Critique of Criminal Reason

Title : Critique of criminal reason

Author : Michael Gregorio

Genre : Mystery /Crime Novel

Special notes : Don’t expect an accurate historic description

This is one of those novels in which you don’t know what to expect from the begining. The main character, Hanno Stiffeniis, a prusian, has an interesting background which is treated throughout the entire novel. He studied jurisprudence and he is a young magistrate. With a wife and two children he has a simple but enjoyable life. All changes when sergeant Amadeus Koch summons him to Königsberg, via a envelope with a Hohenzollern seal,to replace a procurator for the solving of three murders. After reading the documents concerning the murders he is troubled by the lack of evidence in all these murder cases.

The story continues in this manner of  “ blind leading the blind" until he finds out why was he summoned. An exquisite relationship is that of Stiffeniis’s with the great philosopher Immanuel Kant (thus the title). He summoned Stiffeniis because of their history together and also because of Stiffeniis’s way of thinking. It is great that he does not interfere directly in the investigation thus leaving our hero to act at his own accord. But Kant’s role is monumental both as a pair of fresh eyes for the case and for his nonconventional ways of analyzing. Preserving heads in distilled wine, hiring soldiers to sketch thec rime scenes, this old philosopher has many aces in his sleeve.

Where would a hero be without its sidekick? Here is an interesting twist because the sidekick is actually the one who summons him, sergeant Amadeus Koch. It is not exactly like Sherlock andWatson or Morse and Lewis but there is a clear line between them, in this case the hero doesn’t need to be the master. An interesting concept because Stiffeniis is basically a bridge between the sidekick, Koch, and the master, Kant. These two don’t get along, Kant ignoring Koch, and ,on the other side,Koch refusing Kant’s methods.

Any crime novel has its red herrings but this one presents something more as the main character evolves tying up the loose ends. At one point you end up wanting the hero to be wrong.

With ample descriptions and with a subtle experiment on the character’s way of thinking and acting in breathtaking situations, this is a must-read for those who need some intellectual stimulation from a crime novel.

"Reason does not work instinctively, but requires trial, practice, and instruction in order to gradually progress from one level of insight to another." Immanuel Kant

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