Operation Berlin
Foreign Correspondent Mystery: Book 1
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.
Published April 2026
Here is what crime writers say about Operation Berlin:
'The perfect marriage of thriller and whodunit.' - Simon Brett
'A compelling and atmospheric historical thriller.' - Aline Templeton
'A thrilling cocktail of historical fiction and whodunit noir set in the dark days of the Wemar Republic' - Alex Shaw
‘Evocative and engrossing -- superb characters in a fascinating setting. Better still, the solution to the mystery makes perfect, satisfying sense -- a genuine achievement in modern crime writing.’ - TE Kinsey
'Brilliant! A vivid murder mystery set in 1930s Germany as Europe recovers from one war while sliding toward another. Intelligent, tense and hauntingly relevant. Michael Ridpath is a substantive, master storyteller.' - Humphrey Hawksley
'Michael Ridpath has created something very special here.' - Craig Russell
'It's just brilliant! Go and pre-order a copy today. You won't regret it!' - Michael Jecks