The Killer and Kilimanjaro

The story of killer Valery Durmanov, who was born not in the right time and not in the right place. Post-crisis Kharkov for the cops—somewhere between Europe and Russia. In the middle of Slobozhanshchyna stands “Kilimanджаро,” a mountain that broadcasts—your treasured height. The Africa of television. The hottest news for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The best hosts are beautiful, smart, or gay. Powerful psychics and criminal authorities. Scandals, intrigue, investigations. After the bread—spectacles: “Six Fingers,” “The Phenomenon Looks for a Wife,” “Dancing by the Stove,” “Homeless Person-2,” “Best Killer in the Country”… Ukrainian and Russian special services breathe down each other’s necks, but there’s a whole million hryvnias on the line. How can you not try? Especially since the host is your wife, Polina Leontyevna, a former teacher of Russian language and literature…

A noir-styled novella with elements of postmodernism, meant to appeal both to readers with an aesthetic sense and to lovers of sharp, high-stakes fiction.