Vienna Blood: (Vienna Blood 2)

Description

' A murder mystery of great intelligence' the Times The hit novels behind the major new TV series Vienna Blood ___________________________ Vienna, 1902. Vienna is in the grip of the worst winter for years. Amid the snow and ice, a killer embarks upon a bizarre campaign of murder. Vicious mutilation, a penchant for arcane symbols, and a seemingly random choice of victim are his most distinctive peculiarities. Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt summons a young disciple of Freud - his friend Dr. Max Liebermann - to assist him with the case. The investigation draws them into the sphere of Vienna's secret societies - a murky underworld of German literary scholars, race theorists, and scientists inspired by the new English evolutionary theories. At first, the killer's mind seems impenetrable - his behaviour and cryptic clues impervious to psychoanalytic interpretation; however, gradually, it becomes apparent that an extraordinary and shocking rationale underlies his actions ... Against this backdrop of mystery and terror, Liebermann struggles with his own demons. The treatment of a patient suffering from paranoia erotica and his own fascination with the enigmatic Englishwoman Amelia Lydgate raise doubts concerning the propriety of his imminent marriage. To resolve the dilemma, he must entertain the unthinkable - risking disgrace and accusations of cowardice.

Frank Tallis is a writer and pracitising clinical psychologist. He has published seven non-fiction books (including Changing Minds- The History of Psychotherapy as an Answer to Human Suffering and Hidden Minds- A History of the Unconscious). He has also written two novels; Killing Time and Sensing Others, both published by Penguin. 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). Mortal Mischief was published by Century in 2005. He lives and works in London.

dazzling * Sunday Times * A fascinating portrait of one of the most vibrant yet sinister cities of fin-de-siecle Europe. On top of this Tallis has laid a murder mystery of great intelligence * The Times * An astute and beautifully written psychological thriller ... his handling of the psychoanalysis and criminal pathology are fantastic ... a romping tale * Scotland on Sunday * Interesting, original and ... a second novel even better than the author's first * Literary Review * Tallis spices things up with a cast of outlandish suspects and colourful witnesses, and a series of mounting suspicions, wrong turns and dead ends creates an exhilarating chase * Telegraph *