The Kyiv Mysteries

Kyiv, 1919. The Soviets control the city, but White armies menace them from the West. No man trusts his neighbour and any spark of resistance may ignite into open rebellion. When Samson Kolechko's father is murdered, his last act is to save his son from a falling Cossack sabre. Deprived of his right ear instead of his head, Samson is left an orphan, with only his father's collection of abacuses for company. Until, that is, his flat is requisitioned by two Red Army soldiers, whose secret plans Samson is somehow able to overhear with uncanny clarity.

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2024 ""Very intriguing and atmospheric ... a fascinating read in the light of contemporary events.” –Alexander McCall Smith, Bestselling Author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency ""With its earthy prose...

“[An] extraordinary sequel . . . Distinguished by its humor, heart, and subtle political urgency, this series deserves a long life.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[The Kyiv Mysteries] provide timely lessons for anyone living under an oppressive regime.” —The Atlantic “Andrey...

Samson Kolechko has been assigned a most perplexing case - though it is mostly perplexing because it's hard to understand why selling the meat of one's own pig constitutes a crime. But apparently it does, and at the insistence of the Chekist secret police officer assigned to "reinforce" the...

Fresh from case of the stolen heart, one that shattered his belief in the regime he works for, Samson Kolechko is confronted with a mystery that borders on the impossible. How could a squad of Red Army soldiers have disappeared from the Galician bathhouse, leaving only their boots and their uniforms as evidence they ever existed? Faced with such a fantastical conundrum, Samson resorts to a fantastical investigation method: stitching his operative's severed ear into a bathhouse worker's jacket, he is able to eavesdrop on his every move.