The first officially documented case involving a Russian serial killer dates back to the early 20th century. In St. Petersburg, a dead girl-prostitute was found—murdered in a particularly ingenious way. It seems the killing was ritualistic, and the next victim is further evidence. Konstantin Marshal, assistant to the head of the capital’s detective bureau, searches for the criminal, but the killer skillfully misleads the trail. Meanwhile, the killer is very close—and the life of the detective’s beloved woman hangs by a thread. The novel is based on real events.