“Racing Against the Vertical” (1974) is one of the most famous works by the Weiner brothers. And yet it is almost unknown: after being adapted for the screen, the novel was partly overshadowed by the film of the same name (1982), starring such popular actors as Andrei Myagkov and Valentin Gaft. In the film, the main focus is largely on the external plot: the story of the confrontation between investigator Stas Tikhonov and thief Lekha Dedushkin, nicknamed Baton. The fight of justice against lawlessness, diligence against idleness, good against evil… Behind this straightforward formula in the book, there live two far from schematic antagonist heroes—with their doubts, despair, and loneliness. Thanks to the dialogic structure of the narration, the authors give equal voice to both sides. Especially interesting is Baton’s image—an intelligent, charming “parasite and outcast” tormenting himself. Readers will also encounter the famous hero from “The Place Cannot Be Changed”—Sharapov, now a lieutenant colonel of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department (MUR).