The Audiobook Listening Challenge for May is
An Audiobook Featuring a Murder
This month's challenge is perfect for me. I would say 90% of the books I read/listen to have at least one murder.
Finally my favorite genre, Mystery and Thrillers.
This gives me the opportunity to go back to a book series I started in 2017: The Bernie Gunther series of novels by Philip Kerr.
Berliner Bernie Gunther goes from World War I soldier, to homicide detective, to private detective, and from 1928 Berlin, through Hitler's victory, Nazi dictatorship, World War II, and through the late 50's.
What would you do to survive, what compromises would you make, where would you draw the line?
This is a Historical Mystery Book series that weaves real life people and events with fictional characters and a fictional main murder mystery plot.
There were times when reading/listening to the books I would pause at a name and think surely this was a fictional character and event. Only to look up the name and find to my horror this was a real person (I can't even say they were human) and a true horrendous event.
Not an easy series to read/listen to, but I highly recommend it for those that like mystery and history.
This is a Historical Mystery Book series that weaves real life people and events with fictional characters and a fictional main murder mystery plot.
There were times when reading/listening to the books I would pause at a name and think surely this was a fictional character and event. Only to look up the name and find to my horror this was a real person (I can't even say they were human) and a true horrendous event.
Not an easy series to read/listen to, but I highly recommend it for those that like mystery and history.
I started by reading Berlin Noir, which has the first three Bernie Gunther novels in one volume. After reading this volume I started listening to the audiobooks. I've now read/listened to ten (10) of the books that make up this series of fourteen (14) novels. I was trying to read the books chronologically rather then the order they were written, and then took what has been a long reading/listening break after Bernie reaches the mid-1950's.
I had Metropolis in my Audible library waiting to be in a Gunther mood again. Chronologically in Bernie's life it is the first of the books. But sadly it is also the last book, since Philip Kerr died shortly before it was published.
John Lee narrates Metropolis and he's my favorite of the two narrators of the Bernie series. (The other is Paul Hecht.)
I discovered the book series thanks to Sean Bean. In an interview some years ago Sean is asked, by Viggo Mortensen, what is his favorite book of the moment, and Sean says Berlin Noir by Philip Kerr. So thank you Sean and Viggo.
Tom Hanks is supposed to be developing a series based on the Bernie Gunther novels. This has been going on for several years now according to all the Bernie blogs. The key of course is the casting of the right actor to play Bernie Gunther.
Despite the fact that Tom Hanks, who I love by the way, is producing this series, I hope they select a European actor, or a UK actor, to play Bernie.
Despite the fact that Tom Hanks, who I love by the way, is producing this series, I hope they select a European actor, or a UK actor, to play Bernie.
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Note: Bernie Gunther is not an enlightened male by any means. He is a man of his time. There is a bit of "James Bond" in Bernie's relationships with women. But Kerr does have a few interesting and sympathetic female characters throughout the books.
Note: Bernie Gunther is not an enlightened male by any means. He is a man of his time. There is a bit of "James Bond" in Bernie's relationships with women. But Kerr does have a few interesting and sympathetic female characters throughout the books.
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