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Liebermann Papers #3
Fatal Lies
The hit novels behind the major new TV series Vienna Blood
Vienna, 1903
In St. Florian's military school, a rambling edifice set high in the hills of the city's famous woods, a young cadet is found dead - his body lacerated with razor wounds. Once again, Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt calls on his friend - and disciple of Freud - Doctor Max Liebermann, to help him with the investigation.
In the closed society of the school, power is everything - and suspicion falls on an elite group of cadets, with a penchant for sadism and dangerous games. When it is discovered that the dead boy was a frequent guest of the deputy headmaster's attractive young wife - other motives for murder suggest themselves.
A tangled web of relationships is uncovered, at the heart of which are St. Florian's dark secrets, which Liebermann, using new psychoanalytic tools such as dream interpretation and the ink-blot test, begins to probe. At the same time, a shocking revelation makes it impossible for Liebermann to pursue the object of his affections, the Englishwoman Miss Lydgate, and he finds himself romantically involved with the passionate and elemental Trezska Novak - a mysterious Hungarian concert violinist, gifted with uncannily accurate intuitions. Again, all is not what it seems, and Liebermann is drawn into the perilous world of espionage - and must make choices, the outcome of which will threaten the entire stability of the Empire.
Vienna, 1903
In St. Florian's military school, a rambling edifice set high in the hills of the city's famous woods, a young cadet is found dead - his body lacerated with razor wounds. Once again, Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt calls on his friend - and disciple of Freud - Doctor Max Liebermann, to help him with the investigation.
In the closed society of the school, power is everything - and suspicion falls on an elite group of cadets, with a penchant for sadism and dangerous games. When it is discovered that the dead boy was a frequent guest of the deputy headmaster's attractive young wife - other motives for murder suggest themselves.
A tangled web of relationships is uncovered, at the heart of which are St. Florian's dark secrets, which Liebermann, using new psychoanalytic tools such as dream interpretation and the ink-blot test, begins to probe. At the same time, a shocking revelation makes it impossible for Liebermann to pursue the object of his affections, the Englishwoman Miss Lydgate, and he finds himself romantically involved with the passionate and elemental Trezska Novak - a mysterious Hungarian concert violinist, gifted with uncannily accurate intuitions. Again, all is not what it seems, and Liebermann is drawn into the perilous world of espionage - and must make choices, the outcome of which will threaten the entire stability of the Empire.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
151 people are currently reading
777 people want to read
About the author
Frank Tallis
46 books395 followersAka F.R. Tallis.
Dr. Frank Tallis is a writer and clinical psychologist. He has held lecturing posts in clinical psychology and neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry and King's College, London. He has written self help manuals (How to Stop Worrying, Understanding Obsessions and Compulsions) non-fiction for the general reader (Changing Minds, Hidden Minds, Love Sick), academic text books and over thirty academic papers in international journals. Frank Tallis' novels are: KILLING TIME (Penguin), SENSING OTHERS (Penguin), MORTAL MISCHIEF (Arrow), VIENNA BLOOD (Arrow), FATAL LIES (Arrow), and DARKNESS RISING (Arrow). The fifth volume of the Liebermann Papers, DEADLY COMMUNION, will be published in 2010. In 1999 he received a Writers' Award from the Arts Council of Great Britain and in 2000 he won the New London Writers' Award (London Arts Board). In 2005 MORTAL MISCHIEF was shortlisted for the Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award.
Dr. Frank Tallis is a writer and clinical psychologist. He has held lecturing posts in clinical psychology and neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry and King's College, London. He has written self help manuals (How to Stop Worrying, Understanding Obsessions and Compulsions) non-fiction for the general reader (Changing Minds, Hidden Minds, Love Sick), academic text books and over thirty academic papers in international journals. Frank Tallis' novels are: KILLING TIME (Penguin), SENSING OTHERS (Penguin), MORTAL MISCHIEF (Arrow), VIENNA BLOOD (Arrow), FATAL LIES (Arrow), and DARKNESS RISING (Arrow). The fifth volume of the Liebermann Papers, DEADLY COMMUNION, will be published in 2010. In 1999 he received a Writers' Award from the Arts Council of Great Britain and in 2000 he won the New London Writers' Award (London Arts Board). In 2005 MORTAL MISCHIEF was shortlisted for the Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
October 31, 2012
Zelenka, a Czech scholarship boy, dies at St. Florian's military academy near Aufkirchen, seemingly of natural causes, but Rheinhardt suspects foul play even before the history of bullying at the school comes to light. This is Rheinhardt's book - the parallel between his struggle for parity with Von Bulow, his well-born "superior," and the conflict between the well-born boys of St. Florian's and the poor scholarship boys, ties the book together.
Liebermann has an important role in interviewing witnesses and suspects, using ink blots to tease out what they are not willing to verbalize. In rescuing a Hungarian violinist from rape, he stumbles into a liaison which has unexpected consequences -- but the book still belongs to Rheinhardt and the boys.
Nietzsche's writings overshadow the school, his ideology infecting certain teachers as well as one particular boy, clever in evading suspicion, who becomes the leader of a bullying pack. Tallis masterfully conveys the boys' personalities, weaknesses, beliefs and strengths and enables understanding of victims and victimized in equal measure. The teachers who preach Nietzsche's views are revealed as foolishly unaware of how their best students may enact such maxims as this one: "I can be judge of myself -- and avenger of my law."
Tallis has written a page-turner which does not sacrifice forward plot motion in its pursuit of depth. The inspiration for this book was Robert Musil's The Confusions of Young Torless, finished in 1905, and "a chilling exploration of the origins of fascism." Tallis's book is chilling, to say the least, but Musil's is next on my list. Tallis's afterword moves past Arendt's thesis of the "banality of evil" to introduce the more recent concept that "people commit atrocities because they believe what they are doing is right." "Brutality is one of the things that human beings employ to make the world a simpler place."
Liebermann has an important role in interviewing witnesses and suspects, using ink blots to tease out what they are not willing to verbalize. In rescuing a Hungarian violinist from rape, he stumbles into a liaison which has unexpected consequences -- but the book still belongs to Rheinhardt and the boys.
Nietzsche's writings overshadow the school, his ideology infecting certain teachers as well as one particular boy, clever in evading suspicion, who becomes the leader of a bullying pack. Tallis masterfully conveys the boys' personalities, weaknesses, beliefs and strengths and enables understanding of victims and victimized in equal measure. The teachers who preach Nietzsche's views are revealed as foolishly unaware of how their best students may enact such maxims as this one: "I can be judge of myself -- and avenger of my law."
Tallis has written a page-turner which does not sacrifice forward plot motion in its pursuit of depth. The inspiration for this book was Robert Musil's The Confusions of Young Torless, finished in 1905, and "a chilling exploration of the origins of fascism." Tallis's book is chilling, to say the least, but Musil's is next on my list. Tallis's afterword moves past Arendt's thesis of the "banality of evil" to introduce the more recent concept that "people commit atrocities because they believe what they are doing is right." "Brutality is one of the things that human beings employ to make the world a simpler place."
March 23, 2009
Not a bad follow-up to the earlier books--I still like the protagonists and the turn-of-the-century Vienna setting. But this one tries to cram too much in--Rorschach blots, "Young Torless," absinthe, Hungarian spies, Mahler, Freud, and the supposed banality of evil. Too much research, and he doesn't write well enough to fully digest it. But still looking forward to more in the series.
March 10, 2022
So far, this has been the most gripping book in the series for me. I sacrificed sleep to read on. :) The resolution to the mystery is quite different from the TV adaptation--and considerably more sordid.
June 6, 2012
This is the second mystery in this series that I've read, and for some reason this one wasn't quite as interesting as the first one. Takes place a military school for boys in Germany in the early 1900s, where strange things are happening. Boys are dying, and no one can figure out why the boy whose death started the investigation has died. There is a lot of bullying taking place in this school, and the headmaster appears to be in on it. He's named Eichmann, and in the postscript Tallis tells us that this is a deliberate reference to the Nazi Eichmann. Once again the relationship between the detective and the doctor is well-portrayed, and the two of them need to put their heads together to figure out what has been going on in the school.
Again some historical people figure in this story - Freud, Nietzsche, and more. The key to the entire plot is Nietzsche's "Superman". But if I tell you any more I'll ruin the book for you. Just pick it up at the library and make your way through. You'll enjoy the trip.
Again some historical people figure in this story - Freud, Nietzsche, and more. The key to the entire plot is Nietzsche's "Superman". But if I tell you any more I'll ruin the book for you. Just pick it up at the library and make your way through. You'll enjoy the trip.
Read
June 4, 2010Oh no, not another series! I picked this up and started reading it without realizing it is part of a series and this is number 3. Unfortunately, I liked it enough that I will have to go back and read 1 and 2, this on top of the series by P.D. James that contains 14 in all. Oh yeah, and Storm picked up book #13 in the Janet Evanovich Plum series, not to mention the Maeve Binchy books I got during one of our book exchanges and Nicole has got me thinking I might enjoy some Stephen King again. Looks like I've got some serious reading to do.
As for the book, it takes place in early 20th century Vienna, the protagonist being one Max Liebermann, a psychiatrist of the Freudian persuasion and friend of a police detective with whom he often collaborates on cases. Great references to turn-of-the century Austria, German and Austrian composers and their music, works by philosophers (Nietsche figuring prominently in this book) and scientists, and of course Freud's theories.
As for the book, it takes place in early 20th century Vienna, the protagonist being one Max Liebermann, a psychiatrist of the Freudian persuasion and friend of a police detective with whom he often collaborates on cases. Great references to turn-of-the century Austria, German and Austrian composers and their music, works by philosophers (Nietsche figuring prominently in this book) and scientists, and of course Freud's theories.
September 17, 2018
Another marvel by Frank Tallis! "Fatal Lies" is the third in his "Vienna" series and it shows his increasing skill level in terms of folding multiple story lines into a fascinating read. For those unfamiliar with Tallis, if you like historical fiction, mysteries, psychology and cultural history, Tallis brings it all to bear in each of his novels. His protagonist, Dr. Max Liebermann, a budding psychiatrist, assists his musical partner, detective Oskar Rheinhardt solve crimes by using his intuition coupled with superior powers of observation and reasoning. Fortunately for me, there are three more in the series that I haven't read.
January 8, 2011
The 'terrible secret' wasn't all that terrible - not the most gripping story I've ever read and had to make myself persevere in the middle, but it did improve. Made me feel cold and a bit depressed - don't know if it was the weather in the book or in the real world (unusually cold and coming up the christmas), but won't be looking for more books by this author. In the library.
November 4, 2025
Stefan Zeiweg is mentiod as a resource on educational institutions in Vienna in the late 19th century for Fatal Lies and the boys educated with brutality and humilation. My interest in Vienna started with S. Zweig and his semi-autobiography. Frank Tallis is a practicing clinical phychologist and lives in London. His novel is well written, interesting and full of details about Vienna, Austria.
April 2, 2024
Excellent
October 29, 2025
I didn’t find this book as good as the previous ones, but it was probably me rather than the book. Reading has been difficult to impossible the past 2 weeks or so since our son’s death.
April 11, 2018
Mais um caso surpreendente com os estimados Liebermann e Reinhardt.
Devo confessar que fiquei horrorizada e com medo nas cenas dos rapazes daquele colégio militar. Era evidente a sua maldade e desprezo pelas vidas daqueles que consideram inferiores por serem pobres e estarem no colégio com uma bolsa.
Acho que, no fim, fiquei satisfeita com o que se passou com Draxler.
Quando ao Lierbemann, fiquei muito decepcionada com ele.
Ao mesmo tempo achei engraçada a forma como o autor resolveu aquele caso da Treshka,
Devo confessar que fiquei horrorizada e com medo nas cenas dos rapazes daquele colégio militar. Era evidente a sua maldade e desprezo pelas vidas daqueles que consideram inferiores por serem pobres e estarem no colégio com uma bolsa.
Acho que, no fim, fiquei satisfeita com o que se passou com Draxler.
Quando ao Lierbemann, fiquei muito decepcionada com ele.
Ao mesmo tempo achei engraçada a forma como o autor resolveu aquele caso da Treshka,
April 3, 2013
I liked this book, the third in Tallis’s Vienna series, better than the first one, A Death In Vienna. Perhaps this is because I am more familiar with the characters now. But also because this novel seemed more closely focused than the first one. There are, as in that one, chapters written from other than the main characters’ point of view, but this time they don’t seem to jump all over the place as they did in that one.
In my review of A Death In Vienna, I remarked that more than a few of Tallis’s chapters seemed to end a bit ‘off’ to me – as if he stretched them one or two lines too long – and those ‘off’ endings were not an inducement to continue reading. He’s corrected that here. Each chapter ends on just the right note.
Tallis again does a great job of bringing 1902 Vienna to life and his writing remains in the style that was common in those days but in this novel, unlike the first, that more languid style doesn’t seem to slow the pace down. Although, I do wish he would cut back on some of his detailed descriptions of places. Many of these could be pared back with no loss of the reader’s ability to picture the place. I don’t need to know everything in a room to ‘see’ it in my head.
Tallis also leaves several sub-plots unresolved here and they, as in the first book, are an inducement to pick up the next in the series to see where he takes them.
At the end of my review of A Death In Vienna, I said I would read more books in the series if they came my way but wouldn’t seek them out. This book changed that. Now, while I still won’t actively seek them out, I will grab them if I spot them.
Good job, Mr. Tallis
In my review of A Death In Vienna, I remarked that more than a few of Tallis’s chapters seemed to end a bit ‘off’ to me – as if he stretched them one or two lines too long – and those ‘off’ endings were not an inducement to continue reading. He’s corrected that here. Each chapter ends on just the right note.
Tallis again does a great job of bringing 1902 Vienna to life and his writing remains in the style that was common in those days but in this novel, unlike the first, that more languid style doesn’t seem to slow the pace down. Although, I do wish he would cut back on some of his detailed descriptions of places. Many of these could be pared back with no loss of the reader’s ability to picture the place. I don’t need to know everything in a room to ‘see’ it in my head.
Tallis also leaves several sub-plots unresolved here and they, as in the first book, are an inducement to pick up the next in the series to see where he takes them.
At the end of my review of A Death In Vienna, I said I would read more books in the series if they came my way but wouldn’t seek them out. This book changed that. Now, while I still won’t actively seek them out, I will grab them if I spot them.
Good job, Mr. Tallis
January 17, 2022
It was, in part, the inspiration of Robert Musil's novella, The Confusions of Young Torless, about a young cadet struggling toward self-definition while experiencing the erotic tensions of puberty, that led Frank Tallis to write the mystery novel Fatal Lies.
The heart of the mystery is the machinations a small group of cadets led by Kiefer Wolf, a precocious underclassman. They are attending a private boys' school, Saint Florian, that is replete with ancient traditions and eccentric teachers. It is this story line that draws on Musil's novella most directly with the addition of explicit Nietzschean influences on young Wolf. But the key to the success of Tallis' novel is his intelligent use of the setting of fin-de-siecle Vienna and the blend of medicine, music, psychology and history that makes this a satisfying read. The lead detective, Reinhardt and his ally, Dr. Max Liebermann, an expert in the new psychiatric methods of Sigmund Freud, are both intelligent and believable characters in this well-constructed mystery. Each of the main characters must deal with their own issues and their stories are only slightly less interesting than the primary mystery. I was eagerly apprehensive most of the novel as the plot and sub-plots moved forward with alacrity. The climax was also satisfying; So much so that I look forward to reading Tallis' two previous mysteries (also set in Vienna).
The heart of the mystery is the machinations a small group of cadets led by Kiefer Wolf, a precocious underclassman. They are attending a private boys' school, Saint Florian, that is replete with ancient traditions and eccentric teachers. It is this story line that draws on Musil's novella most directly with the addition of explicit Nietzschean influences on young Wolf. But the key to the success of Tallis' novel is his intelligent use of the setting of fin-de-siecle Vienna and the blend of medicine, music, psychology and history that makes this a satisfying read. The lead detective, Reinhardt and his ally, Dr. Max Liebermann, an expert in the new psychiatric methods of Sigmund Freud, are both intelligent and believable characters in this well-constructed mystery. Each of the main characters must deal with their own issues and their stories are only slightly less interesting than the primary mystery. I was eagerly apprehensive most of the novel as the plot and sub-plots moved forward with alacrity. The climax was also satisfying; So much so that I look forward to reading Tallis' two previous mysteries (also set in Vienna).
July 27, 2019
'' Fatal lies '' is a historial fiction with an element of crime ,mystery and suspense by Frank Tallis originally published in January 2008. It is set up in Vienna 1903 at St Florian's military school where a young cadet is found dead in the laboratory, seemingly of natural causes but Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt suspects foul play and later they reveal that his body is lacerated with razor wounds.
The book goes on to reveal the history of bullying which occurred at this military school. A group of young cadets with affinity for sadism and dangerous games come under suspicion . But when the inspector discovers about the boy's regular visits to the deputy headmaster's wife other motives for murder arise.
Doctor Max Liebermann with the use of psychoanalytic tools like dream interpretation and the ink-blot test probe further into the investigation and is successful in discovering the murderer.
The writing style is quite different here but fairly easy to understand.The book Fatal Lies is about romance, deception and power and elaborates on how the world belongs to those in power. The idea of writing this book came from a memoir of a student who lived through such a scenario. The question he deals with is the “banality of evil.”
Lastly I'd like to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and mysteries.
The book goes on to reveal the history of bullying which occurred at this military school. A group of young cadets with affinity for sadism and dangerous games come under suspicion . But when the inspector discovers about the boy's regular visits to the deputy headmaster's wife other motives for murder arise.
Doctor Max Liebermann with the use of psychoanalytic tools like dream interpretation and the ink-blot test probe further into the investigation and is successful in discovering the murderer.
The writing style is quite different here but fairly easy to understand.The book Fatal Lies is about romance, deception and power and elaborates on how the world belongs to those in power. The idea of writing this book came from a memoir of a student who lived through such a scenario. The question he deals with is the “banality of evil.”
Lastly I'd like to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and mysteries.
December 29, 2009
The third installment of Tallis's turn of the 20th century Vienna-based thriller series is the best of the bunch thus far. When an unexplained death takes place at an exclusive private boy school, Inspektor Rheinhardt senses that something isn't quite right. The boy, a scholarship student, has odd scars on his body and has developed a seemingly inappropriate relationship with one of his teachers. As usual, Rheinhardt brings in Freudian psychoanalyst, Liebermann, to ferret out the truth behind the witness's half-truths and unconvincing denials. Liebermann, fresh off a broken engagement from Book #2, also spends a great deal of his time figuring out his feelings for his former patient and developing a new relationship with a mysterious violin player. Rheinhardt and Liebermann also share their love for music, working out the solutions to the inexplicable murder as the concertos play. I enjoyed the suspense of this one more than the first two - and while the story took turn after turn after turn, it still managed to remain fun without getting too out of hand. I like Liebermann's psychological musings, even if some of them are beyond obvious is this day and age. A good mystery for a quiet evening.
September 9, 2010
Fatal Lies is the third of the Liebermann series about a Vienna psychoanalyst and his sidekick, a police inspector Oskar Rheinhardt. Rheinhardt and Liebermann sing Lieder and solve crimes together in turn-of-the-20th-century Vienna and encounter all manner of famous folk of the time, including Vienna's notorious anti-Semitic mayor Karl Lueger, Liebermann's mentor Siegmund Freud, and his musical idol, Gustav Mahler.
In this installment, Rheinhardt is called upon to solve the suspicious death of a teenaged boy at a military academy and Liebermann gets mixed up in the middle of a spy ring. I liked this installment the best of the three I've read - although it was a bit slow at times, the mystery was more interesting and less-far-fetched than the ones in A Death in Vienna (aka Mortal Mischief) and Vienna Blood) and I was able to keep the cast of characters clearer in my head this time. (And last, but not least, Frank Tallis's loving descriptions of Viennese pastry have made me extremely hungry!)
In this installment, Rheinhardt is called upon to solve the suspicious death of a teenaged boy at a military academy and Liebermann gets mixed up in the middle of a spy ring. I liked this installment the best of the three I've read - although it was a bit slow at times, the mystery was more interesting and less-far-fetched than the ones in A Death in Vienna (aka Mortal Mischief) and Vienna Blood) and I was able to keep the cast of characters clearer in my head this time. (And last, but not least, Frank Tallis's loving descriptions of Viennese pastry have made me extremely hungry!)
August 12, 2023
So fa I can’t get enough of Tallis’s Liebermann series.
I don’t have time for an in-depth review; I want to read the whole series at one go then read the whole series again. One thing I can say, Tallis gives the reader so much to think about, and much to savor. I LOVE this kind of book.
The only drawback—and it is SERIOUS—is the MESS the e-publisher or printer made of the German language text. Apparently those fatheads think it’s unimportant to spell correctly if it’s not in English. I was APPALLED at how many mistakes there were. Many were repeats, indicating that the text was poorly scanned. This is completely unacceptable for either printer or publisher, and I hope Tallis has complained. Why should he go to all the trouble of having someone check the accuracy of the German if the bonehead printer destroys it???
I cannot be the first to notice this, so I can hardly believe that the publisher has not reissued this EPUB ebook version with corrections. Why should we—including libraries—pay full price for defective goods??
I don’t have time for an in-depth review; I want to read the whole series at one go then read the whole series again. One thing I can say, Tallis gives the reader so much to think about, and much to savor. I LOVE this kind of book.
The only drawback—and it is SERIOUS—is the MESS the e-publisher or printer made of the German language text. Apparently those fatheads think it’s unimportant to spell correctly if it’s not in English. I was APPALLED at how many mistakes there were. Many were repeats, indicating that the text was poorly scanned. This is completely unacceptable for either printer or publisher, and I hope Tallis has complained. Why should he go to all the trouble of having someone check the accuracy of the German if the bonehead printer destroys it???
I cannot be the first to notice this, so I can hardly believe that the publisher has not reissued this EPUB ebook version with corrections. Why should we—including libraries—pay full price for defective goods??
March 18, 2010
This mystery is the third in an excellent series set in early 20th century Vienna. Young psychoanalyst Max Liebermann is Freud's student, a talented musician, a middling fencer, a coffeehouse regular, and best friend of a police detective, Oskar Rheinhardt. The hub of culture, science, political ferment, 1903 Vienna is itself a character in these books. It is the stage on which the personal, intellectual, and historical intersect with well-plotted solutions to puzzling crimes. Each volume illuminates the origins of the horrors that will shake the world: here, clinical psychologist Tallis explores the roots of fascism in schoolboy bullying.
September 11, 2013
Opened the book and saw the name Lieberman, put down the book....hate that name for some reason! Then, out of things to read I pick it up, skipping the name, and what a slick book. Found it to be a well written, with a lots of twists. The story was vivid and doesn't hurt it's written by the subject matter expert either, enjoyed it a lot. A slick book! However, when I read pages 356-359, where the sommer character starts talking/explaining got lost. I had to read that part few times and still couldn't understand it! Maybe someone will do me a favor and explain it to me.
The ending left me unsatisfied, with lots of questions unanswered! but overall, a great book to read.
The ending left me unsatisfied, with lots of questions unanswered! but overall, a great book to read.
May 21, 2018
3.5 stars. I don't know what it is about mystery novelists and military schools—the former seem irresistibly drawn to the latter. Since this author is Frank Tallis, his book is a bit more complex than most, with an unrelated subplot involving romance and spies. Nevertheless, there's a lot that is predictable here: the hostility of the rich boys to the poorer ones, the bullying, the homosexuality. I found Tallis's postscript entitled "The Banality of Evil," putting one of the themes of the book into context, interesting. But I'm glad he's gotten military schools out of his system and can move on.
December 31, 2010
Didn't like this third installment in the Liebermann papers as much as the first two. Mr. Tallis had two separate plots going on here that, unless I really missed something, had nothing to do with one another. What's more, I was bored by the main plot involving a death at a military academy in Vienna Woods. The other one, involving espionage, was much more interesting, but unfortunately, was not really played up at all. Here's hoping that will pop up in a later installment. Still an enjoyable read though (especially those Austrian pastries again, yum!).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2009
This is such a good series combining strong plot, effective characterisations and such a well-realised period setting. Tallis' writes well and carries the story along at a good pace. He always takes time to explain the psychoanalytic theory and practices in clear language.
This was slightly different to the previous two in not having such an esoteric plot (spiritualism and secret societies) though did involve international espionage and the closed world of a military academy.
April 20, 2023
I’d actually give this a 3.5. I’ve been watching the series, which I enjoy. There is quite a lot of dialogue about pastries and food, which I find somewhat tedious. I’m also not enthralled with Freud’s lectures and Dad jokes.
A young boy dies at a local military academy. Rheinhardt is called in to investigate, but is hindered by assorted folks who believe in the superiority of well-to-do ethnically “ pure” personnel. There is quite a lot of musical discussion and political intrigue.
A young boy dies at a local military academy. Rheinhardt is called in to investigate, but is hindered by assorted folks who believe in the superiority of well-to-do ethnically “ pure” personnel. There is quite a lot of musical discussion and political intrigue.
January 24, 2010
Set in turn-of-the-century Vienna. The author tries to cram in too much. Still I liked it well enough to want to read the two other books in the series.
September 17, 2010
another great read by Frank Tallis. This series transports the reader to turn of the century Vienna. Highly recomended!
March 2, 2019
A good trilogy! I just don't know if I like the way it ends...
October 13, 2024
I now ought to have rather more empathy with those who read classic novels and then express their disappointment because they find them unpalatable in comparison to TV versions which had taken widespread liberties with the original (and to be fair I've always found Dickens works best in adaptation). I have to admit that the only reason I went looking for Tallis' novels was because I had enjoyed "Vienna Blood" on the BBC, but having gone to some lengths to get hold of this book via interlibrary services, I'm just not enjoying the author enough to repeat the process beyond this third volume in the series.
This particular case was one that I recalled finding confused and rather unsatisfactory in its televised version, so should have been a prime candidate to work better on paper. (I didn't actually remember any specific details about it, or recognize anything beyond the military school setting and the occurrences of hazing amongst the boys - I suspect the plot of the original novel was considered unfilmable due to its subject matter!) However, I simply don't get on with the writing style or the way the setting is handled; the detailed descriptions backfire (it just feels like the author dumping his raw research on the page), and the sections on music and food feel clunky to me.
One scene where focusing on clothing made sense as a natural observation on the part of the protagonist was the one where Liebermann and von Bülow both realise they patronise the same expensive tailor, and von Bülow then responds by making ostentatious display of his diamond cufflinks in order to win the unspoken contest of one-upmanship; that worked well for me as a literary device, because there are only a couple of details mentioned, and they are telling ones in terms of character. On the other hand, when Liebermann steps inside the Café Demel (bracket: "the imperial and royal confectioners" - surely there was a less blatant way to convey that particular bit of data assuming it was even necessary to the plot, which I'm not sure it is?), we get a long description of everything he can see and smell, and a list of all the confectioneries on display, but the only effect produced is that of the author sitting there looking at a photograph in his reference collection, I'm afraid.
Considered as a traditional detective story, I personally found this a bit unsatisfactory because nobody is 'punished': three of the various culprits, of varying degrees of guilt, get away altogether, and the rest perish through accident or suicide, such that nobody is brought to book for anything. And unfortunately I find that I just don't like book-Liebermann all that much - one of the things I remember consciously enjoying about the TV series was that the handling of the characters felt 'even', with Max's clever deductions being sometimes completely wrong, and Rheinhardt's traditional police work providing a corrective. Here, the character is at risk of coming across as infallible authorial self-insert, and has an annoying habit of deliberately withholding information. His balancing flaw is presumably supposed to be his confused personal life, but I didn't particularly enjoy that either: it is very honest of him to admit to himself that he has no right to be madly jealous of one woman while himself sleeping with another one, but it is still not very attractive behaviour.
The premise for the series is an interesting one, and I'm grateful to the author for having inspired a TV adaptation the intermittent instalments of which I have enjoyed a good deal over the years, but I shan't be putting any further effort into getting hold of his back catalogue.
This particular case was one that I recalled finding confused and rather unsatisfactory in its televised version, so should have been a prime candidate to work better on paper. (I didn't actually remember any specific details about it, or recognize anything beyond the military school setting and the occurrences of hazing amongst the boys - I suspect the plot of the original novel was considered unfilmable due to its subject matter!) However, I simply don't get on with the writing style or the way the setting is handled; the detailed descriptions backfire (it just feels like the author dumping his raw research on the page), and the sections on music and food feel clunky to me.
One scene where focusing on clothing made sense as a natural observation on the part of the protagonist was the one where Liebermann and von Bülow both realise they patronise the same expensive tailor, and von Bülow then responds by making ostentatious display of his diamond cufflinks in order to win the unspoken contest of one-upmanship; that worked well for me as a literary device, because there are only a couple of details mentioned, and they are telling ones in terms of character. On the other hand, when Liebermann steps inside the Café Demel (bracket: "the imperial and royal confectioners" - surely there was a less blatant way to convey that particular bit of data assuming it was even necessary to the plot, which I'm not sure it is?), we get a long description of everything he can see and smell, and a list of all the confectioneries on display, but the only effect produced is that of the author sitting there looking at a photograph in his reference collection, I'm afraid.
Considered as a traditional detective story, I personally found this a bit unsatisfactory because nobody is 'punished': three of the various culprits, of varying degrees of guilt, get away altogether, and the rest perish through accident or suicide, such that nobody is brought to book for anything. And unfortunately I find that I just don't like book-Liebermann all that much - one of the things I remember consciously enjoying about the TV series was that the handling of the characters felt 'even', with Max's clever deductions being sometimes completely wrong, and Rheinhardt's traditional police work providing a corrective. Here, the character is at risk of coming across as infallible authorial self-insert, and has an annoying habit of deliberately withholding information. His balancing flaw is presumably supposed to be his confused personal life, but I didn't particularly enjoy that either: it is very honest of him to admit to himself that he has no right to be madly jealous of one woman while himself sleeping with another one, but it is still not very attractive behaviour.
The premise for the series is an interesting one, and I'm grateful to the author for having inspired a TV adaptation the intermittent instalments of which I have enjoyed a good deal over the years, but I shan't be putting any further effort into getting hold of his back catalogue.
March 16, 2018
This is another very fine Tallis Victorian, turn of the century mystery novel involving Dr. Max Liebermann, a Freudian psychiatrist, and Detective Inspector Oskar Reinhardt as they work to solve the death of a young boy at a prestigious military school.
The school known for its ability to turn out excellent military students is also known for its brutality and merciless treatment of the younger boys. This is the real story that attracted the author as he state in his “Dossier: Fatal Lies” at the end of the book. The idea came from a memoir of a student who lived through such a scenario. The question he deals with is the “banality of evil” as Hannah Arendt called it.
What makes ordinary people do such horrible things? From studies he quotes research….
“Rather both studies (and also historical evidence) suggest that brutality occurs when people identify strongly with brutal groups that have a brutal ideology.”
He goes on to say in the Dossier, “How is it that ordinary people can be persuaded to do terrible things? A better question would be: What are the factors that cause ordinary people to identify with brutal belief systems? In the modern world, the answer to this question is needed with some urgency.”
This is never more so than in America today.
This was an excellent novel ending with an equally excellent analysis.
The school known for its ability to turn out excellent military students is also known for its brutality and merciless treatment of the younger boys. This is the real story that attracted the author as he state in his “Dossier: Fatal Lies” at the end of the book. The idea came from a memoir of a student who lived through such a scenario. The question he deals with is the “banality of evil” as Hannah Arendt called it.
What makes ordinary people do such horrible things? From studies he quotes research….
“Rather both studies (and also historical evidence) suggest that brutality occurs when people identify strongly with brutal groups that have a brutal ideology.”
He goes on to say in the Dossier, “How is it that ordinary people can be persuaded to do terrible things? A better question would be: What are the factors that cause ordinary people to identify with brutal belief systems? In the modern world, the answer to this question is needed with some urgency.”
This is never more so than in America today.
This was an excellent novel ending with an equally excellent analysis.
January 18, 2020
Very well written at the SPAG level slightly less so at the higher levels. Some things could have been improved with better translation from the British to American English.
One subplot did not get fully answered. Some of them dragged out long after the main plot was finished.
The ending was not satisfactory, although it being , by then, one of several subplots still going on, was not critical to enjoying the book although it did lessen the overall effect of reading the book.
The characters were mostly uninteresting and barely developed.
A couple of the main ones were adequately done.
While accurately described their life style was not appealing.
The book was set in old Vienna and many terms were , while accurate, unfamiliar and annoying when one has to keep looking them up.
One really needs a knowledge of old European history to fully appreciate the events.
The motivation for the crime(s) was well done. As was also how they were done.
The use of psychological inference to help unravel what occurred was well done.
Overall an interesting read although not a page turner. But not a dull literary novel either. The action was more cerebral than wild car chase type of thriller.
For a buck at the dollar store remainders aisle it was far better than most of their fare.
One subplot did not get fully answered. Some of them dragged out long after the main plot was finished.
The ending was not satisfactory, although it being , by then, one of several subplots still going on, was not critical to enjoying the book although it did lessen the overall effect of reading the book.
The characters were mostly uninteresting and barely developed.
A couple of the main ones were adequately done.
While accurately described their life style was not appealing.
The book was set in old Vienna and many terms were , while accurate, unfamiliar and annoying when one has to keep looking them up.
One really needs a knowledge of old European history to fully appreciate the events.
The motivation for the crime(s) was well done. As was also how they were done.
The use of psychological inference to help unravel what occurred was well done.
Overall an interesting read although not a page turner. But not a dull literary novel either. The action was more cerebral than wild car chase type of thriller.
For a buck at the dollar store remainders aisle it was far better than most of their fare.
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