The second case of Captain Stein and Notary Barbaric from the historical detective series
Suspense, real historical events, a real historical setting, and a compelling story written in a modern style are what Cervenak builds on to make it incredibly believable. Thanks to his narrative mastery, you will feel what Prague was like under the reign of the mad emperor Rudolf II. dangerous place.
Crime is rampant as never before, the streets are ruled by bands of foreign thugs, religious conflicts are escalating, politics has become a confusing web of everyone-against-everyone intrigue. But there is a new horror spreading through the city: A mysterious kidnapper is murdering the first-born children of prominent dignitaries.
Mystical marks on the bodies of the victims lead Stein and Barbaric to occultists in the Jewish quarter. However, the background of ritual murders seems to be much more complex. Is this really a vast conspiracy that reaches all the way to members of the royal court?