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Straight into Darkness
In the latest entry in the Peter Decker-Rina Lazarus series, New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman takes us on an edge-of-the-seat journey to the past, and a city stalked by a killer so ruthless no one is safe-not even the police.
528 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
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About the author
Faye Kellerman
179 books2,022 followersFaye Kellerman was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in Sherman Oaks, California. She earned a BA in mathematics and a doctorate in dentistry at UCLA., and conducted research in oral biology. Kellerman's groundbreaking first novel, THE RITUAL BATH, was published in 1986 to wide critical and commercial acclaim. The winner of the Macavity Award for the Best First Novel from the Mystery Readers of American, THE RITUAL BATH introduced readers to Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus, termed by People Magazine "Hands down, the most refreshing mystery couple around." The New York Times enthused, "This couple's domestic affairs have the haimish warmth of reality, unlike the formulaic lives of so many other genre detectives."
There are well over twenty million copies of Faye Kellerman's novels in print internationally. The Decker/Lazarus thrillers include SACRED AND PROFANE; MILK AND HONEY; DAY OF ATONEMENT; FALSE PROPHET; GRIEVOUS SIN; SANCTUARY; as well as her New York Times Bestsellers, JUSTICE, PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD - listed by the LA Times as one of the best crime novel of 2001; SERPENT'S TOOTH; JUPITER'S BONES, THE FORGOTTEN, STONE KISS, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS, THE BURNT HOUSE, THE MERCEDES COFFIN and BLINDMAN'S BLUFF. . The novels, STALKER and STREET DREAMS, introduced Kellerman's newest protagonist, Police Officer Cindy Decker. In addition to her crime series, Kellerman is also the author of New York Time's bestseller MOON MUSIC, a suspense horror novel set in Las Vegas featuring Detective Romulus Poe, as well as an historical novel of intrigue set in Elizabethan England, THE QUALITY OF MERCY. She has also co-authored the New York Times Bestseller DOUBLE HOMICIDE, with her husband and partner in crime, Jonathan Kellerman. She has also written a young adult novel, PRISM, with her daughter, Aliza Kellerman
Faye Kellerman's highly praised short stories and reviews have been anthologized in numerous collections including two volumes of the notable SISTERS IN CRIME SERIES, Sara Paretsky's, A WOMAN'S EYE; THE FIRST ANNUAL YEAR'S FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES; THE THIRD ANNUAL BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR; WOMEN OF MYSTERY AND DEADLY ALLIES 11. Her personally annotated collection of her award winning stories, THE GARDEN OF EDEN and OTHER CRIMINAL DELIGHTS, was published in August of 2006. H
Her other hobbies include gardening, sewing and jogging if her back doesn't give out. She is the proud mother of four children, and her eldest son, Jesse, has just published his fourth novel, THE EXECUTOR, from Putnam. She lives in Los Angeles and Santa Fe with her husband, Jonathan, their youngest child, and their French Bulldog, Hugo.
There are well over twenty million copies of Faye Kellerman's novels in print internationally. The Decker/Lazarus thrillers include SACRED AND PROFANE; MILK AND HONEY; DAY OF ATONEMENT; FALSE PROPHET; GRIEVOUS SIN; SANCTUARY; as well as her New York Times Bestsellers, JUSTICE, PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD - listed by the LA Times as one of the best crime novel of 2001; SERPENT'S TOOTH; JUPITER'S BONES, THE FORGOTTEN, STONE KISS, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS, THE BURNT HOUSE, THE MERCEDES COFFIN and BLINDMAN'S BLUFF. . The novels, STALKER and STREET DREAMS, introduced Kellerman's newest protagonist, Police Officer Cindy Decker. In addition to her crime series, Kellerman is also the author of New York Time's bestseller MOON MUSIC, a suspense horror novel set in Las Vegas featuring Detective Romulus Poe, as well as an historical novel of intrigue set in Elizabethan England, THE QUALITY OF MERCY. She has also co-authored the New York Times Bestseller DOUBLE HOMICIDE, with her husband and partner in crime, Jonathan Kellerman. She has also written a young adult novel, PRISM, with her daughter, Aliza Kellerman
Faye Kellerman's highly praised short stories and reviews have been anthologized in numerous collections including two volumes of the notable SISTERS IN CRIME SERIES, Sara Paretsky's, A WOMAN'S EYE; THE FIRST ANNUAL YEAR'S FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES; THE THIRD ANNUAL BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR; WOMEN OF MYSTERY AND DEADLY ALLIES 11. Her personally annotated collection of her award winning stories, THE GARDEN OF EDEN and OTHER CRIMINAL DELIGHTS, was published in August of 2006. H
Her other hobbies include gardening, sewing and jogging if her back doesn't give out. She is the proud mother of four children, and her eldest son, Jesse, has just published his fourth novel, THE EXECUTOR, from Putnam. She lives in Los Angeles and Santa Fe with her husband, Jonathan, their youngest child, and their French Bulldog, Hugo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
April 7, 2011
This book turned out to be different from FK's usual Decker&Lazarus series (which I'm kind of addicted to). Very different.
She has definitely done her research for this book. But I don't think she likes Germans at all: each and every person described in this book seems to be with poor morales and with really big flaws. All German men (and Axel Berg, the protagonist police officer, who turns out to be Danish) frequent prostitutes (with a loveless marriage, and a nagging wife, who can blame them?), everyone gives or takes bribes for anything, and there is a rant about how Jews are horrible every two pages. (Berg doesn't think so, and her lady lover happens to be a Jewess, but enough is enough. I have many German friends, none as lowlife as the people of this book, and I can't imagine there having been THAT much Jew-bashing than here even in 1930s. There's as much of that bashing here as there are examples of the word "like" in Facebook.)
There are a few things I would correct here. First, someone was described as 6'2" tall. But a German would describe the person as 1.84 m or 184 cm. Later there was a baby that was 4 kg, so if you do use kgs in the book, there's no reason to stick to the imperial measurements for lenghts. There was also a word that doesn't belong in Europe: Streetcar. In Germany or anywhere in Europe those are and were called trams. A German wouldn't even know what a Streetcar is, unless they were once an exchange student in US. The streetcar should be tram. Thore are all rather small points, but they make a huge difference for the authenticity (I didn't fully follow with the first vs third person dialog, but I'd also expect there would be a few cases of those where a German wouldn't have used the first vs third person the same way). Having Hitler do his appearance in this book was then too much.
But I think it's way more the disgustingness of all the characters that prevented me from fully enjoying this one than those little details. (I think I'll stick to her Decker series in the future).
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8...
She has definitely done her research for this book. But I don't think she likes Germans at all: each and every person described in this book seems to be with poor morales and with really big flaws. All German men (and Axel Berg, the protagonist police officer, who turns out to be Danish) frequent prostitutes (with a loveless marriage, and a nagging wife, who can blame them?), everyone gives or takes bribes for anything, and there is a rant about how Jews are horrible every two pages. (Berg doesn't think so, and her lady lover happens to be a Jewess, but enough is enough. I have many German friends, none as lowlife as the people of this book, and I can't imagine there having been THAT much Jew-bashing than here even in 1930s. There's as much of that bashing here as there are examples of the word "like" in Facebook.)
There are a few things I would correct here. First, someone was described as 6'2" tall. But a German would describe the person as 1.84 m or 184 cm. Later there was a baby that was 4 kg, so if you do use kgs in the book, there's no reason to stick to the imperial measurements for lenghts. There was also a word that doesn't belong in Europe: Streetcar. In Germany or anywhere in Europe those are and were called trams. A German wouldn't even know what a Streetcar is, unless they were once an exchange student in US. The streetcar should be tram. Thore are all rather small points, but they make a huge difference for the authenticity (I didn't fully follow with the first vs third person dialog, but I'd also expect there would be a few cases of those where a German wouldn't have used the first vs third person the same way). Having Hitler do his appearance in this book was then too much.
But I think it's way more the disgustingness of all the characters that prevented me from fully enjoying this one than those little details. (I think I'll stick to her Decker series in the future).
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8...
July 31, 2012
I just finished reading this this morning. Wow. I've read everything else Faye Kellerman and wasn't sure I was in the mood for something dark and heavy. But I wanted to know what happened to Rina's grandmother in Munich, and since she decided not to fully find out the answer... I had to go ahead and read! I'm do glad I did! What an amazing story of the times, the hatred political climate in pre-WWII Germany.. And insight into how people were feeling about Hitler before he was elected and caused so much terror and shame for the world. Kellerman did a fabulous job with the story... And I feel as though I learned so much also! great read.
August 24, 2019
A great mystery set in Munich in the 1930's and perhaps a cautionary tale for the present.
August 14, 2017
This is a book well worth the reading. It is a detective story set in Munich during the early years of Hitler's rise to power. It involves the overstretched homicide department with its staff as divided as Germany itself over the rise of the Nazis having to deal with a serial killer as anti Jewish mobs riot and threaten civic disorder. The man tasked with finding the murderer is Alex Berg an officer born in Denmark, famed for his intellect but at the mercy of his own weaknesses.
He has to balance working within a police department which is not above scapegoating an innocent victim to take the pressure off itself while not being averse to helping himself to the odd perk by way of what he finds in the course of his searches.
His private life intrudes on his investigation as his relationship with a Jewish prostitute he shares with a superior officer becomes mixed up in the search for a killer in and around the bars and squalor of 1929 Munich.
He struggles to make headway in the case as he becomes the victim of a mob beating and pressure to close the case for political expediency. He doesn't know who to trust within his department as he works to solve the murders before more women die horrible deaths. Beaten and bruised he plods around interviewing contacts, sure that the killer is a damaged individual with a painful history behind his lust for murder; picking up information here and there and pulling everything together with his small team; themselves victims of gang brutality at the hands of Hitler supporters.
The atmosphere is a dark and oppressive one and you can feel the fear pervading the streets as an imperfect individual does what he can in the face of overwhelming hysteria and temptations to do his job.
The story is a sobering one and is set in a world where mere survival is a victory and justice can only be dreamt of. And it is the story of one ordinary family man and his imperfections trying to do what is right in the middle of one of modern history's nightmares.
He has to balance working within a police department which is not above scapegoating an innocent victim to take the pressure off itself while not being averse to helping himself to the odd perk by way of what he finds in the course of his searches.
His private life intrudes on his investigation as his relationship with a Jewish prostitute he shares with a superior officer becomes mixed up in the search for a killer in and around the bars and squalor of 1929 Munich.
He struggles to make headway in the case as he becomes the victim of a mob beating and pressure to close the case for political expediency. He doesn't know who to trust within his department as he works to solve the murders before more women die horrible deaths. Beaten and bruised he plods around interviewing contacts, sure that the killer is a damaged individual with a painful history behind his lust for murder; picking up information here and there and pulling everything together with his small team; themselves victims of gang brutality at the hands of Hitler supporters.
The atmosphere is a dark and oppressive one and you can feel the fear pervading the streets as an imperfect individual does what he can in the face of overwhelming hysteria and temptations to do his job.
The story is a sobering one and is set in a world where mere survival is a victory and justice can only be dreamt of. And it is the story of one ordinary family man and his imperfections trying to do what is right in the middle of one of modern history's nightmares.
July 23, 2017
Set in 1929 Munich, Straight in to Darkness is a bit of a departure from Kellerman’s usual fare (she is very well known for her popular Rina Lazarus/Peter Decker contemporary mystery series (20+ books and still going strong).
Straight in to Darkness is both a mystery and historical fiction. The protagonist, Axel Berg, is a homicide inspector brought in to solve the murder of a young socialite found dead in a public park. When a second body killed in a similar manner is found a few days later, the police suspect a possible serial killer is at work. The pressure to find the killer is intensified due to the precarious political situation in Bavaria, a time during which Hitler is consolidating power, gaining more local support and becoming a presence who can no longer be dismissed as a flash in the pan rabble rouser.
I think what I liked most about this book was that Berg is so very imperfect and at times amoral as a character, and yet he is still very appealing. I always understood his motives, even if I didn't agree with his actions. As a historical novel, it was very atmospheric, but maybe too much so; I don’t need to know the brand of cigarettes the characters smoked or the names of the painters on the walls in the suspects apartments. I also thought the mystery, or rather the resolution of the mystery didn’t quite make sense. But all in all, it was a satisfying enough to keep me turning the pages.
Straight in to Darkness is both a mystery and historical fiction. The protagonist, Axel Berg, is a homicide inspector brought in to solve the murder of a young socialite found dead in a public park. When a second body killed in a similar manner is found a few days later, the police suspect a possible serial killer is at work. The pressure to find the killer is intensified due to the precarious political situation in Bavaria, a time during which Hitler is consolidating power, gaining more local support and becoming a presence who can no longer be dismissed as a flash in the pan rabble rouser.
I think what I liked most about this book was that Berg is so very imperfect and at times amoral as a character, and yet he is still very appealing. I always understood his motives, even if I didn't agree with his actions. As a historical novel, it was very atmospheric, but maybe too much so; I don’t need to know the brand of cigarettes the characters smoked or the names of the painters on the walls in the suspects apartments. I also thought the mystery, or rather the resolution of the mystery didn’t quite make sense. But all in all, it was a satisfying enough to keep me turning the pages.
March 21, 2021
DNF
To be honest i am not enjoying it. The progression of the story seems way to slow and as it goes along they stray away from the actual crime. Looks as though its a norm for all those detectives to be married and have a mistress whoch i find annoying.
Berg doesent seem to have much power or will to actually solve the crime nor does his team.
Now i saw it got alot of good reviews n goo ratings but its just my cup of tea. I did try but its not working out...
To be honest i am not enjoying it. The progression of the story seems way to slow and as it goes along they stray away from the actual crime. Looks as though its a norm for all those detectives to be married and have a mistress whoch i find annoying.
Berg doesent seem to have much power or will to actually solve the crime nor does his team.
Now i saw it got alot of good reviews n goo ratings but its just my cup of tea. I did try but its not working out...
September 5, 2015
Complex serial murder mystery set in political turmoil of 1920's Munich...
First, if you're expecting the typical relatively soft mystery plot of Faye's regulars, Rina Lazarus and Peter Decker, they're not here!! This unusual novel features a troubling string of serial killings set in Munich Germany during the historical period in between the world wars (1920's). In addition to the unrest created by the murders, the political scene is one of total upheaval as Hitler's rise to power is well underway. Already Jews, homosexuals, Communists, and just about any other non-Aryan groups are under attack - both in word and deed. Moreover, political influence and corruption run amok at high levels of the police force and government. Despite all this, the protagonist, homicide inspector Axel Berg, uses all his mental prowess and persistence to close in on the killer; and at book's end, not only is the perpetrator totally unexpected, but so is Axel's outcome given his brilliant solution of the crimes.
While Kellerman is known for illuminating the orthodox practices of Judaism in her stories, this one focuses more on the grossly anti-Semitic climate of that period, obviously a precursor to the eventual holocaust of the ensuing decade. Details about the city and the events of that era reveal quite extensive research and travels, reflected early on in the author's acknowledgments. Our take was that while the story was darker than usual for this writer, the inherent suspense kept us reading rapidly, seeking the culmination of events and "whodunit". So while "Darkness" is indeed quite a departure from the norm for our likable author, we feel sure Kellerman fans will enjoy this outing, and that this her new novel will enjoy considerable success!
First, if you're expecting the typical relatively soft mystery plot of Faye's regulars, Rina Lazarus and Peter Decker, they're not here!! This unusual novel features a troubling string of serial killings set in Munich Germany during the historical period in between the world wars (1920's). In addition to the unrest created by the murders, the political scene is one of total upheaval as Hitler's rise to power is well underway. Already Jews, homosexuals, Communists, and just about any other non-Aryan groups are under attack - both in word and deed. Moreover, political influence and corruption run amok at high levels of the police force and government. Despite all this, the protagonist, homicide inspector Axel Berg, uses all his mental prowess and persistence to close in on the killer; and at book's end, not only is the perpetrator totally unexpected, but so is Axel's outcome given his brilliant solution of the crimes.
While Kellerman is known for illuminating the orthodox practices of Judaism in her stories, this one focuses more on the grossly anti-Semitic climate of that period, obviously a precursor to the eventual holocaust of the ensuing decade. Details about the city and the events of that era reveal quite extensive research and travels, reflected early on in the author's acknowledgments. Our take was that while the story was darker than usual for this writer, the inherent suspense kept us reading rapidly, seeking the culmination of events and "whodunit". So while "Darkness" is indeed quite a departure from the norm for our likable author, we feel sure Kellerman fans will enjoy this outing, and that this her new novel will enjoy considerable success!
May 29, 2017
When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure if it was a comedy! But I realized due to the time period (1920's Germany) the police department wasn't up to par as it should have been. Motor cars were just starting to be used and with other powers (Hitler) coming to power the police seemed like they didn't know what it was doing half the time.
There were three things that I could be certain of in this novel: there was no shortage of cigarettes, no shortage of tea, and smells could be horrific.
So a murderer is on the loose. The first murders are women, and the police, namely Axel Berg, tries to make sense about why and who would do this. Could it be political? Why did the murderer target women who appeared to be wealthy? Some murders didn't fit the patterns at all...the next woman was a seamstress, and the next was a poor mother and daughter. Then a new theory comes about: a man can become a murderer if he didn't have a mother's love. Ok, but what a disappointment when we do finally find out who the murderer was! It turned out, in my opinion, the murderer was a minor character with a "big job title." Also, I did not give this book a high rating because in finding out who the murderer was, it got really confusing! Rolf, Rodion (adopted), Robert (calling card for the murdered Anna Gross), Rupert (died) and last but not least Roddewig, are just a few of the characters that you had to keep straight. (Not to mention the German names also). By the time the murderer(s) were revealed I was too confused to care. But the theory of not having a mother's love was correct, even though the mother and (half?) brothers is still unclear to me.
There were three things that I could be certain of in this novel: there was no shortage of cigarettes, no shortage of tea, and smells could be horrific.
So a murderer is on the loose. The first murders are women, and the police, namely Axel Berg, tries to make sense about why and who would do this. Could it be political? Why did the murderer target women who appeared to be wealthy? Some murders didn't fit the patterns at all...the next woman was a seamstress, and the next was a poor mother and daughter. Then a new theory comes about: a man can become a murderer if he didn't have a mother's love. Ok, but what a disappointment when we do finally find out who the murderer was! It turned out, in my opinion, the murderer was a minor character with a "big job title." Also, I did not give this book a high rating because in finding out who the murderer was, it got really confusing! Rolf, Rodion (adopted), Robert (calling card for the murdered Anna Gross), Rupert (died) and last but not least Roddewig, are just a few of the characters that you had to keep straight. (Not to mention the German names also). By the time the murderer(s) were revealed I was too confused to care. But the theory of not having a mother's love was correct, even though the mother and (half?) brothers is still unclear to me.
April 11, 2008
Although the plot strains credulity, weighted as it is with Freudian baggage, the atmospherics and the characters are compelling. The events take place in Munich, 1929, and the city is in turmoil. Germany was recovering from the depression, goods were more readily available, the rich were - filthy, and Munich was a gem of a city. 1929 marked the end of Hitler's so-called "Wilderness Years;" the Nazi party had been rebuilt, membership had grown, and the elite, middle-class, and civil servants (including the police,) were buying in to the party philosophy, including the persecution of the "degenerate," Jews, Communists, Modern Artists, etc. Persecution was common, and paranoia was rampant. Faye Kellerman does a wonderful job of unveiling the nascent dystopia, and peopling it with characters struggling with the environment, and with their own moral frailties. There is no one to completely admire in this book, and whatever redemption is won is bitter at best.
There is so much of value in this book's milieu I could only wish the plot didn't hinge on a set of fairly uninteresting, stock serial killings. There is a richness to the story, it's just not in the crimes, or even their solution. Two stars because the plot didn't work for me.
There is so much of value in this book's milieu I could only wish the plot didn't hinge on a set of fairly uninteresting, stock serial killings. There is a richness to the story, it's just not in the crimes, or even their solution. Two stars because the plot didn't work for me.
November 6, 2014
I actually listened to this book and it was difficult to listen to. I can't believe I never read it before. A murder mystery set in 1920's Germany, the rise of Hitler. Historically accurate so even scarier than just the murders. Some people object to the Freudian psychology used, but that was historically accurate so it fit in well. Axel Berg is a Detective who is Danish and lives in Bavaria. The discussion of various "Germans" was interesting as was the discussions in the changes of Munich after WWI. After one Hitler Rally, the Brown Shirts were marching through the streets yelling "Kill the Jews" and I kept thinking, why didn't they leave then if they could. Coincidentally, as I was reading the book, I met a German Rabbi from Munich (whose family did leave, but he has since gone back) and asked why more people didn't leave, and he said they thought it would blow over, that Hitler would never gain power, and by the time he did, it was too late. Forced evacuations started in 1933, only a few years after this book. The book became almost too real for me, (I am Jewish) and I started thinking, almost everyone in this book will be dead soon. The story is book ended by a prologue and epilogue from 2005, so you know someone lives!!
February 16, 2022
I love Faye Kellerman so I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a historical novel exploring Hitlers rise to power or a murder mystery (solving the death of several women)
First there was no character development and I pretty much hated all the characters, including the main character Berg although I was appalled at his murder. Secondly nothing in the book really made sense the solution to the murders felt rushed, the betrayals seemed contrived and the ending seemed totally unrealistic.
First there was no character development and I pretty much hated all the characters, including the main character Berg although I was appalled at his murder. Secondly nothing in the book really made sense the solution to the murders felt rushed, the betrayals seemed contrived and the ending seemed totally unrealistic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2019
“ So then this happens! Now, I’m too nervous to walk around anywhere. I’m like an old crazy person, housebound......... sitting in the dark. A living model of what this city has become- from the light of all that was new and fresh heading straight into darkness.”
This standalone historical novel sounded intriguing. It is Munich 1929 and a society wife is found dead in a vast English Garden. Inspector Axel Berg is disturbed by the case and his superiors want a quick resolution. In the background is Hitler and the Brownshirts. You expect a police procedural with a viewpoint of Munich at that time. The writing reflects the grim hostile environment of the time. Characters ponder the upcoming danger of the Austrian whilst bewailing the lost of the true spirit of the city. The mystery case often felt to be secondary consideration. There are many morally gray and unlikeable characters including the protagonist. And yet..... the story fell flat in certain aspects. The resolution of the case involved the author hiding facts until the last minutes and it was ridiculously rushed. There was no buildup in tension and the reliance on psychological aspect using Freud was excessive. And then the ending was so implausible.
Despite issue with the plot, I’m willing to read another book by this author. She is good at creating atmosphere and characters, even unlikeable ones that litter this book. Part of my dislike is honestly the attitudes of the average German as represented here.
This standalone historical novel sounded intriguing. It is Munich 1929 and a society wife is found dead in a vast English Garden. Inspector Axel Berg is disturbed by the case and his superiors want a quick resolution. In the background is Hitler and the Brownshirts. You expect a police procedural with a viewpoint of Munich at that time. The writing reflects the grim hostile environment of the time. Characters ponder the upcoming danger of the Austrian whilst bewailing the lost of the true spirit of the city. The mystery case often felt to be secondary consideration. There are many morally gray and unlikeable characters including the protagonist. And yet..... the story fell flat in certain aspects. The resolution of the case involved the author hiding facts until the last minutes and it was ridiculously rushed. There was no buildup in tension and the reliance on psychological aspect using Freud was excessive. And then the ending was so implausible.
Despite issue with the plot, I’m willing to read another book by this author. She is good at creating atmosphere and characters, even unlikeable ones that litter this book. Part of my dislike is honestly the attitudes of the average German as represented here.
April 16, 2018
This novel takes place in Munich during the period between Hitler being released from jail after the beer hall putsch and before he becomes chancellor. There is a series of murders of women in the city, and several of the bodies have been found in the Englisher Garten. The novel follows the solving of the crime by a Munich police officer. It offers Kellerman's usual high suspense. It was fascinating to me to learn about the tenor of the times through the novel. Kellerman, although she is Jewish herself, is a pro at depicting the anti-Semitism of the era, often to a point at which I had to wince and catch my breath. She also doesn't hesitate to point out the corruption and misogyny of the police. After having been in Munich last fall, it was fun to imagine where the characters were going in the city, and what kind of streets and buildings they inhabited. Kellerman has been writing about the Deckers, characters I really enjoy, for quite some time. I hope she returns to Germany in the future, though I'll bet it takes a lot of energy to explore that time period.
February 25, 2018
Darkness indeed. This starts off with an apparently quite unpleasant individual who remains unidentified until the end of the book... and then segues into the days of Hitler's rise. Dark, depressing, even the hero (more or less) is a fairly unsavory character. This is very different from most of the other books I've read by Faye Kellerman, and she remains a captivating author, but this book was thoroughly dark, to my mind. I was a bit surprised by her reference to a Sabbath meal in Berg's household - there are no indications that the family is Jewish otherwise - not a minor detail in Munich at the time of the events recounted- but perhaps that was simply a more lyrical way of referring to Saturday dinner. It confused me nonetheless. I have made this available for the bookcrossing European Mystery/Crime VBB.
August 5, 2022
DNF at 59% - Just could not get into it.
October 10, 2018
This is a historical thriller stand alone, outside of the Decker series.
Set in Germany during the rise of Hitler, several women have been killed with their bodies placed in public gardens, appearing to be deliberately displaced, almost artistically.
Berg is tasked with leading the small team of detectives to get to the bottom of this. Is it a serial killer? Is it copycat murders? Unrest in the city and corruption in the police force abound.
Not a fan of historical pieces, this was a hard and long one for me to get through....
Set in Germany during the rise of Hitler, several women have been killed with their bodies placed in public gardens, appearing to be deliberately displaced, almost artistically.
Berg is tasked with leading the small team of detectives to get to the bottom of this. Is it a serial killer? Is it copycat murders? Unrest in the city and corruption in the police force abound.
Not a fan of historical pieces, this was a hard and long one for me to get through....
August 16, 2018
Rather dark historical fiction based in Germany in 1929 when a number of young women meet their demise unexpectedly. Is it a serial killer? One of the women is Rina's grandmother but that isn't mentioned in this book but the book prior to it. If one is interested in historical fiction set in Europe in the late 1920s you may like this novel.
February 1, 2009
All said and done, I didn't really like it. It is very violent and crude, ugly and sad. One could reasonably argue that the time and place were all those things as it is set in Munich, Germany in the 1920's as Hitler and the Nazi party were gaining power.
January 3, 2012
Faye Kellerman writes a great series of detective stories. This is one of two historical novels she has written, and it is an outstanding portrayal of crime in 1929 Munich, set against the backdrop of Hitler's thugs just a few years away from power.
October 21, 2014
It's tough to like a book when you dislike every single character in it. Just unpleasant people. I vastly prefer her series mysteries.
July 26, 2023
I listened to this one on a long drive which might have been a mistake. It was so slow it was putting me to sleep. It's not that it was a bad mystery per se but it was so bogged down with the historical aspects it goes nowhere fast and has one of the worst endings I've read in a long time. Kellerman is an orthodox Jew and she was obviously working through some things here setting this in the early 30s with the rise of Hitler. So here's your content warning, excessive amounts of anti-Semitism is in this.
And that's what tanked this for me. There is tons of gratuitous violence in this to show how bad the Nazis were that have nothing to do with the case. The detective even meets Hitler once in the course of it and tells him off. The Brown shirts create a ton of very graphic violence against suspects and to the police as well. Detective Berg himself is so severely beaten trying to transport the Jewish man his superiors want to frame for the murders he's hospitalized. More detectives are beaten at a political rally.
The basic plot is multiple women were choked and beaten to death, found in fine clothing with one shoe missing. The higher ups refuse to believe or at least admit to the fact that they are linked crimes because then they couldn't blame the women's Jewish husbands/boyfriends.
And if it had stuck with the crime, this wouldn't have been a bad mystery or if even the backdrop of the rise of Nazism was kept brief it would have worked. However, the forays into the anti-Semitism of the Nazis (including how Berg was treated with his Jewish girlfriend that he's cheating on his wife with) are LONG, seemingly endless. By the time those scenes were over I'd forgotten half the clues from the mystery. They distract from rather than add to the tension. Because we know Berg's wrong about Hitler winning. We know what becomes of Munich and its Jewish population. We know how awful the Nazis are without this wallow in their violence (though given some attitudes today maybe it was meant as a reminder of how bad it can become). It's a case of a little pepper adds spice but too much spoils the dish.
And that's what tanked this for me. There is tons of gratuitous violence in this to show how bad the Nazis were that have nothing to do with the case. The detective even meets Hitler once in the course of it and tells him off. The Brown shirts create a ton of very graphic violence against suspects and to the police as well. Detective Berg himself is so severely beaten trying to transport the Jewish man his superiors want to frame for the murders he's hospitalized. More detectives are beaten at a political rally.
The basic plot is multiple women were choked and beaten to death, found in fine clothing with one shoe missing. The higher ups refuse to believe or at least admit to the fact that they are linked crimes because then they couldn't blame the women's Jewish husbands/boyfriends.
And if it had stuck with the crime, this wouldn't have been a bad mystery or if even the backdrop of the rise of Nazism was kept brief it would have worked. However, the forays into the anti-Semitism of the Nazis (including how Berg was treated with his Jewish girlfriend that he's cheating on his wife with) are LONG, seemingly endless. By the time those scenes were over I'd forgotten half the clues from the mystery. They distract from rather than add to the tension. Because we know Berg's wrong about Hitler winning. We know what becomes of Munich and its Jewish population. We know how awful the Nazis are without this wallow in their violence (though given some attitudes today maybe it was meant as a reminder of how bad it can become). It's a case of a little pepper adds spice but too much spoils the dish.
May 2, 2019
A murdered woman is found in a public park in Munich by a man walking his dogs in the early morning and Alex Berg, the head of the newly formed murder investigation unit of the police is chosen to head the investigation. Learning her identity is easy--a man who lives near the park reports his wife is missing. Learning who killed her is much harder, but one thing becomes clear very quickly--she was one of several women killed by a serial killer. As the deaths add up, the victims seem to have little in common, and somehow Berg must make sense of what little evidence there is. The best clue is sketch he made of a man seen with one of the women the night she was killed, guied by the description of a witness. Dr. Kolb, the forensic pathologist, suggests that the deaths may be the work of a man afflicted by lustmord the desire to kill. Kolb relates these deaths to a recent theory advanced by Freud that the target is women because the killer's mother treated him badly.
The atmosphere of the story is claustrophobic and paranoid, as fits the years during which Hitler was rising to power. Hatred of Jews, Communists, and culture is rampant. Although some characters see Hitler's popularity as a passing fad, Berg sees him as a dangerous power-hungry man, who is leading Germany into war.
The book is tightly written. At several points, the author seemed to digress from the story, but even the apparent digressions led to the story's progression and the eventual solution of the mystery. It is not a happy ending for anyone.
The atmosphere of the story is claustrophobic and paranoid, as fits the years during which Hitler was rising to power. Hatred of Jews, Communists, and culture is rampant. Although some characters see Hitler's popularity as a passing fad, Berg sees him as a dangerous power-hungry man, who is leading Germany into war.
The book is tightly written. At several points, the author seemed to digress from the story, but even the apparent digressions led to the story's progression and the eventual solution of the mystery. It is not a happy ending for anyone.
January 31, 2025
Those Who Forget History
No one but Faye Kellerman could have written this book with such compassion, albeit for such monstrous people. The events preceding World War II in Munich have been told by many people. This fictionalized account brings them to a very personal level.
I hold great regard for an author who can craft a novel about the circumstances leading up to the Holocaust while being of the Jewish faith. It will continue to take honest voices to recount the past to prevent the horrors of the Nazis from ever reoccurring.
As I write this review, it is January of 2025, in the United States of America. We have elected a convicted felon as our President, again. A man who fomented a bloody insurrection at the Capitol of the United States when he lost the last election.
Our new President is still maintaining that the 2020 election was stolen from him. In his first hours in office, he pardoned convicted insurrectionists who were responsible for harming people and property.
As I was reading Straight into Darkness, I was prompted to remember the words of Hillel, the Elder, "If not now, When?"
If the citizens of America don't wake up and see the parallels with World War II, they may not get a "When" to look back.
Thank you, Faye Kellerman, for your clear and honest voice. I'm grateful for the strength of your words, that a book published in 2005 has every bit of relevance to contemporary society. I hope people will heed the warning.
No one but Faye Kellerman could have written this book with such compassion, albeit for such monstrous people. The events preceding World War II in Munich have been told by many people. This fictionalized account brings them to a very personal level.
I hold great regard for an author who can craft a novel about the circumstances leading up to the Holocaust while being of the Jewish faith. It will continue to take honest voices to recount the past to prevent the horrors of the Nazis from ever reoccurring.
As I write this review, it is January of 2025, in the United States of America. We have elected a convicted felon as our President, again. A man who fomented a bloody insurrection at the Capitol of the United States when he lost the last election.
Our new President is still maintaining that the 2020 election was stolen from him. In his first hours in office, he pardoned convicted insurrectionists who were responsible for harming people and property.
As I was reading Straight into Darkness, I was prompted to remember the words of Hillel, the Elder, "If not now, When?"
If the citizens of America don't wake up and see the parallels with World War II, they may not get a "When" to look back.
Thank you, Faye Kellerman, for your clear and honest voice. I'm grateful for the strength of your words, that a book published in 2005 has every bit of relevance to contemporary society. I hope people will heed the warning.
March 28, 2022
A disappointing thriller from the usually reliable Faye Kellerman.
Set in 1920s Munich as Adolf Hitler and his Brownshirts are rising to power and sending the city into panic and turmoil, there is a series of murders that Inspector Axel Berg must investigate.
The victims are women, their clothes and hair arranged just so after their murder, and a shoe from each missing when they are found.
Berg's superiors want a quick investigation and resolution - the city is already in enough disarray without a murderer in their midst, but Berg is questioning if this is the work of a lone psychopath or someone more sinister - and if there is a link to the political unrest that is taking over the city.
A great premise here, and one that usually grabs me, but not so in this case.
I struggled to engage with the characters and really lost interest.
Although sticking it out until almost the end, I gave up with only about 20 pages to go - I have no idea how this ended or who was responsible for the murders.. and no desire to know.. disappointing :-(
Set in 1920s Munich as Adolf Hitler and his Brownshirts are rising to power and sending the city into panic and turmoil, there is a series of murders that Inspector Axel Berg must investigate.
The victims are women, their clothes and hair arranged just so after their murder, and a shoe from each missing when they are found.
Berg's superiors want a quick investigation and resolution - the city is already in enough disarray without a murderer in their midst, but Berg is questioning if this is the work of a lone psychopath or someone more sinister - and if there is a link to the political unrest that is taking over the city.
A great premise here, and one that usually grabs me, but not so in this case.
I struggled to engage with the characters and really lost interest.
Although sticking it out until almost the end, I gave up with only about 20 pages to go - I have no idea how this ended or who was responsible for the murders.. and no desire to know.. disappointing :-(
February 18, 2020
I can't tell what this story is meant to be. Is it a detective story or a historical novel? Both pieces are boring as are the characters gluing them together. Hunting down the killer is dragged on by the political atmosphere and poor detective work. (Surely even the men in the 1920s knew to check the bedroom of a murdered woman in case she was killed there and dragged off. Not the Straight Into Darkness men, unfortunately.) The research Kellerman put into making her work authentic seeps out in pages of tedious setting descriptions that lead nowhere and ultimately add nothing. Almost all of thr characters are middle aged white men with nazi ideologies. Our main character fights back against them, but you don't have to be a nazi to still be a boring jerk I'm not curious about.
Straight Into Darkness is all around a mess. DNF 62%
Straight Into Darkness is all around a mess. DNF 62%
September 3, 2020
I have to admit that this one dragged a bit for me. I hadn't realized that it would be more historical fiction than suspense, and it felt like the majority of the book's attention actually went to building up situation, atmosphere, and Munich as a real, breathing place in 1929. And there's nothing wrong with that--the author did a fantastic job of it. But, one way or another, I went into the book feeling in the mood for a thriller, and in that respect, the book just didn't quite satisfy. There was nothing wrong with the plot, but everything was so drawn out--in an effort to build up the history and the characters and the social situation--that it was hard to get caught up in the plot itself, and far too easy to put the book down in favor of something else. I'd probably recommend this to readers who want historical fiction above all, and don't mind a murder plot as being secondary.
July 1, 2024
This story is set in Munich, 1929. It is the dawn of Hitler coming to power and the beginning of the brutal political anti-subversives movement in Germany. Gangs of brownshirts are actively terrorizing anyone opposing Hitler's movement. In the midst of this unrest, a beautiful young society wife is found murdered and her body displayed as a work of art. Homicide detective Axel Berg is tasked with finding the murderer, When another young woman is found murdered and displayed in the same manner, he realizes that this may be a serial killer stalking their city. His superiors feel he is not working hard enough and demand an arrest. Berg struggles to maintain his homelife in the midst of the search for the killer and the political unrest brewing in the city.
May 26, 2018
After reading Kellerman's Decker series this book it totally different and more to real life in Nazi Germany. The story is set in 1920s Munich as Hitler is rising to popularity. A policeman, Axel Berg, has to investigate a brutal slaying of a high society wife who is found dumped in the English Garden. When a second body is found the town erupts into hysterics. Along with the brown shirts causing havoc and the Police wanting the case closed ASAP, even if it's the wrong culprit, Berg has his work cut out for him.
Everybody has secrets, affairs and underhand dealings in this novel, including the police and it keeps you on your toes; you just don't know who is your enemy.
Everybody has secrets, affairs and underhand dealings in this novel, including the police and it keeps you on your toes; you just don't know who is your enemy.
June 16, 2019
This is the first book by Kellerman that I have read, one of my sisters recommended it to me. I often don't enjoy the same kind of books she reads but this one sounded interesting.
The book is fiction, but could definitely be based on a lot of true things that did happen during this time period in life. It takes place in 1929, in Munich, and before Hitler came into power. A serial killer is on the loose and Detective Axel Berg is feeling the pressure of finding the killer along with the violent political rallies, and his superiors pushing him to charge someone, anyone...a Jew would be best in the atmosphere that surrounds them during the early rise of Hitler.
The book is fiction, but could definitely be based on a lot of true things that did happen during this time period in life. It takes place in 1929, in Munich, and before Hitler came into power. A serial killer is on the loose and Detective Axel Berg is feeling the pressure of finding the killer along with the violent political rallies, and his superiors pushing him to charge someone, anyone...a Jew would be best in the atmosphere that surrounds them during the early rise of Hitler.
October 26, 2024
It started off better than it ended. I liked the premise but it stopped there. I liked the characters of Berg but his figure wasn’t strong enough to carry the book.
As the book progresses from murder to another it got less interesting. Usually, the opposite happens. I don’t know how the author accomplished this feat, but she did. Very little connected them except in the authors mind.
When it finally comes down to resolving ‘who done it,’ I just became confused by the author’s attempt at the reasoning and became frustrated. I was like, ‘oh well.’ Really, nothing more in terms of my emotions. Just a little apathy. Not good a good feelings.
As the book progresses from murder to another it got less interesting. Usually, the opposite happens. I don’t know how the author accomplished this feat, but she did. Very little connected them except in the authors mind.
When it finally comes down to resolving ‘who done it,’ I just became confused by the author’s attempt at the reasoning and became frustrated. I was like, ‘oh well.’ Really, nothing more in terms of my emotions. Just a little apathy. Not good a good feelings.
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