Children of Wrath

Set in 1929, Grossman’s brilliant second historical featuring Berlin policeman Willi Kraus (after 2010’s The Sleepwalkers, which was set in 1932) finds Kraus already feeling the isolation of being a Jew in an overwhelmingly Aryan environment. While Kraus is curious to look into the discovery of a burlap sack containing boiled human bones bound together by thread made from muscles, his superior instead puts him in charge of searching for the source of tainted sausages that have already poisoned hundreds. Kraus, an attractively complex lead, can’t keep away from the other case, even at the cost of his professional reputation and tranquil relations with his wife. The political turmoil caused by the rise of the Nazi Party complicates both cases. Grossman has improved on his characterizations, as shown by the thoughtful way he presents even minor figures. Fans of cerebral murder mysteries will look forward to the next installment. Agent: Jon Sternfeld at the Irene Goodman Agency. (Feb.)