The Silver Bone: A Novel (The Kyiv Mysteries Book 1)

Kyiv, 1919. World War I has ended in Western Europe, but six factions continue fighting for control of Ukraine. Young engineer Samson Kolechko is forced to abandon his career as the city becomes a battleground of competing interests. When Red Army soldiers commandeer his home, Samson's life is disrupted. While managing his personal affairs—including a developing relationship with Nadezhda, a statistician working on the city's census—he overhears the soldiers' secret plans. When he attempts to report them, he is unexpectedly recruited as an investigator for Kyiv's new police force. Samson's first case involves two murders, a bone made of pure silver, and a suit of unusual proportions made from fine English cloth. Working alongside Nadezhda, who proves to be an equal partner, Samson navigates the case. The novel draws inspiration from the archives of Kyiv's secret police and combines historical detail with Kurkov's characteristic humor and unconventional perspective. Translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk.