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Rosa: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.05) - 341 listener ratings
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In the last days of the First World War, socialist revolution swept across Germany, sending Kaiser Wilhelm into exile and transforming Berlin into a battleground. But for Detective Inspector Nikolai Hoffner and his young assistant, Hans Fichte, the revolution is a mere inconvenience. Four women from the slums of Berlin have turned up dead, all with identical markings etched into their backs, and Hoffner and Fichte have spent the better part of six weeks trying to crack the bizarre case.
Things take a troubling turn when the political police begin to show an interest in Hoffner's investigation. Hoffner has no idea why the Polpo would want to get their hands dirty with a serial murderer, until he is shown the lifeless body of Rosa Luxemburg, the same eerie markings on her back. Rumors abound that Rosa, one of the leaders of the suppressed socialist uprising, was assassinated by an angry mob, but the pattern carved into her back tells a different story.
In his remarkable thriller, Jonathan Rabb paints a vivid, unforgettable picture of a city and a people poised between the chaos of the First World War and the darkness to come, a time when political thugs, petty thieves, and charismatic leaders rushed to fill the void left behind. Into this gap steps Hoffner, who, while battling his own personal demons, is still determined to find out who is preying on the women of Berlin, even as he gets drawn deeper into the mystery surrounding Rosa's death. Hoffner's search for the killer leads him on a dark and twisted journey through the battle-scarred streets of the city, where he soon discovers that nothing is as it appears. And while he finds allies in unexpected places, he is met at every turn by men who will stop at nothing to keep him from finding out the truth about Rosa.
A genuine mystery at the time, Rosa's fate has continued to prompt speculation to this day. Rabb's taut political thriller imagines one strikingly real possibility. With his first two novels, The Overseer and The Book of Q, Rabb proved that he had a talent not only for writing suspenseful narratives but for illuminating the darkest corners of history as well. With Rosa, his finest work, he brings to life a world capital on the brink of chaos, a tragic revolutionary who both inspired and enraged, and a compellingly complex, world-weary, deeply flawed but brilliant inspector named Nikolai Hoffner.
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"A mystery about the time right after WW1 when Germany is in turmoil after the Kaiser fled into exile, and the detective has to track down a killer leaving bodies around Berlin during a time of a social revolt, but also has to track down a politico using the bodies for his own end."
— Peter (5 out of 5 stars)
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A wonderfully evocative novel.
— Booklist Starred Review
Rosa Listener Reviews
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" Entertaining mystery set on post WWI Berlin "
— Chris, 2/10/2014 -
" The atmosphere and the characters are compelling and the history seems to be accurate, but the plot is far too convoluted. Nevertheless, for the atmosphere, characters and history, I am now reading the second book in the series, SHADOW AND LIGHT. "
— Joy, 2/8/2014 -
" Could NOT get into this book even though I think it was going to be good. Just the wrong book at the wrong time. "
— Janette, 2/7/2014 -
" A smart, historical thriller set in post- WW1 Berlin. "
— Natasha, 1/28/2014 -
" Somewhat thriller, somewhat whodunnit, somewhat history. Somewhat sums it up. "
— Eileen, 1/11/2014 -
" A twisted fascinating plot that reveals much about Munich in the 1920s. For me, it was excellent background research for my next novel, tentatively titled CHOOSING HITLER. "
— Lewis, 1/10/2014 -
" Excellent noir type novel set in Germany after WWI.Great historical research. "
— Ken, 1/1/2014 -
" I don't like depressing and noir which this book was. that setting did lend itself to the times and even the dark characters were in that mode. Was an interesting take on what happened after the murders of the communist leaders including Rosa Luxenberg. Three stars because it was not my type book. "
— Barbara, 12/27/2013 -
" Brilliant atmospheric book about Berlin in 1919. "
— Maureen, 12/19/2013 -
" Interesting story based on real history. But story is developed far too slowly. Just about gave up on it. "
— Loren, 12/16/2013 -
" This is the first book in a three book series set in pre World War II Berlin.. great writing... research... characters... "
— Brenda, 12/8/2013 -
" This is a new character - Det Hoffner - for me. I'm intrigued by Weimar > post ii Germany based fiction. This was not only terrific for atmosphere, charater development but also a whopping good mystery. "
— Pam, 5/7/2013 -
" Great story. It delved into the the roots of the German NAZI Party while using real historical characters as a part of the main plot. "
— Bob, 4/3/2013 -
" This book took me forever to read and I think only the inertia of February blahs prevented me from flipping to the end. However, flipping to the end would not have helped. This is a slow story. Well written. Lots of period detail, but I just never warmed to it. "
— Joan, 3/11/2013 -
" Right after the first World War a communist revolution occured in Germany. The murder of one of its ideological leaders, Rosa Luxemburg is woven into the fictional serial killings of other women which compounds the work of the detectives assigned to the case. "
— Naomi, 1/17/2013 -
" Really liked this one. Set in post-WWI Berlin, and involving the historical fact of the 4-month disappearance of the corpse of Rosa Luxemburg. Rabb constructs a fascinating tale around this, rich and complex. Most absorbing. "
— Diana, 8/9/2012 -
" Dense, brooding and dark. Well written and interesting although I got rather confused with the large number of characters and it crawled somewhat towards the end. It felt overlong. "
— Diana, 10/28/2011 -
" Excellent detective story set in post WW I Germany. Lots of historical material, strong protagonist. "
— Lou, 5/11/2011 -
" Entertaining mystery set on post WWI Berlin "
— Chris, 4/27/2011 -
" This is a new character - Det Hoffner - for me. I'm intrigued by Weimar > post ii Germany based fiction. This was not only terrific for atmosphere, charater development but also a whopping good mystery.<br/> "
— Pam, 4/2/2011 -
" Interesting story based on real history. But story is developed far too slowly. Just about gave up on it. "
— Loren, 3/17/2011 -
" Somewhat thriller, somewhat whodunnit, somewhat history. Somewhat sums it up. "
— Eileen, 9/8/2010 -
" It takes place in an interesting time period -- Germany, post WWI -- but I never warmed up to the story or to the characters. "
— Susan, 5/19/2010 -
" This book took me forever to read and I think only the inertia of February blahs prevented me from flipping to the end. However, flipping to the end would not have helped. This is a slow story. Well written. Lots of period detail, but I just never warmed to it. "
— Joan, 2/5/2010 -
" Right after the first World War a communist revolution occured in Germany. The murder of one of its ideological leaders, Rosa Luxemburg is woven into the fictional serial killings of other women which compounds the work of the detectives assigned to the case. "
— Naomi, 1/29/2010 -
" Really liked this one. Set in post-WWI Berlin, and involving the historical fact of the 4-month disappearance of the corpse of Rosa Luxemburg. Rabb constructs a fascinating tale around this, rich and complex. Most absorbing. <br/> <br/> "
— Diana, 9/5/2009 -
" Excellent detective story set in post WW I Germany. Lots of historical material, strong protagonist. "
— Lou, 8/25/2009
About Jonathan Rabb
Jonathan Rabb is the author of the novels Rosa, The Overseer, and The Book of Q. He lives with his wife, Andra, and two children in New York.