The Enamored Villain

Truth always hides in the details. Justice demands time... Investigator for especially important cases Ivan Fedorovich Volovtsov is sent to Nizhny Novgorod to investigate crimes committed by retired lieutenant Scarabeev. He is accused of attempting to murder Yulia Borkovskaya, the daughter of the cadet corps director. Unable to elicit any response to his persistent letters, the insolent man, one night, brazenly and treacherously entered her room and inflicted multiple knife wounds on the girl. Evidence, witness testimony, and the victim’s own statements—all point against Scarabeev. The lieutenant is dismissed from service and taken into custody. However, to Volovtsov, the case materials seem far too... theatrical. He is sure that this “drama” has another ending, in which a far more subtle and cunning performer also wants the role of villain... A historical detective story about a crime at the beginning of the last century. The author immerses us so captivatingly in the atmosphere of that time that we can practically hear the clatter of the paving stones, the noise of the city bazaar, the ringing of bells, and the piercing whistles of the constables...