Between the wars - USSR and Germany

Anybody know of crime/detective novels set in either the USSR or Germany in the 1920's and 1930's? I can imagine this would be fertile ground for a good mystery novelist.

I haven't read any books by Alan Furst, nor Philip Kerr's Berlin Trilogy - which might very well fit the bill.

What interests me in this setting is the notion of a detective trying to discover the truth and create justice in a world where these very concepts are crushed under the heel of Totalitarian societies - in that sense, Fatherland is also interesting.

Although not set in the 20-30s, Stuart M. Kaminsky's Rostnikov novels set in the USSR certainly look at trying to pursue truth and justice in a totalitarian society.

Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes was set in pre-war Germany, and possibly one or two others, but they are more spy novel than detective novels.

There are also stories with detectives trying to solve murders in German-occupied countries during the war, for example Len Deighton's SSGB and Robert Jane's series, including Stonekiller with a French and German policeman working in tandem in occupied France.

You can go to www.crimethrutime.com and peruse the timeline there. I have read a few of the Alan Furst novels and they are predominantly set during World War II (at least the ones I have read). I have two Janes' novels in my TBR, will let you know how they turn out.

Another post-war detective in communist regime series is that by Olen Steinhauer. The first one is The Bridge of Sighs where the protagonist is a homicide detective in some unspecified Soviet occupied Eastern European country in 1948.

Emil and the detectives, of course: it's a detective story (sort of...), it's set in Berlin in the 20s :-)

WWII and post war, so not quite in your period, but "The Night of the Generals" is an excellent murder mystery.

OT, but a modern look at crime solving in a totalitarian society may be found in Frank Church Inspector O series which are set in North Korea. A bonus is the first of these, A Corpse in the Koryo is one of the best written mysteries I've had the pleasure to read in a long time.