Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin, for a review copy of this book! The opinions in this review are entirely my own!

Well, I should have read this book a lot sooner! Not only because it was published in 2020, and I've had it on my TBR for a long time, but also because it was a really good book!
Since German is my native language, I think I will read the next book in the series in German. I really want to experience the author's original writing. If the original writing is as good as the English translation, I know I will enjoy it. Great start to the series!

A serial killer in the midst of 1944 war torn Berlin, killing women and leaving them as examples. But examples of what? Witnesses report a Nazi killing these Nazi sympathizers. With no leads and an ongoing investigation that's going nowhere, SS officers will conscript Richard Oppenheimer, a Jewish former police investigator, to conduct an intensive investigation that will surprise readers with every twist and turn. Oppenheimer has his own reasons to find the killer but he also knows that should he fail, his life is forfeit.

Harald Gilbers weaves a fascinating look at how a Jewish man might find himself assisting the Nazis while still protecting his family and himself. The book reads as a hard boiled noir set during the ending years of WWII. A different kind of mystery/ thriller that I found engrossing. The ending was satisfying in so many ways. A good read to while away an afternnon with.

I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. It didn't seem fair for me to review a book that I didn't finish.

Try as I might, GERMANIA just wasn't the book for me. Though, I can see how fans of WWII mysteries would be able to dive into it.

Those familiar with Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series will experience a little bit of deja vu as they start reading about a police detective in the waning years of the Third Reich. Don’t despair. The stories are dissimilar despite the common setting. Gilbers has published five books in this Oppenheimer series starting in 2013, but now for the first time this first in the series has been translated (quite expertly) into English.

The setting is unmistakably unsettling as it is Spring 1944 in Berlin and the darkest nightmare ever imagined is starting to lose confidence following the devastating loss at Stalingrad, the Americans beating their way up the Italian peninsula, and the soon-to-come Normandy landing. In Berlin, there is not yet panic, but allied bombing is now a daily occurrence and there is starting to be a sense the tide has shifted.

Berlin is still run by Hitler’s brutal thugs and the ordinary Germans live in fear of saying the wrong thing. Oppenheimer, once upon a time, thought of himself as German as the next person, but he wears a yellow star when he leaves his home, an apartment house dubbed the Jewish house. He is one of the few Jews to survive in Nazi Berlin, tolerated for being married to an Aryan German. He was once upon a time an elite homicide detective and now he’s stuck with no way out.

In a bizarre twist, he is given a taste of his old life as a serial killer strikes in the heart of Berlin and the SS demands that Oppenheimer join the investigation and find the culprit. It is a bit of a Kafka-esque situation as Oppenheimer is asked to take off his star lest it make it awkward when he asks questions. Thus, he fulfills his old position, and somewhat can pretend everything is normal. But he knows it’s only temporary and that as soon as the investigation ends he could be shipped off to the death camps. Indeed, at any second, the Nazi authority or indeed any group of teenage bullies can effectively rip off his mask and condemn him. Gilbers does an excellent job of showing how odd and awkward Oppenheimer’s position is – a bit of normalcy in the center of Hell.

Not only is it a historical novel, but a top notch crime thriller with a chase on for a macabre killer who has eluded the regular investigators. While some reviewers have found the story as a whole slow to develop, the success of this novel is his the author so skillfully creates a believable storyline from such an odd and untenable situation. It’s a given to any readers of historical fiction what the Nazis were and Gilbers does not dwell on their evil. Rather, he gives us an eye toward what it was like at the center of the storm.

It was a little slow moving to start and with all the German names I had a hard time keeping track of who was who at first. Once I got use to the characters, I enjoyed following the investigation. I think all the difficulties Oppenheimer had to work through being Jewish working with the SS added to the mystery. Although I would not classify this as a thriller. There were some suspenseful moments, but I didn’t have the twists that I come to expect with the genre. The ending did end a little fast, but I like how it left it open to follow Oppenheimer more. It was nicely written with good character development and emotion, but it was not the fast-paced thriller I was expecting. I still liked it as a mystery though

I normally don't go for historical mysteries or thrillers but this one was so good! The main character is Jewish but because he is married to a non-Jew and is a detective, he gets a pass (sort of) from the Nazis. I cannot imagine living during that time period and having all eyes on you to solve the mystery of a murdered woman. Talk about having a target on one's back! Dectective Oppenheimer realizes that he is being used but the case he is investigating reinvigorates him. You'll have to read the book to see how it turns out!

I couldn’t get into this story. It just didn’t hold my interest. I’m not a fan of historical fiction in general but I keep trying it. I really thought I could get into this one but alas, it was not to be.

I did not finish it, but what I was able to read was well written. Thank you Netgalley and ST Martin’s Press for letting me give it a chance.

I am going to decline to review. The subject matter is not particularly interesting to me, but it well written and I would be interested in reviewing other books by this author in the future. For that reason, I will give a 3 star review, because Netgalley requires a star rating.

This was an interesting historical fiction. I liked the story (although it was quite gruesome).The main character, Richard, was a police investigator before being forced to quit for being Jewish. Richard is surprised to find SS officers come to his house in the middle of the night to have him lead an investigation. A horrific serial killer is mutilating women and leaving them in monuments. Richard is truly a good investigator even if he is trying to balance that with ensuring his and his wife’s safety. This was a new twist on the unimaginable treatment of Jewish people in WWII Germany, living among the enemy with no options or hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Thomas Dunne Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Brutal crimes happen at the end of the Third Reich in Berlin 1944. All characters are well developed. People who believed in Nazi Germany and Jews as well as common Germans who tried to survive WWII. A well written book I highly recommend reading.

This was an interesting historical fiction that was different than anything else I’ve read. While I liked the mystery (although it was quite gruesome) it did move a bit slowly for me. The main character, Richard, was a police investigator before. Now he works a simple manual labor and lives in a Jewish house in the crumbling city of Berlin. Richard is shocked to find SS officers come to his house in the middle of the night and not lead him to his doom but an investigation. A horrific serial killer is mutilating women and leaving them in monuments. There are layers of subterfuge and spying occurring during this story. Richard is truly a good investigator even if he is trying to balance that with ensuring his and his wife’s safety. I’ve read a lot of stories about the horrific ways the Jewish people were treated during World War Two, but this was an interesting new level. Living among the enemy with no options or hope.

Germania took me by surprise in a number of ways. I expected there to be a lot about the history, the horrendous trials the Jewish people suffered, and there is a good deal of history. What both surprised and impressed me is how Gilbers wove it into a procedural, and he does it brilliantly. The dangers are still quite tangible, and while we're processing that, we're also trying to work out the whodunit of this tale. There are also parts of the story told from the killer's point of view, and that's ;always intriguing. The whole book is so well done, and wonderfully plotted. The only drawback for me was the conclusion, and while it was bad, I felt a little let down. I wanted to know why. Other than that, this one is a page turner, and I would think this book would appeal to anyone who enjoys WWII fiction. This is the first book in a series, so it's not hard to figure out how Oppenheimer fares, although, there are some tense moments. He's a great character, and I'll be interested to see where his story goes from here.

Germania offers an easy reading historical fiction account of life in World War II Germany, where Jewish scholar is lured into service for the German constabulary.

This one was just a little much for me. As someone who reads a lot of historical fiction set in this time period, I was looking forward to changing it up with a different genre, but I just didn't think this particular title was for me.

Thank you to NetGalley + St. Martin's Press / Thomas Dunne Books for the chance to read and review this title.

Fascinating, but heavy combination of thriller, police procedural and WWII history. This would be great on TV.

I got 18% into this book but kept setting it aside and forgetting about it. Figured it was best to review now rather than drag out the time attempting to finish it. I enjoyed the story so far but it didn’t keep my attention. Overall written well just not my cup of tea at this time.

This novel has a unique premise and interesting blend of historical and crime novel . Full of espionage, covert operations, well developed characters, My thanks to Netgalley for this advance readers copy.

As someone who reads mysteries in part for the escapism, I was initially concerned that serial killer story set in Nazi Berlin might be too depressing to be of interest. This turns out not to be true: even though danger to the Jewish protagonist is a constant, oppressive force in the background, the story is more about resourcefulness and hope under unthinkable circumstances. Richard Oppenheimer used to be a police investigator before the war and once again finds purpose in the opportunity to apply his professional expertise to solving horrific crimes. Oppenheimer’s situation is already special, because his marriage to a non-Jewish woman gives him some level of protection, but he lives in constant fear. Now he is needed by the wartime government and for the duration of the investigation finds a reprieve from some of the many restrictions placed upon him. The authors does a fine job balancing the story of the investigation with descriptions of how Oppenheimer works within the limitations and privations of his situation. He is chasing a murderer while still feeling pursued at all times. The novel is well worth reading both for the mystery and for the fascinating depiction of life in Berlin at this time in history.

GERMANIA

Set in Berlin during WWII, this was a very good murder mystery involving a serial killer who targeted what at first appeared to be random prostitutes. Each one was left at the base of a WWI monument, with similar mutilations. As the story develops, it seems that these women may have been involved with some elite members of the Nazi party. To avoid scandal, SS Hauptsturmführer Vogler enlists the help of Richard Oppenheimer with the case.

Former Detective Superintendent in the German Army, Oppenheimer is a Jewish man married to an Aryan woman, Lisa. Although expelled from the army for being Jewish, Oppenheimer has had experience in the past with serial killers involved with sexual deviance. With pressure from the regime, Vogler’s hope is to use the former police inspector unofficially to solve the case quickly. Oppenheimer has no choice. The relationship that develops between Vogler and Oppenheimer involving their motives and reactions is also fascinating. With the help of a physician friend Hilde and her acquaintances in the German resistance, and his Pervitin tablets, Oppenheimer makes progress on the case.

What makes this book so good is how, although the mystery clears with discovery along the way, it is the upset in the last days of World War II Berlin Germany during the Normandy invasion that gives it its interest. The daily struggles of the German people, and especially Jewish citizens, is woven throughout the story painting a clear picture of hunger, weariness, confusion and general turmoil. Political wrangling and nightly bombings of the city result in horrendous upset to transportation, housing, food supply and safety. That this is the “norm” while trying to stop a maniac killer feels incredibly suspenseful and bizarre.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Harald Gilbers, and Thomas Dunne Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.