Intelligent, gripping and atmospheric - Rated 
The seeker of espionage thrills and spills may need to look elsewhere. But where this writer excels is in creating the daily atmosphere of pre-war Germany, and especially Berlin, which serves to grip entirely on its own. I doubt if any modern writer has combined the chilling with the everyday as effectively as David Downing, whether it be the smiling blonde receptionist at Gestapo headquarters or the innocent roadside signposts to the the local concentration camp, devoid of any meaning to ordinary Berliners.
As for the story itself I found it beautifully constructed, the 'in-too-deep' clamminess of its protagonist, John Russell, a domiciled English journalist, all too believable. It's also enhanced by the relationship with his delightful girlfriend, as well as the obvious devotion to his German-born son. In fact Russell's slight unease with his son's Nazi-youth activities is perfectly pitched and Downing rightly resists any grandstanding from the vantage-point of hindsight. On the other hand, Russell is completely aware of the impending catastrophe for Germany's Jews, with each new 'law' inevitably bringing the attempted extermination ever closer. Downing doesn't miss a trick here either; the two Jewish girls that Russell has been teaching delightedly rush out to buy a box of cream cakes from a baker's "that still sold to Jews".
This is a fine and atmospheric thriller from a sensitive and thoughtful writer. How far away it all is from the turgidness of Joseph Kanon's 'The Good German' (see my other review). But it was almost worth enduring that book to get to this one. Carry on, David Downing, because this is how it should be done.
Very very good read - Rated 
I bought this book on a 2 for 3 in Waterstones (so if it was rubbish it hadn't cost me anything) impulse and enjoyed it so much I have just been out and bought the second instalment of what is going to be a trilogy.
It is a mixture of spy novel and exploration of what it must have felt like to be a non-German living in Germany in the immediate run-up to the Second World War. The main character is a journalist with a foreign passport - so the means to escape the Nazis - being simultaneously sought as a spy by Germany, Britain and Russia. He is also, however, a compassionate individual dealing with all sides of the situation and sometimes compromising his ideals to both protect those he cares about and resist the impending crisis he can see looming.
Downing manages through the eyes of this character - an Englishman called John Russell - to create a powerful sense of disorientation and of a shifting moral landscape - while at the same time telling a story which keeps you turning the pages.
Excellent read - highly recommended to both fans of spy novels and those with an interest in how the Nazi (or any other repressive state) could come into being.
lots of period research, but little or no tension - Rated 
As some other reviewers have noted, there's a wealth of period detail - you almost get a street-by-street, shop-by-shop description of journalist hero Russell's walks through Berlin at times - which is all well and good, but it does feel a little overdone, and there's a distinct lack of tension : it's no thriller.
And considering that Russell gets recruited by the NKVD, the SD and MI6 within the space of a few days, there should have been ample scope to ratchet up the tension, but it never does, and you never feel that the hero's in any danger at any time - even when he's meeting his NKVD contact, smuggling plans across borders, or trying to save the standard Jewish family in danger from the standard nasty Nazis... (I wonder if any writer will ever break the mould and include a Jewish family in danger that isn't wonderfully decent and admirably brave? How about an obnoxious and imperfect one for a change?)
Despite the lack of thrills, bland characterisation and slow pacing it would still satisfy the reader with an interest in the period, but it's no challenge to Alan Furst, Robert Harris or Philip Kerr.
Sloppy - Rated
Yes, Downing captured the pre-war atmosphere quite well. Not much of a thriller though. Where is the "skin-deep glitter" the blurp promises? What I found very annoying are the many mistakes in the German. Some might think that's hardly worth mentioning. However, considering that Downing insists on peppering his text with the names of streets and squares and parts of the city and also considering that the main character is supposed to speak German like a native I'm astounded that he didn't invest a bit more care in copying all those names from whatever map he was using, consistently and without frequent spelling mistakes.
Atmospheric and entertaining. - Rated
I broadly agree with other reviewers,in finding this a well researched and atmospheric tale which was plausible and yet maintained sufficient tension to propel the reader forward.
In particular,the author has restrained himself well from the melodrama and sentimentality which might have attached themselves to such a tragic period of history.He has,additionally,avoided the easiest cliches,and his re-creation of Berlin is well judged.
As with many modern thrillers,one is always aware of the author having an eye on the screen rights,and the cinematic nature of his scene-setting is obvious ,but adds to the easy enjoyment of the novel.
Thoroughly entertaining,very well paced,and recommended for Kerr,Kanon,and Furst fans.
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