Thu 17 Aug 2017
PHILIP KERR – Dead Meat. Mysterious Press, hardcover, 1994; paperback, 1995. First published in UK by Chatto, hardcover, 1993.
Kerr’s first three novels were about a German PO and set before, during, and after WWII, and his fourth was set in a futuristic England. Now he turns to the new Russia.
A militia investigator from Moscow is sent to St. Petersburg (née Leningrad) to learn more about dealing with the Russian Mafia, a conglomerate of multi-ethnic gangs becoming an ever-increasing force in Russia. The commander of the [militia] unit there is considered the best in the East at dealing with them. A prominent journalist is found murdered along with a Georgian gangster, and then a gang war breaks out.
As the investigator from Moscow and the Colonel from St. Petersburg delve into the mess they discover that things are not as they seem; but in Russia they never were.
I liked Kerr’s German trilogy, feeling that he did a superb job of capturing the spirit of the Germany of the times while creating a fine character in his weary PI. His next, A Philosophical Investigation, I thought an ambitious but thorough failure.
I’m in between on this one. The mixed first and third person narrative was erratic and somewhat confusing, and the Pasternak-quoting Colonel was the only vivid character, but the feel for post-glasnot Russia was excellent. I got the feeling that Kerr couldn’t decide upon his primary goal: paint a picture of a society, or tell a story.
It kept me reading, but it seemed more like a lengthy episode than a novel.
August 17th, 2017 at 10:34 pm
Not up to the best of Bernie Gunther.
August 17th, 2017 at 10:51 pm
Bernie Gunther was of course the PI Barry was referring to at the beginning of his review. There was the trilogy that came out at the beginning of his fictional career, between 1989 and 1991, then nothing from him was heard until 2006 and THE ONE FROM THE OTHER. Since then, a steady stream of new Gunther stories, now numbering 13 in all, or there will be, as of next year.