The Silent Death cover art

The Silent Death

Gereon Rath, Book 2

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The Silent Death

By: Volker Kutscher
Narrated by: Mark Meadows
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About this listen

Berlin, 1930. Sound film is conquering the big screen, leaving many by the wayside: producers, cinema owners - and silent film stars. Investigating the violent on-set death of actress Betty Winter, Inspector Gereon Rath encounters the dark side of glamour and an industry in turmoil.

When his father requests that he help his friend, the mayor of Cologne, Konrad Adenauer, and his ex-girlfriend, Charly, makes a renewed attempt at rapprochement, things start to get out of hand. Trapped in the machinations of rival film producers, he roams Berlin's Chinese quarter and the city's underworld as he works ever closer to the edge of legality. Meanwhile the funeral of the murdered Horst Wessel leads to clashes between Nazis and Communists.

©2017 Volker Kutscher (P)2017 Audible, Ltd Historical Modern Detectives Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction

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All stars
Most relevant
Silent Death is Gereon Rath's second outing in English (translated from the original German) in Silent Death Gereon Rath and the other members of A Division, Berlin Homicide are called in to investigate the deaths of several actresses who are transitioning from silent to talking movies. 


As with the first novel in the series, Babylon Berlin, the narrative twists and turns so that you are not sure who or why the murders have been committed right until the end of the novel. Volker Kutscher manages intertwine several interesting sub-plots which adds to the narrative.


Silent Death is a great listen, it's one of the few books I've read from cover in in sitting - truly excellent. Mark Meadows does a great job if narration

Silent Death is a really enjoyable listen

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Great story and the narration and characterisation is first rate which makes the story real.

Thoroughly Gripping

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A great read (listen), complex and intriguing, and very well read. Happy to recommend to all those who enjoy period crime thrillers.

excellent read

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The Gereon Rath series by Volker Kutscher is truly excellent - a great addition to the detective genre. Aside from the fully realised characters, the stories are full of surprises and beautifully drawn by the author which are perfectly expressed by the wonderful narration of Mark Meadows. Onwards to the next in the series.

Gereon Rath is a great invention.

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The book is a little above the average police thriller but main character is a stark idiot who doesn’t have any respect for the job he is doing and who thinks the ends justify the means. He puts his and the lives of others in danger, he puts the due process in danger and all the other kinds of bad boyness...

I guess since the late 80s, we have been exposed to such characters that the Rath character feels very cartoonish and predictable.

If only no one has seen Lethal Weapon...

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