David Youngs Stasi Series is fast becoming a favourite of mine. Painstakingly researched, the attention to period detail makes it feels so authentic, a powerful portrayal of life in a surveillance state. The paranoia and fear felt by all sections of East German society is tangible. Anyone with even a passing interest in the DDR will find this utterly captivating. Karen Muller is a strong lead character, a flawed but genius detective fighting crime and the machinations of the state. A Darker State is the third in the series after “Stasi Child” & “Stasi Wolf” both of which where devoured in a few sittings. I look forward to reading the next instalment.