The Novel of the Century

Joanna Chmielewska is a true “queen” of the ironic detective genre: this genre became popular in Russia specifically because of her and influenced an entire generation of contemporary writers. Readers loved her books for their humor, lightness, and the invigorating atmosphere they immerse you in: with Ms. Joanna and her characters, you want to be friends. However, her clever and subtle novels stand far above simple “humorous literature.” They’re full of love and interest in life, of zest and curiosity, and they invariably lift the mood even on the darkest day. Everything begins with the fact that Ms. Joanna receives a completely unexpected offer: she is asked to impersonate another woman and to live for a while with a stranger, pretending to be his wife. Being a born adventurer, our heroine agrees and moves into a mysterious house. But what awaits her is an utterly mind-blowing discovery—after which it becomes clear that the matter is far more serious than she could have assumed, and that the story involves criminals, and on an international scale… A dizzying detective story full of humor and romance: “The Novel of the Century”—one of the best books by Joanna Chmielewska.