About this item
Highlights
- An internationally acclaimed crime novel set in post-WWI Vienna: "A thrilling, deeply satisfying debut" by "the new star of Austrian crime fiction" (Kronen Zeitung).
- About the Author: Alex Beer was born in Bregenz, Austria, and studied archeology.
- 320 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Mystery & Detective
Description
About the Book
Translation of: Der zweite Reiter. Ein fall fèur August EmmerichBook Synopsis
An internationally acclaimed crime novel set in post-WWI Vienna: "A thrilling, deeply satisfying debut" by "the new star of Austrian crime fiction" (Kronen Zeitung).
Vienna, 1919. In the desperate years after World War I, the Habsburg Empire is a fading memory and most of Vienna's remaining population survives by its wits, living hand to mouth in a city rife with crime, prostitution, and grotesquely wounded beggars. There are shakedowns on every street corner, the black market is the only market, and shortages of vital goods create countless opportunities for unscrupulous operators.Into this cauldron of vice comes Insp. August Emmerich. A veteran himself, Emmerich is determined to join the Viennese major crimes unit, and he's more than willing to break the rules in pursuit of his ambition. When a corpse is found in the woods outside the city and immediately labeled a suicide, Emmerich sees a chance to prove his mettle. His investigations into the suspicious death soon reveals an insidious and homicidal urge lurking in the city.
The Second Rider is the "outstanding series launch" of Alex Beer's international-bestselling novels featuring police agent August Emmerich (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Review Quotes
Praise for The Second Rider
..".a dark and engaging mystery that pushes you forward rather than weighing you down." --Historical Novels Review
..".arguably one of the most notable and refreshing police procedural novels of the year." --Mystery Tribune
"Beer vividly conjures the horrors of ruined Vienna: devastating shortages of food, shelter and other essentials, offset by rare treasures like real coffee and eggs. She also deftly balances her grim story with flashes of coal-black humor." --Seattle Times
"With great intelligence, Beer brings both the epoch and the characters alive for the reader." --Die Welt
"August Emmerich is an amusing cynic, yet also an extraordinarily perceptive detective. He's such a compelling character." --Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung
"Beer transforms a gripping thriller into an exciting historical novel." --Leiziger Volkszeitung
"The artistry here is that Beer draws the reader into Vienna between the wars and after no more than a few lines we want to know so much more." --NEWS
"A fantastically gripping mystery that is rich in atmosphere." --B5 Kulturnachrichten
About the Author
Alex Beer was born in Bregenz, Austria, and studied archeology. She now lives in Vienna. This is her English-language debut.
Tim Mohr's published translations include novels by Wolfgang Herrndorf, Stefanie de Velasco, Charlotte Roche, and Alina Bronsky. He has collaborated on memoirs by musicians Paul Stanley, Gil Scott-Heron, and Duff McKagan.