After all, under its gaiety and brilliance Vienna has always been a centre of intrigue.

The distinguished industrialist, the fair girl and the aggressive young man – although Superintendent McDonald tried to avoid studying his fellow-passengers, he simply couldn’t help it. For him, it was difficult to adjust to being on holiday. He turned away deliberately. These people weren’t his problem, he was on holiday – or so he thought.  

Set against the enchanting background of post war Vienna, with its beautiful palaces and gardens, its disenchanted residents and scars of war, E.C.R. Lorac constructs a characteristic detective story, sure to puzzle and excite.

This exceedingly rare mystery, first published in 1956, makes its triumphant return to print for the first time since its original appearance.

E.C.R. Lorac was a penname of Edith Caroline Rivett (1894–1958), who also wrote as Carol Carnac. She was a prolific author of Golden Age mysteries publishing over 60 novels throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s. She was also a member of the famous Detection Club. Her books include Crossed Skis, Post After Post-Mortem and Murder by Matchlight, all available as British Library Crime Classics.