Stasi Wolf: A Gripping New Thriller for Fans of Child 44

Description

East Germany, 1975. Karin Muller, sidelined from the murder squad in Berlin, jumps at the chance to be sent south to Halle-Neustadt, where a pair of infant twins have gone missing. But Muller soon finds her problems have followed her. Halle-Neustadt is a new town - the pride of the communist state - and she and her team are forbidden by the Stasi from publicising the disappearances, lest they tarnish the town's flawless image. Meanwhile, in the eerily nameless streets and tower blocks, a child snatcher lurks, and the clock is ticking to rescue the twins alive...

David Young was born near Hull and - after dropping out of a Bristol University science degree - studied Humanities at Bristol Polytechnic. Temporary jobs cleaning ferry toilets and driving a butcher's van were followed by a career in journalism with provincial newspapers, a London news agency, and international radio and TV newsrooms. He now writes in his garden shed and in his spare time supports Hull City AFC. You can follow him on Twitter @djy_writer.

'Willkommen back to Oberleutnant Karin Muller, who debuted last year in the acclaimed Stasi Child. She's landed another complicated case, made even more tricky by the fact that we're in East Germany in 1975, and second-guessing the dreaded Stasi is a matter of life and death, even for the police. Against the grim background of a socialist-paradise new town - which makes Milton Keynes look like St Mary Mead - Muller is on the trail of a child-kidnapper.' -- Karen Robinson * The Sunday Times Crime Club * I think this is a genuinely beautiful cover, which works well alongside the first in the series. The way the background becomes impossible to see in the distance is completely appropriate in a world where political machinations continually obscure the truth, and the icy coldness of the whole scene reminds me of the brutality at the heart of the East German regime. Perfect * Buried under Books * 'A cracking little read...Young is a master at evoking a sense of place and time...He also captures something of the vague sense of menace that surrounded socialist Germany in the 1970s, when the book is set...His writing is fantastic and his story lines hook you in and keep you entertained.' * Social Bookshelves * 'The perfect blend of action, suspense and excitement. The era is captured magnificently. Young is a superb storyteller, weaving in more of the backstory of Karin Muller with a highly emotive story. This is top notch crime! I will be shouting about this book to everyone, everywhere.' * Northern Crime * 'one of the most fascinating and original detectives in contemporary crime fiction. Incredible as it seems, Stasi Wolf is even better, taking us back into the dangerous, chilly setting of the DDR, where spies hide among neighbours and Stasi eyes keep watch. Stasi Wolf is a hugely accomplished novel, scoring high as both historical fiction and crime fiction. I love both genres and so I couldn't have been more entertained by it. This is a series with legs and we're very lucky to have it.' * For Winter Nights * 'we are treated to a series of inspired twists and turns including the surprising secret of Muller's origins...masterful evocation of the claustrophobic atmosphere of communist era East Germany...intricate, absorbing page turner.' * The Daily Express * 'Historically accurate, this fast-paced thriller hooks the readers from the start.' * The Sun * 'history, politics, crime, thrills- all here in this budding series' * Sport Newspaper * 'David Young has the ability to transport his reader to the setting of his books and allow them to explore the vastness through his words, the vivid details in this book bring to mind the atmosphere and surroundings of Cold War Germany so effortlessly. For me David Young has cemented his place on the bookshelf alongside my Cold War thrillers by John le Carre and Len Deighton.' * The Quiet Knitter * 'Young's descriptives are brilliant, there isn't a word too much or too little to allow the reader to be swept away and into the pages. All in all this was a really great and enjoyable read. I would really recommend this book, Young's depth of writing and descriptives make for a thrilling read!' * Emma the Little Bookworm * 'David Young has crafted an engaging story which I found utterly compelling and wholly absorbing. I know nothing of 1970's Germany but the world was expertly woven around me as I read Stasi Wolf. David Young can tell a cracking story, Stasi Wolf should be on your reading list.' * Grab This Book * 'Stasi Wolf is yet another great police procedural thriller from David Young. It's gripping and well paced, with a good mix of action and tension, and an authentic multi-layered plot.' * Off the Shelf reviews * 'What is most impressive in this novel is the way the author evokes the cold war era, both visually and emotionally. David Young skillfully brings the repressive (terrifying) threat of the Stasi organization and the institutional feel of the new city into vivid existence. David Young has created a memorable character in Karin Muller and an unforgettable atmosphere of life in a bleak and repressive regime.' * Book Garden * 'a glimpse into East Germany in the 1970s and its social relations and paranoia and resistance...and the character of Karin Muller, who is determined to succeed as a murder detective despite widespread misogyny and difficult internal politics.' * View from the Blue House * 'There is little to fault in the author's masterly recreation of the claustrophobic atmosphere and all-pervasive sense of suspicion, typical in any totalitarian state. The tone and feel of everyday life in the GDR is pitch-perfect, from the Wartburgs and S-Bahns to the Vita Colas and lengthy party meetings in the workplace. The author has been very diligent about doing his research and many of the least believable plot details are based on true facts, as you will discover if you read the afterword. The dialogue is full of tension, nearly always full of hidden menace and double speak, and each of the characters has learnt not to take anything at face value.' * Crime Fiction Lover * David Young has captured the characters well, and the hints he leaves about some of the characters creating a well-thought out sense of mystery, and his backdrop of the Stasi controlled East Germany ensured a story that had many twists and turns, and complex and flawed characters, in a world where knowing who to trust was hard. It was a great novel, and I hope the series will continue. * The Book Muse Australia * Young's research is meticulous and he is scrupulous in taking a neutral-ish approach. I hope there will be more in this series. * Cafe Thinking * The narrative neatly moves between 1975 and preceding years and as the book progresses these latter years come ever closer, a nice touch to slowly, teasingly disclose the truth behind the disappearances...As with "Stasi Child", Young describes the former DDR with clarity and realism, as he does the atmosphere which clearly existed... An enjoyable read. * The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland *