The second book in this series is just as good if not better than the first, a real treat, historical fiction at it's best.

This isn’t *terrible* in that it’s fairly well written, with some instances of true wit, but the characters and story are fairly shallow and uninteresting. It’s a light, quick read, but not something I’ll remember.

Dealing with a Countess (in Prague) brought to mind the Lady Julia Grey series. Somewhat similar we have our Countess definitely different to ladies of her time - courageous, bold, not bothered about opinions of others very much but still knowing that nothing will be achieved by being too bold.

Having successfully solved a crime in 1904 involving royalty, she has now been brought to the attention of the Emperor of Hapsburg who has sought her assistance in solving a mystery. One which is so delicate, that it cannot even be discussed with all and sundry. How does one go about even trying to solve a case without exploring avenues and talking to people.

Set over several countries and very descriptive with both her unflappable butler Muller and maid Sabine who are her stalwarts the Countess begins on an adventure which she fears she may not succeed at.

Very witty, humourous and holding your interest throughout this was a good mystery read. Of a slightly old fashioned kind.

This was an interesting and well written mystery. I read through it, but I had trouble enjoying it, as it just did not hold my attention.

One evening Beatrix von Falklenburg is called to the Prague funicular railway by Inspector Schneider. A body has been discovered, and on searching his clothes a piece of paper with her telphone number on it is discovered. The Inspector hopes that she can identify the body. While she wishes to investigate this she is sunmmoned by the Hapsburg Emperor Franz Josef I, who tasks her with discovering the truth behind a shooting incident that occurred some years ago.
An entertaining and complex mystery mixing historical fact and fiction, with some intriguing characters. Although the numerous names and places were at times confusing.

A very good book and a very interesting historical mystery.
I appreciated the plot, the description of the characters and of the historical background.
It's very well written and researched.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley

Weeks has carved out a new niche for his historical heroine Countess Trixie, who has been brought in by Emperor Franz Joseph to answer the question of whether the deaths of Crown Prince Rudolf and Baroness Marie were really a murder-suicide. The characters are well done and there's a second mystery here. The drawback is that there's perhaps a bit too much going on and some judicious editing would have made this a better read. Nonetheless, you might well find yourself wikipedia-ing to learn more about some of the people you'll meet. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Sins For The Father
(Disclaimer: received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of the book through Net Galley. Read it and decided to provide my honest review.) Sins of the Father, A Countess of Prague Mystery #2 by Stephen Weeks is a conundrum. The author Stephen Weeks is superb at both character and world building with exacting and flowing dialogue, as wrapping paper on a gift, reflective of 19th century Prussia. The book’s main character is exquisitely complex. She is a fiercely independent woman treading, not lightly, in a non-traditional role as the sleuth. There is a moment where she is ruminating about a case and thinks “...this was meant to remain some kind of insoluble mystery — but they hadn’t reckoned on me, obviously!” Yet, there are moments where she allows her womanhood to consume her as a coping mechanism. Together formed a formidable main character. The storyline itself had me perplexed and vacillating on the rating — while interesting there were several times I found myself wandering off. The history at times was just too much and it became more of a history class than a historical mystery. Overall, the mystery/thriller is a good read. The question is, how much history do you like in your historical mysteries? MY RECOMMENDATION: Neutral. – Tex.

Countess Beatrix von Falklenburg is more than just a woman from a noble family. She has proved her ability in solving mysteries before. Smart and resourceful, she has already been useful in police investigations before. So, it comes as no surprise when she receives an invitation to Vienna, where a very special task awaits, given to her straight from the powerful head of the Habsburg dynasty. The Royal family has been hiding a secret for years, and it is up to her to solve the mystery of the heir's death. Was it really a suicide, as stated, or could someone have murdered the Prince and Heir of the Austrian Empire?

Sins of the Father is a pleasant, easy mystery story. Al places and figures involved are historically accurate, and the story is clearly very well researched. The heroine, Countess Beatrice (or Trixie) is an intelligent, inquisitive, and brave woman. There is actually two mysteries involved in the book, which adds to the plot and keeps the reader guessing. All in all, a pleasant book that can be finished in a day or two.

I do enjoy how Stephen Weeks puts together his stories. The first Countess of Prague mystery was inventive, cleverly plotted and exquisitely rendered. This one, “Sins of the Fathers,” did not leave me with the same feeling of accomplishment. The problem for me was that I could tell pretty much from the get-go that this would be a story without a satisfactory ending. Unfortunately it is hard to write more about it for to do so would reveal details of the plot -- especially the denouement -- that could possibly ruin the story for someone else. Suffice it to say that the solution to a mystery for the ages is done well enough, but the clichéd finish left me with an empty feeling.

There is also way more tooing and froing in this book than I like, and it quickly becomes tedious. I also believe that the author gave his main character too many situations that would be far outside the norm of the historical time frame. Yes, our heroine is determined and brave and unusually free -- but that meant she got into situations that required me to suspend too much disbelief to be comfortable with.

I’m sure that Mr. Weeks plans a third book in the series. I look forward to reading the further adventures of the Countess von Falkenburg.

This was a good book. I didn't read the first book in the series (yet!) so the first few chapters of the story for me were a bit slow, possibly because this was the first book I read. I liked the characters but somehow felt the development of them was a bit wordy. I will be checking out the first book and possibly the next book in the series when that comes out as well.

It's a difficult book for me to rate. My first reaction is a 3.5 star for its enjoyment level. After reading the author's note, for the quality and historical accuracy, "Sins of the Father" does deserve a higher rating. Depends on what angle I look at it, my rating for the book fluctuates accordingly.

Author Stephen Weeks flourishes the historical events with his vivid imaginations through the adventures of an amateur sleuth, Countess Trixie from Prague. In the second book of "The Countess of Prague" series, the ruler of Austria, Emperor Franz-Josef commissions Trixie to find out the truth behind the Mayerling incident in 1889 (with omission of details here.) There are few minor cases that Trixie gets entangled in and complicates her investigation, Overall, "Sins of the Father" is a better read than the last one and I enjoyed reading it for the most part. The beginning is a bit slow to get into but the pace gets better after the first few chapters.

"The Countess of Prague" sounds to me an ambitious series. I have high hopes and can't wait to read the rest of the 8 books that will be published within the next couple of years. Now that I have read the first two installments, I have noticed the occasional clunky writing style, colossal amounts of names (both people and places,) as well as the pattern of having cases within cases seem to be the "signature" voice of the author. Mr. Weeks tries too hard, in my humble opinions, to include too many interesting historical facts into one book to thicken the plots for both installments so far. Adventurous, yes, but quite confusing at times.

The series has a lot of potential and I can't wait to find out what the author has in store for Trixie's future adventures. Thanks Poisoned Pen Press for the e-gallery provided through Netgallery for my early enjoyment.