A Trail by the Taiga River

The most gripping novels about Stalin’s special forces, known as SMERSH. In 1943 in the Primorye region, parts of a human body are found in a river. It seems a tiger hid its prey in icy water. But a question arises: why is there no clothing on the body if it was the work of a tiger? A few days later, SMERSH captain Nikolai Nazarov detains a suspicious Red Army soldier at the station. The soldier claims that he fell behind the train heading to Khabarovsk, where General Purkaev—recently appointed commander of the Far Eastern Front—is forming his headquarters. Among the documents of the detained man, Nazarov finds a letter on Japanese paper. He begins to suspect that there’s a connection between the found body and this “deserter”—it is part of a Japanese plan to eliminate the Soviet general.

“Death to Spies!” (SMERSH) was a formidable NKVD unit led by I. Stalin, created during the war. It consisted of proven, honest, and courageous officers of the Red Army. SMERSH instilled fear in everyone—from fascist agents to Hitler’s accomplices operating in the rear of the Soviet Union. The enemy knew that if special forces of Stalin were watching him, it was impossible to avoid punishment. The SMERSH series novels—“SMERSH, Stalin’s Special Forces”—offer dynamic plots and new historical facts written in an accessible language. The total circulation of A. Tamonikov’s books exceeds 10 million copies! “A. Tamonikov’s novels are about real heroes for whom valor, honor, and duty are more than just words.” — V. Kolychev