Vienna, Austria, 1894: The Vienna Museum of Art History is the
repository of numerous treasures from ancient Egypt - some on display,
and some stored for future study.
A
recently arrived mummy would have lain undisturbed in the storage room
for years if a larcenous cleaning woman hadn't found the room
inadvertently unlocked. 
The
cleaner, having heard mummies were buried with jewels and gold,
unwrapped the relic's bandages, looking for valuables. Instead, the
woman found the dead body of Egyptologist Alfons Strössner, with green
emeralds in his eye sockets. The cleaner's screams echoed throughout the
building.
The
death of Professor Strössner adds to rumors of a curse, because other
Egyptologists who'd recently opened an Egyptian tomb - and removed the
contents - had also died.
Stylish Police Inspector Leopold von
Herzfeldt - who's an advocate of 'new' investigative methods, and who
doesn't believe in Egyptian curses - gets the Strössner case. 
When
Leo interviews Professor Strössner's daughter Charlotte - who looks
like Cleopatra- she expresses complete bewilderment. Charlotte thought
her father was in Egypt doing research, and she even produces letters
Strössner sent from the Middle East.
Further
investigation leads von Herzfeldt to the Vienna Archaeological Society,
whose members include Austria's rich and elite, including Archduke
Rainer Ferdinand. 
This
pretentious crowd doesn't appreciate Leopold coming around, but he
perseveres, makes startling discoveries, and eventually unveils the
truth.
In addition to the killing of Professor Strössner, the
Vienna police are concerned with two other cases. One is the death of a
zookeeper in the lion's cage, which is blamed on an African chief in an
'ethnic' exhibit.
Police
Detective Von Hertzfeld gets embroiled in the zookeeper's murder by his
girlfriend, Julia Wolf, who works as a crime scene photographer and a
chanteuse. 
Julia believes the African chief arrested for killing the zookeeper is innocent, and she wants Leo to help the man.
Vienna's
other police investigation involves a serial killer who's murdering
handsome young male prostitutes and cutting off their genitalia. 
The
serial killer case draws in the entire police department, and Leo and
Chief Inspector Paul Leinkirchner become the lead detectives. This is
tricky because Leo has Jewish ancestry and Leinkirchner is openly
antisemitic. 
During
the serial killer investigation, Leo - who always dresses in the height
of fashion - (literally) gets down in the dirt and mud in his best
suit. (I winced at the despoilment of this finery and hoped Vienna had
good cleaners. 😊)
As events progress, perpetrators are
uncovered, and there's even a 'Hercule Poirot' moment when Leo reveals a
surprising miscreant. 
One
of the most interesting characters in the story is Augustin Rothmayer, a
gravedigger at Vienna Central Cemetery. Rothmayer is a brilliant
eccentric who's writing a book called 'Death Rites Around the World'.
Colorful
excerpts from Rothmayer's book are scattered through the novel. For
example, in ancient Egypt, a dead pharaoh's wife and servants were
killed and buried with him. (Nothing in this world would have induced me
to marry a pharaoh. 😠) Rothmayer helps with all the police
investigations in his own unique fashion. 
Besides
penning an engaging police procedural, author Oliver Pötzsch gives us a
peek at the ambiance of old Vienna. The story mentions a tasteful
'upper class' brothel; a homeless encampment in the sewers; horsecar
trams; the Imperial Court Library in the Hofburg palace; theater shows;
expensive restaurants; nightclubs; and more. All this is a nice
complement to the story.
I enjoyed the novel and recommend it to mystery fans.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Rupert Bush, who does a fine job.
Thanks to Netgalley, Oliver Pötzsch, and HarperAudio for a ARC of the book.
Rating: 4 stars
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