A Nerd Goes Fishing

Evlampiya Romanova’s birthday is here again—and instead of cake, she gets another helping of troubles. At the door of the detective agency appears businessman Anatoly Korzhin, a treasure hunter and organizer of archaeological expeditions. Six years ago, without hesitation, he threw his beloved Alena Kuznetsova out—because, in his view, she “let him down”: instead of the long-awaited heir, she returned from the maternity hospital… with two girls. What’s more, as Alena insisted, the second baby had apparently been “left” in a park by an unknown woman covered in diamonds.

Now, after learning that Korzhin has a fatal diagnosis, he asks Lampa to find Alena and their daughter. He is sure: if they manage to forgive him, the illness will recede.

At first glance, the assignment seems simple: find Kuznetsova—get paid. But it never works that way for Romanova. The team sets out to search for Alena and the child, only to find far more: murders, thefts, and a cleverly planned revenge…

Darya Dontsova is the most popular and in-demand author in our country, a favorite of millions of readers. In Russia, more than 200 million copies of her books have been sold.

Her work gives readers light, optimism, joy, and confidence in tomorrow!

“Dontsova is an incredible workhorse! I don’t know another writer who works as much. I have nothing but respect for her, as a model of writerly diligence. Women need psychological support—and they get it from Dontsova. I, too, once read several of Dontsova’s novels. Very different people read her. And very busy business ladies, to turn their brains off for a while, and housewives who have a 15–20 minute break between taking the children to the after-school activity and picking them up.” – Galina Yuzefovich, literary critic