The Recommended Reading Path
For the best experience, the Gereon Rath series should be read in its chronological order, which matches the order of publication. Volker Kutscher structured the series intentionally, setting each main novel in a consecutive year from 1929 to 1938. This structure allows readers to witness both the character development of Gereon Rath, Charlotte “Charly” Ritter, and Fritz “Fritze” Thormann, alongside the slow, chilling collapse of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazi Germany.
While the illustrated novella Moabit acts as a prequel (Book 0.5), it is highly recommended to start with the first novel, Babylon Berlin (originally published as Der nasse Fisch). The emotional weight of Moabit is far greater once you are already familiar with Charly Ritter's personality and struggles. Reading in publication order also helps you avoid minor spoilers in the short stories and companion books.
The Main Gereon Rath Novels (1929–1938)
The core of the series consists of ten main novels. Each novel focuses on a specific case set in a specific year, providing a vivid historical time capsule of Berlin's descent from democracy into fascism:
- 1. Babylon Berlin (German: Der nasse Fisch, 2007 / English translation: 2016) – Set in 1929. Inspector Gereon Rath is transferred from Cologne to Berlin's Vice Squad, stumbling into a conspiracy involving Russian gold, political unrest, and illegal films.
- 2. The Silent Death (German: Der stumme Tod, 2009 / English translation: 2017) – Set in 1930. Rath investigates a series of murders in the Berlin film industry during the turbulent transition from silent films to talkies.
- 3. Goldstein (German: Goldstein, 2010 / English translation: 2018) – Set in 1931. Rath is assigned to shadow Abe Goldstein, an American gangster visiting Berlin, against a backdrop of escalating street battles between Nazis and Communists.
- 4. The Fatherland Files (German: Die Akte Vaterland, 2012 / English translation: 2019) – Set in 1932. A mysterious murder at the Haus Vaterland amusement palace leads Rath out of Berlin to East Prussia, close to the Polish border.
- 5. The March Fallen (German: Märzgefallene, 2014 / English translation: 2020) – Set in 1933. Set during the weeks surrounding the Reichstag fire. Rath investigates a murder connected to the veterans of World War I as the Nazi party consolidates its power.
- 6. Lunapark (German: Lunapark, 2016 / No English translation) – Set in 1934. Investigating the murder of a SA member in the slums of Berlin, Rath faces the reality of the newly established Nazi terror state and the Night of the Long Knives.
- 7. Marlow (German: Marlow, 2018 / No English translation) – Set in 1935. A fatal traffic accident draws Rath into a web of corruption, blackmail, and the sinister influence of his recurring nemesis, underworld boss Johann Marlow.
- 8. Olympia (German: Olympia, 2020 / No English translation) – Set in 1936. Set during the Berlin Olympic Games. Rath is tasked with investigating a series of murders inside the Olympic Village under the strict surveillance of the Gestapo.
- 9. Transatlantik (German: Transatlantik, 2022 / No English translation) – Set in 1937. With the political situation becoming untenable, Rath is forced to flee Germany. The story splits between Charly's efforts in Berlin and Rath's journey across the Atlantic.
- 10. Rath (German: Rath, 2024 / No English translation) – Set in 1938. The final novel in the core series. It wraps up the political and personal arcs of the protagonists on the eve of World War II.
The Galiani Berlin Companion Works
Volker Kutscher has collaborated with illustrator Kat Menschik to publish three beautifully illustrated standalone companion books through Galiani Berlin. These books expand upon key characters in the Rath universe:
- Moabit (2017) – Set in 1927/1928, this prequel novella focuses on Charly Ritter before she met Gereon Rath. It explores her background as a law student, her family's poverty, and her involvement with a young prison inmate in Moabit prison.
- Mitte (2021) – Set in 1936/1937, this novella focuses on Fritze Thormann, the foster son of Charly and Gereon, as he navigates the ideological pressures of the Hitler Youth and a mysterious crime in the heart of Berlin.
- Westend (2025) – Serving as an epilogue and farewell to the series, this book jumps forward to 1973. An elderly Gereon Rath lives in a retirement home and looks back on key events in his life, linking memories of the 1930s and 1950s.
Short Stories and Where They Fit
Several short stories written by Kutscher provide extra depth to the characters. Many of these were released as standalone promotional eBooks or published in anthologies:
- Alex (2008) – A short story set around Alexanderplatz during the early days of Rath's Berlin career.
- Bescherung (2009) – A Christmas-themed short story set in the police headquarters.
- Gute Beziehungen (2010) – A brief look at the police network and political corruption.
- Märchen mit Zündhölzern (“Matchstick Fairytale”, 2010 / eBook 2016) – Set on New Year's Eve 1931, focusing on the character Hannah Singer, who plays a critical role in The March Fallen.
- Plan B (2012 / eBook 2016) – Set in the early summer of 1933, illustrating the Nazi regime's initial crackdown on Berlin's organized crime rings (the Ringvereine).
- Durchmarsch (“March-past”, 2015 / eBook 2016) – Set in the high summer of 1933, centering on a suspicious death during the filming of a propaganda movie about Horst Wessel.
The English Translation Dilemma
English-speaking readers face a major challenge: only the first five novels are currently available in English. The Scottish independent publisher Sandstone Press originally acquired the translation rights and published books 1 through 5. However, Sandstone Press faced severe financial difficulties and entered voluntary liquidation in July 2023. A Kickstarter campaign launched in late 2022 to fund the translation of Book 6, Lunapark, failed to reach its target. While Sheffield-based Vertebrate Publishing acquired Sandstone's catalog and active titles in 2023, there is no official news on when or if the translation of the remaining books (6 through 10) and companion works will resume.
The Books vs. the Babylon Berlin TV Series
The acclaimed television series Babylon Berlin is based on Volker Kutscher's books, but it is not a direct page-by-page adaptation. The show features significant departures in both plot and characterization. For instance, in the books, Charly Ritter begins as a typist and law student, whereas the show gives her a much darker backstory and combines several book characters. Additionally, the show invents entirely new subplots, such as the Armenian crime lord's expanded role and the active political conspiracies involving the Black Reichswehr. Reading the books offers a more grounded, historically detailed, and slower-paced mystery compared to the high-stakes cinematic drama of the TV show.