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Illya Podipenko is a Moscow investigator who is not esteemed in the eyes of his superior. Only his famous father’s military service prevents him from being sacked. When his young, new partner drags him out of his slovenly routine to investigate an apparent suicide, Podipenko is not amused. However, as the investigator begins piecing the clues together, and as everyone insists the case is a suicide, Podipenko becomes more and more interested. When he learns there are a total of five siblings, and they are rapidly becoming deceased, he becomes engrossed. It helps that the one female sibling is absolutely stunning. Soon, the case will expand in scope, and Podipenko will find himself on the wrong end of several corrupt officials and a powerful American entrepreneur. On top of all that, lurking in the distance is the haunting figure of the feared and hated religious prophet Rasputin.
Mefford’s novel pulls influence from many others, both inside and outside of the genre. There are hints of the standard hard-boiled detective found in the novels of Raymond Chandler. Although Podipenko doesn’t have the rugged handsomeness of Philip Marlow, he has a similar charisma and the same contemplative and literary leanings. In addition, both enjoy a good smoke and have a weakness for the opposite sex. Additionally, there is a little bit of Ignatius J. Reilly, the protagonist of A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, in Podipenko. Both men are portly, lazy, and prone to disheveled dress and food stains. In addition, both men are idealistic in their own ways and a bit less contemporary than their peers. On top of that, both authors surround their protagonists with side characters whose personalities are bolder and more fleshed out than secondary characters in many other books. Podipenko has the lady in the apartment next door, Gadina, whereas Reilly has both his mother and Myrna Minkoff as excellent secondary characters.
Mefford’s crime novel links corrupt officials, ties to the near past and the more famous, distant past, and a carefully crafted detective in a noirish thriller. The author’s writing is most memorable in his descriptive playfulness and ingenuity and in the characterization of the protagonist. Podipenko is an extremely likable character, and his quirks will endear him to the reader. Also, many of the supporting characters are more interesting than those written in similar books. The setting is well-detailed, and the book is surprisingly fun to read, considering that it deals with multiple murders, corruption, and greed. The only setbacks are that the investigative clues and investigation methods, although detailed and compellingly written, are too apparent and oft-used, and there seems to be a missed opportunity in exploring the Rasputin curse more thoroughly. It also doesn’t help that the surprise appearance of the enigmatic Putin portrays him as rather cool and likable, considering the current global military and political climate. Still, readers who like the genre and enjoy a witty investigator not afraid to break the rules will find this Moscow-set detective story an absorbing read.