The New Detective - (A Willi Geismeier Thriller) by Peter Steiner (Hardcover)

About the Book

Willi Geismeier thought he'd faced the worst of humanity on the battlefield in World War I, but when he returns to Munich he is drawn into an investigation that proves to be just as chilling.Munich, 1913. Twenty-year-old Willi Geismeier is showing great promise as a rookie detective in the Munich police department when he is sent to fight in World War I. After narrowly surviving the horrors of the conflict, Willi returns home, where the challenges he faces are just as grave. The Spanish flu rips through Munich with devastating consequences. Willi, now back in the police force, finds himself investigating an insurance scam, missing drugs and the mysterious death of a prisoner. Chilling links emerge between all three, and Willi finds himself facing a `scientific' killer and the rising fascists determined to stop him in his tracks . . .

Book Synopsis

Willi Geismeier thought he'd faced the worst of humanity on the battlefield in World War I, but when he returns to Munich he is drawn into an investigation that proves to be just as chilling.

Munich, 1913. Nineteen-year-old Willi Geismeier is showing great promise as a rookie detective in the Munich police department when he is sent to fight in World War I. After narrowly surviving the horrors of the conflict, Willi returns home, where the challenges he faces are just as grave.

The Spanish flu rips through Munich with devastating consequences. Willi, now back in the police force, finds himself investigating an insurance scam, missing drugs and the mysterious death of a prisoner. Chilling links emerge between all three, and Willi finds himself facing a 'scientific' killer and the rising fascists determined to stop him in his tracks . . .

Review Quotes

How Peter Steiner weaves historical details into an already fascinating detective story is admirable-- "Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine"

Remarkable-- "Booklist"

A gritty period procedural with a haunting antiwar core . . . Series fans will be fascinated-- "Kirkus Reviews"

Enthralling . . . This is another strong historical mystery from a master of the genre -- "Publishers Weekly"

Fans of Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther will want to take a look-- "Publishers Weekly on The Inconvenient German"

Impressive . . . A precisely written, carefully plotted novel, all the more dramatic for its understated tone-- "Booklist on The Good Cop"

Smashing . . . Put this series in the hands of Philip Kerr fans-- "Booklist on The Inconvenient German"

Steiner nicely dramatizes the politics of early Weimar Germany. Readers will welcome Geismeier's further adventures-- "Publishers Weekly on The Good Cop"

Steiner writes with crisp prose, using just a few crucial sentences to set a scene and unfurl the action . . . He does an excellent job of developing our empathy for each of the principal characters-- "Historical Novel Society on The Good Cop"

Taut . . . Steiner maintains suspense-- "Publishers Weekly on The Constant Man"

About the Author

Peter Steiner is the author of the critically acclaimed Louis Morgon series of crime novels. He is also a cartoonist for The New Yorker and is the creator of one of the most famous cartoons of the technological age which prompted the adage, 'On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.'