My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read this in October 2011 and is part of my transfer of reading from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads
Philip Kerr’s hero Bernie Gunther has been living a very nice life in Cuba. His adventures always have him beholden to someone. They are invariably unscrupulous or is some shady police officer. He has a knack for finding these people. Or he somehow comes to their attention.
This time he has fallen foul of the Americans or Amis as he likes to call them. He finds himself coerced and doing someone else’s bidding.
The time span for this novel covers the period of 1930’s, through to 40’s and 50’s. Kerr’s capacity to weave the stories back and forth through time is inventive. Field Grey is constructed in Bernie Gunther’s present 1950’s and fleshes out through recollection and interrogation. This moving back on forth in allows for the continuation of the series without the central character running out time and life!
Kerr’s knowledge of the period and subtle use actual historical events makes the adventure believable and engaging.