Somnambulist

October 1898. Petersburg goes mad: a lady chews a squirrel fur hat, a gentleman crows after getting on a counter, and a prison guard shoots a prisoner dead. The suicide of a Security Department official raises particular alarm: he drowned in the very center of the city. Vanzarov is assigned a secret investigation—not only to catch the killer, but also to find the missing Machina Terroris—the Machine of Fear.

A mysterious invention, perhaps, controls people’s actions, turning them into will-less somnambules. To uncover the secret, Vanzarov must look into the darkest depths of hypnosis…

Anton Chizh, in 20 novels, has perhaps created the most beloved historical detective characters for readers: Rodion Vanzarov and Apollon Lebedev, Alexey Pushkin and Agatha Kern. Sharp, dynamic, unpredictable plots unfold against the backdrop of 19th-century Russia. The intrigue keeps you tense until the very last page. In addition to thrilling entertainment, modern readers will find answers to questions that matter today in these detective stories. And of course, every novel includes a great love.

Anton Chizh’s book series has entered the “golden fund” of Russian detective fiction. New release! October 1898. Petersburg goes mad: a lady chews a squirrel fur hat, a gentleman crows after getting on a counter, and a prison guard shoots a prisoner dead. The suicide of a Security Department official raises particular alarm: he drowned in the very center of the city. Vanzarov is assigned a secret investigation—not only to catch the killer, but also to find the missing Machina Terroris—the Machine of Fear. A mysterious invention, perhaps, controls people’s actions, turning them into will-less somnambules. To uncover the secret, Vanzarov must look into the darkest depths of hypnosis…