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Mortal Mischief (Liebermann Papers 1) by…
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Mortal Mischief (Liebermann Papers 1) (original 2005; edition 2006)

by Frank Tallis

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6473035,678 (3.51)29
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. HTML:"[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 roomâ??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<
… (more)
Member:LonelyLibrarian
Title:Mortal Mischief (Liebermann Papers 1)
Authors:Frank Tallis
Info:Arrow Books Ltd (2006), Edition: New edition, Paperback, 320 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:Murder Mystery, Crime Novel, Vienna

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A Death in Vienna by Frank Tallis (2005)

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» See also 29 mentions

English (22)  French (3)  Spanish (2)  Norwegian (1)  Danish (1)  German (1)  All languages (30)
Showing 1-5 of 22 (next | show all)
Disappointing. I'd assumed something with a TV adaptation might have a spark that this was lacking. The prose and characterisation are good, but the plot and the mystery and sorely lacking. Multiple tired tropes are invoked (the locked room mystery, the vanishing bullet, the closed circle of suspects etc).

The presentation of Freudian psychology (particularly dream interpretation) as some sort of infallible science is laughable at times, especially when used to justify a situation of artificial peril at the climax. As a device to warm over another cold trope of the Holmesian problem-solving genius it doesn't really work because we live in a world where crimes are simply not solved that way.

The mystery is solved extremely quickly, late in the book, by the main love interest and it's made clear that if someone of similar skills had known the details earlier there would have been no book to write. The identity of the killer was clear to me from far earlier once we saw their access to materials used in the commission of the crime.

It was also a bit of a slow slog, only gathering pace and interest in the final act. Not for me. ( )
1 vote ElegantMechanic | May 28, 2022 |
Frank Tallis writes an extremely descriptive and thought provoking novel. His novels have been adapted by PBS into a series called Vienna Blood. The novel outranks the television series immensely. One of the distractions in the novel is the frequent use of German for coffee, desserts, and buildings. Frank Tallis should have added a glossary. The detailed description of the setting and characters embellished the story. Of course, I had seen the PBS episode and knew many of the sequences and the mystery of the locked door and absence of a bullet. The introduction of Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalysis proved very interesting. I adored the Jewish jokes of Freud. Music provides a dramatic sense of relief during the most gruesome aspects of the novel. Oskar sings and Max plays the piano to express their love of music. A hint of the melody floats through the pages. The dark side of life appears in the treatment of women and in the hatred toward the Jewish community. I would love to be drinking coffee and savoring a Viennese pastry. ( )
  delphimo | Apr 3, 2022 |
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. ( )
  janerawoof | Jan 29, 2022 |
Vienna, early twentieth century. A beautiful medium is found dead in a locked room, shot through the heart and with an apparent suicide note on the table, but where is the weapon? Inspector Rheinhardt of the Viennese security office is put on the case, but because he and his assistant Haussmann are quite baffled by the case, Rheinhardt asks his good friend Max Liebermann, a young psychiatrist, for help.

I came to this book via the BBC series Vienna Blood and because it is so well executed decided to read the novels. What a good decision that was, because there is so much more to explore in the novel, including some fascinating historical scientific facts. While by no means a page turner, the rather sedate pace suits the setting and atmosphere rather well, though I expect it is also responsible for the average rating of only three and a half stars. Tallis has clearly done his research, and without knowing Vienna personally, the setting and evocation of the turn-of-the-century atmosphere appear flawless, even though he does get carried slightly away at times and some of the descriptions could easily have been cut without detracting from the experience. The characterisations are superb and the characters fully three-dimensional, no doubt owing to the author's ability to observe and describe human nature (he is a qualified clinical psychologist). I thought the solution to the mystery was rather original, and apparently based on a real case, as explained in the author's note.

While having an odd couple as investigating detectives is nothing new, I thought the pairing of Oskar Rheinhardt and Max Liebermann was given novelty value by making Liebermann a disciple of Sigmund Freud and practising psychiatrist, a medical discipline that was still very much in its infancy at the time the novel is set. I was particularly glad to see that the character of Amelia Lydgate is given far more prominence in the book than in the TV series; in fact, it is due to her intelligence and inquisitive nature that the case was solved at all!

I will definitely continue with the series and am looking forward to reading Vienna Blood later in the year. ( )
  passion4reading | Jan 13, 2022 |
When a beautiful medium dies under extraordinary circumstances, shot in a room that only locks from the inside with absolutely no trace of a bullet or gun and accompanied by a suicide note that claims there is such a thing as forbidden knowledge, psychoanalyst Max Liebermann calls on his good friend, Detective Oskar Rheinhardt, to help him investigate. SOFT
  JRCornell | Jan 29, 2019 |
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It was the day of the great storm. I remember it well because my father--Mendel Liebermann--had suggested that we meet for coffee at The Imperial. I had a strong suspicion that something was on his mind...
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Published in the UK as "Mortal Mischief", but in the US as "A Death in Vienna"
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Fiction. Literature. Mystery. HTML:"[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 roomâ??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

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Young psychiatrist
provides insight into a
locked-room murder case.
(passion4reading)

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