"Outstanding... Yakovleva perfectly balances evoking the terror of
living in a police state with her whodunit plotline. Fans will hope to
see much more of Zaitsev." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The debut of the ultimate noir detective series: set in Stalinist
Russia, riddled with corruption, informers, and purges that takes
paranoia to the next level
Perfect for readers of John Banville, Philip Kerr, and Lara Prescott's
The Secrets We Kept, and for fans of the international Netflix
sensation Babylon Berlin
MURDER
1930s Leningrad. Stalin is tightening his grip on the Soviet Union, and
a mood of fear cloaks the city. Detective Vasily Zaitsev is tasked with
investigating a series of bizarre and seemingly motiveless homicides.
MAYHEM
As the curious deaths continue, precious Old Master paintings start to
disappear from the Hermitage collection. Could the crimes be connected?
MISTRUST
When Zaitsev sets about his investigations, he meets with obstruction at
every turn. Soon even he comes under suspicion from the Soviet secret
police.
The resolute detective must battle an increasingly dangerous political
situation in his dogged quest to find the murderer―and stay alive.
"Leads the hero (as well as the reader) through every circle of soviet
hell, to a bright finale." --Medusa