Murderous Travels by Daniela M. Hartinger

Next Stop: Vienna

For our next destination, my murderous travel companions, I proudly bring you to my home country. We're heading to a small but stunning country located in the heart of Europe: Austria. To mark the occasion, this time we will not only travel in space but also in time. Before we embark on our journey, however, please pack appropriately to meet the dress code: Ladies should wear a floor-length evening gown, while gentlemen are expected to don either a black tailcoat with a white bow tie or a formal uniform. The grand Vienna Opera Ball awaits us!

At exactly 8:40 pm, the magnificent doors of the Vienna State Opera swing open, welcoming a sea of impeccably dressed guests. The Vienna Opera Ball unfolds its splendour every year on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, marking the peak of carnival season in Vienna. While tickets to this lavish affair may be costly, fear not; our journey through time is a complimentary adventure, costing only the investment of your imagination ‒ and any mystery books you discover along the way.

The history of the Vienna Opera Ball dates back to 1814, a time when
European monarchs and nobility sought refuge in lavish entertainment
following the Napoleonic wars. This era of political reconstruction is also the backdrop for Vienna Waltz written by Teresa Grant. As clandestine alliances are forged behind closed doors, mysteries unravel amidst the political intrigue of the Congress of Vienna.

Karl Rosner's ‘Fanfare’ marks the start of the ball, taking us on a journey back in time to the late 1800s. This was an era when Austria reigned as a powerful empire, with its majestic capital city of Vienna and a diverse array of countries and citizens within its borders. To embrace the era, you might be interested in reading A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander or Last Nocturne by Marjorie Eccles. For a deep dive into history, check out Paul C. Doherty's The Time of Murder at Mayerling, which explores the mysterious death of Archduke Rudolph and his alleged lover at a hunting lodge near Vienna.

The highlight of the opening ceremony is the presentation of 180 debutante couples. These handpicked young individuals have undergone a rigorous application process and trained inclassic dance routines under the guidance of a renowned Viennese dance academy. As we observe the grand show, we are transported to the early 1900s. For those who want to prolong their stay in this era, there are twointriguing mystery series to indulge in: the series by J. Sydney Jones featuring lawyer Karl Werthen and inspector Hanns Gross, and Frank Tallis's Dr Max Liebermann series. The latter was even adapted into a television series that aired on the BBC.

As the last notes of Johann Strauss II's ‘Blue Danube Viennese Waltz’ fade away, the debutantes finish their dance, and the floor is open to all guests. Our journey through time brings us right into the aftermath of the Great War, a defining event that forever transformed Austria's landscape. The once-grand empire is now gone, and a fledgling democracy begins the task of rebuilding the country.

Historical mysteries of this era are trending, and Vienna has become a destination for authors to send their serial sleuths to. Join Martha Bond's  Lottie Sprigg in Murder in Vienna
or Vivian Conroy's detective Jasper in
An Exhibition of Murder

As the clock strikes midnight and the quadrilles begin, our journey through Vienna's past takes a sombre turn: World War II and the years after. The ball, put on hold during this tumultuous time, was revived in the post-war era. Immerse yourself in this period with

Dan Vyleta’s
The Quiet Twin,
E. C. R. Lorac's
Murder in Vienna or
Graham Greene's
film noir classic
The Third Man
from 1949.

 

At 5 o'clock, the ball comes to a close, and we return to contemporary Vienna ‒ a city that regularly tops the charts on The Economist's Global Liveability Index. At this point, I'd love to mention some Austrian authors; unfortunately, much of their brilliant work remains inaccessible to those not fluent in German. If you happen to know of any Austrian authors whose works have been translated, please share your recommendations with us. For those who can read German, there are countless options to choose from, but allow me to highlight one of my personal favourites: the Ernestine Kirsch mystery series written by Beate Maly and set in the 1920s.

And so, our time-travelling soirée at the Vienna Opera Ball comes to an end. Through the echoes of waltzes, we've journeyed from the grandeur of the Congress of Vienna to the struggles of post-war Vienna. As the splendour of the ballroom fades, crime fiction enthusiasts are left with a collection of books that unravel the secrets, scandals, and intrigues hidden beneath the glittering surface of this magnificent city. Until the next dance, dear reader.

In the meantime, happy reading!

Daniela M. Hartinger grew up raiding the shelves of her local library for children’s detective novels and ended up devouring Agatha Christie and the like. She has combined her literary passion with her enthusiasm for foreign languages to work as a freelance book translator. She also dabbles with writing and can’t resist a bar of chocolate – which, nowadays, she must share with her ever-hungry toddler son.

www.danielahartinger.com