The events take place in 1848–1850 in the independent California Republic in the midst of the «gold rush» that began in 1848. The plot is built around an investigation of a series of terrifyingly brutal murders committed by a mysterious Black Devil. However, «Gold Underfoot» is not only a classic detective story—it’s also an adventure novel where the investigation runs alongside a host of daring events.
Do you still remember the pure delight you felt when you read Fenimore Cooper and Mayne Reid for the first time? Of course, you think those sensations can’t be brought back. But actually, they can. Sometimes they return. In «Gold Underfoot» you’ll find everything that captivated us as children—Indians, scouts, trappers, pirates, terrifying American bandits, gold prospectors, and even a mystical impure force…
And, moreover, it’s written in a modern dynamic Russian style.