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A Collins-Burke Mystery #11
Postmark Berlin
The latest mystery from a two-time winner of the Arthur Ellis Award
Father Brennan Burke is struggling, and he's been coping the only way he knows how: self-medicating with drink. He's barely managing, but his troubles intensify when the body of one of his parishioners washes up on the coast of Halifax.
Meika Keller came to Canada after escaping past a checkpoint in the Berlin Wall. An army colonel is charged with her murder, and defence lawyer Monty argues that Meika's death was a suicide, which is the last thing Father Burke wants to hear. Guilty of neglecting his duties as a priest when Meika needed him most, Brennan feels compelled to uncover whatever instigated her cry for help and led to her death.
The story takes us from the historic Navy town of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to the history-laden city of Berlin, as Brennan and his brother Terry head to Germany in search of answers. And while Brennan will stop at nothing to find what, or who, is responsible for Meika's death, nothing could have prepared the priest for the events that unfold.
Father Brennan Burke is struggling, and he's been coping the only way he knows how: self-medicating with drink. He's barely managing, but his troubles intensify when the body of one of his parishioners washes up on the coast of Halifax.
Meika Keller came to Canada after escaping past a checkpoint in the Berlin Wall. An army colonel is charged with her murder, and defence lawyer Monty argues that Meika's death was a suicide, which is the last thing Father Burke wants to hear. Guilty of neglecting his duties as a priest when Meika needed him most, Brennan feels compelled to uncover whatever instigated her cry for help and led to her death.
The story takes us from the historic Navy town of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to the history-laden city of Berlin, as Brennan and his brother Terry head to Germany in search of answers. And while Brennan will stop at nothing to find what, or who, is responsible for Meika's death, nothing could have prepared the priest for the events that unfold.
350 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2020
1 person is currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Anne Emery
17 books79 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Anne Emery is the author of SIGN OF THE CROSS (2006), OBIT (2007), BARRINGTON STREET BLUES (2008), CECILIAN VESPERS (2009) and CHILDREN IN THE MORNING (2010). Anne was born in Halifax and grew up in Moncton. She is a graduate of St. F.X. University and Dalhousie Law School. She has worked as a lawyer, legal affairs reporter and researcher. Apart from reading and writing, her interests include music, philosophy, architecture, travel and Irish history. Anne lives in Halifax with her husband and daughter.
Series:
* Monty Collins Mystery
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (2007): Sign of the Cross
Anne Emery is the author of SIGN OF THE CROSS (2006), OBIT (2007), BARRINGTON STREET BLUES (2008), CECILIAN VESPERS (2009) and CHILDREN IN THE MORNING (2010). Anne was born in Halifax and grew up in Moncton. She is a graduate of St. F.X. University and Dalhousie Law School. She has worked as a lawyer, legal affairs reporter and researcher. Apart from reading and writing, her interests include music, philosophy, architecture, travel and Irish history. Anne lives in Halifax with her husband and daughter.
Series:
* Monty Collins Mystery
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (2007): Sign of the Cross
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 7, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Many thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for the Postmark Berlin ARC. I have been a longtime fan of the Collins-Burke mysteries. Monty Collins is a defence lawyer, a devoted family man, and plays in a Blues Band. Father Brennan Burke is a compassionate priest along with his teaching and other duties. He loves church and classical music by great composers. Unfortunately, he loves liquor too much.
This is book number 11 in the Collins-Burke series. Most of the mysteries are set in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia, where both men live. These great friends have worked together in the past solving crimes. Unfortunately, they are now estranged due to events which occurred in Belfast, Ireland in the previous book.
Anne Emery has created two compelling characters and it is evident that much historical research has gone into this book. I found the plot very complicated, but it all made sense at the end. The story begins with a parishioner, Meika Keller, coming to see Father Burke, at a scheduled time. Unfortunately, Burke is out drinking with his brother and has forgotten all about the appointment. She leaves in a seemingly distressed state. This highly respected university teacher and patron of the arts is next found drowned.
The story mostly takes place in Nova Scotia but has its roots in Berlin in 1974. Her story was that during the Cold War, she made her escape with her young daughter from Soviet-controlled East Berlin into West Berlin. She told about being shot at during her escape, and that her daughter later took sick and died. She moved to Canada and has been living a successful, comfortable life with her Canadian military husband and stepchildren.
Father Burke is overwhelmed by guilt when he learns of her death. He does not know what was disturbing her and feels it was his duty to be there for her. If he hadn't been getting drunk and might have prevented her suicide. Or was she murdered? Witnesses saw a heated argument between a prominent army colonel and Meika shortly before her body was found. Monty prepares to defend the military colonel of murder and is convinced it was suicide and that his client is innocent.
Father Burke feels the motive for her suicide or murder may be discovered in Berlin. He and his brother travel to Berlin. They discover tales of spies, treason, duplicity, fears about informers and brutal imprisonments during the Soviet Control over the Eastern Section of Berlin. Lies and Military secrets that extend all the way back to Canada are uncovered.
This is a gripping historical mystery, both complex and informative about treachery during the Cold War and how innocent civilians suffered.
Many thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for the Postmark Berlin ARC. I have been a longtime fan of the Collins-Burke mysteries. Monty Collins is a defence lawyer, a devoted family man, and plays in a Blues Band. Father Brennan Burke is a compassionate priest along with his teaching and other duties. He loves church and classical music by great composers. Unfortunately, he loves liquor too much.
This is book number 11 in the Collins-Burke series. Most of the mysteries are set in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia, where both men live. These great friends have worked together in the past solving crimes. Unfortunately, they are now estranged due to events which occurred in Belfast, Ireland in the previous book.
Anne Emery has created two compelling characters and it is evident that much historical research has gone into this book. I found the plot very complicated, but it all made sense at the end. The story begins with a parishioner, Meika Keller, coming to see Father Burke, at a scheduled time. Unfortunately, Burke is out drinking with his brother and has forgotten all about the appointment. She leaves in a seemingly distressed state. This highly respected university teacher and patron of the arts is next found drowned.
The story mostly takes place in Nova Scotia but has its roots in Berlin in 1974. Her story was that during the Cold War, she made her escape with her young daughter from Soviet-controlled East Berlin into West Berlin. She told about being shot at during her escape, and that her daughter later took sick and died. She moved to Canada and has been living a successful, comfortable life with her Canadian military husband and stepchildren.
Father Burke is overwhelmed by guilt when he learns of her death. He does not know what was disturbing her and feels it was his duty to be there for her. If he hadn't been getting drunk and might have prevented her suicide. Or was she murdered? Witnesses saw a heated argument between a prominent army colonel and Meika shortly before her body was found. Monty prepares to defend the military colonel of murder and is convinced it was suicide and that his client is innocent.
Father Burke feels the motive for her suicide or murder may be discovered in Berlin. He and his brother travel to Berlin. They discover tales of spies, treason, duplicity, fears about informers and brutal imprisonments during the Soviet Control over the Eastern Section of Berlin. Lies and Military secrets that extend all the way back to Canada are uncovered.
This is a gripping historical mystery, both complex and informative about treachery during the Cold War and how innocent civilians suffered.
January 13, 2021
POSTMARK BERLIN
Father Brennan Burke was out at the local pub having a few round of drinks with his pals and forgot about his promised 10pm meeting with his parishioner Meika Keller. The next day she is found dead, her body washed up on a local Halifax Nova Scotia beach. And so begins his journey to discover what happened to her, trying to rid himself of his guilt for letting her down when she had so badly needed him.
This is a very good murder mystery with a strong and complex, yet believable storyline. Meika Keller, German immigrant, is an upstanding citizen within her community; a married physics professor with two grown children. But she is seen arguing with another man very late at night on the night she died. She also had received some cryptic
correspondence from Berlin not long before she died.
This is the newest book in the Collins-Burke Mystery Series. The story is told from three different perspectives: Father Burke, the lawyer Monty Collins, and the Detective Pete Van den Brink. Events of the story take place in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada, and Leipzig and Berlin in Germany. Wonderful descriptions of historic architecture are plentiful. So are the many visits to taverns, pubs, and inns. It is a serious story but the characters are well developed and enjoyable, and the dialogue is very comfortable.
Although this story is well into the Collins-Burke series, 11th I believe, it is my first. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to reading about the earlier adventures of these two men and their families. I would like to thank NetGalley, Anne Emery, and ECW Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Father Brennan Burke was out at the local pub having a few round of drinks with his pals and forgot about his promised 10pm meeting with his parishioner Meika Keller. The next day she is found dead, her body washed up on a local Halifax Nova Scotia beach. And so begins his journey to discover what happened to her, trying to rid himself of his guilt for letting her down when she had so badly needed him.
This is a very good murder mystery with a strong and complex, yet believable storyline. Meika Keller, German immigrant, is an upstanding citizen within her community; a married physics professor with two grown children. But she is seen arguing with another man very late at night on the night she died. She also had received some cryptic
correspondence from Berlin not long before she died.
This is the newest book in the Collins-Burke Mystery Series. The story is told from three different perspectives: Father Burke, the lawyer Monty Collins, and the Detective Pete Van den Brink. Events of the story take place in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada, and Leipzig and Berlin in Germany. Wonderful descriptions of historic architecture are plentiful. So are the many visits to taverns, pubs, and inns. It is a serious story but the characters are well developed and enjoyable, and the dialogue is very comfortable.
Although this story is well into the Collins-Burke series, 11th I believe, it is my first. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to reading about the earlier adventures of these two men and their families. I would like to thank NetGalley, Anne Emery, and ECW Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
May 31, 2021
I was surprised by how much I liked the story and the characters. It was also a very Canadian story.
The protagonists are Brennan Burke an Irish Catholic priest, like no priest you have ever heard of. He is hard drinking, smokes and has had sex at least once. He also wears a tshirt at the end of the book that is an expression from St. Augustine that says Give me chastity…but not yet. I rather liked this Burke fellow and he is described as tall, dark and handsome. He also very smart, speaks several languages could have been an architect but chose to be a priest and has created a well renown music school in Halifax of all places. He is Irish and comes from a big Irish family who left Ireland during the “troubles” and wound up in New York city. I also met two of his brothers in this book and you could not ask for nicer brothers.
The other main character is Monty Collins, lawyer who is a good friend of Burkes and he and his lovely wife and their three children are part of Burkes family in Halifax, along with some other characters. In this book there is trouble between Burke and Collins that must be resolved along with the meat of the story and so this problem adds a little more depth to the characters.
The story is about the death of a parishioner of Burke’s who before she died had asked to meet with him and he forgot all about her and was out drinking with his younger brother when she died. He is feeling quite guilty about failing to meet with her and thinks that she might still be alive if he had kept his appointment. He spends the rest of the book trying to find out what she wanted to say to him.
I thought the book was very well written and had some good historical points. It brought in things like the falling of the Berlin Wall, the unification of the Canadian armed forces, the history of Halifax, what life was like for people who lived behind the Berlin wall. There were other historical elements that I cannot recall now. It was also a story of espionage. Anne Emery loves using Latin phrases and the music that the children were learning in school was in Latin. Opera was also part of the story.
The book was never boring. The story was based in 1996 so there was no reference to computers or cell phones. Her characters went to "Tims" (Tim Horton coffee chain) for coffee, they also went to bars that I would have no problem spending time in.
This book was the most recent in the Collins – Burke series so I will seek out the first of the books and get to know these characters. I do feel you could read this book without having read any other book in the series.
The protagonists are Brennan Burke an Irish Catholic priest, like no priest you have ever heard of. He is hard drinking, smokes and has had sex at least once. He also wears a tshirt at the end of the book that is an expression from St. Augustine that says Give me chastity…but not yet. I rather liked this Burke fellow and he is described as tall, dark and handsome. He also very smart, speaks several languages could have been an architect but chose to be a priest and has created a well renown music school in Halifax of all places. He is Irish and comes from a big Irish family who left Ireland during the “troubles” and wound up in New York city. I also met two of his brothers in this book and you could not ask for nicer brothers.
The other main character is Monty Collins, lawyer who is a good friend of Burkes and he and his lovely wife and their three children are part of Burkes family in Halifax, along with some other characters. In this book there is trouble between Burke and Collins that must be resolved along with the meat of the story and so this problem adds a little more depth to the characters.
The story is about the death of a parishioner of Burke’s who before she died had asked to meet with him and he forgot all about her and was out drinking with his younger brother when she died. He is feeling quite guilty about failing to meet with her and thinks that she might still be alive if he had kept his appointment. He spends the rest of the book trying to find out what she wanted to say to him.
I thought the book was very well written and had some good historical points. It brought in things like the falling of the Berlin Wall, the unification of the Canadian armed forces, the history of Halifax, what life was like for people who lived behind the Berlin wall. There were other historical elements that I cannot recall now. It was also a story of espionage. Anne Emery loves using Latin phrases and the music that the children were learning in school was in Latin. Opera was also part of the story.
The book was never boring. The story was based in 1996 so there was no reference to computers or cell phones. Her characters went to "Tims" (Tim Horton coffee chain) for coffee, they also went to bars that I would have no problem spending time in.
This book was the most recent in the Collins – Burke series so I will seek out the first of the books and get to know these characters. I do feel you could read this book without having read any other book in the series.
Read
May 25, 2020Father Brennan Burke is an unlikely priest where he will stop at nothing to get justice including being an amateur detective. When Meika Keller ends up being the parishioner needing his help that sends this Halifax based priest in search of answers in her homeland.
This book gives the balance between the investigation on three fronts, the police, lawyer Monty Collins and Father Burke.
To have these viewpoints and methods in which they seem the truth keeps the reader hanging on for more.
With good doses of Canadian (namely East Coast) history added in for good measure, this mystery also unveils secrets in the setting.
This book gives the balance between the investigation on three fronts, the police, lawyer Monty Collins and Father Burke.
To have these viewpoints and methods in which they seem the truth keeps the reader hanging on for more.
With good doses of Canadian (namely East Coast) history added in for good measure, this mystery also unveils secrets in the setting.
April 26, 2024
3.5 A good Canadian read.
October 16, 2021
It is 1996 in Halifax Nova Scotia. After eight horrific months in a Northern Irish prison, Father Brennan Burke, rector of Saint Bernadette’s has returned home, physically and psychologically damaged by his experience. He is thin and mentally fragile after his treatment at the hands of brutal guards, trying to endure while living in unsanitary conditions, eating bad food and consuming a deadly concoction of in-house prison alcohol brewed by his fellow inmates. Since he arrived home, he has spent most evenings in the pub, drinking heavily and suffering the next morning; his hangovers are beginning to destroy him.
On one such morning Bishop Dennis Cronin comes banging on his door, interrupting Burke’s sleep and demanding to know why he missed a prearranged meeting with one of his parishioners. He had agreed to meet with Meika Keller at ten o’clock the night before, but he had been drinking with friends and completely forgot about his commitment. Burke promises the bishop he will contact her, apologize and meet with her this very day, but the bishop tells him there is no need. Meika’s body was washed up on the shores of Park Pleasant beach early this morning. It is believed she committed suicide.
Burke is devastated he was not there when his parishioner needed him and a sense of overwhelming guilt invades his every thought. He let her down when she needed him most and that may have led to her suicide. Compelled by his guilt and his need to ease his conscience, he sets out to find out more about this woman he barely knew but abandoned in her time of need. When police charge Colonel Alban MacNair, one of Mieka’s neighbours with her death, Burke feels better, believing the failed appointment did not necessarily lead to her death. He also learns MacNair has hired Monty Collins, Burke’s estranged friend, to mount his defense.
Burke knew Meika as a respected professor of physics at St. Mary’s University. He also learns she enjoyed a happy family life with her husband Commodore Hubert Rendell Commander and her two children, lived in a beautiful home on the Northwest Arm and was a well-known patron of the arts. People are shocked and puzzled by her death.
His investigation leads him to his friend Collins, who he has been avoiding since his return to Halifax. Burke feels Collins abandoned him to his fate when the two were in Ireland last year. He is angry with Monty who appeared not to care about Burke’s terrible experience and had laughed off a warning that if he had listened, might have saved Burke from a show trial in court, in house beatings and months in prison. Instead, Burke fell into the hands of a brutal police force and a blatantly unfair judicial system. Collins on the other hand, had no idea how the legal case he was working on caught Burke in the crosshairs of the long standing, violent, political feuds waged in Northern Ireland.
When Collins is hired to defend Meika Keller, the two men must confront the past and work to move ahead with their work: Burke to find out what happened to Meika and Collins to draw up a credible defense for his client, charged with her murder. While Collins investigates in Halifax, Burke heads off to Berlin where he believes there may answers to Meika’s death. She was an immigrant to Canada after escaping from Germany through a checkpoint in the Berlin Wall in 1974, a flight that ended in a hail of bullets. In discussing Meika with one of her friends, operatic tenor Fried Habler, Burke learns that shortly before her death she received a mysterious postcard from Berlin and then took a trip to Europe. He wonders if whatever happened to Meika on the beach in Halifax, began in Europe. Burke’s trip to Berlin takes him back to the world of the former divided city, the Cold War, military activity on both sides and the work of spies and espionage agents. It also immerses him in what he loves, historic architecture, German cuisine, and Bavarian beer.
Burke has another issue he must confront at home. During his absence his choral school has been taken over by Langston Soames, a wealthy entrepreneur who has set himself up in a position of authority and is determined to take the school in completely different directions than Burke originally intended.
Little Normie Collins plays an important role in this instalment and the relationship she has with Brennan Burke grows closer as she helps him cope with his demons.
Father Brennan Burke’s continues to be a strong character, a man who loves his family, his students and friends, has a passion for music, is a respected choir master and school principal, but is forever at odds with Mrs. Kelly, his gossipy housekeeper who disproves of his drinking. In his off hours Burke assumes the life of a regular Irish dude, hitting the pubs in his faded jeans and shirts, and probably the only priest one could imagine wearing a T shirt with words that will give readers a hearty chuckle. Look for it in the closing pages of the book.
Emery maintains her high standard of research, placing this mystery in its historical context with a story that spans the years from 1974 to 1996. She interestingly creates two opposing scenarios, the cozy warmth of Burke’s friends and family in Halifax and New York with the cold, tense atmosphere in Berlin, where everyone looks over their shoulder, is careful what they say and is always conscious of being watched. This time, unlike the two previous books, she maintains a better balance of her story and the background history. She also includes interesting information about Burke’s other passions, architecture and music as Burke walks the street of Berlin.
This mystery is complex with several layers that unfold slowly, keeping readers moving from one scenario to the next, chasing the truth. A two-time Arthur Ellis Award winner for previous installments in this series, she continues to present readers with great characters, adept pacing and good storylines. During this crime series she frequently refers to Halifax towns, parks, universities, drinking spots and buildings, those familiar with the city will appreciate.
This is the eleventh book and a strong addition to the series.
On one such morning Bishop Dennis Cronin comes banging on his door, interrupting Burke’s sleep and demanding to know why he missed a prearranged meeting with one of his parishioners. He had agreed to meet with Meika Keller at ten o’clock the night before, but he had been drinking with friends and completely forgot about his commitment. Burke promises the bishop he will contact her, apologize and meet with her this very day, but the bishop tells him there is no need. Meika’s body was washed up on the shores of Park Pleasant beach early this morning. It is believed she committed suicide.
Burke is devastated he was not there when his parishioner needed him and a sense of overwhelming guilt invades his every thought. He let her down when she needed him most and that may have led to her suicide. Compelled by his guilt and his need to ease his conscience, he sets out to find out more about this woman he barely knew but abandoned in her time of need. When police charge Colonel Alban MacNair, one of Mieka’s neighbours with her death, Burke feels better, believing the failed appointment did not necessarily lead to her death. He also learns MacNair has hired Monty Collins, Burke’s estranged friend, to mount his defense.
Burke knew Meika as a respected professor of physics at St. Mary’s University. He also learns she enjoyed a happy family life with her husband Commodore Hubert Rendell Commander and her two children, lived in a beautiful home on the Northwest Arm and was a well-known patron of the arts. People are shocked and puzzled by her death.
His investigation leads him to his friend Collins, who he has been avoiding since his return to Halifax. Burke feels Collins abandoned him to his fate when the two were in Ireland last year. He is angry with Monty who appeared not to care about Burke’s terrible experience and had laughed off a warning that if he had listened, might have saved Burke from a show trial in court, in house beatings and months in prison. Instead, Burke fell into the hands of a brutal police force and a blatantly unfair judicial system. Collins on the other hand, had no idea how the legal case he was working on caught Burke in the crosshairs of the long standing, violent, political feuds waged in Northern Ireland.
When Collins is hired to defend Meika Keller, the two men must confront the past and work to move ahead with their work: Burke to find out what happened to Meika and Collins to draw up a credible defense for his client, charged with her murder. While Collins investigates in Halifax, Burke heads off to Berlin where he believes there may answers to Meika’s death. She was an immigrant to Canada after escaping from Germany through a checkpoint in the Berlin Wall in 1974, a flight that ended in a hail of bullets. In discussing Meika with one of her friends, operatic tenor Fried Habler, Burke learns that shortly before her death she received a mysterious postcard from Berlin and then took a trip to Europe. He wonders if whatever happened to Meika on the beach in Halifax, began in Europe. Burke’s trip to Berlin takes him back to the world of the former divided city, the Cold War, military activity on both sides and the work of spies and espionage agents. It also immerses him in what he loves, historic architecture, German cuisine, and Bavarian beer.
Burke has another issue he must confront at home. During his absence his choral school has been taken over by Langston Soames, a wealthy entrepreneur who has set himself up in a position of authority and is determined to take the school in completely different directions than Burke originally intended.
Little Normie Collins plays an important role in this instalment and the relationship she has with Brennan Burke grows closer as she helps him cope with his demons.
Father Brennan Burke’s continues to be a strong character, a man who loves his family, his students and friends, has a passion for music, is a respected choir master and school principal, but is forever at odds with Mrs. Kelly, his gossipy housekeeper who disproves of his drinking. In his off hours Burke assumes the life of a regular Irish dude, hitting the pubs in his faded jeans and shirts, and probably the only priest one could imagine wearing a T shirt with words that will give readers a hearty chuckle. Look for it in the closing pages of the book.
Emery maintains her high standard of research, placing this mystery in its historical context with a story that spans the years from 1974 to 1996. She interestingly creates two opposing scenarios, the cozy warmth of Burke’s friends and family in Halifax and New York with the cold, tense atmosphere in Berlin, where everyone looks over their shoulder, is careful what they say and is always conscious of being watched. This time, unlike the two previous books, she maintains a better balance of her story and the background history. She also includes interesting information about Burke’s other passions, architecture and music as Burke walks the street of Berlin.
This mystery is complex with several layers that unfold slowly, keeping readers moving from one scenario to the next, chasing the truth. A two-time Arthur Ellis Award winner for previous installments in this series, she continues to present readers with great characters, adept pacing and good storylines. During this crime series she frequently refers to Halifax towns, parks, universities, drinking spots and buildings, those familiar with the city will appreciate.
This is the eleventh book and a strong addition to the series.
June 11, 2020
Read my full review here: https://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot....
In the eleventh entry of Anne Emery’s award-winning series, “Father Brennan Burke is coming off a rough stint in Belfast and he's been trying to obliterate those memories with drink ever since. His troubles intensify when the body of one of his parishioners washes up on the beach in Halifax.
Meika Keller came to Canada after escaping through the Berlin Wall. Now a Canadian military officer is charged with her murder. Defense lawyer Monty Collins argues that her death was suicide. That's the last thing Father Burke wants to hear. Guilty of neglecting his duties as a priest when Meika needed him most, Brennan feels compelled to uncover whatever prompted her cry for help and led to her death.
The story takes us from the historic Navy town of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to the history-laden city of Berlin, as Brennan and his brother Terry head to Germany in search of answers. And while Brennan is determined to find out what accounted for Meika's death, nothing could have prepared him for the events that unfold. And in the midst of all this, Brennan and Monty must deal with conflicts between the two of them, which arose out of their time in Belfast and have yet to be resolved. “
One of the reasons I like to read mysteries is because of the details regarding the setting, and definitely this is the case with Postmark Berlin. We learn a lot about Halifax, Berlin, and Leipzig, as Father Burke travels around attempting to solve who may have murdered Meika. Or was it suicide?
The reader feels comfortable enough with Father Burke to call him Brennan, and I found Brennan to be a very relatable character, filled with flaws but with an immense number of redeemable characteristics. He is responding to what he feels is his failure to help Meika, and his guilt is palpable.
I really knew nothing about East Berlin during its Communist days, nor did I know anything about the Stasi, the East German secret police. Brennan learns a lot as well as he travels, seeking information about Meika as a way of assuaging his guilt. Nothing is as simple as it looks, as Brennan soon discovers, particularly because he is relying on a postcard that Meika has received with a postmark of Berlin and a picture of Stasi headquarters. Who sent it to Meika? Why?
I had no trouble dropping into the lives of Brennan, his brothers, and his detecting partner, Monty, even though this was their eleventh outing together. Sometimes mystery novels spend too much time trying to catch the reader up on what happened before; I felt that Emery did a good job of keeping the reader updated. However, I did get lost in lots and lots of details. Too many details. In fact, I almost got bogged down in details that did not move the plot forward. The Kirkus reviewer says, “Sympathetic characters, a complex plot, and a slew of details of questionable relevance.” My feelings exactly.
In the eleventh entry of Anne Emery’s award-winning series, “Father Brennan Burke is coming off a rough stint in Belfast and he's been trying to obliterate those memories with drink ever since. His troubles intensify when the body of one of his parishioners washes up on the beach in Halifax.
Meika Keller came to Canada after escaping through the Berlin Wall. Now a Canadian military officer is charged with her murder. Defense lawyer Monty Collins argues that her death was suicide. That's the last thing Father Burke wants to hear. Guilty of neglecting his duties as a priest when Meika needed him most, Brennan feels compelled to uncover whatever prompted her cry for help and led to her death.
The story takes us from the historic Navy town of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to the history-laden city of Berlin, as Brennan and his brother Terry head to Germany in search of answers. And while Brennan is determined to find out what accounted for Meika's death, nothing could have prepared him for the events that unfold. And in the midst of all this, Brennan and Monty must deal with conflicts between the two of them, which arose out of their time in Belfast and have yet to be resolved. “
One of the reasons I like to read mysteries is because of the details regarding the setting, and definitely this is the case with Postmark Berlin. We learn a lot about Halifax, Berlin, and Leipzig, as Father Burke travels around attempting to solve who may have murdered Meika. Or was it suicide?
The reader feels comfortable enough with Father Burke to call him Brennan, and I found Brennan to be a very relatable character, filled with flaws but with an immense number of redeemable characteristics. He is responding to what he feels is his failure to help Meika, and his guilt is palpable.
I really knew nothing about East Berlin during its Communist days, nor did I know anything about the Stasi, the East German secret police. Brennan learns a lot as well as he travels, seeking information about Meika as a way of assuaging his guilt. Nothing is as simple as it looks, as Brennan soon discovers, particularly because he is relying on a postcard that Meika has received with a postmark of Berlin and a picture of Stasi headquarters. Who sent it to Meika? Why?
I had no trouble dropping into the lives of Brennan, his brothers, and his detecting partner, Monty, even though this was their eleventh outing together. Sometimes mystery novels spend too much time trying to catch the reader up on what happened before; I felt that Emery did a good job of keeping the reader updated. However, I did get lost in lots and lots of details. Too many details. In fact, I almost got bogged down in details that did not move the plot forward. The Kirkus reviewer says, “Sympathetic characters, a complex plot, and a slew of details of questionable relevance.” My feelings exactly.
March 29, 2020
I'll be back with a review. This mystery novel was not only a great suspense read, it also took me down memory lane big time. I need to digest first before I can write my review.
After taking a few days to let this story sink in, I'm finally ready to post my review. Thank you, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Here is my personal unbiased opinion:
It's hard for me to say what I liked the most about this book: Was it the story? Was it the characters? Was it all the little twists? Was it the trip down memory lane in the streets of my home country? I think all of them rank way up there!
Part of this book is set in Leipzig. I grew up about 30 minutes from Leipzig and loved reading about the characters' experience in this amazing city! The author definitely showed fantastic knowledge/research efforts in this story. I grew up in East Germany. I know what it felt like to grow up behind the Iron Curtain. I also have first-hand experience of the Stasi activities, the fear some people lived in, and the life in a country that called itself a communist country but was actually a totalitarian system. My family was one of those families where some members tried to deflect (and eventually succeeded) while others were either absolutely loyal to the corrupt system or were too scared to stand up for justice. This book took me back to those times when before November 1989. What surprised me was that there were still things that I learned from this book (about history). The author did a great job including information beyond what you can google.
In addition, I loved learning about Halifax and Canada as well as about Ireland. The author did an amazing job combining the history of these three countries. This book will definitely be on my list of books I will recommend to friends.
After taking a few days to let this story sink in, I'm finally ready to post my review. Thank you, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Here is my personal unbiased opinion:
It's hard for me to say what I liked the most about this book: Was it the story? Was it the characters? Was it all the little twists? Was it the trip down memory lane in the streets of my home country? I think all of them rank way up there!
Part of this book is set in Leipzig. I grew up about 30 minutes from Leipzig and loved reading about the characters' experience in this amazing city! The author definitely showed fantastic knowledge/research efforts in this story. I grew up in East Germany. I know what it felt like to grow up behind the Iron Curtain. I also have first-hand experience of the Stasi activities, the fear some people lived in, and the life in a country that called itself a communist country but was actually a totalitarian system. My family was one of those families where some members tried to deflect (and eventually succeeded) while others were either absolutely loyal to the corrupt system or were too scared to stand up for justice. This book took me back to those times when before November 1989. What surprised me was that there were still things that I learned from this book (about history). The author did a great job including information beyond what you can google.
In addition, I loved learning about Halifax and Canada as well as about Ireland. The author did an amazing job combining the history of these three countries. This book will definitely be on my list of books I will recommend to friends.
May 21, 2020
Postmark Berlin by Anne Emery is a mystery featuring a cast of characters searching for the truth in the death of Meika Keller, a local college professor an opera aficianodo. It's primary seeker is Father Brendan Burke, an alcoholic, but very talented singer and educator, who life has recently been disrupted by an eight-month stint in an Irish prison on a trumped up charge of terrorism. The story is told from several viewpoints, including that of the police. There are numerous subplots and personal stories included which add to the drama of the situation. Father Brendan is involved to assuage his own guilt at forgetting his appointment with the victim on the night of her death, hoping to prove that it was not suicide, which would possibly relieve him of any culpability.
Father Brendan is a complicated character at a difficult time in his life; his time in Ireland proved to be both physically and emotionally draining and changed his life in so many ways that he is having difficulty adjusting. Emery did a credible job in writing his character so the reader feels his pain and feels encouraging as he searches for redemption for that night and for other errors in his life. The mystery is a good one, and not what one would assume from the title of the book. People behave in odd ways. It is difficult to judge the behavior of another given circumstances to difficult to even imagine. Emery has written a wonderful book, one that deserves a reader's time. I recommend it.
I received a free ARC of Postmark Berlin from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #postmarkberlin
Father Brendan is a complicated character at a difficult time in his life; his time in Ireland proved to be both physically and emotionally draining and changed his life in so many ways that he is having difficulty adjusting. Emery did a credible job in writing his character so the reader feels his pain and feels encouraging as he searches for redemption for that night and for other errors in his life. The mystery is a good one, and not what one would assume from the title of the book. People behave in odd ways. It is difficult to judge the behavior of another given circumstances to difficult to even imagine. Emery has written a wonderful book, one that deserves a reader's time. I recommend it.
I received a free ARC of Postmark Berlin from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #postmarkberlin
May 24, 2020
Father Brennan Burke is haunted by his past, intensifying his weakness for alcohol. He is out drinking one night and forgets his promise to meet with his parishioner, Meika Keller. Her body washes up on shore the following morning. Was she murdered, or did she kill herself?
Father Burke selfishly hopes for the former, to assuage his guilt, but knows he owes it to Meika to learn the truth. Also investigating are Monty Collins—Brennan’s estranged friend and attorney for the man accused of killing Meika and Halifax detectives Piet and Ailsa. But only Brennan travels to Berlin, accompanied by his pilot brother, Terry, to determine how Meika’s past in East Germany impacted her last weeks.
This book is part of a series which I’ve not read, so following the characters was occasionally confusing. Plus, there were a number of unnecessary scenes and details which added little to the story. However, Brennan Burke is such an appealing character—brilliant, talented, loyal, but so flawed—that he makes up for any shortcomings. Nonetheless, I had trouble getting in to the story.
Father Burke selfishly hopes for the former, to assuage his guilt, but knows he owes it to Meika to learn the truth. Also investigating are Monty Collins—Brennan’s estranged friend and attorney for the man accused of killing Meika and Halifax detectives Piet and Ailsa. But only Brennan travels to Berlin, accompanied by his pilot brother, Terry, to determine how Meika’s past in East Germany impacted her last weeks.
This book is part of a series which I’ve not read, so following the characters was occasionally confusing. Plus, there were a number of unnecessary scenes and details which added little to the story. However, Brennan Burke is such an appealing character—brilliant, talented, loyal, but so flawed—that he makes up for any shortcomings. Nonetheless, I had trouble getting in to the story.
May 12, 2020
Father Brennan Burke skipped a meeting with Meilka- he was drinking and he just didn't make it. Then she ended up dead. Was it suicide or was she murdered? Turns out, she was murdered an a military officer, with whom she was thought to be having an affair has been arrested; Collins is defending him. The story, however, is more about Meilka. This shifts from Canada to Germany and back in forth in time to before the Wall fell. Meilka escaped East Germany at great personal cost but she remade herself and rebuilt her life in Canada. Burke's journey to Germany helps him understand not only Meilka but himself as well. I'd not read the earlier books in this long running series, which undoubtedly would have increased my enjoyment of this installment. Nevertheless, I liked this for the unusual protagonist and the settings-as well as the mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
November 25, 2020
I give it a three only because I'm not a great fan of cosy mysteries. A real fan might give it a four. Set in Halifax, Father Brennan Burke is trying to drown memories of a rough time in Belfast, and his failure to keep an appointment with a college colleague, Meika Keller. The night he was supposed to meet her, he was drunk. That night she drowned in the Atlantic. Was her death suicide or murder? The authorities charge a Canadian military officer with her death. Another character in the story, Monty Collins, is tasked with his defense.
Brennan is a character, a Catholic father, a choir director and teacher of music who loves his beer much too much. His agonies of regret make his nights sleepless. He spends his days trying to find more about mysterious Meika who had escaped E. Germany to the west to start a new life in Halifax.
Brennan is a character, a Catholic father, a choir director and teacher of music who loves his beer much too much. His agonies of regret make his nights sleepless. He spends his days trying to find more about mysterious Meika who had escaped E. Germany to the west to start a new life in Halifax.
April 11, 2020
After struggling with this book for an hour or so last night, I decided to read other’s reviews today. AHA! It’s #11 in a series! No wonder I was feeling so lost in time and place and background! There’s simply too much in the history of this series that is not explained here for me to enjoy and understand this book.
I’m sure devotees of the series will delight in it – I’m sorry I couldn’t finish.
This was an ARC I received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I’m sure devotees of the series will delight in it – I’m sorry I couldn’t finish.
This was an ARC I received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2020
Father Burke, is very Irish, a good drinking priest and he runs a school of music in Halifax. He is a kind and loving man, but he likes the drink too much. Many things with consequences happened and he must find what his role is in all this. So he finds out and try to forgive himself... hard thing to do. But the book is a very interesting story that takes you from Belfast to Berlin, and we meet close knit and charming characters, all from Ireland but really now all Canadians.
September 17, 2021
I was revetted by this story. Set in Halifax, Nova Scotia it moves back and forth to Berlin, and the years during the WW11. The death of a prominent citizen defies the idea of murder, yet an associate is accused and arrested. Who felt threatened enough to kill, or was it a jealous husband? Solving this dilemma makes for a great read. I have read every novel by Anne Emery and I have never been disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2020
A myriad of characters explore the mysterious circumstances around the death of a local woman in Halifax, Canada with a murky past.
Postmark Berlin has an excellent plot but it's characters are a let down, with the possible exception of Father Brennan Burke. Relationships and motivations are slightly befuddling and confusingly sketched. Otherwise a good general mystery.
Postmark Berlin has an excellent plot but it's characters are a let down, with the possible exception of Father Brennan Burke. Relationships and motivations are slightly befuddling and confusingly sketched. Otherwise a good general mystery.
April 30, 2020
I had this book on my kindle. I could not get through the first chapter. In the few pages that I read I was scandalized. My eyes were assaulted with obscenities and profanities. I have no idea what the story was about and have no desire to learn.
Sorry I ever downloaded this one!
Too bad I can't give less than one star.
Sorry I ever downloaded this one!
Too bad I can't give less than one star.
June 1, 2020
Postmark Berlin is an intriguing who-done-it. Set in the mid-1990s Canada where a Cold War east Berlin defector has been found dead and a quest is on to figure out who killed her. This story is filled with twists and turns, some predictable and others shocking. I appreciated that even though this falls into a series of books it was able to be read as a stand alone without feeling lost.
December 18, 2024
Wasn’t a fan of the narrators voice. But once I managed to get past his accent I started to enjoy the story.
I liked the twists the author took me on. And yet another novel that had me sobbing for characters like Leni and Meike. Great to read a story set in two very different cultures - Germany and Halifax.
Would like to read the others in this series by the author.
I liked the twists the author took me on. And yet another novel that had me sobbing for characters like Leni and Meike. Great to read a story set in two very different cultures - Germany and Halifax.
Would like to read the others in this series by the author.
May 10, 2020
A fascinating and gripping story that kept me hooked till the end.
A great cast of characters, a good storyline and a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
A great cast of characters, a good storyline and a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Read
January 13, 2021Could not finish. Just not for me.
June 2, 2021
Engaging characters but a little too much repeating what's happened.
April 9, 2023
Emery is back with a mystery worthy of her.
March 12, 2025
A bit of a disappointment. The plot is too messy and depends upon a lot of vague leaps to try to tie it all together.
May 4, 2020
Halifax, 1996: After a night on the town Father Brennan Burke is sleeping off a hangover of mammoth proportions when he is awakened by Archbishop Dennis Cronin. His Grace is not best pleased: Meika Keller, a parishioner and active member of the diocese, has been found dead, a possible suicide. And Father Burke had missed an appointment they had scheduled for the previous evening, in the hours leading up to her death.
Father Burke is devastated. If only he had avoided the drink he would have remembered their meeting, and she might still be alive. He cannot escape the conclusion that, in a very real sense, her blood is on his hands. But if not forgivable, his drinking was at least understandable. Brennan Burke had only recently been released after spending eight months in a prison in Northern Ireland, caught up in the lingering intrigues and accusations that still smouldered years after the violence between Republicans and Loyalists had formally been put to rest. Brennan’s younger brother Terry had come to Halifax to check up on his older sibling, and a night on the tiles had been sorely needed by both men. But Father Burke feels an overwhelming need to look further into the circumstances of Meika Keller’s final days, in the hope that he will absolve himself of his sense of guilt for her death.
Detective Sergeants Piet Van den Brink and Ailsa Young have been assigned to look into Meika’s death. The evidence suggests she apparently walked from a local park into the sea and drowned herself. But what would have compelled her to do so?
The medical examiner finds that the injuries on Meika’s body are consistent with defensive wounds, but they are ambiguous: they might equally have been caused by her body being tossed against the rocks in the waters where she was found. When a witness comes forward who says he saw two people in a car in the park, arguing the night before her death, and when a man admits to being in a relationship with her, and is identified as being in the park the same night, the events seem straightforward: he is arrested and charged with her murder.
But Brennan Burke is haunted by Meika’s death, and struggles to come to terms with his own role in her final days. Gradually a picture of Meika’s life emerges. A professor of Physics at St. Mary’s University, she had fled communist East Germany in 1974 with her young daughter Helga. Helga had died shortly after this, and Meika had moved to Toronto, where she earned her degrees in science. She had moved to Halifax and taken up a teaching post, and remarried. He learns that Meika Keller had changed her name after fleeing East Germany; her real name had been Edelgard Vogt-Becker. Why had she taken a new identity? Was there some lingering threat having to do with her former life in East Germany? Then Brennan discovers that shortly before her death Meika received a postcard from Berlin. Did that somehow play a role in her death? He decides to travel to Germany to see for himself.
Postmark Berlin is a fine addition to an already very strong series of novels by multiple award-winning author Anne Emery. Featuring a gripping plot supported by nuanced and believable characters, and informed by the author’s firm knowledge of history and the community of Halifax, the layered story of a complex woman and her equally convoluted past carries the reader along effortlessly to its satisfying conclusion. Coming on the heels of Though the Heavens Fall, her previous and award-winning novel in the Collins-Burke series, Postmark Berlin cements Anne Emery’s position among the top half-dozen crime writers in Canada.
_______
Jim Napier is a professional crime-fiction reviewer based in Canada. Since 2005 his book reviews and author interviews have been featured in several Canadian newspapers and on multiple websites. His crime novel Legacy was published in April of 2017, and the second in the series, Ridley’s War, is scheduled for release in the late summer of 2020.
Father Burke is devastated. If only he had avoided the drink he would have remembered their meeting, and she might still be alive. He cannot escape the conclusion that, in a very real sense, her blood is on his hands. But if not forgivable, his drinking was at least understandable. Brennan Burke had only recently been released after spending eight months in a prison in Northern Ireland, caught up in the lingering intrigues and accusations that still smouldered years after the violence between Republicans and Loyalists had formally been put to rest. Brennan’s younger brother Terry had come to Halifax to check up on his older sibling, and a night on the tiles had been sorely needed by both men. But Father Burke feels an overwhelming need to look further into the circumstances of Meika Keller’s final days, in the hope that he will absolve himself of his sense of guilt for her death.
Detective Sergeants Piet Van den Brink and Ailsa Young have been assigned to look into Meika’s death. The evidence suggests she apparently walked from a local park into the sea and drowned herself. But what would have compelled her to do so?
The medical examiner finds that the injuries on Meika’s body are consistent with defensive wounds, but they are ambiguous: they might equally have been caused by her body being tossed against the rocks in the waters where she was found. When a witness comes forward who says he saw two people in a car in the park, arguing the night before her death, and when a man admits to being in a relationship with her, and is identified as being in the park the same night, the events seem straightforward: he is arrested and charged with her murder.
But Brennan Burke is haunted by Meika’s death, and struggles to come to terms with his own role in her final days. Gradually a picture of Meika’s life emerges. A professor of Physics at St. Mary’s University, she had fled communist East Germany in 1974 with her young daughter Helga. Helga had died shortly after this, and Meika had moved to Toronto, where she earned her degrees in science. She had moved to Halifax and taken up a teaching post, and remarried. He learns that Meika Keller had changed her name after fleeing East Germany; her real name had been Edelgard Vogt-Becker. Why had she taken a new identity? Was there some lingering threat having to do with her former life in East Germany? Then Brennan discovers that shortly before her death Meika received a postcard from Berlin. Did that somehow play a role in her death? He decides to travel to Germany to see for himself.
Postmark Berlin is a fine addition to an already very strong series of novels by multiple award-winning author Anne Emery. Featuring a gripping plot supported by nuanced and believable characters, and informed by the author’s firm knowledge of history and the community of Halifax, the layered story of a complex woman and her equally convoluted past carries the reader along effortlessly to its satisfying conclusion. Coming on the heels of Though the Heavens Fall, her previous and award-winning novel in the Collins-Burke series, Postmark Berlin cements Anne Emery’s position among the top half-dozen crime writers in Canada.
_______
Jim Napier is a professional crime-fiction reviewer based in Canada. Since 2005 his book reviews and author interviews have been featured in several Canadian newspapers and on multiple websites. His crime novel Legacy was published in April of 2017, and the second in the series, Ridley’s War, is scheduled for release in the late summer of 2020.
April 4, 2020
Father Brennan Burke investigates the suspicious death of one of his parishioners, Meika Keller. Her body washed ashore on a Halifax beach and at first the cause of death was thought to be suicide. This troubles Burke because he failed to meet with Meika the night before her death as he promised. He feels he may have let her down in an hour of need. Before long, however, police charge an army officer with her murder because he was seen with her the night she died. Burke's investigation leads him eventually to Germany from where Meika emigrated to Canada after escaping from then Communist East Germany in 1974. Using his family network of contacts, Burke learns that Meika's backstory is much different from the one she told her family and friends in Canada. The already complex story takes a twist when the man accused of her murder is himself murdered. The resolution to the mystery comes when Burke tracks down Meika's family in Germany. He learns the truth about her escape from East Germany, and this in turn leads him to discovery of the cause of her death.
Burke is the principal narrator of the story, supplemented by the Halifax police officer investigating Meika's death, and Monty Collins, a recurring character in the series as Burke's long time friend. Collins coincidentally is the criminal defence lawyer for the army officer charged in Meika's death. This storytelling approach results in difficulty for a reader trying to follow the story. The narrators are at different points in uncovering what is going on and this interferes with a reader's progress. The police officer's narrative is a large red herring involving among other things, the storage of nuclear weapons in Atlantic Canada and the unification of the Canadian Armed Forces. Collin's role is largely from his past association with Burke and a falling out they have over a past event which led to Burke being imprisoned in Northern Ireland. The storytelling could have been pared down by eliminating these narrators and making for a smoother, less disjointed read.
A positive to the storytelling is the portrayal of the various locales. Halifax, is portrayed for what it is, a naval town with a strong military background. The author demonstrates a knowledge of Atlantic Canada culture and the Canadian military. The best portrayals are atmospheric of the German locales, particularly Leipzig, bearing in mind the story is set in 1996, a short time after the re-unification of Germany.
This book is the eleventh of a series, but there will be no difficulty reading it as a standalone. The author does a good job of telling enough about Burke's backstory to explain his then current situation and motivations.
It's a busy story that requires a close reading. Father Burke is the standout character of the book with several solid supporting characters. There's plenty of atmosphere from an abundance of local colour for both Halifax, Berlin and Leipzig . While it's a good blend of crime fiction and spy thriller, the complex storyline told through several narrators. muddles the storytelling. Despite these nits, it's a worthwhile read.
I requested and received a complementary advance reading copy of this book from the publisher, ECW Press, via Netgalley. The comments about it are my own.
February 25, 2020
My thanks to NetGalley and Publisher ECW Press for the ARC.
After spending 6 years in jail in Belfast - following an ill-advised adventure there, Father Brennan Burke returned to Halifax Nova Scotia a week ago. Drinking heavily and worried about the future of his school of music, he forgets about a 10pm appointment with Meika Keller, a parishioner who said she needed to speak to him urgently.
The next morning he's told that her body had been washed ashore that morning. Wracked with guilt he determines to find out why she was so desperate to speak to him - was he to blame?
Meika had escaped Berlin in the 1970s with a daughter who didn't survive her escape to Canada. Married to the Fleet Commander she was a university professor and well-respected socially for her charitable works. The police investigation leads to the arrest of Lt Col Alban MacNair with whom, it was thought, she was having an affair. Monty Collins, his defence lawyer is determined to get her death ruled as suicide.
In company with his brother Terry, Brennan travels to Berlin to try to get to the truth. We are taken into the murky world of the Stasi as well as the architectural beauty of Germany and gradually different 'truths' emerge.
I really had to plod through this book. I got bored with the amount of music references and lengthy passages on history and amalgamation of the Services in Nova Scotia which made it all too lengthy.
After spending 6 years in jail in Belfast - following an ill-advised adventure there, Father Brennan Burke returned to Halifax Nova Scotia a week ago. Drinking heavily and worried about the future of his school of music, he forgets about a 10pm appointment with Meika Keller, a parishioner who said she needed to speak to him urgently.
The next morning he's told that her body had been washed ashore that morning. Wracked with guilt he determines to find out why she was so desperate to speak to him - was he to blame?
Meika had escaped Berlin in the 1970s with a daughter who didn't survive her escape to Canada. Married to the Fleet Commander she was a university professor and well-respected socially for her charitable works. The police investigation leads to the arrest of Lt Col Alban MacNair with whom, it was thought, she was having an affair. Monty Collins, his defence lawyer is determined to get her death ruled as suicide.
In company with his brother Terry, Brennan travels to Berlin to try to get to the truth. We are taken into the murky world of the Stasi as well as the architectural beauty of Germany and gradually different 'truths' emerge.
I really had to plod through this book. I got bored with the amount of music references and lengthy passages on history and amalgamation of the Services in Nova Scotia which made it all too lengthy.
January 3, 2020
Honest Review given in exchange for early copy of this story. Father Brennan Burke is returning home to Halifax, Nova Scotia after finding himself interred in a prison in Belfast, Ireland. After a judge overturned his conviction, Father Burke returns to his duties. When a parishioner of his well known in town shows up dead in the harbor, Burke is overcome with guilt because this woman showed up at his home on the night she died seeking Father Burke’s help. Having forgotten about the appointment, Burke feels compelled to dig into the life of Meika Keller, in hopes he can understand what happened to her. What he learns is that Meika Keller was a woman with a tarnished past, who had more than her fair share of dirty secrets. Set in varied environments ranging from Halifax to Berlin, Burke goes to every length imaginable to understand who Meika Keller really was and what could possibly have happened to her. This story is somewhat of a slow burn, who’s strengths lie in the vivid descriptives of the scenic places described. The plot is a little slow to unravel, but there is enough complexity to the story and the characters that this can be excused. A worthy read for fans of this genre and fans of Anne Emery’s prior works. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
December 4, 2019
Father Brennan Burke has returned to his parish, after a spell in prison in Ireland having been wrongly arrested but later released. He returns home to his Canadian parish, drowning his sorrows. After a drunken night he hears of the murder of one of his parishioners, one he should have met at 10pm the night before, but had forgotten all about.
Meika Keller came to Canada after fleeing East Berlin. An army officer is charged with her murder and his lawyers defence for him is that she committed suicide. Brennan can’t bear the thought that she might have killed herself especially as he let her down badly. He is determined to try to find more answers, which eventually leads him to cities in the old East Germany where the information found turns things on its head.
This is a very well written book, taking place in Canada and Germany. It is beautifully descriptive, the characters well written and likeable, showing Brennan’s priestly and fatherly sides. I thoroughly enjoyed this murder - mystery, and will definitely look for this authors work again
Meika Keller came to Canada after fleeing East Berlin. An army officer is charged with her murder and his lawyers defence for him is that she committed suicide. Brennan can’t bear the thought that she might have killed herself especially as he let her down badly. He is determined to try to find more answers, which eventually leads him to cities in the old East Germany where the information found turns things on its head.
This is a very well written book, taking place in Canada and Germany. It is beautifully descriptive, the characters well written and likeable, showing Brennan’s priestly and fatherly sides. I thoroughly enjoyed this murder - mystery, and will definitely look for this authors work again
November 13, 2019
Being quite familiar with Halifax the landmarks and locations made the book more visually appealing to me. I could picture St. Mary’s and Dalhousie universities, Point Pleasant Park, Bedford,and some of the local drinking establishments. The historical details in this book whether a reference to Halifax, the opera, Berlin, the navy etc. was sometimes painstakingly described which was sometimes tedious for me. My lack of knowledge of the opera, music , architecture and East /West Berlin and Germany was apparent while reading . I did enjoy the descriptions of Berlin and may have to visit . The mystery component was enjoyable and for the most part the characters were likeable . Brennan seems like a progressive priest , although his fondness for the drink gets a little carried away at times. A decent read with lots going on . The reader will be entertained and educated on various topics after reading.
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