Field Gray (A Bernie Gunther Novel Book 7) Kindle Edition

After  A Quiet Flame: A Bernie Gunther Novel  and  If the Dead Rise Not: A Bernie Gunther Novel  I had concerns that Kerr was becoming formulaic and was running out of material for Bernie Gunther. _Field Grey_ put those worries to rest in what I think is one of his strongest stories in the series. Certainly there are some flaws, most glaringly being the Zelig-like appearance of Gunther at critical junctures of history - with Heydrich, or at the Eden Dance Palace trial for example. The introduction of a chess-piece (a gift from chess great Lasker in 1933) so late in the book and late in the series was also irritating. However, the way in which Kerr blends elements of spy fiction with historical pieces, the autobiography of Gunther and crime thriller far outweigh any reservations or complaints that I have otherwise.Picking up where _If the Dead Rise Not_ ended, Gunther attempts to flee Cuba - and ends up spending time in several different prisons (in the US, West Germany and France), working for first the CIA and then the SDECE (Service de Documentatioan Exterieure et de Contre-Espionnage - French intelligence). As part of his debriefing and related to the work Gunther is asked to do by these security agencies, much of Gunther's wartime past is dredged up - a past that has been alluded to broadly in previous books, but never detailed. It made for riveting reading and provided depth and detail to an already fascinating character. The avoidance of the plot develoopments that made for such formulaic reading previously - the femme fatale, sacrificing a love interest, the improbable way Gunther pulls himself out of danger at the last moment - instead giving readers a labyrinth of double-crosses and double-agents further kept me on the edge of my seat.Gunther himself remains beholding to no man, independent in thought and word, even though the price for such freedom is steep: first with the Nazis, then the Soviets and in _Field Grey_ with the Americans, Kerr shows how trecherous power can be and how easily it can be manipulated by "true believers" of an ideology towards evil ends. Given the way in which Kerr ends _Field Grey_, I am at a loss to see where Gunther's narrative can be taken next, given the influence and reach of those he has crossed. I am anxious to see what Kerr has in store for readers. The Bernie Gunther series ( Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem , The One from the Other: A Bernie Gunther Novel , A Quiet Flame: A Bernie Gunther Novel , If the Dead Rise Not: A Bernie Gunther Novel )is great story-telling, _Field Grey_ among the best. Highly recommended.

While I can't really disagree with some of the criticisms registered here about this latest Bernie Gunther book, I still came away from it thinking that it was a fine read--fully original and completely entertaining. It certainly held my attention from about page 100 onward. Written as a look back at Bernie Gunther's war years in service to the Nazi regime, as a Soviet prisoner and as a wanted war criminal on the run, it is often non-linear and occasionally disjointed in manner, but author Philip Kerr has such a capacity for conveying excitement and tension in this adventure/suspense series, that it's easy to forgive the extra work for the reader that goes with his approach here.In "Field Gray", Bernie Gunther's portrayal as a completely cynical and world weary ex-cop seemed appropriate to me, and his especial animosity for the American security forces did not seem out of place for the period (1954). At the time, there were really only two major political/military forces in the world--the U.S. and the USSR. The former espoused noble political values in public, but was in fact sometimes following "ends justify the means" policies out of the public eye, and was still in the learning stages in the ways of the world on a global scale. The Brits, French and other western European countries were of no great political consequence at that time and author Kerr does not give them much substance or respect in "Field Gray."In any event, even with some valid questions raised by reviewers about Gunther's mood swings, etc., this is a highly enjoyable and credible read about the pre and post WWII periods by an author who knows his history and is skilled at putting together an adventure plot. Hard to tell what's in store for Bernie Gunther, but I'd like to believe that there is the potential for one or two more books in the series. The political folly that has been committed since the mid-50s provides a fertile field.

Great condition

excellent although the plot is very intricate...a little tough to follow near the end of the book...had wished to buy prussian blue by the same author .....but price way too high ....

An excellent book evoking vividly the period in which it is setI could not possibly recommend it more highly.

No voy a poner ningun opinion en espanol por un libro que he leido in mi proprio idioma. Faltan dos palabras? entonces, aqui les tienen: no me molesteis mas si no puedo dar un opinion en mi propio idioma, vale? saludos

Like this author