As a family there’s a lot of devilment in the cast, but I would also say there’s a lot of twinkle in the family. On screen they are very upper class. They are a Jewish family who moved over to Vienna. Max is a doctor. I’m his older sister. We have a fabric company. We’re quite high society. Appearances matter. I love Leah’s relationship with Max because she provokes him but she enjoys provoking him because he goes against the grain. He really rubs mamma up the wrong way and Leah enjoys that a little bit. They love each other and I think they’re a great family. As a cast we love each other and we are a great little acting family. There’s a lot of laughter, goodwill and good humour. It’s a lovely family on and off screen. Vienna Blood is a really nice escape from reality into a world of history and beauty. There’s so much feeling in everything. It’s a great drama to disappear into.

He’s more of a loner, living alone, trying to do his job as good as he can and I think he’s quite successful in his job because he has the natural attitude of a hunter.Each book in the series takes us to a different side of Vienna. In this second series we get monastic life, a high-class hotel and the world of imperial politics. What elements are you looking for when you decide on the settings of your books?

The third episode of the new series is based on your novel Darkness Rising and explores religious conflict in different guises particularly antisemitism. Is religious fervour a subject which you’re especially drawn to explore? When I write the viewer I imagine watching it is me. I write things that I enjoy and I would want to watch I think. I guess different writers write for different people but I don’t, I write stuff that I think I would enjoy watching. When I used to write plays, occasionally I used to write them with my mother in mind, because if I put swearing in she’d always complain. I was a playwright 15 years ago and if there was a lot of swearing in it, I could hear my mother’s voice saying "Stephen it’s not clever to swear" and I’d take some of the swear words out! But most of the time I just write for myself.I'm trying to bring in the cultural situation in which our stories take place, the politics and the art of the day and the interrelation between the characters. Because without that, I think it would be just another police drama. We have three more compelling stories written by the incredible Steve Thompson and once again inspired by the world Frank Tallis created in his Liebermann novels. With Matthew Beard and Juergen Maurer heading our fantastic international cast and Robert Dornhelm weaving his directorial vision we have been spoiled. We look forward to revisiting the love and warmth of the Liebermann family and new adventures with our duo Max and Oskar." Vienna Blood was my first production during the pandemic. The production team and cast were already into it by the time I got there. It felt like a well-oiled machine for something that was a very new experience for all of us. I’ve nothing to compare it to but it felt like the very best experience you could have during a bad experience, if that makes sense. It was so well handled. The Covid team was great and the producers were all great so you didn’t feel unsafe. I felt very safe and taken care of. Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia, VP Scripted Acquisitions & Co-Productions at Red Arrow Studios International says: “It’s such a pleasure working with MR Film, Endor Productions and the entire creative Vienna Blood team, who continue to outdo themselves each season with gripping new crime cases and more sumptuous locations that fans of the show have come to expect. We can’t wait to bring this much- anticipated new season to viewers around the world.” The first episode of the second series, The Melancholy Countess, draws on your novella of the same name. What lead you to write a novella this time rather than a novel?