Ironically, the final book in the series takes us back to Bernie’s origins. It’s 1928, and a young Bernie Gunther has just joined Berlin’s elite Murder Commission—known as "the Alex". The city is a powderkeg of decadence and despair, beautifully capturing the "Berlin Babylon" vibe of the late 1920s. The Shadow of the Future

What makes Metropolis so gripping is its setting on the precipice of history. As Bernie hunts a serial killer targeting prostitutes and disabled war veterans, the "roar" of Nazism is beginning to drown out everything else. Kerr masterfully weaves real historical figures like director Fritz Lang into the narrative, grounding the fiction in a chilling reality. Why You Should Read It

Completed just before Kerr’s death in 2018, this novel feels like a deliberate and polished "goodbye" to a beloved character. Get the Book

Farewell to the Alex: Why Philip Kerr’s Metropolis is the Perfect Series Capstone

If you’re a fan of gritty historical noir, the name likely sits atop your "must-read" list. Philip Kerr’s final novel, Metropolis , serves as a poignant and powerful finale to one of the most acclaimed crime series in modern literature.

Philip Kerr's historical thriller Metropolis