Books like Babylon Berlin by Volker Kutscher

Berlin in 1929 is a city on the brink of upheaval. Former Cologne homicide officer Gereon Rath, after an accidental shooting, is reassigned to the Vice Squad in the capital—a role he despises but finds a reluctant ally in his commanding officer, Chief Inspector Wolter. As street unrest escalates, the police commissioner orders a hardline clampdown on May Day demonstrations, resulting in widespread casualties and a declared state of emergency in the city's communist strongholds. Against this backdrop, a car emerges from the Landwehr Canal bearing a mutilated, unidentified body. The commissioner sees the grisly discovery as a diversion, hoping to shift public and press attention away from the bloody demonstrations. Rath is drawn into unraveling the corpse’s mystery, navigating a maze of political intrigue, bureaucratic pressure, and the dark underbelly of Berlin’s vice district.

First publish date: 2016