Novel set in EUROPE pre and post WW2

6th January 2026

Berlin Duet by S W Perry, novel set in Europe pre and post WW2

The novel opens in France in 1942 when the Germans are de facto running the country and there is a great sense of tension as Harry Taverner, an English spy, is trying to keep Anna Cantrell safe. He is her handler They are in the maquis overlooking her house from the Spanish border and a couple of black Citroens arrive, clearly a sign of impending danger for the residents of the house. She is to all intents and purposes an American but she has Jewish heritage, which puts her in considerable danger. In that building is her mother Marion, there are also 2 children from her marriage to Ivo (to whom she is still married). The men in the car seem to shoot Marion and take the children.

Then the story flies forward to the evening of the 9 November 1989, just as the Berlin Wall is crumbling and the “Ossis” – the East Germans – are barrelling through to the West. Taverner is now an old man in Berlin, struggling with this earth-shattering change in the city’s dynamic, negotiating in confusion his way to the Adlon (which has long since stopped operating as a hotel and is in a derelict condition) and his daughter, who also happens to be in the city at this momentous time, comes to his rescue. Much of the story is told retrospectively, which is well handled, filling in details as the overall story builds.

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This is essentially a love story set against the seismic period of WW2, as it rages across Europe and of its aftermath. It is intelligently put together, with a tremendous sense of in-depth research. The inclusion of German words and phrases to add a sense of immediacy and authenticity was going so well, but then it is clear the editing took a nose-dive: Sudbahnoff should be Südbahnhof (p68 HB), Tagel on p 415 of the HB edition should be Tegel, Ernst von Rath should be Ernst vom Rath….SO much effort has gone into this volume, how can this happen? It undermines the integrity of the historical portrayal, leaving questions over the whole product. This happens far too often in the publishing industry and, simply, a quick glance by a native speaker would mitigate such errors.

There is certainly atmosphere and a deep sense of history in this novel but the persistent linguistic errors prove to be quite annoying. A good read nevertheless.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

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