Book Synopsis:
THE STUNNING SECOND WORLD WAR THRILLER FROM THE CELEBRATED SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR SIMON SCARROW
‘Taut and chilling – I was completely gripped’ Anthony Horowitz
‘A wonderfully compelling thriller, reeking of authenticity, and a terrific depiction of the human world within the chilling world of the Third Reich’ Peter James
Berlin, December 1939
As Germany goes to war, the Nazis tighten their terrifying grip. Paranoia in the capital is intensified by a rigidly enforced blackout that plunges the city into oppressive darkness every night, as the bleak winter sun sets.
When a young woman is murdered, Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is under pressure to solve the case, swiftly. Distrusted by his superiors for his failure to join the Nazi Party, Schenke walks a perilous line – for disloyalty is a death sentence.
The discovery of a second victim confirms Schenke’s worst fears. He must uncover the truth before evil strikes again.
As the investigation takes him closer to the sinister heart of the regime, Schenke realises there is danger everywhere – and the warring factions of the Reich can be as deadly as a killer stalking the streets . . .
My Review:
Blackout is a tense, atmospheric read that kept me guessing. It is the first book I’ve read by this author and it has definitely left me wanting to read more.
Firstly I loved the amazing historical details the author has included in the book which helps paint a vivid picture of what Berlin must have been like at the start of the war. The fear and tension felt almost palpable at times, making me feel like I was actually there experiencing everything first hand. It was fascinating getting a closer look into the Nazi party and seeing how far everyone was willing to go to keep themselves safe by constantly blaming other people or groups. I can well imagine that it brought out the worst side in people and indeed some parts of this book was hard to read as it truly showed how cruel and calculated the members could be.
I really liked the main character Horst Schenke particularly as he was a bit of a rebel for refusing to join the nazi party. I thought he was incredibly brave to stand up to his principles despite the fact it would have been much safer for him to tow the line. In my opinion this helped add an interesting element to the book as through him we are able to see the truth or what happened rather than what the Nazi party wanted people to see which I thought was very clever. I really enjoyed following his investigation throughout the book.
Overall I really enjoyed this book which had a great pace to it. There are a few calmer parts of the book but things always pick up and about half way through the book becomes almost impossible to put down. The twist towards the end took me completely by surprise and I thought the ending was brilliant. I would loved to see a sequel with Horst Schenke in the future.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Headline for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Simon Scarrow is a Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author. His many successful books include his Eagles of the Empire novels featuring Roman soldiers Macro and Cato, most recently TRAITORS OF ROME, THE BLOOD OF ROME, DAY OF THE CAESARS, INVICTUS and BRITANNIA, as well as HEARTS OF STONE, set in Greece during the Second World War, SWORD AND SCIMITAR, about the 1565 Siege of Malta, and a quartet about Wellington and Napoleon including the No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller THE FIELDS OF DEATH. He is the author with T. J. Andrews of the bestselling novels ARENA, INVADER and PIRATA.
Find out more at http://www.simonscarrow.co.uk and on Facebook /officialsimonscarrow and Twitter @SimonScarrow
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