Book Review: Operation Berlin By Michael Ridpath

It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Michael Ridpath and the blog tour for his book, Operation Berlin. 

In a city rebuilding from war, truth can be the most dangerous weapon of all.

Berlin, 1930.

Historian Archie Laverick, scarred mentally and physically by the Great War, travels to Berlin to research a famed Prussian general. His quiet study is shattered when he crosses paths with Esme Carmichael, a spirited young American intent on making her name as a foreign correspondent. When a shooting at a Saxon castle leaves a young Jewish woman accused of murder, Archie and Esme are drawn into a perilous hunt for the truth.

Their investigation cuts through the glittering façades and lingering scars of a nation still reeling from war – where resentment simmers, political alliances shift, and the first shadows of a new conflict fall across Europe. Amid whispers of blackmail and betrayal, the pair must navigate intrigue and danger to unmask a killer hiding in plain sight.

A tense, atmospheric mystery set in a world between wars – perfect for fans of Philip Kerr’s Berlin Trilogy, Robert Harris’s Fatherland, and Alan Furst’s spy novels.

*****

It’s 1930. Archie Laverick is heading to Berlin to do research for a book. The city is full of life, but the political landscape is forever changing. It is here that he meets his new assistant, Esme Carmichael, an American wanting to become a foreign correspondent. When a murder creates a load of questions, Archie and Esme begin to investigate and the more questions they ask, the more danger they find themselves in. Can they figure things out before someone else gets hurt?

I was pleased to be invited onto the blog tour for Operation Berlin, the latest novel by Michael Ridpath and the first instalment in the Foreign Correspondent series. I found the premise of this book interesting – crime mixed with historical fiction. Plus, it was my chance to discover a new author. New for me anyway.

This novel didn’t take long to grab me. By the end of the first chapter, I was hooked. The plot was revealed well and at a good pace. With it being the first book, it does take time developing the main characters, but this is nicely integrated into the narrative. Although the people are fiction, the book does a good job at capturing its setting. I got a feel for what it potentially felt like in 1930’s Berlin. Knowing what we know now about what happened in Germany in later years, the feeling evoked a sense of foreboding which added suspense and tension to a brilliantly thought-out mystery.

Archie and Esme are outstanding characters, and I loved them as a team. Both harbour their own histories, self-doubt and ambition. To begin with, I feel each one underestimate the other and they bounce off each other well. I believe they make a solid investigative team. The other characters in this book were also great in their own ways, and they all bought different things to the story. Joe, Gray Trexler, Duncan, Erich, Gisela, Walter Dryden, Otto and Harriet; I think I ended up suspecting all of them at some point.

OK, no more as I don’t want to spoil what is a wonderful historical crime novel. Operation Berlin is full of secrets, betrayal, politics, love and hate. It’s a great start to what promises to be a terrific series, and I can’t wait for book 2.

About Michael Ridpath –

Michael Ridpath is the bestselling author of over 20 crime novels and thrillers. His first novel, after a career in finance, was Free to Trade, a No 2 bestseller about the murky world of bond trading which was translated into over thirty languages.

He is currently writing the Foreign Correspondent series of murder mysteries set in the capitals of Europe in the 1930s.

He splits his time between London and Massachusetts.

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Operation Berlin was released by Boldwood Books on 12th April 2026. Click to buy/pre-order on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones.

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.