A Death in Vienna

Liebermann Papers #1

by Frank Tallis

“[An] elegant historical mystery . . . stylishly presented and intelligently resolved” set at the dawn of psychoanalysis (The New York Times Book Review).   In Vienna at the turn of the twentieth century, Max Liebermann, a contemporary of Sigmund Freud’s, is at the forefront of psychoanalysis, practicing the controversial new science with all the skill of a master detective. Every dream, inflection, or slip of tongue in his “hysterical” patients has meaning and reveals some hidden truth. When beautiful medium Charlotte Löwenstein dies under extraordinary circumstances, Max’s good friend, Detective Oskar Rheinhardt, calls for his expert assistance. Her body has been found in a room that can only be locked from the inside. She’s been shot through the heart, but there’s no gun and absolutely no trace of a bullet. All signs point to a supernatural killer, but Liebermann the scientist is not so easily convinced. Especially when one of Charlotte’s clients is also found in a locked room—this time bludgeoned to death.   Unfolding in the Vienna of Klimt and Mahler, a time of unprecedented activity in the worlds of philosophy, science, and art, A Death in Vienna is “an engrossing portrait of a legendary period as well as a brain teaser of startling perplexity” (Chicago Tribune).

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Crime, Historical, Mystery Thriller

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Aka 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.

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

An elegant mystery that will appeal to lovers of both history and historical fiction!

Turn of the century Vienna - at the time, the social, cultural and scientific centre of a Europe rapidly entering the modern world of the twentieth century - serves as the setting for Frank Tallis' debut historical mystery - a provocative, head-scratching locked room mystery. The very deceased and brutally murdered body of the colourful and beautiful medium Fräulein Löwenstein has been found in her apartments - securely locked and bolted from the inside. The puzzle deepens and becomes even more cryptic as an autopsy reveals a gunshot wound to the heart. There is a very clear entrance wound but there is no exit wound and there is also no bullet to be found in her body.

Detective Oskar Rheinhardt, an ardent fan of the newest applications of criminology and psychology, frequently finds himself at odds with his superiors who believe in a more dogged persevering application of older tried and true procedures in the solution of crimes. Rheinhardt and his companion, Max Liebermann, a physician who is also exploring the cutting edge possibilities of his own area of expertise - the developing science of psychoanalysis - believe the murderer can be found among the small group of somewhat eccentric folks that form Fräulein Löwenstein's regular séance circle.

To be sure, A DEATH IN VIENNA is a very workmanlike, well-constructed and completely entertaining locked room murder mystery but it is also so very much more. It is a wonderfully informative essay on some of the advances in modern medicine that were being developed at that time such as shock therapy, psychoanalysis, blood typing and blood transfusion.

It is an enthusiastic travelogue of what is arguably the most beautiful, charming and exciting city in all of Europe - the coffee shops, the scrumptious, tantalizing pastries, the Ringstrasse, the Opera House and the Musikverein, Karlskirche and Stephansdom, the Riesenrad ferris wheel and Prater Park.

Through Tallis' wonderful narrative skills, one can almost imagine hearing the romantic music of the time and admiring its flamboyant composers who were such an important part of the Viennese social and cultural scene at the time - Chopin, Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert and, in particular, the contentious and controversial Gustav Mahler, who had held the post of the Director of the Vienna Opera since 1897.

Tallis accurately portrays the breathless, often scandalized reaction of the Viennese artistic community to Gustav Klimt's racy and often overtly sexual style of painting that was, in only a few years time, to form the core of the Viennese Secessionist movement now celebrated in the Belvedere Palace.

Last but not least, he breathes life into his complex characters who are so credible, so human, so complete and so well-crafted as to turn other more experience and vastly more celebrated authors completely green with envy.

For once, I completely agree with some of the marketing information on the cover. The New York Times Book Review called it an "elegant historical mystery ... stylishly presented and intelligently resolved." I couldn't agree more. Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's refreshing to read of a time in history when guys got together to play and sing Schubert lieder for fun! This is the pastime of Dr. Max Lieberman, psychoanalyst, and his detective friend, Oskar Rheinhardt...they are good musicians too, one can tell by their chosen repertoire and the way they talk about music. Truly skilled amateurs are a thing of the past...
A beautiful blond medium has been mysteriously murdered and Rheinhardt must discover not only the perpetrator but how the murder was accomplished. Oddly enough, one of Max's hysterical patients is a budding scientist, and once she is cured, she is able to provide the key to the solution. Max interviews suspects and witnesses and uses his psychological acumen to help direct the investigation. His predictions are uncannily accurate, and this strains credibility just a bit, but it makes for good reading, especially if you are interested in psychology.
The cultural and political atmosphere of turn-of-the-century Vienna is well conveyed here, especially the interest in supernatural phenomena which offers an opportunity to magicians and charlatans to draw people from all classes into attempting to contact the dead. Lesser themes, of anti-Semitism and anti-feminism in Emperor Franz Josef's Vienna, promise to be explored further in later books. It's sometimes hard to keep all the characters straight in this one, but worth the trouble, since several return in the next book, and all feature in the solution of the crime.
Max becomes engaged to a beautiful family friend, Clara, early in the book, and his self-knowledge grows as he belatedly explores the commitment he has made and his own deeper feelings about it. His struggle to be honest with himself, within a society which values traditional values and honor above all, bears fruit in the next novel.
This one did not sweep me away but it pulled me right into reading the second, which DID sweep me away...Vienna Blood. Stay tuned...

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vienna Blood is a riveting TV series, now into season 2.
I bought this book on the back of the first few episodes and watching the latest instalments has reminded me of my original desire to read the original text.

I love the location and the changing dynamic of a former empire. Where Vienna still has a sense of history, an artistic hub and a mixture of peoples from across it previous political influence. It is also a time of great change, both socially and economically. There is also a growing unrest with nationalistic zeal, looking less benevolent and inclusive. The status and role of its Jewish population is under threat. The contribution of women is being challenged but remains undervalued.

Vienna is still a place to be, in music and science with historical figures being alive and present from Mahler to Sigmund Fraud.

These are crime thrillers in a wonderful and rich location.

Unpinning the investigations are the rational contributions of psychology and forensic sciences which add to the uniqueness of these stories.

This first book introduces us to the wide range of characters; sets the scene and establishes a high bar of excellent and engaging writing.

It is also a locked room mystery which is a challenge in itself and places science in direct opposition with superstition and magical illusion. As with the TV shows there is scope for a number of suspects to be highlighted while the book has far more time to build background, character strengths and the emotional investment into relationships.

Indeed this is a multilayered story beyond just the solving of a supernatural murder. I love the open appreciation of the arts and musical heritage. The range of social interactions and plot development is immense and makes for a fascinating read, with a story you are invested in and want to understand.

I recommend this book to everyone who loves crime drama and I shall be reading future books with anticipation and expectant joy.

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not being a mystery novel connoisseur, I won't comment on that part of the book, except to say it didn't grip my attention and I found it rather flat and silly.
I am right now in a phase (craze?) of reading about fin-de-siècle Vienna, but in this book the ambiance of Vienna does not show at all. Tallis has his characters meet in divers cafés, as is the norm in Vienna. But - Wiener Kaffeehaus Kultur (Viennese coffee house culture) is so much more than just listing different pastries and types of coffee. It was a way of life, maybe the most important part, of Vienna. Tallis also cursorily throws some famous names our way, as in Kraus and "die Fackel". It just seems to me that Mr. Tallis googled the names of people, pastries, coffee types, etc. of Austria and then peppered them into this book.

[Tanja · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read about half of it and then just couldn't be bothered to finish it. Also, I have never encountered a book with so many typos. Already on page 2, one of the characters was reading the "Weiner Zeitung" which will make any German speaker cringe. Then Kartnerstrasse instead of Kärtnerstrasse (although later it was spelled correctly), Karlplatz instead of Karlsplatz. The Viennese in me couldn't handle all the mistakes which made it seem like the book was written by an amateur who had never spent any time in the city.

[Monica Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Death in Vienna by Brit writer Frank Tallis is a thriller that is palatable, meant for those who like their thrillers civilized and steeped in intellect. It’s a polite whodunit with an added mystery of how’dtheydunit and filled with all the hat-tipping and decorum that has fallen tragically by the wayside in today’s society. A historical thriller set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, this is a novel that takes the marks of that era and place--Freud and Mozart--and uses them as a backdrop for a case that centers around a supernatural murder. Charlotte Lowenstein, a medium that holds séances on Thursday even with a select and motley group of devout followers, is found dead by a gunshot wound in her room. The mysterious elements are that there is no exit wound and that the room was locked from the inside preventing any viable means of escape for the murderer.

Oskar Rheinhardt, a local police detective, is called upon to investigate the case. What makes this particular thriller interesting is that it doesn’t lend itself to easily to the mystery/thriller formula because Tallis, a psychologist himself, brings in a psychologist to help solve the puzzling factors of the murder of Fraulein Lowenstein. This may not seem all that unusual, but the historical confluence of the supernatural and psychology in their infancy makes this an interesting read. Lieberman, who is a contemporary of Freud, discusses with facility the possibility of what the motivations of each suspect would or wouldn’t be. And because the supernatural deals in the realm of the abstract, much like psychology, there is a intellectual pull at the reader to consider the possible options for murder that may not seem plausible. Rheinhardt poses as the pragmatic voice:

“I believe,” said Rheinhardt, selecting his words with utmost care, “we should only consider a supernatural explanation when all other explanations have been eliminated.”

Lieberman is not, per se, a believer in the supernatural but he is a scientist at heart with the mind as his area of study so he doesn’t rule out the supernatural because it is a reality that the mind creates. Lieberman is an obviously talented man who can suss out psychological motivations for just about any quirk of human behavior. For instance, on Thursday nights, Lieberman and Rheinhardt share a musical evening in which Lieberman plays the piano and Rheinhardt sings. One particular evening Lieberman notices that his friend is preoccupied and is able to figure out that the reason is because of the murdered Fraulein Lowenstein without having knowledge of the murder:

“So, how did I give myself away this time?”

“Earlier this evening,” began Lieberman, “we were discussing Schubert and you unintentionally confused the ‘Death and the Maiden’ string quartet with ‘The Trout’ quintet! Now, I know for a fact that you are very familiar with the Schubert repertoire. So I considered that the mistake, the slip of the tongue, was significant. Being, as you are a detective inspector, the kind of death that naturally preoccupies you most is a murder. The term ‘maiden’ implies youth and beauty…Putting all this together, I inferred the influence of the unconscious memory. An unconscious memory of a murdered young woman.”

Rheinhardt shook his head in disbelief. “All right. But what about the blood--the blood on the blue dress? How did you work that out?”

“When we were performing the Hugo Wolf song-- ‘Auf dem See’--you stumbled over the word ‘blood’ on both renditions. I took this to be confirmation of my earlier speculation. When I asked you just now what you intended to buy your wife on your wedding anniversary, you said a dress. But you couldn’t, at first, remember the color of the material that her dressmaker had recommended, however, some time later, you were able to say that is was blue. I took this to mean that the idea of the blue dress was being repressed.”

This would definitely disturb me if I had a friend who knew what was happening in my life without my consciously divulging anything. Obviously, Tallis uses his skills as a psychologist to a heighten the tension of the novel and with a pleasing effect. Playing with the idea of association and verbal miscues is a original take on the use of psychology in thrillers. Tallis’ particular talent and his penchant for historical accuracy makes for a solid combination of creating a high-brow thriller that doesn’t lag or pile up murders when the plot begins to slacken.

The other complementary aspect of A Death in Vienna is his writing style. Erudite and fluid, it helps set the tone of the period and of the more intellectual tenor that Tallis invokes. This thriller also comes with a plethora of varied characters from opium addicts to sexual victims to moneyed society folk. At times, it reminded me of Murder on the Orient Express with its healthy cast of bizarre characters and the unexpected turns in plot.

And if the novel weren’t compelling enough, there is a dossier after the novel where Tallis writes an essay about the presence of Freud and his presence in psychological thrillers and detective fiction. I found this as fascinating as the novel itself and think that there is definitely a non-fiction book ready made for this topic. This is the kind of thriller that reads like literary fiction but will be accessible for books groups and almost all fans of well-written thrillers.

[Gintautas Ivanickas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pažiūrėjęs čia prieš kokią savaitę šviežią mini serialą „Vienna Blood“, užsimaniau susipažinti su literatūrine baze, taip sakant. Tai štai ji, pirmoji „Liebermann Papers“ serijos knyga.
Pati XX a. pradžia, Viena. Klasikinis „užrakinto kambario bylos“ pavyzdys. Gal net labiau, nei klasikinis. Nes čia ne tik durys užrakintos iš vidaus, bet dar ir nėra ginklo ir, kaip vėliau paaiškėja – nėra nė kulkos kūne. Ir štai su ta visa velniava bando susidoroti du bičiuliai – policijos detektyvas Oskaras Rheinhardtas bei gydytojas, Freudo pasekėjas, Maxas Liebermannas. Toks savotiškas Šerlokas Holmsas, tik ne toks efektyvus ir juolab ne toks efektingas.
Iš pliusų – nemenki skirtumai nuo ekranizacijos, tai nebuvo neįdomu skaityt. Pagirtinas dėmesys istoriniam fonui ir jo detalėms. Iš minusų – gyvas velnias papildomų, lygiagrečių, nieko bendra su tyrimu neturinčių linijų. Ir kažkoks vangus, be ugnelės pasakojimas. Gal būtent tos papildomos linijos ir numuša visą dinamiką.
Už visumą – labai tvirtas trejetas iš penkių, bet noro tęst bent jau kol kas – nėra.

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's 1902, Oskar Rheinhardt is investigating the murder of the beautiful medium, Frualine Charlotte Lowenstein in Vienna, Austria. The victim has been found shot in the heart in a room locked from the inside with what appears to be a suicide note, no weapon or secret means of egress are found. Rheihardt enlists the help of his good friend, Max Lieberman, who is a doctor of psychoanalysis. The medium's regular customers become an interesting circle of suspects.

Frank Tallis has done a nice job of creating interesting characters, a likeable protagonist and realistic relationships. There is a certain charm about Herr Doctor Liebermann and that of his good friend Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt.

The story is interesting and easy enough to read. However, the writer teases the reader with very, very short chapters, each one moves us to a different location with different characters so that we never have any prolonged exposure to these characters. The author shows us a little bit of each character's internal conflict and whets the reader's curiosity. But the approach gives an unsatisfying feeling.

The mystery was interesting and the author creates some vivid images but over all I felt less than satisfied by the writing. Had Tallis focused more on the interesting characters he created and their relationships I would have enjoyed this more.

He does give us glimpses of the warm a caring friendship between Liebermann and Rheinhardt, the strained but loving relationship between Liebermann and his father, the tentative friendship with a patient and the uncertain relationship with his love interest Clara.

All the ingredients for a great novel are included in this mystery but there just isn't enough of any them to leave me wanting more or feeling satisfied by what I've read. Maybe the second in the series will be more gratifying.

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not necessarily a fan of historical mysteries. Those few that I have read seemed thin on the setting and that the author might just as well have given the mystery a more modern setting. This, on the other hand, reads more like historical fiction that just happens to have a decent mystery as its vehicle. Please note the adjective "decent". I had a couple of quibbles, mostly that I thought the police somewhat inept. To give them credit, this is a locked-room mystery, a circumstance about which they were completely baffled. The victim was a medium at a time when the occult was still believed. Was it possible this was a supernatural murder?

The series lead is not the policeman. Max Lieberman is a medical doctor specializing in psychiatry. This is a completely new field and not yet respected. To give the novel some of its historical flavor, there are two scenes where Lieberman meets with Sigmund Freud. Most of the historical scenes, however, are about music and food. Lieberman is also a pianist. He and the lead policeman partake in duets with Lieberman at the piano and Inspector Rheinhardt providing the voice. Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, Chopin pieces are all mentioned, some of them with lyrics.

But the food and drink! In the opening scene, Lieberman's father has a mélange while he has a schwarzer.

Mendel looked enviously as his son's gâteau, a large glazed chocolate sponge cake shaped like a saddle of deer, filled with apricot jam and studded with almonds. His own order was less arresting, being a simple pastry filled with sweet curd cheese.

There are many references to mouth-watering pastries. Later, Lieberman is meeting with Inspector Reinhart. Lieberman has his usual schwarzer while Rheinhart has a Türkishe. Perhaps these are familiar to those of you who drink coffe. But Reinhardt also has a dobostorte.

Lieberman scooped the froth off his coffee with a teaspoon, while Rheinhardt plunged his fork through several layers of sponge and chocolate cream.

The writing was better than what might expect for a mystery. I thought the characterizations not quite as good as one might expect for historical fiction. The novel is a good blend of the genres. If I were going to rate only the first third, it would probably be just 3-stars, but it got better as I read. The last half lifted it. I'm not convinced it is anywhere near even the middle of my 4-star group, but I do hope to find myself reading another in the series.

[SoulSurvivor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.235 stars. Very enjoyable crime novel with young psychiatrist and police inspector as best friends and engaged in solving complex mystery death. Well-written with some elements of historical events.
Will try next in series soon.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this detective novel set in Freud's Vienna. Main characters are Detective Rheinhardt and psychologist Dr. Max Liebermann, both on the forward edge of innovations in their fields. The psychologist applies "talk therapy," hypnotism and dream analysis to unravel clues, working with the detective and his sidekick. Freud has a cameo and is presented with respectful humor. Most interesting is the setting of the book in turn-of-the-19th-century Vienna, including its growing anti-Semitism, with great scenes in recognizable Viennese coffeehouses, opera theaters, churches, and the like.

The relationship between the two male friends is particularly refreshing as part of a detective scene. The book suffers a little from Sherlockholmes envy, with some awkward passages where the psychologist deduces by reading psychological clues. But on the whole it's an enjoyable read, comparable to Charles Todd's post-WWI series with Ian Rutledge, but not as dark or as accomplished.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The murder mystery is not *that* interesting but the setting is wonderful. Really. It has some of my favourite things mixed in an historical murder mystery. So it has birth of psychoanalysis lit (Freud, Vienna 1902), the hero is a young Jewish Doctor, a fan of Professor Freud. We have Vienna, 1902, music (Beethoven, Mahler, Strauss, Chopin) both our hero and his counter part in the police are music lovers. We have Vienna, 1902, and the 14th Secession exhibition, dedicated to Beethoven. Klimt, Klinger, the building. Tallis makes the period come alive. The antisemitism in the city, the clash of modern values and the rise of the Pan German regime.

I will read the second novel in the series.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull, dull, dull and as for what the bullet was made of! Seriously? Will definitely not be reading any more in this series and am glad I bought a 2nd hand copy.

[Paolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

So. Boring. There were so many inconsequential side plots and tangents that when the murderer was revealed I couldn't even remember who that character was supposed to be.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good. Nice and fun. Love how Tallis writes women.

[T. K. Elliott (Tiffany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A medium in fin de siecle Vienna is murdered - with a vanishing bullet, in a room locked from the inside. Clearly, her trafficking with Dark Forces must be responsible... or not.

Characters
Our two main characters - Max Liebermann (psychiatrist) and Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt - are both likeable. They are the usual buddy pair: the young man with his new ideas, and the somewhat more traditional older man. Their home lives are also contrasted: Liebermann just about to get engaged to the beautiful and charming Clara, and Rheinhardt happily married for many years, with two daughters.

Liebermann, of course, doesn't just represent new ideas in forensic psychiatry and detection: he also represents new ideas in medicine and society. As a Jew, he's also on the receiving end of the rising anti-Semitism in Vienna - which, in this book, is portrayed as a disturbing undercurrent (although presumably it will become more prominent in later books as the Viennese political situation develops).

The female characters, too, represent different types: the fraudulent medium Charlotte Lowenstein; the lovely, charming, but rather silly Clara whose only ambition is to become a wife and mother, and intelligent, analytical Amelia Lydgate who is in Vienna to become one of the university's first female medical students. Even the different wives, some of whom are only walk-on characters, showcase different experiences. I wonder if Tallis intended this as a kind of subplot; possibly he did, as one character remarks that although Charlotte was a fraudster, there just weren't all that many legitimate options available to an intelligent, energetic woman.

The Plot
To be honest, I think the plot was the weakest part of this novel, and the reason it only gets four stars from me. Liebermann spent far more time psychoanalysing various people (interesting and fun though it was) than anyone did any actual detecting. And I'd regard the acquisition of the answer to the conundrum to be a deus ex machina more than anything else.

The Setting
The author does get some of the bright, brittle atmosphere of 1903 Vienna. A city of music, literature, philosophy, science - and increasing political intolerance. Several of the characters are Jewish, and there was a feeling a bit like watching people dancing on the Titanic: people going about their daily business blithely unconscious of their impending doom.

The Conclusion
A very promising start to a series. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys the lighter (but not lightest) end of historical mysteries.

[Nancy Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, I have to say I just finished a Jo Nesbo novel before this one, so I was on a whirlwind of suspense and not quite ready for a slow-moving, old-fashioned Victorian novel. But I could have adjusted if this book had been better.

So here's what I liked about this book: Nice historical details, particularly about Freud's personality (which I assume are true, since the author is a psychologist) and the art nouveau innovations (which I looked up on Wikipedia and was quite impressed). Also, the writing acceptable. Not inspired, too many cliches, but OK.

What I didn't like: First, the main characters are just annoying. Liebermann is really a know-it-all, without flaw, which is incredible boring as well as irritating. The detective is about the dumbest police officer I've come across in fiction, which would be fine except he's not supposed to be. The plot has huge holes and requires massive leaps of faith that some authors can get away with by great writing and characterization - not this one. While I appreciate the historical look at Freudian thought, way too many things are "solved" by Leibermann exposing stuff like repression and transference, particularly when much of that theory has little research to support it (yeah, I'm a psychologist too). Stupid, overly wrought dramatic ending. I actually groaned out loud. To Tallis' credit, this is his first book in the series, so maybe they get better, but I'm done. Much better books to spend your time on.

[Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Death in Vienna is the first of Frank Tallis's mystery novels set in early 20th century Vienna, starring the unlikely duo of a police inspector named Oskar Rheinhardt and Dr. Max Liebermann, a follower of the new discipline of psychoanalysis.

Tallis is himself a clinical psychologist, so perhaps that accounts for the strangely detached tone of this fictional work - there's a lot of "history of psychiatry" stuff and appearances by famous Viennese of the time such as Freud, Mahler, and even the designer Koloman Moser gets a mention. But the novel never rises above a certain flat travelogue quality; the characters are rather two-dimensional and interchangeable and though the mystery at the heart is intriguing, it's not gripping or fascinating to watch Rheinhardt and Liebermann work through it. Somehow, this one left me a bit unimpressed, although the setting is certainly interesting (as are the descriptions of luscious cakes, which were probably the most passionately exciting bits of the novel.) Unfortunately, as is my wont, I have already bought all the extant books in the series, so I will have to make myself keep reading and hope that they get better in terms of character development.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my! I am so sorry I took so long to read this first book in a series I will certainly follow up!
There was so much to enjoy here. It is a HIGHLY atmospheric book, with pictures of Vienna so vivid I want to fly there immediately (although I don't imagine it is QUITE the same today), and the wonderful depiction of nineteenth-century fascination with the occult clashing with emerging Freudian psychoanalysis clashing with the BARBARIC medical practices of the time.
I loved the characters, including a very modern young woman who is determined to become one of the few women newly admitted to medical school. There is a nice cast of possible suspects, who are interesting enough to enjoy following for their own sake.
The denouement is clever. And there are CLUES that are subtle enough that I had to go back and see if I had a hint earlier that I missed.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s lots to like about A Death in Vienna (also published as Mortal Mischief). The plot is cleverly conceived and well executed, with a couple of substantial subplots that add, rather than detract, from the story. The locked room element of the story is well realised and Tallis does a good job of keeping various suspects in the frame. The characterisation is nicely executed with respect to all the principle and secondary characters, with Rheinhardt and Liebermann being nice, complementary foils. There is also a strong sense of place and attention to historical detail. The story is very much set in Vienna, with its streets, shops and galleries, and is rooted in its culture, politics and science at the turn the twentieth century. Despite all these qualities, the storytelling was a little flat and wooden at the start, but it soon livened up to become an engaging and engrossing read.

[Lisa Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Vienna, Freud, psychology & a great mystery! What could be better?

[Norman Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein junger jüdischer Arzt im antisemitischen Wien der späten Kaiserzeit unterstützt die Polizei bei einer Mordermittlung. Wien ist eine lebendige Kulisse und die gute Gesellschaft rahmt ein Geschehen mit Halbweltbezug, das sich um einen mysteriösen Kriminalfall rankt.
Gut erzählt und spannend bis zuletzt.

[♫ Irene ♫ · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Mientras Liebermann tocaba, se le ocurrió que las piezas de teclado de Bach eran también una especie de ilusión. Sonaban espontáneas, inspiradas e improvisadas, pero cada fuga se conducía siguiendo una lógica interna implacable. La magia, como tal, podía reducirse a la diligente aplicación de las reglas musicales y los principios matemáticos. Pero si bien Liebermann podía alzar el velo del encantamiento de Bach, no podía, en cambio, penetrar la ilusión del crimen de la señorita Löwenstein.»

Después de ver la serie Vienna Blood, tenía pendiente leer esta saga y lo cierto es que me ha sorprendido para bien. El libro está plagado de referencias musicales lo que le da una personalidad especial.

Disfrutón, disfrutón.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enthralling murder mystery set in fin de siècle Vienna. The two protagonists, Inspector Rheinhardt, aided by the young psychiatrist, Dr. Max Liebermann, investigate the death of a noted medium. The murder took place in a locked room, with no trace of the bullet that killed her. It did enter her body, but where is it? I enjoyed the descriptions of the Vienna of that time, also the interplay between the two main characters and glimpses into their personal lives. Each man supports the other. Liebermann's psychological insights come in handy. They get unexpected help from a young Englishwoman, Miss Lydgate, who has come to Vienna to study with a famous doctor.

Highly recommended.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Early in 2020, I watched a PBS TV mini-series entitled A DEATH IN VIENNA. While watching the series I discovered that it was based on books by author FRANK TALLIS. I have now read the first book featuring Max and his circle of friends and family (see above). There are at least seven books in the series.

Thank you for the great fun. I visited Vienna in 2016 and it was nice to” see”, again, some of the places I visited at that time.

Dr. Max Liebermann is young psychoanalyst living in Vienna early in the 20th Century. He is a disciple of Sigmund Freud but is not an active student of Freud. His boss thinks Freud is a quack. Max’s good friend is a slightly older Inspector with Vienna Security (police) whose name is Oskar Rheinhardt. Oskar’s career is on shaky grounds. He is happily married with two kids. Oskar is a singer and Max plays the piano. They do it together for relaxation.

In this story they work together to solve a “locked room” murder. The victim was a medium who conducted weekly séances with a group of seven regulars all of whom are suspects. Included in the group are a Viennese banker, his wife, a locksmith, an industrialist, a down on his luck Hungarian Count, a con man/magician and a female dressmaker. The victim was shot to death and there is no bullet to be found in the body or anywhere else in the room.

Playing significant roles are Amelia Lydgate, an English nanny who wants to become a doctor, and Clara Weiss to whom Max is engaged. The last significant player in the story is famous Reisenrad Ferris wheel in Prater Park. It is still working.

The story is fast paced. The reader also discovers that Freud had a sense of humor. Readers will also get brief explanations of the meaning of dreams, the geography of Vienna of 100 years ago and an introduction to psychoanalysis. Many of the locations mentioned are still available for visitors to see. I am looking forward to reading more about Max, his family and his friends.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. GO! BUY! READ!

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

What? A bidet made of meat and bones? I suppose that's better than one of ice. Imagine sitting or even hovering! I'm confused....oh...really?...not a bidet?....never mind. Okay, I've been to Vienna. Loved it. I thought the atmosphere of this novel dreamy, just beautiful. I loved the art references (Klimt, as I've been to the Belvedere and seen 'The Kiss' and ultimately sat down on a bench and shed tears: it's like the Michelangelo/David moment in Florence if you've experienced that) and the musical references (Mahler directs in an over-the-top method, Brahms, Shubert) and Freud and the movement from electrifying people to just talking to them. BUT, this is a locked room murder mystery and it fails spectacularly. I didn't believe a word of the resolution. The author goes on and on about all the 'private' places in Vienna, yet the climax is on that huge 'Ferris Wheel'...and why?
CAST - 2 stars - Interesting, but mostly name-dropping. Give me MAHLER in a speaking role, thank you!
ATMOSPHERE - 4 stars - Lots of whipped cream! But having been to Vienna, a map in the book didn't feel right. And in this book no one ate weinersnitzel (sp)...and you can't have people never eating this famous dish if you write of Vienna. Why, I had this dish and there was weiner spilling off the sides of my plate! I've never seen so much weiner! Except in the mirror, natch.
PLOT - 4 stars - A murder AND a locked room mystery AND psychological issues!
INVESTIGATION - 1 - The author AND a character point out what wasn't done correctly.
RESOLUTION - 1 -Back to the bidet thing. Really? NO. NO. NO.
SUMMARY - 2.4, or 2 stars on goodreads. Read this one for the atmosphere and decent plot until things fall apart. Besides, needs more weiner.

[Marfita · Rating 2 out of 5]

** spoiler alert ** This mystery steeps the reader in Sigmund Freud's Vienna, with its Riesenrad, Torten, and undercurrent of antisemitism. A beautiful but manipulative medium is murdered in a most ingenious way: a locked room! no bullet! a mysterious ancient Egyptian whatsis! Detective Rheinhardt needs help and so turns to his friend and piano accompanist, Herr Doctor Max Liebermann.
Although I really enjoyed the book, I thought the mystery was too outlandish and the climax forced. Yes, yes, yes, Lieberma...moreThis mystery steeps the reader in Sigmund Freud's Vienna, with its Riesenrad, Torten, and undercurrent of antisemitism. A beautiful but manipulative medium is murdered in a most ingenious way: a locked room! no bullet! a mysterious ancient Egyptian whatsis! Detective Rheinhardt needs help and so turns to his friend and piano accompanist, Herr Doctor Max Liebermann.
Although I really enjoyed the book, I thought the mystery was too outlandish and the climax forced. Yes, yes, yes, Liebermann explained why he chose to confront the murderer as he did, but I think he just proved himself a nutjob. I spent that part of the book rolling my eyes and anticipating that no amount of explanatory denouement would justify deliberately provoking a murderer in that location. In That Location. GAH! I hope his growing relationship with the prim Miss Lydgate will smarten him up a bit. I expect growing tension in the series as he becomes conflicted between his feelings for her and his fiancee.
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[Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Frank Tallis, who is also a psychologist , has set his crime novel in early 1900's Vienna, where the emotionally repressed sat side by side with the modernist crowd in coffee houses, eating apfelstrudel.

With the luxury of hindsight it is easy to judge both the stuffy establishment with its sexism and antisemitism, and the bold innovators who let their freak flags fly to the point where every suitcase or jewel box represented a vagina. Freud himself makes an appearance, and our protagonist (himself a psychologist) sensibly questions Sigmunds overly pervy sexual theory.

Psychoanalysis does come in handy when investigating a murder though, and I did enjoy the mystery as well as the historical setting, but it was all a little too neat and just a tad too smug to really get me going. I'll probably read another one though, for those days where you just want a nice, civilized murder.

[Timothy Hallinan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of period mysteries about Berlin and Vienna lately, and someone said she liked this, so I tried it. I knew immediately it wasn't for me, for two reasons. First, it has a Sherlock Holmes character, and I have no patience for Sherlock Holmes characters other than Nero Wolfe. Second, it's got real people in it (Sigmund Freud, in this case) and I'm not usually crazy about that, either. But I gave it 50 pages. Then I gave it 100 pages. Then I finished it and ordered the second and the third from Amazon. The wonderful thing about having prejudices is that they give you opportunities to build character. I recommend this to anyone who likes big, fat, well-written, highly atmospheric mysteries set in a fascinating milieu. Oh, and Freud tells Jewish jokes, and a couple of them are hilarious.

[Janice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was enjoyable to read, and I read it quickly about a month ago. When it came time to discuss it at a book group though I found I had to go back to it and re read parts because I had forgotten most of it. I prefer to read books that stay with me for years and don't mind struggling through them if they are dense rather than reading a book that I forget as soon as I put it down. Some in my bookgroup found that there were too many characters and subplots but did find it an interesting period piece.