Cleopatra with a Parachute

Just when the boss finally went on vacation and Stepanida Kozlova relaxed a little—bam! Right in her home cosmetics boutique “Bak,” where she works as a makeup model, someone stole her beloved purse. Luckily, the loss was quickly found, and the owner had been left only with a cheap trinket—a cheap bracelet. But the bracelet’s lookalike remained: colleague Zina, whose car suddenly exploded right at the gas station, gave it to Stepa in the hospital.

Before dying, the friend begged her with tears not to hand over the trinket to her dear aunt Ira—who also worked at the “Bak” store and managed the shop girls no worse than an army warrant officer. Stepanida complied, and it turned out she did so very, very wrongly. In the evening, they kicked her out of the rented apartment, and in the morning they carried out the body of a girl very much like Stepa… It seems this little bracelet isn’t so simple, and she’s facing real danger!

Daria 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. Daria Dontsova’s detective stories are written in a special manner: besides the most interesting plot, there’s always a subtle humor, a healthy optimism, and an unconditional faith in the triumph of good over evil. That’s all you need for rest, relaxation, and peace of mind. Read Daria Dontsova’s books, and your hearts and souls will be filled with light, optimism, joy, and confidence in the coming day! They will infect you with a desire to live, to enjoy every day, and to believe in the best.

Dontsova is an incredible hard worker! I don’t know any other writer who works as much as she does. I respect her as a model of writerly diligence. Women need psychological support, and they get it from Dontsova. I myself, at one time, read several of Dontsova’s novels. They’re read by very different people. And by very busy business ladies who need to switch their heads off for a while, and by housewives who have a 15–20 minute break between drop-off and pick-up the kids.

Galina Yuzefovich, literary critic: With Dontsova, all the detective “starter” is just a background for revealing characters and relationships between people. There is always an intrigue, and until the very last episode it’s unclear what happens, how, and why. In this sense, the conditions of the genre are absolutely fulfilled. Daria Dontsova, of course, is one of the best.

Dmitry Kharatyan: I started reading a long time ago, and I got hooked! And now I’m reading Dontsova’s novels. I rest with them. Dontsova herself is an intelligent woman; she has gentle humor and not scary plot—everything is positive and full of hope for a good ending. That’s wonderful.
Larisa Udovichenko