THE PALE CRIMINAL: PHILIP KERR

This is the second Bernie Gunther mystery I have  read, the first being MARCH VIOLETS.  All the Gunther novels are set in Nazi Germany at various stages of its rise.  In this particular book, it's 1938 and Bernie meets with a wealthy, elderly widow who is being black mailed, she thinks, because of her son's homosexuality.  While investigating this, Bernie is called back into the Police, to investigate, quietly, the murders of young Nazi women.  It would seem the police are so incompetent, so used to having their way and using force, that they have forgotten how to be good detectives, something Bernie is, of course.  He slowly finds his way, carefully, not wanting to step on the shoes of the S. S,. though he pulls no punches when he is around them, his dislike manifest.

It's a battle to keep his integrity in this world of power and evil and at times, he feels it's not worth the trouble.  I won't go into the details, as it gets too complicated but basically, a group of Nazis have taken it upon themselves to create even more hatred of the Jews than has already been orchestrated.  There plan was to have the Jews blamed for the murder of these young  girls, thinking they could get away with it.  A group of them, led by a mad psychic, who regales himself in all the makings of Germanic folk lore, have the ear and heart of Himmler.  Bernie must break into their games, set at a castle, and tell Himmler that a number of his S.S. buddies are behind this plot.  This is done, of course, with the help of Herr Heydrich, Himmler's equal in power and arch enemy.  He supports Bernie, even hired him to find the murderer and takes great pleasure in seeing it leads ultimately to Himmler. By the way, the widow' son, the homosexual, who is being black mailed also is involved in this group. Synchronicity or silliness. The setting, the workings of the Nazis, the characters Bernie meets and his struggle to remain humane and caring form the center of this, of all his books, I assume.  My early criticism, of his ridiculous analogies, his sardonic humor, no longer holds true as Kerr seems to have found his voice.  I am ready for the next one.