Description

‘A fascinating snapshot of Vienna between the wars, pacey and entertaining’ Guardian

A man climbs into Ferdinand Sponer’s cab and asks to be taken to the Hotel Bristol. Before he reaches his destination he has been murdered: shot through the throat. Though Sponer has committed no crime, he is drawn into the late Jack Mortimer’s life. As the police circle closer, Sponer finds himself caught up in a tangled web of intrigue.

I Was Jack Mortimer is a breathless, darkly captivating tale of misappropriated identity from one of the leading Austrian writers of the twentieth century.

Publisher Review

“The cast of this brilliant thriller … are pure Raymond Chandler … but the Viennese setting gives it an extra, stylish twist. It’s excEllently written and fearsomely gripping.” – Kate Saunders, The Times

“Very few novels published in recent years match its daunting panache… The fast-moving, cleverly convoluted plot is brilliantly served by the sustained irony of Ignat Avsey’s witty translation… a terrific book, one to read and then urge everyone else to follow suit… a truly clever, rather wonderful book that both plays with and defies genre.” – Eileen Battersby, Irish Times

“A fascinating snapshot of Vienna between the wars, pacey and entertaining.” – Laura Wilson, Guardian

“The action shifts and shimmers in a Vienna that comes to life.” – Eileen Battersby, Irish Times