Stasi Wolf by David Young - Blog Tour review

I am delighted to be today's stop on the Blog Tour for Stasi Wolf by David Young. Stasi Wolf was published by Zaffre on 9 February 2017. Read on for my review...

Stasi Wolf
By David Young
Published by Zaffre (9 February 2017)
ISBN: 978-1785760686

Publisher's description

East Germany, 1975. Karin Müller, 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 Müller 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 . . .

My verdict
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.

This is the second book in his Karin Müller 'Stasi' series. It's not essential to read his first book, Stasi Child, before this one, as Stasi Wolf provides all the background you need. But I definitely think it's worth doing so - firstly, as an introduction to the characters and setting, but secondly, because it's highly enjoyable too.

Like the first book in the series, Stasi Wolf has a fascinating well-researched setting in terms of historical, social and political climate. The bleakness and claustrophobia of East Germany are very well described.

In Stasi Germany, it's difficult to conduct an investigation when everything has to be surrounded by secrecy. Yet detective Karin Müller isn't afraid to look outside the box and take risks, even against Stasi orders, to solve a case. She's a complex character, with her personal background developing as this series progresses, giving her an emotional side that often leads her to clash with her superiors.

In Stasi Wolf, Müller's case involves missing twins - which becomes very unsettling and very personal. As several plot strands gradually weave together to tie up loose ends, not only does this provide an insight into her past, but also raises questions about her future. I'm looking forward to David Young's next instalment.

I received an Advance Reader Copy.

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