Midnight in Berlin

By: James MacManus

Narrated by: Peter Noble

Berlin, 1938: Newly appointed military attaché Noel Macrae and his extrovert wife, Primrose, arrive at the British embassy. Prime Minister Chamberlain is intent on placating Nazi Germany, but Macrae is less so.

Gathering vital intelligence, Macrae is drawn to Kitty Schmidt's Salon - a Nazi bordello - and its enigmatic Jewish hostess, Sara Sternschein, who is a treasure trove of knowledge about the Nazi hierarchy in a city of lies, spies and secrets. Does she hold the key to thwarting Hitler?

©2016 James MacManus (P)2016 W F Howes Ltd

MY BOOK AND AUTHOR OF THE YEAR

MIDNIGHT IN BERLIN – James MacManus
Reviewed by Eric J Drysdale – October 2018
This is my “book of the year” and James is my “author find of the year”, which I will note in my Christmas card to some 500 clients. In addition, from over 5,000 books that I have read it is only the fourth time I have immediately read the book a second time to savour the reading pleasure.
Anyone who is reasonably well read on Twentieth Century and WW2 history will appreciate the seamless integration of the real and fictional characters who people this wonderful novel.
As a writer you automatically assess the books you read in terms of plot, characterization, dialogue, craft and style, and, whilst you then know why you appreciate a particular novel, you also evaluate it with a more critical eye. Let us consider each of these:
PLOT: The novel is set in Berlin during 1938-1939 and centres on the conflict between Colonel Noel Macrae, the recently appointed Military Attache’ and Sir Neville Henderson, the actual British Ambassador to Berlin. This is set against the escalating crisis in Europe as Hitler flexes his muscles to take over Czechoslovakia, Poland and then Russia, while England, lead blindly by Neville Chamberlain, is determined to ignore every warning.
CHARACTERIZATION: The characters are skilfully drawn and I would defy anyone, who did not know from previous reading, to identify the real and fictional people in the drama.
DIALOGUE: The plot is driven forward by the exchanges between the many characters, friends and foes. These burgeoning or deteriorating relationships are subtly delineated with great economy and voices that ring true.
CRAFT AND STYLE: This is a finely crafted novel with the dramatic events unfolded against a carefully honed evocation of time and place. I applaud James for his depiction of Berlin in the various seasons in the last two years before the War. From the snow covered streets to the British Embassy and the German controlled bordello where the basest of human failings are exploited. The prose is evocative and economical and we are there with Noel Macrae as he strives to obtain confirmation of Hitler’s evil intent and find someone in power in London who will listen to his plaintive cries.
The audio edition is narrated perfectly by Peter Noble who captures the accents and nuances of the many characters. I felt the lovely Scot’s brogue of Noel Macrae rounded out a most admirably drawn character.
I could not imagine any discerning reader who was not impressed, touched and moved by this fine novel, which to me rates 100% in all departments. I would be delighted to receive comments from any fellow reader. My email is: [e-mail]
I would like to thank James for the care and attention to detail he has clearly taken in producing what to me is a text book example of quality writing at its best, and I wish him great success. Happy reading. Thank you, Eric.