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Viennese Mysteries #1
The Empty Mirror
The summer of 1898 finds Austria terrorized by a killer who the press calls Vienna's Jack the Ripper. Four bodies have already been found, but when the painter Gustav Klimt's female model becomes the fifth victim, the police finger him as the culprit. The artist has already scandalized Viennese society with his erotically charged modern paintings. Who better to take the blame for the crimes that have plagued the city?
This is, however, far from an open-and-shut case. Klimt's lawyer, Karl Werthen, has an ace up his sleeve. Dr. Hans Gross, the renowned father of criminology, has agreed to assist him in investigating the murders. Together, Gross and Werthen must not only clear Klimt's name but also follow the trail of a killer that will lead them in the most surprising of directions. By uncovering the cause of the crimes that have shaken the city, the two men may risk damaging Vienna more than the murders did themselves.
Written by an acclaimed expert on Vienna and its history, The Empty Mirror introduces a new series of stunning historical mysteries that reveals the culture and curiosities of this fascinating fin de siècle metropolis.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2008
31 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
J. Sydney Jones
36 books63 followersJ. Sydney Jones is the author of twenty books, including the six installments of the critically acclaimed Viennese Mystery series, as well as stand-alone mysteries and thrillers, including TIME OF THE WOLF, THE GERMAN AGENT, RUIN VALUE, BASIC LAW, THE EDIT, THE CRY OF CICADAS, and others. His books have been translated into eight languages.
A long-time resident of Vienna, he has also lived and worked in Florence, Paris, Molyvos, and Donegal. Jones currently lives on the central coast of California.
Visit the author at his homepage and at his blog, Scene of the Crime.
A long-time resident of Vienna, he has also lived and worked in Florence, Paris, Molyvos, and Donegal. Jones currently lives on the central coast of California.
Visit the author at his homepage and at his blog, Scene of the Crime.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
August 27, 2013
This book wears two faces. It’s both a detailed exploration of turn-of-the century Vienna and a complex mystery stretching from palaces to slums. Although at times encyclopedic, The Empty Mirror does a great job balancing history and intrigue.
I read this book for two reasons. First, I recently went to Vienna and was stunned by the Sisi Museum. Sisi is the affectionate nickname of Empress Elisabeth, and she and her many siblings led fascinating lives, from innocent beauty to dark recluse, from assassination to electroshock therapy. It made me want to write a historical novel about her family. Since I didn’t have time to write a book, research 1900's Vienna, and learn German, I read The Empty Mirror instead.
The second reason was that this was the first book agented by literary extraordinaire Alexandra Machinist (so I've read). But that may not be persuasive for the average reader…
The Empty Mirror does the best possible job of being two very different books. The mystery has many layers and had me guessing the whole time. The book is broken into several sections, and if the ending of section 1 doesn’t turn you on your head, you’ll enjoy how it all turns out. The final revelation is a little weak, but I enjoyed following the clues. The history side is also very strong. The reader learns about Viennese geography, from street names to attractions; “modern” thinkers, like Ernest Hemingway and Sigmund Freud; and any food an Austrian could wish for. The research is phenomenal. I was excited to learn so much about the captivating city. However, in order to explain this rich history, the characters would sometimes wax on about the hidden meaning of AEIOU (a call to Austrian supremacy) or coincidentally encounter various celebrities. Each exposition would only be a paragraph or two, but they added up over time.
I can’t imagine a book doing a better job of making history and mystery perfectly equal. That said, this would have been a better book if it had been unequal. Either history or mystery should have taken center stage, and the other should have played a supporting role.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about Vienna and prefers fiction over nonfiction. If you like mysteries but don't care that much about Austria, this may not be the book for you.
Although if you visit Austria, I’m sure you’ll fall in love.
I read this book for two reasons. First, I recently went to Vienna and was stunned by the Sisi Museum. Sisi is the affectionate nickname of Empress Elisabeth, and she and her many siblings led fascinating lives, from innocent beauty to dark recluse, from assassination to electroshock therapy. It made me want to write a historical novel about her family. Since I didn’t have time to write a book, research 1900's Vienna, and learn German, I read The Empty Mirror instead.
The second reason was that this was the first book agented by literary extraordinaire Alexandra Machinist (so I've read). But that may not be persuasive for the average reader…
The Empty Mirror does the best possible job of being two very different books. The mystery has many layers and had me guessing the whole time. The book is broken into several sections, and if the ending of section 1 doesn’t turn you on your head, you’ll enjoy how it all turns out. The final revelation is a little weak, but I enjoyed following the clues. The history side is also very strong. The reader learns about Viennese geography, from street names to attractions; “modern” thinkers, like Ernest Hemingway and Sigmund Freud; and any food an Austrian could wish for. The research is phenomenal. I was excited to learn so much about the captivating city. However, in order to explain this rich history, the characters would sometimes wax on about the hidden meaning of AEIOU (a call to Austrian supremacy) or coincidentally encounter various celebrities. Each exposition would only be a paragraph or two, but they added up over time.
I can’t imagine a book doing a better job of making history and mystery perfectly equal. That said, this would have been a better book if it had been unequal. Either history or mystery should have taken center stage, and the other should have played a supporting role.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about Vienna and prefers fiction over nonfiction. If you like mysteries but don't care that much about Austria, this may not be the book for you.
Although if you visit Austria, I’m sure you’ll fall in love.
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October 23, 2018I recently had a long weekend in Vienna before a work conference, so I thought I'd read something set there beforehand. This book, a historical mystery written by an author who's also written guidebooks of the city, seemed to me the perfect choice. The reviews were mediocre, but the main criticism was that there was way too much about city and not enough about the mystery. Given what I was after, that didn't seem like a problem.
It's 1898 and a serial killer is spreading fear in Vienna. The latest victim is an artist's model, and a well-known painter she often posed for is identified as a suspect by the police. Our central character, lawyer Karl Werthen, gets involved when the painter comes to him for help, being a former client. With the help of a criminologist friend, he decides to investigate.
The Empty Mirror is one of those historical mysteries that uses real people as important characters. Our central character, lawyer Karl Werthen, is made up, but many of the people around him are not. The painter is Gustav Klimt, while the criminologist is also a famous one, Hanns Gross. Several other famous people make an appearance. Even Luigi Lucheni, the man who assassinated Empress Sissi, is given a speaking part. This is a concept I'm not wholly comfortable with, but ok, I could just read them as made up as well.
Unfortunately, even ignoring that issue, in the end, I just had to give up. I pushed myself and read almost two thirds of the book, but it felt like a chore, and by the time my trip had passed without me having managed to finish the book, there was no reason to continue. The biggest problem is the writing. The dialogue is extremely wooden and the plotting is just bad. These combine when Gross and Werthen are interrogating people. People speak in ways that just made me laugh, and they reveal things in ways that make no sense, unless it's to move the plot in particular ways.
I was also annoyed at how the book changed from what I thought it was (a relatively straight-forward hunt for a serial killer), to a story of grand conspiracies. The latter is really, really not my thing.
MY GRADE: So, a DNF.
It's 1898 and a serial killer is spreading fear in Vienna. The latest victim is an artist's model, and a well-known painter she often posed for is identified as a suspect by the police. Our central character, lawyer Karl Werthen, gets involved when the painter comes to him for help, being a former client. With the help of a criminologist friend, he decides to investigate.
The Empty Mirror is one of those historical mysteries that uses real people as important characters. Our central character, lawyer Karl Werthen, is made up, but many of the people around him are not. The painter is Gustav Klimt, while the criminologist is also a famous one, Hanns Gross. Several other famous people make an appearance. Even Luigi Lucheni, the man who assassinated Empress Sissi, is given a speaking part. This is a concept I'm not wholly comfortable with, but ok, I could just read them as made up as well.
Unfortunately, even ignoring that issue, in the end, I just had to give up. I pushed myself and read almost two thirds of the book, but it felt like a chore, and by the time my trip had passed without me having managed to finish the book, there was no reason to continue. The biggest problem is the writing. The dialogue is extremely wooden and the plotting is just bad. These combine when Gross and Werthen are interrogating people. People speak in ways that just made me laugh, and they reveal things in ways that make no sense, unless it's to move the plot in particular ways.
I was also annoyed at how the book changed from what I thought it was (a relatively straight-forward hunt for a serial killer), to a story of grand conspiracies. The latter is really, really not my thing.
MY GRADE: So, a DNF.
May 20, 2017
Ein Buch, das ich mit wachsendem Vergnügen und Interesse gelesen habe.
Das Thema, der Mord an Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich und der fragwürdige Selbstmord ihres Sohnes werden hier Sherlock Holmes like akribisch und intelligent verfolgt.
Im Prater werden über Monate Menschen ermordet abgelegt. Leider, oder muss ich sagen, glücklicherweise wird der bekannte Wiener Künstler Gustav Klimt verdächtigt und verhaftet. Dieser beauftragt seinen Freund, den Advokat Werthen die Sache aufzuklären.
Zusammen mit seinem Kollegen Dr. Gross, einem Kriminologen macht er sich ans Werk.
Ein außergewöhnlich gut angelegter, bis zur letzten Seite überraschender Krimi.
Das Thema, der Mord an Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich und der fragwürdige Selbstmord ihres Sohnes werden hier Sherlock Holmes like akribisch und intelligent verfolgt.
Im Prater werden über Monate Menschen ermordet abgelegt. Leider, oder muss ich sagen, glücklicherweise wird der bekannte Wiener Künstler Gustav Klimt verdächtigt und verhaftet. Dieser beauftragt seinen Freund, den Advokat Werthen die Sache aufzuklären.
Zusammen mit seinem Kollegen Dr. Gross, einem Kriminologen macht er sich ans Werk.
Ein außergewöhnlich gut angelegter, bis zur letzten Seite überraschender Krimi.
April 3, 2014
I absolutely love this book and this author. What a fine classy grown up mystery this is! Set in Vienna, Austria (a place I love) in 1898, lawyer (Advokat) Karl Werthen finds himself embroiled in what was termed the search for Vienna's version of Jack the Ripper when he defends artist friend Gustav Klimt who is accused of all of the murders when his model is the 5th victim. Werthen is ably assisted by criminologist Dr. Hans Gross and when they prove Klimt is innocent (another victim dies while he is in jail), they find they can't stop until they find out who the real killer. Moving among the upper echelons of aristocratic society, they soon become stalked by those who are behind the killings and there are even more killings. While they search Europe for answers, Werthen unexpectedly falls in love with the good friend of a woman his wealthy parents pushed at him and then something terrible happens- his beloved fiancee Berthe is kidnapped by this bloodthirsty man and his hired killer and he must do all he can to save her and to bring justice for those who have been killed.
This is one of those writers who can create a fascinating mystery with style and maturity, as I said, a very classy book.
This is one of those writers who can create a fascinating mystery with style and maturity, as I said, a very classy book.
January 21, 2019
Sydney Jones' period mystery takes its cues from the Sherlock Holmes playbook -- creating a central team of two oddfellows, a criminologist and a lawyer. Since this is a first in the series, it takes a little while for the central characters to smooth their edges but when the book gets rolling, its clear that this is a fine pair to navigate this and future mysteries. I love the setting and all the pauses for food! Also, the appearance of the artist Klimt and his milieu. I got this novel as a Christmas present and I plan to read more in the series.
March 15, 2024
A solid, deliberate historical fiction piece,
It is unfortunate that the book doesn't contain any historical notes at the conclusion (I have the ARC, Advanced Reading Copy, from Amazon Vine so perhaps the novel itself will contain one). The base of this story is fact; a spin on the reasons behind the death of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and her son, Rudolph, the Crown Prince of Austria, making it historical fiction.
The inclusion of painter Gustav Klimt and criminalist Inspector Hanns Gross, both real people, was creative use of those living in the time of these events. The novel is built as a 'conspiracy theory' around the deaths of Austria's aristocracy related to betrayals.
Jones tells a good story. The book is never really suspenseful, but it is very direct in its telling of the reasoning, the process of solving a crime. I like the inclusion of Inspector Gross' implication that Arthur Conan Doyle used him as the model for Sherlock Holmes; creative, considering the time and Gross' real, extensive, groundbreaking writings on the topic of criminalistics.
Again, the story tells the tale of solving a crime. Clues are offered and, if you pay attention, you may see some of the telling before the, as Mark Twain would say (he is present in the novel as well), 'cat is out of the bag.'
The main reasons that I don't rate this 5 stars are that there are a few loose ends (nothing major, but I still want to know what happened) and there are a few things that are either not easily understood or aren't well enough explained (the prologue has a character who apparently recognizes someone, but we never find out why she knows the person.)
All in all, this is an intriguing look at the process of investigation in a time when fingerprints, crime-scene investigation and other forms of identification were absent but on the rise. Gross was a major player in developing these and the portrayal herein is good. Jones' knowledge of Vienna is put to good use, not overbearing nor annoying, rather it is enough to make the descriptions real, imaginable.
Classified as a mystery, I would definitely recommend this work. I would caution those looking for suspense as that is not really present, nor, from what I can tell, implied. It is certainly recommended as historical fiction if you are interested in the time and place.
It is unfortunate that the book doesn't contain any historical notes at the conclusion (I have the ARC, Advanced Reading Copy, from Amazon Vine so perhaps the novel itself will contain one). The base of this story is fact; a spin on the reasons behind the death of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and her son, Rudolph, the Crown Prince of Austria, making it historical fiction.
The inclusion of painter Gustav Klimt and criminalist Inspector Hanns Gross, both real people, was creative use of those living in the time of these events. The novel is built as a 'conspiracy theory' around the deaths of Austria's aristocracy related to betrayals.
Jones tells a good story. The book is never really suspenseful, but it is very direct in its telling of the reasoning, the process of solving a crime. I like the inclusion of Inspector Gross' implication that Arthur Conan Doyle used him as the model for Sherlock Holmes; creative, considering the time and Gross' real, extensive, groundbreaking writings on the topic of criminalistics.
Again, the story tells the tale of solving a crime. Clues are offered and, if you pay attention, you may see some of the telling before the, as Mark Twain would say (he is present in the novel as well), 'cat is out of the bag.'
The main reasons that I don't rate this 5 stars are that there are a few loose ends (nothing major, but I still want to know what happened) and there are a few things that are either not easily understood or aren't well enough explained (the prologue has a character who apparently recognizes someone, but we never find out why she knows the person.)
All in all, this is an intriguing look at the process of investigation in a time when fingerprints, crime-scene investigation and other forms of identification were absent but on the rise. Gross was a major player in developing these and the portrayal herein is good. Jones' knowledge of Vienna is put to good use, not overbearing nor annoying, rather it is enough to make the descriptions real, imaginable.
Classified as a mystery, I would definitely recommend this work. I would caution those looking for suspense as that is not really present, nor, from what I can tell, implied. It is certainly recommended as historical fiction if you are interested in the time and place.
January 29, 2011
Books set in Vienna always, eventually, get to the food. Sacher tortes and coffees of various kinds, sausages, spaetzle, and of course schlagsahne. (The only German I know is "mit schlagsahne, bitte.")
J Sydney Jones' The Empty Mirror is a mystery in which a former criminal attorney, Karl Werthen (now practicing what seems to be property transfer law or something similarly boring), and a famed criminologist, Dr Hans Gross, team up to prove that Werthen's friend, Gustav Klimt, is innocent of a string of gruesome murders. Every two weeks or so another mutilated body turns up in the Prader (something else that tends to pop up sooner or later in Vienna novels.)
When another person is murdered whilst Klimt is in jail he is released but the two friends are now committed to solving the mystery. All of the murders are so exactly alike it has to be a single person perpetrating them. Fortunately, Gross has a colleague high up in the police administration of the city and he is acquainted with Richard Freiherr von Kraft-Ebbing, the chair of the psychiatry department at the University of Vienna. The two detectives therefore have access to the cadavers and records and they have their profiler.
As they trace the weapon used on each victim and begin to see a pattern in the murders the case is suddenly closed by the apparent suicide of a man who writes a confession. But things are not what they seem and a few weeks later the sleuths are back on the trail, this time with the complication of the assassination of the empress to consider.
At first glance this isn't as good as the series by Frank Tallis which begins with A Death in Vienna (aka Mortal Mischief), but it's the first book and I expect Jones will get into the swing of things with another book. I enjoy almost any novel set in Vienna, especially if it comes mit schlagsahne.
It would be extremely helpful to read this book with a map of Vienna at hand.
2011 No 16
Coming soon: The Brontes went to Woolworths
J Sydney Jones' The Empty Mirror is a mystery in which a former criminal attorney, Karl Werthen (now practicing what seems to be property transfer law or something similarly boring), and a famed criminologist, Dr Hans Gross, team up to prove that Werthen's friend, Gustav Klimt, is innocent of a string of gruesome murders. Every two weeks or so another mutilated body turns up in the Prader (something else that tends to pop up sooner or later in Vienna novels.)
When another person is murdered whilst Klimt is in jail he is released but the two friends are now committed to solving the mystery. All of the murders are so exactly alike it has to be a single person perpetrating them. Fortunately, Gross has a colleague high up in the police administration of the city and he is acquainted with Richard Freiherr von Kraft-Ebbing, the chair of the psychiatry department at the University of Vienna. The two detectives therefore have access to the cadavers and records and they have their profiler.
As they trace the weapon used on each victim and begin to see a pattern in the murders the case is suddenly closed by the apparent suicide of a man who writes a confession. But things are not what they seem and a few weeks later the sleuths are back on the trail, this time with the complication of the assassination of the empress to consider.
At first glance this isn't as good as the series by Frank Tallis which begins with A Death in Vienna (aka Mortal Mischief), but it's the first book and I expect Jones will get into the swing of things with another book. I enjoy almost any novel set in Vienna, especially if it comes mit schlagsahne.
It would be extremely helpful to read this book with a map of Vienna at hand.
2011 No 16
Coming soon: The Brontes went to Woolworths
December 20, 2015
Excellent find! I look forward to continuing with this series.
December 27, 2018
The Empty Mirror is a great book in the historical fiction mystery genre. Combining both real people with fictional ones, and historic events with made-up ones, J. Sydney Jones takes you back to turn of the (20th) century Vienna in a memorable way.
The main protagonist is Karl Werthen, a fictional lawyer, who together with the real life criminologist Hans Gross, investigates a series of murders in 1898 Vienna. Jones clearly did his research, as the book is teeming with details about life in the Hapsburg capital, including food, culture, dress, and history. Yet the plot itself is quite propulsive too, with a few typical twists as well as more surprising ones.
The one downside is that the events of the book retroactively change some key events in 19th century Austrian history. Without going into specifics, real-life events are given new fictional explanations which while semi-plausible are nonetheless a bit distracting. Furthermore, Jones does not have an author's note at the end of the book explaining what is and isn't true. I know this isn't required of historical fiction authors. But personally I always appreciate it.
Regardless, I really enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to reading the others in the series.
The main protagonist is Karl Werthen, a fictional lawyer, who together with the real life criminologist Hans Gross, investigates a series of murders in 1898 Vienna. Jones clearly did his research, as the book is teeming with details about life in the Hapsburg capital, including food, culture, dress, and history. Yet the plot itself is quite propulsive too, with a few typical twists as well as more surprising ones.
The one downside is that the events of the book retroactively change some key events in 19th century Austrian history. Without going into specifics, real-life events are given new fictional explanations which while semi-plausible are nonetheless a bit distracting. Furthermore, Jones does not have an author's note at the end of the book explaining what is and isn't true. I know this isn't required of historical fiction authors. But personally I always appreciate it.
Regardless, I really enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to reading the others in the series.
February 13, 2021
Now onto my third book in this series, I can thoroughly and wholeheartedly recommend this series.
Having drowned myself in Regency and Victorian mysteries, it's been wonderful to dip into a new place and time and immerse myself in Advokat Karl Werthen, Berthe and Herr Doktor Gross.
These stories are sophisticated and written in a straight forward manner.
I particularly love the relationship between Berthe and Karl. Berthe is an extremely clever young woman and is just perfect for the verbose lawyer Karl.
It is rare that I involve myself in the peripheral real-life characters when they are written into storylines such as murder mysteries. However, I found myself reading more about the Mayerling tragedy, Viennese society, Mahler, Gustav Klimt and his complicated love-life as well as the Habsburg Dynasty.
The author's ability to infuse these characters with a life and dialogue that matches their image helps the storyines.
The series is definitely worth a read and they have become a new favourite of mine
Having drowned myself in Regency and Victorian mysteries, it's been wonderful to dip into a new place and time and immerse myself in Advokat Karl Werthen, Berthe and Herr Doktor Gross.
These stories are sophisticated and written in a straight forward manner.
I particularly love the relationship between Berthe and Karl. Berthe is an extremely clever young woman and is just perfect for the verbose lawyer Karl.
It is rare that I involve myself in the peripheral real-life characters when they are written into storylines such as murder mysteries. However, I found myself reading more about the Mayerling tragedy, Viennese society, Mahler, Gustav Klimt and his complicated love-life as well as the Habsburg Dynasty.
The author's ability to infuse these characters with a life and dialogue that matches their image helps the storyines.
The series is definitely worth a read and they have become a new favourite of mine
March 6, 2017
Turn of the century Vienna is becoming a popular location for historical crime fiction and this novel was just about on par with those of Frank Tallis. At times the educational dialogue about Vienna and the Austro-Hungarian Empire is overdone but the characters of Werthen and Gross are likeable and the repartee is amusing. The plot was at times over complex and scarcely believable but given the author's work to draw into the story so many historical characters he can be forgiven for that. In point of fact his melding of fact and fiction is ingenious. At one part of the book I felt it was getting into the treacle but the last third upped the pace and we had a rip roaring denouement. In truth I wasn't that bothered about which Mr Big was behind the mystery but the ending was very cleverly teased out and I can imagine that I will want to sit in a Viennese pastry shop (so to speak) with Werthen and Gross at some time in the future! Good entertainment.
May 11, 2018
A historic woven mystery with captivating characters and a well built backdrop for a future to come.
For a book I continuously put off, it was a delightful little read! Not only had I thought I solved the "initial" mystery, (some aspects) but I was taken on a crisscross written tour of Vienna. The author so beautifully ties in the time, place, and characters with history that I found myself continuously pausing to look up and research other avenues of knowledge.
I enjoy a good mystery (sadly many fall victim to a dull middle chase before a subpar crack at a climactic finish…I did not find that to be the case in this book) and when there is a history I knew little of to be learned from and so wittingly introduced to by way of story, well, I think the author has done a fantastic job! A series I plan on continuing.
For a book I continuously put off, it was a delightful little read! Not only had I thought I solved the "initial" mystery, (some aspects) but I was taken on a crisscross written tour of Vienna. The author so beautifully ties in the time, place, and characters with history that I found myself continuously pausing to look up and research other avenues of knowledge.
I enjoy a good mystery (sadly many fall victim to a dull middle chase before a subpar crack at a climactic finish…I did not find that to be the case in this book) and when there is a history I knew little of to be learned from and so wittingly introduced to by way of story, well, I think the author has done a fantastic job! A series I plan on continuing.
September 19, 2025
This started out very slowly - I almost abandoned it two times before it caught my interest.
I googled Gustav Klimt to see his body of work, which explained the interesting cover.
I googled Empress Elizabeth to determine how much of this plot was fiction (what, no Author Notes?)
I love the Frank Tallis series, and this is set just prior to that time period.
There is a serial killer dropping bodies in the Prater and our investigative team is a lawyer (for the accused Klimt) Advokat Karl Werthen and criminologist Doktor Hanns Gross.
Doktor Gross is annoyed with the writer of the Sherlock Holmes stories because he is stealing the information Gross is discovering and writing about in professional journals.
There is a love interest for Werthen and an actual duel in the Prater.
A lot of interesting details to enjoy.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
I googled Gustav Klimt to see his body of work, which explained the interesting cover.
I googled Empress Elizabeth to determine how much of this plot was fiction (what, no Author Notes?)
I love the Frank Tallis series, and this is set just prior to that time period.
There is a serial killer dropping bodies in the Prater and our investigative team is a lawyer (for the accused Klimt) Advokat Karl Werthen and criminologist Doktor Hanns Gross.
Doktor Gross is annoyed with the writer of the Sherlock Holmes stories because he is stealing the information Gross is discovering and writing about in professional journals.
There is a love interest for Werthen and an actual duel in the Prater.
A lot of interesting details to enjoy.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
May 20, 2018
Really enjoyed this -- read it with a map by my side (wish one had been printed on the end pages!). I picked it up because of the Vienna setting & famous characters (painter Gustav Klimt, Freud, Empress Sisi, etc.). Author has lived in Vienna for 20+ years and obviously knows a lot about the city, its history, food, and its problems.
The 2 crime solvers are a criminology professor (the first one ever, he mutters that Arthur Conan Doyle steals his ideas) and a young lawyer. Maybe the mystery itself fell apart a bit, got rather unbelievable at the end but still enjoyed it and will look for more in this series.
The 2 crime solvers are a criminology professor (the first one ever, he mutters that Arthur Conan Doyle steals his ideas) and a young lawyer. Maybe the mystery itself fell apart a bit, got rather unbelievable at the end but still enjoyed it and will look for more in this series.
May 1, 2019
Knjigu sam si nabavila jer sam nekoliko puta bila u Beču i sviđa mi se taj velegrad. Što se tiče knjige, ocjena je između trojke i četvorke. Radnja je zanimljiva, al ne mogu baš reći da je napeta, iako je riječ o rješavanju ubojstava i zavjere koja se krije iza toga. Iako ta ubojstva zajedno rješavaju dvojica prijatelja, cijenjeni kriminalist Hans Gross i odvjetnik Karl Werthen, osjećala sam neku vrstu komedije jer kao da ih je puka sreća i slučajnost vodila k rješenju, a ne tolika stručnost, kao da sam gledala TV seriju Detectiv Columbo. Vrijedi pročitati.
August 22, 2024
Turn of the Century Vienna
Another of Sydney Jones’ mysteries capturing late 1890s Vienna. It bring you into the city and time with detail uncommon of most historical writers. The sights, tastes and language all transport you within the mystery as you follow every step of its progress.
Jones is a master of doing the requisite homework to take you away for many hours to the Habsburg era of Vienna and the lives of those who resided there.
Another of Sydney Jones’ mysteries capturing late 1890s Vienna. It bring you into the city and time with detail uncommon of most historical writers. The sights, tastes and language all transport you within the mystery as you follow every step of its progress.
Jones is a master of doing the requisite homework to take you away for many hours to the Habsburg era of Vienna and the lives of those who resided there.
October 26, 2019
A bit simplistic...
But still quite enjoyable. This author’s strength - his ability to make Vienna’s history relatable - is why I chose this book to read before my visit to Austria, and why it held my attention. I even copied and pasted various street names into Google maps while in the city... and that REALLY brought the action home!
But still quite enjoyable. This author’s strength - his ability to make Vienna’s history relatable - is why I chose this book to read before my visit to Austria, and why it held my attention. I even copied and pasted various street names into Google maps while in the city... and that REALLY brought the action home!
March 15, 2020
I liked this book quite a bit! I feel like it took a bit of a turn around the second part when it came to character development, but it was extremely historically accurate (with what was intended) and took the fun banter of the Sherlock & Watson dynamic with a good spin.
December 13, 2020
Спочатку було норм. А потім автор намішав таке. Маньяк, розслідування в дусі Холмса, Клімт, Фрейд, замішав політичні інтриги, викрадення, стрілянину, ексгумацію, секс, дуель, імператриця. Повний ппц.
August 15, 2023
Interesting book. I loved that it was placed in 1898 and that it explained the historical background of Vienna at that time. Although I liked the mystery, i didn’t quite understand the motive behind the murders. At some points it was very confusing. Overall it’s an okay book
August 26, 2018
BAD- DIDN'T READ
June 2, 2019
It just didn’t capture my interest.
December 8, 2019
3-star average
July 28, 2023
Um livro super interessante com muitas descrições da cidade de Viena e uma história bem intrigante . Muito bom
September 16, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5!!
⚜️ "𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒇𝒚. 𝑶𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓?" ⚜️
⚜️ "𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒇𝒚. 𝑶𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓?" ⚜️
February 11, 2020
Wunderschöne Atmosphäre, gut recherchiert. Spannend, auch interessant für alle Sisi-Fans.
June 26, 2012
Murders and Mayhem in Historic Vienna....., March 9, 2010
Welcome to the Vienna of 1898. It's summer and Gustav Klimt, the handsome, notorious artist who adds elegant gold or colored touches to his paintings, is in eminent danger of being arrested. The fifth victim of a vicious murderer has been found on the grounds of the Prater amusement park built to celebrate Fran Joseph's fiftieth jubilee as emperor. Since June, disfigured bodies drained of blood with broken necks and severed noses have been dumped near the giant Ferris wheel in Vienna's Second District, one body every fifteen days.
Enter Advocat Karl Werthen, one of the few fictional characters in the book. Werthen has been hired to represent Klimt: it seems the recent victim is Klimt's favorite model. Werthen enlists the help of the famed Dr. Hans Gross, renowned father of criminology. After the sixth victim is found, Werthen and Gross through sound detecting discover the murderer much to the relief of the Austrian police. The reader is halfway through the novel.
In September of 1898, the Empress of Austria, Elisabeth is assasinated in Geneva. It has been nine years since the Mayerling tragedy when her son Rudolf, heir to the throne, is found dead with his mistress Marie Vetsera.
During their investigation of the sixth Prater murder, Werthen and Gross belatedly discover that the victim was Rudolph's personal valet at Mayerling. The Empress Elisabeth visited him before she left for Geneva. The royal connection adds another layer to their investigation: the case is reopened.
One of the delights of this novel is the introduction to prominent figures and the visits to renown places of this fin-de-siecle metropolis of Vienna. We visit Krafft-Ebing, the eminent sexologist and psychiatrist, who ponders the victims' mutilations, particularly the severed noses. We visit Gustav Mahler, the conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic at the magnificent Muskverein, the Austrian actor Alexander Girardi on the stage of the Burgtheater, and view Brueghel's painting "Children's Games" at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
You'll enjoy sitting in Werthen's study in a Biedermeier chair facing a lit fireplace after your tour of Vienna. Syd Jones, the author, takes little license with the history of the Viennese Ringstrasse period. And follows this intriguing mystery with a second Werthen/Gross novel entitled REQUIEM IN VIENNA.
Welcome to the Vienna of 1898. It's summer and Gustav Klimt, the handsome, notorious artist who adds elegant gold or colored touches to his paintings, is in eminent danger of being arrested. The fifth victim of a vicious murderer has been found on the grounds of the Prater amusement park built to celebrate Fran Joseph's fiftieth jubilee as emperor. Since June, disfigured bodies drained of blood with broken necks and severed noses have been dumped near the giant Ferris wheel in Vienna's Second District, one body every fifteen days.
Enter Advocat Karl Werthen, one of the few fictional characters in the book. Werthen has been hired to represent Klimt: it seems the recent victim is Klimt's favorite model. Werthen enlists the help of the famed Dr. Hans Gross, renowned father of criminology. After the sixth victim is found, Werthen and Gross through sound detecting discover the murderer much to the relief of the Austrian police. The reader is halfway through the novel.
In September of 1898, the Empress of Austria, Elisabeth is assasinated in Geneva. It has been nine years since the Mayerling tragedy when her son Rudolf, heir to the throne, is found dead with his mistress Marie Vetsera.
During their investigation of the sixth Prater murder, Werthen and Gross belatedly discover that the victim was Rudolph's personal valet at Mayerling. The Empress Elisabeth visited him before she left for Geneva. The royal connection adds another layer to their investigation: the case is reopened.
One of the delights of this novel is the introduction to prominent figures and the visits to renown places of this fin-de-siecle metropolis of Vienna. We visit Krafft-Ebing, the eminent sexologist and psychiatrist, who ponders the victims' mutilations, particularly the severed noses. We visit Gustav Mahler, the conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic at the magnificent Muskverein, the Austrian actor Alexander Girardi on the stage of the Burgtheater, and view Brueghel's painting "Children's Games" at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
You'll enjoy sitting in Werthen's study in a Biedermeier chair facing a lit fireplace after your tour of Vienna. Syd Jones, the author, takes little license with the history of the Viennese Ringstrasse period. And follows this intriguing mystery with a second Werthen/Gross novel entitled REQUIEM IN VIENNA.
October 1, 2014
I am a big fan of mystery, and do enjoy reading mysteries from various periods of time. And this book, like other historical mysteries takes place in the past and weaves events from the past and mysteries together. However, this book had some quirks that made the book successful at times and plodding at others.
1. As a mystery it was engaging, though our experts missed a vital clue that should have tipped them off at the end of Part 1. That the man who was deemed the murderer was in fact, not. There was something the man did on the last time they met him... that should have been a giveaway that he would not have been able to have the accuracy of control to commit the murders. (You'll have to find this out on your own, I'll not give it away.) It was not even mentioned later and should have been.
2. Part 1 moved along nicely you knew that they didn't solve it and that more was to come, however Part 2 languished at the start to the point where I had a hard time picking up the book again. I did a lot of skimming in the beginning of Part 2. The plodding was due to - a love story plot, which was obviously going to be used later in the book. When the love interest was able to be put aside the mystery plot-line revved up. Part 3 was great in that it was very true to the period of how a man, at the level of Gross and Werthen, would be able to take on "the enemy."
3. The historical part of it. There is a big difference between reading a book written in the period and reading a story placed in the past. When you read books from the period there are un-spoken rules that currently run through society which aren't talked about but acted upon. And you can feel their invisible touch throughout. When you write in a period, in this case it felt a little like I was in school or hearing descriptions of a historical place. It wasn't bad but it made me realize how hard it is to speak as a generation long gone, and a mindset that has been replaced. Sometimes this aspect was a bit heavy-handed, and I wished that the information could have been blended with the action of the story better.
Would I recommend this book yes, but I would warn a mystery reader that Part 2 can be skimmed until you get back into the saddle of the mystery.
1. As a mystery it was engaging, though our experts missed a vital clue that should have tipped them off at the end of Part 1. That the man who was deemed the murderer was in fact, not. There was something the man did on the last time they met him... that should have been a giveaway that he would not have been able to have the accuracy of control to commit the murders. (You'll have to find this out on your own, I'll not give it away.) It was not even mentioned later and should have been.
2. Part 1 moved along nicely you knew that they didn't solve it and that more was to come, however Part 2 languished at the start to the point where I had a hard time picking up the book again. I did a lot of skimming in the beginning of Part 2. The plodding was due to - a love story plot, which was obviously going to be used later in the book. When the love interest was able to be put aside the mystery plot-line revved up. Part 3 was great in that it was very true to the period of how a man, at the level of Gross and Werthen, would be able to take on "the enemy."
3. The historical part of it. There is a big difference between reading a book written in the period and reading a story placed in the past. When you read books from the period there are un-spoken rules that currently run through society which aren't talked about but acted upon. And you can feel their invisible touch throughout. When you write in a period, in this case it felt a little like I was in school or hearing descriptions of a historical place. It wasn't bad but it made me realize how hard it is to speak as a generation long gone, and a mindset that has been replaced. Sometimes this aspect was a bit heavy-handed, and I wished that the information could have been blended with the action of the story better.
Would I recommend this book yes, but I would warn a mystery reader that Part 2 can be skimmed until you get back into the saddle of the mystery.
August 20, 2019
The Empty Mirror is a complex fiction crime novel full of historical facts, Austia's 1898 mind-set and speculative fiction. Lawyer Karl Werthen and Professor Gross are caught up in a disturbing murder spree and serious political intrigue.
There are indeed real people intermixed with this mystery. Hans Gross was indeed one of the Founding Fathers of Criminology. In this novel there he is front and center with his knowledge of criminal profiling, early forensics, and cross-transference of evidence. The famous scandalous painter Klimt is an important character. Sigmund Freud and his new psychoanalysis is prevalent as is the Emperor Franz Joseph and several members of his family.
Austria's politics came out almost in a complex text-book exclamation. For someone who had ZERO knowledge of Austria's political standpoint, it got a little too complex. I really needed a "cheat sheet" to follow it.
Yet, J. Sydney Jones had a clever way to re-cap the procedural process of the investigation. He merely had the main characters review and discuss the complex, convoluted, ever-changing evidence. Some readers would find this irritating, this reader found it a relieving review of the situation.
Today I Learned: Most people of Jewish descent who wanted to be accepted socially or professionally successful either converted or were totally secular. Lawyer Werthen mentions numerous times his Family chose to be totally secular and the famous Wagner converted.
As a whole, this novel of an intriguing peek back into time and was well done.
There are indeed real people intermixed with this mystery. Hans Gross was indeed one of the Founding Fathers of Criminology. In this novel there he is front and center with his knowledge of criminal profiling, early forensics, and cross-transference of evidence. The famous scandalous painter Klimt is an important character. Sigmund Freud and his new psychoanalysis is prevalent as is the Emperor Franz Joseph and several members of his family.
Austria's politics came out almost in a complex text-book exclamation. For someone who had ZERO knowledge of Austria's political standpoint, it got a little too complex. I really needed a "cheat sheet" to follow it.
Yet, J. Sydney Jones had a clever way to re-cap the procedural process of the investigation. He merely had the main characters review and discuss the complex, convoluted, ever-changing evidence. Some readers would find this irritating, this reader found it a relieving review of the situation.
Today I Learned: Most people of Jewish descent who wanted to be accepted socially or professionally successful either converted or were totally secular. Lawyer Werthen mentions numerous times his Family chose to be totally secular and the famous Wagner converted.
As a whole, this novel of an intriguing peek back into time and was well done.
June 25, 2013
The Empty Mirror & Requiem in Vienna by J. Sydney Jones; books 1 & 2 of the Advokat Werthen series.
These two mysteries are set in Turn-of-the-20th Century Vienna, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was at its apex and was peopled by such luminaries as Sigmund Freud, Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing, Gustav Mahler, Franz Ferdinand, the Emperor Franz Joseph and of course the waltz-king Johann Strauss. The Empire is seen through the eyes of a young lawyer, or in German Advokat, Karl Werthen and his associate the noted criminologist Hanns Gross. Gross and Werthen share a partnership not unlike Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson of the Conan Doyle stories, with Gross being the overeducated maverick and Werthen the heroic albeit more humble companion. In the first book, The Empty Mirror, Gross and Werthen are on the trail of a seeming serial killer whose signature neck cut has the entire city spooked. The second book, Requiem in Vienna involves what looks like another string of serial murders, this time aimed at prominent musicians. The author has an enormous understanding of All Things Viennese to draw upon including its history, geography and culture. This is probably due to the fact that he has also written a number of travel books related to Austria. These added details give a sumptuous layer to the proceedings for the reader to enjoy. While I could usually guess at who the culprits were midway through the books, the richness of the story arcs kept me going. Overall, I enjoyed reading these books and would recommend them to anyone interested in immersing themselves into another time and place.
These two mysteries are set in Turn-of-the-20th Century Vienna, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was at its apex and was peopled by such luminaries as Sigmund Freud, Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing, Gustav Mahler, Franz Ferdinand, the Emperor Franz Joseph and of course the waltz-king Johann Strauss. The Empire is seen through the eyes of a young lawyer, or in German Advokat, Karl Werthen and his associate the noted criminologist Hanns Gross. Gross and Werthen share a partnership not unlike Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson of the Conan Doyle stories, with Gross being the overeducated maverick and Werthen the heroic albeit more humble companion. In the first book, The Empty Mirror, Gross and Werthen are on the trail of a seeming serial killer whose signature neck cut has the entire city spooked. The second book, Requiem in Vienna involves what looks like another string of serial murders, this time aimed at prominent musicians. The author has an enormous understanding of All Things Viennese to draw upon including its history, geography and culture. This is probably due to the fact that he has also written a number of travel books related to Austria. These added details give a sumptuous layer to the proceedings for the reader to enjoy. While I could usually guess at who the culprits were midway through the books, the richness of the story arcs kept me going. Overall, I enjoyed reading these books and would recommend them to anyone interested in immersing themselves into another time and place.
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