Showing posts with label The Killing of Emma Gross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Killing of Emma Gross. Show all posts

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Louise Brooks and the Vampire of Dusseldorf

Recently, I wrote about a new novel coming out in softcover in the UK which features Louise Brooks on the cover. That book is The Killing of Emma Gross, by Damien Seaman; it has been published in the UK as a paperback and as an ebook in June 2013. The book is also available in the United States.

This new novel is based on the true story of notorious serial killer Peter Kürten and the unsolved murder of Düsseldorf prostitute Emma Gross. The Killing of Emma Gross is a historical thriller, a police procedural set in Weimar Republic-era Germany. Here is the publisher description:

"Dusseldorf prostitute Emma Gross has been murdered and the police have charged Peter Kurten, the 'Vampire of Dusseldorf', the first man ever to be called a serial killer. Murderer, yes, but did he commit this particular crime? The arresting officer, Thomas Klein, thinks not, even though Kurten has confessed. These are the dying days of Weimar Germany, the police force is increasingly divided between right and left. It is a dangerous time. Klein thinks that the real killer is somewhat closer to home. Yet the only people who can help him include a Communist journalist, Gross's friends, and others in the underworld who hate the police. This is a novel of obsession set in the wild days of Weimar, doomed to end with the Nazi takeover."

Peter Kürten was a notorious figure in his day. So much so he was nicknamed the Vampire of Dusseldorf. Kürten, reportedly, inspired the murderer played by Peter Lorre in Fritz Lang's M.

Reading up on Kürten, I discovered he has also been the subject of a handful of books, as well as songs (of the heavy metal / goth rock variety), and inspired characters in other works of fiction. There was also a 1965 movie made about his life called The Vampire of Dusseldorf. Directed, written, and starring Robert Hossein, the film is alternately titled The Secret Killer.

I haven't yet seen the film, but the other day I came across a still of one of the actresses in the 1965 film. It may be Marie-France Pisier. Whoever she is, she has striking resemblance to Louise Brooks.


It's just a strange, kinda creepy, coincidence which also makes me wonder what is it about this feminine type and serial killers? Has it something to do with lustmord? The character of Lulu, played by Brooks, was killed by Jack the Ripper in Frank Wedekind's play and G.W. Pabst film of Pandora's Box. [Thanks to Mark Hodgson and his blog, Black Hole Reviews, for calling attention to the Vampire of Dusseldorf film. UPDATE: the actress pictured above is not Marie-France Pisier. Perhaps it is Tanya Lopert? If anyone knows, please post in the comments field.]


Tuesday, April 30, 2013

New novel with Louise Brooks cover - The Killing of Emma Gross

Speaking of Weimar Berlin. . . .  there is a new novel coming out in softcover in the UK which features Louise Brooks on the cover. The book, The Killing of Emma Gross, by Damien Seaman, will be published in the UK as a paperback by Five Leaves Publications and as an ebook by Blasted Heath in June 2013. The book will also be available as an ebook in the United States. 

I have an interest in all things Weimar Berlin, and am interested in reading this new novel, which is based on the true story of notorious serial killer Peter Kürten and the unsolved murder of Düsseldorf prostitute Emma Gross. And anyways, I have to try and acquire a copy for my ever growing collection of Louise Brooks book covers.

The Killing of Emma Gross is a historical thriller, a police procedural set in Weimar Republic-era Germany. Here is the publisher supplied description: 

"Dusseldorf prostitute Emma Gross has been murdered and the police have charged Peter Kurten, the 'Vampire of Dusseldorf', the first man ever to be called a serial killer. Murderer, yes, but did he commit this particular crime? The arresting officer, Thomas Klein, thinks not, even though Kurten has confessed. These are the dying days of Weimar Germany, the police force is increasingly divided between right and left. It is a dangerous time. Klein thinks that the real killer is somewhat closer to home. Yet the only people who can help him include a Communist journalist, Gross's friends, and others in the underworld who hate the police. This is a novel of obsession set in the wild days of Weimar, doomed to end with the Nazi takeover."

In an interview, UK author Julie Morrigan asked about motivation, and Seaman answered this way: "I lived in Berlin for several years and fell in love with the place. Having done a history degree that ended up dampening a lot of my enthusiasm for the subject, living in Berlin awoke my passion for the past and made me want to write about what happened there. I was also reading a lot of noir and hardboiled crime at the time, and I wanted to marry the sensibilities of American hardboiled literature with the expressionist movies and art of early 20th century Germany. When I decided to look for a real life murder case to base my story on, the most compelling one was that of Peter Kürten – the so-called Vampire of Düsseldorf – so I ended up pouring all of my inspiration about Berlin into a novel about Düsseldorf instead."

The Killing of Emma Gross is Damien Seaman's debut novel. Check it out.


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