The Scent of Blood

The heart of a true knight, fearless and unashamed, can only tremble under the onslaught of beauty. Iron logic is powerless against the magic of a woman’s charms, and irrefutable facts take a back seat. During his investigations, young detective Rodion Vanzarov has more than once been thrown into confusion by his feelings. For a young man, this is pardonable—after all, a new arena for crimes opened up in Russia with the first beauty contest.

A mysterious maniac kills the lovely contestants one after another. The unbelievable method of murder—contrary to every logic—suggests modern vampires. But the trusting way the beautiful victims went to their execution greatly narrows the circle of suspects. The authorities gave Vanzarov only three days to find the criminal. In this difficult period, the hero is not abandoned by his faithful friend—a brilliant criminalist, Apollon Lebedev. What failures in the personal sphere are, this man surely knows nothing about! Where this loud, reckless giant appears—always under a cloud of Nicaraguan tobacco—every most beautiful woman loses her head, and even the most incredible clues line up into a coherent logical picture.

In the new novel “The Scent of Blood,” Anton Chizh offers readers not only an absorbing detective puzzle, but also unique information about the beauty secrets of St. Petersburg beauties of the 19th century. In every era, women were ready to sacrifice anything to preserve and maintain a good appearance. Modern readers can only marvel at the tricks they resorted to—and feel glad that the cosmetics industry has advanced far since then.