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A Man Without Breath: A Bernie Gunther Novel…
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A Man Without Breath: A Bernie Gunther Novel (original 2013; edition 2014)

by Philip Kerr

Series: Bernie Gunther (1943⎪9)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
6994332,447 (3.93)49
Berlin, March, 1943. A month has passed since the stunning defeat at Stalingrad. Though Hitler insists Germany is winning the war, commanders on the ground know better. Morale is low, discipline at risk. Now word has reached Berlin of a Red massacre of Polish officers in the Katyn Forest near Smolensk. If true, the message it would send to the troops is clear: Fight on or risk certain death. For once, both the Wehrmacht and Propaganda Minister Goebbels want the same thing: irrefutable evidence of this Russian atrocity. To the Wehrmacht, such proof will soften the reality of its own war crimes in the eyes of the victors. For Goebbels, such proof could turn the tide of war by destroying the Alliance, cutting Russia off from its western supply lines. Both parties agree that the ensuing investigation must be overseen by a professional trained in sifting evidence and interrogating witnesses. Anything that smells of incompetence or tampering will defeat their purposes. And so Bernie Gunther is dispatched to Smolensk, where truth is as much a victim of war as those poor dead Polish officers. Smolensk, March, 1943. Army Group Center is an enclave of Prussian aristocrats who have owned the Wehrmacht almost as long as they have owned their baronial estates, an officer class whose families have been intermarrying for generations. The wisecracking, rough-edged Gunther is not a good fit. He is, after all, a Berlin bull. But he has a far bigger concern than sharp elbows and supercilious stares, for somewhere in this mix is a cunning and savage killer who has left a trail of bloody victims. This is no psycho case. This is a man with motive enough to kill and skills enough to leave no trace of himself. Bad luck that in this war zone, such skills are two-a-penny. Somehow Bernie must put a face to this killer before he puts an end to Bernie.… (more)
Member:jfurshong
Title:A Man Without Breath: A Bernie Gunther Novel
Authors:Philip Kerr
Info:Penguin Books (2014), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 480 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:***
Tags:Germany, Berlin, Ukraine

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A Man Without Breath by Philip Kerr (2013)

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» See also 49 mentions

English (37)  Spanish (2)  Dutch (2)  French (1)  Danish (1)  Catalan (1)  All languages (44)
Showing 1-5 of 37 (next | show all)
Solid, if unspectacular mystery combined with excellent character studies. At the Russian front after Stalingrad, so a persistent motif is the inevitable appearance of the Russians. ( )
  SamMelfi | Jun 1, 2023 |
A good historical mystery set in Smolensk,Russia in the 1940s. Another great story by Mr. Kerr how he manages to portray the era must have taken a lot of research. The only drawback with Mr. Kerr's work is it's a little dark, but I suppose those were dark times. ( )
  charlie68 | Dec 11, 2020 |
Best Bernie yet. ( )
  thiscatsabroad | Sep 26, 2020 |
Mr Kerr is not tired of his character and neither am I! ( )
  tmph | Sep 13, 2020 |
In the ninth novel featuring Bernie Gunter, the former Berlin detective, he is now, in 1943 working for the German War Crimes Bureau. He is sent to Smolensk in German-occupied Russia to investigate the discovery of a body in the nearby Katyn Forest. As his investigation progresses it become clear that there are mass graves of Polish soldiers, in all probability executed by Russian forces in 1941. With the help of experts and foreign observers, Germany plans to use this in an attempt to split the wartime alliance between Britain, America and Russia.
As ever, Philip Kerr capture the fears and tensions of the time and thus creates an air of foreboding and uncertainty as to whether Bernie will survive in a delicate investigation that threatens to implicate some of his surrounding senior officers with exposure to treason and criminal activities. In all, it makes for a highly addictive and captivating read.
  camharlow2 | Apr 12, 2019 |
Showing 1-5 of 37 (next | show all)
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Bernie Gunther (1943⎪9)

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Berlin, March, 1943. A month has passed since the stunning defeat at Stalingrad. Though Hitler insists Germany is winning the war, commanders on the ground know better. Morale is low, discipline at risk. Now word has reached Berlin of a Red massacre of Polish officers in the Katyn Forest near Smolensk. If true, the message it would send to the troops is clear: Fight on or risk certain death. For once, both the Wehrmacht and Propaganda Minister Goebbels want the same thing: irrefutable evidence of this Russian atrocity. To the Wehrmacht, such proof will soften the reality of its own war crimes in the eyes of the victors. For Goebbels, such proof could turn the tide of war by destroying the Alliance, cutting Russia off from its western supply lines. Both parties agree that the ensuing investigation must be overseen by a professional trained in sifting evidence and interrogating witnesses. Anything that smells of incompetence or tampering will defeat their purposes. And so Bernie Gunther is dispatched to Smolensk, where truth is as much a victim of war as those poor dead Polish officers. Smolensk, March, 1943. Army Group Center is an enclave of Prussian aristocrats who have owned the Wehrmacht almost as long as they have owned their baronial estates, an officer class whose families have been intermarrying for generations. The wisecracking, rough-edged Gunther is not a good fit. He is, after all, a Berlin bull. But he has a far bigger concern than sharp elbows and supercilious stares, for somewhere in this mix is a cunning and savage killer who has left a trail of bloody victims. This is no psycho case. This is a man with motive enough to kill and skills enough to leave no trace of himself. Bad luck that in this war zone, such skills are two-a-penny. Somehow Bernie must put a face to this killer before he puts an end to Bernie.

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