Potsdam Station by David Downing

This is the fourth of the John Russell novel by British author David Downing . This story is set in the dying daysofWWII in Berlin. Unlike the previous three this installment is described as John Russell and Effi Koenen novel. Effi has been John’s longstanding girlfriend and features much more in this story. Since the last installment there has been  a gap of some years, and John is trying to return to Berlin to reunite with Effi.

In order to achieve this John once again becomes entangled with the Russians, his only way of infiltrating Berlin in the dying days of the war. As is usual with David Downing’s novels the is a great deal of detail about the war. There is a real sense of the hardships suffered by the average inhabitants of the German capital at the hands of allies bombing. He also explores the fear that must have been present at the time about the new future beyond the end of the war.

Tangled up in all of this is John’s attempts to find his son who is now serving in the army. Here he explores the ever changing needs of the regime as the nations young men are dying or being taken prisoner by the advancing forces. The novel certainly evokes an atmosphere of final days of the Nazi regime in Berlin.

Overall the major plot line isn’t as dramatic as the previous installments nevertheless an enjoyable read. Perhaps best of  all the ending lends itself to another …….

Hypothermia – Arnaldur Indridason

This crime novel is set in Reykjavik in Iceland and follows the seasoned detective Erlendur as he strikes out on his own on an “unofficial investigation”. The setting is contemporary without being tied to any particular recent events. It is at a time when the office is quiet which gives him the flexibility to follow up on this mystery. Erlendur is troubled by an apparent suicide. He is dogged determination pushes and probes till you can come to the end what is essentially an unsettling conclusion. The book gives a sense of the  sparse and unforgiving landscape which has its own beauty lakes and penetrating cold.

Erlendur is throughout the story haunted by the death of his brother and father and his akward relationship with his children and his former wife. This subplot is an undercurrent throughout the entire book. These personal demons are in many ways a driver for his “unofficial investigation”.

Much as his personal journey in this book is set in both the present and the past so is the crime has been committed. This moving backwards and forwards in time shows a sympathetic and caring side to the weary Erlendur.

This continues my fascination with Scandinavian crime fiction. This is the first novel that I’ve read that has an Icelandic backdrop. This is not the first novel by this author Arnaldur Indriason so an exploration of the earlier volumes seems necessary.

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The Quiet Girl –Peter Høeg

This is the most recent novel by this Danish author and translated into English. He is previously best known for “Miss Smilla’s Feelings for Snow” This novel follows the tortured and twisted life of clown Kasper Krone. A quic

Cover of
Cover of The Quiet Girl

k search of the net will reveal that this novel met with harsh criticism when it was published. There being an absence of nearly 10 years between this and his previous work called “The Woman and the Ape“. After the highly successful in “Miss Smilla’s Feelings for Snow”, the author apparently became quite private only re-emerging with The Quiet Girl“.

The quiet girl is a complex novel not only because of the complexity of the central character Kasper Krone but the very nature of the story. Although difficult to engage it is worth persisting. The style is highly engaging but not an easy read. It will really suit lovers of conspiracy on a grand scale. The storyline touches on the supernatural and you really get a sense that the central character’s grip on reality is tenuous at best.

It doesn’t have the atmospheric sensibility of “Miss Smilla’s Feelings for Snow” , however it does make up with a lot of action. The hero Kasper Krone suffers at the hands of mysterious clergy and secret departments of the Danish police force. Some of this isn’t really satisfactorily explained in the storyline and really is at the outer limits of plausibility. This is given the contemporary nature of the story and its commentary on modern Danish society.

I mainly took this book on as I’ve just finished reading “Miss Smilla’s Feelings for Snow” and was quite taken by that work. I think it’s probably a book that I should revisit in the future as it really does need some tackling to come to grips with.

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Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow – Peter Høeg

This story is translated from Danish. It’s a fast paced thriller with plenty of intrigue. The story starts with the death of a young boy in Copenhagen. The boy was known to Smilla is found dead and the verdict is that of accidental death. It is the main characters familiarity with snow and ice that underpins the entire story. It is her understanding of the variations in steps and movement through snow that starts her journey to understand the real reason for the boy’s death.

Sitting in the background of the story is the struggle that people have moving from one culture to another. In this instance it is the Greenlanders ability to adapt to and survive in Danish culture. Greenland is of course ruled by Denmark and therefore is in essence a colony of Denmark. The main character relives through flashbacks are sometimes subtle and other times overt discrimination that she has experienced throughout her life. This is combined with a stubborn determination that really never sees her stopping until she reaches the ultimate conclusion of the story.

There is great atmosphere in this story in fact the weather impinges hugely on the story. Inserting itself at every turn this really is a struggle against the elements. The book itself has been nominated for prizes and established the author Peter Høeg add and also of note in Denmark. This book was his third and in subsequent followed by another two. The book itself was made into a film in 1997 which I doubt would be able to grasp with all the complexities of the storyline. Perhaps I shouldn’t condemn the film without seeing it but in my experience it rarely live up to the tale is crafted by the author.

For those who enjoy a plotline with many twists and turns and indeed the sidelines it’s a great read. In fact it is almost unputdownable, if there is such a word. The main character Smilla is bound to annoy the reader points but ultimately follow her journey to uncover the truth lies behind the story.

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The Polish Officer

Another lengthy tale of intrigue that follows a Polish military officer as he becomes part of the  resistance inThe Polish Officer by Alan Furstoccupied France during WWII. The title is in deference to the main character, The Polish Officer lovers of the period will enjoy historical references. At another level the story focuses on the  the isolation and devastation that surrounds the life of an undercover agent. This is the third of the series by Alan Furst and these books are interesting as there is no recurring central character. The times and the turmoil of the 1930’s and 40’s provide the momentum for these books.

The good thing is there are plenty more to follow.

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Night Soldiers – Alan Furst

Ivan Dubasov
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This is the first in the Alan Furst series of novels dealing with intrigue and espionage in and around WWII in Europe. This book spans nearly ten Years and follows Nikolai Stovaniev a Bulgarian who is recruited by the the NKVD. It helps having some knowledge of European history of the 1930’s and 40’s to make sense of some the large themes in the story. It is a story of survival in the face of betrayal. The spectre of the Stalinist purges looms in the background and is a reminder of the brutality of that regime.
All in all a great read, a little like LeCarre but a generation earlier. It has the all twists and turns that you would expect in an espionage novel.
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Dexter in The Dark

Dexter in the Dark
Dexter in the Dark (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The third in the Dexter series. In this Dexter in the Dark our hero loses his mojo. The story has something of a supernatural undertone that implies that makes Dexter the way he is. Dexter struggles as his Dark Passenger abandons which he finds confusing and bewildering. The story line here is not as convincing as the previous two books. The first person commentary and humour are as sharp as  ever.

He continues his involvement and mentoring of Rita’s children with some interesting exchanges. Dexter is grappling with wedding plans as the great evil is unfolding around him but as always our hero triumphs. The conclusion is a little chilling and would be spoilt if I mentioned it here. This novel certainly leaves the TV series on a different path.

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Dearly Devoted Dexter

"Dexter", basado en http://www.peque...
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My holiday readathon continues Dearly Devoted Dexter .
This is the second Dexter novel and the fork in the road beween this book and the TV series continues to widen. There are by the conclusion of this volume big differences in the plot lines and characters.  Where the TV series has Dexter in a continuos dialogue with his dead step father the book has the dialogue  with his “Dark Passenger”. It is more like a driving for than an alter ego. That doesn’t mean that Dexter is not abiding by the Harry’s code;which sets him apart from other serial killers.
This volume has him more tied up with a threat that is affecting members of his own team rather than his raison detre.  There is also the emerging relationship with his girlfriends children.
I must admit to being a fan of the TV series but the books so far have been equally satisfying. Its almost like a story with a different ending which of course it is.
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The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet’s Nest

Stieg Larsson's Milennium Trilogy
Image by Global X via Flickr
Well I manage to write the reviews of books I read out of order and in a rather haphazard fashion so this post should have preceded the last one never mind.
This is the third and final instalment of Stieg Larsson‘s epic trilogy that encompasses computer hacking state sanctioned  abuses of individuals that go to the heart of government. Larsson manages to combine a sweeping story involving all sorts agencies and yet keeps tabs on the personal with his main protagonists Blomqvist and the rather amazing heroine Lisbeth Salander. The tale is at the outer edges of believability but not outrageously so. The books have already been made into films in Sweden and fairly faithfully keep to the story. It is concerning to me that there is  hollywood version of the film on its way which will no doubt be dumbed down and the intrigue and originality of the story will most likely be lost.
Sadly this is the end of the series as the author passed away. This is a fitting conclusion to the story with most of the lose ends tied up rather nicely.

This is the third and final instalment of Stieg Larsson’s epic trilogy that encompasses computer hacking state sanctioned  abuses of individuals that go to the heart of government. Larsson manages to combine a sweeping story involving all sorts agencies and yet keeps tabs on the personal with his main protagonists Blomqvist and the rather amazing heroine Lisbeth Salander. The tale is at the outer edges of believability but not outrageously so. The books have already been made into films in Sweden and fairly faithfully keep to the story. It is concerning to me that there is  hollywood version of the film on its way which will no doubt be dumbed down and the intrigue and originality of the story will most likely be lost.Sadly this is the end of the series as the author passed away. This is a fitting conclusion to the story with most of the lose ends tied up rather nicely.

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Dexter Darkly Dreaming

Let's Give the Boy a Hand
Image via Wikipedia
This is the first in the “Dexter” series, which is probably better known for the TV series of the same name. Thankfully the TV series is based in the books rather than this being a novelisation. Dexter the vigilante sociopath is an engaging character and those with an academic interest in this type of person will enjoy the characters inner perspectives. Dexter Darkly Dreaming introduces the reader to his story although he is already well established in his murderous ways.
He struggles in many ways to maintain a civil exterior low profile and “normal”. I feel that this book explores the character of Dexter more deeply than the TV series does. It is inevitable that comparisons will be made between the two incarnations of the story. Already at the end of book one there is a major divergence which will make reading the next book  very interesting.
Certainly not a disappointment reading the book after watching the show.

This is the first in the “Dexter” series, which is probably better known for the TV series of the same name. Thankfully the TV series is based in the books rather than this being a novelisation. Dexter the vigilante sociopath is an engaging character and those with an academic interest in this type of person will enjoy the characters inner perspectives. Dexter Darkly Dreaming introduces the reader to his story although he is already well established in his murderous ways. He struggles in many ways to maintain a civil exterior low profile and “normal”. I feel that this book explores the character of Dexter more deeply than the TV series does. It is inevitable that comparisons will be made between the two incarnations of the story. Already at the end of book one there is a major divergence which will make reading the next book  very interesting.
Certainly not a disappointment after reading the book after watching the show. A little late but a great holiday read.

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