The Pale Criminal Philip Kerr is a mystery book that brings together mystery, investigation, and suspense. The book is suited to readers who enjoy uncovering clues, following investigations, and piecing together unanswered questions.
The Pale Criminal by Philip Kerr is in the public domain, so you can read it online here in short, easy pages or save a copy for your phone, tablet or computer.
The second in the late Philip Kerr's iconic 'Berlin Noir' trilogy, The Pale Criminal sees detective Bernie Gunther return to hunt one of the most evil killers in human history. It is 1938 and Bernie Gunther is back on the mean streets of Berlin with his new partner, Bruno Stahlecker, another ex-police officer. But on a seemingly straightforward stakeout, Bruno is killed, and Bernie suddenly finds himself tapped for a much bigger job. A serial sex murderer is killing Aryan teenage girls in Berlin - and what's worse, he's making utter fools of the police. Gunther is forced to accept a temporary post in Obergruppenfuehrer Reinhard Heydrich's state Security Service, with a team of men underneath him tasked purely with hunting the killer. But can he trust his team any more than he can trust his superiors? An unflinching, fast-paced thriller exploring the grisly excesses of Nazi subculture, The Pale Criminal will be loved by fans of Robert Harris and Frederick Forsythe.
* 'For Christmas, I would like all of Philip Kerr's Berlin Noir novels.' Sam Mendes, Guardian * 'Blends high-powered storytelling with a rich piece of historical re-creation' Independent* * 'Kerr makes his star turns - Heydrich, Himmler, et al - eerily believable' The Times * 'Powerful period flavour; a gruff, subversive hero; Kerr delivers the good' Literary Review * 'Echoes of Raymond Chandler . . . vivid and well-researched' Evening Standard **
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About Philip Kerr
Philip Kerr was a British author best known for historical crime fiction, particularly the Bernie Gunther novels, which follow a Berlin detective through the political upheavals and moral dangers of twentieth-century Germany. His writing combines detective mysteries with detailed historical settings, dark humor, political tension, and questions about guilt, survival, and personal responsibility. Kerr's novels often place their protagonists in societies where institutions have become corrupt or violent, forcing them to decide how to navigate a world in which the law and justice are not always the same thing. Although he wrote across several genres, his reputation rests largely on his ability to bring crime fiction into close contact with European history. Readers who enjoy intelligent detective stories, morally complicated characters, and historically grounded suspense will find his work especially compelling.
Early Life and Career
Philip Kerr was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on February 22, 1956. He studied at the University of Birmingham and later worked in advertising and journalism before establishing himself as a novelist. His professional background gave him experience with persuasive language, public communication, and the construction of compelling narratives. He brought these skills to fiction, where the presentation of information and the reliability of appearances often play an important role.
Kerr published his first Bernie Gunther novel, March Violets, in 1989. The book introduced a detective working in Berlin during the Nazi period, a setting that allowed Kerr to combine the structure of a crime mystery with the political and ethical problems of a dictatorship. Rather than treating history as a static background, he made the political environment an active force that shapes the investigation and limits the protagonist's choices.
The Bernie Gunther Series
The Bernie Gunther novels are Kerr's most celebrated works. Bernie is a former police detective who often works as a private investigator and finds himself navigating a dangerous world of political corruption, organized crime, and state violence. He is intelligent, observant, cynical, and frequently sarcastic. His sharp humor helps him endure situations in which honesty can be dangerous and professional independence is difficult to maintain.
The first novel, March Violets, is set in Berlin in 1936, when the Nazi regime is consolidating its power. The title refers to people who opportunistically embraced the Nazi movement after its political success became clear. This historical reference illustrates Kerr's interest in the way ordinary ambition and social opportunism can become connected to authoritarian politics. The mystery leads Bernie into...Read More