Greeks Bearing Gifts

Greeks Bearing Gifts is the 13th, sadly penultimate, Bernie Gunther novel from Philip Kerr. Released 3rd April 2018 by Marion Wood books/Putnam, it's a substantial 522 pages and available in all formats (hardback, paperback, audio, ebook, audioCD, etc).  Mr. Kerr had a career that spanned decades.  He was a truly gifted artist and writer of thrillers written around some historical events and people.  The stories are so skillfully written around the actual events that it's difficult to separate the fact from fiction.

This book is full of amazing imagery and so deftly drawn that I found myself re-reading passages after I had finished, just to savor the expertise and craftsmanship of Kerr's writing.  This is an amazingly well crafted book.

I really enjoy Bernie Gunther's honesty and intelligence when the world around him and so many of the people he has to deal with are dishonest and cruel. He's just trying to get by as a morgue attendant in Munich after the war when he's recognized from his former life and forced to be complicit in a planned robbery.  The ways he manages to extricate himself are as varied as they are impressive. 

Wonderfully written, top shelf cold-war thriller.  Truly a classic series and this is a worthy entry. I'm just sad that there aren't going to be more of them after the last one (Metropolis) later this year.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes