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The Berlin Exchange

The Berlin Exchange

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  • Create Date：2022-03-08 11:21:35
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Joseph Kanon
  • ISBN：1797129872
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Summary

From “master of the genre” （The Washington Post） Joseph Kanon， an espionage thriller set at the height of the Cold War， when a captured American who has spied for the KGB is swapped by the British and returns to East Berlin needing to know who arranged his release and what they want from him。

Berlin。 1963。 The height of the Cold War。 An early morning spy swap， not at the familiar setting for such exchanges， or at Checkpoint Charlie， where international visitors cross into the East， but at a more discreet border crossing， usually reserved for East German VIPs。 The Communists are trading two American students caught helping people to escape over the wall and an aging MI6 operative。 On the other side of the trade: Martin Keller， a physicist who once made headlines， but who then disappeared into the English prison system。 Keller’s most critical possession: his American passport。 Keller’s most ardent desire: to see his ex-wife Sabine and their young son。

The exchange is made with the formality characteristic of these swaps。 But Martin has other questions: who asked for him？ Who negotiated the deal？ The KGB？ He has worked for the service long enough to know that nothing happens by chance。 They want him for something。 Not physics—his expertise is out of date。 Something else， which he cannot learn until he arrives in East Berlin， when suddenly the game is afoot。

Filled with intriguing characters， atmospheric detail， and plenty of action Kanon’s latest espionage thriller is one you won’t soon forget。

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Reviews

Colin ，

Good read。 A little slow and ending is weak

Cheryle ，

If the author had not stepped up the tempo at the end this book would have received a 3 star rating。 Mostly written as dialogue with very little narrative to enlighten the reader it was a slog。 1963 Berlin at the height of the Cold War the spies are everywhere and people were trying to leave the area because of the horrible conditions after the war。 Buildings are still laying in piles of bricks and mortar and the few new building being built are put in strategic places so the west will see progr If the author had not stepped up the tempo at the end this book would have received a 3 star rating。 Mostly written as dialogue with very little narrative to enlighten the reader it was a slog。 1963 Berlin at the height of the Cold War the spies are everywhere and people were trying to leave the area because of the horrible conditions after the war。 Buildings are still laying in piles of bricks and mortar and the few new building being built are put in strategic places so the west will see progress， but little has changed。Berlin。 1963。 The height of the Cold War。 An early morning spy swap， not at the familiar setting for such exchanges， or at Checkpoint Charlie， where international visitors cross into the East， but at a more discreet border crossing， usually reserved for East German VIPs。 The Communists are trading two American students caught helping people to escape over the wall and an aging MI6 operative。 On the other side of the trade: Martin Keller， a physicist who once made headlines， but who then disappeared into the English prison system。 Keller’s most critical possession: his American passport。 Keller’s most ardent desire: to see his ex-wife Sabine and their young son。The exchange is made with the formality characteristic of these swaps。 But Martin has other questions: who asked for him？ Who negotiated the deal？ The KGB？ He has worked for the service long enough to know that nothing happens by chance。 They want him for something。 Not physics—his expertise is out of date。 Something else， which he cannot learn until he arrives in East Berlin， when suddenly the game is afoot。Filled with intriguing characters， atmospheric detail， and plenty of action Kanon’s latest espionage thriller is one you won’t soon forget。 。。。more

Steve Swirsky ，

the Good KaninAnother good story with somewhat complex characters。 I have to go back to his Los Alamos novel to see if some of these were there too。 Feels like it。

Linda ，

“The Berlin Exchange” by Joseph Kanon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Espionage Thriller。 Location: East Berlin in the DDR （Deutsche Demokratische Republik- a communist state that existed from 1949-1990）。 Time: 1963。 Note: Detailed map。Main Characters:Martin Keller， a physicist/communist spy locked in an English prison for 10 years。 Although his parole hearing is near， he is suddenly part of an East Berlin prisoner exchange。Kurt Thiele， An East Berlin arranger of prisoner exchanges。Sabine， Martin’s ex-wife an “The Berlin Exchange” by Joseph Kanon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Espionage Thriller。 Location: East Berlin in the DDR （Deutsche Demokratische Republik- a communist state that existed from 1949-1990）。 Time: 1963。 Note: Detailed map。Main Characters:Martin Keller， a physicist/communist spy locked in an English prison for 10 years。 Although his parole hearing is near， he is suddenly part of an East Berlin prisoner exchange。Kurt Thiele， An East Berlin arranger of prisoner exchanges。Sabine， Martin’s ex-wife and mother of his son Peter。 Now married to Kurt。Peter， Martin’s young son and the star of an East Berlin TV series。Martin’s Questions:Why did East Berlin ask for him after 10 years？ Who really wanted him？ The Russian secret police？ The Stasi （East German secret police）？ What price will he have to pay？The emotional part of this book is about Martin’s bittersweet reactions to being free after 10 years: “He left the door unlocked， opening it once to prove he could”。 “He could go out， he realized， just open the door and go。 A walk if he felt like it。” “He felt his face begin to move， an involuntary smile。 Because he was walking。”The thriller part of the book is about the espionage reality that spies can’t quit。 When Russian spy Andrai， Martin’s former handler， surfaces as a Soviet Embassy “cultural attaché”， Martin realizes he won’t be allowed to leave his past behind。 But what if the price he has to pay is too high？ Can his former espionage training together with his mathematics probability knowledge help him？Carefully researched and tightly written， the author keeps your attention throughout the book。 It’s a fascinating and sobering reminder of the world before the Berlin Wall came down-when East Berlin residents were strictly controlled， secret police listening devices and citizen informers were everywhere， and no one was allowed to leave the country。 The author takes us on a thrill ride across East Berlin as Martin deals with betrayals， hidden agendas， and car chases， and it’s 5 stars from me！ 🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳”Thank you to Simon & Schuster for this copy！ I’ll be reading more books by Joseph Kanon！ 。。。more

Ben ，

I received an advance copy of “ The Berlin Exchange “ from Net Galley in return for an honest review。 Thanks to Net Galley， the publisher， and the author。 “ The Berlin Exchange” is a revising to the dark， early days of the Cold War。 Berlin is divided by The Wall ， mutual suspicion and ideology。 The opening scene is of the exchange of Martin Heller， American， a physicist who worked on the ManhattanProject at Los Alamos。 While there， he delivered classified information to the Soviets， acting out o I received an advance copy of “ The Berlin Exchange “ from Net Galley in return for an honest review。 Thanks to Net Galley， the publisher， and the author。 “ The Berlin Exchange” is a revising to the dark， early days of the Cold War。 Berlin is divided by The Wall ， mutual suspicion and ideology。 The opening scene is of the exchange of Martin Heller， American， a physicist who worked on the ManhattanProject at Los Alamos。 While there， he delivered classified information to the Soviets， acting out of feeling that the secrets should be shared with our ally because it would make th3 world safer。 Now， ten years later， he is released from prison into East Germany， where his German wife （ also a spy， but who was not implicated at the time， lives with their son and new husband。。 Martin is openly welcomed by the DDR authorities， offered a research job at a major research University and a nice apartment with amenities 。 He soon learns that all comes with a price: he must spy on his co-scientists。 Martin quickly becomes disillusioned about life in the people’s republic。 That is the thread of the plot。 Mr Kanon is an experienced writer of the spy novel genre。 He delivers an captivating story， tightly plotted that builds to a dangerous climax。 Using the changes in primary character Martin Heller’s attitude as he learns to live in the DDR the reader gains sympathy ，for him as a man conflicted by idealism and reality。 Heller， his wife Simone， and his son Peter， whom Heller saw last as a baby in his mother’ s arms are all well done。 “ Exchange in Berlin” is a good spy story。 It depends not so much on the tricks of the spy trade and the personalities of the characters。 It is a diverting and entertaining novel， and well worth reading。， 。。。more

Brandon England ，

I absolutely 100% loved this book。 So extremely well written。 Kanon is so extremely versed in that time in history as well the geography/politics of East/West Germany。 His attention to detail was very impressive especially regarding East Germany。 In my case I find sometimes spy authors become so obsessed with twists and turns in the plot and by introducing so many characters。 In my opinion they tend to complicate the story by trying to outsmart the reader。 That frustrates me as it get confusing。 I absolutely 100% loved this book。 So extremely well written。 Kanon is so extremely versed in that time in history as well the geography/politics of East/West Germany。 His attention to detail was very impressive especially regarding East Germany。 In my case I find sometimes spy authors become so obsessed with twists and turns in the plot and by introducing so many characters。 In my opinion they tend to complicate the story by trying to outsmart the reader。 That frustrates me as it get confusing。 Kanon did not do that。 It did a wonderful job of writing about the characters…this book wasn’t just about a brilliant spy plot with twists but it was also about the characters。 I was rooting so hard for Martin。 Embarrassingly I found myself liking Andre。 In summary， a wonderful story where you root for and against characters。 And in some cases like Andre， you like them even though they are the bad guy。 Great story and great characters。 。。。more

Michael Garin ，

Joseph Kanon just keeps getting better and better Every book of Joseph Kanon has been a joy to read， but with The Berlin Exchange， his plotting， character development and sense of place has reached a new plateau。

Dawn Michelle ，

Eh， this was just an okay read for me。 I have read the author before and really had forgotten that I wasn't really a fan of that read as well。 The idea BEHIND this story is a good one。 An American spy [Martin]， out of prison after 15 years， is traded back to East Germany where he has to try and learn to live with all he had done and also with his beloved wife， now his ex， and his son， who's life he has missed so much of。 When they ask him to again spy， knowing that this time he cannot say no， Ma Eh， this was just an okay read for me。 I have read the author before and really had forgotten that I wasn't really a fan of that read as well。 The idea BEHIND this story is a good one。 An American spy [Martin]， out of prison after 15 years， is traded back to East Germany where he has to try and learn to live with all he had done and also with his beloved wife， now his ex， and his son， who's life he has missed so much of。 When they ask him to again spy， knowing that this time he cannot say no， Martin decides to put a plan in motion that takes most of the book to execute and that where the problem comes in - it just takes SO FREAKING LONG to get from beginning to end and after awhile it becomes just blather。 Blather， blather， blather until the last 45 minutes of the book， when all heck breaks lose。 This had so much potential and it just falls flat over and over again。 I have to admit that I was really disappointed because it was such a great premise。 Thank you to NetGalley， Joseph Kanon， and Scribner for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Howard Christie ，

This is a terrific book if you like Cold War espionage。 It is much more in the LeCarre mold， than something like Ludlum as it is character driven， somewhat dense and requires careful reading。 It’s also very dialog heavy。 It’s Berlin， 1963 an American physicist， Martin Keller， who gave secrets to Russia and was imprisoned， is being exchanged into East Berlin for 2 younger prisoners。 His new “handler” is Kurt who has married his former wife Sabine and is now stepfather to his son Peter。 Peter is o This is a terrific book if you like Cold War espionage。 It is much more in the LeCarre mold， than something like Ludlum as it is character driven， somewhat dense and requires careful reading。 It’s also very dialog heavy。 It’s Berlin， 1963 an American physicist， Martin Keller， who gave secrets to Russia and was imprisoned， is being exchanged into East Berlin for 2 younger prisoners。 His new “handler” is Kurt who has married his former wife Sabine and is now stepfather to his son Peter。 Peter is on TV in East Germany and is well known。 Martin soon discovers that the East wants him to spy on a fellow scientist Stefan Schell who is considering defecting。 Deciding that this is not the life for him and with Sabine suffering from end stage cancer， he plots to try and get out again， with his wife and son。 The plan is intricate and the reader is not sure what he has in mind until it happens。 The escape is harrowing and not completely successful。 Joseph Kanin has been writing espionage thrillers for awhile and is well respected， though this is my first book of his。 He seems to know the history of the period， he sets up antagonistic characters but always with that overlap of interests that makes predicting their actions difficult。 Will they help the hero， will they simply stay in their allotted lane or will they even sabotage the plan？ All options are in play here。 It’s an excellent Cold War thriller。 The characters are multifaceted， the dialog is tense and wary and the conclusion exciting。 。。。more

Lesley ，

2。5 stars。 Well written and a great audio production， just not my favorite kind of book。 I enjoyed the family details more than the complicated spy drama and espionage。

Jak60 ，

The Berlin Exchange's plot is so thin that it reads like a long novella; what stands out here are the atmosphere and the ambience of East Berlin in 1963 that Kanon brings back quite vividly from the very beginning。 We are at the deepest of the Cold War， you can smell the bricks and mortar of the new wall， you inhale the smokes of the East Berlinair， you feel its gloom。 The memories that come in from the cold。The story is a sort of blend of Los Alamos （but handled better） and Defectors but， as I The Berlin Exchange's plot is so thin that it reads like a long novella; what stands out here are the atmosphere and the ambience of East Berlin in 1963 that Kanon brings back quite vividly from the very beginning。 We are at the deepest of the Cold War， you can smell the bricks and mortar of the new wall， you inhale the smokes of the East Berlinair， you feel its gloom。 The memories that come in from the cold。The story is a sort of blend of Los Alamos （but handled better） and Defectors but， as I said， it feels like it's almost an excuse to stage the Berlin ambience of that period and a bundle of psychological tensions。Kanon is a master in creating immersive atmospheres （see Istanbul Passage）， here he does it again and it’s a pleasure for the junkies of the genre （and it would be even better with another editing check， at least to cut down the number of “so” we find in the book）。 If you are a fan of the Bond-style， so called action-packed stories， you better stay away from this。 This is a little glass of sherry to sip slowly， not a shot of vodka。I always found Joseph Kanon a hit-and-miss author， so I thought of offering my take on the good， the bad and the ugly of his work。# Excellent: Istanbul Passage # Good: Defectors， Leaving Berlin， Stardust， The Berlin Exchange# OK-ish: The Good German， The Accomplice# No-No: The Prodigal Spy and especially Los Alamos 。。。more

Brenda ，

Kanon weaves his way through an incredibly complicated time in history。 Keeping up and figuring it out scrambles my brain！

WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie ，

Thank you so much @scribnerbooks for sending us this copy of The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon！ I think this is the first book I’ve read that takes place in East Germany。 My go-to’s are usually set in WW2 so reading about the Berlin Wall and Germany being referenced as East and West was very interesting。 This story takes place in 1963， an American named Martin was just released from an English prison where he has spent the last 10 years after being convicted of spying for the Russians。 He can’ Thank you so much @scribnerbooks for sending us this copy of The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon！ I think this is the first book I’ve read that takes place in East Germany。 My go-to’s are usually set in WW2 so reading about the Berlin Wall and Germany being referenced as East and West was very interesting。 This story takes place in 1963， an American named Martin was just released from an English prison where he has spent the last 10 years after being convicted of spying for the Russians。 He can’t figure out why he has been released and essentially traded。 As he is reunited with his ex-wife and son in East Germany， he tries to figure out who was behind the deal that was made to release him from prison。 He quickly realizes that he is not truly free， even though he is no longer imprisoned。 Someone wants something from him and it’s just a waiting game to see who and what they expect him to do。 If you love a good spy novel like I do， make sure you visit our Amazon Storefront and grab your copy asap！ 🌺🧜🏻‍♀️* 。。。more

Phyllis ，

Set in 1963 Berlin， Martin Keller， an American physicist and Russian spy is traded at Checkpoint Charlie for two American students。 Follow Martin’s adventures as he navigates through East Berlin intrigue to bring his son back to USA。

Lauren Peterson ，

Joseph Kanon was a new author for me and I’m not always a big espionage thriller fan， but I went into The Berlin Exchange with an open mind and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised。 This was an intriguing， compelling thriller about a man desperate to put his estranged family back together during the height of the Cold War。Martin Keller is recently released back into East Berlin after spending time in jail for espionage。 No one can quite understand his desire to go back to East Berlin given h Joseph Kanon was a new author for me and I’m not always a big espionage thriller fan， but I went into The Berlin Exchange with an open mind and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised。 This was an intriguing， compelling thriller about a man desperate to put his estranged family back together during the height of the Cold War。Martin Keller is recently released back into East Berlin after spending time in jail for espionage。 No one can quite understand his desire to go back to East Berlin given he possesses an American passport。 What he doesn’t let on is his desire to see his estranged wife Sabine （who divorced him and remarried while he was in jail） and his young son back together with him。 We quickly learn that the prisoner exchange that was orchestrated for his freedom is nothing but a cover and they want him to return to what he does best—physics and spying。 There were a lot of things I liked about this book。 First of all， the era。 I always like learning about different historical events and from the atmospheric setting and vivid detail， it’s clear Kanon did his research。 I did need to familiarize myself with some terms and landmarks that were often referenced and I’d be lying if I wasn’t confusing characters on occasion。 I had to double back a few times as there were a lot of them。 While the characters aren’t overly developed—we get more of an on the surface development with a few back story facts—I found quite invested in Keller and even a few of the secondary players。 I was truly cheering for Keller as he risks it all to put his family back together。 Sometimes spy thrillers are all action an no heart but this wasn’t the case with Exchange。 While there is plenty of action—and even a few shocking twists—it’s truly a captivating story about family at it’s core。 The effects a divided country has on its people， past regrets and broken trust are also significant themes found in the narrative。 Like I said， it’s much more than just an action-packed thriller。 I would definitely recommend this for anyone who is a fan of espionage books that press more into the historical elements with a bit more development and less into extremely fast-paced all action types。 Thank you to Scribner for the advanced copy of this book 。。。more

Gram ，

I've enjoyed previous Joseph Kanon novels but struggled with this one。 I've enjoyed previous Joseph Kanon novels but struggled with this one。 。。。more

Jean Kolinofsky ，

After serving ten years in an English prison for espionage， Martin Keller is released and exchanged for several people being held in East Germany。 His exchange was arranged by Kurt Thiele， who is currently married to Martin’s ex-wife Sabine。 She had requested her husband’s help to free Martin after receiving a diagnosis of cancer。 This is a chance for him to get to know his son Peter， but he also knows that this will come at a price。 Martin was an American and still retains his passport。 As a ph After serving ten years in an English prison for espionage， Martin Keller is released and exchanged for several people being held in East Germany。 His exchange was arranged by Kurt Thiele， who is currently married to Martin’s ex-wife Sabine。 She had requested her husband’s help to free Martin after receiving a diagnosis of cancer。 This is a chance for him to get to know his son Peter， but he also knows that this will come at a price。 Martin was an American and still retains his passport。 As a physicist who worked at Los Alamos， he justified his activities by insisting that peace could only be kept by providing the same technology to all sides。 Before the war he had studied in Germany where he met his wife。 Now at the height of the Cold War he is being treated as a celebrity。 He will also be able to work again with his former friends。Shortly after his arrival Martin is contacted by Andrei， his former handler from Russia。 In a society where everyone is watched and your words can get you arrested， he is asked to spy on his former co-worker Professor Schell， who has been publicly expressing unpopular opinions。 Once again Martin is being dragged into the spy game。 Joseph Kanon’s 1963 East Berlin is one of paranoia and shortages。 The armed guards at the Berlin Wall and all crossing points make you realize that Martin escaped from one prison in exchange for another。 While Kurt is happy to help Martin settle in， he is a member of the government and can not be trusted。 His son Peter is well known as an actor in a popular television show， Die Familie Schmidt， that provides some privileges for the family。 His show is an example of what a true East German family should be。 Martin’s life becomes a high wire act where one misstep could cause his fall and imprisonment or death。 His primary concern becomes finding a way to protect his family and friend。 Kanon’s thriller will appeal to historical fiction vegans for its’ accuracy in describing life in Cold War Berlin。 I would like to thank NetGalley and Scribner Publishing for allowing my review of this book。 。。。more

Christina B。 ，

3。75 rounded up•Spoiler Free Book Review•After serving ten years in a British prison， American physicist and former spy for the KGB， Martin Keller is being released to East Germany。 Martin is eager to reconnect with his ex-wife and son and leave the rest of his past behind， but it’s clear from the moment he crosses the border that there’s a larger game afoot。 Will Martin be a pawn， moving from one type of prison to another， or will his former skills help him to see a few moves ahead and ultimate 3。75 rounded up•Spoiler Free Book Review•After serving ten years in a British prison， American physicist and former spy for the KGB， Martin Keller is being released to East Germany。 Martin is eager to reconnect with his ex-wife and son and leave the rest of his past behind， but it’s clear from the moment he crosses the border that there’s a larger game afoot。 Will Martin be a pawn， moving from one type of prison to another， or will his former skills help him to see a few moves ahead and ultimately win the game？•While the action started quickly， the author has a unique writing style and it took me a bit to get used to the subtle changes in dialogue and character。 As the story progressed， I quickly became more invested and eager to see how everything would play out。 While I would have liked a little more backstory so I could feel more connected to Martin， I was rooting for him and really enjoyed watching his thought process throughout the plot twists and turns。 I thought the ending was a tad rushed， but well done overall。 •I loved the details about Berlin and the various border crossings。 It was clear that a lot of research had been done and it makes me want to learn even more about post WWII Germany。 I would recommend this one to fans of historical fiction and/or espionage/spy thrillers。 Many thanks to @scribnerbooks for sending me an Advanced Reader’s Edition。 The Berlin Exchange was released on 2/22/22 and is available now！ 。。。more

John Walker ，

A different spy story: It's 1963 and in a spy swap involving two students for one Martin Keller， MI6 agent who spied for Soviets， it is a chance to see his ex-wife and teen-aged son in East Berlin。 Of course questions reamain as to why the East Berlin （the Soviets） want him back？ Surely not to be reunited with family。 More importantly， who greased the wheels。Lots of backdoor and backstabbing going on， more John Le Carre than Ian Fleming。Good story well told。Recommended A different spy story: It's 1963 and in a spy swap involving two students for one Martin Keller， MI6 agent who spied for Soviets， it is a chance to see his ex-wife and teen-aged son in East Berlin。 Of course questions reamain as to why the East Berlin （the Soviets） want him back？ Surely not to be reunited with family。 More importantly， who greased the wheels。Lots of backdoor and backstabbing going on， more John Le Carre than Ian Fleming。Good story well told。Recommended 。。。more

Charles E。 ，

I just finished Berlin Exchange and was sad to see it end。 The author did a great job of capturing the depravity and horrors that made the DDR the hell hole that it was。 Right until the end even those that seemed trustworthy were not。 I found the book realistic and captivating。

Mary Ladouceur ，

Excellent！

Bill Hoyler ，

A nail biterMr。 Kanon has written an edge of your seat thriller about an American who passed secrets from Los Alamos to the Russians and was caught and imprisoned after doing the same thing in Harwell， England。 When his sentence is commuted for a spy swap with East Germany it isn't long before he's disillusioned with life under Communist rule。 The second half of the novel is unputdownable A nail biterMr。 Kanon has written an edge of your seat thriller about an American who passed secrets from Los Alamos to the Russians and was caught and imprisoned after doing the same thing in Harwell， England。 When his sentence is commuted for a spy swap with East Germany it isn't long before he's disillusioned with life under Communist rule。 The second half of the novel is unputdownable 。。。more

Miss M ，

Post-war Berlin stories are a dime a dozen but IMO this one is especially well done。 The plot moves beyond the usual cliches。 （Up to a point， still a thriller， after all。） Bonus points for weaving in the MLM。

Judie ，

The Berlin Exchange is an intricate puzzle and one of the best thought out spy novels yet。 Bravo！

TC ，

Recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 Recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 。。。more

Andrea Johnson ，

I always enjoy this reading Joseph Kanon’s books。 Clever， with a bit of mystery， interesting characters in a fascinating setting。 This one takes place in 1963， Berlin。 The Cold War， spies being traded， usually from East to West， but this story is more complicated。 Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy。

eyes。2c ，

Espionage thriller！Always a sucker for a Cold War spy novel， especially East vs West Berlin and of course the infamous Checkpoint Charlie， along with John Le Carre’s Smiley and crew， remembrances beckoned me just from Kanon’s title。 How could I resist this addition to a long held tradition？ And let me just say I Ioved it。 A smart and intricate plot。 Martin is that quiet， intelligent character that I adore。 He has hidden idealist’s past and hidden depths。It’s 1963。 American communist and Physicis Espionage thriller！Always a sucker for a Cold War spy novel， especially East vs West Berlin and of course the infamous Checkpoint Charlie， along with John Le Carre’s Smiley and crew， remembrances beckoned me just from Kanon’s title。 How could I resist this addition to a long held tradition？ And let me just say I Ioved it。 A smart and intricate plot。 Martin is that quiet， intelligent character that I adore。 He has hidden idealist’s past and hidden depths。It’s 1963。 American communist and Physicist， Martin Keller， is exchanged back into East Germany from Britain after ten years in prison for treasonous espionage。 Fortunately he’d been caught in Britain and imprisoned there。 If he’d been caught in the US it would have been the death penalty。 The exchange is organized by his ex-wife’s husband， some sort of free lance wheeler and dealer， with links to the KGB and it seems， the Black Market。 During the exchange an ambulance races past them attempting to crash the barrier into West Berlin。 Shots are fired， and a death occurs。 Martin finds himself wondering just who was the target of those shots？Reunited with his ex-wife and son， all very weird， it’s not long before Martin realises that he doesn’t want to return to make weapons。 It seems his ideology has taken a blow。 Martin wants his son safely away from the East。 But who to trust？ How to make this happen？ The Stasi is real。 Who’s a friend and who’s waiting to turn him in？ Talk about misdirection， about false information mixed in with truth， and of course， betrayal。（BTW， I did not know that these swaps became big business for the DDR。 Kanon explains in his Notes， “the swaps grew into an important revenue stream for the DDR…for some DM 3。4 billion （$850 million）。 Whatever the actual figures， there is no doubt that the swaps made a contribution to the DDR’s economic viability。” Fascinating！ I also loved the cover。）A Scribner ARC via NetGalley Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change 。。。more

Diane Saul ，

A good espionage thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat。 Who can you trust， is love enough， everyone is watching over their shoulders。 A mad dash at the end to try and escape， how will it end。 This book will keep you turning the pages。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy。

Stephanie ，

🌟🌟🌟🌟The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon Special thanks to Scribner Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book。 I voluntarily read and reviewed this book all thoughts and opinions are my own。It’s 1963， Martin Keller is being exchanged for a another prisoner from the German Democratic Republic。 Martin is was atomic spy， who was working on the Manhattan project during World War II thought that the nuclear secrets should be shared with the USSR because they were allies。 He was caught sharing secre 🌟🌟🌟🌟The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon Special thanks to Scribner Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book。 I voluntarily read and reviewed this book all thoughts and opinions are my own。It’s 1963， Martin Keller is being exchanged for a another prisoner from the German Democratic Republic。 Martin is was atomic spy， who was working on the Manhattan project during World War II thought that the nuclear secrets should be shared with the USSR because they were allies。 He was caught sharing secrets and has been in prison for 15 years。 Martin can’t figure out why he’s being treated as an asset that’s worth anything for the exchanged。 His knowledge of any atomic science is outdated by many years。 He learns that his ex-wife， Sabine’s new husband Kurt is a lawyer and it’s his job to exchange prisoners。 Martin’s son is a teenager now and needs his father。 As they cross the border the an ambulance comes speeding up and someone inside shoots at Martin and Kurt。 But who and why？ As Martin works to figure out what’s going on he learns that parts of his past are coming back around。 As always Kanon provides a gripping story that’s hard to put down。 。。。more

J L ，

I have not read anything by the author Joseph Kanon before this novel。 It was suggested by a podcast。 I was lucky enough to get an advance copy。 Thank you to all。 The Berlin Exchanges is a spy thriller。 It did take me awhile to get into his novel。 For me it webbed and flowed with interest。 I am glad I finished this novel。。 the ending is a twister。 What seems to be a simple spy exchange is anything but。 Even the spy being exchanged， Martin Keller， does not understand why。 Everyone wants something I have not read anything by the author Joseph Kanon before this novel。 It was suggested by a podcast。 I was lucky enough to get an advance copy。 Thank you to all。 The Berlin Exchanges is a spy thriller。 It did take me awhile to get into his novel。 For me it webbed and flowed with interest。 I am glad I finished this novel。。 the ending is a twister。 What seems to be a simple spy exchange is anything but。 Even the spy being exchanged， Martin Keller， does not understand why。 Everyone wants something in the corrupt East Germany of 1963。 Many players and plots twists move the storyline forwards。 There is a good back story。 You have to be in this novel for the long game。 It is worth it。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Berlin Exchange

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Berlin Exchange&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Berlin Exchange&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0