Under the Sign of the Owl

In gloomy and harsh Tarasov, late November promises nothing but longing, icy drizzle, and endless coffee. Private detective Tatyana Ivanova doesn’t even want to think about leaving her warm apartment. But a persistent call from her longtime school friend, Anna Semyonova, forces her to get involved.

Anna is the successful owner of the aesthetic medicine clinic "Vertikal". From the outside, her life looks impeccable, but Tatyana’s professional instincts tell her that behind the shine of well-being there are dangerous secrets—ones it’s better not to touch.

The triumph of success suddenly turns into a nightmare: Anna’s husband is found murdered in his office, and Anna herself is found nearby, in a half-unconscious state. Now she becomes the main suspect. To pull her friend out of trouble, Tatyana will have to unravel a web of intrigues, envy, and sophisticated manipulations. Who is sabotaging the clinic? What role does the quiet assistant Ella play in this story? And what truth is hidden behind the "Gypsy needle," a grim sign of a shattered fate?

Marina Serova is a bright name in contemporary Russian detective fiction. She graduated from the Law Faculty of Moscow State University (MGU), worked in the Office of the Prosecutor General, and took part in operational activities. The author of many fast-paced, suspenseful works, whose total circulation exceeds twenty million copies.