Vienna Blood: A Max Liebermann Mystery

The second in the Dr. Max Liebermann series, literature's first psychoanalytic detective.

In the grip of a Siberian winter in 1902, a serial killer in Vienna embarks upon a bizarre campaign of murder. Vicious mutilation, a penchant for arcane symbols, and a seemingly random choice of victim are his most distinctive peculiarities. Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt summons a young disciple of Freud - his friend Dr. Max Liebermann -- to assist him with the case. The investigation draws them into the sphere of Vienna's secret societies -- a murky underworld of German literary scholars, race theorists, and scientists inspired by the new evolutionary theories coming out of England. At first, the killer's mind seems impenetrable -- his behaviour and cryptic clues impervious to psychoanalytic interpretation; however, gradually, it becomes apparent that an extraordinary and shocking rationale underlies his actions. . . .

Against this backdrop of mystery and terror, Liebermann struggles with his own demons. The treatment of a patient suffering from paranoia erotica (a delusion of love) and his own fascination with the enigmatic Englishwoman Amelia Lydgate raises doubts concerning the propriety of his imminent marriage. To resolve the dilemma, he must entertain the unthinkable -- risking opprobrium and accusations of cowardice.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Random House Trade
Published: 01/08/2008
ISBN: 9780812977769
Pages: 496
Weight: 0.83lbs
Size: 8.04h x 5.17w x 1.07d

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 11/19/2007 pg. 41
Booklist 11/15/2007 pg. 23
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2007 pg. 1222
Entertainment Weekly 01/11/2008 pg. 73
New York Times Book Review 01/13/2008 pg. 24
Kirkus Best Books 02/15/2008 pg. 12
New York Times Book Review 12/07/2008 pg. 62