The murder of a Jewish woman leads a reporter to a terrifying political conspiracy in this "dark and edgy" historical thriller (Kirkus).
Budapest, 1936. When Hungary's prime minister dies in office, his fascist ambitions die with him. It's a heady time for the nation's capital, but crime reporter Zsigmond Gordon has his eye on a far humbler story. A proper young Jewish woman was found murdered in one of the city's seedier neighborhoods, and Gordon is determined to unravel the mystery of her demise.
The investigation leads him deep into the city's dark underbelly—a shadow world of pornographers, crime syndicates, and Communist cells—and to the highest echelons of power, where one of Hungary's most influential executives plans to make an economic killing through his strong political ties to Germany's leaders . . . if he can somehow keep secret the fact that he was, at one time, Jewish.
"Kondor's impressive first novel, which unfolds against an atmosphere tinged by alienation, fear, and the threat of violence, stands out for its deft writing, plausible scenarios, vivid sense of place, and noir sensibility." —Library Journal