Born into a working-class London family, scientist John Samson is committed to fighting for a fairer, more equal world. However, his ideals are put to the test when he becomes entangled with the security services in Weimar Germany, leading to the abrupt end of his Berlin career and his intense relationship with a Jewish Berliner.

As global upheaval shapes his life, John struggles to uphold his values, hurting those closest to him, including the two women he loves. Haunted by guilt over his past, he returns to Berlin after the war, facing new challenges and seeking redemption.

Confronted by a dramatic shift from liberal democracy to authoritarian populism and conflict, John is plunged into a turbulent world with unsettling echoes of today.

Michael Shew, a former London headteacher, began writing fiction after retiring from a successful career in education. His debut novel, Lessons in Lying (2019), was followed by Backlash (2021). Betrayal in Berlin, a shift into historical fiction, spans the period from 1925 to 1945 in London and Berlin. Michael lives in Hackney, London, with his wife and adult daughter.

Michael explains: “After two psychological thrillers, I decided to pursue an idea I’d long had for a historical novel set in Germany’s Weimar Republic in the 1920s and 1930s. As a former physics teacher I’ve always been fascinated by this period of European history, not only for the radical changes in science, the arts and politics but for its rapid descent from liberal democracy to authoritarian populism and its abuse of science for this purpose. These dramatic historical developments gained relevance even as I was writing the book, with the turbulence facing our world today. I wanted to explore the impact of such dramatic social and political changes through the lives of my characters.”

RELEASE DATE: 28/06/2024 ISBN: 9781835742358 Price: £9.99