Today I’m
excited to share my review of ‘A Darker State’ by David Young with you. ‘A
Darker State’ is the third book in the Karen Müller series, but can be read as
a standalone. I’m also thrilled to have an awesome #giveaway going on for you
for a chance to win a paperback copy of ‘A Darker State’(two winners).

For the
Stasi, it’s not just the truth that gets buried . . .

The body of a teenage boy is found weighted down in a lake. Karin Müller, newly
appointed Major of the People’s Police, is called to investigate. But her power
will only stretch so far, when every move she makes is under the watchful eye
of the Stasi.

Then, when the son of Müller’s team member goes missing, it quickly becomes
clear that there is a terrifying conspiracy at the heart of this case, one that
could fast lead Müller and her young family into real danger.

Can she navigate this complex political web and find the missing boy, before
it’s too late?

Publication Date:	February 8th, 2018
Series:	Karin Müller #3
Genre:	Crime, Mystery
Pages:	384
Formats:	eBook, Paperback, Audio
Available at:	Amazon UK, Book Depository

I read a lot
of romance novels, but another genre I love is crime novels. So when I received
an email with the question if I wanted to read ‘A Darker State’, I couldn’t say
no. ‘A Darker State’ is the third book in the Karen Müller series, and the
first book in the series I read.

In ‘A Darker
State’ main character Karin Müller is still on her maternity leave when a young
boy is found in a lake. After Karin is appointed Major of the People’s Police she
starts working on this case. But soon she finds out that this is not your
average case and things aren’t what they seem.

To be
honest, I had some trouble reading this book at the beginning. Although this
book is in English, there is still a lot of German names that took some getting
used too. What I also didn’t realize is that this book takes place in East
Germany during the 1970s. It’s not a bad thing, but it definitely took me some
time to get really into this book. And then the mention of the Stasi.. I had no
idea what or who they were and had to google them.  But thankfully after the first view chapters,
I really started to enjoy this book.

‘A Darker
State’ is really a greatly written book. I loved the way this book felt really original
and well thought off. Just reading a view chapters makes you feel like you
really are in Germany in the 1970s. The story kept me hooked and I really
enjoyed reading every page. The story is really fast paced and made me want to
read until the very end.

The main
character Karin Müller is a great character to read about. She was strong,
tough and smart and I enjoyed getting to know her. And reading this book made
me want to read the previous two too, just so I can get to know her a little more.

If you
like crime novels, with a little bit of a history lesson in it, than this book
is definitely for you.

David
Young was born near Hull and – after dropping out of a Bristol University
science degree – studied Humanities at Bristol Polytechnic specialising in
Modern History. Temporary jobs cleaning ferry toilets and driving a butcher’s
van were followed by a career in journalism with provincial newspapers, a
London news agency, and the BBC’s international newsrooms where he led news
teams for the World Service radio and World TV.

David was a student on the inaugural Crime Thriller MA at City University –
winning the course prize in 2014 for his debut novel Stasi Child – and now
writes full-time in his garden shed. In his spare time, he’s a keen supporter
of Hull City AFC.

Stasi Child is the first of three books in the Oberleutnant Karin Müller series
– set in 1970s communist East Germany – bought by the UK arm of Swedish
publisher Bonnier by former Quercus CEO Mark Smith. It reached the top 5
bestsellers on Amazon Kindle, was number one bestseller in Amazon’s Historical
Fiction chart, and has been optioned for TV by Euston Films (Minder, The
Sweeney etc). Translation rights have so far been sold to France.

For more
information about David Young please visit his website.  Or visit him on Twitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

I received this book from Bonnier Publishing in exchange for my honest review.