Prague Fatale by Philip Kerr

You know the 'fatale' template: Broke and down on his luck PI, pulling on a cigarette and a couple fingers of rot gut. It's raining. A lightning strike announces the entrance of a striking women in 6 inch heels on the floor and a hat with a sheer veil on her head, trailed by a thin cloud from a cigarette. She spins a tale. The PI is stricken, does the job,  finds out she lied and manipulated him and now he's waiting the the cops to pick him up.

Detective Commisar Bernie Gunther handles murders in Berlin for the Kripo at Alexaderplatz. He's been to the eastern front and witnessed the real horrors of war. He was decorated with the Iron Cross, 2nd class (cuz all the 1st class winners are in cemeteries), but he has no love for the Nazis, SS, or Gestapo. He's a cop trying to balance some questionable morals with his personal definition of black and white, right and wrong during what could be the blackest period of European history.  While investigating the murder of a Dutch national, he comes on a woman being attacked near the S-Bahn on Wollendorfplotz. He intervenes, but the perp escapes, only to be hit by a car a couple blocks over. After questioning the girl, Gunther is compelled to dig further, not just into her past, but into what lies beneath her sweet dresses.

Bernie's presence in Prague is requested by the new Reichsprotector of Bohemia General Heydrich, one of Hitler's most ruthless commanders. Gunther packs up his stuff and his new lady and heads for Prague, he to work, she to shop. Heydrich is charged with bringing the Czech citizenry into line, find the 3rd of the Three Kings (3 Czech resistance/terrorists) and uncover a spy within the ranks of the governing SS officerkorps all the while detailing plans on how to handle Hitler's "Jewish problem."  But after dinner with Heydrich's officerkorps, the 4th adjutant is murdered, shot twice, dead in his room with the door and windows locked from the inside. Shades of Agatha Christie. A mystery indeed. Heydrich detaches Gunther to handle the investigation. Someone at the office's residence killed the adjutant and Heydrich has given Gunther full access and authority, so Gunther has to interview a dozen or so officers, each with their own reasons for pulling the trigger and something to hide.  But once the most likely person is found, Gunther begins to piece together a few small clues and realizes he has been played, but by whom?

Don't ask where I learned about Philip Kerr; I don't remember. I had reviewed One Shot, like it, but forgot about Kerr. So I looked at his list of titles and thought this 2011 release sounded pretty entertaining. This has all the trappings of the classic fatale tale. Good but conflicted guy, girl with a past, a very nasty bad guy, lies, deceit, manipulation. There is classic noir fiction, redneck noir (one of my favorites - watch Justified) . . .

and now, dare I say it . . . Nazi Noir?

Bernie Gunther is a driven cop full of personal demons, hatred of his bosses and the Nazis, a smart aleck disrespectful  mouth, a taste for cigarettes, whiskey, and a loser in love. Take a little bit of Elvis Cole, mix with a big chunk of Harry Bosch, and top off with some Sam Spade for good measure. That's how I see Bernie Gunther. Pretty cool. And there are 7 other Bernie Gunther books. This could be fun.

East Coast Don