The Psychology of Murder

Private detective Tatyana Ivanova, only just back from her vacation in Turkey, takes on a case involving the strange death of the owner of an art gallery and a successful businesswoman. The woman was shot on the grounds of her country home, and a jewelry casket containing valuable ornaments has been stolen from the cottage.

The victim’s mother has no doubts: it was her husband, Vladimir—an eminent psychologist and coach—who is to blame. She believes the motive could have been money or his intention to leave for another woman.

But as the investigation unfolds, Tatyana comes to the conclusion that everything is far more complicated than a routine robbery or a family quarrel. Behind outward well-being lie hidden ties, long-standing envy, and accumulated hatred. Suspicion falls not only on the husband, but also on his closest circle—his friends, whose “loyalty” to Vladimir has long since turned into a dangerous obsession.

Marina Serova is a prominent name in modern Russian detective fiction. She graduated from the Faculty of Law at Moscow State University, worked in the Office of the Prosecutor General, and took part in operational work. The author of numerous fast-paced thrillers, whose total print run exceeds twenty million copies.