One of the joys of the British LIbrary Classic Crime series has been the discovery of E C R Lorac (she also writes under the name of Carol Carnac) and becoming acquainted with Superintendent Macdonald.
Murder in Vienna was published in 1956 and has long been out of print. I managed to get hold of a very tatty copy some years back but am delighted that this new edition, with the usual elegiac and wonderful covers, was sent to me by the British Library for review. Always a joy to receive titles and to discover writers that I know nothing about. E C R Lorac has been one of their most popular discoveries and there are plenty more titles to get through so here is hoping for more.
The introduction, as always written in a masterly fashion by Martin Edwards, points out that this was one of a number of British detective novels from this period which were sent in overseas locations.
"Crime writers were responding to the desire of readers, wearied by years of
domestic post-war austerity and keen on escapist ficiton to enjoy a vicarious sense of the glamour of foreign travel".
Vienna is a city which I simply must visit. It has always fascinated me, the land of music and Strauss and Elizabeth, Empress of Austria, sachertorte and coffee houses and much more. So any books set in this city grab my attention and I was delighted to see that the rather charming Macdonald is in Vienna.
"for him the city had a charm all of its own. After all, under its gaiety and brilliance Vienna has always been a centre of intrigue"
He is visiting an old friend Dr Natzler and on the plane notes some unusual passengers. Elizabeth le Vendre is a young new secretary to Sir Walter Vanbrugh who is going to help write his memoirs. There are rumours that these memoirs are not viewed with favour and when Elizabeth is reported missing and found unconscious from an attack, Macdonald finds himself caught up in the investigation.
Set against the background of post war Vienna, with its beautiful palaces and gardens, its disenchanted residents and scars of war, E C R Lorac has written a book drenched in atmosphere. Those of us who remember the film The Third Man which captures the slightly noirish feel of Vienna at this time will receive the same feeling when reading this story.
This mystery makes its return to print for the first time since its original appearance. I highly recommend it. Though I love Lorac's books, as with prolific authors there are those that I enjoy less than others, but this is not one of them. It goes onn my list of favourites.
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