The Sleepwalkers

Paul Grossman's debut novel brims with quiet tension as Inspector Willi Krauss investigates a missing persons case in 1932 Berlin. A Jewish-German war hero, Krauss refuses to back down as pro-Nazi forces take root in the nation. The closer he gets to solving the mystery, the more dangerous things become. Grossman does a fine job setting the scene for the genesis of Nazism. As Krauss wends his way through his investigation, Christian Contreras weaves the voices of assorted relatives, associates, and opposing forces. He gives Krauss a patient voice that reflects his dogged personality, and for the woman Krauss falls for he delivers a flighty tone. A well-done historical piece. M.B. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

July 19, 2010
Set in Germany in the fall of 1932, Grossman's less than stunning debut features Berlin police detective Willi Krauss, who's become a minor celebrity, despite being Jewish, after cracking the notorious Child Eater case. As the Nazis plot to gain control of the country, Krauss looks into the death of a beautiful young woman found floating in the River Spree with her head shaved and her fibulas surgically removed from one leg and replanted in the other. Meanwhile, the Weimar republic's president, Gen. Paul von Hindenberg, orders the policeman to work on another case, the disappearance of a Bulgarian princess. Though the author does a decent job of conveying the atmosphere of fear as Hitler manipulates his way to power, clichéd plot elements, such as a hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold love interest for his hero, undercut his efforts at realism. Given the inherent lack of suspense (Krauss's detecting won't prevent the Nazis from succeeding), Grossman doesn't adequately compensate with complex characterizations.

March 1, 2011

Grossman's first book, set in the powder keg of 1932 Berlin, follows Jewish detective Willi Kraus as he investigates a series of heinous experimental medical mutilations. The deeper he delves, the more Nazi-generated nastiness is revealed, including the hypnosis-induced disappearance of the titular sleepwalkers. As the Nazis sweep to power, the formerly prestigious Willi loses progressively higher-stakes gambits in the halls of power; the ugliness gets personal when his girlfriend vanishes. While Grossman's descriptive prowess offers a thoroughly enjoyable look at Berlin's physical geography and cultural depravity, it can't overcome the story's shifting focus. Also, actor Christian Contreras (www.christiancontreras.com) reads the dialog in a thick "Cherman" accent, when his own natural Euro-tinged English would have sufficed. Recommended where interest warrants. [The St. Martin's hc received a starred review, LJ 7/10.--Ed.]--Douglas C. Lord, Connecticut State Lib., Middletown

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