'Reminded me of Gorky Park, only I liked this tense, complex thriller even better' JAMES PATTERSON *Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Gold Dagger and the John Creasey 'New Blood' Dagger* 'Brilliantly orchestrated and totally engrossing' THE CRIME WRITERS' ASSOCIATION
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Leningrad, Russia, 1951.

The shadow of war lingers. Revol Rossel - once a virtuoso violinist with a glittering future - is now a humble state militia cop, forced to investigate desperate crimes in this desperate era.

But when five frozen corpses are found neatly arranged between railway lines, Rossel is faced with the most puzzling - and most dangerous - case of his career. His hunt for the truth leads him to the dark heart of Leningrad's musical establishment, and, ultimately, to the highest levels of the Kremlin itself.

It's a world he knows intimately. A world where his dreams were shattered.

A world where a killer may now be hiding...

'A highly assured and entertaining debut . . . Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park [...] may have a true heir' THE TIMES

'A worthy successor to Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko . . . A fine and often moving thriller' FINANCIAL TIMES

'Gripping . . . with historical heft, plenty of twists along the way, and a uniquely ingenious code left behind by our murderer. An excellent start to a new historical crime series' VASEEM KHAN

Gruesome crime meets the secrets of the classical music establishment in the shadow of Stalinist Leningrad. For fans of Child 44, Joseph Kanon and Philip Kerr.

About the Author
Ben Creed is the pseudonym for Chris Rickaby and Barney Thompson. Chris found his way into advertising as a copywriter and, after working for various agencies, started his own called Everything Different. Barney is a classically trained musician who studied under the legendary conducting professor Ilya Musin at the St Petersburg Conservatory for two years. He is fluent in Russian and is now an editor.

Reviews
'Reminded me of Gorky Park, only I liked this tense, complex thriller even better' -- James Patterson.
'A highly assured and entertaining debut ... Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park [...] may have a true heir' * The Times. *
'A worthy successor to Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko ... A fine and often moving thriller' * Financial Times. *
'Gripping ... with historical heft, plenty of twists along the way, and a uniquely ingenious code left behind by our murderer. An excellent start to a new historical crime series' -- Vaseem Khan.



Book Information
ISBN 9781787394940
Author Ben Creed
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Mountain Leopard Press
Publisher Headline Publishing Group