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Porfiry Petrovich #2
Kerštingas potroškis
„Sankt Peterburgo paslapčių“ serijos pirmoji knyga „Švelnusis kirvis“ nukelia skaitytoją į šaltą 1866 - ųjų gruodį, o antroji, „Kerštingas potroškis“ – į drėgnu karščiu alsuojantį 1868 - ųjų birželį.
Sankt Peterburgo vasara: pasiturinčio gydytojo žmona ir sūnus staiga miršta, suvalgę užnuodytų saldainių, o pats gydytojas įtariamas žmogžudyste ir suimamas.
Tačiau sąžiningajam tyrėjui Porfirijui Petrovičiui tokios visiems aiškios hipotezės nepakanka: gydytojo šeimos paslaptys veda jį ir į aristokratiškus vasarnamius, kur, pasirodo, taip pat klesti žiaurumas, apgaulės, ir į prostitučių knibždančius skersgatvius. Ir šios dvi žmogžudystės – ne vienintelės... Veidmainis šeimos tėvas, perkantis mažametes prostitutes, negarbingi pareigūnai ir puolusios moterys – šiaurietiškos vasaros nušviesta, pamažu atsiskleidžia visa išties dostojevskiškų personažų galerija.
„Kerštingas potroškis“ – tai brutalus, dekadentiškas ir stilingas bandymas pasinerti į prieštaringas, žiaurumą ir atgailą slepiančias rusiškos sielos gelmes.
Sankt Peterburgo vasara: pasiturinčio gydytojo žmona ir sūnus staiga miršta, suvalgę užnuodytų saldainių, o pats gydytojas įtariamas žmogžudyste ir suimamas.
Tačiau sąžiningajam tyrėjui Porfirijui Petrovičiui tokios visiems aiškios hipotezės nepakanka: gydytojo šeimos paslaptys veda jį ir į aristokratiškus vasarnamius, kur, pasirodo, taip pat klesti žiaurumas, apgaulės, ir į prostitučių knibždančius skersgatvius. Ir šios dvi žmogžudystės – ne vienintelės... Veidmainis šeimos tėvas, perkantis mažametes prostitutes, negarbingi pareigūnai ir puolusios moterys – šiaurietiškos vasaros nušviesta, pamažu atsiskleidžia visa išties dostojevskiškų personažų galerija.
„Kerštingas potroškis“ – tai brutalus, dekadentiškas ir stilingas bandymas pasinerti į prieštaringas, žiaurumą ir atgailą slepiančias rusiškos sielos gelmes.
363 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2008
7 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
R.N. Morris
27 books46 followersR. N. Morris's most recent book is the historical novel, Fortune's Hand.
He is the author of the St Petersburg Mysteries Series featuring Porfiry Petrovich, the detective from Dostoevsky's masterpiece Crime and Punishment: A Gentle Axe, A Vengeful Longing, A Razor Wrapped in Silk and The Cleansing Flames.
He also wrote the Silas Quinn series, set in London in 1914: Summon Up The Blood, The Mannequin House, The Dark Palace, The Red Hand of Fury, The White Feather Killer and The Music Box Enigma.
He has written a standalone dystopian thriller, Psychotopia and, writing as Roger Morris, the contemporary thriller Taking Comfort.
He is the author of the St Petersburg Mysteries Series featuring Porfiry Petrovich, the detective from Dostoevsky's masterpiece Crime and Punishment: A Gentle Axe, A Vengeful Longing, A Razor Wrapped in Silk and The Cleansing Flames.
He also wrote the Silas Quinn series, set in London in 1914: Summon Up The Blood, The Mannequin House, The Dark Palace, The Red Hand of Fury, The White Feather Killer and The Music Box Enigma.
He has written a standalone dystopian thriller, Psychotopia and, writing as Roger Morris, the contemporary thriller Taking Comfort.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
August 4, 2008
I learned that Roger Morris is a master storyteller and that I have to take the time to write a full blown review for this. So, look for it on BonnieGlover. com in a few days. I'm still blown away by the ending. Never saw it coming.
July 29, 2020
Morris writes unique, refreshing descriptions that are so cleverly crafted, you never feel weighed down by them. You are carried as if on a gentle breeze through each vivid scene as though you were one of the characters, making this novel an absolute joy to read.
The mystery itself is enticing and exceptionally well-paced. The clues are so carefully woven into the story that you're always a step behind, which is precisely what I expect from a book in this genre as it makes me keep reading.
I very highly recommend "A vengeful longing". Morris is a master of words! I may even read it again just for the scene descriptions...
The mystery itself is enticing and exceptionally well-paced. The clues are so carefully woven into the story that you're always a step behind, which is precisely what I expect from a book in this genre as it makes me keep reading.
I very highly recommend "A vengeful longing". Morris is a master of words! I may even read it again just for the scene descriptions...
November 25, 2008
I really thought this book would be more interesting than it was. I was completely drawn in by the synopsis on the front cover, but there was just something missing for me. I loved the suspense and trying to figure out how the murders were connected, but I got a little bogged down with the names, since I am definitely not from St. Petersburg.
Below is the short blog I wrote for this book:
I found this new author in my typical way of roaming through the library and seeing what titles caught my attention. I had big expectations of this book after reading the short synopsis on the front flap.
"In the middle of a hot, dusty St. Petersburg summer in the late 1860s. A doctor brings home a fancy box of chocolates for his wife and son - a strange gift on a scorching Saturday afternoon. Within an hour, both mother and child die an excruciating death, and the doctor is immediately arrested, suspected of poisoning. As investigator Profiry Petrovich concedes, in such cases the obvious solution often turns out to be the correct solution. And in the city's sweltering, oppressive atmosphere, even he lacks the energy to delve any deeper.
But when further, apparently unconnected, murders occur on the other side of town, a subtle and surprising pattern starts to emerge. Porfiry is forced to reassess his assumptions and follow a tenuous, uncertain trail that takes him into the hidden, squalid heart of the city and brings him face-to-face with incomprehensible horror and cruelty." (front flap)
After reading that, I was hooked. However, I was kind of disappointed in the actual unfolding of the story line. As always, I enjoyed trying to figure out the answer before it was actually presented, but it was not a book I loved. There were parts of it that were very capturing and others where I just wanted to skip ahead. I don't know if it's a combination of being busy at work and trying to prepare for the upcoming holidays or if this really is an author I will not enjoy. I may try to read something else by him, but it will probably be quite a while.
Below is the short blog I wrote for this book:
I found this new author in my typical way of roaming through the library and seeing what titles caught my attention. I had big expectations of this book after reading the short synopsis on the front flap.
"In the middle of a hot, dusty St. Petersburg summer in the late 1860s. A doctor brings home a fancy box of chocolates for his wife and son - a strange gift on a scorching Saturday afternoon. Within an hour, both mother and child die an excruciating death, and the doctor is immediately arrested, suspected of poisoning. As investigator Profiry Petrovich concedes, in such cases the obvious solution often turns out to be the correct solution. And in the city's sweltering, oppressive atmosphere, even he lacks the energy to delve any deeper.
But when further, apparently unconnected, murders occur on the other side of town, a subtle and surprising pattern starts to emerge. Porfiry is forced to reassess his assumptions and follow a tenuous, uncertain trail that takes him into the hidden, squalid heart of the city and brings him face-to-face with incomprehensible horror and cruelty." (front flap)
After reading that, I was hooked. However, I was kind of disappointed in the actual unfolding of the story line. As always, I enjoyed trying to figure out the answer before it was actually presented, but it was not a book I loved. There were parts of it that were very capturing and others where I just wanted to skip ahead. I don't know if it's a combination of being busy at work and trying to prepare for the upcoming holidays or if this really is an author I will not enjoy. I may try to read something else by him, but it will probably be quite a while.
March 3, 2009
Using Dostoevsky's hero, Porfiry Petrovich, from "Crime and Punishment," R.N. Morris gives the detective the task of solving a string of murders in 1868 St. Petersburg. The gritty, summer-hot streets of the city, the ever-present flies, and the feces-filled canals are all too real — almost uncomfortably so at times. Porfiry uses intellect and reasoning in this wily who-done-it.
My problem — and it is MY problem — is that, because of my schedule, I was only able to read this book in many short installments, late at night before bed. As a result, I had a hard time remembering the many (and there are many!) three-part Russian names, such as Ruslan Vladimirovich Vakhramev. Sometimes this character would be referred to as Ruslan Vladimirovich, and in the next sentence as Vakhramev, so one must intimately know the entire name to recognize it in any form. So, I suggest reading the book in a few lengthy sessions during the day so as to retain the multitude of information that is presented.
Having said that, I did enjoy the story, Morris' descriptive powers, and the vivid characters. The author has written one or two other books in his St. Petersburg series, and "A Vengeful Longing" has prepped me for more of the exploits of Porfiry Petrovich. I might even go back and revisit "Crime and Punishment"!
My problem — and it is MY problem — is that, because of my schedule, I was only able to read this book in many short installments, late at night before bed. As a result, I had a hard time remembering the many (and there are many!) three-part Russian names, such as Ruslan Vladimirovich Vakhramev. Sometimes this character would be referred to as Ruslan Vladimirovich, and in the next sentence as Vakhramev, so one must intimately know the entire name to recognize it in any form. So, I suggest reading the book in a few lengthy sessions during the day so as to retain the multitude of information that is presented.
Having said that, I did enjoy the story, Morris' descriptive powers, and the vivid characters. The author has written one or two other books in his St. Petersburg series, and "A Vengeful Longing" has prepped me for more of the exploits of Porfiry Petrovich. I might even go back and revisit "Crime and Punishment"!
May 26, 2021
I would describe this of a Russian mashup of Sherlock and Columbo. An investigator sets out to solve a series of three murders and looks beyond the obvious clues to find a connection and ultimately link the three to find the killer. He doesn't come off as clever as Sherlock though, he seems more like a bumbling investigator like Columbo. And of course it's set in Russia in the late 1800's. Not remembering how the Russian naming system works, and all the different forms a name can take, it was difficult to keep track of who was who.
October 5, 2011
I did not get on with this book, it was very long winded and slow moving, i did not relate to the characters, in the end i felt it was not improving and gave up on it.
February 1, 2014
Not for me. Not bad but a little bit too all over the place.
September 30, 2018
I give it B on my letter-grade scale.
The book was better for atmosphere and character development than for plot. But it is a good, fun, fast read. Almost literary, especially by the standards of modern crime writing. Morris works hard and well to bring to life the setting and feel of mid-19th Century imperial Russia and St. Petersburg.
But ultimately, where detective stories provide themselves is plot: does it sustain suspense but resolve itself plausibly? This plot is ultimately too contrived and strains credibility past my breaking point. Ultimately the perpetrator lacks believable motivation to commit the luridly brutal murders at the center of the story.
Morris’s The Gentle Axe was much more persuasive and effective. Though it and this book share similar strengths and weaknesses.
The book was better for atmosphere and character development than for plot. But it is a good, fun, fast read. Almost literary, especially by the standards of modern crime writing. Morris works hard and well to bring to life the setting and feel of mid-19th Century imperial Russia and St. Petersburg.
But ultimately, where detective stories provide themselves is plot: does it sustain suspense but resolve itself plausibly? This plot is ultimately too contrived and strains credibility past my breaking point. Ultimately the perpetrator lacks believable motivation to commit the luridly brutal murders at the center of the story.
Morris’s The Gentle Axe was much more persuasive and effective. Though it and this book share similar strengths and weaknesses.
November 12, 2017
This is an excellent novel with plenty twists and turns. One question though, did we actually get the answer to who did the initial killing? I am going to be reading the series of this books. This first book looks to be a promising introduction to the series.
December 15, 2025
Average, rather dull mystery set in St. Petersburg at the end of the tsarist era. Several of the characters are compelling, and the atmosphere is nicely created, but the story is just too scattered and has too much fortunate coincidence to be believed.
May 22, 2017
Story based in Tsarist Russia. Hot, smelly summertime. Stinky sewers and canals. Good mystery and funny, too!
November 8, 2018
A coherent plot I understood despite being complex and well drawn characters.
June 11, 2021
A good mystery.
April 15, 2022
Not for me…..
October 23, 2022
A very lame whodunnit.
The protagonist's oft-repeated dogma, "that which is necessary must be right."
And that of a Russian bureacrat, "what is impossible (to do) must be unnecessary."
The protagonist's oft-repeated dogma, "that which is necessary must be right."
And that of a Russian bureacrat, "what is impossible (to do) must be unnecessary."
October 23, 2023
Took me a long time to finish this well written book. Although beautifully set out, it was not a page turner.
August 11, 2016
Following in the footsteps of acclaimed novel The Gentle Axe, A Vengeful Longing solidifies the reputation of R. E. Norris. His detective is Porify Petrovich who solves crime in 18960s nineteenth-century Russia. In the middle of a hot, sultry day, the father, a doctor, brings home a box of chocolates and admonishes his wife and son to eat them quickly before they melt. Raisia has gained weight lately and does not want to add more bulk. But, mother and son begin to eat the melting chocolates. Within an hour, both mother and son die excruciating deaths. The slim, young girl who works for the family had been offered to share the candy, but refused. Porify Petrovich is called to investigate and concedes the obvious solution often turns out to be the answer. The doctor is arrested, but when further, apparently unconnected murders occur on the other side of town, a surprising pattern starts to emerge. Porify is forced to reassess his assumptions and follow a trail that takes him into the hidden. squalid heart of the city that forces him face-to-face with horror and cruelty.
The descriptions of the murders of Raisia and Grisha resound in the imagination long after the end of the novel. The Sunday Times says, "Morris's descriptions of the horrors of insanitary slum dwellings in St. Petersburg are extraordinarily vivid, but the most striking feature of the novel is the way in which Porfiry's sophisticated understanding of human nature compensates for the limited investigatory tools at his disposal."
An excellent read in an unusual setting of pre-Soviet Russia with a detective who vows to solve crimes and does with panache.
The descriptions of the murders of Raisia and Grisha resound in the imagination long after the end of the novel. The Sunday Times says, "Morris's descriptions of the horrors of insanitary slum dwellings in St. Petersburg are extraordinarily vivid, but the most striking feature of the novel is the way in which Porfiry's sophisticated understanding of human nature compensates for the limited investigatory tools at his disposal."
An excellent read in an unusual setting of pre-Soviet Russia with a detective who vows to solve crimes and does with panache.
January 31, 2011
This is mystery that takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia in the late 1860's. Detective Porfiryh Petrovfich is put in charge of investigating what appears to be the murder of a Doctor's wife and child. It seems a clear cut case but Porfiey and his new assistant, Pavel Virginsky, start looking into less obvious solutions. In their investigations the suspects and murders start to pile up.
Porfiry's superiors are looking for the fast, easy, and obvious solution to clear the murders, but Porfiry keeps digging into the lives of those involved and finds that there may be several possible suspects and different reasons for the murders.
In the sweltering heat and stench of a St. Petersburg summer, Porfiry puts the pieces together and comes up with the murderer, a person totally unexpected.
"A Vengeful Longing" comes after Morris's first book, "The Gentle Axe", which also has Porfiry Petrovfich as its main character.
These novels, although both are good and interesting, probably will not satisfy the true mystery reader. I found that the murderer, especially in "A Vengeful Longing", is so hidden in the story that no set of clues would give the reader an opportunity, or at least a fighting chance, to solve the crime. I feel that few clues are given and that the reader is not introduced to the murderer until they are too far into the book.
This would be a good book for someone who would like a nice read that has a minimum of language and sexual content. It is interesting and does have some good character development and plot.
Porfiry's superiors are looking for the fast, easy, and obvious solution to clear the murders, but Porfiry keeps digging into the lives of those involved and finds that there may be several possible suspects and different reasons for the murders.
In the sweltering heat and stench of a St. Petersburg summer, Porfiry puts the pieces together and comes up with the murderer, a person totally unexpected.
"A Vengeful Longing" comes after Morris's first book, "The Gentle Axe", which also has Porfiry Petrovfich as its main character.
These novels, although both are good and interesting, probably will not satisfy the true mystery reader. I found that the murderer, especially in "A Vengeful Longing", is so hidden in the story that no set of clues would give the reader an opportunity, or at least a fighting chance, to solve the crime. I feel that few clues are given and that the reader is not introduced to the murderer until they are too far into the book.
This would be a good book for someone who would like a nice read that has a minimum of language and sexual content. It is interesting and does have some good character development and plot.
March 13, 2011
A Vengeful Longing
By R.N. Morris
Category Mystery,Suspence
This is the second in the series however I have not read the first A Gentle Axe after reading this book however I’ll have to find that book and read it. . A doctor brings home a fancy box of chocolates for his wife and son an unusual gift on such a hot afternoon. Within an hour, both mother and child die a poisoning death, and the doctor is immediately arrested, suspected of poisoning. Detective Porfiry Petrovich a character from Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment comes alive once again in this book as he too seems to succumb to the heat and concedes that the doctor must have done it. More murders happen and a strange coincidence seems to be tie the three murders together but how to prove it? Porfiry is forced to go into the darkest part of the city and face unimaginable horror and cruelty to solve this crime. Porfiry is a character much like Sherlock Holmes who determines the essence of the crime picks it apart and then puts it back together to find the answer.
The writer R.N. Morris has captured the essence of Russia of the nineteenth century. This book is an interesting and a compelling read. I must read “A Razor Wrapped in Silk” the next book in this series which came out in May last year as I found this book so compelling
****` 4 1/2 stars out of five
By R.N. Morris
Category Mystery,Suspence
This is the second in the series however I have not read the first A Gentle Axe after reading this book however I’ll have to find that book and read it. . A doctor brings home a fancy box of chocolates for his wife and son an unusual gift on such a hot afternoon. Within an hour, both mother and child die a poisoning death, and the doctor is immediately arrested, suspected of poisoning. Detective Porfiry Petrovich a character from Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment comes alive once again in this book as he too seems to succumb to the heat and concedes that the doctor must have done it. More murders happen and a strange coincidence seems to be tie the three murders together but how to prove it? Porfiry is forced to go into the darkest part of the city and face unimaginable horror and cruelty to solve this crime. Porfiry is a character much like Sherlock Holmes who determines the essence of the crime picks it apart and then puts it back together to find the answer.
The writer R.N. Morris has captured the essence of Russia of the nineteenth century. This book is an interesting and a compelling read. I must read “A Razor Wrapped in Silk” the next book in this series which came out in May last year as I found this book so compelling
****` 4 1/2 stars out of five
March 20, 2023
This is the second book I have read by this author and I had the same mixed feelings about the books. They mystery is great and the Magistrate Proferri is wonderful. He is something of a Colombo character and I really like him. The problem with the books is not really the fault of the author. It is the naming system the Russians use. Each character is called by about three different names and it is very confusing. This is especially so when you are using an audiobook, which I was. With a book, you can go back a chapter and see who the character is, but it is impossible with an audiobook. I found my self going back over parts trying to relate the action with the correct character.
That being said, I truly enjoyed the mystery and the personalities of the main characters. I also enjoyed the glimpse into Russian history and the Russian nature. I certainly will read more by the author, but I will allow extra time to go back and sort out the characters. Since I am always doing something else while I am listening, this is not really an inconvenience.
That being said, I truly enjoyed the mystery and the personalities of the main characters. I also enjoyed the glimpse into Russian history and the Russian nature. I certainly will read more by the author, but I will allow extra time to go back and sort out the characters. Since I am always doing something else while I am listening, this is not really an inconvenience.
April 2, 2012
A Vengeful Longing by RN Morris
This is the second in Rogers excellent series of
novels recreating Dostoeyevskies character
Porfory Petrovich who was the investigating
magistrate in Crime and Punishment.
The book opens with what looks like a straight
ahead poisoning using chocolates but soon
escalates into mulitple murders and intrigues
and takes a good look at the seemy underside of
late 19th St Petersburg with the prostitution
and thinly veiled child prostitiution as well as
all sorts of other nasty things happen as
Porfory and his young assistant Virginsky
finally manage to solve this crime wave.
Highly entertaining and as far as I can tell
pretty true to the times and places he is trying
to recreate, which can't be easy when your
writing the books in modern day London.
It also shows that there is plenty more for
Porfory Petrovich to investigate and that A
Gentle Axe was just the beginning. I look
forward the the third installment that will no
doubt be along soon.
This is the second in Rogers excellent series of
novels recreating Dostoeyevskies character
Porfory Petrovich who was the investigating
magistrate in Crime and Punishment.
The book opens with what looks like a straight
ahead poisoning using chocolates but soon
escalates into mulitple murders and intrigues
and takes a good look at the seemy underside of
late 19th St Petersburg with the prostitution
and thinly veiled child prostitiution as well as
all sorts of other nasty things happen as
Porfory and his young assistant Virginsky
finally manage to solve this crime wave.
Highly entertaining and as far as I can tell
pretty true to the times and places he is trying
to recreate, which can't be easy when your
writing the books in modern day London.
It also shows that there is plenty more for
Porfory Petrovich to investigate and that A
Gentle Axe was just the beginning. I look
forward the the third installment that will no
doubt be along soon.
September 29, 2009
A Vengeful Longing is the second of R. N. Morris’s mystery series starring Porfiry Petrovich, the man who brought Raskolnikov to justice in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. In this outing, a series of seemingly random murders stretch Porfiry’s skills to their utmost and provide his new assistant with a horrifying introduction to the world of an investigating magistrate in 19th century St. Petersburg. Yet again, Morris creates a powerful and imaginatively rendered atmosphere, this time ranging from the opulent summer homes of aristocrats to the filthy, cholera-ridden underground dungeons inhabited by the poor of the teeming city. I liked this sequel even better than The Gentle Axe since I thought the characters were more original and owed less to Dostoevsky. I look forward to reading more of this series!
July 13, 2009
A great follow-up to "The Gentle Axe," this novel finds Porfiry Petrovich and his assistant Virginsky -- the starving student from the previous book -- juggling three seemingly unrelated murder cases. We know better, and Porfiry ultimately unearths the connection among them all. St. Petersburg again springs to life, this time in the stagnant, sweltering summer, when the fetid canals make the weather even more unbearable. The story is richly detailed and well plotted, though the ending comes together a little hastily compared with the sometimes languorous pacing of the first three-quarters of the book. But the clues -- and the killer -- are in the story from early on. A satisfying, well-done period mystery.
June 21, 2009
A Vengeful Longing was a fine, intricate mystery, and overall I thought it was worth my time. I love the protagnist, Porfiry Petrovich. There was something about him that reminded me of "Colombo" -- perhaps his slightly rumpled appearance, or his ability to remain under the radar so that others underestimate his superb deductive capabilites. The author does an excellent job of creating a sense of time and place, particularly in the second half of the novel, as he takes his readers to mental hospitals and the slums of St. Petersburg. My only complaint was that the murderer's justification for his crimes seemed weak and unconvincing.
October 3, 2008
This is a historical crime novel to be savored slowly. I enjoyed the lush descriptions, the leisurely character development, and the strong sense of both place and time throughout the book.
It was also fascinating to watch the "magistrate" (detective, in our time) work with the primitive investigative tools of the time. No special effects-laden, CSI-take-off here; just good hard police work and a great deal of reason, logic, and observation.
It was also fascinating to watch the "magistrate" (detective, in our time) work with the primitive investigative tools of the time. No special effects-laden, CSI-take-off here; just good hard police work and a great deal of reason, logic, and observation.
January 25, 2012
A mystery set in St. Petersburg, Russia, during the time of Czar Nicholas. Varying political ideas and social conditions are explored as the detectives try to solve the poisoning of a woman and her handicapped son. Interesting also in the descriptions of the smells and filth of the rivers laden with sewage and the risks of cholera, which I recently read about in The Ghost Map (about John Snow's meticulous proof that contaminated water caused cholera deaths in London). A couple scenes were more graphically bloody than I prefer in a mystery.
November 3, 2014
A rainy Sunday, a need to shake off a cold by snuggling under the blanket and a perfect read for just such a set of circumstances.
Great storytelling and evocation of pre-revolutionary St Petersburg with the ever present stink of the Ditch in summer; the corrupt and hypocritical upper classes, the abject poverty of the peasant and the factory dweller and the earnest young men burning for social justice and ripe for revolution...and the odd psychopath charting their way through the rigid class system of Tsarist Russia.
A superior example of historical crime fiction.
Great storytelling and evocation of pre-revolutionary St Petersburg with the ever present stink of the Ditch in summer; the corrupt and hypocritical upper classes, the abject poverty of the peasant and the factory dweller and the earnest young men burning for social justice and ripe for revolution...and the odd psychopath charting their way through the rigid class system of Tsarist Russia.
A superior example of historical crime fiction.
June 24, 2015
I wonder why did I never heard of this author before. His writing is not any less good compared to famous crime authors. being a fan of Harlan Coben myself, I find this book to be just as hooking. Could hardly put it down once I'd started. What's different about this book is the setting of place and time. Set in Russia during the Tsar era, makes it even more interesting. Eventhough the stories are actually jumping from one to another, the author managed to make his ideas and storytelling seems so fluent and understandable.
September 24, 2009
Morris' representation of Russian 19th century character is engaging. Good focus on the rising independent thinking among the youth, the growing desire for rebellion, the idea that crime nests within the society and how this train of thought would become the root of communism. However, the mystery unravels slowly and seems predictable.
For a great 19th century murder, thriller, mystery, try Caleb Carr's The Alienist.
For a great 19th century murder, thriller, mystery, try Caleb Carr's The Alienist.
March 28, 2009
This mystery novel feature the police detective from "Crime and Punishment" trying to solve a series of murdes in 1860s Saint Petersburg. He has a young man with radical beliefs as his assistant. The author does a good job of producing dialogue between the two that is reminiscent of "Crime and Punishment."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews