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Olga Pushkin #2
Blood on the Siberian Snow
Winter has come early to the tiny Siberian village of Roslazny, but for Olga Pushkin, aspiring writer and Railway Engineer (Second Class), it only makes leaving the harder. Olga is being forced overseas by her jealous superior, and now faces two years in exile from her beloved rail-side hut, her white-breasted hedgehog Dmitri, and Vassily Marushkin, sergeant-in-charge at the tiny Roslazny police station.
Fate seems to intervene when Olga's train crashes outside Roslazny, shutting the line and killing two on board - local celebrity Danyl Petrovich and his wife, Anoushka. But Vassily Marushkin soon discovers that the Trans-Siberian locomotive was derailed on purpose. As the weather closes in, trapping the villagers - and the suspects - inside, Vassily begins a murder investigation in which Olga and her long-lost friend, Nevena Komarov, soon become closely involved.
But murder and extreme weather isn't all Olga has to deal with. Recalcitrant publishers, haunted police stations, and embarrassing online exposés combine to make this early winter a particularly challenging one - with the threat of a forced departure still looming as soon as the weather lifts. Can Olga find out who killed the Petroviches, secure the release of her book, exorcise the ghost, and save her job, all at the same time?
Fate seems to intervene when Olga's train crashes outside Roslazny, shutting the line and killing two on board - local celebrity Danyl Petrovich and his wife, Anoushka. But Vassily Marushkin soon discovers that the Trans-Siberian locomotive was derailed on purpose. As the weather closes in, trapping the villagers - and the suspects - inside, Vassily begins a murder investigation in which Olga and her long-lost friend, Nevena Komarov, soon become closely involved.
But murder and extreme weather isn't all Olga has to deal with. Recalcitrant publishers, haunted police stations, and embarrassing online exposés combine to make this early winter a particularly challenging one - with the threat of a forced departure still looming as soon as the weather lifts. Can Olga find out who killed the Petroviches, secure the release of her book, exorcise the ghost, and save her job, all at the same time?
- GenresFiction
416 pages, Hardcover
Published November 15, 2022
5 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 29, 2022
I’m not too sure about this book…
It WAS charming and lovely, I really warmed up to the main character, Olga, but it also seemed to shoot a little past the mark.
I felt like the characters were flat, some of the actions quite predictable (and so was the killer reveal) - and a little too much inside thoughts and repetition for my liking.
I really loved the set up of the small, cold and snowed in Siberian village, however.
Overall, an ok read, but left a lot to be desired.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!
It WAS charming and lovely, I really warmed up to the main character, Olga, but it also seemed to shoot a little past the mark.
I felt like the characters were flat, some of the actions quite predictable (and so was the killer reveal) - and a little too much inside thoughts and repetition for my liking.
I really loved the set up of the small, cold and snowed in Siberian village, however.
Overall, an ok read, but left a lot to be desired.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!
December 15, 2023
This is a DNF for me; I struggled to get to the 100 page mark. Although I loved the idea and was thrilled to read a female amateur detective in Siberia, I found Olga to be boring. Many of the author’s turns of phrases are poetic or just interesting. But too much of the story is packed with (imo) unnecessary details that drag out the plot. Even though the book opens with a flash forward of a mystery to come, it must be rather far ahead in the book because I’d still not gotten to it by page 100. Instead we get a train accident, which is described in such a way that defies logic. Why would a train suddenly derail right in front of a crowd of people at the station? How could the blood of two people who died in that accident be flowing out of the train and splashing over the “Siberian snow”? I rather think the writer added that detail just so he could title the book.
And also, given Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, I found the political references to be disturbing. I’m sure they’re accurate (probably), I just don’t personally want to hear it from Russian characters. Like the off-hand mentions of Putin. He’s a thug kleptomaniac dictator, and if you’re not actively working against him, then you are part of the problem. I know, I know, Russians have their own reasons for continuing to prop up his system, mostly to keep Tsarist law and order. But I don’t personally care right now when Ukrainian children are being killed and displaced and innocent people bombed in their sleep by supposed “brothers” for a land grab and an imperialist ideal. There should at least be a sentiment expressed about the on-going war. And if not, Olga should have some self reflection about and wonder why she doesn’t care about a war in which her own brother was actively involved in.
Which brings me to the one-off reference about the brother just returning from his station in Crimea. And no mention of the war (which started in 2014 with a land grab for UKRAINIAN Crimea)? No hint to a justification or reason for why this character was even there given that hundreds of thousands of people have died because of a shadow war initiated because Russia broke its long-standing strategic agreement over its military base there and instead just decided to steal territory that Russian leaders themselves agreed was Ukraine 20 years previously. And, btw, for a hundred years, Russia deported and exiled the native Crimean population and resettled its own (politically and militarily connected people) there. Crimea was never “naturally and always dominated by Russians .” That’s more Putin propaganda for the mindless who don’t know the history. Plus, This isn’t 1960, it’s 2023, and Crimea has been part of Ukraine longer than it was ever a “Russian dominion.” That’s Putin’s propaganda filling your head with lies. Soviet Russia doesn’t exist anymore, it fell apart in the 1990s for good reason. One being that such a large nation state homogenized into one (and the leaders in Moscow decided that would be Soviet Russia) wasn’t sustainable nor profitable for all those people who were absorbed and suppressed.
In an effort to make the book more inclusive, the writer has made this military brother gay. Alright. The only problem with that is then his oblique reference to “while the military says it’s ok, they don’t act that way, and you’ll loose your position.” Um. If you’re lucky. You’ll probably actually be murdered for daring to be openly gay. The homophobia in Russia is SO ACUTE, I don’t think this young guy would ever have 1. Realized he had a right to assert his sexuality and that he had a right to be a gay man 2. Admitted it to himself to then have done something to bring it to the attention of his superiors 3. Then escaped to tell the tale. I think news would’ve spread and he would’ve been killed, severely beaten even before he got on the train home. We don’t really know what happens in Russia and how open people are treated because it’s a dictatorship with 0 freedom of information. The media is state run. Gay people could be openly persecuted and we’d never know it. This detail may make the novel seem more inclusive and that there is some acceptance of non-cis lifestyles in some places in Russia. But I doubt it. And especially not tiny tail towns in Siberia where everyone seems to know this guy’s business and even his horrible father has denounced him. This guy is a goner.
Anyway, as you can tell I have personal feelings about the setup of this book; therefore, it does me no good to continue reading when I’ve got so many other books waiting.
And also, given Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, I found the political references to be disturbing. I’m sure they’re accurate (probably), I just don’t personally want to hear it from Russian characters. Like the off-hand mentions of Putin. He’s a thug kleptomaniac dictator, and if you’re not actively working against him, then you are part of the problem. I know, I know, Russians have their own reasons for continuing to prop up his system, mostly to keep Tsarist law and order. But I don’t personally care right now when Ukrainian children are being killed and displaced and innocent people bombed in their sleep by supposed “brothers” for a land grab and an imperialist ideal. There should at least be a sentiment expressed about the on-going war. And if not, Olga should have some self reflection about and wonder why she doesn’t care about a war in which her own brother was actively involved in.
Which brings me to the one-off reference about the brother just returning from his station in Crimea. And no mention of the war (which started in 2014 with a land grab for UKRAINIAN Crimea)? No hint to a justification or reason for why this character was even there given that hundreds of thousands of people have died because of a shadow war initiated because Russia broke its long-standing strategic agreement over its military base there and instead just decided to steal territory that Russian leaders themselves agreed was Ukraine 20 years previously. And, btw, for a hundred years, Russia deported and exiled the native Crimean population and resettled its own (politically and militarily connected people) there. Crimea was never “naturally and always dominated by Russians .” That’s more Putin propaganda for the mindless who don’t know the history. Plus, This isn’t 1960, it’s 2023, and Crimea has been part of Ukraine longer than it was ever a “Russian dominion.” That’s Putin’s propaganda filling your head with lies. Soviet Russia doesn’t exist anymore, it fell apart in the 1990s for good reason. One being that such a large nation state homogenized into one (and the leaders in Moscow decided that would be Soviet Russia) wasn’t sustainable nor profitable for all those people who were absorbed and suppressed.
In an effort to make the book more inclusive, the writer has made this military brother gay. Alright. The only problem with that is then his oblique reference to “while the military says it’s ok, they don’t act that way, and you’ll loose your position.” Um. If you’re lucky. You’ll probably actually be murdered for daring to be openly gay. The homophobia in Russia is SO ACUTE, I don’t think this young guy would ever have 1. Realized he had a right to assert his sexuality and that he had a right to be a gay man 2. Admitted it to himself to then have done something to bring it to the attention of his superiors 3. Then escaped to tell the tale. I think news would’ve spread and he would’ve been killed, severely beaten even before he got on the train home. We don’t really know what happens in Russia and how open people are treated because it’s a dictatorship with 0 freedom of information. The media is state run. Gay people could be openly persecuted and we’d never know it. This detail may make the novel seem more inclusive and that there is some acceptance of non-cis lifestyles in some places in Russia. But I doubt it. And especially not tiny tail towns in Siberia where everyone seems to know this guy’s business and even his horrible father has denounced him. This guy is a goner.
Anyway, as you can tell I have personal feelings about the setup of this book; therefore, it does me no good to continue reading when I’ve got so many other books waiting.
November 17, 2022
Blood on the Siberian Snow C J Farrington
5 stars
What an atmospheric read
I absolutely loved this book and read it in two days. It is set in Siberia and the coldness and hard life that the inhabitants live was incredible, I could almost feel the cold whilst reading this book.
Olga Pushkin is a railway engineer tasked with keeping all the railway lines in perfect order around her small village of Roslazny but she has dreams of her own. She has written a book about her life on the railways and is waiting for the publisher to confirm the publication. She is also in love with Vassily, the local policeman, but he is searching for his lost wife and only seems to want friendship.
As the book begins, Olga has been transferred to another job in Mongolia and is dreading having to leave her family and friends but in, what I presume, is present day Russia, she has no choice. However the day before she is due to leave a train is sabotaged causing two deaths and a blizzard keeps everyone marooned in Roslazny.
One of Olga’s closest friends had just arrived, the beautiful Nevena Komanov, and immediately tries to help Vassily to solve the murders. Olga offers her help but is told she must not interfere and that she is even a suspect as it was her railway tracks that were sabotaged. Even worse for Olga, is that she can see that Vassily is being dazzled by Nevena and has forgotten all about her.
Despite this Olga is determined to discover what has happened and pursues her own investigation which leads her into great danger.
The characters of this small community were all described brilliantly and the hardships of their daily life seem hard to believe in this day and age. I really enjoyed the atmosphere created by the author and the shock news at the end hopefully means that Olga will be back in another book.
I was not surprised to read that the author had met an Olga whilst on a train in Russia, she is a very real character and makes a good central character of this book. I would highly recommend this book.
Karen Deborah
5 stars
What an atmospheric read
I absolutely loved this book and read it in two days. It is set in Siberia and the coldness and hard life that the inhabitants live was incredible, I could almost feel the cold whilst reading this book.
Olga Pushkin is a railway engineer tasked with keeping all the railway lines in perfect order around her small village of Roslazny but she has dreams of her own. She has written a book about her life on the railways and is waiting for the publisher to confirm the publication. She is also in love with Vassily, the local policeman, but he is searching for his lost wife and only seems to want friendship.
As the book begins, Olga has been transferred to another job in Mongolia and is dreading having to leave her family and friends but in, what I presume, is present day Russia, she has no choice. However the day before she is due to leave a train is sabotaged causing two deaths and a blizzard keeps everyone marooned in Roslazny.
One of Olga’s closest friends had just arrived, the beautiful Nevena Komanov, and immediately tries to help Vassily to solve the murders. Olga offers her help but is told she must not interfere and that she is even a suspect as it was her railway tracks that were sabotaged. Even worse for Olga, is that she can see that Vassily is being dazzled by Nevena and has forgotten all about her.
Despite this Olga is determined to discover what has happened and pursues her own investigation which leads her into great danger.
The characters of this small community were all described brilliantly and the hardships of their daily life seem hard to believe in this day and age. I really enjoyed the atmosphere created by the author and the shock news at the end hopefully means that Olga will be back in another book.
I was not surprised to read that the author had met an Olga whilst on a train in Russia, she is a very real character and makes a good central character of this book. I would highly recommend this book.
Karen Deborah
November 15, 2022
I’m wondering where to begin with this book. It felt like a tough slog to get through but it wasn’t unenjoyable, in fact I grew to quite like Olga, Pasha and some of the other characters. I hadn’t read the first book in the series, not that it mattered. It alludes to it throughout but it doesn’t actually change the story in anyway. Maybe some of them might have had more depth but I didn’t feel I missed out. The story grew and grew, and the plot really developed about halfway through but then it all seemed to end. There was a big build up but the final act just flattened so to speak without much drama as I was hoping.
It’s an interesting read, quite enjoyable and I’d you’re fancying a winter thriller I wouldn’t discount this. It just didn’t set me alight.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early release in exchange for my honest review.
It’s an interesting read, quite enjoyable and I’d you’re fancying a winter thriller I wouldn’t discount this. It just didn’t set me alight.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early release in exchange for my honest review.
December 31, 2022
CAWPILE 7.14
Pleased to be back with these characters, Olga is a fascinating MC.
I was thrilled to pick up the sequel so quickly and am eager to read any more in the series.
Pleased to be back with these characters, Olga is a fascinating MC.
I was thrilled to pick up the sequel so quickly and am eager to read any more in the series.
January 18, 2024
A strange result of travelling the Trans-Siberian Railway.
I like crime novels that are set in out- of - ordinary places , and the Scottish author of this novel has made more out of his Trans – Siberian railway travel than most voyagers would do. Maybe except for Agatha Christie, but if she really traveled, I don’t know. However, although the authors experience is from the railway travel, the story is from a small place outside Tayga (I found Tayga on the map.), but with a prominent role both for the track, the trains, and the employees of the Railway.
The hero in the novel, Olga Pushkin, is nothing like a hero of the ordinary kind, even not of the non-ordinary kind. I think I knew who the murderer was on page 100, whereas Olga used a lot of more pages to find it out. She is an author of a book on proverbs, sayings and maxims – not yet published.
The setting. I like to think that I learn something from the places where a novel is set. I am not sure here. I learn that it is cold:” ...prowling the frozen streets... “ p. 223, but that information is not that existing when the place is Siberia. The descriptions sounds that it could be any place inland north of 60oN. There are Russian words set in cursive, but they sound more like frosting on a cake, than adding taste to the cake. There are a lot of drunkards in the small place, not so surprising either. So, to conclude, if I learned anything about Siberia, it is that it is very similar to other place where it snows.
There are some reflections on Russia that coincide well with my prejudices of Russian life and its government, probably also with reality. And a few reflections on the Western society that corresponds with my other set of prejudices: “... like the ones she had heard of in the West were bus replacement could be laid on at moment’s notice if the driver felt a little below-par on any given day” p.203.
The language. I would think that the author enjoyed having an outlet for his own fascination with not-so- good proverbs and softens. I once read an English crime novel from around 1900 that consisted almost entirely of proverbs linked together around a murder. Then they were so many that it became fun. Here, the proverbs, the sentences and the philosophies are not deep, by design. However, I noted several “citations” that at the time of reading was acceptable, although some faded away at the second reading: “Yes, she loved him, but in the way the Earth Circles the Sun: from afar” p. 75. ” Any woman worth her salt knew when a man was lying, and Olga...” p. 109. “How frustrating it is not to know what we don’t know, thought Olga, and how liberating it must feel to be stupider.” p. 119. (I once read a scientific article: “The advantages of being stupid.” The title was funnier than the text). I liked the last part of the novel better than the first part. I liked the poem: “Pod rakitoyu zelyonoy..”p. 312.
Conclusion. It shines through the text that the author has enjoyed writing it. The text shows that the presentation of the author holds water (Is this OK, Olga?) – “he has eclectic interests” , and he has used his interest in writing the text. So, it is not possible to be unenthusiastic with this novel, despite a slow beginning.
Citation. “What is marriage, anyway, but a promise to stick around most of the time and watch the same programs on the box at night?” p. 227
I like crime novels that are set in out- of - ordinary places , and the Scottish author of this novel has made more out of his Trans – Siberian railway travel than most voyagers would do. Maybe except for Agatha Christie, but if she really traveled, I don’t know. However, although the authors experience is from the railway travel, the story is from a small place outside Tayga (I found Tayga on the map.), but with a prominent role both for the track, the trains, and the employees of the Railway.
The hero in the novel, Olga Pushkin, is nothing like a hero of the ordinary kind, even not of the non-ordinary kind. I think I knew who the murderer was on page 100, whereas Olga used a lot of more pages to find it out. She is an author of a book on proverbs, sayings and maxims – not yet published.
The setting. I like to think that I learn something from the places where a novel is set. I am not sure here. I learn that it is cold:” ...prowling the frozen streets... “ p. 223, but that information is not that existing when the place is Siberia. The descriptions sounds that it could be any place inland north of 60oN. There are Russian words set in cursive, but they sound more like frosting on a cake, than adding taste to the cake. There are a lot of drunkards in the small place, not so surprising either. So, to conclude, if I learned anything about Siberia, it is that it is very similar to other place where it snows.
There are some reflections on Russia that coincide well with my prejudices of Russian life and its government, probably also with reality. And a few reflections on the Western society that corresponds with my other set of prejudices: “... like the ones she had heard of in the West were bus replacement could be laid on at moment’s notice if the driver felt a little below-par on any given day” p.203.
The language. I would think that the author enjoyed having an outlet for his own fascination with not-so- good proverbs and softens. I once read an English crime novel from around 1900 that consisted almost entirely of proverbs linked together around a murder. Then they were so many that it became fun. Here, the proverbs, the sentences and the philosophies are not deep, by design. However, I noted several “citations” that at the time of reading was acceptable, although some faded away at the second reading: “Yes, she loved him, but in the way the Earth Circles the Sun: from afar” p. 75. ” Any woman worth her salt knew when a man was lying, and Olga...” p. 109. “How frustrating it is not to know what we don’t know, thought Olga, and how liberating it must feel to be stupider.” p. 119. (I once read a scientific article: “The advantages of being stupid.” The title was funnier than the text). I liked the last part of the novel better than the first part. I liked the poem: “Pod rakitoyu zelyonoy..”p. 312.
Conclusion. It shines through the text that the author has enjoyed writing it. The text shows that the presentation of the author holds water (Is this OK, Olga?) – “he has eclectic interests” , and he has used his interest in writing the text. So, it is not possible to be unenthusiastic with this novel, despite a slow beginning.
Citation. “What is marriage, anyway, but a promise to stick around most of the time and watch the same programs on the box at night?” p. 227
November 15, 2022
I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of Blood on the Siberian Snow, the second novel to feature railway track engineer Olga Pushkin, set in the Siberian village of Roslazny.
Olga is being forced to leave Roslazny for a two year exchange in Mongolia, but her train is derailed outside the village, killing the driver and his wife. Sergeant Vassily Marushkin soon discovers it was no accident, but with the village cut off by heavy snow he is forced to enlist the investigative help of Olga and her recently re-found friend Nevena Komarov.
I found Blood on the Siberian Snow to be a bit of a mixed bag. I don’t regret reading it as it has a certain charm, but I didn’t overly enjoy the writing style.
I have not read the previous novel in the series, so this is my first meeting with Olga and the denizens of Roslazny, which I don’t think matters as it works well as a stand-alone. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to find Olga’s situation funny or simply different. I would guess that she’s in her late 30s and is working in a dead end job as a glorified labourer with dreams of becoming a published author. Still, she takes pride in her job and is on her way to publishing her book of truisms, 100 Life Lessons from the Trans-Siberian Railway. Well, whatever way you take it she is a nice person, determined to do the right thing.
The plot is interesting with another murder and all sorts of secrets coming to light. By about the middle of the book it isn’t difficult to work out the perpetrator’s identity, although the motive isn’t so clear. Still, that’s not so important as the reader knows that Olga has more trials ahead, because the novel opens with her fighting for her life against the weather conditions. I would have found the novel more interesting than I did - it failed to hold my attention in any meaningful way - if it hadn’t been so full of Olga’s homespun musings on life and love. I found them tedious, a touch condescending and distracting from the main event.
Blood on the Siberian Snow is not for me, but other readers may find it charming.
Olga is being forced to leave Roslazny for a two year exchange in Mongolia, but her train is derailed outside the village, killing the driver and his wife. Sergeant Vassily Marushkin soon discovers it was no accident, but with the village cut off by heavy snow he is forced to enlist the investigative help of Olga and her recently re-found friend Nevena Komarov.
I found Blood on the Siberian Snow to be a bit of a mixed bag. I don’t regret reading it as it has a certain charm, but I didn’t overly enjoy the writing style.
I have not read the previous novel in the series, so this is my first meeting with Olga and the denizens of Roslazny, which I don’t think matters as it works well as a stand-alone. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to find Olga’s situation funny or simply different. I would guess that she’s in her late 30s and is working in a dead end job as a glorified labourer with dreams of becoming a published author. Still, she takes pride in her job and is on her way to publishing her book of truisms, 100 Life Lessons from the Trans-Siberian Railway. Well, whatever way you take it she is a nice person, determined to do the right thing.
The plot is interesting with another murder and all sorts of secrets coming to light. By about the middle of the book it isn’t difficult to work out the perpetrator’s identity, although the motive isn’t so clear. Still, that’s not so important as the reader knows that Olga has more trials ahead, because the novel opens with her fighting for her life against the weather conditions. I would have found the novel more interesting than I did - it failed to hold my attention in any meaningful way - if it hadn’t been so full of Olga’s homespun musings on life and love. I found them tedious, a touch condescending and distracting from the main event.
Blood on the Siberian Snow is not for me, but other readers may find it charming.
February 25, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I haven't read the first book in the series but there are plenty of references to previous events to ensure readers are able to follow the story and become familiar with the main characters so I didn't feel I had missed anything. The book is listed within the 'crime' and 'mystery' genres; I was expecting a murder thriller from the title but it is definitely in the style of a 'cosy mystery'. I thought it very atmospheric with its references to the winter cold and snow in addition to the way of life and beliefs, although the frequent use of local words interrupted the flow for me. There were some witty, comical descriptions and statements but on the whole the story progressed at too slow a rate for me - it took a quarter of the book to get through one day in Olga's life. The pace made it a struggle for me to maintain interest: there was a whole paragraph about Olga smelling something which might have been paint, and she couldn't think why this should be, but it was never explained or referred to again. Just before the train crashed Olga began running towards it, trying to signal the driver to stop but as the engine had a snow plough on the front it seemed unlikely she would be able to see the track, and no-one asked her why she tried to stop it; I thought this was unrealistic and stopped reading just beyond that point.
I haven't read the first book in the series but there are plenty of references to previous events to ensure readers are able to follow the story and become familiar with the main characters so I didn't feel I had missed anything. The book is listed within the 'crime' and 'mystery' genres; I was expecting a murder thriller from the title but it is definitely in the style of a 'cosy mystery'. I thought it very atmospheric with its references to the winter cold and snow in addition to the way of life and beliefs, although the frequent use of local words interrupted the flow for me. There were some witty, comical descriptions and statements but on the whole the story progressed at too slow a rate for me - it took a quarter of the book to get through one day in Olga's life. The pace made it a struggle for me to maintain interest: there was a whole paragraph about Olga smelling something which might have been paint, and she couldn't think why this should be, but it was never explained or referred to again. Just before the train crashed Olga began running towards it, trying to signal the driver to stop but as the engine had a snow plough on the front it seemed unlikely she would be able to see the track, and no-one asked her why she tried to stop it; I thought this was unrealistic and stopped reading just beyond that point.
November 21, 2022
Blood on The Siberian snow is a follow up to Death on the Trans-Siberian Express: with the main character of Olga Pushkin. I really enjoyed book 1 and was so delighted to read the second book in the series.
I love Olga, she is simple and kind and have a lovely pet called Dimitri. She was set to travel to Mongolia on a 2 years stay related to her job when an unfortunate tragedy happened. Murder or accident? Olga is determined to investigate what happen.
There is so much going on in this book and I am so glad I read the previous book as I had a clearer picture of the characters and what they have been through before.
I love the closeness that Olga has with her brother Pasha and her best friend Anna and her kids.
Her father Mikhail is an interesting character but no so much present in book 2.
I also love the wintery atmosphere and the author style of writing. Some parts are beautifully described.
If there is another book in the series I will definitely read it.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, publisher and author for this opportunity.
I love Olga, she is simple and kind and have a lovely pet called Dimitri. She was set to travel to Mongolia on a 2 years stay related to her job when an unfortunate tragedy happened. Murder or accident? Olga is determined to investigate what happen.
There is so much going on in this book and I am so glad I read the previous book as I had a clearer picture of the characters and what they have been through before.
I love the closeness that Olga has with her brother Pasha and her best friend Anna and her kids.
Her father Mikhail is an interesting character but no so much present in book 2.
I also love the wintery atmosphere and the author style of writing. Some parts are beautifully described.
If there is another book in the series I will definitely read it.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, publisher and author for this opportunity.
February 1, 2023
Another enjoyable read. As per the last book, I did enjoy the Russian life described in this story and loved the characters (mostly), feeling that the murders themselves were almost incidental to the rest of the book, in the sense that they just aided the development of the people. I guessed who was the murderer quite quickly and some of the motives too, but this didn’t spoil the book for me. I do wish I’d listened to it, though, but I did find myself knowing how to pronounce most of the names, having listened to the previous books.
I have marked it down one star because of all those Russian words creeping in. Why? They’re not needed and interrupted the flow while I tried to work out what each meant.
I have marked it down one star because of all those Russian words creeping in. Why? They’re not needed and interrupted the flow while I tried to work out what each meant.
April 4, 2024
Having previously read the first and third books in this series I was already completely invested in the characters in this series, particularly the protagonist, Olga Pushkin. The voice and and sense of Olga is quiet, understated, steady, and entirely endearing. The setting of this series feels like a closed circle mystery and there is everywhere the scent of claustrophobia. If you are looking for a fast paced, high drama mystery/thriller this isn't your book. If you are looking for a tightly plotted, well told mystery, Blood on the Siberian Snow is terrific. I do, however, recommend reading this series in order. All three of the current books are exceptionally good and reading them in order just makes the experience that much richer.
December 9, 2022
Olga Pushkin, aspiring writer and Russian railway engineer (Second Class), loves her job, her trackside hut and her pet hedgehog Dimitri in the Siberian village of Roslazny.
A jealous superior is forcing her to leave but on the day of her departure local celebrity Danyl Petrovich and his wife Anoushka die in a horrific rail crash.
Trapped in town by freezing weather, Olga and Police Sergeant Vassily Marushkin try to solve the case but things don't work out as she'd hoped.
A cast of colourful characters decorate this cosy Siberian crime with a sprinkle of gore in Olga's second outing.
A jealous superior is forcing her to leave but on the day of her departure local celebrity Danyl Petrovich and his wife Anoushka die in a horrific rail crash.
Trapped in town by freezing weather, Olga and Police Sergeant Vassily Marushkin try to solve the case but things don't work out as she'd hoped.
A cast of colourful characters decorate this cosy Siberian crime with a sprinkle of gore in Olga's second outing.
July 7, 2023
Blood on the Siberian Snow is the second of the The Olga Pushkin Mysteries series. I really enjoyed the first in the series and was looking forward to reading the second., I was not disappointed. There is a lot going on in this book so I would recommend reading the first book first. I’m glad I had read the previous book as I had a clearer picture of the characters and what they have been through before. Looking forward to the next.
December 1, 2023
3 - 3.5
Olga Pushkin and her hedgehog 🦔 Dmitri are back in this sequel to Murder on the Trans Siberian Express. This time would be author and full time railway worker is being sent to Mongolia. Smart but naive, Olga is once again thrown into a murder investigation where she is the prime suspect. I found the pacing a little slow in this one but it was an enjoyable cozy mystery set in Russia. You’ll be wanting to pile on the blankets while reading this wintry thriller.
Olga Pushkin and her hedgehog 🦔 Dmitri are back in this sequel to Murder on the Trans Siberian Express. This time would be author and full time railway worker is being sent to Mongolia. Smart but naive, Olga is once again thrown into a murder investigation where she is the prime suspect. I found the pacing a little slow in this one but it was an enjoyable cozy mystery set in Russia. You’ll be wanting to pile on the blankets while reading this wintry thriller.
March 27, 2023
I do enjoy these cosy mysteries by Mr Farrington, set on the Siberian railways. I love the quirky cast of characters, especially Olga, with her pet hedgehog Dmitri, Fyodor the Dreamer, Pasha, Anna, and Kliment. I'm looking forward to Book 3 and seeing if Olga and Vassily get their happy ending and if all is as it seems with a new character!
January 10, 2024
This was one of the books that I chose from my book club's trolley for our 'cold' theme this month. It was an Olga Pushkin mystery, and it seemed a little bit like Murder on the Orient Express with a female detective. Of course, nothing really compares or could emulate that, but it was an entertaining read with some fun characters, and I think I would read another book by this author.
January 5, 2025
This took a little while to get into with a lot of unnecessary musings from Olga to start. I thought that it was obvious from the first murder who the culprit was and was able to hazard a guess as to the motive, as well as the reasons to Vassily’s behaviour. Having said that though, I enjoyed the read and will pick up the next in the series.
October 18, 2022
This is the first book I have read by this author but it won't be my last, I really enjoyed it. A quick, and easy to read cozy mystery that had me hooked. I really enjoyed it.
January 14, 2024
Very gripping book with a plot twist
May 24, 2025
3.5 stars - A very long winded first half, got better in the second half
November 29, 2022
Blood on the Siberian Snow is the second book featuring railway engineer Olga Pushkin and I really should have read the first book, Death on the Trans-Siberian Express, before starting this one. There are lots of callbacks in this book to the previous one, so I felt I was missing out having not read it, especially on the character relationships.
The story was quite atmospheric with a “locked room” atmosphere being created by an unseasonal snowstorm, but I found the crime and the criminal somewhat unsatisfying for some reason. The characters also all seemed to use the male versions of the Russian patronymic names (e.g Petrovich for a woman instead of Petrovna) which I thought was a bit odd. Three stars seems fair. I’d probably read another one of these, particularly if Dimitri the hedgehog gets more air time.
The story was quite atmospheric with a “locked room” atmosphere being created by an unseasonal snowstorm, but I found the crime and the criminal somewhat unsatisfying for some reason. The characters also all seemed to use the male versions of the Russian patronymic names (e.g Petrovich for a woman instead of Petrovna) which I thought was a bit odd. Three stars seems fair. I’d probably read another one of these, particularly if Dimitri the hedgehog gets more air time.
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