an instant classic in the bernie gunther series with storytelling that is fresher and more vivid than ever berlin 1934 the nazis have secured the 1936 olympiad for the city but are facing foreign resistance hitler and avery brundage the head of the us olympic committee have connived to softpedal nazi anti semitism and convince america to participate bernie gunther now the house detective at an upscale berlin hotel is swept into this world of international corruption and dangerous doubledealing caught between the warring factions of the nazi apparatushavana 1954 batista aided by the cia has just seized power castro is in prison and the american mafia is quickly gaining a stranglehold on the citys exploding gaming and prostitution industries bernie who has been unceremoniously kicked out of buenos aires has resurfaced in cuba with a new life seemingly one of routine and relative peace but bernie discovers that he truly cannot outrun the burden of his past he soon collides with a vicious killer from his berlin days who is mysteriously murdered not long afterwardand an old lover who may be the murdererif the dead rise not is everything fans have come to expect from philip kerr twisted intrigue tight plotting quickwitted oneliners a hangbyyourthumbs ending and most significant a richer wiser bernie gunther