L'homme intérieur

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Berlin, between the two world wars, is the backdrop for a gripping investigation when an executive at Ufa film studios is discovered dead in his office bathtub. Chief Inspector Nikolai Hoffner is tasked with uncovering the truth, aided by renowned director Fritz Lang and Alby Pimm, leader of Berlin's most powerful crime syndicate. Hoffner's inquiry leads him into the perilous realms of the city's sex and drug trade, the rise of Hitler's Brownshirts, and the clandestine efforts by former monarchists to rearm post-Versailles Germany. Complicating matters are Hoffner's new lover, an American talent agent for MGM, and his two sons: Georg, who has left school to work at Ufa, and Sascha, his resentful older son, who secretly supports the German Workers Party under Joseph Goebbels. This spellbinding narrative showcases Jonathan Rabb's talent, following Hoffner's previous case involving Rosa Luxembourg in 1919. "Shadow and Light" is a brilliant and atmospheric novel, weaving a smart, energetic storyline with rich historical detail. The result is a captivating historical thriller that both celebrates and challenges its era, reminiscent of the works of Joseph Kanon and Alan Furst.