Nina Jelinek's Crime Novel 'Paradise Calls' Explores Vienna's Red-Light District

Nina Jelinek's crime novel 'Paradise Calls' is a gripping milieu study set in Vienna's sex work scene. The story follows Laura, an aspiring investigative journalist who takes a job at a call center arranging clients for sex workers. When she discovers the murdered Elena, who worked there as Emmanuelle, her boss Andi pressures her to find the killer instead of calling the police. Laura teams up with Elena's colleague Natascha to search for clues in seedy bars and nightclubs. The trail leads to Branco, a underworld figure, and a body is dumped in the Danube Canal. The novel is listed among the best crime books of June 2026.