Self's Punishment: A Mystery [Kindle Edition]

Self is an ex-Nazi prosecutor who ceased prosecuting in 1945 and has since then been a private investigator. His brother-in-law, the head of a huge chemical company has asked Self to investigate how the company's computer system has been hacked into. Self takes on the investigation while simultaneously working on another case for an insurance company into a claim by a dancer for a broken leg.

Self, rather apolitical now, is beginning to worry more about his nazi past and in particular his role in the war-time prosecution of some scientists working for the same company where his brother-in-law was also a scientist during the war.

The novel is well-plotted, and in it, as he does in The Reader, Schlink questions, this time with a light touch, the responsibility of an ordinary German for what happened during the Nazi period. Self comes to understand that as far as he is concerned maybe he does need to try to atone for the part he played, even though, like many Germans, he seems to have been to an extent an unthinking participant in the workings of the Nazi system.

The central characters have distinct identities and are well-fleshed out without unnecessary trivia, but with enough detail to give the reader a real insight into his life-style and environment. Self is a likeable enough protagonist. This is not an action-packed crime novel, but it is well-crafted.

I very much enjoyed this read. It was easy to read and ticked along at a gentle pace. It had a good plot without being overly complicated. It was difficult to keep in mind that the main character is in his 70's but this does not detract from a really good read. Very different from the reader but I liked it enough to buy the following book.

First Sentence: At the beginning, I envied him.

Gerhard self has been a Nazi prosecutor, and is now a private investigator. When a computer hacker creaks into the systems of a chemical plant, Self is hired to find the hacker. When the hacker dies in an accident, Self isn't so certain the verdict of "accident" is correct and ventures down a road that takes him back to the past.

The first difference between this, and most PI novels, is having a protagonist who is 68 years old. However, his age is chronological only. Self can hold his own in a fight, and is quite the ladies' man, though one of his closest relationships is with his cat, Turbo. Another difference is in the details of his daily life from shopping, preparing meals, going on holiday, going to an open-air concert and dancing; even a scene in a men's bathroom.

The author's style is compelling. The passage of time is shown as we move through the seasons and changes in weather with Self. There are wonderful descriptions of food and meals paired with wines. His subtle use of humor is effective and allows us to know the personality of the character..."No one apart from Frau Schlemihl addresses me as `Doctor'. Since I stopped being a public prosecutor, I've not used my title. A private detective with a Ph.D. is ridiculous.", and often focus on things with which one can empathize..."If there's one thing I hate, it's homemade cigarettes. They are way up there with crocheted modesty covers for toilet paper." Living in the Bay Area, I personally enjoyed Self travelling to San Francisco only to find a connection to his own past and events which happened during the war.

Written in 1987, it shows how quickly technology has evolved to today from the late 80's when it was still quite young. Interesting detail on air quality monitors. The technical and investigative information is offset by the inclusion of details as to his daily life. I enjoyed seeing a bit of his non-working time, cooking, going to an open-air concert, dancing, going on holiday in Greece...excellent transitions indicating the passage of time. Wonderful descriptions of food and meals paired with wines.

This was a very good book. I liked the writing and the details. It was not the strongest mystery but it had a shocking and completely unexpected ending about which I'm not certain how I feel, but I haven't stopped thinking about it. I was never tempted to stop reading it and would definitely read another in the series.

SELF'S PUNISHMENT (Hist Mys/PI - Gerhard Self-Germany-Contemp) - VG
Schlink, Bernhard (trans. By Walter Popp) - 1st in series
Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 2005, US trade paperback - ISBN: 037570907X