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Alex Kovacs #1
Vienna at Nightfall
It is the late 1930s in Europe and the darkness is gathering. The Nazis are marching, both inside Austria and outside. What can one man do to make a difference?Alex Kovacs can see what’s coming – he can, all of his friends can, all of Vienna can. When an opportunity presents itself, a chance to thwart the Nazi invasion of Austria, he agrees to join an espionage network that will take advantage of his regular business trips to Germany to gather secret information. But a personal tragedy soon complicates Alex’s mission and entangles him with a suspicious Gestapo captain in ways that he never anticipated.Vienna at Nightfall is the first book in the Alex Kovacs historical espionage thriller series. If you like to explore the world inhabited by Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther or the characters created by Alan Furst, a place and time where looming terror and moral ambiguity live side-by-side, then you’ll love Richard Wake’s new pre-World War II thriller.Pick up Vienna at Nightfall to discover this exciting new series today!
271 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2018
2803 people are currently reading
979 people want to read
About the author
Richard Wake
30 books100 followersRichard Wake's first career was as a newspaper reporter, columnist, and editor. Writing fiction was always an aspiration, especially historical fiction set in Europe during the inter-war period, and now it has become a reality.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
October 31, 2021
This is the second book by Wake I've read and it resembles the style and characters who appeared in the first book, Death in East Berlin. In particular, the lead character Alex Kovacs shares similar qualities with Peter Ritter, the East Berlin detective investigating dual murders before the construction of the Berlin Wall- both come across as self-doubting and self-effacing, enjoying a glass or two and lovers of women. Are all Wake's central characters cast in this mould?
Vienna at Nightfall details the events leading up to Hitler's invasion of Austria in 1938. The author cleverly creates a sense of surprise and anticipation although we all know what happened. When will the German army arrive, will we resist, how will France and England react, can we remain independent if our Government carries out more pro-Nazi actions? There's an atmosphere of despondency and inevitability throughout the novel - today it's Austria's turn, tomorrow it will be Czechoslovakia's. This quote sums up the atmosphere well and in a way reflects exactly what's happening in some countries today including the USA, being careful not to offend too much just in case the tiger is released from its cage-
'If you knew you were talking to a closet Nazi, you tried to be as noncommittal as your conscience would allow. Same with staunch supporters of the government. With monarchists, you mostly told the truth but always found a way to mention the good old days. And if you knew you were talking to a closet Socialist or a Jew, you ********** Hitler with alacrity, albeit in sotto voce. The whole thing was complicated, and getting more tangled all the time, but getting through a conversation without somebody standing up and storming out had become a practiced skill and a sign of good breeding, kind of like knowing which fork to use for the salad.'
This review was written by Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy.
Vienna at Nightfall details the events leading up to Hitler's invasion of Austria in 1938. The author cleverly creates a sense of surprise and anticipation although we all know what happened. When will the German army arrive, will we resist, how will France and England react, can we remain independent if our Government carries out more pro-Nazi actions? There's an atmosphere of despondency and inevitability throughout the novel - today it's Austria's turn, tomorrow it will be Czechoslovakia's. This quote sums up the atmosphere well and in a way reflects exactly what's happening in some countries today including the USA, being careful not to offend too much just in case the tiger is released from its cage-
'If you knew you were talking to a closet Nazi, you tried to be as noncommittal as your conscience would allow. Same with staunch supporters of the government. With monarchists, you mostly told the truth but always found a way to mention the good old days. And if you knew you were talking to a closet Socialist or a Jew, you ********** Hitler with alacrity, albeit in sotto voce. The whole thing was complicated, and getting more tangled all the time, but getting through a conversation without somebody standing up and storming out had become a practiced skill and a sign of good breeding, kind of like knowing which fork to use for the salad.'
This review was written by Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy.
June 18, 2019
This first book of the Alex Kovacs trilogy really pulled me in. The characters felt very real, and the dangers they face kept me turning the pages to find out what happens next. Richard Wake does an excellent job depicting the mounting internal Nazi violence, and the reader can't help but feel the echoes in today's world. The story is set in Vienna in 1937-'38, during the period when Austria was gripped by internal Nazi violence--tolerated by many police--coupled with the external threat from neighboring Nazi Germany (led by native son Adolf Hitler), and the anxiety of the period is palpable on the page.
The narrative had a few time-line issues that should have been caught during editing, which momentarily took me out of the story. Things that happened in February 1937 were later described as having happened in March; later, it's early August one day (described as right before everyone leaves for the August vacations), and the very next day it's early September. It didn't make sense that Alex would wait until February 1938 to tell his handler the secret information about Otto that Detective Muller gave him six months earlier (and the microfilm exchange could not have been the same microfilm from six months before, or it would have been hopelessly out-of-date).
Those issues are the only reasons I'm not giving the book 5 stars. The characters were compelling, and the plot was gripping, making for a highly enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to reading the second book, Spies of Zurich.
The narrative had a few time-line issues that should have been caught during editing, which momentarily took me out of the story. Things that happened in February 1937 were later described as having happened in March; later, it's early August one day (described as right before everyone leaves for the August vacations), and the very next day it's early September. It didn't make sense that Alex would wait until February 1938 to tell his handler the secret information about Otto that Detective Muller gave him six months earlier (and the microfilm exchange could not have been the same microfilm from six months before, or it would have been hopelessly out-of-date).
Those issues are the only reasons I'm not giving the book 5 stars. The characters were compelling, and the plot was gripping, making for a highly enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to reading the second book, Spies of Zurich.
January 18, 2019
I had never heard of the author but the genre and historical time period is one I really enjoy. I was very pleasantly surprised! Richard Wake tells a really good story! His storytelling reminds me a bit of the Bernie Gunther novels by Philip Kerr. The characters are likeable, the story is paced well and there's the right amount of suspense. I like to learn something new about an historical time period when I read, and I think that Mr. Wake did a really great job researching Austria during the years leading up to the Aunschluss. I did in fact learn things I didn't know previously even though I am fairly knowledgeable of the time period. I read the Kindle edition and there are many grammatical and editing errors in the Kindle edition but not enough to distract me from reading. When I finished the book, I immediately downloaded the second. I am looking forward to reading it!
May 28, 2019
This is an espionage/historical fiction book that takes place in the late 1930s. The story involves the period right before the invasion of Austria by the Nazi army. Alex Kovacs is a salesman from Brno, Czechoslovakia, living in Vienna and making sales calls to manufacturers in Germany. As a result he is asked to transport secret documents by the Czechoslovakia government. The spy story is interesting but not unusual and in one instance is similar to one of John LeCarre books. The writing is average but the historical fiction is fascinating as it deals with the beginnings of the Nazi party and the political struggles in Europe and especially in Austria. The author has done a very good job of creating the character of Alex Kovacs. I plan to read the next installment. 3+
January 5, 2020
A very good book on the beginning of World War II. the spying and the under handed tactics of the German Gestapo. Love the setting and the characters. !st book in a series and looking forward to the others.
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April 13, 2019Europe in the mid-1930s; Vienna, Austria on the eve of invasion by Nazi Germany. Alex Kovacs, a Chezch, living in Vienna and enjoying a bachelor's life with his friends, sees what's on the horizon. There is a chilling similarity to contemporary America: The rising nationalism to Make Germany Great Again; targeting an ethnic group for persecution; tolerating thugs and bullies as they attack Jews in the name of the Führer.
As Alex travels between Austria and Germany visiting customers of his family's magnesite mining firm, he's conflicted by his revulsion of the rising influence of Nazis and his lack of courage in taking an overt stand against them. The German steel factories that will produce the armaments of the next war are among his biggest customers. And navigating among the beliefs of his customers and his social circle in Vienna can be morally exhausting. Not until his beloved uncle and mentor, Otto, is found dead does Alex begin to emerge from his self-protective cocoon and start coming to terms with how he'll need to behave as Europe marches closer to war.
"Vienna at Nightfall" is, in a sense, a coming of age story, albeit for a man in his mid-30s. It's about the choices one must make that define their actions in an incredibly disruptive time of history.
I look forward to subsequent Alex Kovacs books to see how he fares.
As Alex travels between Austria and Germany visiting customers of his family's magnesite mining firm, he's conflicted by his revulsion of the rising influence of Nazis and his lack of courage in taking an overt stand against them. The German steel factories that will produce the armaments of the next war are among his biggest customers. And navigating among the beliefs of his customers and his social circle in Vienna can be morally exhausting. Not until his beloved uncle and mentor, Otto, is found dead does Alex begin to emerge from his self-protective cocoon and start coming to terms with how he'll need to behave as Europe marches closer to war.
"Vienna at Nightfall" is, in a sense, a coming of age story, albeit for a man in his mid-30s. It's about the choices one must make that define their actions in an incredibly disruptive time of history.
I look forward to subsequent Alex Kovacs books to see how he fares.
July 19, 2025
This espionage story takes place in the last months before the German annexation of Austria. A Slovak businessman gets recruited to courier secrets for the Czech intelligence. Meanwhile, he is stalked by some Gestapo agents. It is the first book in this World War II fiction series. I enjoyed it and plan to continue it. This story about Austria shortly before the annexation touches parts of history little covered.
December 15, 2024
A little too American, but good fun especially if you like history and love Vienna.
February 21, 2025
Excellent!
December 18, 2022
Philip Kerr and Alan First have set the bar for this genre: spying on the Nazis, before, during, and after World War II. Richard Wake comes very close. He has the mise en scene of the Furst classics but not quite the ambiance.
Wake has the Nazi Hyde - Jekyll charming hideousness Kerr does so well inside the Geheim Stats Polizei--the Gestapo, but not the dark 'earthy' humor of Kerr's Bernie Gunther, lifelong Berliner 'murder squad' graduate to the Gestapo.
The entertainment world has discovered this genre and some of Furst's spies are now on the screen, and "Babylon Berlin" is a Netflix favorite. So Wake is in great company.
His book series starts, like the history of many events in modern Europe, in Vienna. His spy hero and narrator, Alex Kovacs, is a Czech ex-pat Austrian citizen recruited by Czech intelligence as a courier.
And the dictator next door cannot wait to gobble up beautiful Austria. Hence "Vienna at Nightfall."
Wake has the Nazi Hyde - Jekyll charming hideousness Kerr does so well inside the Geheim Stats Polizei--the Gestapo, but not the dark 'earthy' humor of Kerr's Bernie Gunther, lifelong Berliner 'murder squad' graduate to the Gestapo.
The entertainment world has discovered this genre and some of Furst's spies are now on the screen, and "Babylon Berlin" is a Netflix favorite. So Wake is in great company.
His book series starts, like the history of many events in modern Europe, in Vienna. His spy hero and narrator, Alex Kovacs, is a Czech ex-pat Austrian citizen recruited by Czech intelligence as a courier.
And the dictator next door cannot wait to gobble up beautiful Austria. Hence "Vienna at Nightfall."
August 3, 2020
Very good first book in the series. Richard Wake does a great job with the genre: the 30s and days of the regime rise in Austria. Thrilling story that captivated right from the first pages. Alex Kovacs finds himself conflicted after being recruited into the underground anti Nazi movement as Hitler is preparing to move into Austria and his home and workplace of Vienna. Very exciting and fast paced read as Alex works to reluctantly help the movement while trying to determine what really happened to his beloved uncle who supposedly jumped off a bridge in an apparent suicide. The plot twists and supporting cast of characters makes this a great first book in a new series that I, for one, am very happy to add to my TBR list.
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October 30, 2020WARUM IST WIEN DIE KAPITAL DER KLASSISCHEN MUSIK?
Jahrhunderte nachdem Meisterkomponisten wie Mozart und Strauss in der Stadt gespielt haben, wird Wien seinem Ruf als Hauptstadt der klassischen Musik immer noch gerecht. Opernhäuser und Konzertsäle inspirieren Liebhaber das ganze Jahr über zu glorreichen Darbietungen. Aber woher stammt Wiens musikgetränkte Kultur, die heute so allgegenwärtig ist?
Nach Antworten suchen
Könnte Wien aufgrund seiner politischen und geografischen Einflüsse einen so bleibenden Eindruck auf die klassische Musik hinterlassen haben? Immerhin war es die Hauptstadt des österreichischen Reiches und später des österreichisch-ungarischen Reiches im Herzen Mitteleuropas.
Möglicherweise haben auch die gut informierten Monarchen und das gebildete Publikum der Stadt eine Rolle gespielt, da die Musik zwischen dem 18. und 19. Jahrhundert noch weitgehend mit der aristokratischen Hofkultur verbunden war. Alle diese Faktoren sind zwar definitiv einflussreich, aber nur geringfügige Beiträge zum musikalischen Erbe Wiens, was vor allem den kreativen Menschen zu verdanken ist, die in diesen bedeutsamen Jahren in der Stadt gelebt und gearbeitet haben.
Inspirierende internationale Komponisten
Überraschenderweise stammten die meisten der hochgeschätzten Musikfiguren, mit denen Wien in Verbindung gebracht wird, nicht aus der Stadt. Sie waren von der Müllhauptstadt des großen Reiches angezogen, weil das Sponsoring der Habsburger-Dynastie neben dem der Aristokraten des kaiserlichen Hofes ein lukratives Umfeld für Künstler und Musiker schuf.
Weil die Stadt ein ausgezeichneter Ort war, um sie als musikalische oder künstlerische Kreative groß zu machen, besuchten, blieben und schrieben viele Komponisten dort bemerkenswerte Musik. Tatsächlich haben in Wien mehr berühmte Komponisten gelebt als in jeder anderen Stadt der Welt. Während Mozart, Haydn, Mahler und Bruckner aus verschiedenen Teilen Österreichs stammten, kamen andere wie Beethoven, Gluck und Brahms aus anderen Ländern Europas.
Der Wiener Einfluss auf die Menschen außerhalb der Stadt war so stark, dass Der Rosenkavalier, der größtenteils als die größte wirklich Wiener Oper gilt, von dem Bayer Richard Strauss geschrieben wurde, der noch nie in Wien gelebt hat. Die Stadt brachte jedoch einige bedeutende Komponisten hervor, darunter Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss I und Johann Strauss II.
Wiener Klassik
Die 100 Jahre zwischen der Mitte des 18. und der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts, als ein stetiger Strom von Komponisten nach Mitteleuropa strömte, um sich in der Wiener Musikszene zu etablieren, werden als „Wiener Klassik“ bezeichnet.
In diesen Jahren war das österreichische Reich sehr stolz auf seine produktive und prestigeträchtige Musikproduktion, was dazu führte, dass Konzerte und Tanz zu einem äußerst wichtigen Aspekt des Wiener Lebens und der Wiener Kultur wurden. Zu dieser Zeit erlebte die Hauptstadt einen beträchtlichen musikalischen Aufschwung. Handwerker, die sich auf die Schaffung von Musikinstrumenten, Opernhäusern und Notenverlagen spezialisiert hatten, blühten wirklich auf.
Mozart
Mozart war zweifellos einer der einflussreichsten Bewohner der Stadt während der Wiener Klassik. Das 1756 in Salzburg geborene Kindergenie verbrachte einen Großteil seines Lebens in Wien, wo er viele seiner wertvollsten Werke der Stadt komponierte. Als kleines Kind blühte er unter der sorgfältigen musikalischen Anleitung seines Vaters auf und begann seine erste musikalische Tournee durch Europa im zarten Alter von fünf Jahren.
Mozart besuchte die österreichische Hauptstadt erstmals 1762, als er mit sechs Jahren in das Schloss Schönbrunn eingeladen wurde, um ein Konzert für die Familie Habsburg zu spielen. Nachdem er mit 25 Jahren dauerhaft in die Stadt gezogen war, schuf der Komponist einige seiner größten Vermächtnisse, wie die Zauberflöte und die Hochzeit des Figaro. Während seiner Zeit in der Stadt lebte Mozart an vielen Adressen, von denen eine Handvoll noch heute von der Öffentlichkeit besucht werden kann. 1791, im Alter von 35 Jahren, wurde Mozart auf einem nicht gekennzeichneten Grundstück auf dem St. Marx-Friedhof beigesetzt.
Andere einflussreiche Komponisten
Die Liste der Komponisten, die Wien zur Hauptstadt der klassischen Musik verholfen haben, reicht weit über Mozart hinaus. Johannes Brahms, der Sohn eines erfolgreichen Musikers, leitete 1862 und 1868 die Wiener Sängerakademie. Er betrachtete Wien als seine zweite Heimat, in der er auch mehrere eigene Konzerte aufführte und eine lukrative Karriere erlebte.
Arnold Schönberg, Mitglied der Zweiten Wiener Schule, ist ein weiterer Name, der sich von der Masse abhebt. Als autodidaktischer Performer und Komponist wurde Schönberg weitgehend von bekannten expressionistischen Malern dieser Zeit beeinflusst. Als Jude hatte er keine andere Wahl, als 1933 aus Wien zu fliehen. Danach verbrachte er den Rest seiner Tage in Los Angeles, USA.
Wien will ihre wichtige Hilfe und ihren Einfluss nicht vergessen und erinnert sich noch immer an viele der berühmten Komponisten, die heute einen Teil ihres Lebens in der Stadt verbringen. Strauss und Schubert haben beide Denkmäler im Stastpark (einem der vielen schönen Wiener Parks) und Sie können die früheren Residenzen von Mozart (Mozarthaus Wien), Ludwig van Beethoven (Beethoven Museum), Joseph Hayden (Haydenhaus) und Franz Schubert (Schubert Geburtshaus) besichtigen. .
Jahrhunderte nachdem Meisterkomponisten wie Mozart und Strauss in der Stadt gespielt haben, wird Wien seinem Ruf als Hauptstadt der klassischen Musik immer noch gerecht. Opernhäuser und Konzertsäle inspirieren Liebhaber das ganze Jahr über zu glorreichen Darbietungen. Aber woher stammt Wiens musikgetränkte Kultur, die heute so allgegenwärtig ist?
Nach Antworten suchen
Könnte Wien aufgrund seiner politischen und geografischen Einflüsse einen so bleibenden Eindruck auf die klassische Musik hinterlassen haben? Immerhin war es die Hauptstadt des österreichischen Reiches und später des österreichisch-ungarischen Reiches im Herzen Mitteleuropas.
Möglicherweise haben auch die gut informierten Monarchen und das gebildete Publikum der Stadt eine Rolle gespielt, da die Musik zwischen dem 18. und 19. Jahrhundert noch weitgehend mit der aristokratischen Hofkultur verbunden war. Alle diese Faktoren sind zwar definitiv einflussreich, aber nur geringfügige Beiträge zum musikalischen Erbe Wiens, was vor allem den kreativen Menschen zu verdanken ist, die in diesen bedeutsamen Jahren in der Stadt gelebt und gearbeitet haben.
Inspirierende internationale Komponisten
Überraschenderweise stammten die meisten der hochgeschätzten Musikfiguren, mit denen Wien in Verbindung gebracht wird, nicht aus der Stadt. Sie waren von der Müllhauptstadt des großen Reiches angezogen, weil das Sponsoring der Habsburger-Dynastie neben dem der Aristokraten des kaiserlichen Hofes ein lukratives Umfeld für Künstler und Musiker schuf.
Weil die Stadt ein ausgezeichneter Ort war, um sie als musikalische oder künstlerische Kreative groß zu machen, besuchten, blieben und schrieben viele Komponisten dort bemerkenswerte Musik. Tatsächlich haben in Wien mehr berühmte Komponisten gelebt als in jeder anderen Stadt der Welt. Während Mozart, Haydn, Mahler und Bruckner aus verschiedenen Teilen Österreichs stammten, kamen andere wie Beethoven, Gluck und Brahms aus anderen Ländern Europas.
Der Wiener Einfluss auf die Menschen außerhalb der Stadt war so stark, dass Der Rosenkavalier, der größtenteils als die größte wirklich Wiener Oper gilt, von dem Bayer Richard Strauss geschrieben wurde, der noch nie in Wien gelebt hat. Die Stadt brachte jedoch einige bedeutende Komponisten hervor, darunter Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss I und Johann Strauss II.
Wiener Klassik
Die 100 Jahre zwischen der Mitte des 18. und der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts, als ein stetiger Strom von Komponisten nach Mitteleuropa strömte, um sich in der Wiener Musikszene zu etablieren, werden als „Wiener Klassik“ bezeichnet.
In diesen Jahren war das österreichische Reich sehr stolz auf seine produktive und prestigeträchtige Musikproduktion, was dazu führte, dass Konzerte und Tanz zu einem äußerst wichtigen Aspekt des Wiener Lebens und der Wiener Kultur wurden. Zu dieser Zeit erlebte die Hauptstadt einen beträchtlichen musikalischen Aufschwung. Handwerker, die sich auf die Schaffung von Musikinstrumenten, Opernhäusern und Notenverlagen spezialisiert hatten, blühten wirklich auf.
Mozart
Mozart war zweifellos einer der einflussreichsten Bewohner der Stadt während der Wiener Klassik. Das 1756 in Salzburg geborene Kindergenie verbrachte einen Großteil seines Lebens in Wien, wo er viele seiner wertvollsten Werke der Stadt komponierte. Als kleines Kind blühte er unter der sorgfältigen musikalischen Anleitung seines Vaters auf und begann seine erste musikalische Tournee durch Europa im zarten Alter von fünf Jahren.
Mozart besuchte die österreichische Hauptstadt erstmals 1762, als er mit sechs Jahren in das Schloss Schönbrunn eingeladen wurde, um ein Konzert für die Familie Habsburg zu spielen. Nachdem er mit 25 Jahren dauerhaft in die Stadt gezogen war, schuf der Komponist einige seiner größten Vermächtnisse, wie die Zauberflöte und die Hochzeit des Figaro. Während seiner Zeit in der Stadt lebte Mozart an vielen Adressen, von denen eine Handvoll noch heute von der Öffentlichkeit besucht werden kann. 1791, im Alter von 35 Jahren, wurde Mozart auf einem nicht gekennzeichneten Grundstück auf dem St. Marx-Friedhof beigesetzt.
Andere einflussreiche Komponisten
Die Liste der Komponisten, die Wien zur Hauptstadt der klassischen Musik verholfen haben, reicht weit über Mozart hinaus. Johannes Brahms, der Sohn eines erfolgreichen Musikers, leitete 1862 und 1868 die Wiener Sängerakademie. Er betrachtete Wien als seine zweite Heimat, in der er auch mehrere eigene Konzerte aufführte und eine lukrative Karriere erlebte.
Arnold Schönberg, Mitglied der Zweiten Wiener Schule, ist ein weiterer Name, der sich von der Masse abhebt. Als autodidaktischer Performer und Komponist wurde Schönberg weitgehend von bekannten expressionistischen Malern dieser Zeit beeinflusst. Als Jude hatte er keine andere Wahl, als 1933 aus Wien zu fliehen. Danach verbrachte er den Rest seiner Tage in Los Angeles, USA.
Wien will ihre wichtige Hilfe und ihren Einfluss nicht vergessen und erinnert sich noch immer an viele der berühmten Komponisten, die heute einen Teil ihres Lebens in der Stadt verbringen. Strauss und Schubert haben beide Denkmäler im Stastpark (einem der vielen schönen Wiener Parks) und Sie können die früheren Residenzen von Mozart (Mozarthaus Wien), Ludwig van Beethoven (Beethoven Museum), Joseph Hayden (Haydenhaus) und Franz Schubert (Schubert Geburtshaus) besichtigen. .
May 15, 2023
Richard Wake wastes no time in getting the story rolling. We meet the protagonist, a Czech businessman named Alex Kovacs, on a Friday evening in late November 1936. He and his two best buddies are drinking Manhattans at the American Bar on Kärntner Durchgang, fortifying themselves for the pursuit of women whom they plan on finding at a venue a bit larger than the three table dive they currently occupy. From this simple staging area, Wake has these three 37 year old men kick off an event filled evening.
Shortly after they begin to wend their way to the Stardust, where there is a band and women, they stumble across a gang of Nazi brownshirts, who are bullying a young Jew. They charge to the rescue. Leon gets clocked in the head with a cobblestone. Four Viennese cops pull up in a paddy wagon. The Nazis run away. The cops interrogate our three friends without bothering to chase down the Nazis and threaten Leon, Alex, and Henry with dire consequences should they be caught fighting again.
From there they walk to a hospital emergency room to get six stitches for Leon's head wound. There they learn that the doctor doing the stitching is a celebrity who has fallen on hard times. Once a prominent academic who taught at a prestigious medical school and served as a minister for the Austrian government, the only job this medic can now find is working the Friday night shift at a Trauma Center. This is because the Nazis don't like Jews.
After this Alex and his friends no longer feel like dancing. So they head towards the Louvre which is a newspaperman's bar that Leon likes. Leon is a journalist by the way.
While Leon chats up three blondes at another table and Henry goes to the toilet, a reporter from Prague singles out Alex to deliver a strange message from Czech intelligence.
"They want to talk to you about something. They want you to meet a guy on Sunday at 1:30 in the cathedral."
And with that the messenger goes running off into the night leaving Alex scratching his head. But, that's not all. Somehow, one of the hot babes Leon has met corrals Alex into an opera date for the next evening.
"During the walk home, I played the conversation over in my head and still hadn't come to any conclusion when I saw Hannah, our secretary, bundled up and sitting on the steps of my building, a handkerchief balled in her left hand. She was crying.
"Hannah . . ."
"Oh, Alex. . . . It's Otto. He's dead."
How's that for an exciting Friday night? That's just the first three chapters.
Richard Wake transports us to Austria and Germany during the years leading up to the Aunschluss. He skillfully weaves political and military history into the everyday life of his hero, Alex Kovacs, who is an intelligent, witty, and very believable character. Wake does a great job of making the tension and unease of 1938 Vienna palpable with life seeming to continue as normal under the threat of Nazi takeover. The community's angst is mirrored by Alex's daily anxiety once he becomes a courier for Czech intelligence and a target for the Gestapo.
This is a tense, character-driven and exciting read. Highly recommended!
Shortly after they begin to wend their way to the Stardust, where there is a band and women, they stumble across a gang of Nazi brownshirts, who are bullying a young Jew. They charge to the rescue. Leon gets clocked in the head with a cobblestone. Four Viennese cops pull up in a paddy wagon. The Nazis run away. The cops interrogate our three friends without bothering to chase down the Nazis and threaten Leon, Alex, and Henry with dire consequences should they be caught fighting again.
From there they walk to a hospital emergency room to get six stitches for Leon's head wound. There they learn that the doctor doing the stitching is a celebrity who has fallen on hard times. Once a prominent academic who taught at a prestigious medical school and served as a minister for the Austrian government, the only job this medic can now find is working the Friday night shift at a Trauma Center. This is because the Nazis don't like Jews.
After this Alex and his friends no longer feel like dancing. So they head towards the Louvre which is a newspaperman's bar that Leon likes. Leon is a journalist by the way.
While Leon chats up three blondes at another table and Henry goes to the toilet, a reporter from Prague singles out Alex to deliver a strange message from Czech intelligence.
"They want to talk to you about something. They want you to meet a guy on Sunday at 1:30 in the cathedral."
And with that the messenger goes running off into the night leaving Alex scratching his head. But, that's not all. Somehow, one of the hot babes Leon has met corrals Alex into an opera date for the next evening.
"During the walk home, I played the conversation over in my head and still hadn't come to any conclusion when I saw Hannah, our secretary, bundled up and sitting on the steps of my building, a handkerchief balled in her left hand. She was crying.
"Hannah . . ."
"Oh, Alex. . . . It's Otto. He's dead."
How's that for an exciting Friday night? That's just the first three chapters.
Richard Wake transports us to Austria and Germany during the years leading up to the Aunschluss. He skillfully weaves political and military history into the everyday life of his hero, Alex Kovacs, who is an intelligent, witty, and very believable character. Wake does a great job of making the tension and unease of 1938 Vienna palpable with life seeming to continue as normal under the threat of Nazi takeover. The community's angst is mirrored by Alex's daily anxiety once he becomes a courier for Czech intelligence and a target for the Gestapo.
This is a tense, character-driven and exciting read. Highly recommended!
September 24, 2024
Richard Wake 'Vienna at Nightfall' Four stars
Vienna had a grip on me before I ever got there, thanks to Carol Reed’s film of the Graham Greene screenplay, 'The Third Man'. My first cultural pilgrimage in Europe was to the Ferris wheel in the Prater park, where Harry Lime invites Holly Martins for a menacing ride. Vienna architecture was brutally beautiful, Mozart’s 'Magic Flute' at the Staatsoper superbly sung. My daughter’s godfather Harry was there when the Nazis swept in, welcomed by a million Nazi salutes. Harry was the only one not saluting; as a Jew he considered himself lucky he was not attacked for not saluting and left immediately and got as far away as he could, New Zealand. So why, despite all he told me of Vienna and Berlin culture shut down by Nazification, should I make a beeline for Vienna and ever since compulsively read thrillers set there and in Germany just before, during and after World War Two?
Probably hoping for the next Graham Greene and getting close with the Berlin detective Bernie Gunther and Alan Furst. So, a new series set in the desired time and place is an exciting prospect, and this novel does not fall far short of its predecessors. Alex Kovacs is a Czech and former Austrian citizen back as a magnesite salesman in Vienna, where Jews are attacked in the name of ‘Making Germany great again’ a la Trump’s war cry now. German armaments factories are his biggest customers, and he turns a blind eye to the persecution, until his uncle and mentor becomes a victim.
The book is about his dangerous attempts to warn of the threat as a spy for the Czechs while interacting with Nazi businessmen and inevitably the Gestapo, in the form of the usual charming Nazi who will prove to be a monster. It is not hard to identify with Kovacs tiptoeing around this moral and physical minefield. The dramatic context is as familiar as 'Hamlet', and there is the same compulsion to see how the central character will cope as the tragic circumstances unfold. Plenty of pace and ambiguity as Vienna hurtles like a runaway train into the dark Nazi tunnel.
Vienna had a grip on me before I ever got there, thanks to Carol Reed’s film of the Graham Greene screenplay, 'The Third Man'. My first cultural pilgrimage in Europe was to the Ferris wheel in the Prater park, where Harry Lime invites Holly Martins for a menacing ride. Vienna architecture was brutally beautiful, Mozart’s 'Magic Flute' at the Staatsoper superbly sung. My daughter’s godfather Harry was there when the Nazis swept in, welcomed by a million Nazi salutes. Harry was the only one not saluting; as a Jew he considered himself lucky he was not attacked for not saluting and left immediately and got as far away as he could, New Zealand. So why, despite all he told me of Vienna and Berlin culture shut down by Nazification, should I make a beeline for Vienna and ever since compulsively read thrillers set there and in Germany just before, during and after World War Two?
Probably hoping for the next Graham Greene and getting close with the Berlin detective Bernie Gunther and Alan Furst. So, a new series set in the desired time and place is an exciting prospect, and this novel does not fall far short of its predecessors. Alex Kovacs is a Czech and former Austrian citizen back as a magnesite salesman in Vienna, where Jews are attacked in the name of ‘Making Germany great again’ a la Trump’s war cry now. German armaments factories are his biggest customers, and he turns a blind eye to the persecution, until his uncle and mentor becomes a victim.
The book is about his dangerous attempts to warn of the threat as a spy for the Czechs while interacting with Nazi businessmen and inevitably the Gestapo, in the form of the usual charming Nazi who will prove to be a monster. It is not hard to identify with Kovacs tiptoeing around this moral and physical minefield. The dramatic context is as familiar as 'Hamlet', and there is the same compulsion to see how the central character will cope as the tragic circumstances unfold. Plenty of pace and ambiguity as Vienna hurtles like a runaway train into the dark Nazi tunnel.
January 15, 2022
Starts off great: very good writing.
BUT, GAWDS, THIS WAS BORRRRING!!!!
“In Koblenz, Ewald J. Gruber owned the local steel mill. He was five-foot-nothing and stooped over besides, 70 years old, impressively unattractive, and truly believable as something you would put in your garden to ward off evil spirits and for nervy squirrels to piss upon. The Gnome.”
"‘This time was a little different,’ I said. ‘This time he wanted two of them—12 feet of blonds, five feet of Gnome, no stepladder to help. I managed to make the arrangements with the girls, and when they left the café, I told them they had to do something for me. He was walking between them, holding each of them by the hand, and just at the door, they lifted him up and swung him through the air, both feet off the ground.’"
Goes down hill as author seemingly spends waaaayyyyyy too much time APOLOGIZING for Hitler and anti-semitism. In fact, so much time is seemingly spent apologizing that there seems to be no actual story: apologies and fingers pointed and virtues signaled.
MY GAWD WILL THIS BE OVER SOON?
PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!!!!
I stopped reading at P. 160, lowered this to one star, returned the book unread, and went to bed.
.
.
BUT, GAWDS, THIS WAS BORRRRING!!!!
“In Koblenz, Ewald J. Gruber owned the local steel mill. He was five-foot-nothing and stooped over besides, 70 years old, impressively unattractive, and truly believable as something you would put in your garden to ward off evil spirits and for nervy squirrels to piss upon. The Gnome.”
"‘This time was a little different,’ I said. ‘This time he wanted two of them—12 feet of blonds, five feet of Gnome, no stepladder to help. I managed to make the arrangements with the girls, and when they left the café, I told them they had to do something for me. He was walking between them, holding each of them by the hand, and just at the door, they lifted him up and swung him through the air, both feet off the ground.’"
Goes down hill as author seemingly spends waaaayyyyyy too much time APOLOGIZING for Hitler and anti-semitism. In fact, so much time is seemingly spent apologizing that there seems to be no actual story: apologies and fingers pointed and virtues signaled.
MY GAWD WILL THIS BE OVER SOON?
PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!!!!
I stopped reading at P. 160, lowered this to one star, returned the book unread, and went to bed.
.
.
August 22, 2023
This is the first book of the Alex Kovacs series. As such I get that the setting and main character need to be established well. And I like historical settings, therefore I didn’t mind that the author took his time with that. However, the plot could have been a bit more condensed, so that just a little more would have happened. If the story had been more about the character’s development, that would not have mattered at all, but the main character is rather stereotypical, therefore his interactions with other characters and figures matter more.
In addition to that, I thought that the scarce information about the not unimportant Otto could have been this little bit more, too. I assume that this is going to develop into a longer hunt for information to solve this mystery while other plots happen. Basically, the Otto part looks like a massive cliffhanger, which is maybe ok, though it would not have been needed with a bit more plot going on.
All in all, the book is ok, the style of writing is actually quite nice, and my main objections are plot related. Besides, I have not given up my hope for better titles in this series.
3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4, due to the hope-factor.
In addition to that, I thought that the scarce information about the not unimportant Otto could have been this little bit more, too. I assume that this is going to develop into a longer hunt for information to solve this mystery while other plots happen. Basically, the Otto part looks like a massive cliffhanger, which is maybe ok, though it would not have been needed with a bit more plot going on.
All in all, the book is ok, the style of writing is actually quite nice, and my main objections are plot related. Besides, I have not given up my hope for better titles in this series.
3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4, due to the hope-factor.
September 23, 2023
Audiobook that I saw on facebook. OK story, but not sure I'd read others in the series. Narrator often mispronounces German words, which drives me nuts.
It is the late 1930s in Europe and the darkness is gathering. The Nazis are marching, both inside Austria and outside. What can one man do to make a difference?
Alex Kovacs can see what’s coming – he can, all of his friends can, all of Vienna can. When an opportunity presents itself, a chance to thwart the Nazi invasion of Austria, he agrees to join an espionage network that will take advantage of his regular business trips to Germany to gather secret information. But a personal tragedy soon complicates Alex’s mission and entangles him with a suspicious Gestapo captain in ways that he never anticipated.
It is the late 1930s in Europe and the darkness is gathering. The Nazis are marching, both inside Austria and outside. What can one man do to make a difference?
Alex Kovacs can see what’s coming – he can, all of his friends can, all of Vienna can. When an opportunity presents itself, a chance to thwart the Nazi invasion of Austria, he agrees to join an espionage network that will take advantage of his regular business trips to Germany to gather secret information. But a personal tragedy soon complicates Alex’s mission and entangles him with a suspicious Gestapo captain in ways that he never anticipated.
January 18, 2021
Although not ripping exciting, I really liked the story and the characters, plus the very accurate sounding history of what Vienna was like in the build-up to Hitler's invasion. Negatives were the love interest -- who really didn't have much heft, and the occasional expressions like "No way" that were absolutely not part of the jargon at the time. This happens to be my pet peeve, and I find myself wondering, if the author can do such meticulous research of the time and place, why can't he read half a dozen books WRITTEN in that era so that the voice -- it is a first person narrator -- sounds authentically of his time also?
February 19, 2023
The First Book in an Exciting New Series
Alex Kovac is a veteran of the Great War. He and his two friends had survived together and it created a special bond between them. When his Uncle Otto commits suicide while he is on his sales route for his family mine, Alex is forced to take over.
With Germany in the process of absorbing Austria he gets involved with working with the Czech intelligence Agency. This brings him to the attention the Gestapo. Alex will need the help of his friends to keep him from ending up in a concentration camp.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Alex Kovac is a veteran of the Great War. He and his two friends had survived together and it created a special bond between them. When his Uncle Otto commits suicide while he is on his sales route for his family mine, Alex is forced to take over.
With Germany in the process of absorbing Austria he gets involved with working with the Czech intelligence Agency. This brings him to the attention the Gestapo. Alex will need the help of his friends to keep him from ending up in a concentration camp.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 4, 2024
Beginning of a very readable series
I am now reading book 10 in the series, so it is clear I am enjoying it. The characters are well crafted, not stereotypical, very human. The plots are credible and move at a good pace. The settings move around Europe, are well described and seem thoroughly researched. This is a robust jaunt through Europe around the time of the second world war. So why only four stars? For me there is too much "f###" and "sh##". Indeed too much foul language altogether. I know the principle character is Czech but as a native English speaker the language seems anachronistic, unnecessarily so.
I am now reading book 10 in the series, so it is clear I am enjoying it. The characters are well crafted, not stereotypical, very human. The plots are credible and move at a good pace. The settings move around Europe, are well described and seem thoroughly researched. This is a robust jaunt through Europe around the time of the second world war. So why only four stars? For me there is too much "f###" and "sh##". Indeed too much foul language altogether. I know the principle character is Czech but as a native English speaker the language seems anachronistic, unnecessarily so.
April 1, 2019
A well done, low key thriller about the run up to the invasion of Austria and how one becomes a spy/resistor. Reminded me a bit of the Cold War espionage novels by Ross Thomas. The background is well done, from being a business traveller to the Vienna press pack. There’s also a heavy duty espionage operation going on off stage that’s well handled - although it’s not clear why the gestapo aren’t rougher with Kovacs: would have solved their problem. The underplayed detail of the quarry near Mauthausen was a nice, chilling touch.
October 3, 2019
Vienna at Nightfall Richard Wake
Alex Kovacs is a salesman in a family business. He lives in Vienna, but his travels often take him to Germany. Hitler's momentum is rising. Life is changing in Austria, and not for the better. Jewish citizens are starting to fear for their safety. World War two is just around corner. Alex, has became a courier for the earliest forms of the resistance. His Life is now a very dangerous one. A misstep? Disaster. This is an excellent spy thriller. Enjoyed immensely!
Alex Kovacs is a salesman in a family business. He lives in Vienna, but his travels often take him to Germany. Hitler's momentum is rising. Life is changing in Austria, and not for the better. Jewish citizens are starting to fear for their safety. World War two is just around corner. Alex, has became a courier for the earliest forms of the resistance. His Life is now a very dangerous one. A misstep? Disaster. This is an excellent spy thriller. Enjoyed immensely!
August 22, 2021
I was gripped by this first book in a series involving espionage during WW2. The sense of unease in Vienna of 1938 was palpable, with life seeming to continue as normal as the threat of Nazi invasion looms.
The setting and atmosphere were so well described, as was the bond between the three main characters which made me genuinely concerned for their safety. Alex's vacillation, when approached to be a courier seemed entirely human and realistic given to danger to his safety. This was a tense, character-driven and exciting read. Highly recommended!
The setting and atmosphere were so well described, as was the bond between the three main characters which made me genuinely concerned for their safety. Alex's vacillation, when approached to be a courier seemed entirely human and realistic given to danger to his safety. This was a tense, character-driven and exciting read. Highly recommended!
May 4, 2019
Great read
I started this book, not expecting to find it interesting but I was immediately drawn into Alex's story. I couldn't put it down! In addition to the obvious tension ad Alex begins his spying career, there are details about that time and Austria that I knew nothing about, even though I lived a time in Salzburg in my youth. I highly recommend this book. It is suspenseful, never cliche, always interesting.
I started this book, not expecting to find it interesting but I was immediately drawn into Alex's story. I couldn't put it down! In addition to the obvious tension ad Alex begins his spying career, there are details about that time and Austria that I knew nothing about, even though I lived a time in Salzburg in my youth. I highly recommend this book. It is suspenseful, never cliche, always interesting.
May 5, 2019
I got halfway. Then the poor writing and wooden dialogs became to much. Overall of gave the impression of a 15 year old highscool student (male) being teleported into another country and time. Not a prude, but there is so much use of the f-word I can tolorate in a story about pre-war Vienna. Pretty hilarious was Alex mentioning temperature in Fahrenheit. As far as I know Europe used the metric system for a century by then. Not recommended.
August 24, 2019
Great Austrian Espionage story
I enjoyed the story of Alex Kovacs experience as a reluctant Czech courier/ spy. Wake's description of the chaotic last days of Austrian independence before the Anschlus is spot on accurate. Austria, torn apart by Nazis, Socialists, Monarchists and a slew of other political parties by 1938 never had a chance. Great characters throughout this story. Great book.
I enjoyed the story of Alex Kovacs experience as a reluctant Czech courier/ spy. Wake's description of the chaotic last days of Austrian independence before the Anschlus is spot on accurate. Austria, torn apart by Nazis, Socialists, Monarchists and a slew of other political parties by 1938 never had a chance. Great characters throughout this story. Great book.
December 14, 2019
I’m a big fan of Alan Furst, David Downing, and Philip Kerr, all authors who’ve written series set in Central Europe in the lead-up to WW 2. This book fits nicely into the genre, and features a sympathetic and believable protagonist who, like the characters created by the other authors, finds himself caught up in events of the time.
The writing is good, the author seems to know the locales he’s writing about, and the incidental players are well-described. An enjoyable read.
The writing is good, the author seems to know the locales he’s writing about, and the incidental players are well-described. An enjoyable read.
September 15, 2020
I really enjoyed this one. The author truly captured the feel of the cities and atmosphere. I picked up this book as a kindle unlimited option before my road trip to vienna. Having read the book then seeing the cities discussed in the story, they were spot on. Including the haunting EL-DE HAUS. I enjoyed the characters and its development. Fast paced and I couldn't put it down. Looking forward to finishing the series!!!
July 22, 2021
This is an entertaining debut novel in the historical fiction genre. The author tells an interesting story without making it overly complex for the reader. The pacing was good and the author did a fine job of capturing the anxiety and fear that existed among Austrians. The author also provided some amusing perspectives on occasion to balance the mood. Ending seemed a bit anti climatic but overall a series worth exploring further.
February 25, 2022
I tried this without any real expectations. I'm a big fan of David Downing, Luke McCallin, Alan Furst and especially the late great Philip Kerr. So I'm always interested in any espionage books during and before WWII. I would have given this 3.5 stars because I think the authors I mentioned are better and they usually get 4 or 5 stars. But Richard Wake will get better and better. And I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who likes the genre. I'm now on to the second Alex Kovacs book.
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