One of the most intriguing elements of David Young’s Karin Müller/Stasi series is the sense that the writer enjoys mixing it all up. Young takes moments from the DDR’s inglorious past, blends it with some artistic license and adds elements of police procedural. Sometimes he has tackled big subjects such as courage, fear and trust, at other times the central plot has taken centre stage. As a result, despite a fairly regular cast of characters, this is a series that never feels formulaic, and you start each instalment genuinely curious as to what’s in store.
There’s a big set piece action scene at the end (genuine heart-in-the-mouth stuff) but for me the highlight is the way in which Young gives us such an eerie atmosphere, contrasting so sharply with the location we got to know in Stasi Child.
There’s a big set piece action scene at the end (genuine heart-in-the-mouth stuff) but for me the highlight is the way in which Young gives us such an eerie atmosphere, contrasting so sharply with the location we got to know in Stasi Child.