A political scandal rocks the red-light district of Hamburg, Germany.

Sarda’s gripping second novel—like his debut, Cash-n-Carry (2012)—is a crime thriller. With the verve of a James Bond escapade, the tale’s first scene sets the high-velocity plot in motion. Lars Hanson, a homicide detective, is at a blackjack table when a mysterious goon known as “the giant” targets him. Hanson bolts out the door and hits the streets of Hamburg on his Harley. Soon, a black van accelerates “into his path, its battering ram nearly grazing his right leg.” Because of the complex storyline and intertwined subplots, this isn’t the kind of novel that readers can follow if they gloss over occasional passages. The text is tightly written and challenging, with about 30 characters in key roles in a high-stakes political power scheme. High on the cast list are police investigators Thomas Ritter, a former special-ops commando, and his new partner, Motz Beck, who has ties to the Mafia. They eventually learn that the last person in the world they should trust is each other. A new character (or two) barges into each chapter. Some are likable and others, anything but, yet all will pique readers’ curiosity. (At the end of the book, Sarda provides a useful feature: a roster of the names and roles of the main characters.) The story’s mix creates a Fellini-esque sensation as scenes change at a dizzying speed. The disjointed action thunders nonstop through the red-light district of Hamburg, where a major police and political scandal unfolds. Some sex workers have important roles in the tale. Along the way, the author delivers several surprises. In one bizarre scene, Motz goes to a cemetery, pulls up a plant beside a grave, and starts digging with a spade. He finds five plastic-coated bricks, each containing a stack of 50 euro notes that Hanson stole from the police station’s property room. Amid this serious business, Sarda sprinkles in lighter moments (“Needles of rain pelted” Hanson’s face “as he weaved in and out of bike paths....A kid waved at him from one of the windows”). The absorbing story will keep readers guessing until the final pages.

A riveting crime tale involving slippery police dealings.