Olen Steinhauer Victory Square

Victory Square

Olen Steinhauer

St. Martin's, Aug 2007, $24.95

ISBN: 9780312369712

In 1989 in an Eastern Europe Communist nation, former homicide inspector Emil Brod is the Chief of the People's Militia counting down the days until he can retire; three days to go. However, the worst that could happen occurs. He must investigate the suspicious death of Lieutenant General Yuri Kolev, who appeared to have died from cardiac arrest.

However the autopsy revealed lethal amounts of substances in the victim's blood and his vehicle contained a flier that implies a pro-democracy group may have murdered Kolev. As Brod makes inquires into the death of Kolev, he finds links to comrades who may be killers and enemies still holding grudges from the beginning of the Cold War when he naively yet successfully arrested a revolutionary leader.

Apparently the last tale of a five book police procedural, VICTORY SQUARE is a superb whodunit at a time just after the wall came tumbling down and before the Soviet Union collapses. The story line is fast-paced as Brod's present investigation leads him back to one of his first cases back in the 1940s as chaos and competition to rule swamp the country, the cops, and the citizens occurs. Olen Steinhauer provides a great finish as he completes his historical sweep with the final steps of the LIBERATION MOVEMENTS.

Harriet Klausner