The Fig Eater

At its core this is a detective story set in Pre-WW I Vienna. But there is so much more to it that I prefer to refer to it as a mystery novel. The author's research and prose paints a picture of the city, the time and the characters that is as exciting and mysterious as the art of that time and place, and the story also has the aroma of Freud. So the book is a period panorama almost as much as a tale of a murder investigation. If you enjoy Victorian works, hop over to Vienna for a variation as nicely concocted as the pastries that were also a part of the scene.

All I can say about this book can be summed up in one word: WOW! I was so impressed with The Fig Eater; I can't believe I let it sit on my bookshelf untouched for so long. Everything about it was wonderful: the suspensful storyline, historical setting, and the obviously researched details in the writing. My only regret is that there aren't any more books by this amazing, talented author.The Fig Eater opens with a puzzling murder. Eighteen-year-old Dora is found dead in an Austrian city park with no clues as to who did it or why. The Inspector in brought in for the investigation, and the suspensful journey begins. The rest of the novel details the protocol for an investigation and what evidence in uncovered along the way. But not only do we get involved in the official side of things, readers are treated to the amateur sleuthing of the Inspector's wife, Erzebet, and her secret desire to find out what happened to poor Dora. The Fig Eater opens up a world of an early 20th century crime investigation; Gypsy talismans, superstitions, and rituals; and sexual secrets.I loved everything about this book. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time, waiting for the outcome to come to light. Jody Shields is an incredible author -- her writing is richly detailed and exquisitely rendered. The 1910 Viennese landscape created an atmosphere that was very much 3-D for me, which, in my opinion, is very rare. Kudos to Jody, and a desperate plea from me: write more soon!

A MESMERIZING AND ENGROSSING NOVEL OF THE VANISHED AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CAPITAL CITY. METHODICAL PROTO MODERN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION BY"THE INSPECTOR"WHILE UNBEKNOWNST TO HIM HIS HUNGARIAN WIFE ALSO RACES TO SOLVE THE MURDER OF A YOUNG WOMAN IN THIS FASCINATING GILDED METROPOLIS. HIS WIFE HAS THE ADVANTAGE WITH HER BACKGOUND IN THE OCCULT FROM HER CHILDHOOD AND KNOWLEDGE OF GYPSY LORE. AN ALTOGETHER THOUGHT PROVOKING ENTERTAINMENT

I found this book in Vienna, and spent the day reading it in one park and cafe after another, becoming completely absorbed by the location and the text. I found it shockingly good- with language twists and images that felt more like reading poetry than prose. (Poetry of the more modern kind, the trivia of life turned over and its underside revealed).

The Fig Eater is an exquisitely written murder mystery set in the Vienna of 1910. The murder of Dora, troubled daughter of a respectable bourgeois family is being investigated by The Inspector, newly schooled in rationalist criminology just coming into vogue. The Inspector's wife, Erszebet, is a Hungarian steeped in intuition and mystical Gypsy lore, and becomes obsessed with the murder and launches her own parallel, secret investigation. The Fig Eater is a truly engaging mystery novel with a surprise ending that is greatly enhanced along the way for the readers total enjoyment with authentic details of food, botany, fashion, medical practices of the day. Highly recommended!

I couldn't get my nose out of this once I started. It's a crime novel, with vivid descriptions of turn-of-the century Vienna, a methodical inspector who reminds me of Sherlock Holmes, and his intuitive wife - working secretly, and with more occult methods, on the same strange case. Lots of twists, turns and strange, illuminating mental pictures keep your mind working in several directions, as you try to figure out the answers. The details are vivid and at the same time obscure, and worked well to give me the general creeps as I plowed through this unusual, engaging book. I liked it.