Blackout

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What to expect

THE STUNNING SECOND WORLD WAR THRILLER FROM THE CELEBRATED SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR SIMON SCARROW - COMING MARCH 2021.

'Taut and chilling - I was completely gripped' Anthony Horowitz

'A wonderfully compelling thriller, reeking of authenticity, and a terrific depiction of the human world within the chilling world of the Third Reich' Peter James

'Pivotal moments in history; utterly authentic characters; a gripping plot. The perfect way to bring history alive' Damien Lewis

Berlin, December 1939

As Germany goes to war, the Nazis tighten their terrifying grip. Paranoia in the capital is intensified by a rigidly enforced blackout that plunges the city into oppressive darkness every night, as the bleak winter sun sets.

When a young woman is found brutally murdered, Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is under immense pressure to solve the case, swiftly. Treated with suspicion by his superiors for his failure to join the Nazi Party, Schenke walks a perilous line - for disloyalty is a death sentence.

The discovery of a second victim confirms Schenke's worst fears. He must uncover the truth before evil strikes again.

As the investigation takes him closer to the sinister heart of the regime, Schenke realises there is danger everywhere - and the warring factions of the Reich can be as deadly as a killer stalking the streets . . .

(P)2021 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Critics Review

'Taut and chilling - I was completely gripped'
Anthony Horowitz
'A wonderfully compelling thriller, reeking of authenticity, and a terrific depiction of the human world within the chilling world of the Third Reich'
Peter James
'A promising new series . . . The Nazi capital is chillingly portrayed, from the freezing slums, where residents die of hypothermia, to high-society parties where shrill laughter echoes across grand apartments . . . An engrossing read'
Financial Times
'A gripping thriller'
The Sunday Times
'Mesmerising. Nail-biting. Unputdownable. Utterly authentic and beautifully written. The perfect way to bring the past alive'
Damien Lewis
Scarrow is a genius and I love everything he writes, but Blackout takes things to a whole new level. It's by far the best book I've read this year
Tom Marcus
'Superb . . . Blackout is a gripping, terrifying read, as well as being a thumping good page-turner. This is historical crime fiction at its finest from a much-loved writer at the very top of his game'
David Young
Historical crime fiction at its finest - gripping, believable, intricate and sometimes terrifying. You won't find a better story which so perfectly captures time, place and attitude
Crime Review
A perilous world where high society, low desire, and suspected espionage intersect with infighting among the Hitler regime's power-hungry elite . . . A genuine page-turner
Frederick Taylor
Hugely compelling and brimming with menace . . . The underlying atmosphere of a city held in the thrall of a killer and of a regime that thrives on fear and distrust is thoroughly authentic and gripping
Chris Lloyd
'Loved Blackout. The Berlin of the very early days of the war is vividly drawn and already irredeemably corrupt, the rivalries between the Gestapo, the Kriminalpolizei, Goebbels in Propaganda and Canaris at Intelligence ring all too real, and I fear for Criminal Inspector Schenke's safety in future books given his refusal to join the Nazi Party, his insistence on following the evidence, and his reluctance to compromise the truth'
Jack Grimwood
'Scarrow's deep knowledge of the Third Reich gives a chilling authenticity to this tense thriller. Thrust into the hunt for a serial killer, Inspector Schenke is a particularly sympathetic hero who must use all his wits to survive the Gestapo . . . A terrific read'
Julia Boyd

User Reviews

Book 4.5
Narration 5.0
4.0
5.0
madbrummie 06/04/2025
5.0
5.0
The period gives a sense of having to tread on egg shells just to keep safe and alive. It echoes the Terror felt by ordinary people as well as those charged with upholding the law during Hitler's mad reign of terror. Skillfullyl written with great attention to detail, this is a fine piece of writing.
Geoff Miles 01/10/2023

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