A murdered revolutionary . . .
A vicious serial killer . . .
A city in chaos . . .
All lead to Rosa.
A vicious serial killer . . .
A city in chaos . . .
All lead to Rosa.
In the last days of the First Worl... read full description
reviews
Jun 27, 2011
Milo
rated it: 
A very satisfying mix of darkly atmospheric police procedural and historical fiction in the tradition of Alan Furst or John Le Carre. The novel is set in Berlin in 1919 in the aftermath of WWI and immediately following the failed attempt at Marxist revolution against Germany's new Weimar government by Karl Liebknicht,Rosa Luxemburg, and their followers. The bodies of Liebknicht and others were found brutally murdered by paramilitary thugs, but Luxemburg's body didn't turn up for five months. Rab
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Jul 20, 2011
Michele
rated it:
A fictional yarn about life in Berlin at the beginning of the end of peace. It features a serial killer, vast political corruption, a master detective, a secret society pulling the strings, and Rosa Luxemburg. Rosa was a real figure in history, a Jewish socialist agitator in Germany between the wars, fighting for all the workers to unite against those who would have them fight each other in war after war. She was found floating in a canal in Berlin and became a hero of the resistance. This myste
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Jun 14, 2009
Shedrick
rated it:
Rosa is a very intriguing historical mystery set in Berlin 1919. Nikolai Hoffner, a brilliant and brilliantly-flawed Inspector with the criminal police (as opposed to the political police) becomes embroiled in a serial killer case that begins to roll out into a broader crime involving the constant shift of political power in the post-WWI Germany. The biggest strength of this book is the character of Hoffner. He is perceptive, intuitive, cynical, and dryly funny. His personal life is on the v
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Nov 06, 2008
Nancy
rated it:
The title refers to the socialist revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg; indeed, the action in this book takes place just after her death in 1919.Obviously, she is not the main character, but her death is a central element in this most ingenious novel.
Nikolai Hoffner is an inspector in post-war Germany's Kriminalpolizei(Kripo), and he leads the investigation of a series of bizarrre murders in which the killer engraves patterns in his victims' backs with a knife after he kills them. One of the More...
Nikolai Hoffner is an inspector in post-war Germany's Kriminalpolizei(Kripo), and he leads the investigation of a series of bizarrre murders in which the killer engraves patterns in his victims' backs with a knife after he kills them. One of the More...
May 15, 2011
In this combination police procedural/historical novel, Rabb does a fine job of holding the readers' interest, drawing compelling characters, and evoking Berlin in the period immediately following World War I. The plotting, which starts out quite strongly, becomes a bit strained by the end. I thought that problem could have been solved with a strong edit, aimed at making the book a bit shorter and tighter.
This novel is the first of a trilogy and I look forward to continuing the serie
This novel is the first of a trilogy and I look forward to continuing the serie
Oct 15, 2009
Ann
rated it: 
This is more of a 1919-set standard police procedural than the stunningly-written historical fiction I wanted it to be (but really, if I want each piece of historical fiction I read to be written as well as Rose Tremain's, I should just be reading Rose Tremain), but there is plenty of the requisite Weimar-y atmosphere, and the conspiracy that buttresses all this is satisfyingly vast. It's cabbage-scentedly dour, but Rosa never once made me cringe, so I'm calling this a positive experience.
May 17, 2010
Robert
rated it:
I give this a reluctant 4th star because the stop in the middle was, to me, quite final. Even though I knew there was more. The history is presented very well and the characters are quite good. I found myself drowning in explication (wrong word) at the denouement. I mean, it was borderline believable, but hard for me to read.
Nevertheless, I did like the book and will try another Rabb soon.
Pretty well recommended as historical detective fiction.
Nevertheless, I did like the book and will try another Rabb soon.
Pretty well recommended as historical detective fiction.
Jan 10, 2011
"Readers who like police procedural mysteries with a foreign and/or historical flavor will find all three genre in this treatment of a series of brutal murders as investigated by Berlin's Detective Inspector Nikolai Hoffner. Social Revolution in Germany in the early years of the 20th Century serves a backdrop and gives a gritty, authentic tone to the story. Then read the riveting sequel Shadow and Light."
DB/Reference Emerita
DB/Reference Emerita
Jul 28, 2011
1919 Berlin is a miserable place to try to be an honest cop. The Freikorps and the Sparticists are roaming the streets in armed packs, the war turned loose the inmates of prisons and asylums and the Kriminalpolizei (too old or too physically decrepit to be drafted) are getting paid in inflationary paper. Extremely clever prequel to _Shadow and Light_, proposing an alternate theory of the death of Rosa Luxemburg and presenting a vivid view of the chaotic end of WWI.
Sep 25, 2011
Naomi
rated it:
A mystery of serial murders set at the end of the first World War, the revolution in Germany that ushers in the Weimar Republic and ends imperial government, and the early days of what will become the Nazis are woven together by Rabb for a compelling read.
Book clubs that read texts focused on various forms of needle work take note: lace making is important to this story (how, I won't say). This is far from the cozy mystery genre, though, moving between police procedural and historic More...
Book clubs that read texts focused on various forms of needle work take note: lace making is important to this story (how, I won't say). This is far from the cozy mystery genre, though, moving between police procedural and historic More...
Mar 20, 2011
Tom
rated it:
Well-researched detective novel constructed around the communist/socialist revolution that took place in Germany immediately following WW I. Based on the story of Rosa Luxembourg, even Albert Einstein makes a cameo appearance. Elaborate, if sometimes confusing and overly complex plot lines, I will try another of his soon. Ranks with Alan Furst in conveying a sense of what the world was like then through a compelling story line.
May 25, 2011
Rachel
rated it: 
I don't usually hate books. But I think I hate this one. It took me forever to read because everytime I turned on the Kindle I fell asleep. Also, the story was boring and the ending was unexciting for what is supposed to be a thriller. The writing was ok. And the protaganist is relatable. For this reason I wavered between 1 and 2 stars. But I had to go with 1 because I kept falling asleep. As stubborn as I am I was able to read this book to completion, but I've got to think that many peo
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Feb 05, 2010
Joan
rated it: 
This book took me forever to read and I think only the inertia of February blahs prevented me from flipping to the end. However, flipping to the end would not have helped. This is a slow story. Well written. Lots of period detail, but I just never warmed to it.
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Jan 29, 2010
Naomi
rated it:
Right after the first World War a communist revolution occured in Germany. The murder of one of its ideological leaders, Rosa Luxemburg is woven into the fictional serial killings of other women which compounds the work of the detectives assigned to the case.
Feb 04, 2011
Joan
rated it:
This fast paced, intriguing, historical murder mystery is based on the true person of socialist/communist Rosa Luxemburg whose demise has never been resolved in the chaotic events of Berlin following the end of World War I. The author has taken this event and created his story of what might have happened. Between the serial murders, the political situation and an interesting police detective, this novel is fascinating. I can only assume that his analysis of rapidly unfolding situation in Germany
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Sep 05, 2009
Diana
rated it: 
Really liked this one. Set in post-WWI Berlin, and involving the historical fact of the 4-month disappearance of the corpse of Rosa Luxemburg. Rabb constructs a fascinating tale around this, rich and complex. Most absorbing.
Apr 11, 2011
Ellen
rated it:
I really enjoyed getting some history along with a murder mystery. Even though I majored in Modern German History in college, I didn't really know all that much about the years right after WWI. Although the main character was a bit of a cliche--a savvy but disillusioned police detective--his moral crisis was handled very well and quite realistically. There was a lot to savor in this novel. I wasn't sure if I would buy the alternative to history (actually, a possible explanation for why Rosa Luxe
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May 19, 2010
Susan
rated it:
It takes place in an interesting time period -- Germany, post WWI -- but I never warmed up to the story or to the characters.
May 05, 2009
Dawn
rated it:
Good mystery--if Zane read mysteries, this would work for him--fictionalized version of what happened to Rosa Luxembburg.
Mar 17, 2011
Loren
rated it:
Interesting story based on real history. But story is developed far too slowly. Just about gave up on it.
Jun 19, 2009
great historical fiction set between WW1 and WWII.The main character flaws does not stop you from liking him.
Aug 30, 2011
Ken
rated it:
Excellent noir type novel set in Germany after WWI.Great historical research.
Aug 08, 2010
Andrula
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Sep 27, 2011
Brenda
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This is the first book in a three book series set in pre World War II Berlin.. great writing... research... characters...
Jul 02, 2011
Beverly
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I found this novel hard to read: the style was dense and the ins and outs of Weimar politics was over my head. But still I loved it for its loving and unsentimental rendition of Berlin, the European city I love above all others. It was also a good police procedural centering on an interesting police detective - the type that is underestimated by higher ups. All of the characters were well drawn, and despite the difficulties, I now know a lot more about Rosa Luxemburg and the Germany that was pr
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Jul 11, 2011
Janette
rated it:
Could NOT get into this book even though I think it was going to be good. Just the wrong book at the wrong time.
Jun 01, 2011
Joy
rated it:
The atmosphere and the characters are compelling and the history seems to be accurate, but the plot is far too convoluted. Nevertheless, for the atmosphere, characters and history, I am now reading the second book in the series, SHADOW AND LIGHT.
Sep 23, 2010
Eileen
rated it:
Somewhat thriller, somewhat whodunnit, somewhat history. Somewhat sums it up.
