Book description
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 and his own fascination with the enigmatic
Englishwoman Amelia Lydgate raise doubts concerning the propriety of
his imminent marriage. To resolve the dilemma, he must entertain the
unthinkable - risking disgrace and accusations of cowardice.
Frank Tallis is a writer and pracitising clinical psychologist. He
has published seven non-fiction books (including
Changing Minds: The
History of Psychotherapy as an Answer to Human Suffering
and
Hidden Minds: A History of the Unconscious
). He has also written two novels;
Killing Time
and
Sensing Others
, both published by Penguin. In 1999 he received a Writers' Award from
the Arts Council of Great Britain and in 2000 he won the New London
Writers' Award (London Arts Board).
Mortal Mischief
was published by Century in 2005. He lives and works in London.
