Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the read of Harald Gilbers, Germania.

1944, Berlin.

Richard Oppenheimer and his wife have been lucky to survive the Nazi brutalities against the Jewish people. With rumors of Berlin falling, they take cover from the increasing intensity of bombing raids and still labor to evade the random acts of violence from Nazi soldiers.

When deep in the night, Richard is pulled from his bed and led out at gunpoint, he believes his end has come. He is secreted out to the middle of nowhere. Instead of being shot he is informed by the Gestapo that his investigative expertise as a leading detective, is required to help in the search for the serial killer responsible for vicious murders of women; all of whom had close ties to the Nazi party. Not understanding why the Nazi SS has made an exception of him, Richard is both excited at being involved in a case again, yet, terrified as to what happens after it is solved.

An intense, thrilling, murder mystery – rife with cleverly crafted scenarios, brilliant writing, and well-developed characters.

Gilbers instantaneously captures the reader.

I highly recommend reading Germania as a 2020 must-read.

Nazi Germany as it becomes clear that the Third Reich will not win. First in a series and the first to be translated into English. The protagonist is unlikely - a former police detective who lost his job because he was Jewish, but who is now drafted to help on a serial killer case. There's a lot to praise here - the evocation of the period, the exploration of the ironies, and a very serviceable plot. Sadly, the translation does not do the text any favours.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is a police-procedural mystery with a major twist. The action takes place in Nazi Berlin in 1944. The SS has requested help from a Jewish detective, who has been thrown out of the police because of his religion.

The story was intriguing, but the basic premise required a suspension of disbelief.

Germania by Harald Gilbers is part mystery, part police procedural novel while being set in WWII Berlin, Germany. Interesting premise, but for me it was confusing and slow moving at times. I believe the confusion was partly because I was reading the advanced copy on the kindle and there wasn't spaces between each narrator, so it made it hard to follow. There was stories within stories and though that wasn't too hard to keep up with, I am not sure it was needed. The "whodunit" part of this book was anticlmactic, and I think that it was because the person who was actually the murderer was only mentioned briefly, and it seemed that the murders were almost an afterthought. I totally enjoyed the authors writing, I just wish I enjoyed the story more.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is set in Berlin during World War II. Richard Oppenheimer lives in a Jewish house with his German wife. When a man shows up at his door in the middle of the night, he believes his luck has run out.

Before the war, he he was a well-regarded police inspector, and now they need his skills to help them find a depraved, serial killer who is viciously mutilating the genitalia of women and leaving them as offerings on old monuments.

The issue is these are all women who are engaged in affairs with Nazi officers. That being said, the Nazis want him caught ASAP. If the murders cannot be solved, they have a scapegoat. Although this new twist in his life make him feel alive and he wants the personal satisfaction of solving the murders, Oppenheimer also questions what will be his fate when he is no longer useful?

This is not my favorite genre of novels but it was an interesting read. I would definitely recommend to friends and family.

The subtitle of Herald Gilbers’ ’ 2013 mystery Germania is, in itself, a spoiler: A Novel Of Nazi Berlin. Just released in the United States, Alexandra Roesch’s translation imbues the novel with a driving narration which never lets up. The year is 1944 and the allied invasion is taking place and the casualties from the war are mounting in Berlin. But it’s not just the daily bombings that causes all the death. A serial killer is on the loose leaving a string of mutilated prostitutes in his wake. Enter Richard Oppenheimer,a former homicide detective, let go because he is Jewish, and has thus far avoided his own annihilation because of his gentile wife. With the Reich hot to lay this case to rest, Oppenheimer is recruited by the SS in the form of Hauptsturmführer Vogler. With a semi-promise of freedom, Oppenheimer, armed with his meticulous detective’s intuition, amphetamines, and the will to save his and his wife’s life, begins gathering evidence in a murder case that has the Gestapo baffled. With seldom a false note, Germania is a thriller that delivers the goods while , at the same time attempting to answer the question of what sacrifices are necessary to make life worth living. This Novel Of Nazi Berlin is worth the quest for that answer.

Germania is an interesting peek into Nazi Germany at the height of the war. I was immediately hooked by the serial killer angle and it was a unique take to feature a Jewish protagonist in Nazi Germany that didn't focus on his experiences in the camps or ghetto. That said, I do think Oppenheimer's narrative feels like it was intentionally sanitized in order to balance out the horrific details of the murders. But I will admit that I am ignorant of the experiences of Jews married to Germans.

One issue I had might simply be due to formatting. There were no scene breaks and I found myself getting confused as to the POV. I was in Oppenheimer's head and then quickly -- with no break -- I was in Hilde's. Threw me off and I had to stop and reread.

It is a page-turner and I would recommend it to anyone interested in historical crime fiction to pick it up.

An amazing book. This story takes place in Germany during the Second World War. In 1944, a serial killer attacked the city of Berlin by kidnapping women, murdering them, and then leaving them in front of the war memorials. However, a witness informed the police about the murderer, who is not against Hitler's regime, but rather a loyal Nazi. Detective Richard Oppenheimer is a very ingenious man, capable of solving even the most difficult cases thanks to his unique skills. He was assigned to solve this case, and now he has to investigate. I loved this book because I didn't expect Oppenheimer to be Jewish. I imagine the desperation and nervousness to work with people who don't want you to exist. At all times, Oppenheimer was careful to pretend to be another average German. I like that this book is part of a series because I will read the following books. The narrative is excellent, as it kept me in suspense throughout the novel. I thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Thomas Dunne Books for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was very well paced and heart pounding. Finding yourself following along as a serial killer is being sought. But imagine if the person investigating was a Jew in Nazi Germany. This was a very well written and suspenseful novel of intrigue.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. Historical fiction isn’t usually a genre I would read but I was really taken in by the story as well as the setting and happenings. Lots of mystery and a great amount of characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

I can't say I enjoyed this book. It was brutal and horrifying far beyond most murder mysteries just by the added aspect of the setting of WWII Germany and the atrocities taking place there. But it was powerful and well written in bringing the complicated plot to a conclusion. I can see why so many people are giving this book 5 stars - but I have to be true to my own feelings and can't be one of them. I give it 3 stars, though, for the quality of the writing.

Germania by Harald Gilbers

9781250246936

348 Pages
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Release Date: December 1, 2020

Fiction (Adult), Nazi Germany, 1940s, Mystery & Thriller, Suspense, Historical World War II Fiction, Historical Mystery

This book is set in Berlin in the 1940s under Nazi Germany. The main character, Richard Oppenheimer, was a police investigator before Hitler came into power. Since he was Jewish, he was removed from his position and made to live in the Jewish house. SS Hauptsturmfuhrer
Vogel was tasked with solving the murder. He sought out Oppenheimer and asked him to assist in a top-secret investigation. A woman was found dead and her body mutilated.

The story takes place in about one month’s time and the characters are developed. It is written in third person point of view. I really liked Oppenheimer. In his character, I could see the struggle the Jewish people endured during the Nazi occupation. He lost his job, his home and was not able to freely move about the city. He was ingenious with his tricks to avoid detection while he was investigating without Vogel’s knowledge.

Although this was a book of fiction, it had a very real feel to it. The book is very descriptive from the nightly bombings of the city to the condition of Oppenheimer’s worn shoes. I finished this book in two days and barely put it down. I wanted to see what was going to happen and how the investigation would be solved.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
In 1944, Berlin is in the midst of the Second World War. Living with his Aryan wife in a segregated “Jewish House” former police inspector Richard Oppenheimer is called out of bed in the middle of the night to insist the German SS with an investigation—women are being gruesomely murdered, their mutilated bodies left sprawled on war memorials. Richard has no choice but to comply, knowing the consequences that face him if he refuses. However, the consequences for Richard failing at finding the culprit could very well be life and death for him and his wife.
“Germania”, by Harald Gilbers, was originally published in 2013 in its original German, but is being released in translated English to the North American markets. It is also the first novel in an apparent series (which sort of gives you a hint as to the fate of our protagonist), the second of which has not yet been released.
“Germania” sets the gruesome stage of war-torn Berlin, where Jews are forced to identify themselves by the wearing of yellow stars on their clothing, if they are lucky enough to exist in Berlin at all. The SS and Gestapo are running rampant under Hitler, trying to change Germany “for the better” under the Fuhrer’s rule.
There are a lot of novels about World War Two and about the heartbreaking and devastating effects before, during and after, but Gilber’s story is different, in that it reads like a police procedural, with a crime, suspect and investigations taking place, all while a universe-altering war takes place in the background. Richard is more than just a former police investigator, relieved of his position due to his religion, but he faces more pressure to succeed as failure could very well be fatal. Both Richard and his wife, Lisa, are strong and brave characters who are likable and easy to root for.
I enjoyed the informative parts of this novel, that provided me with first-hand experiences of the devastating war, and (of course) I enjoyed the parts of the novel that were narrated by the murderer himself. There were many characters and settings in this novel, all with long, tongue-twisting German names, and I got a little lost toward the end as the culprit was being sought out. I wanted more psychological investigation, more of the “why-did-he-do-it” instead of the “whodunit”, which, to be honest, was anti-climactic when finally revealed.
“Germania” is definitely a novel for those who enjoy World War II fiction, especially if you prefer police procedurals, but it is not an easy read and is tough-going in a lot of places. Gilbers though, has definite writing talent, and I look forward to seeing what else Richard Oppenheimer gets up to.

This book was amazing. The author puts you right into the shoes of the lead investigator who is a Jewish man in Nazi Germany. The tension is high throughout the book and it never lets up. The SS forces the man to help their investigation into the grisly murder of the woman. If he does not agree, both him and his wife may not be safe from the SS. The investigator then realizes this isn't one murder but one in a string of murders in which he has to track down a serial killer. This is edge of your seat reading at it's finest. SO glad this book was translated into English! Looking forward to the next one by Harald Gilbers!

Compelling read, action packed novel set in Berlin, Germany during WWII. Intense serial killer investigation led by Richard Oppenheimer who is also a Jew. The serial killer is targeting women and displaying them in front of monuments, and no one seems to be able to track down who this killer is. Germania describes the harsh reality of living in Germany and what it was like- the hatred, the lack of resources, the attitudes, and most importantly the fear. Very well written book that is not an easy or a quick read, but one that tells story after story if the reader engages. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own.

Here's an unusual and rather convoluted historical mystery, Harald Gilbers' Germania, that begins in 1944 Berlin, undergoing regular Allied bombing. What's different about it is that Jewish Richard Oppenheimer, a skilled police investigator before the war, is forced by the Gestapo to track down a serial killer.

As the investigation proceeds, Oppenheimer's situation gets more and more precarious, leaving readers to wonder whether he'll be forced to flee before the killer is caught. He has several close shaves, but does manage to solve the case - and to live another day.

I was invited to read this novel and although it’s not my typical detective genre, I dug in as it involved a serial killer in Berlin against the backdrop of the war torn city where the female victims, linked to the nazi party are positioned against war memorials. It’s a blend of spy thriller/police procedural/and almost documentarian style. It’s very good, vert complicated, rather difficult to remember all the characters names but the characters are well developed . I’m glad I moved out of my normal reading zone. I’m better for it.

An excellent police procedural set in Nazi Germany toward the end of WWII. Richard Oppenheimer is a Jewish detective fired from the police for his ethnicity. He is recruited from the Jewish House by Vogler, a senior Nazi official, to assist in the search for a serial killer, As the story progresses the interactions between Oppenheimer and his wife, his friends and neighbors, and Vogler provide much insight as the killer becomes more irrational and continues his torture and killing of women. The writing is clear and easy to read. The suspense grows through the story as Oppenheimer gets closer to the killer, but steps on a few toes. The environment in Berlin comes through well in the narrative. I enjoyed both the story and the milieu.

I LOVED the perspective that we got in this book. With the rich characters, it felt as if the author had actually lived during WWII. As a former history major, I really appreciated that, and the writing was so crisp that it kept me flipping pages. Even though this is a longer book, it flew by. Thank you for the chance to read it!

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

While the concept of this novel was one I was looking forward to reading, I found myself wanting it to “get on with it.” It was a little slow for me, but still a very interesting book. I loved Detective Oppenheimer, enjoyed the interaction between him and his wife, and enjoyed the description of his life in Nazi Germany.

The Nazi officer who sought his help in solving a top-secret murder committed by a serial killer was interesting in that he was willing to work with a Jew, but definitely had his own future in mind. He needed help. He sought out the best man with the ability to solve the mystery but couldn’t care less about that man’s future. The question was, how would these two men work together. Both men have reasons for wanting to solve the mystery, each man fears for his future, and each man has no trust in the other. Can they work together and successfully solve this heinous crime?

That’s the truly interesting concept of this book. I recommend this book to all lovers of mystery and human psychology.