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Porfiry Rostnikov #11
Tarnished Icons
Rostnikov uncovers a crime spree with roots in a long-lost Tsarist treasure
[Description]
Porfiry Rostnikov was just a boy when he lobbed a grenade at the Nazi tank, destroying the evil machine and his left leg with it. And after five decades’ dragging his lame leg behind him, the police inspector decides to have the useless limb amputated. The Cold War is over, and as Russia learns to walk again, its finest policeman must do the same.
Meanwhile, a knife-wielding rapist known as the Silent One terrorizes the women of Moscow, and a bloodthirsty gunman begins a campaign to exterminate the city’s Jews. And while investigating this hate-fueled crime wave, Rostnikov uncovers a mystery concerning a murdered baroness and a priceless wolf statue that has been missing since 1862. Moscow is on the verge of a bright new future, but the horrors of this ancient city’s past may mean a return to the dark ages.
[Description]
Porfiry Rostnikov was just a boy when he lobbed a grenade at the Nazi tank, destroying the evil machine and his left leg with it. And after five decades’ dragging his lame leg behind him, the police inspector decides to have the useless limb amputated. The Cold War is over, and as Russia learns to walk again, its finest policeman must do the same.
Meanwhile, a knife-wielding rapist known as the Silent One terrorizes the women of Moscow, and a bloodthirsty gunman begins a campaign to exterminate the city’s Jews. And while investigating this hate-fueled crime wave, Rostnikov uncovers a mystery concerning a murdered baroness and a priceless wolf statue that has been missing since 1862. Moscow is on the verge of a bright new future, but the horrors of this ancient city’s past may mean a return to the dark ages.
277 pages, ebook
First published May 28, 1997
106 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Stuart M. Kaminsky
160 books215 followersStuart M. Kaminsky wrote 50 published novels, 5 biographies, 4 textbooks and 35 short stories. He also has screenwriting credits on four produced films including ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, ENEMY TERRITORY, A WOMAN IN THE WIND and HIDDEN FEARS. He was a past president of the Mystery Writers of America and was nominated for six prestigious Edgar Allen Poe Awards including one for his short story “Snow” in 1999. He won an Edgar for his novel A COLD RED SUNRISE, which was also awarded the Prix De Roman D’Aventure of France. He was nominated for both a Shamus Award and a McCavity Readers Choice Award.
Kaminsky wrote several popular series including those featuring Lew Fonesca, Abraham Lieberman, Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, and Toby Peters. He also wrote two original "Rockford Files " novels. He was the 50th annual recipient of the Grandmaster 2006 for Lifetime Achievement from the Mystery Writers of America.
Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievement award) in 2007.
His nonfiction books including BASIC FILMMAKING, WRITING FOR TELEVISION, AMERICAN FILM GENRES, and biographies of GARY COOPER, CLINT EASTWOOD, JOHN HUSTON and DON SIEGEL. BEHIND THE MYSTERY was published by Hot House Press in 2005 and nominated by Mystery Writers of America for Best Critical/Biographical book in 2006.
Kaminsky held a B.S. in Journalism and an M.A. in English from The University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Speech from Northwestern University where he taught for 16 years before becoming a Professor at Florida State. where he headed the Graduate Conservatory in Film and Television Production. He left Florida State in 1994 to pursue full-time writing.
Kaminsky and his wife, Enid Perll, moved to St. Louis, Missouri in March 2009 to await a liver transplant to treat the hepatitis he contracted as an army medic in the late 1950s in France. He suffered a stroke two days after their arrival in St. Louis, which made him ineligible for a transplant. He died on October 9, 2009.
Kaminsky wrote several popular series including those featuring Lew Fonesca, Abraham Lieberman, Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, and Toby Peters. He also wrote two original "Rockford Files " novels. He was the 50th annual recipient of the Grandmaster 2006 for Lifetime Achievement from the Mystery Writers of America.
Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievement award) in 2007.
His nonfiction books including BASIC FILMMAKING, WRITING FOR TELEVISION, AMERICAN FILM GENRES, and biographies of GARY COOPER, CLINT EASTWOOD, JOHN HUSTON and DON SIEGEL. BEHIND THE MYSTERY was published by Hot House Press in 2005 and nominated by Mystery Writers of America for Best Critical/Biographical book in 2006.
Kaminsky held a B.S. in Journalism and an M.A. in English from The University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Speech from Northwestern University where he taught for 16 years before becoming a Professor at Florida State. where he headed the Graduate Conservatory in Film and Television Production. He left Florida State in 1994 to pursue full-time writing.
Kaminsky and his wife, Enid Perll, moved to St. Louis, Missouri in March 2009 to await a liver transplant to treat the hepatitis he contracted as an army medic in the late 1950s in France. He suffered a stroke two days after their arrival in St. Louis, which made him ineligible for a transplant. He died on October 9, 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 12, 2020
Very happy I decided to try this series - maybe not the brightest move to start at volume 11, but I don't regret it. Excellent writing and characters - the story takes place in modern Moscow and in a setting that is as interesting as it is depressing and sad. Despite this people get by. There are somewhere around 10 stories going on in this book, all well handled and resolved in perhaps a more optimistic way than we would expect. For me, I find the the resolution of the incidents very pleasing and enjoyable - Rostnikov has quite a bit of charm and luck about him. I've grown fond of the characters - all well developed and complex. Highly recommended and I'm looking forward to more reading of the 5 or 6 more volumes I've already downloaded...
November 18, 2022
Um chefe substituído, a perna do inspector Rostnikov deixa de chatear, Josef não pára de pedir a sua amada em casamento e um assunto paralelo tem um final feliz
January 30, 2017
3rd book of this series I've read and it is miles above most formulaic mystery series. Love the characters and setting. Thoroughly enjoyed!
August 6, 2014
Stuart Kaminsky, with this installment in the Rostinkov series, begins linking the volumes closer together. The previous book saw Karpo lose his lover and Rostinkov build a friendship with FBI agent Craig Hamilton.
Hamilton makes a reappearance in this volume, and one in a way I had not expected. Rostinov had long had a crippled leg. Thanks to Hamilton's influence and contacts, even in Russia, Rostinkov now has a modern artificial leg. Karpo, the man who refuses emotion, is trying to deal with Mathilde's death.
While the Office of Special Investigations receive a new commander the political stakes have risen. In part because Jews are being murdered in Moscow.
Rostinkov continues his development as the philosophical policeman whom as he ages cares more and more about people than their criminal actions. The supporting cast remains intriguing, or at the worst interesting.
Give the books, especially the later installments in the series, a read.
Hamilton makes a reappearance in this volume, and one in a way I had not expected. Rostinov had long had a crippled leg. Thanks to Hamilton's influence and contacts, even in Russia, Rostinkov now has a modern artificial leg. Karpo, the man who refuses emotion, is trying to deal with Mathilde's death.
While the Office of Special Investigations receive a new commander the political stakes have risen. In part because Jews are being murdered in Moscow.
Rostinkov continues his development as the philosophical policeman whom as he ages cares more and more about people than their criminal actions. The supporting cast remains intriguing, or at the worst interesting.
Give the books, especially the later installments in the series, a read.
July 9, 2024
A BRILLIANT POLICE PROCEDURAL SET IN 1996 MOSCOW
As a history buff, I turn to historical fiction with relish. And even though I’m familiar with Soviet and later Russian history, I find that the Stuart Kaminsky mystery novels invariably bring me new information and new insight. His series of Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov police procedurals span the eventful thirty-year period from the days of Leonid Brezhnev to those of Vladimir Putin, and every book adds to my understanding of the realities of Russian life then. Of course, the fact that the books are all skillfully written and suspenseful mysteries is the greater reward. And the eleventh novel in the series, Tarnished Icons, repeats the formula Kaminsky applies so very well, offering three cleverly crafted and revealing mysteries in one.
AN EXPANDED INVESTIGATIVE TEAM, WITH A MASSIVE CRIME WAVE UNDERWAY
The year is 1996, and Chief Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov and his colleagues in the Office of Special Investigations are facing major changes in their work and their lives. Their boss, Colonel Snitkonoy, the Gray Wolfhound, is gone. Now promoted to general, he’s become head of security for the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. And replacing him is Colonel Igor Yakovlev, formerly of the KGB, and Rostnikov’s long-time adversary. Meanwhile, Rostnikov’s ex-soldier son, Iosif, has joined Inspectors Emil Karpo, Sasha Tkach, and Yelena Timofeyeva on the team—and Iosif and Yelena are secretly dating. Karpo, known as the Tartar or the Vampire for his cadaverous and threatening appearance, has lost his Thursday lover but may be gaining another. All the while, Russian society is disintegrating before their eyes. Boris Yeltsin is rarely sober, corruption is rampant, and a massive crime wave is underway in Moscow.
THREE BAFFLING AND CONSEQUENTIAL MYSTERIES
As usual, Rostnikov and his team take on the highest-profile cases. That’s their role in the Office of Special Investigations. And this time around they’re involved in work that may surface in the headlines if they can’t succeed in keeping them under wraps. Someone is killing Moscow’s Jews. Four have turned up dead on the riverfront. A serial rapist is running amok, assaulting women young and old. And a madman is imitating the Unabomber. He’s on an insane quest to force Russia to abandon nuclear power and nuclear weapons. And, to complicate matters, an invaluable Tsarist treasure has been stolen. Any one of these cases could prove embarrassing for the Russian government if not solved quickly. So, as is the practice, the boss—now the surprisingly supportive Colonel Yakovlev—divides them into teams of two to pursue the three cases independently. And each will prove very challenging, indeed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Goodreads notes that “Stuart M. Kaminsky wrote 50 published novels, 5 biographies, 4 textbooks and 35 short stories. He also has screenwriting credits on four produced films. He was a past president of the Mystery Writers of America and was nominated for six prestigious Edgar Allen Poe Awards, [and] he won an Edgar for his novel, A Cold Red Sunrise, which was also awarded the Prix De Roman D’Aventure of France.” That novel was an earlier entry in the Porfiry Rostnikov series.
For what it’s worth, the Porfiry Rostnikov books are not technically historical fiction. Kaminsky wrote them contemporaneously, with each depicting conditions and events in Russia only a year or two before its publication date.
Kaminsky was born in Chicago in 1934 and passed away in St. Louis in 2009 at the age of 75. He was survived by four children and three grandchildren.
As a history buff, I turn to historical fiction with relish. And even though I’m familiar with Soviet and later Russian history, I find that the Stuart Kaminsky mystery novels invariably bring me new information and new insight. His series of Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov police procedurals span the eventful thirty-year period from the days of Leonid Brezhnev to those of Vladimir Putin, and every book adds to my understanding of the realities of Russian life then. Of course, the fact that the books are all skillfully written and suspenseful mysteries is the greater reward. And the eleventh novel in the series, Tarnished Icons, repeats the formula Kaminsky applies so very well, offering three cleverly crafted and revealing mysteries in one.
AN EXPANDED INVESTIGATIVE TEAM, WITH A MASSIVE CRIME WAVE UNDERWAY
The year is 1996, and Chief Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov and his colleagues in the Office of Special Investigations are facing major changes in their work and their lives. Their boss, Colonel Snitkonoy, the Gray Wolfhound, is gone. Now promoted to general, he’s become head of security for the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. And replacing him is Colonel Igor Yakovlev, formerly of the KGB, and Rostnikov’s long-time adversary. Meanwhile, Rostnikov’s ex-soldier son, Iosif, has joined Inspectors Emil Karpo, Sasha Tkach, and Yelena Timofeyeva on the team—and Iosif and Yelena are secretly dating. Karpo, known as the Tartar or the Vampire for his cadaverous and threatening appearance, has lost his Thursday lover but may be gaining another. All the while, Russian society is disintegrating before their eyes. Boris Yeltsin is rarely sober, corruption is rampant, and a massive crime wave is underway in Moscow.
THREE BAFFLING AND CONSEQUENTIAL MYSTERIES
As usual, Rostnikov and his team take on the highest-profile cases. That’s their role in the Office of Special Investigations. And this time around they’re involved in work that may surface in the headlines if they can’t succeed in keeping them under wraps. Someone is killing Moscow’s Jews. Four have turned up dead on the riverfront. A serial rapist is running amok, assaulting women young and old. And a madman is imitating the Unabomber. He’s on an insane quest to force Russia to abandon nuclear power and nuclear weapons. And, to complicate matters, an invaluable Tsarist treasure has been stolen. Any one of these cases could prove embarrassing for the Russian government if not solved quickly. So, as is the practice, the boss—now the surprisingly supportive Colonel Yakovlev—divides them into teams of two to pursue the three cases independently. And each will prove very challenging, indeed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Goodreads notes that “Stuart M. Kaminsky wrote 50 published novels, 5 biographies, 4 textbooks and 35 short stories. He also has screenwriting credits on four produced films. He was a past president of the Mystery Writers of America and was nominated for six prestigious Edgar Allen Poe Awards, [and] he won an Edgar for his novel, A Cold Red Sunrise, which was also awarded the Prix De Roman D’Aventure of France.” That novel was an earlier entry in the Porfiry Rostnikov series.
For what it’s worth, the Porfiry Rostnikov books are not technically historical fiction. Kaminsky wrote them contemporaneously, with each depicting conditions and events in Russia only a year or two before its publication date.
Kaminsky was born in Chicago in 1934 and passed away in St. Louis in 2009 at the age of 75. He was survived by four children and three grandchildren.
June 6, 2019
During a 2-week Road Scholar tour of Russia, I started reading (and in some cases, rereading) many of the books in this series. I had always liked the series and the ensemble of characters, but visiting Russia in 2019 put it into a whole new light. I would love to know where Kaminsky gets his information--he must have some very close connections in Russia. You can read this book on two levels: as a colorful and suspenseful police procedural or as a commentary on 20th century Russia. I've done it both ways now and loved every minute. Here are two quotes:
Karpo now had little faith that the people had the ability to escape centuries of corrupt survival under any system. Capitalism was not the savior. It was only another facade behind which the weak and uncommitted—almost everyone—could hide.
Russians eat ice cream in spite of the weather. It is a love, a need, an obsession that poets, psychiatrists, philosophers, and writers of novels have been at a loss to explain. Old men have been known to get into fights in near zero weather while waiting in line for an ice-cream cone.
The first is a thoughtful commentary on the disastrous effects of a brutal and corrupt form of capitalism in Russia, while the second is a trivial but delightful observation about food. Both offer invaluable insights. During the course of my trip, I've been binge reading the series--can't stop!
Karpo now had little faith that the people had the ability to escape centuries of corrupt survival under any system. Capitalism was not the savior. It was only another facade behind which the weak and uncommitted—almost everyone—could hide.
Russians eat ice cream in spite of the weather. It is a love, a need, an obsession that poets, psychiatrists, philosophers, and writers of novels have been at a loss to explain. Old men have been known to get into fights in near zero weather while waiting in line for an ice-cream cone.
The first is a thoughtful commentary on the disastrous effects of a brutal and corrupt form of capitalism in Russia, while the second is a trivial but delightful observation about food. Both offer invaluable insights. During the course of my trip, I've been binge reading the series--can't stop!
July 5, 2021
PorfiryPetrovic is one of my favorite detectives, and I have enjoyed his continuing adventures in the new Russia. I only have a few more of these left and I am going to take my time in finishing this series, as Kaminsky is no longer around to write any more. It would be nice if his estate could find someone to take over the series.
August 27, 2019
Inspector Rostnikov as becoming one o m favorite detectives. He is subtle, highly intelligent and has a passion for plumbing. In the unstable environment of early soviet Russia he is a beacon of hope.
May 19, 2021
Porfiry and Company catch all the bad guys and/or take them down in the now capitalist Russia that never fully moves away from its ancient past. Reading a series, Kaminsky is able to develop his characters, making them complex, sometimes complicated, and empathetic, except for maybe Lydia :)
March 25, 2018
Good mystery
June 12, 2019
i really enjoyed this book. This series about police officers in Moscow gets better with each book.
November 23, 2021
I love the Washtub series!! Such an endearing Russian, moralistic character.
July 4, 2022
This is the 11th in a series of procedural police novels by Stuart Kaminsky. The main character is Porfiry Rostnikov. He supervises five detectives and they generally investigate 3 crimes per novel. This one starts out with the investigation of a rapist, the murder of Jews and a mail bomber. The stories are satisfying and the characters are likable. The detectives lives evolve as the crimes are solved. This is one of my favorite series.
July 28, 2016
Where some of the stories have left you shaking your head, feeling that the characters have been let down, this one leaves you smiling. The mystery of life during that time for a police officer was anything but rewarding, yet our team finally comes out with some good for them in the end. Good reading, interesting and educational with sorrow and happiness mixed in.
November 20, 2011
Loved it.
December 27, 2014
OK, but a little too much of the same old formula.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews