Bernhard Gunther

As the protagonist in each of the three novels, Gunther is a private investigator with just enough independence and guts to survive in a country, the government of which he personally opposes. He is bright, dogged in his pursuit of solving cases for which his fees are significant, and astute enough to maintain his independence of thought and action while others around him succumb to the vagaries of corrupt bureaucrats. Gunther thrives in the collection of details, because, according to him, it is in these details that one nugget may be found which ultimately leads to resolution of the mysteries he is hired to solve. Having been an extremely successful police detective, Gunther uses his investigative skills, as well as his many contacts throughout Berlin, to pursue the truth and these, coupled with his innate powers of deduction and "gut" feelings, gain him the reputation of being...