"A Death in Vienna" by Frank Tallis: A Book Review

This murder mystery is as charming as Vienna itself. Like the city's famed waltz, Frank Tallis moves his book, A Death in Vienna, along at the perfect tempo.  The year is 1902, and Vienna is at its height of social and scientific development. Tallis uses all the history and social background of the city to infuse his story and characters with a historical interest that at times makes the central murder almost secondary to the setting. Almost...for the twists and turns and inscrutable details of the murder are never too far from our minds, whether we are sitting with the characters in a Viennese cafe enjoying its famous coffees and pastries or sitting in a darkened room for a seance with the dead medium.

Ultimately, the story rests on not only this fantastic setting, but also all of the strong characters that Tallis has created here: the dead medium, Fraulein Lowenstein; the detective, Oskar Rheinhardt; the psychologist, Max Liebermann, follower of none other than Sigmund Freud, who makes his appearance here too, albeit briefly. This story captures the tug of war between criminology and psychology, between the paranormal and the scientific, between the old and the forces of change that have engulfed the city during this time frame. They are all played out through the mysterious circumstances of Lowenstein's death and the subsequent investigation by Rheinhardt, aided by his good friend Herr Doctor Liebermann. 

The beautiful Lowenstein's prime suspects are her seance circle, an unusual group of people who reflect a wide range of personalities and quirks. Through Tallis's story, we see a complete society of Vienna, the triumphs of the new century and the social problems yet to be resolved. This is a period setting rich in appeal, and where other stories may be dragged down by historical detail, this one thrives because of it. Tallis uses every bit of Viennese familiarity to draw us in, and then uses the mystery to keep us going. We become engaged with the charming Rheinhardt-Liebermann duo as they follow the leads, using every "modern" method to discern the truth about the murder. In the end, the answers to the murder mystery come from a most unlikely source.

Unlike many of the thrillers of today, this book relies on character development and setting to build a strong story, showing just how unnecessary the technology of the day is to creating and solving a good mystery. The book is easy to follow, interesting, and well told. That we come away smarter than we began is just an added bonus.