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Woman of the Dead

A Novel

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About The Book

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The #1 international bestseller hailed as "one of the most arresting thrillers" (#1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner), Woman of the Dead is the darkly riveting tale of Brünhilde Blum, a successful undertaker whose happiness is struck by tragedy that sets her on the path for revenge.


For the past eight years, Blum has had a good life—a life that masks the terrible secrets of her past. She is a successful undertaker, a doting mother, and the loving wife of a decorated police officer.

Then in one devastating moment, a hit-and-run changes everything. As Blum’s grief over the death of her husband, Mark, overwhelms her, only her two little girls can drag her back to the land of the living. Time passes quietly until while packing up Mark’s office, Blum discovers a recorded conversation from a case he was investigating. She soon learns Mark’s death was no accident—it was murder—and Blum dives headfirst into the abyss to find out why and have her revenge.

Woman of the Dead, the first book in a trilogy, is an unforgettable thriller about the lengths one passionate woman will go to for vengeance and the tug-of-war between good and evil that exists in all of us. Vivid, tense, and written with breakneck narration, this novel introduces Bernhard Aichner as a rising star in crime fiction.

About The Author

© fotowerk aichner
Bernhard Aichner

Bernhard Aichner is an award-winning author and photographer living in Innsbruck, Austria. His books have been translated into twelve languages. Woman of the Dead is his first book to be translated into English.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Scribner (August 25, 2015)
  • Length: 288 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781476775630

Raves and Reviews

“A tense thriller…this thoroughly satisfying novel explores how far a person will go for love.”

– Publishers Weekly

“Bloody corpses and an intriguing protagonist combine to flesh out Aichner’s violent tale…fascinating.”

– Kirkus

“One of the most arresting thrillers I’ve read in years. A hypnotic thriller! Aichner plumbs the darkest depths of the human psyche in this compelling tale of a female undertaker. As a mother, Blum is touching and relatable, but as a vengeful wife determined to hunt down her husband’s killers... be afraid. Be very, very afraid.”

– Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Aichner packs a lot into a powerful thriller. Wow. You Taylor Stevens and Lisa Gardner readers, Greg Rucka readers, those who like kickass women—buy this.”

– Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen Bookstore

“A wonderful thriller about love and retribution – playful, dark and dangerous – I read it in one sitting.”

– William Ryan, author of The Holy Thief

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