R. N. Morris received accolades from numerous publications, including the Sunday Times, who called this work 'extraordinarily vivid' and 'sophisticated.' This enveloping crime novel ventures into the dark heart of 19thcentury Russia as detective Porfiry Petrovich investigates the poisoning of a doctor's wife and their autistic son. 'Right from the start we are hooked by his storytelling panache . The pungently vivid recreation of pre-Soviet Russia is painted with a master's touch.'-Express