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"Never miss a Kaminsky book, and be especially sure not to miss Death of a Russian Priest." —Tony Hillerman, New York Times–bestselling authorIn the darkest hours of communist rule, Father Merhum fought to protect the sanctity of the Orthodox Church. Now the Soviet Union is gone, but the bureaucracy survives, and within it lurk men who would do anything to undermine the fragile new Russian democracy. Father Merhum is on his way to Moscow to denounce those traitors when he is struck show more with an ax and killed.
As police inspectors Porfiry Rostnikov and Emil Karpo dig into the past of this celebrated village priest, they uncover strange church secrets and a conspiracy to carry the vile corruption of the former regime on into the twenty-first century. But if they don't watch their steps, someone may need to say the last rites for them.
With the Edgar Award–winning Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov series, "Stuart Kaminsky evokes Russian life like a born Muscovite. . . . Don't miss this one. It's even better than his Edgar-winning A Cold Red Sunrise." —The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Kaminsky moves closer to becoming the Ed McBain of Mother Russia . . . The usual strengths of the series—ingenious plotting, solid police procedure, and Rostnikov's shrewdly perceptive presence—are joined here by casually effective glimpses of the old Soviet Union in chancy transition. It all adds up to Rostnikov's best outing since A Cold Red Sunrise." —Kirkus Reviews
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Member Reviews
Another good entry in the Rostnikov mystery series, though not a standout addition. The author adds a few new characters, and introduces us to post-Soviet Russia and the headaches and frustrations that accompanied the change from socialism/communism to democracy, or at least the appearance of that switch. Recommended.
As I, along with other fans of Stuart Kaminsky, mourn his passing in the fall of 2009, I find myself thoroughly enjoying yet another of his Inspector Rostnikov novels - The Death of the Russian Priest. This particular book in the series was important to me, as I had left the country just a few years prior to "perestroika" and "glastnost" and missed on all the commotion and tragedy and renewal that period brought, so it was interesting to read about what was going in the country at that time. I love Inspector Rostnikov. For me, this humble, wise, considerate, sensitive yet strong protagonist personifies everything that can be good in a male character. I am looking forward to 5 more books, as I read my way through the series. And I am show more greatly saddened that Stuart Kaminsky is no more to delight us with new work. show less
This was book #8 in the Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov Mysteries. This story took place in the wake of the "fall" of communism. However, much intrigue is played out by the various police/intelligence agencies trying to assume control in the "new" Russia. Too much politics and not enough actual police work/mystery solving. I won't be reading anymore in this series. 305 pages
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126+ Works 7,303 Members
Stuart M. Kaminsky is head of the radio/television/film department at Northwestern University in Illinois. He is also a writer of textbooks, screenplays, and mystery novels. The more popular of his two series of detective novels features Toby Peters. Set in the 1930s and 1940s, the Peters books draw on Kaminsky's knowledge of history and love of show more film by incorporating characters from the film industry's past in nostalgic mysteries. Murder on the Yellow Brick Road (1978), for example, features Judy Garland while Catch a Falling Clown (1982) stars Emmett Kelley as Peters's client and Alfred Hitchcock as a murder suspect. His other critically acclaimed series chronicles the cases of Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov. Kaminsky's detailed studies of Russian police procedure combined with aspects of life in Russia have earned the Series an Edgar nomination for Black Knight in Red Square (1984) and the 1989 Edgar Award for A Cold Red Sunrise (1988). Stuart Kaminsky was born in Chicago in 1934 and died in 2009. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Il giallo Mondadori (2346)
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Death of a Russian Priest
- Original title
- Death of a Russian Priest
- Original publication date
- 1992
- People/Characters
- Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov (Inspector); Emil Karpo; Sasha Tkach; Elena Timofeyeva
- Dedication
- To Evan Hunter
for his support and inspiration. - First words
- An hour after dawn on a chill Decembymorning, the assassin stood before the white wooden church in the village of Arkush.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He remembered, and a moment later Rostnikov was asleep.
- Blurbers
- Hillerman, Tony
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Statistics
- Members
- 121
- Popularity
- 268,513
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (4.00)
- Languages
- English, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 12
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 5
