Metropolis

Meer over het boek

New York Times-bestselling author Philip Kerr delves into the origins of Bernie Gunther during his early days on Berlin's Murder Squad. In his twenties, Gunther is a war veteran who has witnessed the horrors of trench warfare. When he receives a promotion out of the Vice squad, he understands that he is not escaping the criminal underworld, which includes gangs and seedy sex clubs. Set in 1928, Berlin is on the brink of chaos, where societal norms are collapsing. A disturbing wave of violent murders targets the city's most vulnerable, including prostitutes and wounded ex-soldiers. As Gunther investigates these murders, he discovers that even his own police headquarters is compromised, with the Nazi party infiltrating the Alex, Berlin's central office, amid the crumbling Weimar government. For many Berliners, including Gunther, the theater offers a fleeting escape from reality. As he navigates the city's dark underbelly, he finds solace with a sharp-witted make-up artist who matches his sardonic outlook. Yet, the pervasive sense that everything in Berlin is for sale looms large, especially for those willing to kill for it.