In the late summer of 1938, as a sweltering heat wave grips Berlin and the shadow of the Munich conference looms, private investigator Bernie Gunther finds himself caught between two dangerous cases. The story, titled (or The Pale Criminal ), follows Gunther as he is initially hired by a wealthy publishing heiress, Frau Lange, to find a blackmailer threatening her son over his homosexual lifestyle—a dangerous secret in Nazi Germany.

However, Gunther’s past catches up with him when the (Berlin’s criminal police) forces him back into service to hunt a depraved serial killer who is methodically murdering teenage Aryan girls. Key Plot Elements

: What begins as a search for a lone madman reveals a chilling conspiracy involving high-ranking SS officials intent on fueling racial hatred.

: The killer’s gruesome methods mimic anti-Semitic blood libels, leading Gunther into the darkest occult subcultures of the Nazi party.

Information on where to find the or paperback editions at retailers like Blackwell's or Biblio ? The Pale Criminal - The Bernie Gunther Books

If you are interested in exploring more of Bernie Gunther's cases, Details on the first book, ?