Max and Oskar solve a series of murders--not all by the same person, but several with an ingenious weapon: a hatpin inserted at the base of the brain. Interesting how the author wove together the various strands of the plot through his mixture of police work and psychology in this complex story and how all strands came together. Sometimes the psychoanalytical angle was a bit above me though. ( )

Someone in 1903 Vienna is murdering young women in a most bizarre fashion: during the act of love, the lady is dispatched with the use of an almost undetectable hat pin. Psychiatrist Max Liebermann and police detective inspector Oskar Reinhardt pursue different paths to discover the identity of the mad man, Liebermann by trying to determine, through psychoanalytic ideas, what type of individual would do such a thing and Reinhardt by slow, steady and steadfast police work, with the occasional flash of insight. But time is running out; the royal household has learned of this situation and is threatening to bring in the big guns to solve the mystery if our heroes don’t move fast…. "Vienna Twilight" is the fifth volume of Frank Tallis’s “The Liebermann Papers,” which are all set in this fascinating city at a fascinating time; Freud himself is among the characters to appear now and then, and concepts such as “reform dresses” (free-flowing dresses for women which free them from the constraints of corsets) are being hotly debated in the streets. Meanwhile, the friendship between Max and Oskar continues to deepen; in previous reviews, I failed to mention that despite coming from completely different backgrounds, they become friends because of their shared love of music, Max in playing the piano and Oskar in singing the rich lieder of the times. But however they came together, the combination of these two individuals creates one of the most interesting, and intriguing partnerships in modern mystery writing; recommended, but read the previous four books before tackling this one! ( )

Za mało Wiednia za dużo Ffreuda

Éros et Thanatos, passion de la mort, mort par la passion... voilà le thème de cette enquête qui nous mène au cœur de Vienne au début du XXe siècle. Peut-être moins ancrée historiquement que les volumes précédents, elle nous entraîne cependant à redécouvrir les artistes de la Sécession, les cafés, la musique, et les thèses de Freud qui aideront à résoudre l'énigme. ( )

Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt is looking for a murderer. The first known victim is a young blonde with a less than perfect reputation. His method of murder is unknown until it is accidently stumbled upon in the autopsy…she was killed with a hatpin! When they find the seller of the hatpin, they know it is only a matter of time before another victim is found.
Max Liebermann, a psychoanalyst and good friend of Rheinhardt is of the opinion the murderer is a sexual predator who gets his release from death. As the female victims had been ‘used’ just before death, Rheinhardt is in agreement. Not only is Liebermann aiding the Inspector, but one of his patients may just be the key to the entire puzzle.
Through the investigation, Rheinhardt and Liebermann meet some interesting characters. A painter with the clientele for paintings of nude young girls in provocative positions, an accountant certain that he is the victim’s only ‘client’ and a father who readily let his daughter be ‘used’ in various ways so the family could survive.
Threads of other stories are cleverly woven in to the main story, but how it all comes together is a masterpiece. You will stay on your toes with this mystery!

Reviewed by Ashley Wintters for Suspense Magazine ( )