- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (May 12 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0765320444
- ISBN-13: 978-0765320445
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 16.3 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 522 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #733,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
“Bold narrator and chilling historical setting...an unusually vivid context, [lets] Hannah report on the decadence of her world without losing her life –or her mind.”—The New York Times Book Review
“A gritty realistic portrayal of 1930s Berlin…keeping the suspense high, Cantrell does an excellent job of projecting the fear of the time through her characters. Strongly recommended.”—Library Journal (starred)
“[A] haunting debut novel….evocative, compassionate, and compelling.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“Cantrell nails both the ‘life is a cabaret’ atmosphere and the desperation floating inside the champagne bubbles… a promising debut.”--Booklist
“Set in 1931 Berlin, Cantrell’s scrupulously researched debut tolls a somber dirge for Weimar Germany in its last days…this unforgettable novel, which can be as painful to read as the history it foreshadows, builds to an appropriately bittersweet ending.”--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A compelling and human story that captures brilliantly the atmosphere of Berlin during the rise of the Nazis.”—Anne Perry, New York Times bestselling author of We Shall Not Sleep
"Evocative and hauntingly crafted, Rebecca Cantrell's debut mystery A Trace of Smoke is a treasure of suspense, romance, and murder. Her ability to spin history into a visceral reality is done with the artistry of a master storyteller. Truly a stunning start to a long career."--James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Judas Strain
"Make room on your bookshelf for a talented new novelist named Rebecca Cantrell. In A Trace of Smoke, she delivers a historical mystery that works on every level. It's a riveting page-turner. It's an insightful study of a young woman in peril. It's a unerringly accurate vision of a society slipping steadily toward madness. And it's written with a sense of clarity, pace, and attention to detail that tells you this author is going to be writing terrific stories for a long time. So don't miss her debut."--William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Back Bay and The Lost Constitution
“Step into the fun house world of 1931 Berlin where no one and nothing is what it seems…. A Trace of Smoke is compulsive reading with all the juiciness of the tawdry world of Cabaret but told with keen insight to the historical criminality taking place.”--Sara Colleton, executive producer of Dexter and The Painted Veil
"Moving through the Berlin of 1931, with the monstrosity of the next decade stirring beneath the streets, Rebecca Cantrell's characters illustrate the very human desire to cling to innocence and joy, to do right no matter the cost, to shelter light amidst growing darkness. Both personal and historical, A Trace of Smoke clings to the mind."--Laurie R. King, New York Times bestselling author of The Game
Product Description
Even though hardened crime reporter Hannah Vogel knows all too well how tough it is to survive in 1931 Berlin, she is devastated when she sees a photograph of her brother’s body posted in the Hall of the Unnamed Dead. Ernst, a cross-dressing lounge singer at a seedy nightclub, had many secrets, a never-ending list of lovers, and plenty of opportunities to get into trouble.
Hannah delves into the city’s dark underbelly to flush out his murderer, but the late night arrival of a five-year-old orphan on her doorstep complicates matters. The endearing Anton claims that Hannah is his mother… and that her dead brother Ernst is his father.
As her investigations into Ernst’s murder and Anton's parentage uncover political intrigue and sex scandals in the top ranks of the rising Nazi party, Hannah fears not only for her own life, but for that of a small boy who has come to call her “mother.”
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Introducing a Female Bernie Gunther,
By
This review is from: A Trace of Smoke (Paperback)
This is a great debut and unabashedly Philip Kerr-like in setting, atmosphere and plot. In fact, I kept expecting Hannah Vogel to hire Bernie Gunther or at least bump into him at the Adlon. And this is not a criticism because Cantrell pays homage to Kerr's work but goes her own way too through the lead female character. It is a decent mystery and educates the reader on the excesses of the Weimar Republic (and the soon-to-be excesses of the Nazis). Using Ernst Roehm as a pivotal character to expose personal and political depravity is a fresh choice from the usual Nazi leadership figures who appear in fiction. I will definitely read the author's follow-up, A Night of Long Knives.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellen first novel..,
By
This review is from: A Trace of Smoke (Paperback)
Rebecca Cantrell shows life in that "iffy" period in German history, the Weimar Republic, which preceded Hitler's official ascendency to power in 1934 as Chancellor under Hindenburg. Germany society had been restabilised from the low point of trillion-mark inflation of the '20's, but everyday life was still difficult, even for those, like Hannah Vogel, who had a job.She was a newspaper reporter for Berliner Tagablatt, writing crime stories under an alias. She's also a widow of a WW1 soldier, and the sister of a much-younger brother, Ernst, who is gay and works as a singer in a gay bar. He has many unusual friends and associates and one day winds up floating in the River Spee. He's unidentified and his picture is posted on the wall at the "Alex", the main police station in Berlin, where Hannah sees it while going through police reports. She doesn't want to identify her brother, but begins to investigate his disappearance and murder. She gets involved with his many associates - some more shady than others - and begins to really see the political dynamics of the times. It's a well-written novel - Cantrell's first - and I'd love to read more of her work.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (58 customer reviews) 35 of 36 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Full disclosure . . .,
By Bruce L. Ginier - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Trace of Smoke (Hardcover)
. . . this is my first book review on Amazon. Reading A Trace of Smoke is like settling into a comfortable chair, right smack in front of a massive open window with all the sights, sounds, and smells of a strange new world unfolding in front of you. Cantrell writes about a time and place that I knew little about, early 30's Berlin at the start of the Nazi rise to power. She weaves a tight plot of murder and suspense through the hard and unforgiving shadows of Berlin, and propels it forward with a cadre of historical and unique fictional characters that makes you flinch, gasp, and keep turning the page. It's a world I didn't know and story I wasn't expecting, but I want more of both. Impressive.
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read from a Hot New Talent,
By Andrew Peterson, author of "First to Kill... - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Trace of Smoke (Hardcover)
Rebecca Cantrell hits a homerun with her stunning debut. The plot is intricate and her characters engaging, especially young Anton. Hannah Vogel, Cantrell's main character is believable and charming, yet tough as nails. I won't spoil the plot, but the ending took me by surprise. I read it in three sittings. My only complaint is that the book ended!I'll be buying Cantrell's next books. She's got a new fan for life. 23 of 27 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
powerful historical tale,
By Harriet Klausner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Trace of Smoke (Hardcover)
In 1931 thirty two years old crime reporter for the Berliner Tageblatt Hannah Vogel visits Berlin's Hall of the Unnamed Dead. There on the wall is the picture of an unknown naked corpse whom she recognizes. The victim is her beloved gay brother Ernst, who could not harm a fly; he had no papers because he gave them to their Jewish friends to escape dangerous Germany for New York.Outraged that someone would torture and kill her effeminate kind sibling, she knows she must remain silent re his identity or her "lost papers until their friends reach America. Still Hannah investigates using Ernst's sexual proclivity and his performing at the underground El Dorado cabaret as the starting points With the help of her dedicated lover and a young urchin claiming to be her nephew, Hannah makes her inquiries including the claim of the street kid that her obviously gay brother sired a child. This is a powerful historical tale that looks deep inside the souls of the groups that make up the Weimer Republic at a time when Hitler is just starting to rise in power. The story line contrasts caring people from various religions vs. the brutal angry assaults of the Nazis. Not an easy read with no sugar coating, A TRACE OF SMOKE will have readers pondering whether this could happen in modern day America. Harriet Klausner |
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