The Sleepwalkers

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

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 25, 2010
Grossman's intriguing debut, set in 1932 during the Weimar Republic's last days, is given a strong dramatic rendition by Christian Contreras, assisted by his vast range of unique, credible German accents including boisterous full-throated aristocrats, cynical prostitutes, and sinister Nazis. His interpretation of the noir's protagonist is particularly on target. High-ranking Berlin policeman Willi Kraus, once considered the country's greatest detective, is a little late in realizing that his crime-solving expertise won't save him from the fate of being a Jew once Hitler is in power. Instead of following his family to safety, he remains focused on solving the murder of a young woman whose legs had been surgically deformed. But as the mood of the country darkens and his investigation turns political, he feels a new sense of vulnerability. Contreras provides the sleuth with a measured, thoughtful voice at first, slowly shifting to one filled with uncertainty, which, at several crucial moments, splinters with panic. A St. Martin's hardcover (Reviews, July 19).