Conspirators

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In Galicia, Austria-Hungary, 1913, Count-Governor Wiladowski watches as a wave of assassinations engulfs his province. Following a family member's murder, he grants extensive police powers to Jakob Tausk, a brilliant Jewish spymaster whose ruthless campaign against terror infiltrates all levels of society. Tausk enlists union organizers, aristocrats, and a young playwright seeking literary fame in Vienna. Amid rising violence, a mysterious preacher, one of the "wonder rabbis" from the East, emerges in the provincial capital, attracting a fervent following that reaches the castle. As word of the charismatic leader spreads, Tausk finds himself caught between the count and Moritz Rotenburg, the province's wealthiest man, who has his own vested interest in the rabbi. Rotenburg's son returns from university, eager for revolution and intent on gathering his own disciples. The narrative shifts from clandestine meetings and makeshift synagogues to the opulent bedrooms of country estates and the secret councils of the crumbling Habsburg Empire. This compelling debut novel immerses readers in a richly detailed world on the brink of collapse, filled with the haunting allure of fable and the intense passions of an age in turmoil.