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  • March Violets

  • Written by: Philip Kerr
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (31 ratings)

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March Violets cover art

March Violets

Written by: Philip Kerr
Narrated by: John Lee
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Publisher's Summary

Hailed by Salman Rushdie as a “brilliantly innovative thriller-writer,” Philip Kerr is the creator of taut, gripping, noir-tinged mysteries set in Nazi-era Berlin that are nothing short of spellbinding. The first book of the Berlin Noir trilogy, March Violets introduces listeners to Bernie Gunther, an ex-policeman who thought he’d seen everything on the streets of 1930s Berlin - until he turned freelance and each case he tackled sucked him further into the grisly excesses of Nazi subculture. Hard-hitting, fast-paced, and richly detailed, March Violets is noir listening at its best and blackest. 

“Echoes of Raymond Chandler but better on his vivid and well-researched detail than the master” (Evening Standard)

©2008 Philip Kerr (P)2008 Books on Tape

What the critics say

"The brutality and corruption of Nazi Germany serve as the backdrop for this impressive debut mystery novel. Scottish-born Kerr re-creates the period accurately and with verve; the novel reeks of the sordid decade that saw Hitler's rise to power." (Publishers Weekly

"Echoes of Raymond Chandler, but better on his vivid and well-researched detail than the master." (Evening Standard, London) 

What listeners say about March Violets

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Graphic rape and mediocre story

the premise is interesting but it reads like it was written in the 50s. the main character isn't relatable, all women are just objects and the most detail was in the sex and rape scenes. I won't be listening to the next one. the narrator was great but he could only do so much

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great listen!

New still to audiobooks and not much of a bookworm to begin with but the story was very interesting and not so much detail to give "Every blade of grass a back-story" but just enough to get the idea.
Heard about the series from Smartless podcast and will listen to more.

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No Your Recommenders

After listening to a conversation that Will Arnett and Tom Hanks were having about Phillip Kerr’s novels I was excited to give him a try. I found the humour to be great and apart from that the book was more of a sleezy piece of erotica with violence and a descriptive rape scene that was disturbing and unnecessary. Not a novel that I will recommend

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Mediocre

I've had his books recommended on more than one occasion. I only hope that this, as the first in the Berlin series, is a still early feeling his way effort . I'll try slayer effort before giving up on him.

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