Inspector Rheinhardt is not having a good day: first he's called to the bizarre killing of the emperor's favourite anaconda at the local zoo, and then he must attend the massacre of three prostitutes and their madam in a brothel in one of Vienna's more dilapidated districts. Baffled and disturbed, he requests the help of his friend Max Liebermann, a young doctor and disciple of Freud, to make sense of the violent deaths. Their investigation brings them into contact with Aryan nationalists, a renowned Austrian cavalry regiment and the Freemasons.

There is much to enjoy in this novel, and indeed the series, though I don't read them because of the crime element; if anything, that aspect is relatively weak. Vienna just after the turn of the century must have been a fascinating place, and Frank Tallis's descriptions, though occasionally overdone, bring the city to life. The main characters are also incredibly well drawn, even though I remain somewhat sceptical of Liebermann's amazing ability to infer facts about someone based on his knowledge of psychology and interest in psychotherapy; a certain London detective famous for his accurate deductions springs to mind. Unsurprisingly, the pace is rather slow, but it is fascinating to witness Austrian nationalists and the Aryan ideology become more widespread, knowing where it will lead in the span of just one generation. The fact that Liebermann is Jewish and so experiences antisemitism first-hand makes the reader all the more invested, in my opinion. I will definitely continue with the series. ( )

Une réussite, un grand travail sur le "décor" et une intrigue (une double intrigue) qui devient secondaire derrière les personnages. ( )

En un invierno siberiano en 1902, un asesino en serie en Viena se embarca en una extraña campaña de asesinatos. La mutilación feroz, la inclinación por los símbolos arcanos y la elección aparentemente aleatoria de la víctima son sus peculiaridades más distintivas. El inspector detective Oskar Rheinhardt convoca a un joven discípulo de Freud, su amigo el Dr. Max Liebermann, para que lo ayude en el caso. La investigación los lleva a la esfera de las sociedades secretas de Viena: un oscuro mundo subterráneo de eruditos literarios alemanes, teóricos de la raza y científicos inspirados en las nuevas teorías evolutivas que salen de Inglaterra.

Early 20th century Vienna: a cleverly constructed mystery featuring policeman Rheinhart and psychiatrist Liebermann solving serial murders. The killer bases his decisions on a Mozart opera and the story involves Freemasons. Perhaps a little slows for some people but not for me. I liked the musical details and also the descriptions of old Vienna, particularly its mouth-watering pastries.

Highly recommended. ( )

Vienna Blood is the second entry in Frank Tallis’ Liebermann Papers series. It is 1902 and in Vienna, young psychiatrist Max Liebermann is asked by his friend, Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt, to use his powers of observation and psychological insight to help discover an apparent serial killer. The deaths are baffling, including a madam and two prostitutes, a young immigrant, even a snake in the royal zoo - all highly ritualized and all seemingly completely unrelated. It is up to Max and Oskar to discover the connections, hopefully in time to prevent yet more murders…. The really interesting thing about this series is the times and the setting: Vienna at this time is very sophisticated, but also home to virulent anti-Semitism which Max, as a Jew, encounters first-hand, albeit somewhat muted given his status as a doctor. The ideas the ultimately found expression in Nazi Germany are in their formative stages here, and it’s fascinating to see how these people justified their ideas to themselves and others. That said, the story is also well-plotted, the characters are well-drawn (and evolve from book to book) and the mystery fairly clued; altogether, a superior series in my eyes. Recommended! ( )