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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Are stories and symbols so potent?", July 24, 2009
In any series, some books are stronger than others. The fourth book of Frank Tallis' "Lieberman Papers" falls somewhere in the middle. Set in 1903 Vienna, the many things I have come to enjoy in his series are all here: the epicurian and musical references, the intertwining of Freudian psychoanalysis with the final resolution of the crime, and the friendship between psychologist Max Lieberman and police commissioner Oscar Rhinehardt. Yet _Darkness Rising_ wasn't as taught a mystery as A Death in Vienna: A Novel (Mortalis), nor did it keep me guessing as in Fatal Lies: A Novel (Mortalis). In this installment of the Liberman papers, I was always a step (or two) ahead of Lieberman as he worked the case.
Anti-semitism runs throughout _Darkness Rising_, an ugly feature common to central Europe at the time, and an issue Tallis has shown before. Here, however, it takes a much different turn as Liberman becomes a target of politically motivated hate, even as he works to solve the grisly murders of anti-semites throughout the city. The depth of the anti-semitism almost overshadows the work at resolving the murders themselves, although both are closely intertwined.
Aside from the murders themselves, Tallis treats us to a vivid description of central Europe, this time of Prague, from its Mala Strana and Stare Mastro to the rich Czech cusine - as he has done with Vienna, the flavors, sights and sounds of Prague are brought to life. Likewise he shows us the crucial place Jews had in k.u.k. Austria, with a sense of foreboding of what would be destroyed in a little more than a generation. In fact, this foreshadowing permeates the book, through references to Jung's thesis of the collective self-conscious to statements that "the irrational is an essential part of human nature." In fact, Inspector Rhinehard marvels at the vitriol and bile of anti-semitic groups, asking, "Are stories and symbols so potent? Could they be used to mobilize a whole people?" Echoing the words and thoughts of millions of European Jews, Liberman answers, "We Viennese are far too civilized" for that.
Were that it was so.
Still, the mystery itself was solid, even if a bit overshadowed by the looming cloud that would prove so destructive to so many. Tallis remains a mystery writer I continue to be a fan of. Recommended.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very satisfying read as expected, October 16, 2009
Frank Tallis is one of my favourite crime novelists along with Henning Mankell, Michael Connelly, and Helene Tursten. He has a unique attribute that is unlike any other. His writing is very literary, sometimes a little too much so, rather than colloquial. However, his style fits perfectly with his novels whose historical background is canvasing the turn of the 19th century, when formality, vanity and hierarchical social structure was regarded much like a norm than now. His literary style also plays a big role in making jokes that look deadpan and subtle.
To me, his novel is not for speed reading despite the nature of the story therein - gruesome murder, chasing the suspects, etc. If you are in haste to follow the storyline and to discover how it pans out, you will miss a significant portion of his novel's virtue. His storytelling requires close and slow reading. It should be like ruminating - reading sentences over and over.
Whenever reading Mr. Tallis, that's what I'm trying to do - reading slowly, word by word if possible. And it has always been very satisfying. Reading his novels has been like walking and navigating in a dense forest that also contains a wealth of undergrowth and wildlife.
This is his fourth "Max Liebermann Paper," and it was a good read like previous three books with a range of topics - Jewish mythology, anti-semitism, political tension and corruption, psycho-analysis, Freud, Mahler, medical ethics, you name it. Mr. Tallis has somehow made the era and society in Vienna look fascinating.
It was not always easy to go through this book since I was not familiar at all with Jewish culture and mythology. But in the end, it was an adventurous, satisfying journey that were worth taking.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good for readers who enjoy dense period mysteries; not for general mystery fans, February 20, 2010
This review is from: Vienna Secrets: A Max Liebermann Mystery (Mortalis) (Paperback)
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You'll know very quickly whether this book is for you when you star reading it, but let me try to help you figure that out even sooner.
You'll love this book if:
1) You like historical fiction.
2) Appreciate well written prose with well drawn characters
3) Have interest in turn of the century Vienna, Jewish culture, and/or psychoanalysis
4) Like novels with lots of subplots
5) Like novels with lots of local color about food, surroundings; novels that give you a 'You are there!' feel.
6) Like it when you can see plot developments coming in advance.
You should pass on this book if:
1) The above does not appeal to you.
2) You like action or a fast moving pace of writing.
3) Stylized, measured writing styles turn you off.
4) You like plot twists that surprise or amaze.
I found Vienna Secrets to be a quintessential historical novel. I enjoyed the sense of place but found the exposition over long. This novel is two thirds mystery and one third travelogue of a bygone time, and that ratio was just a little too heavy on the travelogue aspect for me. But for people who fit the six criteria above, it will be a great read.
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