Book Synopsis:
Berlin is in the midst of its worst winter in decades. Against the backdrop of freezing temperatures, blizzards and snowstorms, the city refuses to grind to a halt. Lurking within the shadows is a Stasi victim, out for revenge against the former East German informants known as ‘The Ears’. Their dark secrets are about to be exposed. A mix of ice and water and a single gunshot, provides the ultimate payback. With the Millennium approaching, Hanne Drais, the criminal psychologist working within the Berlin Mitte Police team led by the irascible Oskar Kruger and his laid-back sidekick, Stefan Glockner, are seeking the perpetrator of these violent crimes. Who is the man they’ve nicknamed Snowflake? Who is turning the river red? Praise for Ally Rose “Shades of Val McDermid and Stieg Larsson The historical research which has clearly gone into this is impressive and the characterisation good. The plot is excellent with some great twists and the story keeps you guessing right to the end.” “A plot that will keep you on your toes as nothing is straight forward. Just as you are sure you know what is happening, there’s a twist that shocks you.” “The story grips you from the start, avoiding any boring narrative whilst still maintaining good characters and fantastic storyline.” “A real page turner, Gripping and full of suspense with surprising twists and turns throughout, it had me hooked from the start.”
The River Runs Red is available now in paperback. You can purchase a copy here.
My Review:
I’ve always been a fan of books set in the cold war as there’s always a lot of tension in the books and a feeling that anything could happen at any time. This story is told two timelines. One follows Hanne Drais and his team as they try to find the person who is murdering former Stasi informants. The other follows East German rower Rudy through his life in East Germany and his interrogation at the hands of the Stasi police.
The thing that made this book for me was the wonderful descriptions of Berlin during the cold war. The claustrophobic atmosphere the author describes is almost palpable and I felt myself feeling nervous for the characters within the book. It must have been very hard to live in such a time and always feel like you had to look over your shoulder. The actions of the Stasi police were quite brutal and I must admit I found them hard to read. Worse still was the apparent indifference by the officers to what they were doing to Rudy which I found quite hard to stomach. How people can act like that towards another human is beyond me.
This was an interesting book for me as I found myself routing for both sides of the investigation. Whilst I liked Hanne Drais and wanted him to catch his murder, I also felt sympathy for the murder who obviously has had some experience of the Stasi police and their methods.
This is the third book in the Hannie Drais series but I feel it could easily be read as a standalone book. If you like fast paced thrillers this might not be for you as there isn’t a lot of action. If however you like historical crime fiction that makes you think, then you’ll love this book.
Thanks to Emma from Damp Pebbles Tours for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Ally Rose writes –
“I’ve always been interested in writing crime stories and with the Cold War era, there is such a rich tapestry to draw from; especially the notorious and quelling Stasi reign in East Germany. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain, gives a contrast between the different worlds and any past crimes are held to account in a unified Germany.
Berlin is one of my favourite cities, and I’ve spent time living and discovering this diverse city and its surrounding areas. Seeing my characters in familiar places, they seem to come to life.
Hope you enjoy my Hanne Drais books.”
Follow @AllyRoseAuthor@fahrenheitpress on Twitter
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