Stardust: A gripping historical thriller from the author of Leaving Berlin

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel which marks a great return to form by Joseph Kanon after the disappointing "Alibi". The setting of Hollywood immediately after World War 2 with the first rumblings of the coming McCarthy witchhunts amid the German colony of exiles is brilliantly drawn. Ben Collier returns from the war to California to investigate the mysterious death of his film maker brother and becomes embroiled in the politics and tensions of Hollywood as it emerges into the post-war world of new challenges,threats and Unamerican activities. Collier is a masterful creation as he digs deeper into the apparent suicide of his brother andcome to terms with conflicts between old loyalties, the mystique of film making and the new politics. The beautiful and fascinating Liesl, his brother's widow, is only one of the range of complex protagonists he encounters in his search for the truth.A superbly written, gripping and profound novel of the unreal world of 1945 Hollywood and the realities of the new American Century.

I've read and enjoyed all this author's novels, but found this one a long haul. He has touched on the same subject in 'the prodigal spy'. I like the way that as you read his stories you get a history lesson but in an interesting way. There is certainly mystery here. it is a good whodunnit, with a slight twist. There is some action, especially at the end. The end reminded me ofa certain Woody Allen film. But I digress.I kept imagining Ingrid Bergman as the character, Liesl.As another reviewer has written, worth sticking with to the end,Oh yes, the paperback by Simon and Schuster has a classier cover that matches the style of the previous books, rather than that one showing here.

I am a fan of Joseph Kanon but this is my least favourite of his novels so far (I have two more to read). I was not so familiar with the history of the period (I am English) and found it interesting as was the Hollywood background. The trouble with this book was that it needed a good editor to cut about 100 pages because the immense detail slowed the action down considerably. It took me much longer to read than usual and I almost gave up. I usually enjoy Joseph Kanon because of the detailed research but this time there was too much of it. Aside from that, the plot was interesting as it carefully unravelled

Thoroughly enjoyable romp through the golden age of Hollywood, mixing real people with the fictional characters. Overlaid with post war guilt and memories .

Slightly wordy Kanon. He's always thoughtful but in this book, he's inclined to draw out conversations about the political climate in the post-war early red-hunting period rather too much.But it's still better than most other books of the genre and he's still a really impressive writer.

Stardust is not a thriller or a drama-documentary or a historical novel but it combines elements of all three genres. Kanon has done all the research necessary for this immaculate recreation of Hollywood emerging from WW2. Then he has imposed upon it a plot with just the right amount of complexity and unexpected twists to keep the reader turning the pages slowly and appreciatively.I have done a lot of reading during lockdown but Stardust is the book that I will be remembering when the world has come back to life.

Stardust is a long book and one that requires your concentration. The setting for the story - 40s Hollywood, the paranoia that existed about communism in the studios - is very interesting for someone like me with little prior knowledge of the time and place. The characters are well constructed and believable. There are some really great exchanges, particularly the one between Minot and Lasner at the congressional hearing into communism. Like all of Kanon's books I couldn't put it down. Thoroughly recommend it.

I love how Kanon uses the nuances of speech patterns to convey character and mood. This is a strong story which brings to life, so richly, the Hollywood of the 1950's and the emerging horror of the McCarthy witch hunts.

Another superb piece of writing by Joseph Kanon. The wonderful, complicated story is wonderfully realized by Kanon. And the dialogue is (as in all his books I have read) second to none. Would that there were more like him. I cannot wait to read another Kanon book!

Alles war ganz super und schnell! Service war sehr gut! Ich wurde diese Firma nochmals benutzen. Ich danke Ihnen nochmal.

Ben Collier, nee Kohler is a soldier with the Signal Corps tapped to make a movie about the horrors of the concentration camps. On his way back to the states to do this job and see his estranged brother, he learns that his brother has 'fallen' from a hotel balcony in a suicide that is hushed up as an accident. Ben becomes sure that his brother was murdered, the question is by whom and why. Searching for answers, Ben Collier tours a post-war Hollywood and America on the verge of replacing a hot war with a cold one.The plot and characters in this book are intricate and clever, but the real magic is in the atmosphere and the dialogue. Stardust invokes not only silver screen Hollywood but the pictures that made it a legend. Think Double Indemnity and Out of the Past to get some idea of the flavor of Stardust. The book is dialogue driven and there isn't so much as a wrong grace note. The characters have the cynical patter and the heartbreaking melodrama of the noir films that inspired them without ever falling into parody. Other reviewers comment that the book could have been shortened and tightened, but the reader would have been the loser as depth would have been lost. More importantly time in a magical, lost, probably illusory world would have been shortened for the reader.Stardust is a great way to spend time in a Hollywood that never was, but a Hollywood we all know just the same. Highest possible recommendation to those who love noir, Silver Age Hollywood or literary mysteries. Stunning.

JK's only weak book. flimsy story but good atmosphere.

Etwas schleppender Anfang soll nicht davon abhalten, sich von den zahlreichen Film- und Theatergrößen beeindrucken zu lassen,die vor dem Krieg in Europa nach Amerika flohen. Auch Schriftsteller wie die Manns und Feininger mit vielen anderen bekannten Namen haben ihren Part. Geheimdienste aller Couleur versuchen Flüchtlinge und Etablierte zu rekrutieren und Erpressungen aller Art sind Mittel zum Zweck.Auch McCarthies Kommunistenwahn trägt zur allgemeinen Verunsicherung bei.Wie in allen Romanen von Kanon sind subtile Kenntnisse der deutschen Historie vor und nach dem 2.Weltkrieg sehr lebendig eingebunden.Interessante Lektüre besonders Filmliebhabern zu empfehlen!