Criminal Connection

In Voznesensk, Alexander Skorostrel’nikov, the owner of a chain of gas stations, is found murdered. The case is taken up by private investigator Tatyana Ivanova. She is contacted by Valentina Novostroyevskaya: she wants the detective to prove that her husband is not involved, even though the investigation considers him the main suspect. Formally, everything points against him—fingerprints, boot prints, and even a family silver cigarette case. However, Ivanova quickly notices: the picture is too smooth and looks more like a carefully planned staging.

While investigating the murder, Tatyana meets rivals of Novostroyеvsky in business, studies his background, cooperates with the police, and keeps returning to the crime scene. Step by step, details emerge that overturn ideas about what happened and make her doubt all previous versions.

Marina Serova is a notable figure in the modern Russian detective genre: she graduated from the law faculty of Moscow State University, worked in the Prosecutor General’s Office, and participated in operational work. Her suspense-filled novellas are published in multi-million print runs—over twenty million copies in total.