The New Detective by Peter Steiner is the origin story of Willi Geismeier, a young German who decides to join the police force in the months leading up to World War I. Nineteen-year-old Willi shows great promise as a rookie detective in Munich’s police department. However, his career is abruptly interrupted when he is sent to fight in World War I. After narrowly surviving the horrors of the conflict, Willi returns to a Munich ravaged by the Spanish flu and social upheaval. He lost his first love and parents to the Spanish Flu. Despite these harrowing moments, he reintegrates into society and resumes his career as a detective.
The book has been praised for its rich historical context. Steiner managed to capture the essence of Munich during the troubling time between World War I and World War II. Readers are taken along to see Willi’s character development through all the grief and societal change. The depiction of Munich, struggling to recover from the devastations of war while grappling with the Spanish flu, is both vivid and haunting. Steiner’s portrayal of this period is meticulous, painting a picture of a city and a country on the brink of massive change.
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The case itself, in my opinion, is quite compelling. It is about corruption and theft in the health industry, including the theft of small doses of drugs. In the troubling time of the beginning of German superiority beliefs and how other races are considered inferior, I find some of the descriptions eerily mirror our society today. When you believe your own race is better than others, it is a straight path to hell. The public opinion was growing towards insanity, and political discourse was all about finding a scapegoat. But somehow, Willi is able to set that aside and be true to himself and his values.
Willi’s determination to pursue justice, even when faced with overwhelming odds, is inspiring. The challenges he encounters are not just from the criminals he seeks to apprehend but from the very society he is trying to protect. Political reasons were the challenges that Willi mostly met to solve his case. The guilty party are not only powerful, but also renown public figures. They have this creepy belief about their own moral superiority and are determined to distinguish between true Germans and those they consider inferior.
The New Detective is more of a noir thriller than a whodunit book. We know who the bad guy is quite early, but it is their connections and power that make them hard to get. You may fear for Willi’s life several times, but he survived and battle-hardened. Steiner does an excellent job of building tension, making readers genuinely worry about Willi’s safety as he navigates through dangerous political waters. The ideological and time frame explored in this book give a glimpse of what drove Germany from the losing party of World War I to be prepared for another war. The rise of extremist ideologies is depicted with chilling accuracy.
Steiner’s novel is not just a historical mystery; it is a reflection on the human condition and the cyclical nature of history. The themes of political corruption, racial superiority, and the fight for justice are as relevant today as they were a century ago.
Rating: 4 muse points. Willi Geismeier’s journey is one of resilience and determination. For readers who enjoy a blend of historical fiction and noir thrillers, The New Detective offers a compelling and thought-provoking read. It’s a stark reminder of how the past can often mirror the present, urging us to learn from history’s lessons.
Peter Steiner is the author of the critically acclaimed Louis Morgon series of crime novels. He is also a cartoonist for The New Yorker and is the creator of one of the most famous cartoons of the technological age which prompted the adage, ‘On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.’
