Mortal Mischief

By: Frank Tallis

Narrated by: Richard Burnip

Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Vienna, 1902: a beautiful medium has been found shot dead, and Dr Max Liebermann, a young disciple of Sigmund Freud, is called upon to help his friend Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt investigate her death. The room containing the body has been locked from the inside, and a cryptic note suggests a malevolent supernatural power is at work. Using the new science of psychoanalysis, Liebermann probes the minds of the suspects in an attempt to unravel this bewildering crime.

© Frank Tallis; (P)Oakhill Publishing Ltd

Critic reviews

"Tallis' writing and feel for the period are top class." (The Times)
"A mouth-watering view of Viennese café society....well and forcefully written." (Literary Review)

Enjoyable

This was my first listen with Richard Burnip as the narrator. I found his style quite good. This is a mystery wrapped into a story about the time frame, how that impacts peoples roles and society positions, and the beginnings of the changing political landscape which will lead to WWI.

Long

There are many side trails in this book that do little to move the main story forward. I think it is really a 6 hour book in an 11 hour package. I skipped whole hour long chapters and never felt like I lost the thread of the story. The characters are well developed and engaging. The solution is intriguing although doubtful as to its execution (all puns intended).

It left me hungry for pastry and Strauss.

What made the experience of listening to Mortal Mischief the most enjoyable?

The setting, the city of Vienna at its best, made this an engaging story that was difficult to leave. One tends to forget how important and influential it was. I loved the policeman and the psychiatrist meeting for musical evenings. It made them both whole people with interests and lives of their own. I did worry about the policeman's wife seeing him with the actress. That never seemed to be resolved. But perhaps it will come up in the next book in the series, which is already on my wish list.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I enjoyed them all.

Which character – as performed by Richard Burnip – was your favorite?

Hard to say. Burnip did an excellent job. His accent was believable, and he managed to do credible women's voices without sounding like he was getting ready for transgender surgery. Always a plus.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I have no idea what a tag line is, so I have no answer for this.

Any additional comments?

This was a great story and a really interesting opening of what seems like it will be a very engaging series.

Superb Writing and Narration

Beautiful craftsmanship. Every word is a jewel.
The narrator, Mr. Burnip, gives a masterclass, and, bonus feature, has a lovely singing voice.

This is a wonderful book. Yes, it takes time to develop, but it is well worth the wait. The characters are rich and complex. I am grateful for the Vienna Blood cable series (which is also excellent) for introducing me to Frank Tallis and his marvelous characters.

Settle in with a pastry and coffee, and savor!

Interesting premise, characters, and plot

The premise, characters, and plot are interesting and well written, but the pace of the story is steady and methodical, which can bore readers

Ho-hum Victorian mystery

Would you try another book from Frank Tallis and/or Richard Burnip?

No.

What could Frank Tallis have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

The main characters (doctor and detective) were not well drawn - Doctor was a know-it-all, perfect type, the inspector was just dumb - and he wasn't supposed to be. A really lame plot.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The problem I had with the narrator was I couldn't distinguish who was saying what in dialogue. No enough differentiation. Besides that he was good.

What character would you cut from Mortal Mischief?

All of them - all were predictable and not that interesting.

Any additional comments?

This is the first book in the series; maybe the following ones are better.