Peter Steiner hits it out of the park with The Good Cop! This historical thriller takes us through the rise of Hitler after WWI. The parallels to the current political environment around the world are beyond chilling. I can’t help but wonder how much this fictional tome rings true.
- Title: The Good Cop
- Author: Peter Steiner
- Publisher: Severn House
- Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller
- Pages: 192
- Format: ARC
- Rating: 5/5 Stars
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Munich, 1920. Detective Willi Geismeier has a problem: how do you uphold the law when the law goes bad? The First World War has been lost and Germany is in turmoil. The new government in Berlin is weak. The police and courts are corrupt. Fascists and Communists are fighting in the streets. People want a savior, someone who can make Germany great again. To many, Adolf Hitler seems perfect for the job. When the offices of a Munich newspaper are bombed, Willi Geismeier investigates, but as it gets political, he is taken off the case. Willi continues to ask questions, but when his pursuit of the truth itself becomes a crime, his career – and his life – are in grave danger.
My Review of The Good Cop:
The Good Cop is one of those novels that hits you right in the gut with debilitating truth. Steiner weaves a tale of artist Maximilian, journalist Sophie, and officer Willi as they try to steer through the rubble of German politics after the first World War. The Versailles Treaty has the German people incensed, which makes it easy for an unknown radical named Adolph Hitler to sway the opinion of millions of people throughout Germany. As he gains support, the hate begins, and Maximilian, Sophie, and Willi are trying to expose this man for what he is…dangerous.
I am the first to admit that this summary is the hardest I have ever had to write because this book is so much more than my description. I honestly don’t have enough words to describe how excellent this book is. The novel has opened my eyes to so much more than I could ever see on my own. It is startling how familiar the story sounds yet happened so long ago, in an era that I couldn’t possibly have experienced.
When Mr. Steiner tells his tale, I feel as though I am there in the city with them. The police station is familiar, and the newspaper office is a real place in my mind. I can see the people on the street. The description of the characters makes me feel as if I have known them all my life.
The storytelling is nothing short of brilliant.
I must award The Good Cop a full 5 out of 5 stars. I can see this book being a useful book club book, and I recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction. This thriller will not let you down. I urge all of you out there to give this book a try. You won’t be sorry.
I would like to thank Severn House and Elena and Briana from Wunderkind PR for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author:
Peter was born and grew up in Cincinnati, the eldest child of immigrants from Austria. After graduation from the University of Miami, he served two years in the Army in Germany. After that, he got an M.A. and a Ph.D. in German Literature from the University of Pittsburgh. Peter taught German language and literature at Dickinson College for eight years.
Peter left teaching to become a painter, but he started cartooning at the same time in order to earn a living. He moved to Georgia and sold his first cartoon to The New Yorker in 1979. He has had about 400 cartoons published there.
One of these cartoons, “On the internet nobody knows you’re a dog,” is the most reprinted cartoon in the history of the magazine.
Peter also did a daily cartoon for The Washington Times for about 20 years starting in 1985 and a weekly cartoon for The Weekly Standard for about the same length of time. He estimates that he drew about 15,000 drawings over the course of his cartoon career and still creates occasional cartoons on his blog. In 2017 he published An Atheist in Heaven, a graphic novel—a story told in words and pictures—as a fine art limited edition.
Peter has continued to paint, and has had many one-person exhibitions in the United States and abroad.
Peter started writing novels in the nineteen-eighties. He is well known for his critically acclaimed Louis Morgon series, with the most recent novel, The Capitalist, published in 2016.
In September of 2019, Peter’s new novel, The Good Cop will be published by Severn House in the United States.
Visit Peter at: https://www.plsteiner.com/
If you would like to pick up a copy for yourself, you can purchase it on Amazon.com. If you use my special link in the image below, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
