An internationally acclaimed crime novel set in post-WWI Vienna: "A
thrilling, deeply satisfying debut" by "the new star of Austrian crime
fiction" (Kronen Zeitung).
Vienna, 1919. In the desperate years after World War I, the Habsburg
Empire is a fading memory and most of Vienna's remaining population
survives by its wits, living hand to mouth in a city rife with crime,
prostitution, and grotesquely wounded beggars. There are shakedowns on
every street corner, the black market is the only market, and shortages
of vital goods create countless opportunities for unscrupulous
operators.
Into this cauldron of vice comes Insp. August Emmerich. A veteran
himself, Emmerich is determined to join the Viennese major crimes unit,
and he's more than willing to break the rules in pursuit of his
ambition. When a corpse is found in the woods outside the city and
immediately labeled a suicide, Emmerich sees a chance to prove his
mettle. His investigations into the suspicious death soon reveals an
insidious and homicidal urge lurking in the city.
The Second Rider is the "outstanding series launch" of Alex Beer's
international-bestselling novels featuring police agent August Emmerich
(Publishers Weekly, starred review).
