The Fig Eater

Vienna, 1910. A hot August night. An eighteen-year-old girl named Dora (loosely inspired by Freuds famous patient) is found brutally murdered in the Volksgarten park. The crime is being investigated by the Inspector, newly schooled in rationalist criminology. Meanwhile, his Hungarian wife, Erszbet, driven by Gypsy superstition, and a teenage English governess become obsessed with the murder. They are certain the figs found in Doras stomach during the autopsy are the clue to the identity of the murdererfor there are no fresh figs in Vienna at this time of year. The book is rich with detail about Vienna and Gypsy folklore and filled with descriptions of food, photography, botany, perverse medical practices, and sexual secrets. The detective work is based on an actual turn-of-the-century manual of criminology. Jody Shields is the former design editor of The New York Times Magazine and a former editor at Vogue, House and Garden, and Details. She is the author of two nonfiction fashion books: All That Glitters and A Stylish History.


Genre: Mystery