Yulia Yakovleva est une écrivaine, journaliste et historienne du ballet dont l'œuvre explore l'ère stalinienne. À travers une série de romans pour enfants, elle aborde des thèmes tels que la répression politique et la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Ses critiques de théâtre ont été publiées dans des périodiques de premier plan et elle a écrit une pièce jouée au Royal Court Theatre de Londres. Yakovleva écrit également en norvégien.
Set in Leningrad in 1939, the story follows Shura and Tanya as they grapple with the sudden disappearance of their parents and baby brother, believed to have been taken by the enigmatic Black Raven, rumored to be linked to espionage. Driven by love and desperation, Shura resolves to surrender himself to the Raven in hopes of uncovering the truth and rescuing his family. This tale weaves themes of courage, sacrifice, and the impact of war on innocence, appealing to fans of poignant historical fiction.
"Yakovleva pick[s] up the torch from Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series”. — The New York Times “A superb read, with some unexpected turns right at the end." — Crime Book of the Month, The Critic "Fascinating reading. . . This series has legs!" — Publishers Weekly On the eve of Soviet purges, Detective Zaitsev returns to solve the murder of a Red Army horseman — the second installment in the ultimate noir detective series Perfect for fans of thrilling historical crime fiction, Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther novels, and Lara Prescott's The Secrets We Kept As the Red Terror gathers pace, a horseman and horse mysteriously collapse in the middle of a race in Leningrad. Weary Detective Zaitsev, still raw from his last brush with the Party, is dispatched to the Soviet state cavalry school in Novocherkassk, southern Russia, to investigate. As he witnesses the horror of the Holodomor, and the impact of Soviet collectivisation, he struggles to penetrate the murky, secretive world of the cavalry school. Why has this particular murder attracted so much attention from Soviet officials? Zaitsev needs to answer this question and solve the case before the increasingly paranoid authorities turn their attention towards him... Don’t miss the second installment in the atmospheric and relentlessly dark detective series set in Stalinist Russia, where corruption, informers, and purges take paranoia to the next level.
“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
