Garden of Beasts: A Novel of Berlin 1936

Written by Jeffery Deaver

Narrated by Jefferson Mays

In the most ingenious and provocative thriller yet from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver, a conscience-plagued mobster turned government hitman struggles to find his moral compass amid rampant treachery and betrayal in 1936 Berlin.

Paul Schumann, a German American living in New York City in 1936, is a mobster hitman known as much for his brilliant tactics as for taking only “righteous” assignments. But then Paul gets caught. And the arresting officer offers him a stark choice: execution or covert government service. Paul is asked to pose as a journalist covering the summer Olympics taking place in Berlin. He’s to hunt down and kill Reinhard Ernst—the ruthless architect of Hitler’s clandestine rearmament. If successful, Paul will be pardoned and given the financial means to go legit.

Paul travels to Germany, takes a room in a boarding house near the Tiergarten—the huge park in central Berlin but also, literally, the “Garden of Beasts”—and begins his hunt. In classic Deaver fashion, the next forty-eight hours are a feverish cat-and-mouse chase, as Paul stalks Ernst through Berlin while a dogged Berlin police officer and the entire Third Reich apparatus search frantically for the American.

Garden of Beasts is packed with fascinating period detail and features a cast of perfectly realized locals, Olympic athletes, and senior Nazi officials—some real, some fictional. With hairpin plot twists, the reigning “master of ticking-bomb suspense” (People) plumbs the nerve-jangling paranoia of pre-war Berlin and steers the story to a breathtaking and wholly unpredictable ending.

The novel won the Steel Dagger award for best espionage thriller of the year from the prestigious Crime Writers’ Associate in the United Kingdom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jul 13, 2004
• ISBN: 9780743567411

Jeffery Deaver

Jeffery Deaver is the No.1 international bestselling author of more than forty novels, three collections of short stories, and a nonfiction law book. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into twenty-five languages.

Reviews for Garden of Beasts

[johnwbeha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a really pleasant surprise. It has sat on a shelf waiting patiently whilst other Deaver's jumped up the reading queue. But it finally arrived at the top spot and I found it excellent. As is to be expected from Deaver, the writing and the plotting are exceptional, but this time, it was the characterisation that really drew me into the book. Essentially a policeman is hunting an assassin who is hunting a target, but we are in Germany in the late thirties and Deaver builds empathy with all three key characters, even though one is a Mafia killer and another is ... (That would be telling!).
The story of the chase is compelling with lots of beautifully delivered twists and turns.

Highly recommended!

[ecw0647 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Paul Schumann is a mob hit man. He’s set up by the Feds and captured then offered a choice between working for them to assassinate a key Nazi official, Reinhold Ernst, or face the gas chamber. Sent to Germany under the cover of a journalist following the Olympics in Berlin, he’s soon involved in a serious cat-and-mouse game for a Nazi sympathizer has sent an anonymous note to the German High Command indicating that a “Russian” (Paul is supposed to use a forged Russian passport to escape following the assassination) will cause some damage to some unnamed important official. Paul has been chosen because he speaks almost native German and is a very careful, precise hitman. But he doesn’t have the cultural background of Nazi Germany in 1936 and little things, like whistling for a taxi, which no German would have done, provide clues for his pursuers. Deaver must have done considerable research to provide details like the “Hitler clothing” that help provide a good sense of time and place.) For example: Morgan said softly, “Don’t use that word here. It will give you away. ‘Nazi’ is Bavarian slang for ‘simpleton.’ The proper abbreviation is ‘Nazo,’ but you don’t hear that much either. Say ‘National Socialist.’ Some people use the initials, NSDAP. Or you can refer to the ‘Party.’ And say it reverently. . . .After Paul and his contact are forced to kill an SA agent, Inspector Kohl (a brilliant cop who expertly maneuvers his way across the conflicting SD, Gestapo, SA, and SS interference which threaten to muck up his investigation) enters the case and now Paul is being sought by multiple agencies sometimes working at cross-purposes. And can Paul trust his American handlers? Great plot, well executed.Everything in the novel rings true except the conversations between Ernst, Himmler, Hitler, and Goering. A couple other minor things that bugged me. We’re all used to the phrases “Heil, Hitler,” and “Grüß Gott”, but here both are translated quite literally so they come out “Hail Hitler” and “Greeting God” which, ironically, rang very false to my ear. Better to have left them in their German form. But I quibble. Very engaging story.

[podler_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ultimately a disappointment. The book begins interestingly enough--a "button man" is tapped by fledgling US Intelligence agency to go into Nazi Germany and kill one of Hitler's henchmen. The story breaks down once the button man gets into Germany, and the plot must be rescued by an improbable twist.

[Donna · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I once stayed away from anything to do with WW2 and Nazis. Now, I'm intrigued by the espionage thrillers where the Nazis always lose.

Any recommendations?

[whwine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

excellent period piece - seems like the real deal, very well researched, some dead-end plot threads, but all-in-all a good book

[gophergolfer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An unlikely story of a contract killer saved from prison by going to Germany in 1936 to kill a german general. However the descriptions of Hitler, Goering, Goebbels and of the Berlin surroundings of the time are authentic and add to interest. A lot of detail in the background

[brianewilliams · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book! Good story, well told and with memorable characters. Plenty of plot twists and satisfactory ending. Authentic -- demonstrates attention to historical detail. I'd like to see a sequel featuring Detective Inspector Willi Kohl, once he leaves Germany in 1937.

[drewfull · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rather by-the-lines thriller depicting a gun for hire who "only kills the bad guys" (of course) going after a Nazi leader and generally playing the good guy. Deaver does his best work in this novel when describing Germany between wars, and it's clear that he had put some work into understanding the turmoil going on at that time in history.In sum, moderately fun but we're not breaking any new ground here.

[carl_alves_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was the first book from Jeffrey Deaver that I've read and it was a delightful read. What I mostly liked about the novel was the main character. He was a hit man with a conscience. The protagonist did a great deal of developing throughout the story. Even the main antagonist, the target of the hit had a real human element to him. The story was well conceived, but the characters are what really brought it home for me. There was a lot to like about this novel.Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity

[jeyra_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Slightly more disturbing than even most Deaver novels, which is saying something. Contains language, violence, and disturbing sexual content (abuse).

[fiberbabble_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow. I'm surprised, but I really enjoyed this book. The fine print on the cover says "A novel of Berlin 1936" and that almost made me pass this one by.

The novel does a good job of imparting the paranoia of pre-war Berlin. This isn't anything I would have gone in search of, but it was quite effective.

All this war stuff aside, the mystery/adventure was well done - I couldn't see what was coming, I wasn't tempted to skip ahead over unnecessary or boring passages (surprisingly, I don't recall any). There were a couple of twists and turns that while surprising, weren't shocking - and they enhanced rather than defined the overall story.

Read it. Don't judge a book by it's cover. I'm glad I didn't.

[zare_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting book describing events taking place during Olympic Games in Germany in 1936. Paul Schumann (since my copy is not in English but in my mother tongue it is possible I’ll make some spelling errors) is a freelance assassin working for New York mobs. Although he is a killer he only chooses “righteous kills” - meaning he is only going after other blood-handed notorious mobsters.Soon, he is facing a tough decision – to end up in jail or to accept the proposition from US government to do a small “job” abroad - in Nazi controlled Germany.Deaver succeeds in creating great characters (not just Paul, WW1 veteran who ends up like a hired gun but has moral values, but also disillusioned inspector Kohl and ruthless minister of armament Ernst) and recreating atmosphere of totalitarian regime where everybody is spying on their neighbors and is ready to sell them just to ensure safety for themselves (although one can ask oneself is anybody safe in such society). Unfortunately this “big brother is watching” touch-and-feel seems to be returning in our own time.Lots of twists and turns to satisfy any thriller fan.Recommended.

[barpurple · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I must confess the Second World War is not a time period I usually like my fiction based in. I was willing to give this a go as I enjoy Jeffery Deaver's other books. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. The historical figures are little more than caricatures, which isn't a bad thing as they are only there to provide framework. Their flatness is balanced by the more full bodied characters like Detective Inspector Kohl. For me this doggedly determined policeman was the star of the story. His frustrations political intrigues that hindered his investigations are so well described that I felt sorry for the man. At the core of this book is the conflict felt by everyday Germans during the rise and reign of Hitler. The love for their country coupled with the loathing for what it was becoming left many feeling impotent and confused. Add to that the fear and paranoia that the secret police inspired and you're left with a people who didn't know what to do for the best.Don't read this book expecting a spy romp it's so much more than that.

[bohemiangirl35 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't usually read books about the Second World War or Nazi Germany on purpose. However, I like Jeffery Deaver, so I gave this book a try and it was so worth it. Deaver upped his writing in this book. I love Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, but this book seemed so much more serious in its complexity than that series. And even though the ending was slightly disappointing, it wasn't the "Matlock" ending that I've grown used to with his other novels.The whole novel takes place over 2 days. It is 1936, just a few days before the Olympics in Germany. Paul Schumann, a boxer and meticulous German-American NY hitman, is captured and offered a deal - go to Germany and assassinate Reinhard Ernst, the man in charge of Hitler’s rearmament program, or face the death penalty. With a chance at wiping his record clean and earning some money to start over, of course, Paul jumps at the opportunity.Almost as soon as Paul arrives in Germany, things start to go wrong. He was worried about the team assigned to him not being as detail-oriented as he is and accidentally leaving clues, and they do. And those clues point to Paul.Kripo (Police) Inspector Willi Kohl, who is not happy about the National Socialists take-over of the country, catches the case of an unidentified murder victim. He and his protege follow the clues and track Paul diligently while working around the new Gestapo rules that strip resources and authority from the Kripo.Famous figures of the time offer some boundaries and set the scenes for the book - Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Goring, Goebbels, and even Jesse Owens have roles. Although Owens has a minor role, he is charismatic and perceptive and even helps Paul evade German police.Deaver does an excellent job of portraying how regular citizens, police officers and government officials are beaten, frightened, persuaded, taught (and raised in the case of the children) to fall in line with National Socialist Party beliefs. Some people don't recognize what's happening, thinking that it can't get worse or won't last long. Other people don't speak up for others or themselves, fearing that they are one of a very few who disagrees with the Party, not realizing that they are one of many. Reading about how the children accept what they are taught in school while their parents are afraid to overtly teach them tolerance at home because the children might repeat it and get the whole family sent to a concentration camp, was heart-breaking. I can't imagine living my life afraid to say what I really think and be who I really am, doing the opposite of what I believe, trusting no one for fear of torture or death. How utterly miserable. It would be a living death.

[pierthinker · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Historical fiction has to perform two main functions. Firstly, it must entertain through plot, action and character. Secondly, it must transport us to that time in the past and make it seem real. This is done through realistic descriptions of the place and time, relevant cultural references and, often, through the inclusion of real historical characters or events.In this book an American mob assassin is sent to Nazi Germany in 1936 with the US Olympic team, including Jesse Owens, to kill a key (and fictional) member of the Nazi Party. The intent is to slow the German build-up for war and to send a message to Hitler that the USA will not always standby and watch. As the assassin closes in on his target he is tracked by a member of the Berlin Kripo, or police detectives.The period detail is good, although sometimes overdone (a lot of business about brands of beer, for example), and the slightly strange atmosphere in Berlin at this time, with cultural clashes between the puritanical Nazis and the very liberal bohemian quarter, and ordinary Germans caught between them, is portrayed sensitively and well.I think this novel fails in two regards. The improbable hero, Paul Schumann, a mob assassin who only kills ‘bad’ people, speaks fluent German, has a soul and is looking for redemption comes across as a bit too goody-goody. Secondly, then ending is rather flat and downbeat; historically correct perhaps, but unsatisfactory nevertheless.

[meyben_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good book. Very action packed. The main character who is a hit man turns himself around, seems to good to eb true.

[neilsantos_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ok, I liked it, I thought the author really did an impressive amount of homework on the scene, including common German slang expressions. I didn't know "Nazi" was a slur, (Bavarian slang for a simpleton). Apparently the complimentary version of "Nazi" is "Nazo".The main character, is totally flat though. He's absurdly good at spycraft for a simple mob hitman, and is almost infallible. Making for a pretty dull character. One of the gotchas was pretty good, if a little convoluted; the last one was pretty obvious and kinda stupid in its insanity.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Paul Schumann is a hired assassin who is sent by the US government to Germany just prior to the 1936 Olympics in Munich. His task is to assassinate one of the top Nazi officials who is in charge of the re-armament. The main action of the book takes place over a weekend although I kept having to remind myself of that because it seemed like there was so much going on. Right after Paul gets to Munich he is involved in a murder in an alleyway. The police detective assigned to the case, Willi Kohl, is a hardworking, intelligent cop. He loves his wife and his family and he does not like the National Socialist Party. Although Paul is supposed to be the hero of the piece, I was also rooting for Willi, half hoping he would catch Paul and half hoping he wouldn't. I thought it was a fine piece of writing to make both detective and criminal so human. The ending was a shock to me. Good for Deaver to avoid an easy resolution.