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It almost hurts to give a Philip Kerr novel three out of five stars, but given how much I have liked the other novels in the Bernie Gunther series, it was harder still to give this book a higher rating. And it all boiled down to two major issues I had with this novel. The book was divided into two parts. The first part takes place in 1934 in Berlin and finds Gunther dealing with American gangsters, a beautiful journalist, corrupt Nazis, oppressed Jews and washed up boxers. The story rattles along at a great pace, but then ends in a strangely unique, but almost unbelievable way, before making way to the second part of the book which takes place in 1954 in Cuba. My problem was with the fact that the two stories really have nothing to do with each other except that a few of the survivors from part one limp into part two in what amounts to an almost unbelievable coincidence. I enjoyed both stories, especially the first part which was a bit more visceral, but didn't like how Kerr tried to make one relevant to the other. It was like he had two separate Bernie Gunther stories in mind, then, due to his publisher putting pressure on him, or the need to spew forth something before the Christmas holidays, he mixed and matched the storylines into one, less credible piece. Problem number two is with the overall ending. Usually, Kerr has a neatly packaged little twist that comes as a complete surprise to the reader, but this book ends with little more than a sad attempt at not one, but two, plot twisters; neither of which are all that surprising or unexpected. For all my complaining, I still love Bernie Gunther / Philip Kerr and this novel had some great scenes and characters surrounding the protagonist. I especially love how drab and grey Kerr portrays Nazi Germany, and can find little fault with the writer's ability to transport the reader to that very difficult time. I can only hope he can transport us back to when the next Bernie Gunther novel was as exciting as the last.