Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I have not read the previous book in this series but there is sufficient detail to understand the effects of what has gone before. I liked the police characters, there is a good balance of the police work and home life / relationships so that the individuals are developed. The cases are fiction based in known historical fact and I thought the feelings, beliefs and behaviours of the time were represented well. I found the narrative to be well-written with a good pace and I thought the author has done a good job of creating an interesting historical thriller. I'd certainly read more by this author and have signed up to follow him.

Absolutely wonderful book, I loved every moment spent in the world of the characters. Dilemmas and joys all expertly crafted thank you!

Simon Scarrow really shows his quality with this new series set in Nazi Germany. The books are a dark, cold read, and showcase Scarrow’s storytelling ability.

Dead of Night is an uncomfortable read at times, which should be expected. The book delves into the horrors of Nazi extermination of the disabled during the time of the Third Reich. Horst Schenke is a fascinating main character. A principled man and a brilliant detective, he tried to balance the very fine line between pleasing his Nazi masters, but at the same time refusing to allow their atrocities to go unpunished.

I really hope this series continues for a while, as this really was a brilliant read.

This was a great story. I enjoyed reading it. It was interesting and contained some great characters. Especially some that you love to hate. The storyline was obviously based on true events and contains some shocking moments which is not for the faint-hearted. I liked the way that at the start of the book the author writes a warning that this story is very shocking and he hopes to have done it justice. I have been looking forward to reading this author for some time. The actual storyline was 4 stars. However, the reading experience for me was only 3 stars. It was a fantastic story but it really lacked any atmosphere and tension. I just didn't feel anything reading this book. It is so important for me to feel emotions while reading. I am hoping this is a one-off as I have the Eagle series all ready and waiting for me to binge-read. I love roman history so I have been saving it. So fingers crossed. 

Many thanks to the author and publishers for bringing us this shocking story. I only wished I had felt something. 
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/dead-of-night-by-simon-scarrow-headline-3-stars under my name ladyreading365

The second outing for these fascinating characters is a disturbing tale of another horrific Nazi policy and ultimately the impossibility of the ordinary good people to change things at that sad time. Terrifying that our heroes cannot initially find who they are up against until shocking revelations in the second half of the tale. Cleverly using real life characters alongside the imaginary this is an excellent revealing tale.

The second in Simon Scarrow’s diversion into Nazi Germany. It’s 1940 and Germany is changing and those in power have no scruples in pushing the worst of agendas. Ordinary Germans are joining in, or keeping their heads down and hoping for the best. Those include Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke of Berlin’s Kripo (detectives). He’s trying to bring criminals to justice amongst the chaos of new ideas, victimisation and the horrors of the Nazi regime.
He gets involved in a case but is quickly warned off by unknown assailants so he turns his focus to a tip off that children may be coming to harm in a medical facility. Nazi Germany is a place where you have to be careful what you investigate and who might be watching.
This isn’t really a mystery thriller, with the benefit of history readers will know what is going on much quicker than Horst and his team. But I don’t think this is supposed to be a big “reveal” it is about the gradual creep of Nazi principles and the realisation of those involved that they are caught in it.
There is dark stuff here but the author has engaging characters and gives us a glimpse into the horrors of the Nazi regime.

this is a dark look at the past in war-time Germany, but it reminds us that not everyone was a Nazi thug and that people will sometimes do the wrong thig for the right reason, hoping it will come out right in the end, will it? I urge you to read this book and find out.
Simon Scarrow has written another compulsive read, taking us through a brief window in the Inspectors life with all the trials and tribulations that duty and honour can cause, as they are not always the same thing.

A brilliant overview of what it was like as an ordinary German citizen during the first year of WWII as the Nazi heady with taking Poland started to impose their plans for a super Aryan race. Starting with the extermination of the Jews unseen and unheard in Poland followed by other undesirables, until nearer home children with mental or physical defects. Starting with the apparent suicide of a doctor in which his wife is convinced is murder that results in a Detective to investigate as a personal favour. This leads to a can of worms where state vested interests are involved resulting in the investigation being stopped with dire consequences if ignored. However, circumstances dictate otherwise. How matters pan out and all parties sort of achieve their ends with justice without the Detective losing his life is most engrossing.

The novel takes place in 1940 Berlin, when WWII is underway but has not yet reached the horrors to come. The main character Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke has to walk a tightrope between not causing waves and staying true to himself. He is investigating forged ration coupons when he becomes entangled in two other mysteries. A Jewish woman he knows asks for his help in looking into the alleged suicide of Dr. Schmesle, a Nazi doctor who had tried to help her family. He thinks it was murder but is forcibly warned off further investigation into the case. He is then asked by different people to look into the suspicious deaths of children at a home for disabled children. As he covertly investigates he realizes there may be ties between the two cases. This is an intriguing and suspenseful mystery novel which is set apart and elevated by its setting.

The second novel to feature Kripo inspector Schenke and it is a superb read, Set in the early years of WWII Germany, Scarrow creates the atmosphere perfectly and the novel has a moral dilemma running through it as the reader asks 'what would I have done?''.
Perfectly plotted, one of the best WWII crime thrillers of recent years.

Would highly recommend this excellent sequel to Blackout. In this Schenke is asked, privately, to investigate some unexplained and unexpected deaths. The powers-that-be and others are determined that he doesn't. The novel follows his attempts to do the right thing. Excellent characterisation, some 'cliffhanger' moments, and a good plot add together to give the reader another enjoyable read.

With thanks to Headline and NetGalley for an ARC.

Horst Schenke is involved in the investigation of a group of forgers who are causing problems for the Reich. However he is appraoched by a young Jewish woman who asks him to meet her friend whose husband has supposedly killed himself. When Schenke looks deeper he becomes suspicious but is leaned on to stop investigating. So he turns to another request, one about the killing of disabled children. However soon both investigations merge and Schenke finds himself caught between the public face of Nazism and the workings of secret committees
At its heart this is a superior police procedural, however the setting lifts it beyond the mundane. the stories revolve around Nazi policies and their effects on the main part of the populace, those who cannot voice their distaste and those who blindly follow orders. In that respect these stories work incredibly well. Scarrow is a professional writer who knows how to put together a solid thriller and the sense of time and place is excellent.

My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
Author of the excellent Eagles of the Empire series you would expect this to be well researched and written, and you would also expect superb characterisation throughout and this book the second in the series does not disappoint. There are some references to the first story but can be read as a standalone story. Atmospheric clever descriptive intelligent with a real feel for time and place. Completely gripping from first to last page though be warned not the most pleasant murders to investigate.
Completely and totally recommended.

Being an avid reader of wartime thrillers I'm not quite sure how I managed to miss Blackout, the first book in the series, when it was published in 2020. I shall certainly be snapping up a copy at some point as, although Dead of Night can definitely be read as a standalone, there are lots of things I'd love to know more about, especially the book's protagonist, Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke. For example, how Schenke's relationship with Karin Canaris came about and his involvement with Ruth, a young Jewish woman, who seemingly played a pivotal role in events in the previous book.

Most of us, I imagine, are aware of the vile actions of the Nazi regime towards Jewish people but perhaps less so about the atrocities committed against other sections of the population in pursuit of Hitler's warped and perverted ideology. (As the author notes, sometimes fiction can do a better job of shedding a light on such things than 'dry tomes of history'.) It's just such an atrocity that Schenke uncovers in the course of his investigation. But is it an act of personal revenge or something more sinister? 

I thought Schenke was a brilliant character. He has a strong sense of justice and isn't afraid to bend the rules if he believes it is right. It places him in all sorts of risky situations, even threatening the safety of those close to him, something that is never far from his mind. Bringing criminals to justice and forcing them to face the consequences of their actions is what he believes in, it's what drives him but sometimes, perhaps, even he has to face the possibility he hasn't the power to do so - at least not yet.  He tries to comfort himself with the thought, 'There will be a reckoning for the evil that is being done, but I fear that won't come for some time. Months . . . years . . . who can say? In which case, it is our duty to survive and bear witness.'

Writing about the inspiration for Dead of Night, Simon Scarrow describes it as being the story of how 'an extreme ideology prepares the ground for unthinkable and unconscionable actions'. I expect we can all think of contemporary parallels. Navigating such a situation while keeping his integrity intact is the dilemma Schenke faces. He's a patriot but one who has become ashamed of what his country is doing. It's these difficult choices that make the book so powerful. At the same time, it's also a skilfully crafted, completely engrossing police procedural that exposes some of the darkest deeds of the 20th century.

Dead of Night is a powerful, absorbing historical thriller that will delight fans of the genre. I really hope there will be more books in the series.

Berlin. 1940. On a freezing January morning an SS doctor’s body is discovered by his wife after an apparent suicide. However she thinks it’s murder and persuades Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke to look into it, even though he has been told not to investigate the matter.
At the same time he and his two fellow officers start to look into the deaths of young children dying at a special school, with the most unexpected results. It seems both cases could be linked.
As the cases start to merge Schenke is warned off them, but he can’t let go. He is determined to find justice even at the risk of losing his life.
Simon Scarrow captures the taut atmosphere and paranoia of Nazi Germany perfectly. The novel has a brilliant plot and a great character in Horst Schenke and this is a thoroughly enjoyable book by one of the finest historical writers I’ve ever read.
A superb wartime thriller and a great follow up to the first book in the series. I Highly recommend.

I like Simon Scarrow and his historical books. He nails the characterisation and setting of the era. Really enjoyed. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Set in Berlin in January 1940, this is the second book featuring Inspector Horst Schenke. A well-written police procedural story dealing with a very sensitive issue of the time.
I found this book to be an improvement on the first book as the characters are more developed. The subject matter is well-researched and was dealt with very well. The story was fast-paced and exciting.
A series that is well-worth reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I hadn't heard of Simon Scarrow before, so didn't know what to expect. This is full of period, well written, with the tension kept tight until the end. I have now bought the preceding novel in this new series, Blackout, featuring the same detective. Recommended.

Dead of Night is book 2 in the Berlin Wartime series. The book starts with the death of an SS doctor following a night out with his wife and friends. Ruled as suicide, his wife is adamant that her husband would not take his own life and that he was murdered. Through a family friend Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is brought in to look into the circumstances of the doctors death and to determine if the case should be reopened. Despite his findings he is told that the original decision is to remain and he must stop looking further. When he is then called to look into the death of a child things start to get murkier and he finds himself being threatened from all angles and he no longer knows who he can trust other than those in his close team.
I have to say that I liked the character of Horst Schenke. He is making the best of his life after his career took a dramatic turn that lead to him becoming a Kripo officer. He is often torn between doing what is expected of him and doing what he knows to be right. Knowing that should anyone find out that he does not wholly follow the party line could cause harm to both him and those close to him. Despite knowing that he could be shot he does everything he can to protect Ruth a young Jewish girl who had helped him in a previous case and is now helping him again in the investigations into the doctor’s death.
The author has managed to create a story that has a harrowing reality to it and he has dealt with the subject sensitively whilst also highlighting the abhorrent practices of the Nazi party in their quest for the perfect race. The two seemingly separate investigations are brought together seamlessly and along with Schenke you can’t help but feel for the men who have taken matters into their own hands to bring the guilty to justice even when you know that it will not end well for them either.
I have never read any books by Simon Scarrow before but there was something about the blurb for his latest book Dead of Night that made this a book I wanted to read even though it was book 2 in the series. What I did find when reading it was that you don’t have to have read Blackout the first in the series to be able to follow the story. There is no doubt that things that took place during WWII were unspeakable and that the events in Dead of Night are based on fact just has you wondering if we will ever really know everything that took place during that time. It seems wrong to say that I enjoyed this book but it is definitely one that kept me hooked and that I would recommend reading.

Having read the first book in what is turning out to be an excellent series I was excited to receive a review copy of the latest outing of Detective Inspector Horst Schenke of the Berlin Pankow Kripo.
It is the middle of a bitterly cold Winter in the Berlin of 1941 and Horst and his team are investigating a plot to print forged ration coupons.
However when Horst is contacted by Ruth, a Jewish woman who has helped on his previous case he feels compelled to listen.
Ruth wants him to look into Dr Manfred Schmesle’s suicide- Ruth is friendly with the family and Brigitte, his wife does not believe the verdict suspecting murder. Meanwhile young children are dying in a local children's home and the parents want answers.
This is an interesting and dark read set at a bleak time in the history of humankind. Horst Schenke appears to be an honourable man and a dedicated policeman but he is working for a regime which is not honourable and which bases it’s very existence on crimes against humanity.
Schenke sees the paradox of his position but can do little about it- “if ideology became a licence to murder then how could there be any moral justification of such an ideology”
He is investigating murders but who has sanctioned these murders and does he really want to find out as this might put his own life in danger.
There is more background on Liebwitz, the Gestapo man who is working for Schenke. Liebwitz only sees things in black and white and it is difficult to know, how he will react to certain situations . However an experience from his past makes him seem more human despite his allegiance to the Party.
This is an interesting and well researched read. Despite their service to an evil regime, Schenke and Sergeant Hauser come across as people with an innate sense of decency, trying to do their best in a difficult situation. They are pursuing justice which is impossible in a dictatorship which is in itself unjust.
Schenke’s feelings for Ruth become more apparent in this book and it is a difficult situation and a danger for both of them.
I think the main thing I noticed whilst reading “Dead Of Night”is that ordinary people are prepared to turn a blind eye to what is happening around them as long as it does not affect one of their close family members or friends. Even the parents of the dead children are shown as being loyal to the regime and they cannot believe orders may have come from the very top.
This is a chilling story made all the more awful by the fact that is based on actual events- it is hard to believe that both medical professionals and ordinary citizens could lose their basic humanity in the pursuit of a goal which is inherently evil.
The fact that the reader feels sympathy for the characters is a credit to the author who has managed to imbue them with humanity. Even Liebwitz has redeeming features!
I particularly liked Schenke who is aware of the situation but helpless to do anything about it, He realises , however, that some at least need to survive to tell future generations what has happened and secure justice for those who have been murdered in the name of the regime “ ….it is our duty to survive and bear witness. We can’t do that if we’re dead. It’s a hard truth to live with”
I highly recommend this excellent series and avidly await the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc.