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NoirNovels.com - A unique repository for all things noir
March Violets
Reviewed By Rogue With Hitler`s Third Recih as a backdrop, Philip Kerr`s March Violets takes us on a journey through the seedy underground of the Fatherland, courtesy of private detective Bernie Gunther. Gunther is an ex-policeman who left state sponsored investigation for the rather more lucrative private kind. Despite the constant threat of Gestapo interference and deportation to a KZ (Concentration Camp), Gunther is happy to take on cases from any customer who can find their way to his office, even if they are Jewish. Business is good because Gunther is good, and his reputation is what leads him to be engaged by a wealthy industrialist who wants him to investigate the death of his daughter and son-in-law. From the outset, Gunther smells a rat and he soon finds himself investigating not only the deaths, but also his employer. As the case develops, Gunther puts himself on collision course with an organised crime boss, the German Prime Minister and the Gestapo. What is refreshing about March Violets is its portrayal of pre-war Berlin. The ever-growing Nazi presence is never overstated but you get the impression that it is like a disease, slowly but surely consuming the populace and any idea of civilised society. The city is a joyless, grey place where the majority merely exist, and a few, like Gunther, are able to carve out what resembles a respectable life. That is not to say the Gunther is an angel, far from it. Like all good noir heroes he has his fair share of faults, but he has the good fortune to be silhoutted by the repugnant Nazis. In amongst the squalor, Gunther has the questionable fortune of meeting two `femmes fatale`, one of whom nearly gets him killed in classic noir fashion. Philip Kerr has created a finely detailed noir mystery which draws Gunther and the reader deeper and deeper into a multi-layered plot. The innovative setting is a masterstroke, because while the author sticks to some noir staples, the environment in which the story is told is unique. I certainly haven`t read any other noir fiction set in Nazi Berlin, have you? This is the first book in a trilogy of Philip Kerr novels, known collectively as Berlin Noir. As a result, March Violets is partially a scene setter for the following two books, but not so much so that the story has been forgotten. Indeed, I enjoyed this book very much as a refreshing new take on the genre and I wholeheartedly recommend it. If you like something slightly out of the ordinary, join Bernie Gunther for a trip around Nazi Germany unlike any other you may have taken. Set your preconceptions to one side and dive in; I think you`ll enjoy it. |
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