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Munich Wolf
The gripping new 2024 thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The English Führer. In this brilliant standalone crime novel set in 1930s Munich, Detective Sebastian Wolff must walk a tight line between doing his job and falling foul of the Nazi party he despises.
Munich in the 1930s is a magnet for young, rich, aristocratic Brits. They come to learn German, but also to go wild, free at last from the suffocating constraints of strait-laced England. They ski in the Alps, swim in the lakes, drink in the beer cellars and fall for the charms of dashing SS officers.
What they don't see—or choose to ignore—is the cold, brutal, underbelly of the Nazi movement which considers Munich its spiritual home.
But not every German is a Nazi. Murder squad detective Sebastian Wolff is one of those walking a tight line between doing his job and falling foul of the political party he abhors.
When a high-born English girl is murdered, Wolff is ordered to solve the crime. He has a fine record and, importantly, he is fluent in English. But he realises the mission is a poison chalice, for Hitler is taking a personal interest in the case—as is his young English acolyte Miss Unity Mitford.
Wolff is hemmed in on all sides. At work, he is watched closely by the secret police, at home he could be denounced at any moment by his own son, a fervent member of the Hitler Youth.
And when he begins to suspect that the killer might be linked to the highest reaches of the Nazi hierarchy, he fears his task is simply impossible - and that he will become the killer's next victim.
Munich in the 1930s is a magnet for young, rich, aristocratic Brits. They come to learn German, but also to go wild, free at last from the suffocating constraints of strait-laced England. They ski in the Alps, swim in the lakes, drink in the beer cellars and fall for the charms of dashing SS officers.
What they don't see—or choose to ignore—is the cold, brutal, underbelly of the Nazi movement which considers Munich its spiritual home.
But not every German is a Nazi. Murder squad detective Sebastian Wolff is one of those walking a tight line between doing his job and falling foul of the political party he abhors.
When a high-born English girl is murdered, Wolff is ordered to solve the crime. He has a fine record and, importantly, he is fluent in English. But he realises the mission is a poison chalice, for Hitler is taking a personal interest in the case—as is his young English acolyte Miss Unity Mitford.
Wolff is hemmed in on all sides. At work, he is watched closely by the secret police, at home he could be denounced at any moment by his own son, a fervent member of the Hitler Youth.
And when he begins to suspect that the killer might be linked to the highest reaches of the Nazi hierarchy, he fears his task is simply impossible - and that he will become the killer's next victim.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2024
About the author
Rory Clements
27 books441 followersRory Clements has had a long and successful newspaper career, including being features editor and associate editor of Today, editor of the Daily Mail's Good Health Pages, and editor of the health section at the Evening Standard. He now writes full-time in an idyllic corner of Norfolk, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
September 28, 2024
**Read 4.5 STARS!**
This excellent WWII novel is in essence in the same great league of police detectives as the likes of Simon Scarrow's 1939/1940s Berlin and Douglas Jackson's 1939/1940s Warsaw, with the only difference that this book is set in 1935 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
At the beginning of the book you'll notice two well-drawn maps, one of Munich 1935, and one of Bavaria with places and sites in 1935.
Storytelling is brilliant, all characters come vividly to life in this tale about Nazism, dictatorship, double dealing, torture and death, and not to forget the atmosphere and places in Munich and sites in Bavaria in 1935 are superbly described and pictured.
This book is set in June 1935, in Munich, where a young aristocratic British girl, Rosie Palmer, is found mutilated and murdered.
Anti Nazi Police Detective Sebastian Wolff, after being sent to Dachau for improper behaviour towards the Führer Adolf Hitler by Sergeant Winter and his boss at the BPP, and now released from Dachau due to his family Nazi connections, is put on this case and called the best Munich detective this case really needs.
Threatened and followed by various Nazi factions and confronted by his son Jürgen, a Hitler Youth, Detective Wolff is trying in this web of lies and deceit to do his utmost to come to the truth behind this murder, but in the meantime an innocent man is executed, while more girls are abducted and one more killed.
What is to follow is an intriguing and exciting police thriller in which Detective Wolff and a very much changed Sergeant Winter, will get to the bottom of these murders and due to a fantastic plot in the end the real perpetrators of these horrific and insane murders will be revealed.
Highly recommended, for this is an excellent thriller which is very much worth to be read and enjoyed, and that's why I like to call this book: "A Captivating Hunting Wolf"!
This excellent WWII novel is in essence in the same great league of police detectives as the likes of Simon Scarrow's 1939/1940s Berlin and Douglas Jackson's 1939/1940s Warsaw, with the only difference that this book is set in 1935 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
At the beginning of the book you'll notice two well-drawn maps, one of Munich 1935, and one of Bavaria with places and sites in 1935.
Storytelling is brilliant, all characters come vividly to life in this tale about Nazism, dictatorship, double dealing, torture and death, and not to forget the atmosphere and places in Munich and sites in Bavaria in 1935 are superbly described and pictured.
This book is set in June 1935, in Munich, where a young aristocratic British girl, Rosie Palmer, is found mutilated and murdered.
Anti Nazi Police Detective Sebastian Wolff, after being sent to Dachau for improper behaviour towards the Führer Adolf Hitler by Sergeant Winter and his boss at the BPP, and now released from Dachau due to his family Nazi connections, is put on this case and called the best Munich detective this case really needs.
Threatened and followed by various Nazi factions and confronted by his son Jürgen, a Hitler Youth, Detective Wolff is trying in this web of lies and deceit to do his utmost to come to the truth behind this murder, but in the meantime an innocent man is executed, while more girls are abducted and one more killed.
What is to follow is an intriguing and exciting police thriller in which Detective Wolff and a very much changed Sergeant Winter, will get to the bottom of these murders and due to a fantastic plot in the end the real perpetrators of these horrific and insane murders will be revealed.
Highly recommended, for this is an excellent thriller which is very much worth to be read and enjoyed, and that's why I like to call this book: "A Captivating Hunting Wolf"!
January 17, 2024
I’m a huge fan of Rory Clements’ novels. I loved his John Shakespeare historical crime series set in Elizabethan England comprising Martyr, Revenger, Prince, Traitor, The Heretics, The Queen’s Man and Holy Spy. And I absolutely adore his Tom Wilde series set in WW2 Cambridge comprising (so far) Corpus, Nucleus, Nemesis, Hitler’s Secret, A Prince and a Spy, The Man in the Bunker and The English Führer.
So I came to Munich Wolf with high expectations; I wasn’t disappointed. Sebastian Wolff is, if you like, Tom Wilde’s German alter ego. Like Wilde, he has a strong sense of justice. And in the same way Wilde has his trusty Rudge Special motorcycle, Wolff has his beloved Lancia Augusta cabriolet. But in their personal lives they differ. Wolff’s barely disguised loathing for Hitler’s regime has created a breach in his relationship with his son Jurgen, who is a fervent admirer of the Führer and a member of the Hitler Youth. It’s only when an act of violence comes close to home for Jurgen that their frosty relationship thaws a little.
The book sees Wolff’s commitment to uncovering the truth come slap bang up against political interests, both domestic and international. There’s a quite complex structure of different security and police institutions, but stick with it. Given the period in which it’s set and what we now know about the dreadful acts perpetrated by the Nazi regime, it’s probably no surprise that the story goes to some dark, sinister and perverted places, places populated by fanatics. ‘Paganism, ritual murder, sex magic, the Thule Society [a German occultist and Völkisch group founded in Munich shortly after World War I], Hitler’s obsession with the occult, the runic symbol for the sun, the geblōt places of ancient Nordic sacrifices…’
In pursuing his investigation, Wolff faces personal risks but he doggedly persists resulting in confrontations with some particularly ruthless individuals and a spell in a concentration camp. He’s also hampered in his enquiries by being assigned an assistant, Sergeant Hans Winter, with whom Wolff had already had an inauspicious first meeting, and who in reality is his minder, informing his bosses in the Bavarian Political Police (the forerunner of the Gestapo) about Wolff’s movements. Things really hot up when Wolff gets a little too close to implicating some influential figures in the regime.
Real life figures abound, in particular English socialite Unity Mitford who as well as coming across as an utter snob, shows herself to be an antisemite and vile apologist for the Nazi regime.
Sebastian Wolff is a great character. He’s a man of action but the author has also given him an interesting personal hinterland. (He’s rather swoonworthy as well.) Although badged as a standalone novel, I can see Munich Wolf being the first book in a series – in fact, I’d be overjoyed if it is.
Action-packed, full of twists and turns, and with fascinating historical detail, Munich Wolf is another powerful thriller from the pen of Rory Clements, ideal for fans of the late lamented Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series.
So I came to Munich Wolf with high expectations; I wasn’t disappointed. Sebastian Wolff is, if you like, Tom Wilde’s German alter ego. Like Wilde, he has a strong sense of justice. And in the same way Wilde has his trusty Rudge Special motorcycle, Wolff has his beloved Lancia Augusta cabriolet. But in their personal lives they differ. Wolff’s barely disguised loathing for Hitler’s regime has created a breach in his relationship with his son Jurgen, who is a fervent admirer of the Führer and a member of the Hitler Youth. It’s only when an act of violence comes close to home for Jurgen that their frosty relationship thaws a little.
The book sees Wolff’s commitment to uncovering the truth come slap bang up against political interests, both domestic and international. There’s a quite complex structure of different security and police institutions, but stick with it. Given the period in which it’s set and what we now know about the dreadful acts perpetrated by the Nazi regime, it’s probably no surprise that the story goes to some dark, sinister and perverted places, places populated by fanatics. ‘Paganism, ritual murder, sex magic, the Thule Society [a German occultist and Völkisch group founded in Munich shortly after World War I], Hitler’s obsession with the occult, the runic symbol for the sun, the geblōt places of ancient Nordic sacrifices…’
In pursuing his investigation, Wolff faces personal risks but he doggedly persists resulting in confrontations with some particularly ruthless individuals and a spell in a concentration camp. He’s also hampered in his enquiries by being assigned an assistant, Sergeant Hans Winter, with whom Wolff had already had an inauspicious first meeting, and who in reality is his minder, informing his bosses in the Bavarian Political Police (the forerunner of the Gestapo) about Wolff’s movements. Things really hot up when Wolff gets a little too close to implicating some influential figures in the regime.
Real life figures abound, in particular English socialite Unity Mitford who as well as coming across as an utter snob, shows herself to be an antisemite and vile apologist for the Nazi regime.
Sebastian Wolff is a great character. He’s a man of action but the author has also given him an interesting personal hinterland. (He’s rather swoonworthy as well.) Although badged as a standalone novel, I can see Munich Wolf being the first book in a series – in fact, I’d be overjoyed if it is.
Action-packed, full of twists and turns, and with fascinating historical detail, Munich Wolf is another powerful thriller from the pen of Rory Clements, ideal for fans of the late lamented Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series.
March 11, 2024
Great read. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I especially liked the way the professional relationship developed between Wolf and Winter into a kind of friendship. Hope the story continues and we see more of Wolf.
September 25, 2024
A gripping standalone novel perhaps unlike anything fans of this author would expect but demonstrating a grasp of historical events and how to weave a story between the established events.
Stepping outside the novel it tells of a changing Germany under the increasing influence and state control of the Nazi party and the personality of Adolf Hitler. A time when the older generation seem left behind due to their association with defeat and economic failure. While the younger generation are joining youth movements and adore the cult of Hitler and his government.
Inside the novel we find how these factors affect a patriotic German and his family and the consequences of not appearing to be a party member. At a time where opposition is quashed by disappearance and failed justice. Where the criminal police are subservient to the Gestapo and the SS holds sway over the political landscape as enforcers and role models.
The detective here is Sebastian Wolff a decent man, a war hero but haunted by his time on the Western Front. Recognised as the best and most competent murder squad leader and investigator only to be saddled with a suspicious death of a foreign student with political overtones. A no win scenario, as the higher authorities want a speedy resolution and a suitable scapegoat for the crime.
I found the whole story compelling and engrossing. Demanding of my attention and draining emotionally as I placed myself within the novel and wondered how I would behave when divergence from the party line or criticism of the Nazi hierarchy could lead to denouncement and a one way ticket to a concentration camp.
Wolff is favoured by a rich relative and has the advantage of his police badge but he leads a charmed life during his investigation when others favour a rush to judgement and execution of a suspect who happens to be a Jew.
In the shadow of the Holocaust this is a difficult read sometimes. But equally sinister and at the heart of the story are traditional Germanic values, some ancient values touching on mysticism under the banner of the Thule society.
Intriguing with heart stopping moments. The contrast between the extremes of National Socialism against more liberal thinking nationals from America and England makes for a unique time in history. Seen among the foreign students, the girls use of lipstick and have emotional desires beyond the good looking SS boys. The locations are another bonus and with political significance; Munich was at this time a special place, elements of which drive the story.
This novel will surely cement the author as a master historical story teller, able to carry suspense and threat throughout his writing. Totally riveting page turner which shows the dangers of totalitarian regimes and a state-led personality cult. I breathed a sigh of relief at the end that I live in a democracy.
Stepping outside the novel it tells of a changing Germany under the increasing influence and state control of the Nazi party and the personality of Adolf Hitler. A time when the older generation seem left behind due to their association with defeat and economic failure. While the younger generation are joining youth movements and adore the cult of Hitler and his government.
Inside the novel we find how these factors affect a patriotic German and his family and the consequences of not appearing to be a party member. At a time where opposition is quashed by disappearance and failed justice. Where the criminal police are subservient to the Gestapo and the SS holds sway over the political landscape as enforcers and role models.
The detective here is Sebastian Wolff a decent man, a war hero but haunted by his time on the Western Front. Recognised as the best and most competent murder squad leader and investigator only to be saddled with a suspicious death of a foreign student with political overtones. A no win scenario, as the higher authorities want a speedy resolution and a suitable scapegoat for the crime.
I found the whole story compelling and engrossing. Demanding of my attention and draining emotionally as I placed myself within the novel and wondered how I would behave when divergence from the party line or criticism of the Nazi hierarchy could lead to denouncement and a one way ticket to a concentration camp.
Wolff is favoured by a rich relative and has the advantage of his police badge but he leads a charmed life during his investigation when others favour a rush to judgement and execution of a suspect who happens to be a Jew.
In the shadow of the Holocaust this is a difficult read sometimes. But equally sinister and at the heart of the story are traditional Germanic values, some ancient values touching on mysticism under the banner of the Thule society.
Intriguing with heart stopping moments. The contrast between the extremes of National Socialism against more liberal thinking nationals from America and England makes for a unique time in history. Seen among the foreign students, the girls use of lipstick and have emotional desires beyond the good looking SS boys. The locations are another bonus and with political significance; Munich was at this time a special place, elements of which drive the story.
This novel will surely cement the author as a master historical story teller, able to carry suspense and threat throughout his writing. Totally riveting page turner which shows the dangers of totalitarian regimes and a state-led personality cult. I breathed a sigh of relief at the end that I live in a democracy.
June 2, 2024
The author made a bold call to make his principal character, Seb Wolff, a detective in Nazi Germany -- how does one follow the inestimable irreverent Bernie Gunther and his creator, the late much-missed Philip Kerr. The answer is Clements succeeds admirably. Not only due to a change of location swapping Berlin for Munich, the preferred city of the Nazis whose people were vastly more enthusiastic supporters of Hitler and his criminal gang, but also Wolff is a terrific personality. He like Gunther possesses a sense of humour but is used more sparingly and his family set up adds to the tension.
His uncle Christian 'The Pig' Weber a bigwig corrupt Nazi protects him to a certain extent, Mutti who fusses over him and his son Jurgen, who is constantly at odds with his father due to a fine brainwashing job done by the Hitler Youth. The plot is terrific, murder of an English rose, I learned Munich was quite the place to be for gilded English youth pre-war, and the prejudices of the time come to the boil. Further than that I shall not go so as not to spoil it for you!
Clements throws in plenty of real life characters from Hitler's press secretary 'Putzi' Hanfstaengel, who was later to defect and work for the FDR administration in the USA, to the ghastly 'sausage fingered' Hitler-obsessed Unity Mitford.
There are plenty of surprises along the way -- as indeed you cry there should be in a whodunnit/thriller -- and one involving his subordinate Sergeant Winter is perhaps the biggest of them all and one thinks not uncommon in Germany at the time.
Hope this turns into a series as it certainly merits it and we are only at 1935 so plenty of room for further adventures. This Wolff certainly has bite, one would think a Pig and someone with sausage fingers would be meat and drink for him....on verra. He just better watch out if a femme fatale pops up dressed in red.
A terrific read. Chapeau.
His uncle Christian 'The Pig' Weber a bigwig corrupt Nazi protects him to a certain extent, Mutti who fusses over him and his son Jurgen, who is constantly at odds with his father due to a fine brainwashing job done by the Hitler Youth. The plot is terrific, murder of an English rose, I learned Munich was quite the place to be for gilded English youth pre-war, and the prejudices of the time come to the boil. Further than that I shall not go so as not to spoil it for you!
Clements throws in plenty of real life characters from Hitler's press secretary 'Putzi' Hanfstaengel, who was later to defect and work for the FDR administration in the USA, to the ghastly 'sausage fingered' Hitler-obsessed Unity Mitford.
There are plenty of surprises along the way -- as indeed you cry there should be in a whodunnit/thriller -- and one involving his subordinate Sergeant Winter is perhaps the biggest of them all and one thinks not uncommon in Germany at the time.
Hope this turns into a series as it certainly merits it and we are only at 1935 so plenty of room for further adventures. This Wolff certainly has bite, one would think a Pig and someone with sausage fingers would be meat and drink for him....on verra. He just better watch out if a femme fatale pops up dressed in red.
A terrific read. Chapeau.
February 23, 2024
7.5/10
I enjoyed Rory Clements other series with protagonist Tom Wilde set in the WW2 era Cambridge, so when I saw a new book in a similar time period but set in Nazi Germany I couldn't resist giving it a try.
Seb Wolff is the protagonist for this outing, I'm assuming soon to be series, as the lead investigator into a murder mystery surrounded by Nazi's, foreign politics, and the occasional trips to Dachau concentration camp. Clements paints a good picture of the period and Seb Wolff not being so keen on his leaders of the country even though his son is a staunch advocate and a member of the Hitler Youth.
Clements weaves the story of the murder mystery with the political intricacies well with plenty going on and not knowing who or what is to blame for the spate of murders. I liked the development of the characters over the story but the main win for me was the atmosphere. I would definitely be looking at more from the author, whether it be this series or Tom Wilde's.
Thank you to NetGalley for the copy for review
I enjoyed Rory Clements other series with protagonist Tom Wilde set in the WW2 era Cambridge, so when I saw a new book in a similar time period but set in Nazi Germany I couldn't resist giving it a try.
Seb Wolff is the protagonist for this outing, I'm assuming soon to be series, as the lead investigator into a murder mystery surrounded by Nazi's, foreign politics, and the occasional trips to Dachau concentration camp. Clements paints a good picture of the period and Seb Wolff not being so keen on his leaders of the country even though his son is a staunch advocate and a member of the Hitler Youth.
Clements weaves the story of the murder mystery with the political intricacies well with plenty going on and not knowing who or what is to blame for the spate of murders. I liked the development of the characters over the story but the main win for me was the atmosphere. I would definitely be looking at more from the author, whether it be this series or Tom Wilde's.
Thank you to NetGalley for the copy for review
January 31, 2024
I'm somewhat of a Rory Clements fan. I absolutely love his John Shakespeare and Tom Wilde series of books and when I saw this, my first thought was that it was perhaps a new Tom Wilde and thus, became rather excited. However after reading the blurb on the cover I quickly ascertained that it wasn't, it was Rory's first stand alone novel or the beginning of a new series featuring Munich kripo detective Sebastian Wolff, so because I'm a fan, I still retained my delight at a new Rory Clements outing.
Nevertheless, on completion, I've rather came away with a feeling of disappointment. Been somewhat let down, as I feel this book wasn't written for me.
I came away with the impression that the book has been written for people who have little or no previous knowledge of the Nazis and their beginnings, particularly once they came to power.
Indeed, the author even hints and mentions this in his letter to the readers at the back of the book and I quote,
"And for anyone new to the period, it is worth remembering that most Germans were not Nazis and did not vote for Hitler, they were trapped"
Anyone with even a modicum of knowledge about the Nazis beyond primary school level will probably feel they're being treated here like secondary school teenagers by the level of this story telling.
I was thinking of describing the writing as "by the numbers" but that wouldn't really have been applicable in this instance and may have came across as somewhat egregiously unfair, as the author's enthusiasm for the story was still very much apparent and not really in doubt and I wouldn't have expected anything less from such an accomplished writer of historical fiction as Rory Clements. It's just it would seem, he's writing a "dummies guide" to pre-war Nazis!
So I'm afraid this "back to school" style does render most of the detail of the story very clichéd and it's all rather cheesy with a “seen it, done it, shagged it!” ambience.
The scenes and interactions between the detective and his brainwashed Hitler Youth fanatical son are a prime example of this.
About the only thing that isn’t clichéd, is the fact that the author has chosen Munich as his principal setting, as “Berlin, just before the war” has been done to death, according to the author, which is all fair and well if the rest of the content is just as fresh, rather than the same old, tired Nazi tropes!
The author also seems to give a sympathetic ear to Nazis such as Ernst Hanfstaengl and unfortunately plays out a type of redemption for an extremely odious Bavarian Political Policeman (effectively Bavarian Gestapo), a sergeant Winter, who has been assigned to spy on detective Seb Wolff and is responsible for landing the detective in Dachau Concentration Camp right at the very beginning of the tale.
There is a revelation later on regarding sergeant Winter, which I presume is supposed to evoke some sort of reader sympathy for the character, but in reality, all it does is make one feel rather uncomfortable!
Thankfully there’s no such sympathy when the likes of the uber creep and utterly repugnant Unity Mitford and the deluded and sleazy Thule society enter into the fray.
If this is the start of a "Detective Sebastian Wolff" series, against my better judgement, I shall give the second instalment one more chance to see if the initial problems have been ironed out, but hopefully he's just a "lone" Wolff!
Nevertheless, on completion, I've rather came away with a feeling of disappointment. Been somewhat let down, as I feel this book wasn't written for me.
I came away with the impression that the book has been written for people who have little or no previous knowledge of the Nazis and their beginnings, particularly once they came to power.
Indeed, the author even hints and mentions this in his letter to the readers at the back of the book and I quote,
"And for anyone new to the period, it is worth remembering that most Germans were not Nazis and did not vote for Hitler, they were trapped"
Anyone with even a modicum of knowledge about the Nazis beyond primary school level will probably feel they're being treated here like secondary school teenagers by the level of this story telling.
I was thinking of describing the writing as "by the numbers" but that wouldn't really have been applicable in this instance and may have came across as somewhat egregiously unfair, as the author's enthusiasm for the story was still very much apparent and not really in doubt and I wouldn't have expected anything less from such an accomplished writer of historical fiction as Rory Clements. It's just it would seem, he's writing a "dummies guide" to pre-war Nazis!
So I'm afraid this "back to school" style does render most of the detail of the story very clichéd and it's all rather cheesy with a “seen it, done it, shagged it!” ambience.
The scenes and interactions between the detective and his brainwashed Hitler Youth fanatical son are a prime example of this.
About the only thing that isn’t clichéd, is the fact that the author has chosen Munich as his principal setting, as “Berlin, just before the war” has been done to death, according to the author, which is all fair and well if the rest of the content is just as fresh, rather than the same old, tired Nazi tropes!
The author also seems to give a sympathetic ear to Nazis such as Ernst Hanfstaengl and unfortunately plays out a type of redemption for an extremely odious Bavarian Political Policeman (effectively Bavarian Gestapo), a sergeant Winter, who has been assigned to spy on detective Seb Wolff and is responsible for landing the detective in Dachau Concentration Camp right at the very beginning of the tale.
There is a revelation later on regarding sergeant Winter, which I presume is supposed to evoke some sort of reader sympathy for the character, but in reality, all it does is make one feel rather uncomfortable!
Thankfully there’s no such sympathy when the likes of the uber creep and utterly repugnant Unity Mitford and the deluded and sleazy Thule society enter into the fray.
If this is the start of a "Detective Sebastian Wolff" series, against my better judgement, I shall give the second instalment one more chance to see if the initial problems have been ironed out, but hopefully he's just a "lone" Wolff!
April 22, 2024
Unconvincing thriller set in 1935 Munich. Some interesting backdrop of the time - the Nazi town and the young English visitors. Despite the initial scenes there isn’t a real sense of menace through the book as Seb investigates the murder of a young English woman. Little suspense or mystery, and an ending which fails to rise to the occasion.
August 2, 2024
Reading (listening actually) this excellent detective/murder thriller set in the late interwar years in Nazi controlled Germany, highlights the national and individual fear and paranoia generated by a mostly unquestioning state implementing racially abhorrent dictatorial decrees.
We have a civilised and cultured society riven with evil and great violence perpetrated against those unfortunates who did not fit a particularly twisted eugenics vision. Chilling and almost incomprehensible, it is dispiriting how such cold-hearted and despicable attitudes and views seeped beyond borders to infect the English hierarchy and class.
Recommended.
We have a civilised and cultured society riven with evil and great violence perpetrated against those unfortunates who did not fit a particularly twisted eugenics vision. Chilling and almost incomprehensible, it is dispiriting how such cold-hearted and despicable attitudes and views seeped beyond borders to infect the English hierarchy and class.
Recommended.
July 17, 2024
What an incredible book! To choose Bavaria in the 1930s as a setting in which to place a non-Jewish German policeman is brave, but Rory Clements does a superb job. The plot is gripping, and the setting is both beautiful and chilling. There's so much information in this, both subtle and unvarnished. After the end of the story, he posts a note about the history of that period in the run-up to WWII, so much of which has been overlooked and forgotten, but is essential to our understanding of today's Europe.
Five glittering stars and highly recommended. Would I read it again? Yes, definitely.
Five glittering stars and highly recommended. Would I read it again? Yes, definitely.
November 5, 2024
This took me so long to get into. It was a different kind of book for me. I love historical novels based on real life and this was set in the 1930s in Munich as Hitler was taking over Germany
Sebastian Wolf is a police officer trying to tackle doing his job without falling foul of the Nazi’s that he despises
As a young English girl is murdered he tries to discover who has committed this awful crime…when another body turns up and his young son and girlfriend then fall foul of the murderers
Really enjoyed it once I got into it
Sebastian Wolf is a police officer trying to tackle doing his job without falling foul of the Nazi’s that he despises
As a young English girl is murdered he tries to discover who has committed this awful crime…when another body turns up and his young son and girlfriend then fall foul of the murderers
Really enjoyed it once I got into it
July 4, 2024
Wolff is no Bernie Gunther, but his sardonic cynicism certainly brings him to mind. Most enjoyable.
October 12, 2024
Good murder mystery. New Author, want read more.
October 13, 2024
Really really enjoyed that. Lots of names to contend with but a constantly moving story with plenty of drama. The author might be a little bit horny but we can ignore that.
June 10, 2024
Interesting period piece about a nasty series of crimes taking place in Nazi Germany. Full of politics and nasty goings on.
December 9, 2023
Rating: 2.4/5
Set between the two world wars, Munich Wolf is essentially a police procedural featuring Detective Sebastian Wolff, a veteran of the Great War, who is now a police inspector in the department roughly equivalent to the CID.
Having been a student of the German language and culture, the social history of the country is always of interest to me and I have a particular fascination with those dark and disturbing times that saw the rise of the National Socialists (Nazis). The action in this novel takes place in 1935, Hitler has risen to power, but although there has already been plenty of unpleasantness, he and his supporters are yet to commit the worst of the atrocities associated with that regime. Germany at this time is riddled with internal tensions and domestic conflicts. It is a period when supporters of Hitler are in the ascendancy and being placed in the positions of greatest influence. Consequently, any Nazi sympathisers - or even those who were simply prepared to tolerate the National Socialists for the sake of personal gain and advancement - could see the potential for great rewards and the realisation of their ambitions. Equally, anybody not seen to be wholeheartedly in support of the Führer could expect to be persecuted and, in all likelihood, permanently removed from the scene. Internationally, there is also uncertainty about how to deal with the leader of the Third Reich and there are those amongst the more privileged echelons of British society who feel a deep sense of empathy with Hitler.
As ever, Rory Clements displays sound levels of background knowledge and research as he weaves factual and fictional elements together in this story and it was that aspect of this novel that held my attention and kept me reading until the end. Unfortunately, there were other elements which impressed me far less and, as a result, "Munich Wolf" doesn't quite deliver on its potential. While I wouldn't say that the pace of the novel is slow, it is disjointed and at times felt more like the basis of a screenplay rather than a novel, cutting abruptly to the next action scene rather than flowing naturally. The investigation itself benefits from some very convenient developments, which aren't always entirely convincing. However, I think the most disappointing trait is the characterisation. There are far too many occasions when it is simplistically superficial and stereotypical. In my opinion, this has the adverse effect of diluting the impact of some of the socio-political themes.
Munich Wolff is described in the accompanying marketing blurb as being a standalone novel, though there is clear potential for this to be developed into a series, if the writer so chooses. If that were to be the case, then my fascination with this period of history may draw me back for more, although based on this book, it does not have the same appeal as Philip Kerr's "Bernie Gunther" series, nor Volker Kutscher's "Gereon Rath", which was developed into the "Babylon Berlin tv series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
Set between the two world wars, Munich Wolf is essentially a police procedural featuring Detective Sebastian Wolff, a veteran of the Great War, who is now a police inspector in the department roughly equivalent to the CID.
Having been a student of the German language and culture, the social history of the country is always of interest to me and I have a particular fascination with those dark and disturbing times that saw the rise of the National Socialists (Nazis). The action in this novel takes place in 1935, Hitler has risen to power, but although there has already been plenty of unpleasantness, he and his supporters are yet to commit the worst of the atrocities associated with that regime. Germany at this time is riddled with internal tensions and domestic conflicts. It is a period when supporters of Hitler are in the ascendancy and being placed in the positions of greatest influence. Consequently, any Nazi sympathisers - or even those who were simply prepared to tolerate the National Socialists for the sake of personal gain and advancement - could see the potential for great rewards and the realisation of their ambitions. Equally, anybody not seen to be wholeheartedly in support of the Führer could expect to be persecuted and, in all likelihood, permanently removed from the scene. Internationally, there is also uncertainty about how to deal with the leader of the Third Reich and there are those amongst the more privileged echelons of British society who feel a deep sense of empathy with Hitler.
As ever, Rory Clements displays sound levels of background knowledge and research as he weaves factual and fictional elements together in this story and it was that aspect of this novel that held my attention and kept me reading until the end. Unfortunately, there were other elements which impressed me far less and, as a result, "Munich Wolf" doesn't quite deliver on its potential. While I wouldn't say that the pace of the novel is slow, it is disjointed and at times felt more like the basis of a screenplay rather than a novel, cutting abruptly to the next action scene rather than flowing naturally. The investigation itself benefits from some very convenient developments, which aren't always entirely convincing. However, I think the most disappointing trait is the characterisation. There are far too many occasions when it is simplistically superficial and stereotypical. In my opinion, this has the adverse effect of diluting the impact of some of the socio-political themes.
Munich Wolff is described in the accompanying marketing blurb as being a standalone novel, though there is clear potential for this to be developed into a series, if the writer so chooses. If that were to be the case, then my fascination with this period of history may draw me back for more, although based on this book, it does not have the same appeal as Philip Kerr's "Bernie Gunther" series, nor Volker Kutscher's "Gereon Rath", which was developed into the "Babylon Berlin tv series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
September 16, 2024
My Interest
I’ve wanted to read a Rory Clements book for a long time, but need to be in the right mood for a thriller. My interest came first from his name–I have a character in one of my manuscripts whose first and middle names are “Rory Clement.” The rest of my interest comes from my interests in politics and World War II. When I saw that this book included Unity Mitford as character I knew I’d found the one to start with.
The Story
Munich in 1935, two years into Hitler’s rule. The British upperclasses are anywhere from fascinated by to devoutly supporting fascism–some at home, too. No one is a more ardent admirer of Hitler than Lord Redesdale’s fourth daughter, Unity Vallkyrie Freeman Mitford–known to friends as “BoBo.” (Rumored to have been conceived in Swastika, Onatrio, Canada where her parents were on holiday}. Many other young people, some following Unity’s lead, others just wanting the 1930’s equivilent to a rich kid’s gap year are living on a life of German language lessons, finishing-school level cultural appreciation and partying. One such young woman has now been found dead with strange markings made in what appears to be lipstick on her body. No shock that the marks are instantly thought by one of the devout party members to be Hebrew. But is it?
Munich Detective Sebastian Wolff, rescued from a wild night’s stay at Dachau by a well-connected Uncle, is given no choice but to solve the crime “yesterday” so that an agreement with the British is not jeapodized day before its signing. The girls brother, a Viscount, has come to demand answers. Everyone, naturally, wants someone of the Jewish faith to be fingered and a man is found to fit the bill. But did he do it? The stories vary between the suspect, the Viscount, Unity, and other friends. Wolff’s investigation is made harder by the presence of a Gestapo “minder”–part of the conditions of his release from the concentration camp where he was sent for re-education by an overly zealous Gesapto officer.
But when another man, one well-known to Wolff is found dead in a circumstance not like him in real life and when a second woman is found dead with the same markings–what will happen to the fingered Jewish suspect and to Wolff? And how does Wolf’s ardent Hitler Youth son and his girl friend figure in? Or the wife of a cold, calculating Nazi?
My Thoughts
Although a few people who read here regularly may be offended, I couldn’t help but see parallels to today’s political scence here in the U.S. The hate being spewed against illegal immigrants in a political ad by the man running against my state’s Democratic senator is straight out of Hitler’s day (for the record I am NOT for illegal immigration, I am for fixing our horrendously broken immigration system)–illegal immigrants are both “dangerous and meancing.”
Now, back to the book. It is hard to review a thriller without spoilers. I thought Unity was in the story just enough–she wasn’t allowed to take over the story, but did say something very useful. Wolff is a great character–already so over the Nazis and it’s only year 2 of their reign of terror. He is still there standing up for right and suffering consequences when necessary for his beliefs. The powerlessness he feels in regard to his son is very real.
I loved the way the pseudo folklore the Nazis used was woven into the story. I’ve learned some about that in books like Nazi Wives and other recent books on the era or the party. The “Pig’s” wild part was right out of In the Garden of Beasts (by Erik Larson) in terms of purportions, debauchery and believablity. [FYI that is a very readable nonfiction book on the Nazis]
I hope Wolff will get another book–he’s very compelling and I like the banter with [No Spoilers!]
My Verdict
4.0
Munich Wolf by Rory Clements
I listened to the audiobook version.
I’ve wanted to read a Rory Clements book for a long time, but need to be in the right mood for a thriller. My interest came first from his name–I have a character in one of my manuscripts whose first and middle names are “Rory Clement.” The rest of my interest comes from my interests in politics and World War II. When I saw that this book included Unity Mitford as character I knew I’d found the one to start with.
The Story
Munich in 1935, two years into Hitler’s rule. The British upperclasses are anywhere from fascinated by to devoutly supporting fascism–some at home, too. No one is a more ardent admirer of Hitler than Lord Redesdale’s fourth daughter, Unity Vallkyrie Freeman Mitford–known to friends as “BoBo.” (Rumored to have been conceived in Swastika, Onatrio, Canada where her parents were on holiday}. Many other young people, some following Unity’s lead, others just wanting the 1930’s equivilent to a rich kid’s gap year are living on a life of German language lessons, finishing-school level cultural appreciation and partying. One such young woman has now been found dead with strange markings made in what appears to be lipstick on her body. No shock that the marks are instantly thought by one of the devout party members to be Hebrew. But is it?
Munich Detective Sebastian Wolff, rescued from a wild night’s stay at Dachau by a well-connected Uncle, is given no choice but to solve the crime “yesterday” so that an agreement with the British is not jeapodized day before its signing. The girls brother, a Viscount, has come to demand answers. Everyone, naturally, wants someone of the Jewish faith to be fingered and a man is found to fit the bill. But did he do it? The stories vary between the suspect, the Viscount, Unity, and other friends. Wolff’s investigation is made harder by the presence of a Gestapo “minder”–part of the conditions of his release from the concentration camp where he was sent for re-education by an overly zealous Gesapto officer.
But when another man, one well-known to Wolff is found dead in a circumstance not like him in real life and when a second woman is found dead with the same markings–what will happen to the fingered Jewish suspect and to Wolff? And how does Wolf’s ardent Hitler Youth son and his girl friend figure in? Or the wife of a cold, calculating Nazi?
My Thoughts
Although a few people who read here regularly may be offended, I couldn’t help but see parallels to today’s political scence here in the U.S. The hate being spewed against illegal immigrants in a political ad by the man running against my state’s Democratic senator is straight out of Hitler’s day (for the record I am NOT for illegal immigration, I am for fixing our horrendously broken immigration system)–illegal immigrants are both “dangerous and meancing.”
Now, back to the book. It is hard to review a thriller without spoilers. I thought Unity was in the story just enough–she wasn’t allowed to take over the story, but did say something very useful. Wolff is a great character–already so over the Nazis and it’s only year 2 of their reign of terror. He is still there standing up for right and suffering consequences when necessary for his beliefs. The powerlessness he feels in regard to his son is very real.
I loved the way the pseudo folklore the Nazis used was woven into the story. I’ve learned some about that in books like Nazi Wives and other recent books on the era or the party. The “Pig’s” wild part was right out of In the Garden of Beasts (by Erik Larson) in terms of purportions, debauchery and believablity. [FYI that is a very readable nonfiction book on the Nazis]
I hope Wolff will get another book–he’s very compelling and I like the banter with [No Spoilers!]
My Verdict
4.0
Munich Wolf by Rory Clements
I listened to the audiobook version.
December 31, 2023
Having read and enjoyed books 6 & 7 in the Tom Wilde series by Rory Clements I jumped at the chance to read Munich Wolf a standalone set in Munich in the 1930’s just as Hitler is really starting to take hold and already there is a feeling of hate and distrust to the Jewish community. Sebastian Wolff is a murder detective in the Munich Police force and his unease with the way Germany is heading quite often sees him at odds with those in power. An altercation sees him sent to Dachau where he is subjected to some of the horrors there. Thanks to his connections he is released to head an investigation into the murder of a young British girl, but he is assigned to work with he very officer that got him sent to the concentration camp. Cam they put aside their mutual distrust to solve the case or will it just distract them? Added to this he is struggling to find common ground with his son who is now firmly part of the Hitler youth movement.
Wolff has his work cut out for him on this case. There is pressure to get it solved quickly but with his colleague working against him down to their beliefs it is not going to be easy to get to the truth. If this is not enough he also finds that the murdered girls’ friends are uncooperative when he tries to find out what happened in the run up to the killing. When the case is conveniently solved he just can’t accept it and goes digging further and what he finds is not quite what he expected.
Fighting his own demons after his service in WW1 but despite this he is like a dog with a bone and does not believe in the neatness of the case. The fact that he is willing to put his career and his life on the line to get to the truth makes him someone you would really want on your side. His interactions with Sergeant Hans Winter show the differences in points of view regarding law enforcement but as the investigation progresses you can see the slight thaw in their working relationship and the slow change of opinion in what Wolff is doing. As he says, “they might make a detective out of Winter one day”. With quite a few potential suspects and those in power eager to shut things down the final revelation of who was behind the killings was a bit of a surprise.
This book has certainly given me a broader view of Hitler and his rise to power and how the varying factions of law enforcement dealt with things and were not often on the same page. It also highlights how early on that the Jewish community were treated as second class citizens and persecuted. I think that there is more that we could learn about Sebastian Wolff and would love there to be more books with him and Hans Winter.
Wolff has his work cut out for him on this case. There is pressure to get it solved quickly but with his colleague working against him down to their beliefs it is not going to be easy to get to the truth. If this is not enough he also finds that the murdered girls’ friends are uncooperative when he tries to find out what happened in the run up to the killing. When the case is conveniently solved he just can’t accept it and goes digging further and what he finds is not quite what he expected.
Fighting his own demons after his service in WW1 but despite this he is like a dog with a bone and does not believe in the neatness of the case. The fact that he is willing to put his career and his life on the line to get to the truth makes him someone you would really want on your side. His interactions with Sergeant Hans Winter show the differences in points of view regarding law enforcement but as the investigation progresses you can see the slight thaw in their working relationship and the slow change of opinion in what Wolff is doing. As he says, “they might make a detective out of Winter one day”. With quite a few potential suspects and those in power eager to shut things down the final revelation of who was behind the killings was a bit of a surprise.
This book has certainly given me a broader view of Hitler and his rise to power and how the varying factions of law enforcement dealt with things and were not often on the same page. It also highlights how early on that the Jewish community were treated as second class citizens and persecuted. I think that there is more that we could learn about Sebastian Wolff and would love there to be more books with him and Hans Winter.
December 3, 2023
Rory Clements fans won't be disappointed with this latest thriller.
Fans of Rory Clements "Tom Wilde" books are used to fast-moving and well researched wartime spy thrillers. And although this is a stand-alone book, it's every bit as good as the series.
The story opens in Munich, in 1935 - capital of the German state of Bavaria, spiritual home of Hitler and the Nazi movement. both of which are growing in power and popularity. Munich is also a magnet for young, aristocratic Britons who come to learn German, swim in the lakes and drink beer. When one of them is murdered, Sebastian Wolff, a detective who hates the Nazis but is surrounded by them, is assigned the case, on Hitler's instructions. The reader soon learns that life in Munich is as hard as it is in Berlin. Followed by the secret police, when Wolff begins to suspect that the killer might be linked to the highest reaches of the Nazi hierarchy, he knows life is about to get harder.
Before long, we are drawn into a Munich unlike anything we might have imagined. On the surface, full of life and frivolity, but beneath, a city dark, dangerous and full of fear. The reader is reminded that the first world war and the stock market crash were still fresh in the minds of the German people and resentment was rife. We meet a large cast of troubled characters, from the upper-class young men and women from Britain and other countries, to their hosts, the impoverished aristocrats and to those who looked upon Hitlers Reich as a means to further themselves. Many of the characters are drawn from real life, and the author's zeal for research and authenticity makes this an enthralling read. A particular thread involving Unity Mitford is fascinating.
We also learn a little about the origins of the Gestapo and the machinations within the Nazi party were conducted. However, the author reminds us that most Germans were not Nazis and did not vote for Hitler, and the fate of Detective Wolff is one shared by many people.
Rory Clements fans will love this, as will those of Simon Scarrow, Luke McCallin and Ben Creed. Thoroughly recommended.
Fans of Rory Clements "Tom Wilde" books are used to fast-moving and well researched wartime spy thrillers. And although this is a stand-alone book, it's every bit as good as the series.
The story opens in Munich, in 1935 - capital of the German state of Bavaria, spiritual home of Hitler and the Nazi movement. both of which are growing in power and popularity. Munich is also a magnet for young, aristocratic Britons who come to learn German, swim in the lakes and drink beer. When one of them is murdered, Sebastian Wolff, a detective who hates the Nazis but is surrounded by them, is assigned the case, on Hitler's instructions. The reader soon learns that life in Munich is as hard as it is in Berlin. Followed by the secret police, when Wolff begins to suspect that the killer might be linked to the highest reaches of the Nazi hierarchy, he knows life is about to get harder.
Before long, we are drawn into a Munich unlike anything we might have imagined. On the surface, full of life and frivolity, but beneath, a city dark, dangerous and full of fear. The reader is reminded that the first world war and the stock market crash were still fresh in the minds of the German people and resentment was rife. We meet a large cast of troubled characters, from the upper-class young men and women from Britain and other countries, to their hosts, the impoverished aristocrats and to those who looked upon Hitlers Reich as a means to further themselves. Many of the characters are drawn from real life, and the author's zeal for research and authenticity makes this an enthralling read. A particular thread involving Unity Mitford is fascinating.
We also learn a little about the origins of the Gestapo and the machinations within the Nazi party were conducted. However, the author reminds us that most Germans were not Nazis and did not vote for Hitler, and the fate of Detective Wolff is one shared by many people.
Rory Clements fans will love this, as will those of Simon Scarrow, Luke McCallin and Ben Creed. Thoroughly recommended.
February 8, 2024
4.5 stars awarded
I think this is the best of Clements' books so far. Set in Munich in the 30s when Hitler was on the rise and hundreds of young, well-bred men and women, high-born, travelled to the city as a sort of finishing school/playground. What we enter is the underbelly of the rich and well-connected with Unity Mitford floating around hanging onto Hitler, Volkisch myths and legends and people with dark desires.
Into this steps Sebastian Wolff, a detective who does not follow the thinking about Jews or homosexuals, and who has been thrown into Dachau by the political police. He is rescued because a young English woman is murdered and he speaks fluent English due to his time working on board an English ship. There is always an added challenge and here he has to work with a new partner, the man who placed him in Dachau.
Clements gives his characters an interesting home life. Here Wolff has a son, Jurgen, who is a member of the Hitler Youth and can't understand why his father doesn't see the 'rightness' of their actions ending up in the relationship between father and son fractured. When Jurgen needs his help, it mends slightly but there are still the political differences between them. This must have been mirrored in families up and down the country at the time.
The book exemplifies rough justice throughout and that is how the crimes are resolved but that would be par for the course if one group of people is held to be 'superior' to another. What do you do with them when they obviously aren't? You use the thugs and your position of power, in this instance closeness to Hitler, to disappear people.
It almost feels like there is another book to follow because we don't really get to the point of knowing explicitly, who gave the orders at the end. It feels like it should be followed up in the next book but I think this is a standalone novel so maybe not. That's a pity because this was a good twisty, well-plotted story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
You might also enjoy The Man in The bunker and The English Fuhrer.
I think this is the best of Clements' books so far. Set in Munich in the 30s when Hitler was on the rise and hundreds of young, well-bred men and women, high-born, travelled to the city as a sort of finishing school/playground. What we enter is the underbelly of the rich and well-connected with Unity Mitford floating around hanging onto Hitler, Volkisch myths and legends and people with dark desires.
Into this steps Sebastian Wolff, a detective who does not follow the thinking about Jews or homosexuals, and who has been thrown into Dachau by the political police. He is rescued because a young English woman is murdered and he speaks fluent English due to his time working on board an English ship. There is always an added challenge and here he has to work with a new partner, the man who placed him in Dachau.
Clements gives his characters an interesting home life. Here Wolff has a son, Jurgen, who is a member of the Hitler Youth and can't understand why his father doesn't see the 'rightness' of their actions ending up in the relationship between father and son fractured. When Jurgen needs his help, it mends slightly but there are still the political differences between them. This must have been mirrored in families up and down the country at the time.
The book exemplifies rough justice throughout and that is how the crimes are resolved but that would be par for the course if one group of people is held to be 'superior' to another. What do you do with them when they obviously aren't? You use the thugs and your position of power, in this instance closeness to Hitler, to disappear people.
It almost feels like there is another book to follow because we don't really get to the point of knowing explicitly, who gave the orders at the end. It feels like it should be followed up in the next book but I think this is a standalone novel so maybe not. That's a pity because this was a good twisty, well-plotted story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
You might also enjoy The Man in The bunker and The English Fuhrer.
January 22, 2024
The Munich Wolf by Rory Clements
Having read all of the Tom Wilde series I was eager to read this standalone novel set in Munich in the 1930’s. As the novel opens Sebastian Wolff, who is a Munich police officer, is detained in Dachau for failing to give the Nazi salute to Hitler. Hitler has gained widespread adulation and there are many English such as Unity Mitford who are keen to fall at his feet. It is very embarrassing therefore when a young English woman with connections to the crown is brutally murdered. Wolff’s familial connections enable him to be released from Dachau but he is then given the poisoned chalice of investigating the English murder.
He is also assigned a second in command to work alongside him, Hans Winter, the very officer who was responsible for his stay in Dachau. There is huge pressure on him to solve the case and when Winter brings forward ‘evidence’ and witnesses to swear the murder was committed by a young Jewish man he is soon incarcerated awaiting his trial.
Wolff is not convinced by the evidence and looks into the young girls friends. It is obvious that there are powerful people who do not want the murderer brought to justice and when another murder is uncovered it is certain that Wolff is on the right track. There are attempts made on his life and we see him skilfully unravel the mystery at the heart of the novel.
The depiction of Munich and Nuremberg is very well done and the depth of the research is obvious throughout. I enjoyed the character of Sebastian Wolff and felt that there was the possibility for further outings for him and Hans Winter. I enjoyed the story and felt as if I had learnt a great deal about the turmoil in Germany and Hitler’s rise to power. I will be recommending the book to those in my book groups. Thanks to the author, the publishers and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.
Having read all of the Tom Wilde series I was eager to read this standalone novel set in Munich in the 1930’s. As the novel opens Sebastian Wolff, who is a Munich police officer, is detained in Dachau for failing to give the Nazi salute to Hitler. Hitler has gained widespread adulation and there are many English such as Unity Mitford who are keen to fall at his feet. It is very embarrassing therefore when a young English woman with connections to the crown is brutally murdered. Wolff’s familial connections enable him to be released from Dachau but he is then given the poisoned chalice of investigating the English murder.
He is also assigned a second in command to work alongside him, Hans Winter, the very officer who was responsible for his stay in Dachau. There is huge pressure on him to solve the case and when Winter brings forward ‘evidence’ and witnesses to swear the murder was committed by a young Jewish man he is soon incarcerated awaiting his trial.
Wolff is not convinced by the evidence and looks into the young girls friends. It is obvious that there are powerful people who do not want the murderer brought to justice and when another murder is uncovered it is certain that Wolff is on the right track. There are attempts made on his life and we see him skilfully unravel the mystery at the heart of the novel.
The depiction of Munich and Nuremberg is very well done and the depth of the research is obvious throughout. I enjoyed the character of Sebastian Wolff and felt that there was the possibility for further outings for him and Hans Winter. I enjoyed the story and felt as if I had learnt a great deal about the turmoil in Germany and Hitler’s rise to power. I will be recommending the book to those in my book groups. Thanks to the author, the publishers and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.
January 2, 2024
I have been an avid reader of the Tom Wilde series by this author so was delighted to receive this, his new standalone, as a review copy.
Munich Wolf is every bit as good as the earlier books but completely different as his hero, Seb Wolff is a Munich murder detective in 1930s Germany.
He is struggling to investigate murders in a country run by a bunch of killers and it is not easy.
Seb is not a supporter of the regime but in order to get justice for the dead he has to be very careful what he says and how he acts. His own son is an avid and quite obviously brain washed Hitler Youth member who does not see eye to eye with his father. Wolff is even fearful that he could denounce him, despite their relationship and his love of the boy.
When he is tasked with investigating the murder of a young English girl Wolff has to be extremely careful- he cannot annoy his superiors but he realises fairly early on that some members of the Party could be involved.
This is a dark and menacing story set at a time when there is little chance of justice for many who live in Germany. The regime is murderous yet they still employ detectives to solve crimes- the irony of the situation was not lost on me.
I liked the character of Seb, his moral code as well as his interesting back story and family situation.
Like other books by this author this is an exciting and compelling read, once again it was a book I couldn’t put down. The plot was gripping from the very first page and the characters engaging. The author included some such as Unity Mitford who were actually real life people and this made the plot all the more life like.
I certainly hope that this book is the first in a new series as I’d like to read more about Seb Wolff.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
Munich Wolf is every bit as good as the earlier books but completely different as his hero, Seb Wolff is a Munich murder detective in 1930s Germany.
He is struggling to investigate murders in a country run by a bunch of killers and it is not easy.
Seb is not a supporter of the regime but in order to get justice for the dead he has to be very careful what he says and how he acts. His own son is an avid and quite obviously brain washed Hitler Youth member who does not see eye to eye with his father. Wolff is even fearful that he could denounce him, despite their relationship and his love of the boy.
When he is tasked with investigating the murder of a young English girl Wolff has to be extremely careful- he cannot annoy his superiors but he realises fairly early on that some members of the Party could be involved.
This is a dark and menacing story set at a time when there is little chance of justice for many who live in Germany. The regime is murderous yet they still employ detectives to solve crimes- the irony of the situation was not lost on me.
I liked the character of Seb, his moral code as well as his interesting back story and family situation.
Like other books by this author this is an exciting and compelling read, once again it was a book I couldn’t put down. The plot was gripping from the very first page and the characters engaging. The author included some such as Unity Mitford who were actually real life people and this made the plot all the more life like.
I certainly hope that this book is the first in a new series as I’d like to read more about Seb Wolff.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.
January 24, 2024
‘Munich Wolf’ has all the ingredients to make a captivating historical thriller! This is the first Rory Clements book which I have read but it won't be the last. I love historical fiction when it is done well and this definitely was! I will be looking into Rory’s back catalogue as apart from Volker Kutscher I haven't found a series of books that I like set in this period of Germanic history. I am hoping that this going to be the start of a new series as Wolff was a brilliant character!
Munich in the 1930s is a playground for the rest of Europe’s young, especially Britain. I knew a lot about Unity Mitford as I am obsessed with that family but I hadn't realised that so many travelled over there to embrace the German language and culture. This is why I love reading historical fiction as you learn so much and I certainly went off on random Google rabbit holes! ‘Munich Wolff’ is full of rich details which really brought the history to life.
Sebastian Wolff is a great protagonist, I especially liked that he wasn't a signed-up Nazi as it helped to give a much-needed balance to the craziness of the Hitler Youth, the SS and the fighting between the political and criminal police. I really liked him as even though he knew how dangerous it was to continue investigating the case he wouldn't give up. If this is the start of a new series I would certainly read further of Wolff’s adventures as I want to see how he develops as the Nazi grip tightens.
I flew through this is a day as I was hooked right from the start to the final page! It was well-paced and the tension ramps up to a great resolution. It was well written with captivating characters and a great plot.
Let me know if you pick this up!
Munich in the 1930s is a playground for the rest of Europe’s young, especially Britain. I knew a lot about Unity Mitford as I am obsessed with that family but I hadn't realised that so many travelled over there to embrace the German language and culture. This is why I love reading historical fiction as you learn so much and I certainly went off on random Google rabbit holes! ‘Munich Wolff’ is full of rich details which really brought the history to life.
Sebastian Wolff is a great protagonist, I especially liked that he wasn't a signed-up Nazi as it helped to give a much-needed balance to the craziness of the Hitler Youth, the SS and the fighting between the political and criminal police. I really liked him as even though he knew how dangerous it was to continue investigating the case he wouldn't give up. If this is the start of a new series I would certainly read further of Wolff’s adventures as I want to see how he develops as the Nazi grip tightens.
I flew through this is a day as I was hooked right from the start to the final page! It was well-paced and the tension ramps up to a great resolution. It was well written with captivating characters and a great plot.
Let me know if you pick this up!
May 7, 2024
Sebastian Wolf is a police inspector in 1935 Minich, the heart of the surging Nazi Party. An English girl Rosie is found murdered with strange markings on her body which seem to be runes, ancient symbols relating to beliefs about Thule a country which was the origin of the pure Aryan, with its own sacrificial rituals, typical of young women. The Nazi Party latched on to these beliefs as proof of their racial superiority, the more extreme members practicing these rituals. However Wolf was prevented frm investigating Rosie’s death: instead, a young Jew who was her lover was framed without trial and executed. Another girl with the same markings on her dead body was found, convincing Wolf he had to solve this whatever the cost. The highest members of the Nazi party were involved. This is a little known aspect of Nazism and is fascinating, as is the thinking of Nazis. So too is the involvement of young British aristocrats, among whom was the despicable Unity Mitford who adored Hitler and was likely his lover to the intense jealousy of Eva Braun who he later married in their death trench. The secret police ordered their man Hans Winter, a repulsive little rat, to keep watch over Wolf and report back on his actions, hoping to have him killed or sent to Dachau (he had briefly been there before thanks to Winter.) But Winter the vindictive Nazi had a secret that Wolf blackmailed him with forcing him to become his sergeant. The picture of Munich at this time, and many of the characters, are factual, giving us a horrific vision of Nazism and the conflicts decent people have in dealing with it. This is a gripping story, well written.
September 1, 2024
Rory Clements, the proclaimed "master of the wartime spy thriller", takes a welcome hiatus from the serial adventures of his Cambridge wartime spy Tom Wilde to kick off the first of what will undoubtedly be a series featuring a new character, that of Munich detective Sebastian Wolf, a conscientious honest hard working cop in Nazi pre-war era Munich, whose disdain and dislike for his Nazi colleagues and masters makes his life and work increasingly uncomfortable,
Wolf is a solid, fleshed-out character in comparison to the surrounding bevy of Nazis, Gestapo and SS men straight out of central casting. Tenacious, tough, principled, determined and wholesome, Wolf is somewhat similar to Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther, although a lot less cynical and irreverent.
Comparisons to Robert Harris are also inevitable here - Like Harris, Clements sets his fictional plot and characters against a backdrop of real historical events and people, for example that of Unity Mitford, the sycophantic aristocratic English Hitler groupie. He conveys the mood and atmosphere of pre-War late 30's Munich very well, the spiritual birthplace of Nazism where the grip of the regime was beginning to inexorably tighten on everyday life, capturing also the mood of mysticism and the occult central to the underbelly of the National Socialist movement.
Clements has now lined us up for what will inevitably be a franchise of Seb Wolf novels having sketched out the outlines of his character in this, the first. Tom Wilde can take a break.
Wolf is a solid, fleshed-out character in comparison to the surrounding bevy of Nazis, Gestapo and SS men straight out of central casting. Tenacious, tough, principled, determined and wholesome, Wolf is somewhat similar to Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther, although a lot less cynical and irreverent.
Comparisons to Robert Harris are also inevitable here - Like Harris, Clements sets his fictional plot and characters against a backdrop of real historical events and people, for example that of Unity Mitford, the sycophantic aristocratic English Hitler groupie. He conveys the mood and atmosphere of pre-War late 30's Munich very well, the spiritual birthplace of Nazism where the grip of the regime was beginning to inexorably tighten on everyday life, capturing also the mood of mysticism and the occult central to the underbelly of the National Socialist movement.
Clements has now lined us up for what will inevitably be a franchise of Seb Wolf novels having sketched out the outlines of his character in this, the first. Tom Wilde can take a break.
July 3, 2024
Munich in 1935 was a magnet for young, aristocratic Britons who come to learn German, swim in the lakes, and drink beer in the cellars. What they don't see - or perhaps choose to ignore - is the brutal underbelly of the Nazi movement which considers Munich its spiritual home.
When a high-born English girl is murdered, Detective Sebastian Wolff is ordered to solve the crime. He is already walking a tight line between doing his job and falling foul of the political party he abhors, but now Hitler is taking a personal interest in the case.
Followed by the secret police and threatened by his own son, a fervent member of the Hitler Youth, the stakes have never been higher. And when Wolff begins to suspect that the killer might be linked to the highest reaches of the Nazi hierarchy, he fears his task is simply impossible - and that he might become the next victim.
Wolff is a great character, a man of principles and integrity who is struggling to understand what is happening to his country and who is also struggling with his own demons from his personal experiences of the battlefields in WW1. Ritual murders of young girls, the purging of Jews from Germany, the brutality of the secret police and SS, and the persecution of homosexual men all feature in this very entertaining book. I love the way RC weaves the fictional characters around real-life individuals and I found myself constantly Googling the latter.
Fascinating stuff.
When a high-born English girl is murdered, Detective Sebastian Wolff is ordered to solve the crime. He is already walking a tight line between doing his job and falling foul of the political party he abhors, but now Hitler is taking a personal interest in the case.
Followed by the secret police and threatened by his own son, a fervent member of the Hitler Youth, the stakes have never been higher. And when Wolff begins to suspect that the killer might be linked to the highest reaches of the Nazi hierarchy, he fears his task is simply impossible - and that he might become the next victim.
Wolff is a great character, a man of principles and integrity who is struggling to understand what is happening to his country and who is also struggling with his own demons from his personal experiences of the battlefields in WW1. Ritual murders of young girls, the purging of Jews from Germany, the brutality of the secret police and SS, and the persecution of homosexual men all feature in this very entertaining book. I love the way RC weaves the fictional characters around real-life individuals and I found myself constantly Googling the latter.
Fascinating stuff.
January 16, 2024
I’ve read and enjoyed Rory Clements’ recent Tom Wilde books set around the time of the Second World War. Here, we have a new protagonist in Munich Kripo detective Sebastian Wolff. For the Anglo-American Wilde, it’s straightforward to work against the German enemy during the war. For Wolff in 1935 it’s more complicated: he hopes the regime will collapse but in the meantime he has to try to do his job while being watched over not only by his police superiors but also the altogether darker forces of the political police, known in other parts of Germany as the Gestapo. All while dealing with the disdain of his Hitler Youth enthusiast teenage son whose mother upped and left him holding the baby.
It was good timing for me to read this now as I’ve just listened to a series of The Rest is History episodes about the Nazis’ rise to power. The story here is woven around real events and people, including such famous faces as Putzi Hanfstaengl and Unity Mitford; Hitler has a cameo. Even in fiction their bigotry is nauseating. Dachau, horridly close to Munich, was already operational that early. Munich Wolf is well-paced and has good action scenes; there are plenty of possible culprits so that the outcome isn’t obvious.
I received a free proof copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
It was good timing for me to read this now as I’ve just listened to a series of The Rest is History episodes about the Nazis’ rise to power. The story here is woven around real events and people, including such famous faces as Putzi Hanfstaengl and Unity Mitford; Hitler has a cameo. Even in fiction their bigotry is nauseating. Dachau, horridly close to Munich, was already operational that early. Munich Wolf is well-paced and has good action scenes; there are plenty of possible culprits so that the outcome isn’t obvious.
I received a free proof copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
January 22, 2024
Sebastian Wolff of the Kripo, the criminal police in Munich 1935 is tasked with solving the murder of a young English girl - one of the group of young 'finishing school' types who flocked to Munich is the 1930's to socialise, learn German, the German way of life and traditions and especially the Nazi regime. The book is an education in itself (without being pedantic - it's a super-flowing read). This group included Unity Mitford, of the famous Mitford sisters - Unity 'adoring' Hitler.
Wolff is assigned an abhorrent member of the Bavarian Political Police (linked to SS) and one who was responsible for a short stay of his, in Dachau. Luckily he has super-powerful family connections, namely 'The Pig', his Uncle Christian, who he does not admire but does find useful. As well as a wonderful 'whodunnit' the story shows the dilemma of ordinary law-abiding citizens of Germany at a time when conforming to Hitler's rules was enforced.
Hitler himself has assigned the case to Wolff and he is under pressure to perform and deliver the perpetrator within days - Hitler wants to appease his English friends as a treaty is due to be signed. Wolff is thrown in the deep end but is determined to bring about justice - but will he be permitted to do so?
This was a super read - historic mystery, partly political, suspenseful, and I learned things I never knew - leading me to a podcast about Germany between the wars. Absolutely fascinating as well as an exciting crime mystery. Highly recommended.
Wolff is assigned an abhorrent member of the Bavarian Political Police (linked to SS) and one who was responsible for a short stay of his, in Dachau. Luckily he has super-powerful family connections, namely 'The Pig', his Uncle Christian, who he does not admire but does find useful. As well as a wonderful 'whodunnit' the story shows the dilemma of ordinary law-abiding citizens of Germany at a time when conforming to Hitler's rules was enforced.
Hitler himself has assigned the case to Wolff and he is under pressure to perform and deliver the perpetrator within days - Hitler wants to appease his English friends as a treaty is due to be signed. Wolff is thrown in the deep end but is determined to bring about justice - but will he be permitted to do so?
This was a super read - historic mystery, partly political, suspenseful, and I learned things I never knew - leading me to a podcast about Germany between the wars. Absolutely fascinating as well as an exciting crime mystery. Highly recommended.
June 30, 2024
As usual in my reviews, I will not simply rehash the publisher's blurb...instead I recommend that you read this for yourself!
I've read several books (the "Tom Wilde" novels) by Rory Clements, and have enjoyed them all, so I was delighted to be invited to read his latest book.
This novel is set in 1930s Germany, and features a new main character - Sebastian Wolff. He's an interesting character - unconventional in some ways (which leads him into trouble almost straight away!), but having to toe the line in others in order to stay on the right side of the Nazi regime.
There is a good cast of supporting characters - Wolff's uncle, aka "The Pig" is an interesting cove to say the least! Hans Winter - a sidekick forced on Wolff by his superiors - is an unpleasant creature who reports back on Wolff's activities. A real-life character - the renowned socialite Miss Unity Mitford - also appears in the novel, and lives up to her reputation.
The plot was well thought out, with a few red herrings to throw us off the scent. The novel includes aspects of occultism, and the real-life Thule Society (members included Rudolf Hess) plays a part in the action.
Really enjoyed reading this, and look forward to more in what I hope will be a series.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.
I've read several books (the "Tom Wilde" novels) by Rory Clements, and have enjoyed them all, so I was delighted to be invited to read his latest book.
This novel is set in 1930s Germany, and features a new main character - Sebastian Wolff. He's an interesting character - unconventional in some ways (which leads him into trouble almost straight away!), but having to toe the line in others in order to stay on the right side of the Nazi regime.
There is a good cast of supporting characters - Wolff's uncle, aka "The Pig" is an interesting cove to say the least! Hans Winter - a sidekick forced on Wolff by his superiors - is an unpleasant creature who reports back on Wolff's activities. A real-life character - the renowned socialite Miss Unity Mitford - also appears in the novel, and lives up to her reputation.
The plot was well thought out, with a few red herrings to throw us off the scent. The novel includes aspects of occultism, and the real-life Thule Society (members included Rudolf Hess) plays a part in the action.
Really enjoyed reading this, and look forward to more in what I hope will be a series.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.
December 23, 2023
3.5 stars
I’ve enjoyed several books by Rory Clements. Munich Wolf is a standalone murder mystery, a police procedural investigation set in Hitler’s Munich in 1935. I enjoyed it although I found the first half slow moving and disjointed, but the pace picks up in the second half. It is a darker novel than his Tom Wilde books, with some unsavoury and definitely unlikable characters, some of whom I found difficult to identify. The murder mystery takes second place to the historical setting. The novel is full of tension and suspense, some of which made it an uncomfortable read but conveyed what a dangerous time and place Germany was in the 1930s.
However, I really liked Detective Sebastian Wolff (Seb), and the way he investigates the murder of a young English woman, under orders from Hitler to close the case as soon as possible. And I really want to know more about Unity Mitford’s involvement. The time period seems well researched – I’m not familiar with the situation in Germany between the two World Wars as Hitler rose to power – and I found that fascinating.
I do hope Rory Clements will write more books featuring Seb Wolff.
Many thanks to Bonnier Books for a review copy via NetGalley.
I’ve enjoyed several books by Rory Clements. Munich Wolf is a standalone murder mystery, a police procedural investigation set in Hitler’s Munich in 1935. I enjoyed it although I found the first half slow moving and disjointed, but the pace picks up in the second half. It is a darker novel than his Tom Wilde books, with some unsavoury and definitely unlikable characters, some of whom I found difficult to identify. The murder mystery takes second place to the historical setting. The novel is full of tension and suspense, some of which made it an uncomfortable read but conveyed what a dangerous time and place Germany was in the 1930s.
However, I really liked Detective Sebastian Wolff (Seb), and the way he investigates the murder of a young English woman, under orders from Hitler to close the case as soon as possible. And I really want to know more about Unity Mitford’s involvement. The time period seems well researched – I’m not familiar with the situation in Germany between the two World Wars as Hitler rose to power – and I found that fascinating.
I do hope Rory Clements will write more books featuring Seb Wolff.
Many thanks to Bonnier Books for a review copy via NetGalley.
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