The Empty Mirror

Starred review from November 10, 2008
Set in Vienna in 1898, Jones’s absorbing whodunit succeeds both as a mystery and as a fascinating portrait of a traditional society in ferment. When artist Gustav Klimt becomes a suspect in a series of bizarre murders, he turns for help to his lawyer friend, Karl Werthen, who joins forces with real-life pioneering criminologist Hanns Gross. Werthen and Gross follow a trail that leads through all strata of Viennese society and threatens to put them at odds with not only a trained killer but powerful members of the ruling class. Jones skillfully incorporates into his narrative many of the notable figures who lived in Vienna at the time. Some, like Klimt and sexologist Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing, play important roles, while others, like Zionist founder Theodor Herzl and visiting American author Mark Twain, make brief but highly appropriate appearances. Jones (Time of the Wolf
) delivers a meaty historical that bodes well for further adventures.

November 1, 2008
In the summer of 1892, a series of ritual murders terrifies fin-de-siècle Vienna. When the fifth victim is the model of painter Gustav Klimt, the artist falls under suspicion. His lawyer, Karl Werthen, and criminologist Hanns Gross set out to solve these killings. Featuring a full cast of historical characters, including psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing, Mark Twain, and Archduke Franz Ferdinand, this debut mystery by the author of "Hitler in Vienna, 19071913" heads toward a surprising ending. For larger collections. [A Minotaur First Edition selection.]

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2008
In turn-of-the-century Vienna, a lawyer and a criminologist team up to exonerate their friend Gustav Klimt from a false charge of murder.

When police turn his studio upside-down seeking clues in the murder of Liesel Landtauer, a distressed Klimt visits his close friend and lawyer Karl Werthen. One of Klimt's favorite models, "Sweet Liesel " is the latest in a string of victims who have prompted headline references to "Vienna's Jack the Ripper. " Werthen appeals to mutual friend Doktor Hanns Gross, a real-life star in the nascent field of criminology who authored Criminal Psychology, to prove Klimt's innocence. They question Liesel's landlady and her grieving parents. And they both exasperate and commiserate with beleaguered police Inspektor Meindl, who admits that the evidence against the artist is thin but insists he's the most likely suspect to feed a public and press demanding the killer's capture. Once Klimt is taken into custody, Werthen and Gross enact a series of Holmes-and-Watson-style deductions based on body temperature, the depth and angle of the fatal blade's slashes and so on. A new murder while he's incarcerated wins Klimt's release. But his exoneration doesn't satisfy the duo's desire to solve the crime, piqued even more when Meindl receives a taunting letter from the killer. Their probe turns into a dangerous adventure with a violent finale.

A well-appointed period mystery with interesting roman à clef notes that remains appealing despite the sometimes flat-footed prose of Jones (Hitler in Vienna, 2002, etc.).

(COPYRIGHT (2008) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

December 1, 2008
In the waning years before World War I, Vienna is an old-fashioned city ruled by the Hapsburg emperors and home to the unconventional artist Klimt. In the summer of 1898, one of Klimts models falls victim to a serial killer, and he begs for help in clearing his name. Former criminal attorney Werthen begins a leisurely investigation into the murders, ably assisted by his longtime friend and colleague, the famous criminologist Herr Doktor Gross. The unhurried nature of the investigation affects the pacing of the book. Readers intrigued by the slightly exotic setting of historical Vienna will not be deterred, but those looking for suspense and a faster pace may prefer Will Thomas Barker and Llewellyn series (The Black Hand, 2008), set in late-nineteenth-century England. Still, Jones novel boasts well-fleshed characters, a good sense of place, and solid plottingall signs of series potential. This one bears watching.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)