- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (Feb 2 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312383908
- ISBN-13: 978-0312383909
- Product Dimensions: 21.7 x 16.1 x 2.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 386 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #477,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"Sophisticated entertainment of a very high caliber."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Jones uses Mahler and the world of Viennese music at the turn of the century as an integral keystone of his novel, exploring the remarkable political machinations of the musical world, and allowing us more jaded denizens of the 21st century to imagine the excitement, controversy and furor that would greet any new development in music. . . . Solidly made, flavorful and a delightful change of pace from your normal mystery routine.”--Bookgasm.com
Product Description
"What Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did for Victorian London and Caleb Carr did for old New York, Sydney Jones does for historic Vienna."
—Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of the Queen Elizabeth I mystery series
At first it seemed like a series of accidents plagued Vienna’s Court Opera. But after a singer is killed during rehearsals of a new production, the evidence suggests something much more dangerous. Someone is trying to murder the famed conductor and composer Gustav Mahler. Worse, Mahler might not be the first musical genius to be dispatched by this unknown killer.
Alma Schindler, one of Mahler's many would-be mistresses, asks the lawyer and aspiring private investigator Karl Werthen to help stop the attacks. With his new wife, Berthe, and his old friend, the criminologist Hanns Gross, Werthen delves into Vienna's rich society of musicians to discover the identity of the person who has targeted one of Austria's best-known artists.
Set during the peak of Vienna’s cultural renaissance and featuring some of the city's most colorful residents, Requiem in Vienna is a perfect historical fiction. Rich in description and populated by vivid characters, this is a mystery that will leave readers guessing until the very last moment.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
superb historical mystery, Feb 5 2010
By Harriet Klausner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Requiem in Vienna: A Viennese Mystery (Hardcover)
In 1899 at the Vienna Court Opera, a blazing curtain falls from above barely missing the famous director Gustav Mahler, but hits and kills a performer standing near the renowned composer-conductor. This is not the first incident apparently aimed at Gustav though this is the first deadly assault.Private inquirer Karl Werthen is hired to keep Mahler safe and uncover who the stalker is before this person succeeds in his or her deadly intent. With his pregnant wife Berthe insisting on helping Karl, he also asks criminologist Hanns Gross to join the investigation into the deadly incident, previous threats and new accidental attacks that seem to target Mahler. Their inquiry leads to music rivalries starting with the composer Richard Wagner and with anti-Semitism though Mahler is a former Jew.
Requiem in Vienna is a superb historical mystery that uses the terrific private investigation as a springboard to present life in Vienna at the turn of the last century. The story line is fast-paced as Karl worries about his beloved Berthe who insists on being part of the inquiry team while working through the mud of the music world, which proves no waltz. Fans who prefer a strong historical presence in their mysteries will enjoy this delightful whodunit.
Harriet Klausner
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must read, Feb 14 2010
By Cheryl Koch - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Requiem in Vienna: A Viennese Mystery (Hardcover)
Famous music composer and conductor, Gustav Mahler is preparing for a new musical production. Unfortunately, someone does not want the show to go on. Maestro Mahler's leading lady and lover becomes the victim of a horrible accident on set during rehearsals. It seems that Mahler was the target. One of Mahler's other lover's Alma Schindler fears for Mahler's life. She turns to private investigator, Karl Werthen for help. Mr. Werthen brings his old friend and criminologist, Hanns Gross in on the case. Together Werthen and Gross hope to solve the mystery before it is too late.Requiem in Vienna is the second book in the Viennese mystery series. It can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone novel. As I was reading this book, I couldn't help but feel hints of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The author of the famed Sherlock Holmes mysteries. This is a good thing, because I really loved Sherlock Holmes stories. This was one of my reasons for liking this genre. It is refreshing to find another author who could rise to the level of Sir Doyle. Mr. Jones brought to life the city of Vienna as well as his characters and storyline. This book draws you in bit by bit. I like that Mr. Jones incorporates fiction with one or two real people. True mystery fans will fall in love with this book...as I did!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
terrific historical research, Feb 9 2010
By Tom Ovens - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Requiem in Vienna: A Viennese Mystery (Hardcover)
Requiem in Vienna, the second in Mr. Jones' Viennese Mystery series, shows once again the same thorough, historical grounding of fin de siecle Vienna. He shows a surer grasp of his characters, which is natural since he, too, is getting to know them better. Gross' ego and self confidence contrasts nicely with Werthen's lack of experience in the investigation game. Werthen and his wife Berthe are evolving as well, showing a more complex dynamic in their relationship. The cast of notables appear in a very logical way. The famous are not just forced into a scene. To us, especially Americans, the historical figures of the Vienna of the day are pretty much unknown. So it is good to learn of Alma Mahler, whose own history is better than fiction, and of Karl Kraus, who just about single handedly wrote his literary newletter, Die Fackel/The Torch for thirty years and comes across as a delightful combination of Mark Twain and San Francisco's Herb Caen. Kraus, especially, should be able to pop up in succeeding stories since he seems to have his finger on the pulse of society. Sorting out which character is historical and learning a bit more of them is most enjoyable and gives an added bonus to the story. The mystery itself (which does its job of keeping us guessing until the end) gives the author opportunity to throw in some wonderful historical tid-bits such as Brahms' musical coding, the inner workings of the Opera of the time, the last days of Johanne Strauss. A lot of serious research was done for this. For "Vienna-philes" it's another journey back to a lost world. Hopefully, there will be more.
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