I absolutely loved the Hangman's Daughter series and was excited to read this new series. Augustin Rothmayer is an odd man who prefers spending time with the dead while starting the first almanac of his profession as a grave digger. Inspector Leopold von Herzfeldt calls on Augustin to help him on a case with a superstitious killer who has already taken several victims. The duo also find themselves being aided by Julia Wolf, an operator who has unique insights of her own. This is considered a historical crime mystery that includes research and well detailed characters.

This was very good, I hope there will be more books in this series. An interesting look at Vienna
it’s culture and society. The main character was interesting and how he navigated the world around
him. Also the mystery was very good.

These translations are some of my favorites. It started with the Hangman's daughter and continues in this new series. Spooky, atmospheric, and sometimes even funny, this novel is a great entry in the historical fiction genre.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harpervia and Oliver Potzsch for allowing me to read this book. This is my second Oliver Potzsch book and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! He combines three things I love in books, history, thriller, Europe!
This book takes place in Vienna, 1893. There is a serial killer running around killing young girls and inspector Leopold von Herzfeldt is determine to catch him. Unfortunately for Leopold, he is new to the Vienna police force, does not play well with others initially and is also trying to bring in new and improved investigative techniques which goes over like you would expect in 1893. He meets a rather unusual character, gravedigger Augustin Rothmayer, and also makes friends with a telephone operator Julia Wolf, Together they try to solve this murder and also stay on the right side of the detective in charge of the investigation which is determined to keep Leopold out of it! Along their journey they take us on an exploration of the underworld of Vienna.
I love Oliver's books as I stated above, I love historical fiction as I love learning how people lived in the 1800's and also learning how new things like cameras are developed and first used. It is fascinating for me, and if there is a murder or two along the way, that makes it even better! You learn about burial customs in the late 1800's, and also what investigative techniques were used and those that are being developed. I loved this book!

The Gravedigger’s Almanac is a richly atmospheric dive into 1890s Vienna, where ritualistic murders, emerging forensic science, and shadowy cemeteries set the stage for a truly unique historical mystery. I struggled a bit with the unfamiliar setting and names, and it made it difficult at times.

Pötzsch’s writing brings a dark, theatrical quality to the narrative, and while the pacing is slower than what I typically read, I stuck with it. I personally didn't love the main character as much as I loved the gravedigger but I did love the back and forth chapters between characters.

If you enjoy immersive historical fiction with a slow burn and a gothic edge, this one is worth the read.

Perhaps because this book is a translation, I found that many times during the story I lost interest. The lead character is purported to be a "wise guy" or joker. There was not a moment that this investigator seems more than a self satisfied, fish out of water with a serious superiority complex. The character of the grave digger himself was by far, more interesting and could serve as the main story driver. The historical background was of interest, but the crime and its resolution seemed too easy.

Oliver Pötzsch brings together the best of historical fiction AND a good mystery. The Gravedigger's Almanac takes you into the "gross" sides of a city we all know and love. It's beautiful and creepy and just so good.

eBook - 3 Stars
Audiobook - 1 Star

<spoiler>*The story is good and intriguing. I had not yet read a mystery set in Vienna and it made for an interesting setting. Much of what was going on politically [there was an increasing distrust and hate of the Jews] I was, however, familiar with because of an excellent PBS show I have been watching called "Vienna Blood" [I HIGHLY recommend this show], and that made the political parts of this book easier for me to understand.

*All that said, this book would have benefited from either better editing and/or a culling of between 50-100 pages. There were moments where it just got so bogged down by EVERYTHING that had NOTHING to do with the case and/or the story; I could have [and maybe I should have - I might have enjoyed it more] skipped 10 chapters and still been in the thick of the story and would not have really missed a thing.

*I knew who the killer was very early on, and the longer the book went on, the more obvious it became. While the overall story, mystery, and side-mystery were good to very good [and VERY, VERY, gruesome and extremely *AHEM* descriptive and that was unexpected for sure], being able to figure out the killer so easily *AND* so early was very disappointing.

*Overall, this wasn't bad, but it wasn't good enough for me to not have moments of real disappointment and I almost quit several times.

**Rupert Bush is a new-to-me narrator, and unfortunately, he absolutely did not work for me. Everyone sounded exactly the same [even the women], and his extreme staccato way of speaking was very off-putting and to be honest, if I was looking at book 2 and found that he was the narrator, I would absolutely skip the book because of that. It made a book I was already struggling with even more difficult to get through. </spoiler>

Thank you to NetGalley, Oliver Potzsch, Lisa Reinhardt - Translator, Rupert Bush - Narrator, HarperVia, and HarperAudio Adult/HarperAudio for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the book’s publisher and NetGalley for the ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

A good friend introduced me to this author because of her love for The Hangman’s Daughter series. I was excited to find The Gravedigger’s Almanac on NetGalley as an introduction to the author before committing to his previous series. I will definitely be checking out his other works!

4 out of 5 stars and my respect to the author and translator.

The Gravedigger’s Almanac by Oliver Pötzsch is a translation of a German novel (said translation by Lisa Reinhardt) in which a young Jewish Inspector is a new transplant into Austria in 1893. He has arrived just in time to be part of a case involving women who have their throats slit and stakes pressed into their vaginas, and finds himself wrapped in another case involving the death of Bernhard Strauss, the (fictional) half-brother of Johann Strauss. To help him with his task is a fierce switchboard operator who works at the police station named Julia Wolf, and an intelligent gravedigger named Augustin Rothmayer. They have to work quickly to stop more women from falling prey to the monster, but it quickly seems as though the murders are part of a larger network of violence and depravity.

The text was a little clunky in places and I’m not sure if that was due to the original writing or the translation, an example being “Different from the fat old workhorse that’s me.” Another is “The hand he hurt during his fall into the hole still hurt.”

On the other hand, I enjoyed the descriptions in the story, from the buildings to the nature to the bodies. It really helps to paint a picture and to place the reader in the novel. “The tall windows had been smeared with talcum, and as a result, the light streaming in was milky.” The description that comes directly from the gravedigger’s almanac involving corpses and the changes death and decomposition have on the body was both gruesomely vivid and interesting interludes.

I accidentally spoiled myself with the mystery, but I think there were sufficient clues woven in that could point in the direction of the murderer. As for the characters themselves, I think I had more fun with those who supported Leo than himself—not that I hated him! I particularly liked Augustin and his relationship with the little girl, Anna. Who doesn’t love a gruff man who has a soft spot for a kid, especially if said child has suffered in life? Leo warming up bit by bit toward Augustin was enjoyable to read as well!

As for recommendations, I think this could appeal to people who are interested in mysteries that aren’t set in the bog standard England or America. It also doesn’t sugarcoat the past, with the crimes being very gruesome, women being treated badly (but overcoming and taking charge of their lives), and antisemitism being displayed, so this could be of interest to readers who have had their fill of “cosy” murder mysteries and want to reach for something perhaps a bit grittier. I see there will be more to this series, which is exciting! Sign me up!

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like Oliver Potzch's writings. They are clever, historically accurate and enjoyable. This work takes place in 1893 Vienna. Leopold von Herzfeldt has just joined the Vienna police force as an inspector. He is looking for a fresh start and an opportunity to apply new investigative practices. Sadly, he gets off on the wrong foot with some older officers. Before he is even officially on the force he rushes to assist at the crime site of a woman's murder.
Is this the first? Will there be more? Leopold finds himself working with a new acquaintance, an eccentric gravedigger named Augustine Rothmayer. Augustine is more than he seems. He is a "scholar" of the dead.

I was provided this book by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you love the feel of Arthur Conan Doyle's books but don't want the same cast and crew, this will give you the same feel with a different backdrop and different cast. You will recognize the same beginnings of the investigative methods that Holmes was minting in his fictional universe and while they don't know of each other I'm sure if they existed in the same universe Leopold von Herzfeldt and Augustin Rothmayer would find a kindred spirit in some way in Sherlock Holmes.

Leopold von Herzfeldt has just started his career as an inspector with the Vienna police, and he’s already gotten off to a bad start with his new colleagues when he tries to introduce new criminal investigative methods at a crime scene. The Vienna police are not impressed with Leo’s crime scene photographs or his arrogance, and he’s soon reduced to busy work. Meanwhile, a serial killer is stalking Vienna and murdering young housemaids in ways that reflect ancient vampire hunters. There is also someone digging up dead bodies to decapitate them. Leo is convinced that the murders and decapitations trace back to one suspect, and that the perpetrator is one of his new coworkers. Unable to trust anyone with Vienna police aside from an apprentice inspector and a secretary, Leo teams up with Augustin Rothmeyer, a surprisingly educated man who works as a gravedigger at Vienna’s Central Cemetery. Rothmeyer knows more about death than anyone else, and he provides Leo with valuable insight.

THE GRAVEDIGGER'S ALMANAC was an interesting read. Leopold von Herzfeldt is not a very likeable character—he’s arrogant and narrow-minded. And, despite being a student of modern criminalistics, he fails to follow the training that he constantly brags about and almost gets himself killed. Julia Wolf and Augustin Rothmeyer make up for Leo’s shortcomings and provide the reader with two main characters worth cheering for. Julia is a mysterious woman whose layers keep getting peeled back as the story progresses. She can be as narrow-minded and dogged as Leo, but she has none of his arrogance. On the other hand, Augustin is equally arrogant. It is his vast knowledge of death and his quirky personality that make his such an intriguing character. While the writing is a bit dry—I’m sure there is something that got lost in translation—Oliver Pötzsch kept me guessing until the end. The identities of the perpetrators came as a surprise. Pötzsch used Leo’s single-mindedness to misdirect the reader away from the identity of the true perpetrators.

If you have any interest in exploring some of the earliest practices of modern criminology, this is the mystery for you! Oliver Potzsch's newest release is a twisted historical mystery that will remind you of the late great Sherlock Holmes.

Leo is a new resident of Vienna, having fled his hometown in shame. He's got some money and an interest in an emerging realm of study that is criminalistics. Photography, deductive reasoning, logical fallacies...he's putting all of the strategies to use on a new case of brutal murders in the cultured city.

I love a good mashup of historical fiction and mystery. This will teach you something while keeping you hooked into a quite sinister string of killings. It is quite a complex case that will have Leo and his associates chasing down lead after lead to solve the heinous crimes. The Gravedigger's Almanac has the perfect balance between interesting historical facts and compelling narrative. I was enthralled!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Honestly, I don’t recall even requesting this title but I gave it a shot. It’s translated from German and even being in English , there are just too many words I had to look up to follow the story and I couldn’t get into the plot. Unfortunately DNF’d at 20%-ish.

This book is the first one in a new series by Potzsch. It takes place in Vienna in the late 1800's. The gravedigger works in a very large cemetary on the edge of town. Early in the book we hear about a man who was buried before he was dead. Several women are found in Prater Park who have been killed and then had sharpened stakes thrust up their vaginas. There is fear of Vampires in the town. There is also a group of men who wear masks and have orgies with naked women and young girls only wearing a mask. The other main character, Leo, is a young police man who has recently arrived in Vienna from Graz. The other police are not very welcoming to him, but he gets along well with the Gravedigger, who explains about the man buried alive, and then takes care of a young child who had been raped after here mother had been killed. Although Leo is trying hard to solve cases, the bosses don't seem to want him to work on the big cases. Leo soon becomes friends with Julia Wolf who is a secretary, and she becomes very helpful to him. Some of the members of the police may not be the people they seem to be. Will Leo manage to find out what is happening and who is honest and who not before he is also killed?

This book becomes very exciting! I thank Netgalley and HarperVia for the ARC so that I could read the book before publication.