What do you think?
Rate this book
Stasiland
After a messy divorce, Ed Blake is trying to forget the past by spending the summer driving around Europe in his silver Porsche. He gets no further than a small town on the river Elbe when he is arrested for a crime he did not commit.Although in what is now a united Germany, this is the former Communist East, once ruled by the feared secret police, the Stasi. This is Stasiland. The past has not gone away, Germany’s political tectonic plates are shifting, maybe heading for the sort of chaos last seen in the 1930s. Ed finds himself pulled into a whirlpool of violence as right-wing extremism starts to shake the foundations of Europe.This is a novel about here and now. What happened to Ed Blake could happen to you.
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2019
4 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 8, 2019
A book for the most part set in the former states of East Germany and Hungary. A political mystery about the realities of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the consequential rise in parts of Europe of the far right.
The story is told on the first person by Ed Blake a businessman at a comfortable time of his life. Financial well off; no longer needing to work as such but too young to retire. Emotionally single after a messy divorce and two grown up kids. He is on his version of a gap year to recharge his batteries and find a new project or direction to his life.
The recounts how is life is turned upside down when he stumbles across a body on a river cruise ship. When a crewman sees him standing over the body the police appear to no interest initially but to ‘arrest’ their chief suspect.
The question is posed ‘How can a foreigner expect to get a fair trial in such circumstances?’
The book is a lot deeper than this and it’s short chapters make it an easy and entertaining read.
Businessman Ed narrating must survive one imagines but at what cost. We are introduced to extremist politics, hatred for immigrants and a means of silencing those against the better way to power.
Intriguing and funny at times. Told in a self-effacing manner that carries the reader along and maintains interest. The backdrop of a former Communist landscape is both austere and full of new perspectives. The foreign police angle is always fascinating especially when they appear friendly but equally suspicious in motives and information shared.
Forced to stay and remain in contact he becomes keen to get involved in the case. While he may seem a friend, an Englishman at ease speaking German his conduct could be resented by the killers and his interest seen as too nosey for their safety.
This tension is not over-hyped but an ever present danger to the victim’s wife, son and those Blake associates with.
I like the locations. The action elements although the constant duration of car journeys and GPS a little tedious. It was like waiting for a cake to bake in a slow oven.
Apart from Road and River transport there was little mention of Rail and Air, and a more rapid journey. Travel is all made in this laidback vacation vibe. That the author introducing such sloth in the plot yet gets away with a stimulating read is a result.
I look forward to more from this author.
The story is told on the first person by Ed Blake a businessman at a comfortable time of his life. Financial well off; no longer needing to work as such but too young to retire. Emotionally single after a messy divorce and two grown up kids. He is on his version of a gap year to recharge his batteries and find a new project or direction to his life.
The recounts how is life is turned upside down when he stumbles across a body on a river cruise ship. When a crewman sees him standing over the body the police appear to no interest initially but to ‘arrest’ their chief suspect.
The question is posed ‘How can a foreigner expect to get a fair trial in such circumstances?’
The book is a lot deeper than this and it’s short chapters make it an easy and entertaining read.
Businessman Ed narrating must survive one imagines but at what cost. We are introduced to extremist politics, hatred for immigrants and a means of silencing those against the better way to power.
Intriguing and funny at times. Told in a self-effacing manner that carries the reader along and maintains interest. The backdrop of a former Communist landscape is both austere and full of new perspectives. The foreign police angle is always fascinating especially when they appear friendly but equally suspicious in motives and information shared.
Forced to stay and remain in contact he becomes keen to get involved in the case. While he may seem a friend, an Englishman at ease speaking German his conduct could be resented by the killers and his interest seen as too nosey for their safety.
This tension is not over-hyped but an ever present danger to the victim’s wife, son and those Blake associates with.
I like the locations. The action elements although the constant duration of car journeys and GPS a little tedious. It was like waiting for a cake to bake in a slow oven.
Apart from Road and River transport there was little mention of Rail and Air, and a more rapid journey. Travel is all made in this laidback vacation vibe. That the author introducing such sloth in the plot yet gets away with a stimulating read is a result.
I look forward to more from this author.
August 29, 2019
Set mainly in East Germany, this is the tale of Ed Blake. He’s a businessman of a certain age, and looking for a bit of a break from the rat race and see some of the world…..
But then he discovers a body on a cruise ship and become involved in the investigation….as the suspect!!
What follows is a thriller which describes the politics and dangers of a world after the Berlin Wall came down.
I found Ed to be a likeable character, with his humour and humble manner as he describes a time of political turmoil and how a foreigner is treated with suspicion!
While not an intense thriller, there is some danger and it has a lot of details of the political atmosphere of the time and the various journeys Ed makes. An intriguing, interesting read.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
But then he discovers a body on a cruise ship and become involved in the investigation….as the suspect!!
What follows is a thriller which describes the politics and dangers of a world after the Berlin Wall came down.
I found Ed to be a likeable character, with his humour and humble manner as he describes a time of political turmoil and how a foreigner is treated with suspicion!
While not an intense thriller, there is some danger and it has a lot of details of the political atmosphere of the time and the various journeys Ed makes. An intriguing, interesting read.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
August 30, 2019
https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2019...
Looking for a really fun read that doesn’t have the grim darkness of your typical political thriller? Imma shove this book your way. Honestly, I love intrigue, I love some darkness, but the fact that this one could do it without getting so heavy was impressive.
The pacing is really well done, it never feels too short and everything is answered in terms of closure for the ending which is always a happy day for me. I thought that our protagonist Ed was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the predicament(s) he got into. Just a man wanting a peaceful vacation and gets swept into some political mess in which he’s been ‘volun-told.’
Looking for a really fun read that doesn’t have the grim darkness of your typical political thriller? Imma shove this book your way. Honestly, I love intrigue, I love some darkness, but the fact that this one could do it without getting so heavy was impressive.
The pacing is really well done, it never feels too short and everything is answered in terms of closure for the ending which is always a happy day for me. I thought that our protagonist Ed was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the predicament(s) he got into. Just a man wanting a peaceful vacation and gets swept into some political mess in which he’s been ‘volun-told.’
August 26, 2019
This is part of a book blog tour organized by Anne Cater. This review of Stasiland is my first ever blog tour, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it! Thanks to Matador/Troubadour for a book copy in exchange for an honest review.
My thoughts
I liked Ed from the very beginning. He has a great voice: wry, direct, and unself-conscious. Though I didn't always understand or agree with the choices he made, he was a great companion for this journey into Stasiland.
An inside look at politics
For me, the highlight of the book was the inside look at politics in Eastern Europe. These people, the countries, and even the book are haunted by the not-quite-dead ghosts of totalitarian governments. I remember the Berlin Wall coming down and the unification of the two Germanys. However, I didn't realize how difficult it was for the people to unify their minds and not only their lands. Some in the book look back at life under communism with nostalgia. At least everyone had a job, one tells Ed, and there was less materialism.
The positives of Communism
Scenes like this show the plus side of what almost all Westerners (at least those growing up in the Cold War era) view as a negative system. Ed is no exception. Fortunately, Richardson provides a translator of sorts. The investigator working this murder case is an outsider who's delved into the inner workings of the Communist views. So he can act as an interpreter for Ed and us.
The message and the messenger
There's plenty of astute observations about politics. For example, at one point, a woman describes a murder victim, a man who'd started an extreme right political party. She tells Ed, the victim "had a way with him that was . . . appealing. In politics, the messenger is often more important than the message." (chapter 15).
Relevant, engaging, & interesting
While the book didn't seem to move at a standard thriller pace, Ed's engaging narrative voice made this a fun, quick read. I never felt that he was in great danger. But I did feel that other characters were, including some he (and I) had grown fond of. There's even a middle-age romance subplot. I recommend it for anyone interested in the rise of extremism in Eastern Europe. It's relevant to our times.
My thoughts
I liked Ed from the very beginning. He has a great voice: wry, direct, and unself-conscious. Though I didn't always understand or agree with the choices he made, he was a great companion for this journey into Stasiland.
An inside look at politics
For me, the highlight of the book was the inside look at politics in Eastern Europe. These people, the countries, and even the book are haunted by the not-quite-dead ghosts of totalitarian governments. I remember the Berlin Wall coming down and the unification of the two Germanys. However, I didn't realize how difficult it was for the people to unify their minds and not only their lands. Some in the book look back at life under communism with nostalgia. At least everyone had a job, one tells Ed, and there was less materialism.
The positives of Communism
Scenes like this show the plus side of what almost all Westerners (at least those growing up in the Cold War era) view as a negative system. Ed is no exception. Fortunately, Richardson provides a translator of sorts. The investigator working this murder case is an outsider who's delved into the inner workings of the Communist views. So he can act as an interpreter for Ed and us.
The message and the messenger
There's plenty of astute observations about politics. For example, at one point, a woman describes a murder victim, a man who'd started an extreme right political party. She tells Ed, the victim "had a way with him that was . . . appealing. In politics, the messenger is often more important than the message." (chapter 15).
Relevant, engaging, & interesting
While the book didn't seem to move at a standard thriller pace, Ed's engaging narrative voice made this a fun, quick read. I never felt that he was in great danger. But I did feel that other characters were, including some he (and I) had grown fond of. There's even a middle-age romance subplot. I recommend it for anyone interested in the rise of extremism in Eastern Europe. It's relevant to our times.
April 24, 2019
This book surprised me in the sense that I found it to be rather amusing. The narrator, Ed, an Englishman having his own kind of mid-life crisis after separating from his wife, is all set to travel across Europe in his own version of a gap year. His observations are witty and his interactions with other characters give the impression of a hapless, aimless man who is just looking for adventure.
The style of writing was easy to engage with and the plot was interesting. Ed makes a vast number of journeys across Europe and each time he mentions that 'Google tells him it is x kilometres to his destination' it gives you a sense of his middle age and need for adventure but within certain planned parameters (despite his attempts to be free and go with the flow).
The plot is timely in that it deals with issues of immigration, borders, racism, fascism, politics and the future of Europe. The host of characters are vividly described and feel authentic. It is a bit of a stretch that a random Englishman would be enlisted by German police to help with their enquiry but, who knows, maybe this has happened in real life?!
I initially wasn't sure about the era in which is was set as the title made me presume it was either when East and West Germany were still separate entities or shortly after the wall came down. However, it has a contemporary setting and feels so much more relevant because of that.
Thanks to Netgalley and Troubadour Publishing (Matador) for a copy of this book.
The style of writing was easy to engage with and the plot was interesting. Ed makes a vast number of journeys across Europe and each time he mentions that 'Google tells him it is x kilometres to his destination' it gives you a sense of his middle age and need for adventure but within certain planned parameters (despite his attempts to be free and go with the flow).
The plot is timely in that it deals with issues of immigration, borders, racism, fascism, politics and the future of Europe. The host of characters are vividly described and feel authentic. It is a bit of a stretch that a random Englishman would be enlisted by German police to help with their enquiry but, who knows, maybe this has happened in real life?!
I initially wasn't sure about the era in which is was set as the title made me presume it was either when East and West Germany were still separate entities or shortly after the wall came down. However, it has a contemporary setting and feels so much more relevant because of that.
Thanks to Netgalley and Troubadour Publishing (Matador) for a copy of this book.
February 27, 2026
Stasiland by Rolf Richardson is a tense, politically charged thriller that combines fast-paced action with historical and contemporary insights. Richardson follows Ed Blake, an expatriate caught in the complexities of a Europe still grappling with its past, as he faces wrongful arrest and navigates escalating violence and political instability.
The novel excels in its blending of suspenseful storytelling with a rich socio-political backdrop. Richardson’s portrayal of the lingering influence of the Stasi, combined with rising extremism and personal peril, creates a story that is both engaging and thought-provoking. The pacing keeps readers fully invested, while the stakes are heightened by real-world context and the protagonist’s personal challenges.
Overall, Stasiland is a gripping thriller that will appeal to fans of politically infused suspense, high-stakes drama, and contemporary thrillers with historical resonance. Richardson crafts a compelling narrative that is both exciting and intellectually engaging.
The novel excels in its blending of suspenseful storytelling with a rich socio-political backdrop. Richardson’s portrayal of the lingering influence of the Stasi, combined with rising extremism and personal peril, creates a story that is both engaging and thought-provoking. The pacing keeps readers fully invested, while the stakes are heightened by real-world context and the protagonist’s personal challenges.
Overall, Stasiland is a gripping thriller that will appeal to fans of politically infused suspense, high-stakes drama, and contemporary thrillers with historical resonance. Richardson crafts a compelling narrative that is both exciting and intellectually engaging.
April 15, 2019
Entertaining read
After becoming involved in crime involving right wing German politics divorcee. Ed Blake is forced to turn detective.
I found this crime novel/travelogue a well paced entertaining read, that described the undercurrents that still affect the eastern part of unified Germany. It did keep my interest, but I'd only give it 3 stars.
I'm also wary of books that use the title of more well known books, even if the overall subject matter is different.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review.
After becoming involved in crime involving right wing German politics divorcee. Ed Blake is forced to turn detective.
I found this crime novel/travelogue a well paced entertaining read, that described the undercurrents that still affect the eastern part of unified Germany. It did keep my interest, but I'd only give it 3 stars.
I'm also wary of books that use the title of more well known books, even if the overall subject matter is different.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review.
April 1, 2019
This was a free read from NetGalley. An interesting story line. Part tourist guide to the European Eastern bloc, some romance, a critique on right wing political parties all wrapped up with an interesting plot that didn't disappoint. If you are wondering where this story is going just hang in there for I found it a rewarding read.
September 1, 2019
I have always held an interest in the Stasi and any tv shows or books on the subject always pull me in, I’m a massive fan of the Stasi series by David Young, so when I seen this one I was instantly interested.
Ed Blake is on a tour of Europe, Now divorced and financially secure, he sets off in his Porsche to discover Europe and maybe himself.
Whilst on a river boat tour, he stumbles across the body of a local politician, and finds himself arrested then accused of the murder.
Once his innocence is proven , Ed becomes a pawn in something of a power battle between the Stasi, the local police and the political party who’s leader he found dead.
In honesty, on picking up this book there was both an intrigue, but probably an apprehension of something very dark and deep to come, don’t judge a book by its cover!
Yes, the elements of corruption, and manipulation from the Stasi are prevalent and this book is about extreme politics and a murder but this is a bright, fascinating, gripping read.
Engaging , emotional, and funny, at times I was completely engrossed. So far from what I expected, this book is an excellent, quick read, the writing is great, the story is better and you can only like Ed and his adventure.
This is a book that feels very current, very relevant to the world we are now living.
I would love to read more of Ed, but imagine this is a standalone. In that case, I’ll settle for more from Rolf Richardson please,
Highly Recommended
4🔥🔥🔥🔥
Ed Blake is on a tour of Europe, Now divorced and financially secure, he sets off in his Porsche to discover Europe and maybe himself.
Whilst on a river boat tour, he stumbles across the body of a local politician, and finds himself arrested then accused of the murder.
Once his innocence is proven , Ed becomes a pawn in something of a power battle between the Stasi, the local police and the political party who’s leader he found dead.
In honesty, on picking up this book there was both an intrigue, but probably an apprehension of something very dark and deep to come, don’t judge a book by its cover!
Yes, the elements of corruption, and manipulation from the Stasi are prevalent and this book is about extreme politics and a murder but this is a bright, fascinating, gripping read.
Engaging , emotional, and funny, at times I was completely engrossed. So far from what I expected, this book is an excellent, quick read, the writing is great, the story is better and you can only like Ed and his adventure.
This is a book that feels very current, very relevant to the world we are now living.
I would love to read more of Ed, but imagine this is a standalone. In that case, I’ll settle for more from Rolf Richardson please,
Highly Recommended
4🔥🔥🔥🔥
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews