It’s 1938 and Stella Fry has just returned to London from Austria, where she has been working as a private tutor for a Jewish family in Vienna. With the worsening political situation in Europe, the family decided to leave for the safety of New York, and Stella has found herself back home with no job. Famous mystery writer Hubert Newman is advertising for someone to type up his new manuscript and Stella applies for the position. After meeting with Newman and being offered the job, she is shocked when she learns the next day that he has been found dead. Another shock follows twenty-four hours later when she receives the manuscript of his new book, Masquerade, and finds that he has dedicated it To Stella, spotter of mistakes.
Harry Fox is a former Special Branch detective who left the police force under a shadow, but is still carrying out unofficial intelligence work, spying on suspected communists. He has reason to believe that Hubert Newman’s death was not a natural one and when his path crosses with Stella’s and he discovers that she had lunch with the author the day before he died, the two team up to investigate.
I really enjoyed Midnight in Vienna; the only negative thing I can say about it is that Stella was a bit too trusting of strangers and too quick to put herself in dangerous situations without thinking of the consequences. The biggest example comes very early in the novel when, having only just met Harry Fox, she agrees to travel back to Vienna alone on the trail of someone possibly implicated in Hubert’s murder – at a time when everyone else is trying to get out of Austria. However, I can forgive this because the Vienna sections of the book are so well done, perfectly illustrating the mood in Austria during that period which followed the annexation by Nazi Germany.
With Hubert Newman being an author, there’s also a literary element to the novel. Newman (a fictional character, by the way) is a member of the Detection Club, a real-life society of prominent British mystery writers, and Harry Fox’s investigations lead to a meeting with one of the founding members, Dorothy L. Sayers. She only makes a brief cameo appearance but I thought the way Thynne portrayed her character was very convincing. As well as the literary world, we also get a glimpse of the theatrical world of the 1930s through Stella’s actress friend, Evelyn, so there’s a lot going on outside of the central mystery.
This is the first of Jane Thynne’s novels I’ve read. It seems that most of her previous books are similar wartime/espionage thrillers and having enjoyed this one so much I’m sure I’ll be reading more of them. I’m also wondering whether there will be a sequel to this book as I think there’s plenty of scope for some of these characters to return for a second adventure.
Thanks to Quercus for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
Book 44/50 for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2024
She Reads Novels 
This sounds fascinating and I love the cover.
The cover is very elegant, isn’t it? I like it as well.
This is a new author for me, and she sounds fun!
She is! I’m looking forward to reading more of her books.
Interesting… I’ve enjoyed several ‘Europe on the edge of war’ novels. I’ll look out for this one.
It’s always a fascinating period to read about. I really enjoyed this one.
Good review. I have one of hers on my TBR–I think I’d like this one, too.
Yes, I think you might enjoy this one!
Jane Thynne has also written a couple of counter factual books under the name of CJ Carey,set in London in the 40s and based on the premise that the Nazis prevailed in World War 2 and their regime took control in England. Both are worth reading as are her earlier Jane Thynne novels set in Berlin in the 30s. As with Midnight in Vienna those books have lots of interesting period detail in particular about the Nazi high command and the operation of the famous UFA film studios. I’m glad you enjoyed this novel and I’m looking forward to reading it.
Thanks for the C J Carey steer. The two books in the Widowland set look INTERESTING!
You’re welcome, I hope you enjoy them!
I think the other Jane Thynne novels interest me more at the moment, but if I enjoy them I’ll certainly think about reading the CJ Carey ones as well. I hope you like this one when you get to it.
Sounds very tempting…
Reading book blogs is very bad for the TBR, isn’t it!
love this setting, definitely one to look out for!
I think the period just before the outbreak of the war is very interesting to read about – and Vienna is always an atmospheric setting.
I can’t add much to previous comments except to say that you’ve convinced me I wouldn’t regret reading a copy! From what you say it comes across as a delicious read … if you know what I mean – I like ‘savouring’ certain types of books!
Yes, that’s a good way to describe it!
I don’t read a lot of espionage novels, but this does sound like a good one. And I know it’s one my mom would love. 😀
I don’t usually read many espionage novels either, but I enjoyed this one and am actually reading another one now (by Agatha Christie).
I’ll have to look for this one, though I fear I’ll have “Goodnight, Vienna” stuck in my head the entire time.
Or ‘Vienna’ by Ultravox?
Haven’t heard that one, but Jeeves & Wooster introduced me to “Goodnight, Vienna”, and it’s a proper ear worm.
(Just gave it a listen. Nice sound!)
You’ve tempted me too, Helen. I shall look out for this one.
I’m glad I could tempt you! I really enjoyed it.
The other books mentioned in the comments sound really interesting!
Thanks for sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Her other books do sound really good. I’m looking forward to reading more of them!