Stettin Station

Stettin Station

About the Book

In the fall of 1941, Anglo-American journalist John Russell is still living in Berlin, tied to the increasingly alien city by his love for two Berliners: his fourteen-year-old son, Paul, and his longtime girlfriend, Effi. Forced to work for both German and American Intelligence, he's searching for a way out of Germany. Can he escape and take Effi with him?
Read more
Close

Praise for Stettin Station

Praise for Stettin Station

“As complex and clever as the best of Kerr and Kanon, and it has spies for added style ... A tightly constructed novel with a complex plot set in a world that is on the verge of a terrible madness. Downing captures all of that and a bit more, with a touch of old-fashioned romance that really does call out for Bergman and Bogart.”
Globe & Mail

“Downing distinguishes himself by eschewing the easy ways out. He doesn't shy away from portraying the cold brutality of the Third Reich, and his characters are far from stereotypes—they're flawed, confused and real.”
Michael Schaub, NPR

“[Downing] is at his best with setting and historical detail, and this novel does not disappoint. His sharply drawn descriptions of daily life within the beleaguered Nazi capital ring true, as do the characters that inhabit it. His sense of place is outstanding.”
Historical Novels Review

“Fans of the intelligent WWII thrillers of Alan Furst and Philip Kerr should enjoy Downing’s atmospheric and tension-filled third novel featuring Anglo-American journalist John Russell . . . With strong vivid prose, the author maintains a high level of suspense throughout, and makes the reader care about his leads.”
—Publishers Weekly

“It is a tale of terror with a thrill-a-page pace.”
—Spinetingler Magazine

 “Downing's novels are a glimpse at the human side of the war . . . I highly recommend Stettin Station.
—Gumshoe Reviews

Praise for David Downing's John Russell World War II Spy Thriller series


"Epic in scope, Mr. Downing's "Station" cycle creates a fictional universe rich with a historian's expertise but rendered with literary style and heart."
—The Wall Street Journal

“A beautifully crafted and compelling thriller with a heart-stopping ending . . . An unforgettable read.”
—Charles Todd, author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge Series
 
"Downing's outstanding evocation of the times (as masterly as that found in Alan Furst's novels or Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series), thematic complexity (as rich as that of John le Carré), and the wide assortment of fully rendered characters provide as much or more pleasure than the plot, where disparate threads are tied together in satisfying and unexpected ways."
Library Journal, Starred Review

“Downing is brilliant at weaving history and fiction . . . equally clever and unexpected.”
Toronto Globe and Mail
Read more
Close

A John Russell WWII Spy Thriller Series

Union Station
Wedding Station
Masaryk Station
Zoo Station
Lehrter Station
Potsdam Station
Stettin Station
Silesian Station

About the Author

David Downing
David Downing grew up in suburban London. He is the author of the Jack McColl novels, Jack of Spies, One Man’s Flag, Lenin's Roller Coaster, and The Dark Clouds Shining; the thriller The Red Eagles; and six books in the John Russell espionage series, set in WWII Berlin: Zoo Station, Silesian Station, Stettin Station, Potsdam Station, Lehrter Station, and Masaryk Station. He lives with his wife, an American acupuncturist, in Guildford, England. More by David Downing
Decorative Carat

By clicking submit, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and understand that Penguin Random House collects certain categories of personal information for the purposes listed in that policy, discloses, sells, or shares certain personal information and retains personal information in accordance with the policy. You can opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information anytime.

Random House Publishing Group