Metropolis

Philip Kerr wrote 14 books in the Bernie Gunther series set in Berlin in the late 1920s until after the Second World War. The books were not written chronologically so this title is earliest in the series although it was the final book written.

 The description of life in Berlin is an important part of Philip Kerr's novels and the reader quickly becomes aware of political tensions and unrest  in the city, particularly in regard to Jews and Communists, with the rise of the Nazi movement. These tensions also extend between members of the policeforce.

When Detective Bernie Gunther transferred to the Murder Commission a major case being investigated was the deaths of several  prostitutes who had been shot then scalped. This case was then put on hold as the bodies of a number of disabled servicemen were also discovered. As Bernie investigates he is not only attempting to identify the killer and reasons for the crimes but also has to contend with a gangster whose daughter was one of the murdered women. Discovering the identity of the killer does not solve all of Bernie's problems as he realises the mayhem that will result if the name of the killer is made public.

March Violets

In March 1933 the Nazis became the power party in the German Parliament leaving the Social Democrats very much in the minority. After this there was an influx of applications to become members of the Nazi Party and the original members of the party referred to the newcomers as March Violets. In May 1933 the Nazi Party refused to accept new members. (The History Place)

March Violets by Philip Kerr is a gritty story about the criminal scene in Berlin in 1936. Bernie Gunther, a private investigator, is summoned by the insurance company of a rich industrialist to recover precious jewels stolen from a safe at the same time that the industrialist's daughter and son-in-law were murdered. Gunther knows that he has not been told the full story but the money offered for his services is good so he accepts.

By 1936 the Nazi Party is firmly in control in the country with the population now used to displays of propaganda in the streets and on buildings, parades of soldiers in the streets and the requirement to salute. The emphasis is on the importance of being German and minority groups, particularly Jews, face discrimination. People constantly disappear in Nazi Germany and Gunther regularly takes cases attempting to locate missing persons. Women, especially married women, are discouraged from working.

However Berlin is also holding the Olympic Games so some of the propaganda posters that might offend tourists have temporarily been removed and even some previously banned books have returned to bookstores for a short time.

As the story proceeds the reader is left in no doubt about the power of the variety of gangs operating in the city as well as the power of political groups each attempting to control what is happening in their jurisdictiction and outside it. Berlin is certainly a dangerous place, especially if you are a private investigator endevouring to discover the truth.

This book is first in a series of books about Bernie Gunther.