If the Dead Rise Not, by Philip Kerr

Another noir novel in the Bernie Gunther series (reminds me a bit of Len Deighton). Set in the mid 1930s as the Nazi’s begin to take control with preparations for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin as a backdrop. Gunther is a detective who has had to quit the police because he won’t join the party, and winds up as a hotel security man. Nicely written with plenty of tension and a satisfying ending. B plus.

The Night Gardner, by George Pelecanos

I liked this book more than “The Turnaround”. The dialog is very real and captures the vernacular of criminals and police. It has a few intertwined story lines that tangentially touch here and there, and it one case come together in what might be significant, but turns out to be accidental. A good read but not great. Give it a B-.

Before the Frost, by Henning Mankell

Kurt Wallander is a Swedish detective who has many problems of his own; he and his daughter who is about to join the police force as well, track down the leader of a Religious cult who is killing people. The dialog is quite terse and even abrupt; I didn’t remember the Swedes talking that way and they certainly had a better sense of humor than the key people in this book. But the story is good and kept my interest. Give it a B.

The Miernik Dossier, by Charles McCarry

Another in the Paul Christopher series, featuring a strange Polish chap who may or may not be an agent of the Soviets. The entire book consists of reports, interviews, and diary entries from various people and agencies (theirs, ours, and others) regarding the events that took place. Not much suspense or tension. I rate it C.

Rain Gods, by James Lee Burke

A quintessential Burke novel, full of characters with dark pasts they can’t escape. Interesting story involving the usual low life criminals and law enforcement types with their own demons. And of course the language is a joy to read. How about a B+ on this one.

The Innocent Spy, by Laura Wilson

This somewhat lengthy book (437 pages) is nicely written and evocative of London in 1940. Class distinctions pervade the story which involves a right wing pro-fascist group that tries to keep America out of the war and force a peace with Hitler. Despite this backdrop and the title, it isn’t really a spy story, but rather a murder mystery. (And while there are many female mystery writers, I can’t think of a female espionage writer). The book’s length allows some well done character development, but the whole highly complex edifice of who did what and why, falls a bit flat. I give it a B-.

The Long Division, by Derek Nikitas

This is one of those books where three different story lines converge at the end. And it’s written in a kind of stream-of-conciousness  in which it stops mid-sentence every once in a while, which is a bit disconcerting. The story involves an event in the past that catches up with everyone involved, and general helplessness on the part of the main characters, who take risks and pay for them. Not really very good, give it a C-.

The Ghosts of Belfast, by Stuart Neville

A violent book about the Irish troubles, even well after the peace accord. Otherwise nothing much to say for itself. I give it a D.

1940, by Jay Neugeboren

This is a resonably well written short book whose narrator was a physician to Adolph Hitler and his dying mother when Hitler was young. He emigrates to New York where he meets a divorced woman whose son is mentally ill (autism?) and whose father worked on the subways but is now missing. They become romantically involved although she is 20 years younger. The book develops a number of ethical issues and “what if” questions, but the overall message (if there was one) escaped me. I give it a C.

Trust Me by Jeff Abbott

A thriller. Before you get to 100 pages there are so many plot twists and stuff flying out of left field you need a score card to keep track. Don’t bother with it. Trust Me.