I haven't read any of the other "Stasi" books, or any of those by David Young for that matter. But I know for sure that I will be doing both from now on.
The situation in 1978 East Germany is that of paranoia, and rightfully so; reading this book, it could so very easily be a dystopian fiction novel, rather than one based in a recent time period of a European country. This is the marvel of historical fiction, being both a history lesson and a mystery at the same time.
David Young has captured the period with terrifying accuracy, leaving you feeling on edge and looking over your shoulder after reading chunks of the book, sinking so deep into the time period that you can only expect the same treatment and plots we see happening withing these chapters.
On the back of the book, three newspapers refer to the book as "masterful", "excellent" and "chilling". I can't think of a better way to describe it.
The situation in 1978 East Germany is that of paranoia, and rightfully so; reading this book, it could so very easily be a dystopian fiction novel, rather than one based in a recent time period of a European country. This is the marvel of historical fiction, being both a history lesson and a mystery at the same time.
David Young has captured the period with terrifying accuracy, leaving you feeling on edge and looking over your shoulder after reading chunks of the book, sinking so deep into the time period that you can only expect the same treatment and plots we see happening withing these chapters.
On the back of the book, three newspapers refer to the book as "masterful", "excellent" and "chilling". I can't think of a better way to describe it.