Thank you Netgalley for the free review copy. Unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of this one, I'm not totally police procedural fiction unless its really good.
Was well written though

A clever and original novel. Through the historical fiction set against the more sinister aspects of the former Communist state of East Germany the author is able to raise contemporary issues in a unique way.
David Young writes with insight and fictional liberty to combine fact with what ifs and challenge political assumptions and reveal policing in a conflicted state.
Young’s brilliant detective is female, not so unusual in this socialist regime but deemed too young and inexperienced, placed under duress further by being over-promoted and set up for a crash.
Unfortunately she has the heart and mind of a thorough investigator, she cannot by sidetracked or silenced. So the secret police desiring an unopposed approach to law and order through fear and threat have a strong adversary believing in justice and truth.
This is played out cleverly as Karin Müller is at heart a loyal socialist and faithful public servant.
In this case she is confronted by the Stasi riding rough shod over personal choice and morality to advance the state goals to the detriment of individual freedom and political fair play.
Interwoven into this compelling plot is the tension of one of their own, being potentially caught up in the conspiracy and life being in grave danger.
I loved the writing as in the previous 2 books in this series. I would happily have given it a higher rating but for the confusing chronological sequencing which at times made for a confusing and disruptive reading experience. However, I am sure when I re-read this novel the quality of the author’s skill and accomplishment will shine through. I look with increased anticipation to book 4 as Karin life becomes more confusing and uncertain even as she discovers her own upbringing. You feel revelations are coming and you worry for this courageous woman and loving mother.

Hi Karen,

My next review is as follows:-

"A Darker State:A Gripping Cold War Thriller Perfect For Fans Of Robert Harris"written by David Young and published in Paperback by Zaffre (8 Feb. 2018) 384 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1785760709

What an absolutely mind-blowing story. This is the third novel in a police procedural series about an East German woman Police detective working in East Berlin in the 1970’s.

The body of a teenage boy is found weighted down in a lake. Oberleutnant Karin Müller, newly appointed Major of the People's Police, is called to investigate. But her power will only stretch so far, when every move she makes is under the watchful eye of the Stasi.

Then, when the son of Müller's team member goes missing, it quickly becomes clear that there is a terrifying conspiracy at the heart of this case, one that could quickly lead Müller and her young family into real danger.
Although this is the third in a series, it is not necessary to read the previous two books as it will not spoil your reading of this one, it is very much stand alone. The characters are introduced to you in such a way that you get to know them without it being mostly spent rehashing previous stories. There are some throwbacks to those books scattered throughout but more in the way of the main protagonist, Karin Muller's, thoughts about similarities to previous crimes than anything else.

Struggling to reconcile her life as a mother of 6 month old twins, her fracturing relationship with their father Emil, her new promotion to Major and subsequent heading up of a specialist detective unit Karin has enough going on without the constant impinging of the Stasi. She knows her home life is blatantly spied upon and that they will interfere at every level of her investigation but she still tries to seek out truth.

This book keeps well away from the East Is Bad but West Is Good theme so beloved of this sort of genre. Instead they are what they are but the people are the same no matter which side of the Anti-Fascist Barriers they fall on.

The flow of the tale is very good and the plot unfolds in real time, and flashback, in such a way that you do keep turning those pages. Be it Karin's struggles at home, her doubts about Tilsner and her dubious relationship with the Stasi hierarchy; you want to know it all.

I really enjoyed this book but more as a one off than any real investment in the people and places. It is well written and researched and gripped me right through until the final pages.and I'll look forward to the next in the series.

All the characters are richly described and full of life. The plot with it's dramatic twists and turns often kept me reading far longer than I intended. I was completely transfixed and kept guessing until the final page. Extremely highly recommended.

Best wishes,

Terry
(To be published on eurocrime,co.uk in due course)

Contains mild spoilers, mainly about things that happen right at the beginning of the novel.

If David Young has ever been accused of giving East Germany the benefit of the doubt, A Darker State provides a clear response. Markus, the only character in the novel to have their thoughts expressed in the first person, says, towards the end of the book,

What an awful, rotten country ours has become. Was there ever a dirtier, darker, more disgusting state, ruled by liars and criminals?

Markus says this with some justification. What was done to him is unspeakable and inhumane, and carries on a line of science explored by the Nazis. But Young isn’t making a partisan point: he explores the difference between a social liberalism encouraged by a regime for political purposes and the reality of a public conservatism riddled with homophobia. And the research is being bankrolled by a murky right-wing American organisation. There’s a huge moral bankruptcy, but it exists on all sides.

Meanwhile, the excellently-drawn Karin Müller is herself compromised. Karin believes that the DDR should be a power for good, but she accepts a double promotion and an apartment that she knows she doesn’t really deserve, only to attempt to investigate someone who is even better connected. But Karin is forced to explore where her own moral line is drawn. She is an excellent protagonist: principled without being priggish, strong yet pragmatic. We want her to succeed, both in her home life and in her police work. Incidentally, her devotion to her vocation is far stronger than to her state.

If you read my review of Stasi Wolf, you’ll know that I was concerned about whether or not its attraction lay in its portrayal of an ‘other’. David Young does a good job in capturing some of the complexities of East German life. But let’s not forget that this is a police procedural, so how does it fare?

Without revealing too much, I think it’s strong. Layer by layer, the murder is unveiled. This is no locked room mystery; there are plenty of red herrings and characters that flit in and out. There is a strong supporting cast to Müller: Jäger, the shadowy and ambiguous Stasi contact, Tilsner, the procedurally-reliable but perhaps ambiguous sidekick, Emil, the stroppy and somewhat ambiguous partner, all return but we have some new friends too, such as a politician from the West, who is, let’s say, ambiguous. There’s a little bit of split-timing, with a few six-months-previouslies, and that works really well for keeping the reader in suspense. It is quite filmic (it that’s the right word) in its approach with a chase that would make an excellent scene in Bond movie, and has an excellent final twist and dramatic scene that rounds off the novel well, with a small coda that helps Young avoid any accusations of melodrama.

A Darker State is something that the DDR failed to be: an honest broker. It presents a situation that’s thought provoking and challenging, and it has something to say. But it never forgets that it has to be a gripping story well told. I’m looking forward greatly to the next instalment of the series.

A Darker Place may be the third in the Karin Müller series but it stands on its own feet and can be read on its own. It is crammed full of intrigue and deception and is so densely plotted that you wonder how David Young has kept such a tight hold on the narrative. It is great story telling, with the environment and characters all woven together. I loved how you could feel Karin's apprehension as she pulled her coat closer against the cold. You can almost taste the chill.


Karin is a great character with lots of layers. A recent mother, she shows us all her guilt about choosing to return to work and I am sure there is more to find out about her in future books. You see her relative to the other people in her life as she works her way through the investigation so she feels like a fully rounded individual.


You also get a sense of what it must have been like to live through the 1970's in East Germany. Not knowing who could be trusted, there seems to be constant, covert surveillance which is taken as normal. It was great to try to decipher who I thought could be living a double life and what their motives might be. There are a few shocks at the end, one in particular that I did not see coming and which sets up the next in the series, nicely.


In short: historical fiction full of character, tension and atmosphere.

Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

I had been looking forward to getting my hands on "A Darker State" (which is the third book in the Karin Müller series) after reading the author's previous books - Stasi Child and Stasi Wolf. The author is someone you know will give you a book to remember and the detail in his work is evident and for me it makes them even more enjoyable as they are very realistic, you really do feel as though you have been transported back to the DDR as you read on.

This book is darker than the previous two works but it works very well. You really feel for Karin in this book as she is torn between her home life and her baby twins and a new promotion to the role as Major of the People's Police and she is really put through the emotional ringer. There are quite a few tough scenes in the book and a couple of real shocks that you can tell will impact Karin and her team going forward. Karin really is an excellent character and the writing style really brings her character alive with her passion and determination.

To get the best out of the book I do recommend that you read the others in the series as they do run on (and if you haven't read them there are potential spoilers) but if you are just looking to read just one, this is fine as a standalone as the back story is covered. This is a great addition to the series and I am really looking forward to seeing how Karin handles everything the author has thrown at her in this book going forward! She is one tough lady!!

4.5 stars from me rounded up to 5 stars for Amazon and Goodreads! Very highly recommended and a very enjoyable read!

A Darker State by David Young

East German police detective Karin Müller is given an offer that is very hard to refuse. In return for running a serious crime unit, liaising with the Stasi when appropriate, she will be promoted to Major of the East German People’s Police, a jump of two ranks, and given a luxurious apartment for herself, her mother, boyfriend and their baby twins. It comes with a price. Her maternity leave will be cut short and her mother will spend more time with her babies than she will. The reality of this hits almost immediately when Müller and her partner Tilsner, likewise promoted, are sent close to the Polish border where the body of a teenage boy has been found weighted down in a lake.

This isn’t the only crime to test Müller. Markus, the son of one of her team members, is also missing and it’s clear that the Stasi are keeping a close watch on the case. Müller soon realises that she is caught up in a conspiracy and it will take all of her skill to disentangle herself. The future of her own family is at stake.

A Darker State is the third novel in David Young’s Karin Müller series, a series that I have loved from its beginning. It is set during a most fascinating time and place in modern European history – East Germany in the 1970s, during the Cold War. The West looms beyond the Wall (or the Anti-Fascist Barrier as it was known on the eastern side), a temptation to some, the epitome of immoral decadence to others. David Young’s research into the time and place is clearly considerable and his insight and knowledge can be seen on every page. But because he’s the very fine writer that he is, he carries his learning lightly. It doesn’t interfere with the narrative or the pace of the plot, but it most certainly enriches both.

One of the things I really love about these books is that Karin Müller is depicted as being comfortable in her skin. She has considerable issues with the Stasi, who have actually endangered her at times (we feel that perhaps she is ignorant of the true extent of their influence and power), and she deplores some other aspects of her life in the East, but she is an East German to her heart. She believes in its Communist ideals, she deplores the lack of social care and responsibility for the old and poor in the West. There is no right and wrong here, no black or white. Except for one thing – the Stasi. And even they, or at least individuals, are more complex than might first appear.

A Darker State has such a strong plot. The novels in this series always do. And it’s so interesting watching their investigation with 1970s’ police techniques, quite apart from the interference of the Stasi. As usual, it is also an emotional case. Vulnerable young people are its victims. Müller is such a developed individual – she feels the suffering. She’s tough, she has to be, but she cares. Her assistant Tilsner is an enigmatic character, embodying the novel’s sense that not everybody is to be trusted. As a result his relationship with Karin is particularly rich.

This is fascinating historical fiction, just as it’s also gripping crime fiction. Its sense of place and time are second to none. When I read one of David Young’s books, I feel completely immersed in it, even more so because of the quality of the characterisation and the empathy that the author feels for these people. The fact that A Darker State is also such a pageturner doesn’t hurt in the least! If you haven’t read this series before than A Darker State can definitely be read as a stand alone, but I certainly suggest that you give yourself a treat and also read Müller’s first case, Stasi Child and its excellent successor Stasi Wolf.

Other reviews
Stasi Child
Stasi Wolf

Wow David Young does it again. This the third in the Karin Muller series is gripping. The son of Jonas Schmitt goes missing. Muller and her assistant Told her are asked to find him. However as usual they are stumped by the Stasi. There is a web of intrigue as the reader is never quite sure who is on which side. Add in the West German minister and the intrigue deepens. Can't wait for book 4.

I've read all of David Young's Karin Muller novels and I really enjoy picking up each new one to see how Muller's life and career have progressed.

A Darker State finds Muller settling down to family life and on the cusp of promotion with a the offer of a new flat, bigger salary and all the benefits of moving up the professional ladder. The case she's handed is a strange on - a body that's not easily identifiable but soon links back to the gay underground. Unfortunately, as with all aspects of East German life, the state is somehow involved and there's an unlterior motive to that involvement.

There are also links in teh novel to true events - where western pharmaceutical companies were commissioning clinical trials of new drugs in East Germany, with East German citizens as the unwitting subjects. of the trials. The state run honeytraps involving gay men, ensnaring Westerners also has links to actual events.

What did I think? Fab. I've always found myself engrossed in David Young's Muller novels and A Darker State more than lived up to my high expectations - I read it over two evenings - the second evening not going to sleep until well after midnight,

Highly recommended - as I would all the books in the series

I am on the fence with this book.
I thought that it would have been easier to follow but because of the references to cold war politics it was a very hard read.
I did not enjoy it and did not finish it a big let down.

Excellent and compelling crime novel with the added bonus of being set in the former East Germany.

This is episode 3 of this fascinating police procedural, however each book works as a standalone.

What sets it apart from others is the unusual location, combined with the ideology, bureaucracy and secrecy that Oberleutnant Karin Müller and her team have to deal with

In this story Müller has been promoted to run a serious crimes unit and quickly has a difficult case on the border with Poland.

This story lives up to it's title, showing a darker side of the GDR that challenges Karin's belief in the GDR and her personal loyalties as well as the looming influence of the Stasi blocking enquiries and influencing the investigation. There's various different timelines at play here, so you need to keep your wits about you, but I found this a real page turner.

David Young knows East Germany well. There’s some great details that would appear insignificant to many not familiar with the period or the politics. As a result the book portrays a fascinating landscape where David Young’s research captures well the feel (and the smell!) of 1970’s East Germany. It's well worth reading his notes at the end about how the book developed and his research.

However, it's worth not losing sight that it’s also a great crime novel with a richly detailed and complex female lead. According to David he's contracted for another two books and I’m very much looking forward to the further adventures of Karin Müller.

If you like police procedurals, strong female characters, along with an Orwellian landscape then I recommend this.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for an advance copy of A Darker State, the third police procedural to feature newly promoted Major Karin Müller of the East German police, set in 1976.

Karin is on maternity leave when she is asked to head up the Serious Crime Department, the police's answer to losing too many cases to the Stasi, in return for a promotion and a bigger flat. Her new job starts immediately when she is asked to look into the murder of a young man who has been found in a lake and whose disappearance has much in common with that of her team's forensic specialist's son, Markus Schmidt. The investigation takes her and her deputy, Werner Tilsner, into dark places and entanglements with the Stasi.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Darker State which is a complex novel, not in terms of understanding the plot but in terms of trying to understand the characters' allegiances and the shifting political sands of Cold War politics as practised in the German Democratic Republic. The title is a bit of a give away as this is a much darker novel than its predecessors with the sinister nature and actions of the Stasi being given more emphasis. It may be that younger readers will find the plot farfetched and unrealistic but having lived through the Cold War and its paranoia I have no problem in accepting it as plausible and wouldn't be surprised if it were grounded in fact.

I am impressed with Mr Young's research which is detailed and captures the Zeitgeist perfectly. The pervasiveness of Stasi influence on the country's inhabitants and the accompanying paranoia cannot be understated and Mr Young successfully passes this on in the novel. I found it difficult at times to understand their machinations and goals but I rather think this is the point.

I'm beginning to feel sorry for Karin Müller, or poor Karin as I now see her. She can't catch a break in her investigation, being stymied at every turn by the Stasi and their imperatives, and, despite the birth of her longed for twins her personal life is a mess and about to get worse in the next novel if I've read the hints correctly. Even her promotion is a poisoned chalice as it brings her into conflict with the all powerful Stasi. Yet she is a great protagonist, smart, gutsy and determined. It would be nice to see something go well for her but it's unlikely in the setting.

The novel mostly has a linear third person narrative but is interspersed with first person accounts of the preceding few months from the missing Markus Schmidt. I found the jumping about distracting but useful as it gives the reader a clearer picture of the background to the investigation.

A Darker State is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Great book. Really enjoyed the exciting plot with its many twists and strong characters. It has me hooked from the first page. Loved it. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and David Young for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.