Season of Iron is an historical literary mystery that follows two stories: Dr. Rebecca Temple in 1979 Toronto and in alternating chapters, Dr. Frederika Eisenbaum, a Jewish doctor in 1930s Berlin during the Nazi rise to power.

Rebecca follows a trail that begins when the schizophrenic homeless woman she tries to help is killed. From the German fencing instructor in whose backyard the victim lived, to an Egyptian physician in town developing a drug from snake venom, nobody is who they appear to be. In the 1930s story, the Eisenbaum family struggles to survive in Berlin while the Nazis relentlessly strip away the basic rights of Jews in Germany. The youngest child, Frederika, becomes a doctor against all odds, but as the Nazi grip tightens around Germany’s Jews, she loses the right to practice, and is finally sent to a concentration camp. The two stories, Rebecca’s and Frederika’s, connect with a startling conclusion.

WINNER of the 2004 Edgar award for Best Paperback Original by Mystery Writers of America!

Still coming to terms with the death of her husband, Dr. Rebecca Temple tries to continue her practice and carry on with life as usual. Her mother-in-law, Sarah, is a Holocaust survivor with a secret that stems back to Poland. Through her, Rebecca meets a charming Polish count who has written an historical manuscript based on his own family. During a visit to his home, she discovers a murder and soon realizes that the count’s manuscript may contain clues to the killer’s identity.

Frustrated by the inaction of a skeptical police department, she scours the manuscript for answers. As she reads, she journeys back to Enlightenment Europe and uncovers the true story of a love affair between the girl who would become Catherine the Great and the young man who would become the last king of Poland.

In this eagerly anticipated sequel to the acclaimed To Die in Spring, Sylvia Maultash Warsh engages readers in an enthralling mystery that spans three centuries.