We had mixed feelings about this one. We loved the mix of real life characters in a real life setting blended with the fictional story. We also liked the glimpse of the beginnings of forensic science, but several thought the story line overly complicated and the action a bit slow.

While it was very difficult to stick through this book all the way to the end, there were some redeeming qualities to it. Our book club enjoyed discussing the advancement of medicine and criminal investigation over the years, and the impact of power struggles. It would have been more informative, we decided, if someone from our group had been to Vienna.