The Empty Mirror

“Set in Vienna in 1898, Jones’s absorbing whodunit succeeds both as a mystery and as a fascinating portrait of a traditional society in ferment.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The summer of 1898 finds Austria terrorized by a killer who the press calls “Vienna’s Jack the Ripper.” Four bodies have already been found, but when the painter Gustav Klimt’s female model becomes the fifth victim, the police finger the artist as the culprit. He’s already scandalized Viennese society with his erotically charged modern paintings—who better to take the blame for the crimes that have plagued the city?

This is, however, far from an open-and-shut case. Klimt’s lawyer, Karl Werthen, has an ace up his sleeve. Dr. Hanns Gross, the renowned father of criminology, has agreed to assist him in investigating the murders. Together, Gross and Werthen must not only clear Klimt’s name but also follow a killer’s trail that will lead them in the most surprising of directions. But by uncovering the cause of the crimes, the two men may risk damaging Vienna more than the murders did themselves . . .

Written by an acclaimed expert on Vienna and its history and featuring a variety of real historical figures, The Empty Mirror introduces a new series of stunning mysteries that reveals the culture and curiosities of this fascinating fin de siècle metropolis.

“A colorful story that neatly combines fact and fiction.” —The Washington Post

“A novel that will appeal to mystery aficionados as well as history buffs.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch

“What Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did for Victorian London and Caleb Carr did for old New York, Sydney Jones does for historic Vienna.” —Karen Harper, New York Times–bestselling author of the Queen Elizabeth I mystery series