Days of Atonement: A Mystery [Hardcover]

Michael Gregorio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

“Be very careful, sir!” the young officer warned. “Colonel Lavedrine is a guest of this house, and this nation. I can hardly believe that any Prussian would be so foolhardy to doubt his word. Every man in Paris has heard of his capacities. I see no reason why this Professor Kant of yours should not have heard of them, too.”

Lavedrine sat back in his seat, a thin smile on his lips, stroking his chin with his thumb and forefinger. He seemed to be scrutinizing me, curious to hear what my reply would be.

“If Colonel Lavedrine can prove the truth of what he says,” I returned, glancing between my accuser and the man I had accused, “I will apologize with all my heart. And if that apology does not satisfy him,” I added, leaning back in my chair, shrugging my shoulder, “the prison cells are waiting for Prussians such as me, who are obliged to have guests such as you!”

I suddenly realized that the room was silent.

 

It is 1807 and Napoleon’s army has swept over Prussia, leaving in its wake a conquered land occupied by the French. Local magistrate Hanno Stiffeniis has retreated to his home in the countryside in the hopes that he can keep himself away from the scrutiny of the occupying forces. But when Serge Lavedrine, Paris’s famed criminologist, requires his services, Stiffeniis has little choice but to accept.

Three children have been found massacred in their beds. Their mother has disappeared without a trace. Terrified by the gruesome murders, the local townspeople have become convinced that the crimes are the work of the local Jewish population. The ghetto has been closed off, but the crowds gathered in the streets are desperate for justice of any kind. The French authorities want nothing more than a quick resolution and an end to the hysteria that has gripped the town.

Stiffeniis has his own reasons for accepting the case. The victims’ father serves as a soldier in remote Kamentz, where the resistance to Napoleon’s occupation is already developing. If Stiffeniis cannot discover the whereabouts of the mother and the identity of the murderer in time, he risks exposing the Prussian rebellion to the French before it has the strength to succeed. To succeed he must once again put to use the powers of deduction learned from his late teacher, the famed philosopher Immanuel Kant.

Michael Gregorio’s internationally bestselling debut, Critique of Criminal Reason, was hailed by critics across the world and named one of Playboy’s Best Books of 2006. Now its sequel, Days of Atonement, marks the thrilling return of one the most talented new voices in historical fiction.

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. A few years after the traumatic events in Critique of Criminal Reason (2006), Napoleon Bonaparte's troops still occupy Prussia in Gregorio's outstanding second historical. The residents of Lotingen who haven't fled their homes, including magistrate Hanno Stiffeniis and his family, live in a constant state of fear. A chance encounter at a formal dinner with Colonel Lavedrine—a French officer interested in criminology—leads Stiffeniis, who learned a novel approach to criminal investigation from legendary philosopher Immanuel Kant in Critique, to look into the gruesome murder of the three small children of Prussian Maj. Bruno Gottewald and the disappearance of his wife. When Stiffeniis travels to the military garrison where Gottewald is posted to inform him of his loss, the sleuth finds that the major has also been killed. Gregorio again demonstrates a rare gift for constructing a compelling whodunit rich with the kinds of psychological insights typical of the work of such contemporary crime masters as Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters. Readers will race through the pages to reach the solution. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* “Kant dared to hypothesize the unthinkable.” In this enthralling sequel to Critique of Criminal Reason (2006), Kant’s intellectual daring inspires not one but two sleuths investigating an unthinkable atrocity. For when a mother and her two children are found dead, their corpses curiously aligned on a cottage bed, the perplexed Prussian magistrate Hanno Stiffeniis (familiar to readers of Critique) must proceed cautiously. Napoleon’s stunning recent victory at Jena compels him to collaborate with Colonel Lavedrine, one of the hated French authorities now governing his conquered land. When Lavedrine reveals his own earlier correspondence with Stiffeniis’ mentor, Kant, the search for the killer turns into a taut contest, as each detective strives to establish himself as the true heir of the brilliant philosopher’s criminological logic. But logic crumbles when clues at the strangely sanitized crime scene send the dueling detectives on a frustrating search for the dead mother’s missing husband. In their arduous search for answers, the reluctant partners cross paths with a brutal gang of bandits, a cowardly undertaker, and a secretive Jewish scholar. The vertiginous plot twists ultimately validate a Kantian wisdom that defies the grave. Fusing philosophical insight with psychological subtlety, Gregorio endows an often-predictable genre with remarkable substance. --Bryce Christensen

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312376448
• ISBN-13: 978-0312376444
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,054,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Gregorio
Behind the pen-name, Michael Gregorio, there are actually two writers, a husband and wife, who live in Spoleto, a small town in central Italy. Daniela De Gregorio was born there, while Michael G. Jacob hails originally from Liverpool, UK.
Daniela teaches philosophy and history; Mike used to teach English and the history of photography.

"Our first published novel, "Critique of Criminal Reason" (2006), was set in French-occupied East Prussia during the terrible winter of 1804. A young magistrate, Hanno Stiffeniis - a former pupil of the philosopher, Immanuel Kant - is sent to Königsberg when a string of bizarre killings provoke terror in the city...
We are fascinated by the nineteenth century, the explosive clash of new and old ideas. Fortunately, a lot of readers seemed to share our interest. The novel was translated into 22 languages, including Chinese, Russian, Japanese (we love the cover!), and Taiwanese. Playboy magazine declared "Critique" to be one of the 20 best books of 2006. We were amazed!
"Days of Atonement," the second investigation featuring Hanno Stiffeniis followed on in 2007. The novel explores the murderous consequences of the imposition of the Napoleonic laws on life in Prussia in 1807. The French Revolutionary declared that men and women of every colour, race and creed were equal. In theory, it was true. But even then, in early nineteenth-century Prussia, the Jews were a special case...
The latest in our continuing series of historical thrillers is "A Visible Darkness." Hanno Stiffeniis is ordered by the French to put an end to the killing of women who work on the remote Baltic shores, collecting precious amber. Published for the first time in April, 2009, by St Martins Press in the USA, the Faber edition of the novel has just been released in England."
All three books received starred reviews from Publishers' World.
Website:
www.michaelgregorio.it

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What atonement is there for blood spilt upon the earth?, August 21, 2008

By 

Leonard Fleisig "Len" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Days of Atonement: A Mystery (Hardcover)

Aeschylus

There is no atonement to be found for the blood spilt in Michael Gregorio's (the pen name for the writing team of Michael Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio) Days of Atonement. But what Procurator (Magistrate) Hanno Stiffeniis hopes to find is the identity of the killer(s) and, more importantly, some explanation for the cause of the crime.

Set in the town of Lotingen, Prussia, this is the second book featuring Hanno Stiffeniis. In the first book, Critique of Criminal Reason: A Mystery, Hanno is summoned from Lotingen to Konigsberg in 1804 to assist in the investigation of a series of brutal murders. What then follows is the literary birth of the science of forensic criminal investigation. Kant, aged 80 and in rapidly failing health, believes that crimes should be analyzed using what may be called a `critique of reason'. Now, three years later, Hanno is asked to help solve another gruesome crime. Lotingen has been occupied by Napoleon's invading army for a year. Three young children have been found brutally murdered in a small cottage outside of Lotingen. Their mother has disappeared and their father, a Prussian soldier is away, stationed at a remote fort in territory not yet under French control. News of the murders puts the local Prussian authorities and the French occupying forces on high alert. Rumors fly and fingers of blame are pointed at both the local Jewish community (the centuries-old blood libel about ritual killing) and the French occupying forces. If left unsolved the murders could give rise to disastrous and violent consequences for the local Prussian authorities, the French garrison, and the local Jewish community. Hanno and a French officer, Colonel Lavedrine, are tasked with `solving' the crime. The rest of the book plays out as Hanno and Lavedrine conduct their investigation. Although Lavedrine is also a disciple of Kant their personality, underlying motives and their reasoning skills differ widely. The story is driven along two parallel tracks - the investigation itself and the inherent conflict between the two men.

Gregorio does a fine job in creating a compelling story line and keeping the `pot boiling'. I was impressed by a number of aspects of the book. Gregorio paints a nice portrait of life in Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars. His description of the town, its people, and the tense relationship between the local Prussian officials and the French occupiers had a very authentic ring to it. Further, Gregorio has done a fine job of portraying forensic criminal investigation at its infancy. You can see Hanno and Lavedrine struggle to apply `reason' to their crime solving endeavors while at the same time not making their approach too modern. On the critical side, there were some passages that seemed a bit too breathless in its presentation. It is hard sometimes when painting a word picture of a climactic event in a book not to fall into the trap of using over dramatic prose. However, I think that more a minor quibble in a story that is fast-paced.

Overall, Gregorio presents us with a story that is both plot-driven while remaining thoughtful and rich in ideas. Days of Atonement is a very good sequel and well-worth reading. L. Fleisig

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "We kill what we love.", April 12, 2008

By 

E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Days of Atonement: A Mystery (Hardcover)

Michael Gregorio's "Days of Atonement" opens during the cold Prussian autumn of 1807. A year earlier, Napoleon's army invaded much of Europe, and ever since, the vanquished citizens of Prussia have been angrily chafing under French rule. Procurator Hanno Stiffeniis is a respected magistrate who lives in Lotingen with his beautiful wife, Helena, and their growing family. At a dinner party, he meets Parisian criminologist Colonel Serge Lavedrine, who claims that in 1793, he corresponded with the great thinker, Immanuel Kant, a man whom Hanno had admired and worked with closely in Konigsberg.

Lavedrine had been impressed with Kant's insights into the "bent wood of humanity," especially the professor's suggestion that "there is a less predictable side to the human heart" than the one casual observers notice. Hanno takes an instant dislike to the pretentious and condescending Serge. Soon, however, the criminologist and Hanno are forced to work together to solve a baffling case. A woodsman has reported finding the mutilated corpses of two brothers and their sister lying on a bed in an isolated cottage. Their mother, Sybille Gottewald, is missing and their father, Bruno, is a soldier who is stationed in Kamenetz, a remote military outpost. Hanno follows Kant's method of "recording the mechanics of a crime" by taking notes and making sketches of the scene, whereas Laverdine uses his eyes and his well-honed instincts to ferret out clues. Unfortunately, neither Hanno's scrutiny nor Laverdine's insight provides a quick solution to this horrific puzzle. Trouble is brewing in the form of anti-Semitism when a hysterical populace starts spreading rumors that the Jews killed the children to use their blood for religious rituals. If the real perpetrator is not found promptly, riots might break out, leading to even more carnage.

The magistrate's inquiries take him to Kamenetz where a sadistic nationalist named General Juri Katowice commands a fiercely loyal band of Prussians, some little more than children, and teaches them to be as cruel and merciless as he is. The magistrate makes several perplexing discoveries that deepen the mystery surrounding the Gottewald murders. Hanno also finds himself walking a political tightrope, trying to allay the qualms of the District Governor, Count Aldebrand Dittersdorf, while at the same time pacifying the French occupiers. His time-consuming investigation places a strain on his relationship with Helena, who seems to be fascinated by the dashing Serge Lavedrine.

Michael Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio, who co-wrote this book under a pen name, have created an engrossing, complex, and wrenching tale of political intrigue, religious persecution, and madness. The authors depict life in Prussia under Napoleonic rule with great care and precision, and they juggle their large cast and multi-layered plot with aplomb. The suspense mounts to an excruciating level until the investigators (with the help of Helena, an old manuscript by Kant, and the observations of a Jewish scientist named Aaron Jacob) finally learn the identity of the children's killer and the motive for a seemingly senseless act of violence.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Holmesian detective in Napoleon-occupied Prussia, May 27, 2008

By 

Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Days of Atonement: A Mystery (Hardcover)

The proud Prussians of rural Lotingen chafe under the yoke of Napoleon's occupation, but a gruesome, baffling murder forces magistrate Hanno Stiffeniis to join the French Colonel Lavedrine in finding the culprit.

This is Stiffeniis's second foray into crime solving (after "Critique of Criminal Reason") and Lavedrine, a Holmesian-style criminologist, is eager to hear of Stiffeniis' work with the legendary philosopher Immanuel Kant, who helped the magistrate solve his first case in 1804, a few years previous.

Stiffeniis recoils from the Frenchman, not only out of patriotic distrust, but also to guard his own secrets, but when three children are murdered in a bizarre, ritualistic fashion and their mother disappears, he has no choice but to combine his methods with Lavedrine's.

While Stiffeniis compiles sketches of the oddly bloodless scene, Lavedrine trusts the deductive power of his senses. Both men rely on psychological insights, though their reasoning takes them in different directions. Meanwhile rumors are flying that the town's Jews are responsible, having murdered the children for their innocent Christian blood. Mobs threaten and tensions erupt.

Stiffeniis travels to the Prussian military post where the children's father, Major Gottewold, is stationed, only to discover that Major Gottewold is beyond his questions. He was killed in a military exercise several weeks before the murder of his children.

The atmosphere at the garrison is fanatical and sinister and Stiffeniis comes away with suspicions he cannot share with the Frenchman and questions that make the case more baffling than ever. His state of mind is not improved upon discovering that Lavedrine has been busy involving Stiffeniis' wife in the case.

Gregorio (the pen name of Michael G. Jacob and Daniela De Gregorio) sweeps the reader into the story by deepening the mystery with every clue and relying on character development to complicate the puzzle and involve the reader. Stiff-backed, guarded, proud Stiffeniis squares off against the laconic, inquisitive Lavedrine and as Lavedrine insinuates himself into Stiffeniis' private life each comes to a cautious understanding of the other.

The story is complex and atmospheric with the rigors of a Prussian winter exerting a deep chill over every movement and development. The ending, while haunting, is a bit farfetched and disappointing. Nevertheless, Gregorio delivers a deeply absorbing narrative, with a flawed and intriguing protagonist. Readers will look forward to further acquaintance with Magistrate Stiffeniis and his spirited, lovely, and neurotic wife, Helena.