The Wells of the Ancestors

Joanna Chmielewska is a true “queen” of the ironic detective genre: this genre became popular in Russia specifically because of her and influenced an entire generation of contemporary writers. Readers loved her books for their humor, lightness, and the invigorating atmosphere they immerse you in: with Ms. Joanna and her characters, you want to be friends. However, her clever and subtle novels stand far above simple “humorous literature.” They’re full of love and interest in life, of zest and curiosity, and they invariably lift your mood even on the bleakest day. The eccentric family of Ms. Joanna heads out on the road again: somewhere in the Polish wilderness, where their ancestors once lived, a corpse of an unknown person is found—and with it, addresses of our heroes. There’s nothing else to do: they must go to the former family estates, conduct their own investigation, recall half-forgotten family legends, and hope to dig up a treasure. Only someone unknown keeps putting obstacles in their way—trying to reach the treasure before our heroes, and it seems they won’t stop at anything…