Sarda commands readers’ attention with energized prose, snapping the world and its characters into unflinching focus and presenting a gnarly, atmospheric mosaic of a Hamburg where everybody, as Edda reflects, “knew the difference between an insider and an outsider. And nobody liked the cops.” There’s a lived-in sense to everything (and everyone), where even the idlest of background figures feel less like set dressing and more like essential denizens in their own right. It’s an impressive weaving of vitality and messy humanity.
As a Californian living and working in Hamburg, Sarda leverages his perspective in crafting a striking vision of a “rugged harbor town… with a robust and colorful criminal underworld.” From the WWII-era bunker Edda calls home to the Blankenese foothills overlooking the container islands in the harbor, there is a palpable vein of history pumping beneath the concrete skin of Sarda’s Hamburg to match the beating hearts of his cast. Shuddering with vibrant immersion, Edda Green practically muscles its lesser parts into working order, culminating in the kind of engaging, street-level crime fiction noir fans crave.
Takeaway: A vibrant, muscular neo-noir, alive with magnetic characters and a vivid Hamburg.
Comparable Titles: Andrew Warren’s Cold Kill, Nic Saint’s A Field of Blood.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B
