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Into Darkness
'Both a gripping thriller and a warning from history.' Richard Foreman Germany, 1944. The Führer has just survived another assassination attempt. But Germany is losing the war. Stauffenberg's attempted assassination and coup originated from inside the government and military. Is the Nazi Party about to turn on itself? Order must be restored and the High Command is calling for blood. Max Hoffmann is enlisted, under Hitler’s instruction, to carry out an investigation. The disillusioned detective has a problem though; he knows that as soon as the investigation starts, his own treason against the Party might be uncovered. As it becomes clear that Hoffman has not been a "good Nazi" he decides to go on the run, mere hours ahead of the SS Agents who are sent to arrest him. As a fugitive, Hoffman only has one to fight one last battle against the people that turned against him, his friends and his family - and against one man in particular. ‘Into Darkness’ is a superb historical thriller, which sheds light not only upon the end days of the Third Reich but also upon one man, trying to serve his country and conscience.
462 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2014
77 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Anton Gill
64 books66 followersAnton Gill worked for the English Stage Company, the Arts Council of Great Britain, and the BBC before becoming a full-time writer in 1984. He has written more than twenty books, mainly in the field of contemporary history.
aka Oliver Bowden
aka Oliver Bowden
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 22, 2017
Is there such a thing as a good Nazi? That seems to be the question posed in this World War II thriller. In 1944, senior police detective Max Hoffman - under Hitler’s direct orders - carries out an investigation into the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler and remove the Nazi Party from power. Hoffman is a long-time member of the Nazi Party, but was quickly disillusioned and, for almost a decade, has been working with the German resistance to destroy the Third Reich from within.
From the start, Hoffman knows that his own treason against the Party might soon be uncovered, so he goes on the run, determined to get his daughter Emma and son Stefan to safety in Switzerland. He delegates his deputy, Kessler (who's in love with Emma) to ensure his daughter is able to leave Germany, while he fakes his own death and travels across the country in various disguises to where his young son is in hiding with a family friend.
Along the way, Hoffman meets a variety of "ordinary" German people and because of the pursuit of him by the SS and Gestapo, he brings almost all of them grief in one form or another. All the while he reflects on his love for a woman named Kara who acted as his conscience and was the mother of his son Stefan. Kara was murdered in Berlin and Hoffman's plans include a reckoning with the man he knows was responsible for her death.
The author marvellously captures the fear and paranoia rampant in 1944 Germany as everyone realises that the war is lost and Hitler lashes out against the men who tried to kill him.
Over a decade, there were more than 40 attempts to assassinate Hitler and most were carried out by people in the German government or military forces. Hoffman's story is a symbol of the German resistance to Hitler - one that is rarely told.
From the start, Hoffman knows that his own treason against the Party might soon be uncovered, so he goes on the run, determined to get his daughter Emma and son Stefan to safety in Switzerland. He delegates his deputy, Kessler (who's in love with Emma) to ensure his daughter is able to leave Germany, while he fakes his own death and travels across the country in various disguises to where his young son is in hiding with a family friend.
Along the way, Hoffman meets a variety of "ordinary" German people and because of the pursuit of him by the SS and Gestapo, he brings almost all of them grief in one form or another. All the while he reflects on his love for a woman named Kara who acted as his conscience and was the mother of his son Stefan. Kara was murdered in Berlin and Hoffman's plans include a reckoning with the man he knows was responsible for her death.
The author marvellously captures the fear and paranoia rampant in 1944 Germany as everyone realises that the war is lost and Hitler lashes out against the men who tried to kill him.
Over a decade, there were more than 40 attempts to assassinate Hitler and most were carried out by people in the German government or military forces. Hoffman's story is a symbol of the German resistance to Hitler - one that is rarely told.
September 13, 2019
Enjoyable historic romp.
I have read a few historical detective, spy, and war novels and it's a genre i enjoy. Gill, is not an author I am familiar with although I gather he writes historic non fiction books. I notice this is a book not particularly read or reviewed by many, especially when compared to other authors who operate in similar circles. Overall, I think this is a novel that deserves to be well known. Based (albeit loosely) on real events this is a well written book with we'll drawn characters and an excellent sense of time and place. The narrative slowly builds, with a back story that is drip fed through out the book. If was being harsh I would say the ending was not as strong as what precedes it but overall its a good, entertaining and interesting book.
I have read a few historical detective, spy, and war novels and it's a genre i enjoy. Gill, is not an author I am familiar with although I gather he writes historic non fiction books. I notice this is a book not particularly read or reviewed by many, especially when compared to other authors who operate in similar circles. Overall, I think this is a novel that deserves to be well known. Based (albeit loosely) on real events this is a well written book with we'll drawn characters and an excellent sense of time and place. The narrative slowly builds, with a back story that is drip fed through out the book. If was being harsh I would say the ending was not as strong as what precedes it but overall its a good, entertaining and interesting book.
January 16, 2021
I enjoyed the author's non-fiction on opposition to the Nazis and looked forward to this which ended up an an absorbing if too unbelievable story of the aftermath of von Stauffenberg’s plot in July 1944. It focuses on Max Hoffman, a criminal investigator and favourite of Hitler, charged with uncovering the conspirators but himself one of them. His gradually unveiled relationship with a Jewish woman in the 1930s plus his own path to resistance and the moral dilemmas are well put together although his various narrow escapes, along with a few others including that of his daughter, just doesn’t ring true for late 1944. Still, some good WWII German atmosphere
January 2, 2022
Great Read
The story is riveting and terrifying. Everyone should go back and read the stories of how Germany lost its Soul and its people turned a blind eye to what was happening. Americans should pay attention, dark forces from the right, could change the future. Freedom is a right not a guarantee.
The story is riveting and terrifying. Everyone should go back and read the stories of how Germany lost its Soul and its people turned a blind eye to what was happening. Americans should pay attention, dark forces from the right, could change the future. Freedom is a right not a guarantee.
May 5, 2022
Slightly disappointing
This was an interesting premise for a book (with some basis on reality) and the plot was fairly good. It wasn’t however developed particularly well and the different story strands didn’t seem to move at the same pace with some interesting ideas not expanded on.
The ending was a bit abrupt and slightly dissatisfying.
This was an interesting premise for a book (with some basis on reality) and the plot was fairly good. It wasn’t however developed particularly well and the different story strands didn’t seem to move at the same pace with some interesting ideas not expanded on.
The ending was a bit abrupt and slightly dissatisfying.
April 10, 2019
A wonderful story of a very difficult time in history
A very detailed and well written book giving incite into the Germans that resisted Hitler at the risk of their lives. How many died attempting to save their country from lunatics.
They deserve our respect and regard.
A very detailed and well written book giving incite into the Germans that resisted Hitler at the risk of their lives. How many died attempting to save their country from lunatics.
They deserve our respect and regard.
August 7, 2017
Historical fiction
A better book than one could hope for after the opening chapter. A great story told well. A good insight into a desperate period of Germany's modern history.
A better book than one could hope for after the opening chapter. A great story told well. A good insight into a desperate period of Germany's modern history.
August 19, 2018
A film in the making
If ever a book was written to be made into a film this is it. It's a good factual read but almost too formulaic, I still enjoyed it though
If ever a book was written to be made into a film this is it. It's a good factual read but almost too formulaic, I still enjoyed it though
July 30, 2021
Excellent story terrible proofreading
The story kept me captivated, but there were more than a dozen misspelled or misused words. Proofreading requires a human eye not a computer.
The story kept me captivated, but there were more than a dozen misspelled or misused words. Proofreading requires a human eye not a computer.
October 8, 2016
I don't know if it is possible to say that I truly enjoyed this book. At a superficial level, it's a straightforward thriller set in Nazi Germany. It is also a description of life in the Nazi state, the persecution, the brutality, the absence of morality and the perversion of law; the book describes all of this well. I would recommend reading this book and then reflecting on the fact that there are people in Europe and the United States who subscribe to Nazi beliefs, from what I have read elsewhere the book is accurate in its descriptions!
August 1, 2015
Interesting story developed on an actual happening
There have been several accounts of the attempted murder of Hitler and this one is the best I have read or seen.
There have been several accounts of the attempted murder of Hitler and this one is the best I have read or seen.
November 21, 2016
DNF @ 60%
August 30, 2016
I really liked this book. Well developed characters, good written story and a fascinating period in which it takes place. Also it was extremely cheap in the Kindle edition (a few euros). Buy it !
October 28, 2016
Well researched as I'd expect from the author of Dance Between the Flames with plenty of period detail and a good plot.
December 28, 2016
Loooong. Some very gripping parts, some terribly gruesome bits too. A Good Read
Want to read
April 27, 2019Synopsis: in 1944 Hitler survived an assassination. Max Hoffmann is enlisted to investigate. He worries he might uncover his own treason.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews