There were aspects of Murder In Vienna which I liked, but overall I found it a bit of a slog.
First published in 1956 and a late book in a long-running series, this is a tale of intrigue and detection in a Vienna which is still recovering from the devastating effects of the Second World War and its aftermath. Superintendent Macdonald of the CID, is going there for a holiday to meet an old friend, when he becomes involved in trying to solve strange goings-on including attacks on two Brits who shared a plane with Macdonald on the way out.
As a plot it’s adequate but not brilliant, the characterisation is quite good but somewhat stereotypical and I’m afraid the dialogue is horribly stilted sometimes. Lorac does set a very good background: the description of air travel in 1956 is very interesting and she paints a fine picture of Vienna at that time. This lends the book a good deal more interest – especially for me because much of the action is set in the suburb of Hietzing, to which I have strong family ties. I found that very poignant; without it, I may not have stuck with the book to the end, and even as it is I was quite glad to get to the end and start something else.
So...not terrible, not great. I may give Lorac another try at some point, but I can only give this a very qualified recommendation.
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