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Kyiv Mysteries / Samson und Nadjeschda #2
The Stolen Heart
In the follow-up to The Silver Bone, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2024, Samson Kolechko must rescue his kidnapped fiancée while investigating the illegal sale of meat in lawless 1920s Kyiv— based on a real-life case.
Samson Kolechko and his colleague have been dispatched to investigate the illegal sale of meat. How selling cuts of one’s own livestock qualifies as a crime eludes the young investigator, but an order is an order, and, at the insistence of the secret police officer assigned to “reinforce” the Lybid police station, Samson vows to do his very best.
But just as Samson is beginning to dig into the very meat of this case, his live-in fiancée Nadezhda is abducted by striking railway workers who object to the census she's carrying out. Complicating matters, the police station has been infiltrated by a mysterious thief, a deadly tram accident—which may have been premeditated—disrupts the city, and, to top it all, the culprit from Samson’s “silver bone” investigation may have resurfaced.
Against this backdrop, it’s no wonder the “meat case” takes a backseat. Yet, despite the rising danger, the detective cannot let himself be distracted from his dogged pursuit of the seemingly mundane matter of the meat sellers, for ultimately his fate, and Nadezhda's too, rests on it.
Translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk
Samson Kolechko and his colleague have been dispatched to investigate the illegal sale of meat. How selling cuts of one’s own livestock qualifies as a crime eludes the young investigator, but an order is an order, and, at the insistence of the secret police officer assigned to “reinforce” the Lybid police station, Samson vows to do his very best.
But just as Samson is beginning to dig into the very meat of this case, his live-in fiancée Nadezhda is abducted by striking railway workers who object to the census she's carrying out. Complicating matters, the police station has been infiltrated by a mysterious thief, a deadly tram accident—which may have been premeditated—disrupts the city, and, to top it all, the culprit from Samson’s “silver bone” investigation may have resurfaced.
Against this backdrop, it’s no wonder the “meat case” takes a backseat. Yet, despite the rising danger, the detective cannot let himself be distracted from his dogged pursuit of the seemingly mundane matter of the meat sellers, for ultimately his fate, and Nadezhda's too, rests on it.
Translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk
320 pages, Hardcover
First published December 23, 2021
3150 people want to read
About the author
Andrey Kurkov
73 books828 followersAndrey Kurkov is a Russian and Ukrainian writer who writes in Russian (fiction) and Ukrainian (non-fiction).
Kurkov was born in the small town of Budogoszcz, Russia, on April 23, 1961. When he was young, his family moved to Kyiv, Ukraine. In 1983 Kurkov graduated from the Kyiv Pedagogical Academy of Foreign Languages and later also completed a training in Japanese translation.
Among Kurkov's most famous Russian novels are 'Smert postoronnego' (1996, translated into English in 2001 under the title 'Death and the Penguin') and 'Zakon ulitki' (2002, translated into English in 2005 as 'Penguin lost)'. Kurkov's only Ukrainian non-fiction book is 'Ruh "Emanus": istoriya solidarnosti' (2017).
Kurkov was born in the small town of Budogoszcz, Russia, on April 23, 1961. When he was young, his family moved to Kyiv, Ukraine. In 1983 Kurkov graduated from the Kyiv Pedagogical Academy of Foreign Languages and later also completed a training in Japanese translation.
Among Kurkov's most famous Russian novels are 'Smert postoronnego' (1996, translated into English in 2001 under the title 'Death and the Penguin') and 'Zakon ulitki' (2002, translated into English in 2005 as 'Penguin lost)'. Kurkov's only Ukrainian non-fiction book is 'Ruh "Emanus": istoriya solidarnosti' (2017).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 18, 2025
3.5. Book 2 of Kurkov's 'Kyiv Mysteries' (my review of book one is here); I think much of what I said in that review holds true for the second instalment: 'oddball characters, subtle surrealism (in this case, Samson can still hear out of his severed ear, wherever he chooses to leave it), readable, but listlessly plotless.' Once again the 'mystery' of the second book (a 'meat' case, which takes all 300 odd pages) consists of our poor Samson trying to work out who is buying and selling illegal meats (because, yes, it is now illegal). He gets closer to his lady friend and his doctor friend and his ex-priest friend. Most of the time it feels as if the plot isn't running in a forwards direction, but perhaps sideways. This can be Kurkov's downfall, like with Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv, but here he pulls it off again. It gives me Doyle vibes. Cosy, even wholesome, despite the murder and revolution. After all, Kurkov says of it,
And this comes through. Even in war, with his wry sense of humour, hope can be found.
After all, I had as little control now over the fate of Ukraine — which is also my homeland — as Samson had in 1919... It was oddly reassuring to cling to Samson as he did his best to find his way through the fog of war and revolution.
And this comes through. Even in war, with his wry sense of humour, hope can be found.
February 23, 2025
The second book in this quite unique series of books set in Kyiv following the aftermath and necessary adjustment after the Soviet revolution.
The book is character driven with eccentric situations and black humour throughout. The confusion of the unfolding drama for the people and their renunciation of the tsarist system is cleverly drawn out. With the fear of different factions, of waging bandits and competing regimes for influence over the capital and surrounding countryside, the novel approaches the nascent republic with comic touches.
The confusion is increased in the books approach to the mysteries our protagonist, Samson, as a criminal investigator undertaken at the state’s police station. Each book to date adds additional uncertainty for the reader, as in the epilogue we meet unspecified characters ‘investigating’ Samson himself, in an almost beneficial style but authoritarian manner.
These growth pains reflects the evolving struggle for nationhood and the enduring strength of its people. Samson is a bright and sincere role model stuck between the old and the new, trying to be a good policeman and a loyal husband and friend.
I love the light-hearted approach to the story. These are written with fictional licence but within a historical context that is fascinating and entertaining. The story telling is gently revealing and maintains interest throughout. I enjoyed the backdrop of Kyiv and its street life, the struggle for the basic needs of life and the good fortune needed to avoid conflict, conscription or death.
At times, I feel the criminal investigations, the lack of justice and various power struggles seem nonsensical but as this is my second book in this series I think you have to set normal police procedural reading aside. I think they are stories within the development of an idealism that wasn’t fully evolved upon birth. They are more like parables that reflect the evils and corruption prevalent. Illustrations of the struggle necessary to bring about a profound revolution and prepares us for why atrocities happened and large scale purges and the genocide that occurred.
What is doesn’t do is call out the population; there is no judgment of personality or prejudice of race and creed. Rather it champions the integrity of the Ukrainian people and the wider population coalescing into a common future.
For this reason these are quite different books. Full of ideas, wonderful language and memorable imagery. This was a satisfying read that left me moved, thrilled but with an enduring smile on my face.
The book is character driven with eccentric situations and black humour throughout. The confusion of the unfolding drama for the people and their renunciation of the tsarist system is cleverly drawn out. With the fear of different factions, of waging bandits and competing regimes for influence over the capital and surrounding countryside, the novel approaches the nascent republic with comic touches.
The confusion is increased in the books approach to the mysteries our protagonist, Samson, as a criminal investigator undertaken at the state’s police station. Each book to date adds additional uncertainty for the reader, as in the epilogue we meet unspecified characters ‘investigating’ Samson himself, in an almost beneficial style but authoritarian manner.
These growth pains reflects the evolving struggle for nationhood and the enduring strength of its people. Samson is a bright and sincere role model stuck between the old and the new, trying to be a good policeman and a loyal husband and friend.
I love the light-hearted approach to the story. These are written with fictional licence but within a historical context that is fascinating and entertaining. The story telling is gently revealing and maintains interest throughout. I enjoyed the backdrop of Kyiv and its street life, the struggle for the basic needs of life and the good fortune needed to avoid conflict, conscription or death.
At times, I feel the criminal investigations, the lack of justice and various power struggles seem nonsensical but as this is my second book in this series I think you have to set normal police procedural reading aside. I think they are stories within the development of an idealism that wasn’t fully evolved upon birth. They are more like parables that reflect the evils and corruption prevalent. Illustrations of the struggle necessary to bring about a profound revolution and prepares us for why atrocities happened and large scale purges and the genocide that occurred.
What is doesn’t do is call out the population; there is no judgment of personality or prejudice of race and creed. Rather it champions the integrity of the Ukrainian people and the wider population coalescing into a common future.
For this reason these are quite different books. Full of ideas, wonderful language and memorable imagery. This was a satisfying read that left me moved, thrilled but with an enduring smile on my face.
June 3, 2025
**A big thanks to NetGalley, and HarperAudio Adult for this audiobook ARC, this in no way affects my honest, and unbiased review**
I'm sure 'ear hole' sounds way more poetic in the original Russian, but in English, it was a bit much. Plus the dude held onto the ear for a long time, and somehow it was still good and didn't smell too bad, but still, I might be missing the symbolism behind the ear, or maybe the dude just really likes his unattached ear. Who really knows.
This is book 2, and I feel like it did a very good job of going from book 1 to 2. I did read them very close to each other time wise, but I feel like you'd be fine if there is a great amount of time passing between reading 1 and 2.
There were what felt like many storylines happening at the same time. You had the meat case, the abduction, the war is still going on, a mole in the police, some major public accident, it was a lot to keep track of.
Overall, not bad, decent 2nd book.
I'm sure 'ear hole' sounds way more poetic in the original Russian, but in English, it was a bit much. Plus the dude held onto the ear for a long time, and somehow it was still good and didn't smell too bad, but still, I might be missing the symbolism behind the ear, or maybe the dude just really likes his unattached ear. Who really knows.
This is book 2, and I feel like it did a very good job of going from book 1 to 2. I did read them very close to each other time wise, but I feel like you'd be fine if there is a great amount of time passing between reading 1 and 2.
There were what felt like many storylines happening at the same time. You had the meat case, the abduction, the war is still going on, a mole in the police, some major public accident, it was a lot to keep track of.
Overall, not bad, decent 2nd book.
May 18, 2025
3.5*
Antra "Kyiv Mysteries" dalis man patiko labiau. Gal, kad jau žinojau ko tikėtis iš šios serijos.
'Mysteries' čia yra labiau paslaptys, nei detektyvai. Nors ir yra labai ryškūs detektyvo elementai: pagrindinis herojus - šviežiai iškeptas kriminalistas ir jo su kolega vykdomas "nusikaltimų" tyrimas. Tačiau tai labiau istoriniai romanai apie pirmuosius porevoliucinius Kyjivo metus. Apie tą chaosą tvyravusį tuomet ir paprastų miesto gyventojų bandymą išgyventi ir prisitaikyti prie jo.
Antra "Kyiv Mysteries" dalis man patiko labiau. Gal, kad jau žinojau ko tikėtis iš šios serijos.
'Mysteries' čia yra labiau paslaptys, nei detektyvai. Nors ir yra labai ryškūs detektyvo elementai: pagrindinis herojus - šviežiai iškeptas kriminalistas ir jo su kolega vykdomas "nusikaltimų" tyrimas. Tačiau tai labiau istoriniai romanai apie pirmuosius porevoliucinius Kyjivo metus. Apie tą chaosą tvyravusį tuomet ir paprastų miesto gyventojų bandymą išgyventi ir prisitaikyti prie jo.
March 16, 2025
Ich schätze Andrej Kurkow sehr. Seine Berichte und Bücher zum russischen Angriffskrieg auf die Ukraine sind eindrucksvoll, seine politische Expertise dazu ist unbestritten. Seine pointierten und stets humanistischen Beobachtungen sind wichtig für den Diskurs.
Auch die Romane, die ich von ihm gelesen habe, haben mir bislang immer gut gefallen. Das ist jetzt leider der erste Ausreißer. Durch den zweiten Samson-Teil musste ich mich regelrecht durchquälen, die folgenden Bücher dieser Reihe werde ich wohl auslassen.
Auch die Romane, die ich von ihm gelesen habe, haben mir bislang immer gut gefallen. Das ist jetzt leider der erste Ausreißer. Durch den zweiten Samson-Teil musste ich mich regelrecht durchquälen, die folgenden Bücher dieser Reihe werde ich wohl auslassen.
May 12, 2025
I began reading Andrey Kurkov's mystery novels with Death and the Penguin, and absolutely brilliant melange of both mystery and absurdism. Since then, I've been keeping my eyes open for more of his work. The Stolen Heart is the second of Kurkov's Kyiv mysteries, set in post-WWI Ukraine, when the country was being roiled by a number of factions—from aristocratic to socialist and everything in between. I enjoyed the first Kyiv mystery, but also thought that Kurkov seemed to be feeling his way into this new time period (most of his works are set relatively close to our current time), and I very much was looking forward to seeing how the series would develop in the next volume.
The Stolen Heart did not disappoint. Samson Kolechko, the central character, is a former engineer turned police detective, still relatively new in this second profession. At this point, the Soviets are the most powerful of the factions roiling Ukraine—and, as a result, life in the capital city is quickly changing in multiple ways. New laws intended to "equalize" the city's populace are quickly cropping up; the most recent of these prohibits the private sale of meat. Kolchenko is assigned to investigate a "murder" that turns out to be the slaughter of a pig. Thus, it becomes a complicated case of illegal selling of meat that involves not just the seller, but a wide collection of individuals to whom the meat has been sold.
There's a great deal beyond the meat-sale case, but I don't want to summarize any more: part of what makes Khurkov's writing so delightful is the way the absurd and the magical come into play. What starts as a single plot line spins out in multiple directions.
These mysteries are most definitely not "cozy," but they also don't deal in gratuitous violence. The central mystery is puzzling, both in its own right and in the context of a rapidly society. There's also a strong cast of supporting characters Kolchenko's fiance, a statistician; an eye doctor who is regularly called on to treat non-optometrical conditions; a former priest who has has also joined the police and works alongside Kolchenko. The city of kyiv is also a character in its own right.
If you enjoy mysteries, particularly those both taking place in interesting historical/cultural periods and exploding some of the conventions of the genre, you will find The Stolen Heart deeply enjoyable.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
The Stolen Heart did not disappoint. Samson Kolechko, the central character, is a former engineer turned police detective, still relatively new in this second profession. At this point, the Soviets are the most powerful of the factions roiling Ukraine—and, as a result, life in the capital city is quickly changing in multiple ways. New laws intended to "equalize" the city's populace are quickly cropping up; the most recent of these prohibits the private sale of meat. Kolchenko is assigned to investigate a "murder" that turns out to be the slaughter of a pig. Thus, it becomes a complicated case of illegal selling of meat that involves not just the seller, but a wide collection of individuals to whom the meat has been sold.
There's a great deal beyond the meat-sale case, but I don't want to summarize any more: part of what makes Khurkov's writing so delightful is the way the absurd and the magical come into play. What starts as a single plot line spins out in multiple directions.
These mysteries are most definitely not "cozy," but they also don't deal in gratuitous violence. The central mystery is puzzling, both in its own right and in the context of a rapidly society. There's also a strong cast of supporting characters Kolchenko's fiance, a statistician; an eye doctor who is regularly called on to treat non-optometrical conditions; a former priest who has has also joined the police and works alongside Kolchenko. The city of kyiv is also a character in its own right.
If you enjoy mysteries, particularly those both taking place in interesting historical/cultural periods and exploding some of the conventions of the genre, you will find The Stolen Heart deeply enjoyable.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
August 5, 2025
When start reading, I realized it is book 2. I didn’t read book 1, but I feel that this story can be stand alone. The main character is the same, also the settings, but story is different.
The story was very fun to read, and it took me by surprise. I liked the historical context, the situation in Kiev at the time of investigation, street life. And yes, some situations sounds very unpleasant. But from other side there are lot of sarcasm put in this mystery-investigation story, and you keep reading with a smile on the face.
3.5/5 ⭐️ .
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for free audiobook.
The story was very fun to read, and it took me by surprise. I liked the historical context, the situation in Kiev at the time of investigation, street life. And yes, some situations sounds very unpleasant. But from other side there are lot of sarcasm put in this mystery-investigation story, and you keep reading with a smile on the face.
3.5/5 ⭐️ .
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for free audiobook.
December 16, 2023
Zweiter Teil der Samson Reihe. Diesmal geht es um Fleischbetrug. Faszinierend, wie Kurkow es versteht, die Situation in Kiew 1918 am Beginn der russischen Revolution, noch ist alles unklar, aber die Rotarmisten und Tschekisten haben das Ruder an sich gerissen, zu beschreiben und daraus eine Krimihandlung, die unaufgeregt daherkommt, zu gestalten, mit dem Hauptermittler Samson, seinem Koermittler Cholodny und dem Chef der Truppe Najden.
Dazu eine fast platonische Liebesgeschichte zwischen Samson und Nadeschdja.
Witzig die Idee, dass das in einer Dose aufbewahrte abgeschlagene Ohr Samsons für Samson sozusagen eine Wanze ist, weil es Stimmen aus den Zimmern, in denen es aufbewahrt ist an Samson überträgt.
Da wieder eine Fortsetzung folgen könnte, bin ich schon gespannt.
Dazu eine fast platonische Liebesgeschichte zwischen Samson und Nadeschdja.
Witzig die Idee, dass das in einer Dose aufbewahrte abgeschlagene Ohr Samsons für Samson sozusagen eine Wanze ist, weil es Stimmen aus den Zimmern, in denen es aufbewahrt ist an Samson überträgt.
Da wieder eine Fortsetzung folgen könnte, bin ich schon gespannt.
September 24, 2023
Andrej Kurkow ist einer meiner Lieblingsautoren. Sein typisch trockener Schreibstil zusammen mit einem meist leicht skurrilen Plot – liebe ich einfach. Logisch also, dass ich seinen neuen Roman »Samson und das gestohlene Herz« lesen musste.
Es handelt sich hierbei um die Fortsetzung von dem Roman »Samson und Nadjeschda«, dessen deutsche Übersetzung letztes Jahr erschienen ist. Wie auch der erste Teil, spielt dieser Roman in Kiew in den Jahren 1919 und 1920. Ich empfehle euch, wirklich mit dem ersten Teil zu beginnen – ich werdet sonst maximal verwirrt sein, trust me!
Der Protagonist Samson, der mehr oder weniger durch einen Zufall Polizist geworden ist, muss nun seinen nächsten Fall lösen. Es geht um Mord. Getötet wurden jedoch keine Menschen sondern Tiere. Das Pikante: Der freie Handel mit Fleisch wurde vor Kurzem verboten. Dieser Fall stellt das Rechtsempfinden von Samson schnell auf eine harte Probe.
Wir haben hier den Kurkow-typischen Schreibstil – eine unaufgeregte, trockene Sprache – dazu einen unkonventionellen Plot, versehen mit kuriosen Details👂🏻
Das Setting von Kurkows Romanen gefällt mir immer sehr. Die Auseinandersetzung mit den historischen Ereignissen in Kiew und der Ukraine in den Jahren 1919 und 1920 sind detailreich und authentisch dargestellt. Ein gewisses Geschichtsverständnis ist für das Leseerlebnis auf jeden Fall von Vorteil. Dennoch habe ich einige Zeit gebraucht, um in die Geschichte reinzukommen. Ich fühlte mich in den Plot reingeworfen, hatte Schwierigkeiten mit den Charakteren und auch nach Beenden des Romans empfinde ich die Story als sehr ausbaufähig und teils langatmig.
Auch wenn mich sein neustes Werk leider nicht überzeugen konnte, werde ich weiterhin Fangirl sein und auch in Zukunft wohl jedes Buch von Kurkow lesen müssen, I can’t help it 🤷🏼♀️ Wenn ihr Lust habt, euch mal an Kurkow heranzuwagen, würde ich immer »Graue Bienen« oder »Picknick auf dem Eis« empfehlen!
Aus dem Russischen von Johanna Marx und Claudia Zecher.
Es handelt sich hierbei um die Fortsetzung von dem Roman »Samson und Nadjeschda«, dessen deutsche Übersetzung letztes Jahr erschienen ist. Wie auch der erste Teil, spielt dieser Roman in Kiew in den Jahren 1919 und 1920. Ich empfehle euch, wirklich mit dem ersten Teil zu beginnen – ich werdet sonst maximal verwirrt sein, trust me!
Der Protagonist Samson, der mehr oder weniger durch einen Zufall Polizist geworden ist, muss nun seinen nächsten Fall lösen. Es geht um Mord. Getötet wurden jedoch keine Menschen sondern Tiere. Das Pikante: Der freie Handel mit Fleisch wurde vor Kurzem verboten. Dieser Fall stellt das Rechtsempfinden von Samson schnell auf eine harte Probe.
Wir haben hier den Kurkow-typischen Schreibstil – eine unaufgeregte, trockene Sprache – dazu einen unkonventionellen Plot, versehen mit kuriosen Details👂🏻
Das Setting von Kurkows Romanen gefällt mir immer sehr. Die Auseinandersetzung mit den historischen Ereignissen in Kiew und der Ukraine in den Jahren 1919 und 1920 sind detailreich und authentisch dargestellt. Ein gewisses Geschichtsverständnis ist für das Leseerlebnis auf jeden Fall von Vorteil. Dennoch habe ich einige Zeit gebraucht, um in die Geschichte reinzukommen. Ich fühlte mich in den Plot reingeworfen, hatte Schwierigkeiten mit den Charakteren und auch nach Beenden des Romans empfinde ich die Story als sehr ausbaufähig und teils langatmig.
Auch wenn mich sein neustes Werk leider nicht überzeugen konnte, werde ich weiterhin Fangirl sein und auch in Zukunft wohl jedes Buch von Kurkow lesen müssen, I can’t help it 🤷🏼♀️ Wenn ihr Lust habt, euch mal an Kurkow heranzuwagen, würde ich immer »Graue Bienen« oder »Picknick auf dem Eis« empfehlen!
Aus dem Russischen von Johanna Marx und Claudia Zecher.
March 13, 2024
Suite de la fresque de Kiev en 1919. Les mêmes personnages que dans "L'oreille de Kiev", avec quelques nouvelles figures pittoresques, un prêtre qui ne croit pas en Dieu, un chef de clan chinois, un tchékiste sanguinaire, et d'autres. Tous portraits brossés par le romancier-peintre Andreï Kourkov, un génie du détail dans ses descriptions de vêtements (on le croirait tailleur de métier), des rues, maisons, marchés, des senteurs de la cuisine de l'époque et du lieu, écoeurantes souvent à en vomir, oreilles de porc séchées, viandes hyper-faisandées, bouillies infâmes.
Une foultitude de détails -ça me rappelle Robert Sabatier et sa sage entamée par "Les allumettes suédoises", dans le Paris de 1930 et des 15 années suivantes. Similitude: peu d'actions significatives mais la vie du moment disséquée dans les moindres détails. Kourkov fait de même: son Kiev dramatique de 1919, qui voit le communisme s'implanter, se développer, avec tous ses travers, sa police politique toute puissante -plus de tribunaux, la police fixe les verdicts, les peines, totalement disproportionnées pour des faits anodins -un petit trafic de viande- Kourkov l'évoque et fustige les diktats d'un pouvoir immoral et corrompu (évoquant inévitablement la dictature de 2024 en Russie), mais il privilégie la vie quotidienne dans cet enfer. Avec ses personnages, certains tentant de respecter des valeurs acquises, mais affichant aussi lâcheté et questionnements, plusieurs jouissant du pouvoir absolu né de leurs multiples tampons d'une bureaucratie dictatrice, et dans le décor une Nadjeda magnifique dans sa pureté de révolutionnaire idéaliste.
Une saga toute simple, une telle virtuosité dans sa peinture que je n'ai jamais eu le réflexe de sauter une seule ligne dans ce récit virtuose. Même si, oui, parfois, c'est un peu long.
Une foultitude de détails -ça me rappelle Robert Sabatier et sa sage entamée par "Les allumettes suédoises", dans le Paris de 1930 et des 15 années suivantes. Similitude: peu d'actions significatives mais la vie du moment disséquée dans les moindres détails. Kourkov fait de même: son Kiev dramatique de 1919, qui voit le communisme s'implanter, se développer, avec tous ses travers, sa police politique toute puissante -plus de tribunaux, la police fixe les verdicts, les peines, totalement disproportionnées pour des faits anodins -un petit trafic de viande- Kourkov l'évoque et fustige les diktats d'un pouvoir immoral et corrompu (évoquant inévitablement la dictature de 2024 en Russie), mais il privilégie la vie quotidienne dans cet enfer. Avec ses personnages, certains tentant de respecter des valeurs acquises, mais affichant aussi lâcheté et questionnements, plusieurs jouissant du pouvoir absolu né de leurs multiples tampons d'une bureaucratie dictatrice, et dans le décor une Nadjeda magnifique dans sa pureté de révolutionnaire idéaliste.
Une saga toute simple, une telle virtuosité dans sa peinture que je n'ai jamais eu le réflexe de sauter une seule ligne dans ce récit virtuose. Même si, oui, parfois, c'est un peu long.
July 4, 2025
Loved the satire on the Soviet Union, but overall it fell short and was a rather boring read. I haven't read anything else by Kurkov, and I know other books were received well, so I hope they won't disappoint me in the future.
February 6, 2025
J'aime toujours autant l'atmosphère de cette série de romans. Par contre, en l'achetant je pensais que ce tome marquait le point final de l'intrigue, alors que manifestement un troisième épisode nous attend !
May 28, 2025
I've come to think that marketing the Kyiv Mysteries series as crime fiction/detective books sets up readers for disappointment. I thought the "mystery" in the series' first book The Silver Bone was interesting at first, but ended up a bit of a damp squib. In this book, there really is no mystery, just a minor crime that keeps getting in the way of the rest of the story.
I think these books read better as a mix of historical fiction and commentary on a bureaucracy that starts off as absurd in The Silver Bone and becomes more cruel in The Stolen Heart as the Bolshevik secret police (Cheka) arrive in Kyiv. I can feel it as the story shifts from the droll humor in the "anti-priest's" wedding ceremony and the extended riff on cigarette smoke as a critical tool in prisoner interrogations to casual cruelty of the Cheka officer's sentencing in the final scene. The Select Chronology of Ukrainian History, 1917–1921 that Kurkov put at the end of each book gives summarizes the chaos Kyivans lived through.
I wish the publisher had positioned the Author's Note at front of the book rather than the end. Kurkov's explanation that the main plot line came from a real Cheka case file in Kyiv sometime in the years 1918-1921 made me appreciate more.
I think these books read better as a mix of historical fiction and commentary on a bureaucracy that starts off as absurd in The Silver Bone and becomes more cruel in The Stolen Heart as the Bolshevik secret police (Cheka) arrive in Kyiv. I can feel it as the story shifts from the droll humor in the "anti-priest's" wedding ceremony and the extended riff on cigarette smoke as a critical tool in prisoner interrogations to casual cruelty of the Cheka officer's sentencing in the final scene. The Select Chronology of Ukrainian History, 1917–1921 that Kurkov put at the end of each book gives summarizes the chaos Kyivans lived through.
I wish the publisher had positioned the Author's Note at front of the book rather than the end. Kurkov's explanation that the main plot line came from a real Cheka case file in Kyiv sometime in the years 1918-1921 made me appreciate more.
August 30, 2025
I enjoyed this second book in the series even more than the first, which I also really liked. Samson's adventures as a detective continue against the chaotic backdrop of the Russian Civil War in Kyiv. This time, he finds himself wrapped up in a confusing investigation of illegal meat sales. The rules keep changing, and everyone he interviews pleads ignorance or exceptions (the heart and the organs aren't technically meat!). As with last time, the setting is particularly vivid and historically accurate and undoubtedly aided by the fact that Kurkov bases the cases on real ones from Soviet police files. The book has a droll sense of humor and a surreal absurdist streak that is not for everyone, but I appreciate it. Looking forward to the next book, which is slated for 2026.
November 30, 2025
300 pages of not much happening. Not much of a plot, poor pacing and not much deep dive into characters other than protagonist.
The whole book is remarkably boring as the detective character tries to investigate a stupid crime, with bursts of actions and intrgue that are resolved extremely quickly, only for the boring work to continue. Definitely done on purpose to show how 1919 Kyiv was like. Lots of regime changes, new rules issued on the daily and not much joy or hope. It was cool learning about this era though
The whole book is remarkably boring as the detective character tries to investigate a stupid crime, with bursts of actions and intrgue that are resolved extremely quickly, only for the boring work to continue. Definitely done on purpose to show how 1919 Kyiv was like. Lots of regime changes, new rules issued on the daily and not much joy or hope. It was cool learning about this era though
May 21, 2025
his usual brilliance shines but not his greatest but still a wonderful author
August 12, 2025
I loved Grey Bees,and liked the first in this series well enough,but this one is a mess: boring,all over the place,aimless.
July 8, 2025
Der erste Teil war stärker.
June 30, 2025
I very much enjoyed The Silver Bone, but for me, this book was a swing and a miss. Mostly because I can’t make sense of what went on.
Questions I have:
Why did Samson marry Nadezhda if the love he feels goer her is not passionate, but of care and duty?
Why introduce the Kyiv railway workers? Is this an introduction for a future novel?
Why the frequent references to the Jewish Quarter? Did Samson think something nefarious associated with the meat investigation was going on (maybe I missed it - was Briskin Jewish and had a child with a Christian, even though the state had renounced religion?) or was it mentioned only to add local flavor?
Then there was the part with the Chinese soldiers and befriending Samson and feeding him pig ear, which he compared with his own removed ear?
And who was stealing things from the precinct? Was it just the one guy who stole the commander’s mug? I kind of blacked out there - it made no sense to me why he thought he could get away with stealing things from cops?!? And who took the silver bone that was in storage?
I fully admit that the answers to my questions might have been answered and I either misunderstood or skimmed over and did not absorb. I felt that the writing or perhaps the translation was not to the standard demonstrated in The Silver Bone. The story didn’t hold my interest as one strand of the story would start to be developed and then abandoned for another unrelated strand, ad nauseam. Nothing was truly tied up at the end - except the Cheka’s cruelty.
I think I will be grateful for The Silver Bone and retire this series from my TBR pile.
Questions I have:
Why did Samson marry Nadezhda if the love he feels goer her is not passionate, but of care and duty?
Why introduce the Kyiv railway workers? Is this an introduction for a future novel?
Why the frequent references to the Jewish Quarter? Did Samson think something nefarious associated with the meat investigation was going on (maybe I missed it - was Briskin Jewish and had a child with a Christian, even though the state had renounced religion?) or was it mentioned only to add local flavor?
Then there was the part with the Chinese soldiers and befriending Samson and feeding him pig ear, which he compared with his own removed ear?
And who was stealing things from the precinct? Was it just the one guy who stole the commander’s mug? I kind of blacked out there - it made no sense to me why he thought he could get away with stealing things from cops?!? And who took the silver bone that was in storage?
I fully admit that the answers to my questions might have been answered and I either misunderstood or skimmed over and did not absorb. I felt that the writing or perhaps the translation was not to the standard demonstrated in The Silver Bone. The story didn’t hold my interest as one strand of the story would start to be developed and then abandoned for another unrelated strand, ad nauseam. Nothing was truly tied up at the end - except the Cheka’s cruelty.
I think I will be grateful for The Silver Bone and retire this series from my TBR pile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2025
Following the first book in this series, "The Silver Bone," this story is somewhat disappointing.
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Ukraine, 1920s
Characters: Police officer Samson Kolechko, his live-in partner Nadezhda, members of the Polish and Chekist secret police, and a variety of interesting characters in 1920’s Kyiv
Overview: While young Officer Kolechko has been assigned the menial task of catching meat sellers, he must track down the kidnappers of his beloved Nadezhda and is sidetracked by a thief stealing from police headquarters, a deadly tram accident, and the possible return of the antagonist from the first book in the series.
Recommendation: I rate this book 2 stars
Extras: There are many parallel plot threads going on and, coupled with the foreign names and locations, make this story, at times, difficult to track. Several odd episodes, such as a wedding in the woods, are a distraction from the flow of the story. Reading the first (and better) book in the series is almost a requirement.
Thanx to NetGalley and HarperVia for the opportunity to provide this candid review.
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Ukraine, 1920s
Characters: Police officer Samson Kolechko, his live-in partner Nadezhda, members of the Polish and Chekist secret police, and a variety of interesting characters in 1920’s Kyiv
Overview: While young Officer Kolechko has been assigned the menial task of catching meat sellers, he must track down the kidnappers of his beloved Nadezhda and is sidetracked by a thief stealing from police headquarters, a deadly tram accident, and the possible return of the antagonist from the first book in the series.
Recommendation: I rate this book 2 stars
Extras: There are many parallel plot threads going on and, coupled with the foreign names and locations, make this story, at times, difficult to track. Several odd episodes, such as a wedding in the woods, are a distraction from the flow of the story. Reading the first (and better) book in the series is almost a requirement.
Thanx to NetGalley and HarperVia for the opportunity to provide this candid review.
June 20, 2025
Meh. This didn’t feel like much of a mystery.
June 26, 2025
“The Stolen Heart” is the second novel in “The Kiev Mysteries” series, set in 1919 in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution. Samson Kolechko is a young detective, tasked with his older colleague, renegade priest Kholodny, to gather evidence of a normal activity which it appears has suddenly been declared a crime: “the illicit slaughter of livestock and violation of the decree of the ExProfFooCom banning private trade in meat.” It seems that Kurkov, with his preference for black humour and farce as a way of debunking authoritarian regimes could not resist using an actual example from the period.
It proved beneficial to have read “The Silver Bone”, the first in the series, in order to understand the frequent references to previous incidents, such as how Samson became a detective, following his father’s murder in the street, and the severing of his right ear by a passing Cossack’s sabre, or how he comes to be living in a kind of chaste apartment-sharing with his girlfriend Nadezhda, which significantly means “hope”.
As is often the case with crime novels, the questioning of those who have bought meat from the agent Briskin, held on remand, grows repetitively tedious, yet perhaps this serves to add to the flavour of senseless times, with Kiev increasingly under the control of the Red Army, and sinister Soviet secret police organisation, the “Cheka”, dedicated to combating “counter-revolution and speculation”.
One of the strengths of “The Silver Bone”, which contributed to its longlisting for the International Booker Prize, was its portrayal of life in an atmospheric old city which has been suddenly overturned by uncertainty, arbitrary violence and acute shortages of substances as basic as salt. A scene in “The Stolen Heart” portrays an enraged cabby whose vehicle has just been rammed by a village cart, abruptly withdrawing his complaint in return for a few pounds of the cart’s load of salt. However, by this stage, the reader has “got the picture” and wants something more.
Although “The Stolen Heart” has received some good reviews, I was left with three main reservations. One is the heightened surreal aspect which first appeared in the previous novel: Samson’s severed ear, which mysteriously shows no signs of decay, is kept in a Monpensier (luxury sweets) box which can be hidden in convenient places for eavesdropping on useful conversations audible to Samson despite being some distance away.
Secondly, there are too many incidents which remain unresolved, and it was only on reaching the last page, to “The end. But to be continued”, that I realised that each book in the series is like a long episode, rather than a freestanding tale in its own right. The result of this is that the “denouement” tends to be underwhelming, and aspects remain irritatingly unclear if one has forgotten some detail in the previous novel.
I also found many of the dialogues quite unconvincing, and the descriptions overloaded with banal minor details – while the major ones too often remain obscure, and written in a distracting style which reads like a too literal translation – yet the translator has won prizes for his work, also writes reviews, his own fiction and teaches in university English departments. So perhaps he is retaining the style of the original Russian. The effect of the frequent odd or ill-chosen turns of phrase is that one does not engage so strongly with the characters. But is it meant to be a kind of Eastern European “absurdist” style intended to be part and parcel of the satire?
Just occasionally, there are moments which ring true, generally involving Samson, as when he reflects at a very inopportune moment,
“Could it be said then, that Samson loved Nadezhda in German? Reliably, calmly?
Samson considered this. The idea of loving in German did not appeal to him. The world war that had ended the previous year gave it a cruel, bloody connotation.
No, he decided. He loved Natasha respectfully rather than calmly. While she loved him pityingly”.
Is it a printing error that the map of Samson’s Kyiv, 1919, bears not a single place name apart from the River Dnipro? I would like to have been able to locate the streets and squares named so precisely – perhaps they were too long to fit legibly on the page.
Kurkov’s success as a writer appears to have been enhanced by his courage, albeit through the medium of satire, in exposing the corruption of post-Soviet Ukraine in the 1990s. My admiration for his debut novel, “Death and the Penguin”, inspired me to embark on the current series. I plan to try “Grey Bees”, the tale of a beekeeper living in Ukraine’s Grey Zone between rival forces in the current conflict.
But I don’t think I shall return to find how life works out for Samson and Nadezdha, although their names suggest that it will be well.
It proved beneficial to have read “The Silver Bone”, the first in the series, in order to understand the frequent references to previous incidents, such as how Samson became a detective, following his father’s murder in the street, and the severing of his right ear by a passing Cossack’s sabre, or how he comes to be living in a kind of chaste apartment-sharing with his girlfriend Nadezhda, which significantly means “hope”.
As is often the case with crime novels, the questioning of those who have bought meat from the agent Briskin, held on remand, grows repetitively tedious, yet perhaps this serves to add to the flavour of senseless times, with Kiev increasingly under the control of the Red Army, and sinister Soviet secret police organisation, the “Cheka”, dedicated to combating “counter-revolution and speculation”.
One of the strengths of “The Silver Bone”, which contributed to its longlisting for the International Booker Prize, was its portrayal of life in an atmospheric old city which has been suddenly overturned by uncertainty, arbitrary violence and acute shortages of substances as basic as salt. A scene in “The Stolen Heart” portrays an enraged cabby whose vehicle has just been rammed by a village cart, abruptly withdrawing his complaint in return for a few pounds of the cart’s load of salt. However, by this stage, the reader has “got the picture” and wants something more.
Although “The Stolen Heart” has received some good reviews, I was left with three main reservations. One is the heightened surreal aspect which first appeared in the previous novel: Samson’s severed ear, which mysteriously shows no signs of decay, is kept in a Monpensier (luxury sweets) box which can be hidden in convenient places for eavesdropping on useful conversations audible to Samson despite being some distance away.
Secondly, there are too many incidents which remain unresolved, and it was only on reaching the last page, to “The end. But to be continued”, that I realised that each book in the series is like a long episode, rather than a freestanding tale in its own right. The result of this is that the “denouement” tends to be underwhelming, and aspects remain irritatingly unclear if one has forgotten some detail in the previous novel.
I also found many of the dialogues quite unconvincing, and the descriptions overloaded with banal minor details – while the major ones too often remain obscure, and written in a distracting style which reads like a too literal translation – yet the translator has won prizes for his work, also writes reviews, his own fiction and teaches in university English departments. So perhaps he is retaining the style of the original Russian. The effect of the frequent odd or ill-chosen turns of phrase is that one does not engage so strongly with the characters. But is it meant to be a kind of Eastern European “absurdist” style intended to be part and parcel of the satire?
Just occasionally, there are moments which ring true, generally involving Samson, as when he reflects at a very inopportune moment,
“Could it be said then, that Samson loved Nadezhda in German? Reliably, calmly?
Samson considered this. The idea of loving in German did not appeal to him. The world war that had ended the previous year gave it a cruel, bloody connotation.
No, he decided. He loved Natasha respectfully rather than calmly. While she loved him pityingly”.
Is it a printing error that the map of Samson’s Kyiv, 1919, bears not a single place name apart from the River Dnipro? I would like to have been able to locate the streets and squares named so precisely – perhaps they were too long to fit legibly on the page.
Kurkov’s success as a writer appears to have been enhanced by his courage, albeit through the medium of satire, in exposing the corruption of post-Soviet Ukraine in the 1990s. My admiration for his debut novel, “Death and the Penguin”, inspired me to embark on the current series. I plan to try “Grey Bees”, the tale of a beekeeper living in Ukraine’s Grey Zone between rival forces in the current conflict.
But I don’t think I shall return to find how life works out for Samson and Nadezdha, although their names suggest that it will be well.
June 17, 2025
This Ukrainian detective novel is set in Kyiv in 1919
Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv is no stranger to violence. Today the city’s three million residents are subject to random attacks by Russian drones and missiles. But Kyiv was a battleground in World War II. From 1941 to 1943, the capital’s population shrank from 930,000 to 70,000 as marauding Nazi troops clashed with successive waves of cannon fodder from the Red Army. But Kyiv’s experience two decades earlier during the Russian Revolution was nearly as bad. In 1919, 540,000 lived there. Two years later, barely half that number remained after control of the city changed hands 14 times between the Red Army and White counter-revolutionaries from several different warring bands. And that period a century ago is the background to Andrey Kurkov’s revealing new Ukrainian detective novel, The Stolen Heart.
New laws, new crimes, challenge the police
The year is 1919. Samson Kolechko is a young investigator with the Kiev police, and for him and his colleagues coping with laws and regulations rapidly shifting one way, then another, life and work are a constant challenge. So, it’s no surprise when he learns a man who persuaded his neighbor to slaughter a pig for him had broken a new law against the sale of meat, even though no money changed hands. It’s a violation of the decree of the hitherto unknown ExProFooCom, the Extraordinary Provincial Food Committee. Samson’s commander orders him to investigate, tracking what happened to the pig’s meat. And to make matters worse, a high-ranking officer from the dreaded Cheka, the secret police, will be looking over his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Samson’s fiancée, Nadezhda, is in serious trouble. She’s conducting a census for the provincial statistical bureau, but the powerful railway workers are resisting. They know the information might be used to arrest them. In protest, they kidnap Nadezhda and her colleagues. Which sidelines Samson from his investigation as he rushes to the railway station in hopes of rescuing his lover. Though his unsympathetic commander demands he pursue the meat case, the Chekist takes charge, forcing Samson to join him in approaching the railway workers along with a detachment of Red Army soldiers. They manage to free Nadezdha and her colleagues. But, unsurprisingly, the attack involves a shootout.
A mixed bag as a novel of suspense
Unscathed in the shootout, Samson and his sidekick, a defrocked priest named Kholodny, detain the pig’s owner for speculation in meat. Under interrogation, he discloses the names of the many individuals to whom he sold cuts of the meat. The loin goes to this one, the ears to another, the heart to a third, and so forth. The investigators must interview every one of them. Their depositions go into a file for the commander. (It must be thick to satisfy him that they’re doing their job.)
The author, Andrey Kurkov, is widely known as Ukraine’s foremost writer. He does a stellar job painting a picture of the chaos reigning in Kiev midway through the Russian Revolution. His characters think and act in credible ways, too. But as a detective novel, The Stolen Heart fails to satisfy. It’s difficult to generate suspense about an investigation into the illegal sale of meat. The story drags as a result. Samson’s love affair with Nadezhda adds an element of romance. But it’s far from enough to relieve the tedium. And the story’s shocking conclusion comes across as anticlimax rather than a surprise.
About the author
Andrey Kurkov is the author of 19 novels in Russian and Ukrainian, 13 of which are available in English, as well as three nonfiction books. He ranks among Ukraine’s most successful writers in the post-Soviet era. Kurkov was born in Leningrad in 1961 but moved with his family to Kyiv at the age of two. He studied there at the Kyiv Foreign Languages Institute. His wife is English. They have three children and live in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv is no stranger to violence. Today the city’s three million residents are subject to random attacks by Russian drones and missiles. But Kyiv was a battleground in World War II. From 1941 to 1943, the capital’s population shrank from 930,000 to 70,000 as marauding Nazi troops clashed with successive waves of cannon fodder from the Red Army. But Kyiv’s experience two decades earlier during the Russian Revolution was nearly as bad. In 1919, 540,000 lived there. Two years later, barely half that number remained after control of the city changed hands 14 times between the Red Army and White counter-revolutionaries from several different warring bands. And that period a century ago is the background to Andrey Kurkov’s revealing new Ukrainian detective novel, The Stolen Heart.
New laws, new crimes, challenge the police
The year is 1919. Samson Kolechko is a young investigator with the Kiev police, and for him and his colleagues coping with laws and regulations rapidly shifting one way, then another, life and work are a constant challenge. So, it’s no surprise when he learns a man who persuaded his neighbor to slaughter a pig for him had broken a new law against the sale of meat, even though no money changed hands. It’s a violation of the decree of the hitherto unknown ExProFooCom, the Extraordinary Provincial Food Committee. Samson’s commander orders him to investigate, tracking what happened to the pig’s meat. And to make matters worse, a high-ranking officer from the dreaded Cheka, the secret police, will be looking over his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Samson’s fiancée, Nadezhda, is in serious trouble. She’s conducting a census for the provincial statistical bureau, but the powerful railway workers are resisting. They know the information might be used to arrest them. In protest, they kidnap Nadezhda and her colleagues. Which sidelines Samson from his investigation as he rushes to the railway station in hopes of rescuing his lover. Though his unsympathetic commander demands he pursue the meat case, the Chekist takes charge, forcing Samson to join him in approaching the railway workers along with a detachment of Red Army soldiers. They manage to free Nadezdha and her colleagues. But, unsurprisingly, the attack involves a shootout.
A mixed bag as a novel of suspense
Unscathed in the shootout, Samson and his sidekick, a defrocked priest named Kholodny, detain the pig’s owner for speculation in meat. Under interrogation, he discloses the names of the many individuals to whom he sold cuts of the meat. The loin goes to this one, the ears to another, the heart to a third, and so forth. The investigators must interview every one of them. Their depositions go into a file for the commander. (It must be thick to satisfy him that they’re doing their job.)
The author, Andrey Kurkov, is widely known as Ukraine’s foremost writer. He does a stellar job painting a picture of the chaos reigning in Kiev midway through the Russian Revolution. His characters think and act in credible ways, too. But as a detective novel, The Stolen Heart fails to satisfy. It’s difficult to generate suspense about an investigation into the illegal sale of meat. The story drags as a result. Samson’s love affair with Nadezhda adds an element of romance. But it’s far from enough to relieve the tedium. And the story’s shocking conclusion comes across as anticlimax rather than a surprise.
About the author
Andrey Kurkov is the author of 19 novels in Russian and Ukrainian, 13 of which are available in English, as well as three nonfiction books. He ranks among Ukraine’s most successful writers in the post-Soviet era. Kurkov was born in Leningrad in 1961 but moved with his family to Kyiv at the age of two. He studied there at the Kyiv Foreign Languages Institute. His wife is English. They have three children and live in Kyiv.
October 17, 2025
Andrij Kurkow po raz kolejny zabiera czytelnika do Kijowa, miasta pogrążonego w chaosie rewolucji, gdzie codzienność miesza się z ideologią, strachem i przetrwaniem. „Serce za bezcen” to druga część cyklu „Tajemnice Kijowa”, ale można ją czytać niezależnie jako osobną opowieść o moralności, lojalności i miłości w czasach, gdy wszystko wokół się rozpada.
Głównym bohaterem jest młody milicjant Samson Kołeczko, człowiek uczciwy, lecz niepozbawiony wątpliwości. Kiedy trafia na tajemniczą kałużę krwi wypływającą spod drzwi szopy, zostaje wciągnięty w śledztwo, które prowadzi go w sam środek sieci podejrzeń, donosów i politycznych napięć. W dochodzeniu towarzyszy mu tajemniczy i budzący nieufność czekista Abiazow, którego obecność dodaje sprawie mrocznego i niebezpiecznego tonu. Na domiar złego Samson przeżywa osobisty dramat zniknięcie ukochanej Nadii, co nadaje historii emocjonalną głębię i wprowadza wątek romantyczny. Poszukiwanie kobiety staje się dla niego równie ważne jak odkrycie prawdy o zbrodni. Ten delikatny wątek uczuciowy nadaje książce wyjątkowy charakter i wyróżnia ją spośród typowych powieści kryminalnych.
Kurkow jeszcze mocniej niż w pierwszej części wnika w klimat porewolucyjnego Kijowa, miasta na granicy epok, gdzie ścierają się dawne ideały z nowym porządkiem. Autor maluje obraz Kijowa z niezwykłą czułością, pokazując miasto pełne kontrastów z jednej strony brudne, rozbite i zmęczone wojną, z drugiej tętniące nową energią i chaosem rodzącego się systemu. Widzimy ulice spowite mgłą, ciemne podwórka, biura milicji i targowiska, gdzie każde spojrzenie może zdradzić lub uratować życie.
Pod powierzchnią kryminalnej intrygi kryje się refleksja nad tym, jak ideologia wpływa na zwykłych ludzi i jak cienka jest granica między przetrwaniem a zdradą. Kurkow łączy elementy powieści detektywistycznej z humorem, groteską i absurdem, dzięki czemu ciężar historii zostaje złagodzony, a bohaterowie stają się bliżsi i bardziej ludzcy. „Serce za bezcen” to mieszanka kryminału, powieści historycznej, romansu i dramatu obyczajowego, w której każdy element ma znaczenie. Styl autora może na początku wydawać się szorstki i pozbawiony ozdobników, ale szybko okazuje się, że doskonale oddaje ducha epoki surowość, biedę i nieufność.
Kijów Kurkowa żyje własnym rytmem, pełen szeptów, dymu i lęku. Autor nie potrzebuje dramatycznych scen, by oddać grozę czasu, wystarczy skrzypienie podłogi w biurze milicji czy milczenie przesłuchiwanych. Dzięki temu powieść ma niepowtarzalny klimat retro, a jednocześnie brzmi zaskakująco współcześnie. „Serce za bezcen” to nie tylko kryminał, ale też opowieść o przetrwaniu, miłości i moralności w świecie, który zatracił zdolność rozróżniania dobra od zła. Kurkow tworzy historię tak sugestywną, że czytelnik niemal czuje zapach prochu i chłód kijowskich ulic, zanurzając się w atmosferę miasta, które żyje mimo wszystko.
Głównym bohaterem jest młody milicjant Samson Kołeczko, człowiek uczciwy, lecz niepozbawiony wątpliwości. Kiedy trafia na tajemniczą kałużę krwi wypływającą spod drzwi szopy, zostaje wciągnięty w śledztwo, które prowadzi go w sam środek sieci podejrzeń, donosów i politycznych napięć. W dochodzeniu towarzyszy mu tajemniczy i budzący nieufność czekista Abiazow, którego obecność dodaje sprawie mrocznego i niebezpiecznego tonu. Na domiar złego Samson przeżywa osobisty dramat zniknięcie ukochanej Nadii, co nadaje historii emocjonalną głębię i wprowadza wątek romantyczny. Poszukiwanie kobiety staje się dla niego równie ważne jak odkrycie prawdy o zbrodni. Ten delikatny wątek uczuciowy nadaje książce wyjątkowy charakter i wyróżnia ją spośród typowych powieści kryminalnych.
Kurkow jeszcze mocniej niż w pierwszej części wnika w klimat porewolucyjnego Kijowa, miasta na granicy epok, gdzie ścierają się dawne ideały z nowym porządkiem. Autor maluje obraz Kijowa z niezwykłą czułością, pokazując miasto pełne kontrastów z jednej strony brudne, rozbite i zmęczone wojną, z drugiej tętniące nową energią i chaosem rodzącego się systemu. Widzimy ulice spowite mgłą, ciemne podwórka, biura milicji i targowiska, gdzie każde spojrzenie może zdradzić lub uratować życie.
Pod powierzchnią kryminalnej intrygi kryje się refleksja nad tym, jak ideologia wpływa na zwykłych ludzi i jak cienka jest granica między przetrwaniem a zdradą. Kurkow łączy elementy powieści detektywistycznej z humorem, groteską i absurdem, dzięki czemu ciężar historii zostaje złagodzony, a bohaterowie stają się bliżsi i bardziej ludzcy. „Serce za bezcen” to mieszanka kryminału, powieści historycznej, romansu i dramatu obyczajowego, w której każdy element ma znaczenie. Styl autora może na początku wydawać się szorstki i pozbawiony ozdobników, ale szybko okazuje się, że doskonale oddaje ducha epoki surowość, biedę i nieufność.
Kijów Kurkowa żyje własnym rytmem, pełen szeptów, dymu i lęku. Autor nie potrzebuje dramatycznych scen, by oddać grozę czasu, wystarczy skrzypienie podłogi w biurze milicji czy milczenie przesłuchiwanych. Dzięki temu powieść ma niepowtarzalny klimat retro, a jednocześnie brzmi zaskakująco współcześnie. „Serce za bezcen” to nie tylko kryminał, ale też opowieść o przetrwaniu, miłości i moralności w świecie, który zatracił zdolność rozróżniania dobra od zła. Kurkow tworzy historię tak sugestywną, że czytelnik niemal czuje zapach prochu i chłód kijowskich ulic, zanurzając się w atmosferę miasta, które żyje mimo wszystko.
October 20, 2025
Samsonowi Kołeczko i Serhijowi Chołodnemu trafia się sprawa nielegalnego handlu mięsem. Mężczyzna, którego aresztowano w wyniku śledztwa, pod nadzorem czekisty Abiazowa, wskazuje nazwiska tych, którzy odkupili od niego poszczególne partie mięsa. Kołeczko i Chołodny rozpoczynają żmudny etap przesłuchań. W tym samym czasie, ukochana Samsona, Nadia, zostaje porwana. Kołeczko prowadzi poszukiwania na własną rękę. Trop, z pomocą chińskich czerwonoarmistów, prowadzi do kolejarzy tworzących tajną policję. Sprawa zaczyna robić się niebezpieczna... Czy Samsonowi uda się rozwikłać tajemnicze zniknięcie Nadii i zakończyć pomyślnie sprawę handlu mięsem? Kim tak naprawdę jest Nikanor Abiazow?
"Serce za bezcen" to drugi tom cyklu Tajemnice Kijowa. Intrygująca, pełna niedopowiedzeń i psychologicznych zależności, konstrukcja fabuły, zachwyci każdego miłośnika detektywistycznych powieści, karmiąc najbardziej wybredne gusta. Niedość powiedzieć, że została ona zainspirowana prawdziwymi wydarzeniami, na podstawie dokumentów Czeka, by już mieć pewność, że to, z czym spotka się czytelnik na kartach powieści, nosi znamiona świetnej historii, owianej tajemnicą i strachem, który nieustannie przenikał mieszkańców Kijowa, pod rządami bolszewików. Książkę czytałam z zapartym tchem, była dla mnie jak powiew świeżości, w porównaniu z kryminałami ociekającymi krwią i budzącymi grozę. Tutaj napięcie trzymało z innego powodu. Akcja osadzona w bolszewickiej rzeczywistości już sama w sobie napawa jakimś trudnym do nazwania lękiem. Autor zapraszając czytelnika w codzienność Samsona Kołeczko, umożliwia śledzenie toku myśli głównego bohatera, pozwala spojrzeć na świat jego oczami, przez co łatwiej wczuć się w opisywane wydarzenia, zaobserwować mnogość ludzkich zachowań, posmakować goryczy życia, zadziwić drobnymi radościami, jak np. możliwość zjedzenia lepszego obiadu czy zdobycie słodyczy z potajemnej produkcji. Wielowątkowość powieści nie daje czasu na nudę. Subtelny humor wpleciony w sensacyjne i obyczajowe fragmenty, nadaje pewnej lekkości.
Jestem zachwycona tą książką. Muszę przyznać, że niespodziewałam się tak wyśmienitego, napisanego ze smakiem, kryminału. Polecam!
"Serce za bezcen" to drugi tom cyklu Tajemnice Kijowa. Intrygująca, pełna niedopowiedzeń i psychologicznych zależności, konstrukcja fabuły, zachwyci każdego miłośnika detektywistycznych powieści, karmiąc najbardziej wybredne gusta. Niedość powiedzieć, że została ona zainspirowana prawdziwymi wydarzeniami, na podstawie dokumentów Czeka, by już mieć pewność, że to, z czym spotka się czytelnik na kartach powieści, nosi znamiona świetnej historii, owianej tajemnicą i strachem, który nieustannie przenikał mieszkańców Kijowa, pod rządami bolszewików. Książkę czytałam z zapartym tchem, była dla mnie jak powiew świeżości, w porównaniu z kryminałami ociekającymi krwią i budzącymi grozę. Tutaj napięcie trzymało z innego powodu. Akcja osadzona w bolszewickiej rzeczywistości już sama w sobie napawa jakimś trudnym do nazwania lękiem. Autor zapraszając czytelnika w codzienność Samsona Kołeczko, umożliwia śledzenie toku myśli głównego bohatera, pozwala spojrzeć na świat jego oczami, przez co łatwiej wczuć się w opisywane wydarzenia, zaobserwować mnogość ludzkich zachowań, posmakować goryczy życia, zadziwić drobnymi radościami, jak np. możliwość zjedzenia lepszego obiadu czy zdobycie słodyczy z potajemnej produkcji. Wielowątkowość powieści nie daje czasu na nudę. Subtelny humor wpleciony w sensacyjne i obyczajowe fragmenty, nadaje pewnej lekkości.
Jestem zachwycona tą książką. Muszę przyznać, że niespodziewałam się tak wyśmienitego, napisanego ze smakiem, kryminału. Polecam!
July 26, 2025
I have to say I’m a little let down by this sequel. There were definitely some great moments of both comedy and pathos, but it felt a little less focused than the first and the characters a little less defined. In some ways it really felt like a midpoint, reminding us what happened in the previous instalment and setting up things that I assume are going to become relevant in the future without really much substance for the actual book.
The main (but by no means only) plot is about “speculation in meat” which has very recently been made illegal. Samson and the other members of the police force are set to work to investigate this crime, visiting anyone who recently purchased anything from a specific “speculator” (read seller) and interviewing them. It is unclear what exactly the criminal activity constitutes to everyone, including the police, involved. At the end, very mild spoilers, a sentence is reached that seems wholly disconnected to anything we’ve seen. I do understand that the seemingly meaninglessness is the point, and on paper it sounds like it could be deeply compelling, but it didn’t translate well to page, a bit more meandering, not to say dull, than pointed. I feel like the author thought this as well because, apart from this main case, there are numerous different subplots and investigations (some resolved, others left hanging) that leave the book feeling full but not really satisfying. I do feel this was probably also intentional, at least partially, but again, it doesn’t necessarily make for the best reading experience.
Despite these criticisms though I do think my enjoyment outweighed the negatives. This series continues to deliver some truly biting satire, both historical and relevant. Kurkov once again paints an extremely vivid 1920s Kyiv and is able to convey the tensions of the period both in large among the greater populace as well as intimately within our main cast of characters. Much is absurd and there is a strong satirical eye on all of it, but at the same time the majority of people who populate this novel are not treated with scorn. Samson continues to be a deeply endearing protagonist and I look forward to seeing where his journey leads.
The main (but by no means only) plot is about “speculation in meat” which has very recently been made illegal. Samson and the other members of the police force are set to work to investigate this crime, visiting anyone who recently purchased anything from a specific “speculator” (read seller) and interviewing them. It is unclear what exactly the criminal activity constitutes to everyone, including the police, involved. At the end, very mild spoilers, a sentence is reached that seems wholly disconnected to anything we’ve seen. I do understand that the seemingly meaninglessness is the point, and on paper it sounds like it could be deeply compelling, but it didn’t translate well to page, a bit more meandering, not to say dull, than pointed. I feel like the author thought this as well because, apart from this main case, there are numerous different subplots and investigations (some resolved, others left hanging) that leave the book feeling full but not really satisfying. I do feel this was probably also intentional, at least partially, but again, it doesn’t necessarily make for the best reading experience.
Despite these criticisms though I do think my enjoyment outweighed the negatives. This series continues to deliver some truly biting satire, both historical and relevant. Kurkov once again paints an extremely vivid 1920s Kyiv and is able to convey the tensions of the period both in large among the greater populace as well as intimately within our main cast of characters. Much is absurd and there is a strong satirical eye on all of it, but at the same time the majority of people who populate this novel are not treated with scorn. Samson continues to be a deeply endearing protagonist and I look forward to seeing where his journey leads.
April 20, 2025
Last time (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) I could enthuse about the first in this series being a blend of Kurkov and crime, and wish with haste for more. Now? I'm wondering why the author made this extended detour into mediocrity. Here we very much have a sequel, with that suit and that bone and so on factoring into the low-level intrigue, and the story of Samson our lead nicely extended. The balance of power in post-WWI Kyiv is more fixed, with small kingdoms established about the place. And yet it is its own thing, probably able to be read without knowledge of the first book – although the fact the hero is still able to use his disembodied ear to hear things with is a must-know.
But why would you read this in isolation? And at times, the feeling was more, 'why would you read this'? This felt very weak. After early drama when the girlfriend gets stuck in one of those small, vicious kingdoms I mentioned, the piece plods on, with the most limp case of all, as Samson must respond to the Cheka banning private sale of meat and find out where a pig ended up being sold, to whom, and how guilty they might possibly be thought. Other things interrupt this, and it takes far too long to resolve. There is a kind of point to it all, ultimately, but to the book not so much. It's a limp drift through the doldrums of a bizarre case. While the original title's literal translation – "Heart, it's not Meat" – is a quote, it combines with other territories and their calling it, as I believe, "Samson and Hope", to suggest a story that asks us about the strength of love, and the heart, and hope, in such rarefied times. But it does that in a pretty unenjoyable way, meaning this is the least pleasant and most humourless read I've found from this author.
But why would you read this in isolation? And at times, the feeling was more, 'why would you read this'? This felt very weak. After early drama when the girlfriend gets stuck in one of those small, vicious kingdoms I mentioned, the piece plods on, with the most limp case of all, as Samson must respond to the Cheka banning private sale of meat and find out where a pig ended up being sold, to whom, and how guilty they might possibly be thought. Other things interrupt this, and it takes far too long to resolve. There is a kind of point to it all, ultimately, but to the book not so much. It's a limp drift through the doldrums of a bizarre case. While the original title's literal translation – "Heart, it's not Meat" – is a quote, it combines with other territories and their calling it, as I believe, "Samson and Hope", to suggest a story that asks us about the strength of love, and the heart, and hope, in such rarefied times. But it does that in a pretty unenjoyable way, meaning this is the least pleasant and most humourless read I've found from this author.
October 17, 2025
"Serce za bezcen", to drugi tom z cyklu Tajemnice Kijowa, opisujący rzeczywistość mającą miejsce w roku 1919. Społeczeństwo zostaje postawione przed koniecznością dostosowania się do nowego porządku, nierzadko zderzając się ze ścianą absurdu ustrojowego i codziennie aktualizowanych praw i zasad.
Książka spisana piórem Andrija Kurkowa ukazuje świat bardzo charyzmatycznego głównego bohatera w sposób niesamowicie błyskotliwy. Nie brak tu czarnego humoru, śmiechu przez łzy i prześmiewczego podejścia do całokształtu panującej sytuacji. Rozwojowi wydarzeń towarzyszy ogólne zamieszanie, patos miesza się z prześmiewczym tonem. W obliczu strachu przed grasującymi bandytami i reżimem, powieść z komicznym zacięciem ukazuje narodziny zupełnie nowego świata. Ten wszędobylski harmider potęguje sposób, w jaki książka ukazuje tajemnice, z którymi mierzy się Samson - były inżynier, który został detektywem policyjnym — wciąż stosunkowo nowym w tym drugim zawodzie. Jest on bystrym człowiekiem, wzorem do naśladowania, uwikłanym między starym, a nowym ustrojem. Stara się być dobrym przyjacielem, funkcjonariuszem i lojalnym partnerem.
Sowieci są już najsilniejszą z frakcji targających Ukrainą — a w rezultacie życie w stolicy szybko się zmienia. Pojawiają się nowe prawa mające na celu „wyrównanie” społeczeństwa miasta; najnowsze z nich zakazuje prywatnej sprzedaży mięsa. Kołeczko zostaje przydzielony do śledztwa w sprawie „morderstwa”, które okazuje się... zabiciem świni. W ten sposób sprawa zamienia się w skomplikowane dochodzenie dotyczące nielegalnego handlu mięsem, skupiające się nie tylko na sprzedawcy, szerokim gronie osób, które to mięso kupiły.
Książki z serii stanowią fikcję literacką, ale osadzoną w fascynującym i autentycznym kontekście historycznym. Opowieść rozwija się łagodnie, utrzymując czytelnika w zainteresowaniu przez cały czas. Szczególnie spodobało mi się kijowskie tło, walka o podstawowe środki do życia oraz szczęście potrzebne, by uniknąć łatwego zaognienia dysputy, a nawet śmierci. Śledztwo kryminalne, brak sprawiedliwości i różne konflikty o władzę wydają się absurdalne — ale warto mieć na uwadze domenę ówczesnych czasów i porzucić konwenanse związane z charakterystyką nowoczesnych, klasycznych powieści kryminalnych. To raczej przypowieść odzwierciedlająca zło i korupcję. Obrazy walki pokazują, jak trudne były narodziny nowego idealizmu i sposób, w jaki przygotowały grunt pod późniejsze okrucieństwa, czystki i ludobójstwo.
www.suspensebooks.pl
ig @suspense_books
Książka spisana piórem Andrija Kurkowa ukazuje świat bardzo charyzmatycznego głównego bohatera w sposób niesamowicie błyskotliwy. Nie brak tu czarnego humoru, śmiechu przez łzy i prześmiewczego podejścia do całokształtu panującej sytuacji. Rozwojowi wydarzeń towarzyszy ogólne zamieszanie, patos miesza się z prześmiewczym tonem. W obliczu strachu przed grasującymi bandytami i reżimem, powieść z komicznym zacięciem ukazuje narodziny zupełnie nowego świata. Ten wszędobylski harmider potęguje sposób, w jaki książka ukazuje tajemnice, z którymi mierzy się Samson - były inżynier, który został detektywem policyjnym — wciąż stosunkowo nowym w tym drugim zawodzie. Jest on bystrym człowiekiem, wzorem do naśladowania, uwikłanym między starym, a nowym ustrojem. Stara się być dobrym przyjacielem, funkcjonariuszem i lojalnym partnerem.
Sowieci są już najsilniejszą z frakcji targających Ukrainą — a w rezultacie życie w stolicy szybko się zmienia. Pojawiają się nowe prawa mające na celu „wyrównanie” społeczeństwa miasta; najnowsze z nich zakazuje prywatnej sprzedaży mięsa. Kołeczko zostaje przydzielony do śledztwa w sprawie „morderstwa”, które okazuje się... zabiciem świni. W ten sposób sprawa zamienia się w skomplikowane dochodzenie dotyczące nielegalnego handlu mięsem, skupiające się nie tylko na sprzedawcy, szerokim gronie osób, które to mięso kupiły.
Książki z serii stanowią fikcję literacką, ale osadzoną w fascynującym i autentycznym kontekście historycznym. Opowieść rozwija się łagodnie, utrzymując czytelnika w zainteresowaniu przez cały czas. Szczególnie spodobało mi się kijowskie tło, walka o podstawowe środki do życia oraz szczęście potrzebne, by uniknąć łatwego zaognienia dysputy, a nawet śmierci. Śledztwo kryminalne, brak sprawiedliwości i różne konflikty o władzę wydają się absurdalne — ale warto mieć na uwadze domenę ówczesnych czasów i porzucić konwenanse związane z charakterystyką nowoczesnych, klasycznych powieści kryminalnych. To raczej przypowieść odzwierciedlająca zło i korupcję. Obrazy walki pokazują, jak trudne były narodziny nowego idealizmu i sposób, w jaki przygotowały grunt pod późniejsze okrucieństwa, czystki i ludobójstwo.
www.suspensebooks.pl
ig @suspense_books
November 5, 2025
Andriej Kurkow po raz kolejny udowadnia, że potrafi tchnąć życie w historię Kijowa, a jego cykl to nie tylko kryminał retro, lecz także subtelny portret epoki, w której absurd mieszał się z grozą. „Serce za bezcen” to druga odsłona przygód milicjanta Samsona Kołeczki – inteligentnego, choć nieco melancholijnego śledczego, który znów musi stawić czoła nie tylko zbrodni, lecz także labiryntowi bolszewickiej biurokracji i nieufności.
Z pozoru banalne dochodzenie – kałuża krwi pod drzwiami szopy w podkijowskiej wsi – szybko przeradza się w śledztwo o znacznie poważniejszych konsekwencjach. Kurkow z maestrią splata wątki prywatne i polityczne: zniknięcie ukochanej Nadii staje się dla Samsona równie palącym problemem jak obecność nadgorliwego czekisty Abiazowa, który może być zarówno sojusznikiem, jak i katem. W tle – niepokój porewolucyjnego świata, w którym każde słowo może zostać donosem, a każdy gest zdradą.
Kurkow bawi się konwencją powieści detektywistycznej, wplatając w nią absurd i chłód radzieckiego dokumentu. Atmosfera Kijowa lat 20. jest lepka od strachu i ironii, a mimo to autorowi udaje się wlać w nią nutę ciepła i humoru. „Serce za bezcen” podobało mi się nawet bardziej niż pierwsza część cyklu – choć i przy tamtej świetnie się bawiłam. To nie tylko intrygująca zagadka kryminalna, ale i literacka lekcja o człowieczeństwie w czasach, gdy nawet serce mogło mieć swoją cenę.
Z pozoru banalne dochodzenie – kałuża krwi pod drzwiami szopy w podkijowskiej wsi – szybko przeradza się w śledztwo o znacznie poważniejszych konsekwencjach. Kurkow z maestrią splata wątki prywatne i polityczne: zniknięcie ukochanej Nadii staje się dla Samsona równie palącym problemem jak obecność nadgorliwego czekisty Abiazowa, który może być zarówno sojusznikiem, jak i katem. W tle – niepokój porewolucyjnego świata, w którym każde słowo może zostać donosem, a każdy gest zdradą.
Kurkow bawi się konwencją powieści detektywistycznej, wplatając w nią absurd i chłód radzieckiego dokumentu. Atmosfera Kijowa lat 20. jest lepka od strachu i ironii, a mimo to autorowi udaje się wlać w nią nutę ciepła i humoru. „Serce za bezcen” podobało mi się nawet bardziej niż pierwsza część cyklu – choć i przy tamtej świetnie się bawiłam. To nie tylko intrygująca zagadka kryminalna, ale i literacka lekcja o człowieczeństwie w czasach, gdy nawet serce mogło mieć swoją cenę.
May 22, 2025
I have to admit, that listened to this book because I enjoy previous author's work.
Then I found out it's a second book in a series and had to find first, because... Well that made sense. I suppose you could listen to it without having listened/read the first one. But having done that, it gives you a better picture of things.
I have to admit again, I'm not too big in detectives, but very big historical fiction. I guess this book has a good balance of both!
Some really good insights of how Ukraine and it's people were fighting, living, loving and trying to survive tumultuous times of 1918-1921...
Some grotesque, some absurd, some cruel and sad stories and deep felt love story thorought it all.
The main point of view taken from a young guy who, after the death of his father found himself becoming investigator and what that in entails in extremely fast changing historical environment.. There's a lot of naivety, sincerity in it.
It's interesting read, but I think even though as author himself states, it's primarily a detective, one needs certain degree of interest in history in order to appreciate it fully.
Then I found out it's a second book in a series and had to find first, because... Well that made sense. I suppose you could listen to it without having listened/read the first one. But having done that, it gives you a better picture of things.
I have to admit again, I'm not too big in detectives, but very big historical fiction. I guess this book has a good balance of both!
Some really good insights of how Ukraine and it's people were fighting, living, loving and trying to survive tumultuous times of 1918-1921...
Some grotesque, some absurd, some cruel and sad stories and deep felt love story thorought it all.
The main point of view taken from a young guy who, after the death of his father found himself becoming investigator and what that in entails in extremely fast changing historical environment.. There's a lot of naivety, sincerity in it.
It's interesting read, but I think even though as author himself states, it's primarily a detective, one needs certain degree of interest in history in order to appreciate it fully.
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