«

Nicholas Schlegel’s highly enjoyable book provides an in-depth look at post-war German cinema’s most popular, but critically maligned, genre cycle. The book’s greatest achievement is that after reading the author’s engaging and enthusiastic account, you want to immediately return to viewing the films.

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Tim Bergfelder, University of Southampton

«

This is a book I’ve dreamed of owning for some time: a history of the West German krimi film phenomenon of the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s - in English, and from the pen of an obsessed writer armed with the facts and sharp critical thinking.

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Tim Lucas, Editor of Video Watchdog

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Even as formerly neglected genres of popular European cinema from the Italian western to French film noir are now getting their due, the distinctive German krimi—or crime thriller—is often overlooked. Fortunately, Nicholas Schlegel is on the case. In this book, he deftly traces the krimi’s roots in European culture, literature, and film, and offers an in-depth look at key examples of the genre, which was a mainstay of popular cinema across the pond in the mid-twentieth century. It is an indispensable guide for anyone interested in these stylish, pulpy, and highly entertaining whodunits.

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Ian Olney, York College and author of Zombie Cinema