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John Russell & Effi Koenen #0
Wedding Station
The prequel to David Downing’s bestselling Station series introduces John Russell, an Englishman with a political past who must keep his head down as the Nazis solidify their power.
February 27, 1933. In this stunning prequel to the John Russell espionage novels, the Reichstag parliament building in Berlin is set ablaze. It’s just a month after Hitler’s inauguration as Chancellor of Germany, and the Nazis use the torching to justify a campaign of terror against their political opponents. John Russell’s recent separation from his wife threatens his right to reside in Germany and any meaningful relationship with his six-year-old son, Paul. He has just secured work as a crime reporter for a Berlin newspaper, and the crimes which he has to report—the gruesome murder of a rent boy, the hit-and-run death of a professional genealogist, the suspicious disappearance of a Nazi-supporting celebrity fortune-teller—are increasingly entangled in the wider nightmare engulfing Germany.
Each new investigation carries the risk of Russell’s falling foul of the authorities, at a time when the rule of law has completely vanished, and the Nazis are running scores of pop-up detention centers, complete with torture chambers, in every corner of Berlin.
February 27, 1933. In this stunning prequel to the John Russell espionage novels, the Reichstag parliament building in Berlin is set ablaze. It’s just a month after Hitler’s inauguration as Chancellor of Germany, and the Nazis use the torching to justify a campaign of terror against their political opponents. John Russell’s recent separation from his wife threatens his right to reside in Germany and any meaningful relationship with his six-year-old son, Paul. He has just secured work as a crime reporter for a Berlin newspaper, and the crimes which he has to report—the gruesome murder of a rent boy, the hit-and-run death of a professional genealogist, the suspicious disappearance of a Nazi-supporting celebrity fortune-teller—are increasingly entangled in the wider nightmare engulfing Germany.
Each new investigation carries the risk of Russell’s falling foul of the authorities, at a time when the rule of law has completely vanished, and the Nazis are running scores of pop-up detention centers, complete with torture chambers, in every corner of Berlin.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 2021
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About the author
David Downing
123 books495 followersDavid Downing is the author of a political thriller, two alternative histories and a number of books on military and political history and other subjects as diverse as Neil Young and Russian Football.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
August 7, 2021
After 6 books, Downing decides to take all his loyal readers back to where it all begin, Berlin 1933 with the fire at the Reichstag Parliamentary building. It signaled the rise of the Nazi party, the beginning of the cleansing of Germany of Communists, Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and anyone else the government felt was a threat to their rule. For the first time we meet John Russell who works for a Berlin newspaper, has a 6-year old son Paul and is separated from his wife. Into his world comes a lot of criminal activity because John works the crime beat for his paper and most every day he is sent out to the local police stations to get news about murder, thefts and lots more that most times the police cannot solve but yet always seem to be pinned on the Communists. He also has some other side investigations that keep him busy, but nonetheless he always seems to be on the periphery of trouble and manages to talk his way out of things by the skin of his teeth.
This has a lot going for it, so why the low rating? Well, I have read other of the John Russell, Station series and enjoyed them, but this was just drags. To put it mildly, it was laborious reading this book and I only finished it because I was hopeful it would improve and determined to get to the end. It took me over a month to finish this book and in between I read numerous other books. One of the biggest flaws in this book has to do with the authors well-researched knowledge of Berlin. What do I mean? Well it is obvious that Downing has immersed himself in his subject and knows Berlin intimately, so intimately that every page seems to contain countless references to streets, plaza, buildings, businesses, etc. It is too much, way too much information and is not necessary for me to know he crossed one street and headed to another street on his way to a location. Enough already! Not only that, he has loaded the book with so many points of reference that we cannot keep track of anything. What could help the reader? A MAP!!! And what is missing from this book, a MAP!!!!! Come on, it you want to use your encyclopedic knowledge, give us poor reader a chance to follow along.
A difficult book for me that had potential, but was too hard to read. Makes Dickens an easy read! Final rating a 2.5**
This has a lot going for it, so why the low rating? Well, I have read other of the John Russell, Station series and enjoyed them, but this was just drags. To put it mildly, it was laborious reading this book and I only finished it because I was hopeful it would improve and determined to get to the end. It took me over a month to finish this book and in between I read numerous other books. One of the biggest flaws in this book has to do with the authors well-researched knowledge of Berlin. What do I mean? Well it is obvious that Downing has immersed himself in his subject and knows Berlin intimately, so intimately that every page seems to contain countless references to streets, plaza, buildings, businesses, etc. It is too much, way too much information and is not necessary for me to know he crossed one street and headed to another street on his way to a location. Enough already! Not only that, he has loaded the book with so many points of reference that we cannot keep track of anything. What could help the reader? A MAP!!! And what is missing from this book, a MAP!!!!! Come on, it you want to use your encyclopedic knowledge, give us poor reader a chance to follow along.
A difficult book for me that had potential, but was too hard to read. Makes Dickens an easy read! Final rating a 2.5**
March 11, 2021
This is a prequel to a series of 7 books featuring Anglo-American journalist and former member of the German Communist Party, John Russell. The "Station" novels covered the Nazis' rise to power, the 2nd World War and its aftermath, but this book is set in 1933, a month after Adolf Hitler is sworn in as Chancellor of Germany.
The story begins with the Reichstag Fire - an arson attack on the German Parliament building in Berlin. Hitler used the fire as a pretext to claim that Communists were plotting against the German government and begin a reign of terror against their opponents.
Recently separated from his wife Ilse, Russell only sees his 6 year old son Paul once a week. At work, he is made crime reporter for a Berlin newspaper and the stories come thick and fast, as do the sub plots in this book.
As the Nazis consolidate their power, the Press has to toe the Nazi Party line. Russell's first story is about the murder and mutilation of a young homosexual. Later a friend of the dead boy gives him a journal that his friend kept with details of his encounters with several senior men in the Sturm Abteilung (SA), Hitler's infamous "Brownshirts".
Meanwhile, he investigates the disappearance of a famous astrologer, Harri Haum, who, despite being a Jew, is friendly with many high ranking Nazis. Russell discovers that Haum had predicted the Reichstag Fire and in doing so had probably signed his own death warrant.
Another story involves the death of a noted genealogist who Russell discovers had been blackmailing Nazi Party members who had Jewish relatives. As a result, he ends up helping a Colonel in the regular German Army to find his daughter who has fallen in love with a young Communist.
The story unfolds against a backdrop of Nazi persecution of Germany's Jews and Hitler's enabling orders which led to the rounding up and imprisoning of Communists, Socialists and Social Democrats - all of which coincides with the opening of Germany's first concentration camp at Dachau.
To top it all, Evchen Heller - a former comrade in the KPD (Germany Communist Party) - arrives at his home asking for help after she shot two Brownshirts who had killed her lover as they tried to arrest him.
This is a relentlessly bleak read as the Nazis rise to power continues, despite the fact that less than half of Germany's population had voted for them.
As he tries to save himself from being "disappeared" in one of the SA's detention centres, where people are routinely tortured and murdered, Russell realises that over the next few years, "bargains with the Nazi devil were going to be par for the course". His first priority must be to stay alive.
A great mix of historical fact and fiction, the author effortlessly captures the paranoia and fear felt by those opposed to the Nazis as they turned their nation into a living nightmare. A marvellous but grim read and a great introduction to the "Station" series of books.
The story begins with the Reichstag Fire - an arson attack on the German Parliament building in Berlin. Hitler used the fire as a pretext to claim that Communists were plotting against the German government and begin a reign of terror against their opponents.
Recently separated from his wife Ilse, Russell only sees his 6 year old son Paul once a week. At work, he is made crime reporter for a Berlin newspaper and the stories come thick and fast, as do the sub plots in this book.
As the Nazis consolidate their power, the Press has to toe the Nazi Party line. Russell's first story is about the murder and mutilation of a young homosexual. Later a friend of the dead boy gives him a journal that his friend kept with details of his encounters with several senior men in the Sturm Abteilung (SA), Hitler's infamous "Brownshirts".
Meanwhile, he investigates the disappearance of a famous astrologer, Harri Haum, who, despite being a Jew, is friendly with many high ranking Nazis. Russell discovers that Haum had predicted the Reichstag Fire and in doing so had probably signed his own death warrant.
Another story involves the death of a noted genealogist who Russell discovers had been blackmailing Nazi Party members who had Jewish relatives. As a result, he ends up helping a Colonel in the regular German Army to find his daughter who has fallen in love with a young Communist.
The story unfolds against a backdrop of Nazi persecution of Germany's Jews and Hitler's enabling orders which led to the rounding up and imprisoning of Communists, Socialists and Social Democrats - all of which coincides with the opening of Germany's first concentration camp at Dachau.
To top it all, Evchen Heller - a former comrade in the KPD (Germany Communist Party) - arrives at his home asking for help after she shot two Brownshirts who had killed her lover as they tried to arrest him.
This is a relentlessly bleak read as the Nazis rise to power continues, despite the fact that less than half of Germany's population had voted for them.
As he tries to save himself from being "disappeared" in one of the SA's detention centres, where people are routinely tortured and murdered, Russell realises that over the next few years, "bargains with the Nazi devil were going to be par for the course". His first priority must be to stay alive.
A great mix of historical fact and fiction, the author effortlessly captures the paranoia and fear felt by those opposed to the Nazis as they turned their nation into a living nightmare. A marvellous but grim read and a great introduction to the "Station" series of books.
March 7, 2021
Crime and politics in Nazi Germany!
1933 Berlin on the eve of Hitler’s rise to power. Englishman John Russell is a crime reporter with the Morgenspiegel, a daily newspaper. He’s also a disenchanted communist and is separated from his German wife.
The opening event catching one’s attention is the burning down of the Reichstag parliament building, ostensibly by the Communists, in all probability started by SA (Sturmführer / Brown shirts) arsonists, setting the scene.
So much is happening, the rise of the Brown Shirts, death of those who stand against Hitler, including communist sympathizers, persecution of Jews, violence against others like male prostitutes, and all who walked on the wild side, who didn’t adhere to the ideals of the right.
Russell as a registered Resident Foreign National is determined to remain in Berlin for his son Paul’s sake. How to manage that and still stay true to reporting without running a foul of the Nazis is a trial.
As he investigates crimes that seem to meld or at least run parallel, Russell finds himself holding material that would see him killed. He is driven to associate with Communist Party members. He’s dragged off to be questioned by the SA and later the Prussian Political Police. Russell is right in the thick of things and it’s not healthy!
Downing’s given us a look at ordinary and extraordinary people during this time of German History. I found it compelling. To my mind he’s up there with Philip Kerr.
Wedding Station is the prelude to the previous Station stories involving John Russell. Until now I’d never read any but now, I’m itching to start. Wedding is a run down poorer part of Berlin.
This look at the rise of Nazism from a somewhat cynical newspaper hack looking to maintain his position and continue to be part of his son’s life is very personal. He needs to stay in Germany as a foreign correspondent. But how to marry that with the horrors he is already starting to witness?
A compelling read!
A Soho Press ARC via NetGalley
1933 Berlin on the eve of Hitler’s rise to power. Englishman John Russell is a crime reporter with the Morgenspiegel, a daily newspaper. He’s also a disenchanted communist and is separated from his German wife.
The opening event catching one’s attention is the burning down of the Reichstag parliament building, ostensibly by the Communists, in all probability started by SA (Sturmführer / Brown shirts) arsonists, setting the scene.
So much is happening, the rise of the Brown Shirts, death of those who stand against Hitler, including communist sympathizers, persecution of Jews, violence against others like male prostitutes, and all who walked on the wild side, who didn’t adhere to the ideals of the right.
Russell as a registered Resident Foreign National is determined to remain in Berlin for his son Paul’s sake. How to manage that and still stay true to reporting without running a foul of the Nazis is a trial.
As he investigates crimes that seem to meld or at least run parallel, Russell finds himself holding material that would see him killed. He is driven to associate with Communist Party members. He’s dragged off to be questioned by the SA and later the Prussian Political Police. Russell is right in the thick of things and it’s not healthy!
Downing’s given us a look at ordinary and extraordinary people during this time of German History. I found it compelling. To my mind he’s up there with Philip Kerr.
Wedding Station is the prelude to the previous Station stories involving John Russell. Until now I’d never read any but now, I’m itching to start. Wedding is a run down poorer part of Berlin.
This look at the rise of Nazism from a somewhat cynical newspaper hack looking to maintain his position and continue to be part of his son’s life is very personal. He needs to stay in Germany as a foreign correspondent. But how to marry that with the horrors he is already starting to witness?
A compelling read!
A Soho Press ARC via NetGalley
January 17, 2021
David Downing has created a marvelous oeuvre of six espionage thrillers featuring Anglo-American journalist John Russell in the backdrop of Nazi Germany. They are collectively known as “The Station Series” with each novel being named after a train station, mostly in Berlin. The series concluded in 2013 leaving an extensive fan base hungering for more. Thankfully he has written an intriguing standalone preamble to the series artfully exploring the origins and motivation of our intrepid hero John Russell. John is working on the crime desk of the Morgenspiegel, hoping to avoid any confrontation on the political front. He has recently separated from his German wife, Ilse and is worried that a divorce would result in his compulsory expulsion from Germany, and more important an inability to have a relationship with his beloved five-year old son, Paul.
This tale is not so much about the Nazis, who are continually mentioned on a tangential basis, but rather the focus is on the German populace living and surviving in Berlin, as seen through the eyes of John Russell. In 1933, Adolf Hitler has won only 43% of the vote and required a coalition with the Nationalist allies to gain control. There were many who feared his reign, not only his opposition of the socialists and communists, but many everyday German. Most feared repercussions with any dissent. Knowing the likelihood of being arrested, interrogated, tortured with the real possibility of disappearance (euphemism for death).
Russell’s crime reporting leads to the inevitable need to investigate and shed light and make sense of the crimes. He was well aware of the need to avoid confrontation with the Nazi minions in any of these crimes …. If they were, the story was dropped. Several of these investigations are explored in detail and have major implications to John’s survival. A “rent boy” (male prostitute ) in his late teens was brutally killed and mutilated at the Moustache Lounge, one of many homosexual clubs in Berlin. They remained open most likely due to the known proclivities of Nazi leader, Ernst Rohm. Russell’s investigation resulted in contact and interview with the victims friends. Eventually he received in the post, a detailed personal journal of the victim. A reading of the journal implicated multiple prominent SA leaders, including friends of Rohm, and not only in their “rent boy” patronage, but probably their killings. What could he possibly do with this information?
One morning Russell rushed to the scene of the hit and run killing of Konrad Mommsen , a well respected 38 year-old genealogist. With just a little digging, John soon realized this “murder” had far reaching implications. Checking one’s own racial purity had become a growth industry. Needless to say, millions of Germans (including Nazi leaders) had some Jewish blood
(Hitler would probably find half his party had this dreadful virus). Perhaps he was extinguished to avoid uncovering someone’s ancestry.
The next most important event that bludgeoned John Russell is his call to investigate the disappearance of the famous clairvoyant, Harri Haum. His client list included multiple celebrities, business and military leaders, film stars and even Nazi politicians. But, rarely mentioned is his Jewish ancestry.
David Downing proves to be a masterful storyteller, as he once again weaves together a complex set of events in a compelling fast paced narrative. A mood of foreboding is rank throughout the travails of Russell, with a sense of living on borrowed time. The main protagonist, John Russell’s character and motivation is progressively layered in this propulsive read. Along the way, we explore the streets of Berlin,and eat at the famous cafes, bakeries, coffee shops, bars, and restaurants of Berlin. We revel in the local culinary delights of the day. However, Russell offers his mental picture of Nazi Berlin as a painting by Hieronymus Bosch. “A grid of peaceful tree-lined streets, and in the lacunae between them, people screaming their heads off, shackled to wheels of fire.” Let us not forget to mention a little inconspicuous entry into the daily paper … the Nazis were opening a concentration camp outside the Bavarian village of Dachau …. In an attempt to control dissidents.
Thanks to NetGalley and Soho Crime Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. Publication Date: March 2, 2021. (at mysteryandsuspence.com)
This tale is not so much about the Nazis, who are continually mentioned on a tangential basis, but rather the focus is on the German populace living and surviving in Berlin, as seen through the eyes of John Russell. In 1933, Adolf Hitler has won only 43% of the vote and required a coalition with the Nationalist allies to gain control. There were many who feared his reign, not only his opposition of the socialists and communists, but many everyday German. Most feared repercussions with any dissent. Knowing the likelihood of being arrested, interrogated, tortured with the real possibility of disappearance (euphemism for death).
Russell’s crime reporting leads to the inevitable need to investigate and shed light and make sense of the crimes. He was well aware of the need to avoid confrontation with the Nazi minions in any of these crimes …. If they were, the story was dropped. Several of these investigations are explored in detail and have major implications to John’s survival. A “rent boy” (male prostitute ) in his late teens was brutally killed and mutilated at the Moustache Lounge, one of many homosexual clubs in Berlin. They remained open most likely due to the known proclivities of Nazi leader, Ernst Rohm. Russell’s investigation resulted in contact and interview with the victims friends. Eventually he received in the post, a detailed personal journal of the victim. A reading of the journal implicated multiple prominent SA leaders, including friends of Rohm, and not only in their “rent boy” patronage, but probably their killings. What could he possibly do with this information?
One morning Russell rushed to the scene of the hit and run killing of Konrad Mommsen , a well respected 38 year-old genealogist. With just a little digging, John soon realized this “murder” had far reaching implications. Checking one’s own racial purity had become a growth industry. Needless to say, millions of Germans (including Nazi leaders) had some Jewish blood
(Hitler would probably find half his party had this dreadful virus). Perhaps he was extinguished to avoid uncovering someone’s ancestry.
The next most important event that bludgeoned John Russell is his call to investigate the disappearance of the famous clairvoyant, Harri Haum. His client list included multiple celebrities, business and military leaders, film stars and even Nazi politicians. But, rarely mentioned is his Jewish ancestry.
David Downing proves to be a masterful storyteller, as he once again weaves together a complex set of events in a compelling fast paced narrative. A mood of foreboding is rank throughout the travails of Russell, with a sense of living on borrowed time. The main protagonist, John Russell’s character and motivation is progressively layered in this propulsive read. Along the way, we explore the streets of Berlin,and eat at the famous cafes, bakeries, coffee shops, bars, and restaurants of Berlin. We revel in the local culinary delights of the day. However, Russell offers his mental picture of Nazi Berlin as a painting by Hieronymus Bosch. “A grid of peaceful tree-lined streets, and in the lacunae between them, people screaming their heads off, shackled to wheels of fire.” Let us not forget to mention a little inconspicuous entry into the daily paper … the Nazis were opening a concentration camp outside the Bavarian village of Dachau …. In an attempt to control dissidents.
Thanks to NetGalley and Soho Crime Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. Publication Date: March 2, 2021. (at mysteryandsuspence.com)
October 5, 2021
John Russell is an American-British journalist working and living in Germany right before WW2, through the war and directly after. Mr. Downing's books chronicle what happens to Russell at this time. He has a German wife and son. She has family; he has colleagues, contacts and friends in the media, and even in the Communist Party which he belonged to years ago. (And if you didn't know, the Nazis hated the Communists as much as they hated anyone.) This particular book, Number Zero, is a prequel to the series, and wow, was I waiting for this.
The year is 1933, Hitler's come to power, but the full extent of what that means isn't yet clear. Some 'ordinary German citizens' are taking a 'wait and see approach,' hopeful that the Nazis will bring jobs, stability, and a return to what German life should be; others are less hopeful, and worry about how bad it can really get...
Well, we readers of the future know how bad! But these ordinary citizens have no choice but to watch in fear, wonder - and for some excitement and jubilation - as crackdowns start to occur on the Communists, the Jews, and other persons, parties and individuals whom the Nazis feel are less than desirable. It starts slowly, and builds, with boycotts of Jewish businesses, changes in the schools, media and other public entities, and the establishment of quotas which declare how many Jewish lawyers, doctors and other professionals there can be. It's a time when a lot of Jews, who have the means or contacts, leave Germany. Unfortunately, many do not.
Again, we the readers, know all this, but to watch it unfold, in writing - and Downing is a fabulously detailed writer; I swear he has piles of old atlases, street maps and train tables from 1930's Germany to get everything just right - well, it's chilling.
The story here is that Russell, working for a local and fairly liberal newspaper in the crime reporting department, is always on the lookout for stories. Burglaries, murders, beatings, robberies - that sort of thing. But how does one report on a beating which has been 'authorized?' (And carried out by brown-shirts, or worse?) How do you refute the authorities when they claim dead bodies found in a park - Communists - were killed by 'infighting' among party factions? How do you fight fiction and lies when to speak the truth could very well cost you your job - or worse? Russell is walking a tightrope here, trying to write the truth when the truth can get you killed. Why doesn't he leave Germany for Britain or the US? His wife (he's separated, but still married in this book) and his little boy.
So when he's asked to find a missing girl, father a renowned military officer, who's run off with her Communist lover, what do you do? When your research leads you to conclude that the death of a genealogist is connected to worried, high-placed Germans who fear such research will lead to the existence of a Jewish wife, mother, or grandparent? Even worse, according to the Nazis, 'Jewishness' is stronger when passed down through the mother's line - so what do you do if, according to the law, all your beloved children are determined to be Jewish? Well, the age of the concentration camp is not here at this time, but it's close. So, was the genealogist blackmailing these people - and someone killed him to conceal what he'd found? Or was he just compiling an innocent family tree?
It's tricky, and there's more. It really is sort of chilling -there's that word again - knowing every time John Russell goes to work, or to talk to a witness, and so on, he's walking on very thin ice. Then, when he tries to protect a girl, hide her in his apartment - she's a Communist - things go from very dicey to extremely dicey, and this-might-be-the-wrong-thing-to-do!
It's a compelling book, in light of what we know about WW2 and how quickly Germany succumbed into the dire sink of white superiority and Nazism - and even by what's happening in some places around the world today. When fiction becomes fact in many people's minds, it's hard to yank it out, because when lies become reality, everyone eventually suffers.
Five stars.
The year is 1933, Hitler's come to power, but the full extent of what that means isn't yet clear. Some 'ordinary German citizens' are taking a 'wait and see approach,' hopeful that the Nazis will bring jobs, stability, and a return to what German life should be; others are less hopeful, and worry about how bad it can really get...
Well, we readers of the future know how bad! But these ordinary citizens have no choice but to watch in fear, wonder - and for some excitement and jubilation - as crackdowns start to occur on the Communists, the Jews, and other persons, parties and individuals whom the Nazis feel are less than desirable. It starts slowly, and builds, with boycotts of Jewish businesses, changes in the schools, media and other public entities, and the establishment of quotas which declare how many Jewish lawyers, doctors and other professionals there can be. It's a time when a lot of Jews, who have the means or contacts, leave Germany. Unfortunately, many do not.
Again, we the readers, know all this, but to watch it unfold, in writing - and Downing is a fabulously detailed writer; I swear he has piles of old atlases, street maps and train tables from 1930's Germany to get everything just right - well, it's chilling.
The story here is that Russell, working for a local and fairly liberal newspaper in the crime reporting department, is always on the lookout for stories. Burglaries, murders, beatings, robberies - that sort of thing. But how does one report on a beating which has been 'authorized?' (And carried out by brown-shirts, or worse?) How do you refute the authorities when they claim dead bodies found in a park - Communists - were killed by 'infighting' among party factions? How do you fight fiction and lies when to speak the truth could very well cost you your job - or worse? Russell is walking a tightrope here, trying to write the truth when the truth can get you killed. Why doesn't he leave Germany for Britain or the US? His wife (he's separated, but still married in this book) and his little boy.
So when he's asked to find a missing girl, father a renowned military officer, who's run off with her Communist lover, what do you do? When your research leads you to conclude that the death of a genealogist is connected to worried, high-placed Germans who fear such research will lead to the existence of a Jewish wife, mother, or grandparent? Even worse, according to the Nazis, 'Jewishness' is stronger when passed down through the mother's line - so what do you do if, according to the law, all your beloved children are determined to be Jewish? Well, the age of the concentration camp is not here at this time, but it's close. So, was the genealogist blackmailing these people - and someone killed him to conceal what he'd found? Or was he just compiling an innocent family tree?
It's tricky, and there's more. It really is sort of chilling -there's that word again - knowing every time John Russell goes to work, or to talk to a witness, and so on, he's walking on very thin ice. Then, when he tries to protect a girl, hide her in his apartment - she's a Communist - things go from very dicey to extremely dicey, and this-might-be-the-wrong-thing-to-do!
It's a compelling book, in light of what we know about WW2 and how quickly Germany succumbed into the dire sink of white superiority and Nazism - and even by what's happening in some places around the world today. When fiction becomes fact in many people's minds, it's hard to yank it out, because when lies become reality, everyone eventually suffers.
Five stars.
June 7, 2021
I don’t know what to make of David Downing’s Station series.
On the one hand, I frequently read historical fiction that explores the pitfalls of life in Nazi Germany. Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series is the best example but there are others in the popular “Nazi Noir” subgenere and Downing’s series is one of them. Downing gets the atmosphere of prewar Berlin down in an effective, readable way. I visited Berlin before and while it’s far removed from its Nazi past, the environment of low slung buildings, European canal/cafe life and urban masses gathering connects both generations. A cosmopolitan city pre-Hitler, Downing does a great job of chronicling Berlin’s decline.
The problem is the cases. Downing stuffs his books with two or three plots and while they are of the utmost importance, they don’t flow well together. It’s like watching two superstar basketball players play incongruently on the same team. There are moments of brilliance and challenge and there are times when I’m wandering through 3-4 pages, unfocused on what exactly I’m supposed to be reading. Zoo Station was the only other Downing I read and that book had the same problem. Though this is a prequel, it’s the newest one in publication order and I was hoping Downing would solve this problem but I guess he hasn’t.
So overall, you’ve got a well-written setting with an interesting protagonist but mysteries that, while interesting and full of high stakes, don’t always work. I should like these books more than I do. I don’t dislike them but I can’t give this one more than 3 stars. There’s just too much dead space.
On the one hand, I frequently read historical fiction that explores the pitfalls of life in Nazi Germany. Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series is the best example but there are others in the popular “Nazi Noir” subgenere and Downing’s series is one of them. Downing gets the atmosphere of prewar Berlin down in an effective, readable way. I visited Berlin before and while it’s far removed from its Nazi past, the environment of low slung buildings, European canal/cafe life and urban masses gathering connects both generations. A cosmopolitan city pre-Hitler, Downing does a great job of chronicling Berlin’s decline.
The problem is the cases. Downing stuffs his books with two or three plots and while they are of the utmost importance, they don’t flow well together. It’s like watching two superstar basketball players play incongruently on the same team. There are moments of brilliance and challenge and there are times when I’m wandering through 3-4 pages, unfocused on what exactly I’m supposed to be reading. Zoo Station was the only other Downing I read and that book had the same problem. Though this is a prequel, it’s the newest one in publication order and I was hoping Downing would solve this problem but I guess he hasn’t.
So overall, you’ve got a well-written setting with an interesting protagonist but mysteries that, while interesting and full of high stakes, don’t always work. I should like these books more than I do. I don’t dislike them but I can’t give this one more than 3 stars. There’s just too much dead space.
April 25, 2022
This in fact is a pre-quel to the very good series set around Berlin train stations in Germany C 1939-1948 which I completed a few years back. Not sure what I’m letting myself in for with a pre-quel but I did enjoy David Downing’s writing so here goes…..
I did wonder where we would start & seeing that we’ve gone right back to the eve of the Reichstag fire, I think it’s a good a place to start, having started the series proper at the dawn of war with the Danzig crisis in the summer of 1939. It’s where restrictions on free speech really started & I would think it leaves the author plenty of scope to cover the Nazification (real) of Germany & the events in the lead up to the war if he wished, we shall see where he goes & how many books that will extend too.
The early read is all about his recent marriage break-up & his relationship with his son which was always strong in the series. Germany 1933 is well relayed through the narrative in terms of historical detail & the social climate, he does give you the feel that you are actually there in his text. The closing down of the press & free speech resonates with what I’m hearing about in Russia currently & is very poignant these days. The rise of the SA stormtroopers are prevalent too & formulate the backdrop of the story, or at least they seem to crop up at every point in the three investigations as they run rampant on the streets of Berlin.
As to the mystery element, being a crime reporter, John Russell, is involved first in a gruesome murder of a rent boy, then an investigation (cash in hand job!) for a friend of a friend looking for his wayward daughter whose run off with a commie, jus when commies are getting rounded up by the SA & also a bank manager whose death is via one of those accidents that is to say slightly iffy, was he run over or in fact run down?
The story is as much about the h/f detail as the mystery itself, both work hand-in-hand, in fact the h/f takes more precedence in this story, at times to the expense of the mysteries which are very much in the background throughout as John Russell goes about his life in an ever-restrictive Berlin. The work of the SA & the propaganda machine of the Nazis comes through in the pages, also how the everyday people jus seem to except, even, some welcome the changes, which certainly draws parallels for me in other parts of the world at the moment. There is resistance of course, which is mostly from the communists cells & the unions but they are being rounded up/closed down by the SA whose story is told in detail. The common man/woman so to speak is either reluctant or scared to resist?
Come the end it’s been a sound read overall, defo a slow burner, maybe lacking the drive of the original series which had much more about them from my recollections in terms of action & flow. It has certainly given this reader more background on the origins of John Russell & how he potentially got involved in the intelligence services after coming onto their radar, Jus over 3 stars rounded to a 3, a series I hope will continue & fill in some of the story leading upto 1939 where Book 1 started.
I did wonder where we would start & seeing that we’ve gone right back to the eve of the Reichstag fire, I think it’s a good a place to start, having started the series proper at the dawn of war with the Danzig crisis in the summer of 1939. It’s where restrictions on free speech really started & I would think it leaves the author plenty of scope to cover the Nazification (real) of Germany & the events in the lead up to the war if he wished, we shall see where he goes & how many books that will extend too.
The early read is all about his recent marriage break-up & his relationship with his son which was always strong in the series. Germany 1933 is well relayed through the narrative in terms of historical detail & the social climate, he does give you the feel that you are actually there in his text. The closing down of the press & free speech resonates with what I’m hearing about in Russia currently & is very poignant these days. The rise of the SA stormtroopers are prevalent too & formulate the backdrop of the story, or at least they seem to crop up at every point in the three investigations as they run rampant on the streets of Berlin.
As to the mystery element, being a crime reporter, John Russell, is involved first in a gruesome murder of a rent boy, then an investigation (cash in hand job!) for a friend of a friend looking for his wayward daughter whose run off with a commie, jus when commies are getting rounded up by the SA & also a bank manager whose death is via one of those accidents that is to say slightly iffy, was he run over or in fact run down?
The story is as much about the h/f detail as the mystery itself, both work hand-in-hand, in fact the h/f takes more precedence in this story, at times to the expense of the mysteries which are very much in the background throughout as John Russell goes about his life in an ever-restrictive Berlin. The work of the SA & the propaganda machine of the Nazis comes through in the pages, also how the everyday people jus seem to except, even, some welcome the changes, which certainly draws parallels for me in other parts of the world at the moment. There is resistance of course, which is mostly from the communists cells & the unions but they are being rounded up/closed down by the SA whose story is told in detail. The common man/woman so to speak is either reluctant or scared to resist?
Come the end it’s been a sound read overall, defo a slow burner, maybe lacking the drive of the original series which had much more about them from my recollections in terms of action & flow. It has certainly given this reader more background on the origins of John Russell & how he potentially got involved in the intelligence services after coming onto their radar, Jus over 3 stars rounded to a 3, a series I hope will continue & fill in some of the story leading upto 1939 where Book 1 started.
January 10, 2025
Excellent prequel taking place in the first few months of 1933 after the Nazi takeover; John Russell now separated for a year from his German wife Ilse works as a crime reporter for a liberal newspaper and gets involved in lots of stories that have political implications and can lead to his doom. While he juggles his many responsibilities and how far he will go to survive, the younger John Russell of this book is a very humane character - even more relatable than the mature one of the latter books. The one sequence where he needs to expose the SA corruption and bring at least a drop of justice to a murdered youngster, so he decides to give the SS the materials he got, choosing a high ranking officer with a secret he discovered in another investigation - he actually doesn't need to use that in the end to protect himself but he wonders of he would have done it ...
The book is an excellent depiction of the atmosphere of those months and the audiobook narration of Simon Vance is pitch perfect conveying the dark irony of the novel. The ending is also excellent as it is a beginning too - as we of course know from the main series novels. Not sure if the author plans more John Russell books to cover 1934-1938 but I would welcome such.
Highly recommended.
The book is an excellent depiction of the atmosphere of those months and the audiobook narration of Simon Vance is pitch perfect conveying the dark irony of the novel. The ending is also excellent as it is a beginning too - as we of course know from the main series novels. Not sure if the author plans more John Russell books to cover 1934-1938 but I would welcome such.
Highly recommended.
August 26, 2021
it is the first one of Downing i read. well, it did not catch me. and i am quite fascinated with thrillers based in Berlin before the great war (Kerr) but with this one i walked a lot in Berlin, ate a lot in restaurants but the main issue for me was that the horror of the times was minimized and mainly done from newspapers Russel is reading and hardly as an eye witness and he is a journalist who covers crimes. and all the material is there including the big crime of the nazi regime.
April 2, 2021
British author David Downing has written seven books in his John Russell series. They’re set in Berlin in the 1930’s and 40’s and they give a very good picture of life in Germany under Nazi rule and then under Soviet rule. Each book bears the title of a Berlin train station; this book, “Wedding Station”, is Downing’s 7th book. Someday I’m going to look at a map of Berlin and count the number of railway stations, trying to determine if Downing has more books in him. The exception to Berlin train stations is his previous book, “Masaryk Station”, set in Budapest, post WW2.
“Wedding Station” is actually a prequel to the previous six books. It’s set in 1933 as the Nazis take over the German government. John Russell is introduced as an American-British newspaper man, who has settled fitfully in Berlin, writing for a local liberal-leaning newspaper. The book opens at the burning of the Reichstag in late January of 1933. The book’s beginning is a bit slow, but Downing settles into his story about a quarter way through. Russell becomes involved with a few stories and jobs which involve dealing with both the SA and the SD. The newspaper stories are either edited into oblivion or not run at all, depending on the political scene.
John Russell’s reason for staying on in Berlin and his job is that he wants to be with his young son from his marriage. The child lives with Russell’s ex-wife and her partner, and fortunately Russell and his ex are on very good terms. The book is a look at the murders, arrests, and political intrigue as Hitler and his party are consolidating their power. We see how people - ordinary citizens and elite - deal with the burdensome laws. As Russell is a former communist sympathizer, he’s worried about former friends. He also has Jewish friends who are much in danger.
David Downing’s newest book is interesting reading and a good addition to his station series. (He also has another series, set in China, that I didn’t enjoy as much.)
“Wedding Station” is actually a prequel to the previous six books. It’s set in 1933 as the Nazis take over the German government. John Russell is introduced as an American-British newspaper man, who has settled fitfully in Berlin, writing for a local liberal-leaning newspaper. The book opens at the burning of the Reichstag in late January of 1933. The book’s beginning is a bit slow, but Downing settles into his story about a quarter way through. Russell becomes involved with a few stories and jobs which involve dealing with both the SA and the SD. The newspaper stories are either edited into oblivion or not run at all, depending on the political scene.
John Russell’s reason for staying on in Berlin and his job is that he wants to be with his young son from his marriage. The child lives with Russell’s ex-wife and her partner, and fortunately Russell and his ex are on very good terms. The book is a look at the murders, arrests, and political intrigue as Hitler and his party are consolidating their power. We see how people - ordinary citizens and elite - deal with the burdensome laws. As Russell is a former communist sympathizer, he’s worried about former friends. He also has Jewish friends who are much in danger.
David Downing’s newest book is interesting reading and a good addition to his station series. (He also has another series, set in China, that I didn’t enjoy as much.)
April 10, 2021
Great news - David Downing has written a new John Russell thriller. After Masaryk Station in 2013, he seemed to move on to other projects and I’ve read a few of his more recent books. They’re not at all bad but absolutely not in the same class as his novels set in Berlin before, during and after the Second World War, a series which began with Zoo Station in 2007. Even better news Wedding Station starts its narrative with the Reichstag Fire in 1933 and starts to fill in the gaps before 1939 when we first met Russell in Zoo Station. Will there be more? I don’t know but I certainly hope so.
In Wedding Station Russell, an English ex Communist who is married to a German and has a six year-old son, is working as a journalist on a liberal Berlin newspaper whose days are clearly numbered. As usual, he gets himself involved in all kinds of trouble including following up on a gruesome murder of a rent boy, the blackmail of prominent Brownshirts and the persecution of former colleagues in the KDP who are being systematically wiped out following the Reichstag fire.
There’s plenty of excitement, some very interesting characters and wonderfully evocative location descriptions.David Downing is, in my option, one of the top 3 who have written Nazi fiction alongside Philip Kerr and Jane Thynne. Welcome back.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of ‘39, all[ublished by Sacristy Press.
In Wedding Station Russell, an English ex Communist who is married to a German and has a six year-old son, is working as a journalist on a liberal Berlin newspaper whose days are clearly numbered. As usual, he gets himself involved in all kinds of trouble including following up on a gruesome murder of a rent boy, the blackmail of prominent Brownshirts and the persecution of former colleagues in the KDP who are being systematically wiped out following the Reichstag fire.
There’s plenty of excitement, some very interesting characters and wonderfully evocative location descriptions.David Downing is, in my option, one of the top 3 who have written Nazi fiction alongside Philip Kerr and Jane Thynne. Welcome back.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of ‘39, all[ublished by Sacristy Press.
June 23, 2025
in the subgenre of weimar republic crime lit, this was just okay. the plot was decent and i liked that this focused more on the pov of the c.ommunists vs the n.azis but john russell wasn't a v compelling character. he felt very cookie cutter. this is a prequel so i can't judge the series as a whole, but even as a prequel, it doesn't make me want to read the rest of the series.
August 29, 2021
This is a very good prequel to the series (it is released as volume 0). It is pretty obvious that much of this novel was written in a world where Trumpism was rampant. Much of the fascist activity related in the tale mirrors the actual pre-WW2 times with a more historically recent twist/ flavor.
July 1, 2021
Fans of this excellent WWII espionage series set in Germany will enjoy this prequel which details the life of English/American journalist John Russell in the years of Hitler's power climb into ultimate, deadly authority. Through six previous books, readers have followed the tense, precarious life of Russell as he navigated the war in Germany through the agony of the rise and fall of Hitler, surviving by his quick wit and shifting allegiances.
In this story, Russell's life before the war is told with a poignancy that hits readers who know the later stories. However, new readers may want to start with this one firstly, and then go on to the rest, in order. Each builds upon the previous, in authentic, devastating, action-packed detail.
In this prequel, Downing places Russell in mid-1930's German life with Hitler and his thugs slowly strangling the country. Russell is on the staff of a major newspaper with colleagues that warily acknowledge that their time - and that of all German newspapers - will soon come to a bad end, as free speech gives way to hard line propaganda. Downey excels at describing ordinary German life - the good and the bad - during this time, and, in the later books, during the horrific war and its scrambling, deadly aftermath.
This series is one of the very best on WWII Germany. Fans of the late Phillip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series will find the John Russell series highly interesting. Both series are extraordinary accounts of Germany before, during, and after WWII. A must-have series for all library fiction collections.
July 25, 2021
I didn’t enjoy this “prequel” as much as others in the series, mainly because I had a hard time keeping the many characters and sub-plots straight. In fairness I listened to an audio book and the reader was using what I assume was flawless German and all the names began to sound alike to my ear. It was helpful, however, to get an insight into Russell’s background and beginning of his life in Nazi Germany. Wish I had read this book first (although it was published last)
I’m sure I will still read others in the “Station” series from time to time.
I’m sure I will still read others in the “Station” series from time to time.
March 26, 2021
3.5 John Russell, a British journalist living and working in 1933 Berlin. The Reichstag Fire happens at the beginning of the novel and then the beginning of the rise of Hitler, the SS, the Gestapo and the hatred of the Jews.
All of the meals and streets and subway rides are described in endless detail. This was challenging for me as I know little about Berlin.
All of the meals and streets and subway rides are described in endless detail. This was challenging for me as I know little about Berlin.
April 9, 2021
These John Russell novels have gotten great reviews. This is the only one I recall reading, although I have read one of the Downing standalones. While the characters are well-written and the plot interesting, what is really intriguing is the historical context made personal by the trials and tribulations of the main characters. The downside of the historical perspective is the awful nature of the Nazi regime. It is also difficult to read of the fawning nature of a good many German citizens with out recalling current politics in our own country. But these are well-written novels and I should probably read a few more in the series.
September 18, 2021
If you like the depressing early Nazi take over the German state, you will like this "Prequel" to the other John Russell "Station" series. I found this book simply a mixture of all of the earlier horrible stresses that John Russell experienced in the other "Station" books.
February 14, 2024
Love these characters. It was delightful to meet up with them again at the beginning.
But it's not a surprise Mr. Downing chose to write this one. Just read the news...
But it's not a surprise Mr. Downing chose to write this one. Just read the news...
May 30, 2025
This was a very good book but somewhat hard to read. great story line but filled with too many details about streets etc the thing about this book was it's staggering similarity to what we're experiencing in the US right now. so frightening
September 3, 2022
Disappointingly dull. I had already read books 1-7 in the series which I had always enjoyed, but this one failed to meet the same standards.
As a prequel to the series, Wedding Station doesn‘t seem to have any clear-cut plot. It‘s mostly about Russell traversing Berlin to investigate various crimes as a newspaper reporter which are intended to give the reader an idea of just how brutally the Nazis cemented their power throughout Germany. Unfortunately, the crimes in the book are so numerous that none of them are dealt with in great detail. Instead, Downing spends more time detailing Russell’s favorite pastime - travelling across Berlin - complete with the names of every station, street and bridge - and his joy of eating where Downing takes great pains to ensure that Russel eats a different meal every single day. All of this, of course, to demonstrate the author’s knowledge of Berlin’s geography and Germany’s culinary delights.
In my opinion, this is a completely unnecessary prequel and I am just glad I had read the other books beforehand, otherwise I would never have been inclined to do so after this one.
As a prequel to the series, Wedding Station doesn‘t seem to have any clear-cut plot. It‘s mostly about Russell traversing Berlin to investigate various crimes as a newspaper reporter which are intended to give the reader an idea of just how brutally the Nazis cemented their power throughout Germany. Unfortunately, the crimes in the book are so numerous that none of them are dealt with in great detail. Instead, Downing spends more time detailing Russell’s favorite pastime - travelling across Berlin - complete with the names of every station, street and bridge - and his joy of eating where Downing takes great pains to ensure that Russel eats a different meal every single day. All of this, of course, to demonstrate the author’s knowledge of Berlin’s geography and Germany’s culinary delights.
In my opinion, this is a completely unnecessary prequel and I am just glad I had read the other books beforehand, otherwise I would never have been inclined to do so after this one.
April 25, 2021
Wow! I have really enjoyed the John Russell mysteries over the years, but this one was really special. The writing was superb, the moral dilemmas faced by Russell and the his German friends were written in great and sympathetic detail. Perhaps I was enthralled because I could see echoes in 2020 America. Absolutely looking forward to the next John Russell.
May 25, 2021
Enjoy this series. Not sure everything hung together but it was a good read.
I do want to point out that this (high-profile) book is a good example of why spellcheck isn't sufficient as a proofreader. They may be real words but they have to be in the right place. I was honestly shocked at how prevalent the mistakes were.
I do want to point out that this (high-profile) book is a good example of why spellcheck isn't sufficient as a proofreader. They may be real words but they have to be in the right place. I was honestly shocked at how prevalent the mistakes were.
December 31, 2021
I liked the original 6 books of the series a lot. And I was hoping for Cold War-era sequel. But Downing came up with this prequel. I am fairly disappointed. Frankly, if I had read this one first I doubt I would've continued with the rest of the books. So, my advise is to read the original series first and only then continue with this one.
July 4, 2022
The book has so many subplots that end up being dead ends. It feels like it was pieced together out of a bunch of left over threads that didn't make it into the other novels. It was nice to get some back story on John Russell, and overall it was an OK read, but it doesn't add much to the series.
March 15, 2021
I was in the mood for Downing's depiction of Berlin this winter and had just decided to reread Zoo Station when I saw that he'd had a prequel, set in 1933, appear in March. I preordered from my favorite bookstore Brookline Booksmith and enjoyed my anticipated trip to Berlin.
Berlin of 1933 is not the happy place it was when I visited in 2015, 2016, and 2017, but studying a city's past helps you understand and fully appreciate its present.
This story--the Nazis securing power in 1933 feels not only relevant but contemporary. 96 The absence of the rule of law "is anything but abstract. It screams in the night."
136 "Once the existence of facts was denied then everything was a lie. Everything but power and the will to use it."
175 "Everything came down to opinion which usually meant prejudice."
Downing must have been writing, editing, and finishing this book during the 2020 election cycle. I can't but think the above quotes reflect what he was experiencing now as much as what he'd researched about then.
324 "What did a political person do when political hope was gone? You tried your best ot keep your values alive, in your work, in your dealings, in how you explained the world to your son. You shared despair and whatever new hope you could muster, with colleagues, friends and family. You nursed a resistance of the heart, one that might someday find expression on the streets."
Will Downing continue this prequel series? The quality of this one makes me hope so. I'd like to see his relationship with Effi start and mature. We meet it fully present in the first series. At first I wondered if Russell's voice felt true, but it did. His relationship with his son--important in the first series--gets developed here and we share in Russell's joy at discovering this human he's helped create.
106 I think he first spies his future girlfriend at Babelsberg [325, yes it was Effie Koenen]
Berlin of 1933 is not the happy place it was when I visited in 2015, 2016, and 2017, but studying a city's past helps you understand and fully appreciate its present.
This story--the Nazis securing power in 1933 feels not only relevant but contemporary. 96 The absence of the rule of law "is anything but abstract. It screams in the night."
136 "Once the existence of facts was denied then everything was a lie. Everything but power and the will to use it."
175 "Everything came down to opinion which usually meant prejudice."
Downing must have been writing, editing, and finishing this book during the 2020 election cycle. I can't but think the above quotes reflect what he was experiencing now as much as what he'd researched about then.
324 "What did a political person do when political hope was gone? You tried your best ot keep your values alive, in your work, in your dealings, in how you explained the world to your son. You shared despair and whatever new hope you could muster, with colleagues, friends and family. You nursed a resistance of the heart, one that might someday find expression on the streets."
Will Downing continue this prequel series? The quality of this one makes me hope so. I'd like to see his relationship with Effi start and mature. We meet it fully present in the first series. At first I wondered if Russell's voice felt true, but it did. His relationship with his son--important in the first series--gets developed here and we share in Russell's joy at discovering this human he's helped create.
106 I think he first spies his future girlfriend at Babelsberg [325, yes it was Effie Koenen]
September 5, 2023
As the series number indicates, this is a prequel to the John Russell series. John Russell is an English journalist living and working in Berlin and the beginning of the Nazi era. He is separated from his German wife and son. He fears a divorce since it could lead to his deportation. The story begins at the time of the Reichstag fire, the excuse for the Nazi consolidation of power. Downing does an excellent job of describing the fear of living in a society in which dissent is not tolerated and in which those in power ride roughshod over those they consider enemies.
The key villains in this piece are the Brownshirts (Stormtroopers/ SA), a paramilitary force that is a law unto itself. They have rivals in the SS which Russell will use to his advantage in the course of the novel. Russell works for a German newspaper; it is very clear from the beginning that the press is not free. In the hopes of avoiding being shut down, the editors will not publish certain stories which would reflect badly on the Party leaders. Trying to report on the murder of a gay prostitute, Russell is confronted with a conundrum: How does he report what he knows when there are indications that the SA was involved? His ex-wife's partner asks him to investigate the disappearance of the daughter of a friend, a high-ranking Army officer. The girl has run off with her communist boyfriend. With communists being rounded up, the officer fears for her safety (and rightly so as it will turn out). In the course of this novel, Russell will be beaten, jailed, and threatened. Trying to be a journalist in those days was a dangerous occupation.
The novel paints a disturbing portrait of the descent of Germany into Nazi rule. It also has a humanity about it, as Russell deals with his son and the other people in his life. The history does not erase the human drama.
The key villains in this piece are the Brownshirts (Stormtroopers/ SA), a paramilitary force that is a law unto itself. They have rivals in the SS which Russell will use to his advantage in the course of the novel. Russell works for a German newspaper; it is very clear from the beginning that the press is not free. In the hopes of avoiding being shut down, the editors will not publish certain stories which would reflect badly on the Party leaders. Trying to report on the murder of a gay prostitute, Russell is confronted with a conundrum: How does he report what he knows when there are indications that the SA was involved? His ex-wife's partner asks him to investigate the disappearance of the daughter of a friend, a high-ranking Army officer. The girl has run off with her communist boyfriend. With communists being rounded up, the officer fears for her safety (and rightly so as it will turn out). In the course of this novel, Russell will be beaten, jailed, and threatened. Trying to be a journalist in those days was a dangerous occupation.
The novel paints a disturbing portrait of the descent of Germany into Nazi rule. It also has a humanity about it, as Russell deals with his son and the other people in his life. The history does not erase the human drama.
December 23, 2021
Rating 3
I did enjoy the original 6 books in the Station series when they were first released, although i haven't gone back to do a re-read yet. i was surprised when this title popped up on a recommendations list as i couldn't see where the story for John Russell and Effi Koenan could really go to - but upon reading the cover blurb saw that this was a prequel set in 1933 Berlin.
Was it really needed and could it tell an interesting story with John in Berlin just after the nazi's came to power?
for me the answer is 50/50 to be honest. i found the book as easy to read as the previous ones and the detail / information that the author uses to paint the picture of Berlin at the time worked well for me. it was interesting to see JR working for a german newspaper rather than being the international correspondent he becomes, and to see the fairly rapid takeover of the 'free' press so that none of them will report anything that the government doesn't like. whether this was anything 'new' for the reader though is debatable perhaps.
the incidents he gets involved in which place him in danger, especially considering what was happening at the time to the communists, jews and other undesirables being attacked by the SA, felt rather reckless at times I must say. the number of times he escapes real harm did stretch credibility a bit to be sure.
the novel did feel a bit bitty or episodic at times that did stop the novel flowing smoothly.
overall then an okay read but one that didn't really add anything to the overall story of JR and Effi.
for new readers i would probably say read this first and continue onto Zoo Station.
I did enjoy the original 6 books in the Station series when they were first released, although i haven't gone back to do a re-read yet. i was surprised when this title popped up on a recommendations list as i couldn't see where the story for John Russell and Effi Koenan could really go to - but upon reading the cover blurb saw that this was a prequel set in 1933 Berlin.
Was it really needed and could it tell an interesting story with John in Berlin just after the nazi's came to power?
for me the answer is 50/50 to be honest. i found the book as easy to read as the previous ones and the detail / information that the author uses to paint the picture of Berlin at the time worked well for me. it was interesting to see JR working for a german newspaper rather than being the international correspondent he becomes, and to see the fairly rapid takeover of the 'free' press so that none of them will report anything that the government doesn't like. whether this was anything 'new' for the reader though is debatable perhaps.
the incidents he gets involved in which place him in danger, especially considering what was happening at the time to the communists, jews and other undesirables being attacked by the SA, felt rather reckless at times I must say. the number of times he escapes real harm did stretch credibility a bit to be sure.
the novel did feel a bit bitty or episodic at times that did stop the novel flowing smoothly.
overall then an okay read but one that didn't really add anything to the overall story of JR and Effi.
for new readers i would probably say read this first and continue onto Zoo Station.
June 14, 2021
If you have already read the incomparable David Downing's John Russell series, this book is a prequel to the books about an Englishman in Germany during World War II. If you haven't read it, this book can serve as the beginning of the series. (Wedding, pronounced Vedding, is a working class neighborhood in Berlin, where Russell lives.)
It's 1933 and Hitler has just been elected chancellor of Germany. Russell is working for a moderately liberal Berlin paper on the crime beat. He needs the job to stay in Germany close to his son, Paul. Russell and his wife Ilse have split up, and Ilse has a new boyfriend. If they divorce, he must leave Germany.
There is no shortage of crime in Berlin to report on. The problem is, much of it seems to originate with the SA, Hitler's brownshirts. There's the rent boy, found stabbed and mutilated, his roommate on the run, the police alleging that he killed the young man. There's the immensely popular seer, (discovered to be Jewish) who has disappeared without letting his staff know where he is going. There's the man who is found dead whose American wife appeals to Russell for help and later finds his notebook written in code.
Russell, who was once a member of the Communist Party, tries to tread a fine line between staying alive and out of the brownshirts' torture centers and doing the honorable thing to help others when he can.
This is a wonderfully researched book that makes the reader feel as if she is sitting next to Russell at his desk and on the trams that travel across Berlin of 1933.
It's 1933 and Hitler has just been elected chancellor of Germany. Russell is working for a moderately liberal Berlin paper on the crime beat. He needs the job to stay in Germany close to his son, Paul. Russell and his wife Ilse have split up, and Ilse has a new boyfriend. If they divorce, he must leave Germany.
There is no shortage of crime in Berlin to report on. The problem is, much of it seems to originate with the SA, Hitler's brownshirts. There's the rent boy, found stabbed and mutilated, his roommate on the run, the police alleging that he killed the young man. There's the immensely popular seer, (discovered to be Jewish) who has disappeared without letting his staff know where he is going. There's the man who is found dead whose American wife appeals to Russell for help and later finds his notebook written in code.
Russell, who was once a member of the Communist Party, tries to tread a fine line between staying alive and out of the brownshirts' torture centers and doing the honorable thing to help others when he can.
This is a wonderfully researched book that makes the reader feel as if she is sitting next to Russell at his desk and on the trams that travel across Berlin of 1933.
March 19, 2021
Very glad to see Mr. Downing has brought back John Russell, and done a little "backfilling" of his story. Having read all of the previous Station Series more than once, it is a bit like being re-acquainted with an old friend. The creeping paranoia, darkness and uncertainty of the nascent Third Reich he can evoke with just one sentence has always grabbled me ,and I can almost smell the dankness, the odor of old cabbage cooking in the crumbling apartment blocks of "Red Wedding". Even though some of the story does take place in daylight, it has a pervading sense of night throughout. I find myself wanting
to tell the Berliners this is just the beginning... prepare yourselves for the horrors to come over the next 12 years.. The relationships he has with his unofficially ex-wife and son; especially the son, he is not such a cynical, hard-bitten crime reporter but a man with a good heart and a conscience he struggles mightily with. This is a characteristic that will more than likely get him into trouble. It is not too much a "spoiler" to say it does in coming years. The grim story lines would be enough to destroy anyone's faith in humanity but he does retain a hopeful spark. Russell, and the people he loves and likes are people you care about. (I have to say I hope Mr. Downing has another Russell book in him; a connection between this, Zoo Station and beyond; but I am biased).
to tell the Berliners this is just the beginning... prepare yourselves for the horrors to come over the next 12 years.. The relationships he has with his unofficially ex-wife and son; especially the son, he is not such a cynical, hard-bitten crime reporter but a man with a good heart and a conscience he struggles mightily with. This is a characteristic that will more than likely get him into trouble. It is not too much a "spoiler" to say it does in coming years. The grim story lines would be enough to destroy anyone's faith in humanity but he does retain a hopeful spark. Russell, and the people he loves and likes are people you care about. (I have to say I hope Mr. Downing has another Russell book in him; a connection between this, Zoo Station and beyond; but I am biased).
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