The investigative journalist, Tatiana Petrovna, falls to her death from a sixth floor apartment. Is this suicide or murder?

After the death of the fabulously wealthy criminal, Grisha Grigorenko, cynical investigator Arkady Renko and his vodka-swilling partner, detective-sargeant Victor Orlov, set out in search of the truth. As the plot twists and turns through an increasingly secretive Russia, the pair uncover the injustices, greed and corruption in high places that Tatiana had been determined to reveal.

We meet interesting characters throughout the book: poets evoking the work of Pushkin, birdwatchers in beautiful woods, chess players young and old, and amber gatherers on sweeping beaches. We also meet those who will stop at nothing to prevent Arkady and Victor from uncovering their criminal activities, past and present. These include Grisha's American-educated son, Alexi, who is positioning himself to take over this father's empire and various Russian mafia heavies who certainly don't want that to happen.

I enjoyed the intricacies of the plot, the sardonic humour of Arkady and Victor and the surprise of beauty found in unexpected places.