Fatal Lies - (Max Liebermann) by Frank Tallis (Paperback)

About the Book

The eagerly awaited third novel in the Max Liebermann series about a psychoanalytic detective is set in Vienna, 1903. At St. Florian's military school, a young cadet is found dead. Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt calls on his friend, Dr. Liebermann, to help him investigate.

Book Synopsis

A dogged police inspector and an insightful young psychiatrist match wits with depraved criminal minds in this acclaimed mystery series set in Freud's Vienna.

In glittering turn-of-the-century Vienna, brutal instinct and refined intellect fight for supremacy. The latest, most disturbing example: the mysterious and savage death of a young cadet in the most elite of military academies, St. Florian's. Even using his cutting-edge investigative techniques, Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt cannot crack the school's closed and sadistic world. He must again enlist the aid of his frequent ally, Dr. Max Liebermann, an expert in Freudian psychology. But how can Liebermann help when he a crisis of his own: handling his conflicted and forbidden feelings for two different women, one a former patient? As the case unfolds, powerful forces will stop at nothing to keep a dark secret.

Review Quotes

"Frank Tallis has surged to the front of the field riding his dark horse, Vienna in the last days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. ....While it's always a delight to visit the ballrooms where Strauss is played and the opera house where Mahler is rehearsing and the coffeehouses where ideas are devoured mit Schlag, this smart series has far more to offer than decorative charm."--New York Times Book Review

Another immensely satisfying novel in Frank Tallis' intelligent and subtle Dr. Liebermann/Inspector Rheinhardt series...dense, engrossing....a fine adventure."--Boston Globe

"St. Florian's Military Academy outside Vienna serves as the forbidding backdrop for Tallis's stellar third historical to feature Insp. Oskar Rheinhardt and Dr. Max Liebermann...Several late twists lead to a startling resolution of this compelling tale." --Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"What is basically a murder mystery becomes something quite extraordinary as Tallis skillfully weaves in the politics, history, music, and social customs of turn-of-the-century Vienna. Another outstanding entry in an erudite and mesmerizing series; a must for historical-mystery devotees." --Booklist, starred review

"Tallis's singular achievement is to bring vividly to life many of the glories and dangers of a great city at a crucial moment in its history....immensely satisyfing....The author delights us with rich, often gorgeous prose...[He] has an exceptional ability to move seamlessly among varied plot elements, characters and emotions....If you're looking for the best in popular fiction, it's well worth seeking out."--Washington Post

About the Author

Frank Tallis is a writer and practicing clinical psychologist. He is the author of two previous Dr. Max Liebermann novels: Vienna Blood and Mortal Mischief.