Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free advance copy in return for an impartial review. This is the second in Rory Clements' new series featuring Sebastian Wolff, a detective in the Munich police department. I didn’t realise it was part of a series when I received my copy and I would say it works fine as a standalone novel. It is set against the backdrop of the 1936 Olympics which puts it firmly of its time. Wolff has to navigate investigating both a murder and the disappearance of a famous film star in an increasingly hostile country.

He works alongside a sergeant - Hans Winter - though they spend most of the book apart while Winter is undercover investigating the murder and trying to get himself some forged papers.

There is plenty of plot and a lot of historical detail around the characters, some of whom are real people and some not. It is an exciting story with action and multiple storylines that keep it interesting. The interactions between Seb and his girlfriend Hexie contrast with some of the darker aspects of life in Nazi Germany. I did find their relationship perhaps a little too modern to be fully believable but was willing to gloss over that for the sake of the story.

Overall a solid detective thriller with an interesting setting and worth a read.

Seb Wolfe returns in another rollercoaster ride of a thriller! The year is 1936 and the Winter Olympics are taking place in Germany. The Nazis are desperate to show a successful and positive image of Germany and nothing can be allowed to taint this image. So, when a famous actress goes missing and an SS trooper is going dead in the mountains, Seb Wolfe is called in to investigate.
I loved the historic detail included in this story which brings the atmosphere of 1930s Germany alive. The incipient threat and horror of the Nazi regime underneath the surface gloss is clear for all to see. I loved the inclusion of Unity Mitford and her high society crowd which contrasts vividly with the Dachau experience. The author's research is evident in the writing, which makes this story even more believable and draws a clear image of life in Germany at this time. This is a gripping and thrilling read, with a great storyline and I did not see that ending coming! I really hope that there will be more from Seb Wolfe in the future. Highly recommended!

A beautiful film actress has disappeared on the eve of the 1936 Winter Olympics and Sebastian Wolff is ordered to find her. She is also the mistress of Goebbels so this is even more politically sensitive. In addition Wolff is tasked with investigating the murder of an SS officer close to the Olympic venue. As he uncovers a plot involving high-ranking SS officers Wolff also has personal issues coming to a crisis.
Clements is a great writer of historical thrillers and the Sebastian Wolff series is a terrific example. Set in Munich in the years before the Second World War the stories are simple police procedurals but with an engrossing setting. Clements integrates actual historical figures into his plots and the research about life in Germany as the Nazis gain a dictatorial grip is exemplary.

A heady mix of the 1936 Winter Olympics and a feature film in the making nearby brings the highborn and the elitist into Seb Wolff’s domain with their only concern - will there be snow? Whilst every effort is made to present a picture perfect image of Germany at that time the undercurrent of Nazism is still building up a head of steam and persecution and murder are never far away. The disappearance of an actress along with a more seemingly mundane murder in the woods sets the now Captain of Detectives, Wolff, on twin investigations, neither of which must be allowed to surface to a worlds press or become general knowledge. A tough ask and one that puts his life at risk.
A pacy book with a hard edge that totally keeps you totally enthralled and a worthy successor to the first book in the series. Highly recommended.

An excellent historical mystery that kept me on the edge. I like Wolff, a well plotted and intriguing characters, and find the vivid historical background both terrifying and vivid.
Well done, highly recommended
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Evil in High Places gave me everything I want in a whodunnit and much more. It's a gripping story full of menace with a multifaceted criminal element set in a dangerous era. Time and place: 1936 Nazi ruled Munich before the start of the Olympic games. Main character: Detective Sebastian Wolff. What happens: Wolff sets off looking for a missing film starlet then shifts gears into murder investigations with wider implications.

I felt very much as if I already knew Sebastian Wolff, our intrepid Detective, but am certain I have not read the previous novel, Munich Wolf. No matter, the story, to my mind, stood strong on its own merits and absorbed me without any difficulty regarding lack of previous knowledge. Though I would like to go back and read the previous novel as this is clearly a series worth reading from the start.

The atmosphere is oppressively dark, to match the times, and the strangling grip of the Nazi party. Seb has no love for Hitler, or the Nazis, but must tread carefully as disloyalty to the party can be deadly. To complicate matters his son, Jurgen, is an enthusiastic member of the Nazi youth in lieu of going to university.

Seb is a terrific hero. Driven by a faultless moral compass, he doggedly pursues his investigation whilst it blossoms into something much bigger. His instincts are sound and his manner is easy. He definitely plays the long game and tries not to let politics get in the way of his job.

At the heart of the story is the way Germany has transformed under the Nazis and the vice pinching tighter on those of Jewish belief or heritage. As much as the Nazis may want the Jews to leave, they do not allow them to take their assets outside the country. The dark malevolence of the SS and joy they take in meting out violence is wholly apparent. But can the good and just Seb Wolff find the truth and bring the criminals to justice in such trying times? Well, read it and find out.

Set in 1936, the year of the Berlin Olympics: Capt. Sebastien Wolff of the Kripo is tasked with covering up the suspected murder of an SS officer in the mountains, as ‘No crimes’ are to be seen to have taken place while the Nazi regime is under such international scrutiny.
While the Nazi Government is hosting the Winter Olympics, an international film star, Elena Lang is also filming in the mountains where the sports events open. She is rumoured to be the lover of Goebbels. She goes missing, but then returns (to the relief of Wolff) – whispering an oblique message to Wolff that she is in danger – only to retract that statement later.
Seb Wolff is working again with his sidekick Hans Winter, a reformed Nazi who is now desperately trying to hide his Jewish ancestry.
Political murders and an emotional personal story concerning his son and former lover are set against he backdrop of the snowy Winter Olympics at Garmish-Partenkirchen. The obnoxious Unit ‘Bobo’ Mitford is present along with all the highest echelons of the Nazi party. Everything conspires to make Wolff’s job that extra bit more difficult.
Exciting reading, good tension and a real 'feel' for the era and atmosphere make this yet another winner for Rory Clements. Loved it.

This is the 2nd book in the series featuring Detective Seb Wolf which is set in Germany before World War 2.
Seb is an honourable man who has not joined the Party but must keep his feelings hidden under the current regime in order to preserve both his freedom and his job where he investigates murders. The irony of seeking killers in a country run by a bunch of thugs and murderers is not lost on him-“ Was that what was happening to his beloved Germany?Good men hardened by gangsters and subsumed into a world of injustice and savagery? “
Seb is asked to investigate the murder of an SS officer and the disappearance of an actress. With the help of Winter, his Sergeant who has his own secrets, Seb delves into the world of the rich echelons of society. Set before and during the Winter Olympics, the powers that be want nothing to distract from the positive showmanship of the Games so Seb is not allowed to even mention the murder to anyone, nor is the disappearance of the film star publicised.
The author portrays this dark period in history extremely skilfully and as well as invented characters there are also real life people in the novel including British skier Peter Lunn who indeed refused to join the Olympic parade in front of Hitler due to his principles and hatred of Dictatorships.
This makes the story all the more realistic and I was pleased to read Mr Clement’s notes which gave me a history of these characters.
I am now eagerly awaiting the next book in this interesting historical series and definitely recommend to all who enjoy exciting thrillers.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

The year is 1936 and Munich is preparing itself for the Winter Olympics, and the whole world is watching.
So any kind of scandal must be avoided and dealt with quickly and effectively, but that will be a tall task for Detective Sebastian Wolff.
A famous actress called Elena Lang has gone missing and it turns out she is the mistress of the second most powerful person in Nazi Germany, none other than Joseph Goebbels.
Wolff knows he must do his job and investigate, but also avoid a scandal, this is very difficult for him, as he has to go into the highest echelons of society and the darkest parts of the city to find the answers he is looking for.
Never had one man be more determined to seek the truth and find the culprit, even if this puts his life in jeopardy.
I’m a massive fan of Rory Clements and this new novel is one of his finest.
There isn’t anyone writing this period of history better than him.
The story is perfectly executed. It has a tense atmosphere and an authentic feel throughout. It’s a wonderful read and one I highly recommend.

Set in Nazi Germany, with the 1936 Olympic Games about to take place in Munich. Seb Wolff is a policeman, not a Nazi, who gets on with what he is good at, solving crime and murder. An actress goes missing, rumoured to be having an affair with one of the Nazi elite, Wolff is on the case.
A really good historical mystery which I could hardly put down.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

Munich, 1936. All eyes are on the Bavarian capital for the upcoming Olympic Games. As athletes fight for gold and the Nazis fight for power, Detective Sebastian Wolff faces a battle of his own. A famous actress has disappeared and Wolff has been ordered to find her, fast. But Elena Lang is no ordinary she is the mistress of Joseph Goebbels - Hitler's right-hand-man in the party that Wolff despises.
This is the second book featuring Sebastian Wolff, I haven’t read the first book which I need to rectify, although this is easily read on its own. A well written book which I thoroughly enjoyed. I really liked Sebastian & enjoyed getting to him both in his professional life & his personal life. The author really does portray the feelings & events of the time – quite chilling. There are twists & turns with drama & I was drawn in from the beginning
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Evil in High Places sees the return of Sebastian Wolff who hates what Germany has become under the Nazis (surely the epitome of evil in high places) but whose sense of justice compels him to continue in his role as Captain of Detectives in the Kripo. ‘He didn’t like the present government, but that wasn’t unusual. His job was to solve crimes and bring murderers to court; their politics meant nothing to him.’ It’s not essential to have read the previous book, Munich Wolf, to enjoy this one as the author includes salient details about Wolff’s past. In fact he continues to flesh out Wolff’s back story including events from his younger days.

At times Wolff struggles to conceal his hatred for the Nazi regime and those who hang on its coat-tails such as vile Hitler acolyte Unity Mitford. The feeling is mutual in this case and you suspect she’d like nothing better than to see Wolff transported to Dachau. (He had a taste of that in the previous book.) The expected Heil Hitler salute is always something of an effort for Wolff and done only for necessity. His professional life is made more difficult by having a boss who’s more interested pleasing his superiors than bringing the real culprits to justice. His view is round up some suspects and interrogate them until they confess. Result: case closed. It’s the exact opposite of Wolff’s approach.

It’s not all rosy in Wolff’s personal life either. His relationship with his son is fraught given Jurgen is a member of the Hitler Youth and It’s not unknown for people to denounce family members for displaying anti-Nazi sentiment. Wolff is engaged to the beautiful Hexie but she’s running out of patience with him for not setting a date for their wedding. To top it all an important figure from Wolff’s past makes an unexpected, and not entirely welcome, appearance.

Wolff soon has more on his plate than just a missing persons case. Under strict orders that nothing, not even suspicious deaths, must disrupt the Winter Olympics (‘Same rule applies – no murders in Bavaria while the Games last’), he finds himself hampered in his investigation at every turn. When he does start to make progress he finds himself in dangerous territory, coming up against powerful individuals who have no compunction about silencing those who threaten them. As he observes, ‘One policeman against the might of Germany’s wealthiest family and the unchallenged power of Himmler’s SS.’ On the bright side – for readers at least – it means we get some exciting scenes and narrow escapes.

Wolff is not the only one taking risks. Sergeant Hans Winter, seconded from the Berlin Political Police, initially to keep an eye on Wolff, discovered unwelcome information about himself in the last book. Something that if made public would scupper his marriage plans, threaten his career and possibly his life. It leads him to undertake a highly dangerous undercover mission, ostensibly to obtain information about a suspect in the investigation, but really to obtain something he would be unable to get on the outside.

Evil in High Places is a terrific historical thriller with a satisfyingly twisty plot, a constant sense of jeopardy and plenty of drama. The period and setting are brilliantly evoked. And there a tantalising hint at the end that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Sebastian Wolff.

Rory Clements has been on my TBR list for such a long time and I can't believe its taken this long to read one of his novels.

What a brilliantly written tale

After thorough enjoying Munich Wolf I had high hopes with this, the second book featuring Detective Sebastian Wolff and I wasn't disappointed at all. The story is set in 1936 during the German Winter Olympics and here Wolff is asked to look into a case where an actress has gone missing and the murder of an SS Officer. All under the utmost secrecy as the Third Reich want Germany to be seen at its best as a country. I really enjoyed Evil in High Places, the title is very apt, the authors writing is very good and engaging with a believeable plot line. I like Wolff as a character, he is tenacious and goes that bit further to get justice for the victims and follows his gut instincts more than what his boss wants him to. Rory Clements writing is very descriptive at times and he brings so much tension, atmosphere and suspense into the story I could easily picture the characters and scenes in my mind when reading. He portrays the time and the fear in the country amongst Jews well. The plot line is multi layered and well thought out showing some characters in a good light - Winter is more likeable here - and others who are self serving and want to better their own interests who I just loathed. All in all a very good and entertaining read. I love the mix of crime and historical fiction, and think it works brilliantly here. I think this can be read as a standalone although you're best to read Munich Wolf first to get to know the characters and their backgrounds from the beginning. I'd highly recommend this book if you like crime thrillers.

4 stars

Evil in High Places is the second book by Rory Clements that features Detective Sebastian Wolff. The first book Munich Wolf was originally billed as a stand alone but having really enjoyed it I was pleased to find that this was not the last we had seen of the detective.
Wolff has been tasked with finding a missing actress, something he thought was a bit below his pay grade, that was until he found out what her connections were. Elena Lang was not an easy person to find but she was also scared that her life may be in danger but would not elaborate from who or why, but it does catch his interest, and he wants to make sure she stays safe. Unfortunately for Wolff he doesn’t really get chance to keep that promise as he finds himself investigating the death of an SS officer. With the Winter Olympics about to start he was under strict instructions to keep everything quiet, nothing was to distract from it being a success.
His partner Winter is on his own mission. He has agreed to go undercover in Dachau to see if the father in law of the murdered SS officer had anything to do with it, but he also wanted to find someone to help him get papers that would pass muster so that he could marry his girlfriend as if it ever got our that he was part Jewish his life and career would probably be over.
Sebastian Wolff plays quite a dangerous game. He does not agree with the Nazi movement but has to be seen to work with the officers to protect his career and his family. There are times when his beliefs get him into some tricky situations and make him a target, but it does not change the way he operates but it does question just who he can trust and if anyone really wants the truth or just a version they can sell to the outside world. After a tricky start with his partner (who is actually there to spy on him and report back to officials) Wolff and Winter have formed a good working relationship and Seb is slowly starting to rub off on Winter and he is starting to become more human and question some of his previous beliefs, but it has come at a cost to him personally.
It is good to sometimes see a different view of events leading up to WW2 and Rory Clements has created characters that show that not everyone during that time was evil but followed rules to sometimes just stay alive. With real life characters woven into the story it gives the feeling of authenticity that is evident in all his books. I am hoping that there will be further outings for Wolff and Winter as I have loved seeing their partnership develop.

Evil in High Places by Rory Clements
Having read the first story to feature Sebastian Wolff entitled Munich Wolff I was very keen to read this novel. I would also say that although you can read Evil in High Places as a stand alone novel the book is enhanced by reading Munich Wolf first. It is set in Germany at the time of the winter Olympics when one word against Hitler’s regime could end in imprisonment in Dachau or worse.
Wolff who fought in the First World War does not always toe the party line and he has to tread a very dangerous path when he is sent to investigate the disappearance of film star Leila Lang who is the current beau of Herman Goering. He is working alongside Sergeant Winter and although they had their differences in the past Hansis proving himself to be a good ally as he aids in the investigations.
This investigation brings him into contact with the German aristocratic elite and with their friends amongst the English such as Unity Mitford. The discovery of a body as the Winter Olympics are about to take part make it imperative that the crime is investigated discretely and so Wolff is forced into subterfuge to unearth a killer.
The story is fast paced and with numerous twists and turns and the period is effectively evoked. I will be recommending the book at my various book groups. I would like to thank the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

Bavaria in the early 1930s. Hitler and the SS are insidiously spreading fear and hatred. A police inspector tasked with locating the whereabouts of a famous movie star finds himself under the auspices of several high ranking nazi officials all intent on ensuring nothing emerges that could stain the reputation of Germany or Hitler hosting the winter Olympics. He is given a naive partner to mentor who with his own secrets, becomes intrinsic in uncovering the villains and offenders carrying out the cat and mouse criminal activities and fatalities emerging in the search for the silver screen star. The horrors of Dachau are exposed when the younger police officer, in an attempt to gain evidence and impress his senior officer finds himself in the bowels of hell. Strong rounded characters, a few based on real characters and a plot line enhanced by a background story of Hitlers slowly thought through strategy to build up an army that he believes can conquer Europe if not the world. An unusual mystery in that the background history and real characters became as interesting as the search for the perpetrators if somewhat overtaken by the precipice of the horrors to come.

Another fine episode in the Detective Seb Wolff series set in 1930’s Nazi Germany. This time the mystery around a murder in a forest close to the site of the 1936 Winter Olympics with Wolff instructed to keep things quiet to avoid bad publicity around the games. As an extra duty he must also find a missing actress filming in the area as well. She is discovered staying with one of Germany’s richest families but tells Wolff of a threat to her life. Wolf’s home life with his girlfriend and son complicates matters as the mother of his son makes a reappearance after leaving 17 years ago. Various real life characters are skilfully woven into the story with events moving between the games,Munich and a spell in Dachau for Wolff’s sergeant on a mission of his own while supposedly investigating the first murder. All in all another cracking read!

I first got hooked with Rory Clements with his Shakespeare series, found the Wilde stories even more intriguing and am quickly loving these stories of a Munich detective even more. The characterisation is consistently strong, with some great development in this second book for some of the characters introduced in the first and there is a cleverly intertwining and intriguing plot all set against the fascinating 1930s background. I can’t wait for the next instalment!

I’ve long been a fan of the Tom Wilde series of books by Rory Clements and the new series based around Seb Wolff, a police detective in 1930s Munich, is shaping up to be just as good. Wolff is a superb character – a good back story, believable, and surrounded by excellent supporting characters – but the real hero of these books for me is the setting.

This one is set in 1936 during the Winter Olympics which are being held in Bavaria and Hitler has demanded that absolutely nothing should distract from them. Wolff is first sent to investigate the disappearance of a famous actress linked to Joseph Goebbels, but is soon dragged into the murder of an SS officer and a world of wealth, power and corruption.

The atmosphere created is frighteningly real. The tension rises throughout the book as Wolff’s investigations lead to danger for both him and his family. The threat to everybody in Germany from their own government and its supporters, the splits in families caused by political differences, the rising danger for anybody with Jewish blood, everything is portrayed perfectly and it gripped me from start to finish. The knowledge we all have about what is to come makes it all the more tense and involving and I’m looking forward to the next instalment already.

Evil in High Places can easily be read as a standalone novel but I highly recommend going back and reading Munich Wolf, the first in the series, before you do - it sets the scene very well and is a brilliant book in itself.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.