Murder in Stinatz: How Easter Egg Art Led to a Killer's Undoing

A new crime novel set in Stinatz, southern Burgenland, blends fiction with local traditions—and a real-life burglary trick. The story centres on the murder of a dubious financial investor, whose body was found in Wörterberg. At the heart of the mystery lies Eierkratzen, a delicate Slavic Easter craft still practised by the village's Burgenland Croats.

The case takes an unexpected turn when a Roy Black song becomes a crucial clue for solving the crime, while a suspect's refusal to speak adds to the intrigue.

The victim, a shady investor, was discovered dead in Wörterberg under suspicious circumstances. Inspector Sifkovits' own mother, Erika Deutinger—known locally as Baba—has emerged as the prime suspect. Authorities allege that her eierkratz knife, a tool handcrafted from a sharpened razor blade, was found in the victim's throat. Deutinger has so far refused to explain why she was in Wörterberg at the time of the killing.

The novel draws inspiration from a real burglary tactic: the killer hides stolen money in a box of frozen peas, mirroring a trick used by author Thomas Stipsits' grandmother. Stipsits, who grew up watching his grandmother practise *Eierkratzen*, also weaves the tradition into the plot. The craft, passed down through generations, involves scratching intricate patterns into dyed eggs—a skill now mastered by only a few, including Erika Stipsits. An unusual clue comes from Roy Black's 1970s hit *Ein bisschen Zärtlichkeit*. The song triggers a memory for Stipsits, reminding him of his Styrian grandmother, who once gifted him a Roy Black cassette. This connection helps unravel the case, tying the past to the present. *Eierkratzen* itself remains a living tradition in Stinatz, deeply tied to Easter customs symbolising rebirth. The craft gained wider attention in 2023 after the ORF film *Eierkratz-Komplott*, where local women took crash courses to showcase its cultural importance. Despite its growing fame, the village's daily rhythms have changed little—until now, as fiction and reality collide in this latest mystery.

The novel links a modern murder to age-old traditions, with Eierkratzen at its core. The investigation hinges on a homemade knife, a frozen hiding spot, and a decades-old pop song. As the case unfolds, Stinatz's tight-knit community—and its enduring customs—find themselves under an unexpected spotlight.