though I majored in Modern German History in college, I didn't really know all that much about the years right after WWI. Although the main character was a bit of a cliche--a savvy but disillusioned police detective--his moral crisis was handled very well and quite realistically. There was a lot to savor in this novel. I wasn't sure if I would buy the alternative to history (actually, a possible explanation for why Rosa Luxemburg's body didn't turn up until five months after she was killed), but I thought it was imaginative and plausible to some extent.
July 20, 2011
A fictional yarn about life in Berlin at the beginning of the end of peace. It features a serial killer, vast political corruption, a master detective, a secret society pulling the strings, and Rosa Luxemburg. Rosa was a real figure in history, a Jewish socialist agitator in Germany between the wars, fighting for all the workers to unite against those who would have them fight each other in war after war. She was found floating in a canal in Berlin and became a hero of the resistance. This mystery imagines what happened behind the scenes as the Nazis were coming to power. I enjoyed the mayhem and thought it was a pretty good story. The Nazis are always good for some intrigue.
May 25, 2011
I don't usually hate books. But I think I hate this one. It took me forever to read because everytime I turned on the Kindle I fell asleep. Also, the story was boring and the ending was unexciting for what is supposed to be a thriller. The writing was ok. And the protaganist is relatable. For this reason I wavered between 1 and 2 stars. But I had to go with 1 because I kept falling asleep. As stubborn as I am I was able to read this book to completion, but I've got to think that many people just put this down and walk away.
May 17, 2010
I give this a reluctant 4th star because the stop in the middle was, to me, quite final. Even though I knew there was more. The history is presented very well and the characters are quite good. I found myself drowning in explication (wrong word) at the denouement. I mean, it was borderline believable, but hard for me to read.
Nevertheless, I did like the book and will try another Rabb soon.
Pretty well recommended as historical detective fiction.
Nevertheless, I did like the book and will try another Rabb soon.
Pretty well recommended as historical detective fiction.
March 20, 2011
Well-researched detective novel constructed around the communist/socialist revolution that took place in Germany immediately following WW I. Based on the story of Rosa Luxembourg, even Albert Einstein makes a cameo appearance. Elaborate, if sometimes confusing and overly complex plot lines, I will try another of his soon. Ranks with Alan Furst in conveying a sense of what the world was like then through a compelling story line.
May 6, 2015
This book was confusing; I had a hard time keeping people and groups straight. (And I do know Rosa's story and how the Nazi movement began.) there was too much introspection/philosophy and not enough mystery. And why throw in sex? Totally unimportant and unrelated to the story! The actual mystery about Rosa's possible murderers was plausible and interesting, but that wasn't the focus of the story.
August 3, 2012
"A murdered revolutionary . . .
A vicious serial killer . . .
A city in chaos . . .
All lead to Rosa. "
~from Rosa by Jonathan Rabb
This is another hardcover I have sitting upon one of my real wooden shelves. A well-written thriller weaving fact and fiction into the threads of this tightly constructed story, which is backdropped by the mysterious disappearance of revolutionary Rosa Luxembourg.
A vicious serial killer . . .
A city in chaos . . .
All lead to Rosa. "
~from Rosa by Jonathan Rabb
This is another hardcover I have sitting upon one of my real wooden shelves. A well-written thriller weaving fact and fiction into the threads of this tightly constructed story, which is backdropped by the mysterious disappearance of revolutionary Rosa Luxembourg.
September 5, 2009
Really liked this one. Set in post-WWI Berlin, and involving the historical fact of the 4-month disappearance of the corpse of Rosa Luxemburg. Rabb constructs a fascinating tale around this, rich and complex. Most absorbing.
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