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Blasted Heath, July 2012
Based on a true crime -- the unsolved brutal murder of Düsseldorf prostitute Emma Gross -- and the story of notorious serial killer Peter Kurten -- the so-called 'Vampire of Düsseldorf' -- The Killing of Emma Gross is a gripping police thriller set during the dying days of Weimar Republic Germany.
Detective Thomas Klein's career is going nowhere until he gets a tip-off leading to the Ripper's arrest.
But the killer's confession to the hooker's murder is full of holes, and Klein soon comes to believe this is one murder the killer didn't commit.
Motivated by spite, ambition, or maybe even a long-buried sense of justice, finding out who really killed Emma Gross becomes Klein's obsession.
Particularly when the evidence begins to point closer to home…
Part historical police procedural, part true crime thriller, The Killing of Emma Gross will particularly appeal to fans of Philip Kerr (the Bernie Gunther novels) and Andrea Maria Schenkel (The Murder Farm). Fans of Child 44, James Ellroy’s LA Quartet and Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin novels are also in for a treat. As is anyone else hankering for a damn good mystery.
"One of the highlights of my holiday reading"
– Stuart MacBride, author of Birthdays For The Dead
"I read it in one sitting. It's brilliant: tough, unsentimental, humane and intelligent, and Seaman wears his considerable learning lightly."
– Ruth Dudley Edwards, author of Murdering Americans
"…a fast-paced novel that delves into the dark heart of Weimar Germany. A page-turner that gripped me from start to finish."
– William Ryan, author of The Holy Thief
"... a magnificently dark crime novel with an unusual setting, full of energy and immediacy. A powerful tale, expertly told, that brings 1920s Germany vividly to life."
– Quentin Bates, author of the Detective Gunnhildur series of Icelandic police procedurals.
"Damien Seaman has written one of the best first novels I've read. An immediate clazzic."
– Tony Black, author of Murder Mile
"... a book with quality written all over it ... a fascinating puzzle, a plotline that zips along and prose where not a word is wasted ... an excellent read. Highly recommended."
– Crimesquad
"A great historical police procedural … every appearance of Kurten on the page sent a shiver down my spine … the fictional element is wonderful and full of heart. I loved it."
– Donna Moore, author of Old Dogs
“The Killing of Emma Gross, based on true events, tells the story of a police detective who gets dragged into a high-profile serial-killer case and ends up shunning the limelight to solve the neglected murder of a prostitute instead.
“Set in 1930s Düsseldorf against the backdrop of a country teetering into madness, at heart the novel explores how the meanest motivations can still lead to noble acts, while the noblest intentions can lead to disaster.
“It should appeal to readers interested in the 1920s and 30s, police procedurals or German history. It also features a detailed and accurate timeline of real events for true crime buffs with an interest in the Kurten case.”
A former journalist, editor, parliamentary assistant, financial analyst, factory worker and security guard, Damien has dabbled in petty smuggling, baboon-whispering, scuba diving and sunbathing, with varying levels of success.
He has lived in Belgium, Germany and Libya, spent probably more time than was healthy visiting Kuwait, and currently resides in the county of Shakespeare’s birth.
He also has a fear of camels, but he doesn't like to talk about it.
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