A Quiet Flame
""Philip Kerr writes Chandleresque prose which translates very well to both 1930s Berlin and 1950s Argentina. " "
Synopsis:
Bernie Gunther, posing as a fleeing Nazi war criminal, arrives in Buenos Aires in 1950. Formerly a detective in Berlin, he is forced to reveal his true identity which leads to him being asked to help out in a case where young girls are mutilated and killed. Convinced that the culprit in Argentina is the same killer operating in 1930s Berlin, Bernie reluctantly agrees.
However, another case soon comes along that holds equal attractions, that of a number of Jewish immigrants who disappeared soon after their arrival in Argentina. Despite being warned off the case, Bernie investigates with his usual aplomb, leading him and the beautiful Anna Yagubsky into deadly danger.
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Review:
Philip Kerr writes Chandleresque prose which translates very well to both 1930s Berlin and 1950s Argentina. The plot involves the mixing of both real and imagined characters and under Philip Kerr's able hands this works very well. The inclusion of well known Nazis including Josef Mengele and Adolf Eichmann increases the sense of menace prevalent in Argentina after the war. The rule under the Perons is portrayed as both corrupt and threatening and the position of the Jews hardly any better than that of Nazi Germany. The plot is multi-layered with the investigation not what it initially seems, although when this is revealed to the reader it makes some of the flashbacks to 1930s Berlin seem superfluous. But it is a very enjoyable read and a highly absorbing novel.