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Porfiry Rostnikov #1
Death of a Dissident
On the eve of a show trial, a Soviet dissident is stabbed through the heart.
On a frigid night in silent Moscow, Aleksander Granovsky paces the floor of his government flat. He has dedicated his life to exposing the brutality of the Russian penal system, and in two days he will be tried for the crime of smuggling essays to the West. Granovsky is drafting a speech to deliver in court when an assassin appears and pierces his heart with the point of a rusty sickle.
The case falls in the lap of Porfiry Rostnikov, a Moscow police inspector whose three decades on the force have made him an expert in navigating the labyrinths of the Soviet bureaucracy. But it will take every ounce of Rostnikov's skill to find the killer and survive the investigation, as every question he asks takes him closer to the heart of the KGB.
About the Author:
Stuart M. Kaminsky (1934-2009) was one of the most prolific crime fiction authors of the last four decades. Born in Chicago, he spent his youth immersed in pulp fiction and classic cinema - two forms of popular entertainment which he would make his life's work. After college and a stint in the army, Kaminsky wrote film criticism and biographies of the great actors and directors of Hollywood's Golden Age. In 1977, when a planned biography of Charlton Heston fell through, Kaminsky wrote "Bullet for a Star", his first Toby Peters novel, beginning a fiction career that would last the rest of his life. Kaminsky penned twenty-four novels starring the detective, whom he described as "the anti-Philip Marlowe". In 1981's "Death of a Dissident", Kaminsky debuted Moscow police detective Porfiry Rostnikov, whose stories were praised for their accurate depiction of Soviet life. His other two series starred Abe Lieberman, a hardened Chicago cop, and Lew Fonseca, a process server. In all, Kaminsky wrote more than sixty novels. He died in St. Louis in 2009.
Review quote:
"Impressive. . . . Kaminsky has staked a claim to a piece of the Russian turf. . . . He captures the Russian scene and characters in rich detail." - The Washington Post Book World.
"Quite simply the best cop to come out of the Soviet Union since Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko in Gorky Park." - The San Francisco Examiner.
"Stuart Kaminsky's Rostnikov novels are among the best mysteries being written." - The San Diego Union-Tribune.
"For anyone with a taste for old Hollywood B-movie mysteries, Edgar winner Kaminsky offers plenty of nostalgic fun . . . The tone is light, the pace brisk, the tongue firmly in cheek." - Publishers Weekly.
"Marvelously entertaining." - Newsday.
"Makes the totally wacky possible . . . Peters [is] an unblemished delight." - Washington Post.
"The Ed McBain of Mother Russia." - Kirkus Reviews.
On a frigid night in silent Moscow, Aleksander Granovsky paces the floor of his government flat. He has dedicated his life to exposing the brutality of the Russian penal system, and in two days he will be tried for the crime of smuggling essays to the West. Granovsky is drafting a speech to deliver in court when an assassin appears and pierces his heart with the point of a rusty sickle.
The case falls in the lap of Porfiry Rostnikov, a Moscow police inspector whose three decades on the force have made him an expert in navigating the labyrinths of the Soviet bureaucracy. But it will take every ounce of Rostnikov's skill to find the killer and survive the investigation, as every question he asks takes him closer to the heart of the KGB.
About the Author:
Stuart M. Kaminsky (1934-2009) was one of the most prolific crime fiction authors of the last four decades. Born in Chicago, he spent his youth immersed in pulp fiction and classic cinema - two forms of popular entertainment which he would make his life's work. After college and a stint in the army, Kaminsky wrote film criticism and biographies of the great actors and directors of Hollywood's Golden Age. In 1977, when a planned biography of Charlton Heston fell through, Kaminsky wrote "Bullet for a Star", his first Toby Peters novel, beginning a fiction career that would last the rest of his life. Kaminsky penned twenty-four novels starring the detective, whom he described as "the anti-Philip Marlowe". In 1981's "Death of a Dissident", Kaminsky debuted Moscow police detective Porfiry Rostnikov, whose stories were praised for their accurate depiction of Soviet life. His other two series starred Abe Lieberman, a hardened Chicago cop, and Lew Fonseca, a process server. In all, Kaminsky wrote more than sixty novels. He died in St. Louis in 2009.
Review quote:
"Impressive. . . . Kaminsky has staked a claim to a piece of the Russian turf. . . . He captures the Russian scene and characters in rich detail." - The Washington Post Book World.
"Quite simply the best cop to come out of the Soviet Union since Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko in Gorky Park." - The San Francisco Examiner.
"Stuart Kaminsky's Rostnikov novels are among the best mysteries being written." - The San Diego Union-Tribune.
"For anyone with a taste for old Hollywood B-movie mysteries, Edgar winner Kaminsky offers plenty of nostalgic fun . . . The tone is light, the pace brisk, the tongue firmly in cheek." - Publishers Weekly.
"Marvelously entertaining." - Newsday.
"Makes the totally wacky possible . . . Peters [is] an unblemished delight." - Washington Post.
"The Ed McBain of Mother Russia." - Kirkus Reviews.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1981
185 people are currently reading
1336 people want to read
About the author
Stuart M. Kaminsky
159 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 - 30 of 91 reviews
March 19, 2023
Truly Enjoyable!
Although he is American, Stuart Kaminsky has a great feel for 1980’s Russia. I really get a feeling of how people in Moscow lives their daily life.
Through the eyes of Inspector Rostnikov, and his detectives, TKach and Karpo, I get the chance to see how people feel about the police, politics, and the KGB. The government and those in power.
Rostnikov is determined to catch the murderer of a political dissident, but although he is a good person, and a good policeman, personal responsibility may force his outcome of this case.
This is a very interesting and enjoyable book. It had many moments of suspense and humor and l found myself always rooting for the “good guys.”
Five fabulous stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Although he is American, Stuart Kaminsky has a great feel for 1980’s Russia. I really get a feeling of how people in Moscow lives their daily life.
Through the eyes of Inspector Rostnikov, and his detectives, TKach and Karpo, I get the chance to see how people feel about the police, politics, and the KGB. The government and those in power.
Rostnikov is determined to catch the murderer of a political dissident, but although he is a good person, and a good policeman, personal responsibility may force his outcome of this case.
This is a very interesting and enjoyable book. It had many moments of suspense and humor and l found myself always rooting for the “good guys.”
Five fabulous stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 20, 2018
Death of a Dissident by Stuart M. Kaminsky, was such a pleasure to read. It is testament to Kaminsky’s skill as a wordsmith that he was able to create the austere world in which Moscow detective, Chief Inspector, Porfiry Rostnikov, moves. To quote Michael Carlson’s obituary in the Guardian following Kaminsky’s death in 2009, “When Kaminsky finally visited Russia in the 1990s, he took great pleasure in being introduced at a journalists' lunch as "the man who knows more about this city than any of us sitting here".”
In Death of a Dissident, the initial crime takes place early on and it is fascinating to follow Rostnikov as he literally limps along (he sustained a leg wound in WW2) following up clues with assistance from two remarkably different inspectors, the angelic looking Sasha Tkach and dauntingly vampiric Emil Karpo.
Kaminsky’s words evoke a Moscow burdened by the weather, communism, the KGB, scarcity and institutionalized distrust. It feels as if everyone is a spy with secrets to maintain and protect.
Rostnikov’s mind constantly travels along multiple trains of thought e.g. from the case at hand to trying to figure out how to fix his broken toilet to whether or not he can get himself into good enough shape to enter a competition for senior weight lifters.
I felt Rostnikov’s deep humanity and empathized with the moral ambiguity with which he is faced &/or reacts to situations. It all seems to make sense in the Russia of the 1980s depicted so seamlessly by Kaminsky.
In Death of a Dissident, the initial crime takes place early on and it is fascinating to follow Rostnikov as he literally limps along (he sustained a leg wound in WW2) following up clues with assistance from two remarkably different inspectors, the angelic looking Sasha Tkach and dauntingly vampiric Emil Karpo.
Kaminsky’s words evoke a Moscow burdened by the weather, communism, the KGB, scarcity and institutionalized distrust. It feels as if everyone is a spy with secrets to maintain and protect.
Rostnikov’s mind constantly travels along multiple trains of thought e.g. from the case at hand to trying to figure out how to fix his broken toilet to whether or not he can get himself into good enough shape to enter a competition for senior weight lifters.
I felt Rostnikov’s deep humanity and empathized with the moral ambiguity with which he is faced &/or reacts to situations. It all seems to make sense in the Russia of the 1980s depicted so seamlessly by Kaminsky.
August 16, 2023
Even a madman has a certain logic, you just have to find it........................
A very welcome addition to my reading list. I had just finished all the books in the Renko series Martin Cruz Smith and now I found this and it's a sixteen book series - hurray. One book closes and a million open up.
Kaminsky said that his characters have a base in Dostoyevski's Crime and Punishement with a mix of Gogol. I'm not that familiar with either of them but the Russian aura is certainly there, well captured and portrait.
A very welcome addition to my reading list. I had just finished all the books in the Renko series Martin Cruz Smith and now I found this and it's a sixteen book series - hurray. One book closes and a million open up.
Kaminsky said that his characters have a base in Dostoyevski's Crime and Punishement with a mix of Gogol. I'm not that familiar with either of them but the Russian aura is certainly there, well captured and portrait.
October 16, 2019
I wanted to love this book, but instead I just sort of likde it. The book definitely was not a bad read, but it did not fit my needs.
April 21, 2018
I've read most of Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko series (Gorky Park, Polar Star, etc.) and I hope Kaminsky's books give as good a picture of the hopeless situation Soviet-era police found themselves in. I've read a couple of Kaminsky's Toby Peters books (Murder on the Yellow Brick Road and, I think, He Done Her Wrong) and enjoyed them.
*After reading*
This was a pretty good book, and did a good job of showing what the Soviet Union was like toward its last days - the tendency of many to just give up, not try to improve their lives, and just try to stay under the radar of the KGB. There is also the characters' awareness of how saying the wrong thing, having the wrong friends, even being in the wrong place at the wrong time, could lead to a knock on the door at 3 a.m., followed by a trip to KGB headquarters. Rostnikov is told by his superior, and by a KGB colonel, that sometimes there are more important things than finding out who actually committed the murder; of course Rostnikov, as a policeman, a detective, and a solver of puzzles, has a hard time letting go of the mystery, even after the KGB has "found the killer".
We are introduced to the killer fairly early in the book, so the "whodunit" part of the novel isn't difficult to figure out; the book is more enjoyable for - as I've mentioned - its glimpse into late-Cold War Russia.
*After reading*
This was a pretty good book, and did a good job of showing what the Soviet Union was like toward its last days - the tendency of many to just give up, not try to improve their lives, and just try to stay under the radar of the KGB. There is also the characters' awareness of how saying the wrong thing, having the wrong friends, even being in the wrong place at the wrong time, could lead to a knock on the door at 3 a.m., followed by a trip to KGB headquarters. Rostnikov is told by his superior, and by a KGB colonel, that sometimes there are more important things than finding out who actually committed the murder; of course Rostnikov, as a policeman, a detective, and a solver of puzzles, has a hard time letting go of the mystery, even after the KGB has "found the killer".
We are introduced to the killer fairly early in the book, so the "whodunit" part of the novel isn't difficult to figure out; the book is more enjoyable for - as I've mentioned - its glimpse into late-Cold War Russia.
September 3, 2012
This is the second time I have read this book. (Yes, this series is that good). Unfortunately, Stuart Kaminsky passed away and I love the cast of characters in his Rostinkov series. So, I decided I would re-read the series. Hey, when the characters are this good, it's like catching up with old friends!
July 14, 2018
This was the first in the Porfiry Rostnikov series, which are probably the most straightforward and serious of Kaminsky's various and often hilarious series involving crime, murder, mayhem, and mischief.
I enjoyed this book, but rounded it down to just 3 stars as it was missing some of the depth and richness that marked later installments within the series. Perhaps it was a function of Kaminsky finding his "voice" for Rostnikov, the rather dour but ever philosophical, weight-lifting, limping (war injury) chief inspector of the Russian police. We meet him, his fascinating partner, Emil Karpo, whose appearance has lent him the nickname, "vampire," his stoic wife, Sarah, and some other rather interesting folks within Moscow's police & KGB worlds.
The murder/mystery aspect of the book is pretty straightforward and again, later books in the series demonstrated somewhat more complex and twisty plots, making this read just a bit plain. Let's be clear, though-- I really enjoy Stuart Kaminsky's writing, and so a minor dip in excellence overall is but a small matter. Yet, in good conscience, I have to say that if you insist on beginning with this book, give the series time to develop and you'll be rewarded with what I judge as better and more entertaining stories later down the line.
I enjoyed this book, but rounded it down to just 3 stars as it was missing some of the depth and richness that marked later installments within the series. Perhaps it was a function of Kaminsky finding his "voice" for Rostnikov, the rather dour but ever philosophical, weight-lifting, limping (war injury) chief inspector of the Russian police. We meet him, his fascinating partner, Emil Karpo, whose appearance has lent him the nickname, "vampire," his stoic wife, Sarah, and some other rather interesting folks within Moscow's police & KGB worlds.
The murder/mystery aspect of the book is pretty straightforward and again, later books in the series demonstrated somewhat more complex and twisty plots, making this read just a bit plain. Let's be clear, though-- I really enjoy Stuart Kaminsky's writing, and so a minor dip in excellence overall is but a small matter. Yet, in good conscience, I have to say that if you insist on beginning with this book, give the series time to develop and you'll be rewarded with what I judge as better and more entertaining stories later down the line.
June 8, 2025
Very enjoyable. A good story, interesting characters, all set in Soviet Russia. I had a few laugh-aloud moments. I like the main character Rostnikov; I intend to read more of this series. Kudos to Kaminsky!
October 23, 2021
Pity the Moscow Detective Porfiry Rostikov, who we are introduced to in this book. He is awakened at 3 a.m. in the morning, driven to meet with a procurator and told of his latest case, the murder of a dissident.
But it is not all that simple —if anything can be simple in the Soviet Union. The dissident, Aleksander Granovsky, was going to go on trial the following day and for some reason was at his home with an officer of the KGB sitting outside. Rostikov, the procurator and the dissident's family believe that he was murdered by the KGB.
So Rostikov is urged to solve the murder quickly and heaven forbid let the clue lead to what they all already believe, that the murder resides, or was influenced, by the KGB.
What is an inspector to do? For Rostikov, it means to do your job and only when you get the answers do you worry about what you will do with the conclusions that you come up with. Not easy in a country where politics sometimes outweigh truth. But somehow this middle-aged, tired police man with a bad leg, does his job and we can easily enjoy reading about his trials as he tries to have it both ways: the truth and safety for himself and his officers.
Stuart Kaminsky has made an excellent debut of his much put-upon detective. He is a believable character and I have thoroughly understood and enjoyed this story. I look forward to reading others.
But it is not all that simple —if anything can be simple in the Soviet Union. The dissident, Aleksander Granovsky, was going to go on trial the following day and for some reason was at his home with an officer of the KGB sitting outside. Rostikov, the procurator and the dissident's family believe that he was murdered by the KGB.
So Rostikov is urged to solve the murder quickly and heaven forbid let the clue lead to what they all already believe, that the murder resides, or was influenced, by the KGB.
What is an inspector to do? For Rostikov, it means to do your job and only when you get the answers do you worry about what you will do with the conclusions that you come up with. Not easy in a country where politics sometimes outweigh truth. But somehow this middle-aged, tired police man with a bad leg, does his job and we can easily enjoy reading about his trials as he tries to have it both ways: the truth and safety for himself and his officers.
Stuart Kaminsky has made an excellent debut of his much put-upon detective. He is a believable character and I have thoroughly understood and enjoyed this story. I look forward to reading others.
February 13, 2021
When a friend reviewed the 11th book in this series he wondered if it was foolish not to have started with the first Inspector Rostnikov book. Since I wanted to avoid feeling foolish & book 11 sounded so good I hunted for book 1, “Death of a Dissident.” A red, hard bound book, with a gold embossed cover arrived. It certainly appears to be a great introduction to a great series. I’m ready for more.
Published the same year as Martin Cruz Smith’s “Gorky Park,” there are a few similarities, but just as many differences. For one, this is not a mystery. We know who the killer is. In fact Kaminsky takes us into the killer’s mind with chilling effect. The twisted logic of his madness is all too evident. The twisted logic of the Soviet Union at that time is also evident. Police deference to the KGB, police so poorly paid they can only afford to go out to eat once a year, in a car accident one is more worried about the car than the people, because there are plenty of good doctors, but very few good mechanics in Moscow, but most of all, political expediency overrides all.
The book has crisp & tight writing. Weaving of scenes reminded me of how a good movie director would edit a film. When I finished I read a little bio of Kaminsky in the back of the book & it turns out he taught film studies at Northwestern University. My instincts were correct. Not only is my appetite whetted for more Inspector Rostnikov books, but also for his other three series. Goodreads indeed.
Published the same year as Martin Cruz Smith’s “Gorky Park,” there are a few similarities, but just as many differences. For one, this is not a mystery. We know who the killer is. In fact Kaminsky takes us into the killer’s mind with chilling effect. The twisted logic of his madness is all too evident. The twisted logic of the Soviet Union at that time is also evident. Police deference to the KGB, police so poorly paid they can only afford to go out to eat once a year, in a car accident one is more worried about the car than the people, because there are plenty of good doctors, but very few good mechanics in Moscow, but most of all, political expediency overrides all.
The book has crisp & tight writing. Weaving of scenes reminded me of how a good movie director would edit a film. When I finished I read a little bio of Kaminsky in the back of the book & it turns out he taught film studies at Northwestern University. My instincts were correct. Not only is my appetite whetted for more Inspector Rostnikov books, but also for his other three series. Goodreads indeed.
June 17, 2022
Seeking a new series to dive into, I decided to try this first in a 16-book series featuring a Soviet police detective. Set in 1980 (Afghanistan is invaded as the plot unfolds), it introduces our 52-year-old protagonist Rostnikov, a thickset, bum-legged Moscovite, with an appetite for American police fiction, and a secret desire to win a weightlifting competition. The story opens with the titular dissident rehearsing his defense for his upcoming show trial, only to answer a knock at the door that proves fateful.
And so Rosnikov is roused from his bed in the middle of the night and sent to figure out what happened in this politically sensitive murder case. This leads him and his two assistants (one boyish and impetuous, one stern and robotically Soviet) down several false trails before a climactic confrontation in the snow. The killer isn't that interesting, and the story is only so-so -- the book's main enjoyment comes from the novelty of a Soviet police procedural.
I never got particularly engaged with any of the characters, although I could see the potential in Rostnikov as a series lead. With his Jewish wife and son in the army invading Afghanistan, I can imagine the stories getting a bit richer, so I'll probably try the next one or two to see if the plotting gets better and the other characters richer.
And so Rosnikov is roused from his bed in the middle of the night and sent to figure out what happened in this politically sensitive murder case. This leads him and his two assistants (one boyish and impetuous, one stern and robotically Soviet) down several false trails before a climactic confrontation in the snow. The killer isn't that interesting, and the story is only so-so -- the book's main enjoyment comes from the novelty of a Soviet police procedural.
I never got particularly engaged with any of the characters, although I could see the potential in Rostnikov as a series lead. With his Jewish wife and son in the army invading Afghanistan, I can imagine the stories getting a bit richer, so I'll probably try the next one or two to see if the plotting gets better and the other characters richer.
April 18, 2015
My formative educational years were during the Cold War. School were replete with doctrinaire rants about the evils of the Soviet Union, television and Hollywood added to the hype and I can distinctly remember seeing black and white TV sets in store windows broadcasting the McCarthy hearings. Looking back, it's apparent that "brainwashing" occurred on both sides of the world (and a lot in-between) The austerity of Stuart Kaminsky's Moscow is prevalent from the beginning of the novel to its very end. The all seeing state and questionable police procedures add a sense of intensity not evident in similar novels. Kaminsky also throws in a few classic lines such as: "I'd rather die, here on the spot: May God strike me down. Wiat, there is no God anymore. Forgive me, I'm an old man, but I'm a good worker." I have honestly say I look forward to more of the Inspector Rostnikov series.
June 24, 2016
I enjoyed this book, although I think I would have liked it better if it was not an audiobook. I found it a little hard to follow some of the characters due to the unusual names, and I think I may have missed a little of what happened because of this, and also due to not paying attention part of the time as I listened while doing other things. But I think the KGB was involved behind the scenes in ways nobody suspected, including me. There was a lot of politics and resulting intrigue that was probably common in Russia during those times.
Reading this book gave me a better understanding of what it must have been like back then. Things were not easy in those days. People did what they had to do to get by, and the police often overlooked the petty crimes in order to solve the bigger ones.
Reading this book gave me a better understanding of what it must have been like back then. Things were not easy in those days. People did what they had to do to get by, and the police often overlooked the petty crimes in order to solve the bigger ones.
December 24, 2013
I was disappointed in this book. I studied Russian language and literature in college, and I love reading books that take place in Russia. I had a few problems with this book - first, it felt like the author was trying too hard to make the book seem "Russian" by trying to adopt typical Russian style. This served to make it obvious that the book was written by someone who didn't grow up in Russia. However, the biggest problem I had with the book was that I felt little to no suspense throughout the story, which was an issue considering it is a mystery - I just really didn't care much about what happened.
May 10, 2025
Police Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov of Moscow must solve a series of murders while balancing truth and Russian party politics. Likable characters and authentic Russian details create a gripping, interesting crime mystery.
September 8, 2020
A puzzling murder mystery set in the USSR
Set in the USSR not long after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Death of a Dissident paints a savage if all too credible picture of life in Moscow early in the final decade of Communist rule. If you enjoy historical fiction and have a hankering to understand the lies, compromises, and inefficiencies that led to the collapse of Communism, you’ll enjoy this grim murder mystery set in the USSR. The novel is the first of sixteen in a series by Stuart Kaminsky featuring the veteran Soviet policeman Porfiry Rostnikov.
A dissident intellectual named Aleksander Granovsky is scheduled to go on trial the next day for crimes against the state when a lunatic murders him in his home. To Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov, the prime suspect in such cases would be the KGB, but why? Granovsky would surely be found guilty and executed within days. Does it make sense that the secret police would have him killed to save themselves the possible embarrassment of a trial? Well, perhaps. But now that looks exceedingly unlikely since a cab driver turns up dead, apparently by the same lunatic. Suddenly, the case becomes even more puzzling. Yet he knows he can expect no help from either the KGB or Granovsky’s dissident friends.
An engaging homicide detective
Rostnikov is an appealing figure. A police officer for more than thirty years, he is a veteran of the Great Patriotic War. The fighting had left him with a limp caused by shrapnel he caught during the battle of Rostov. To compensate for the appearance of weakness lent by his limp, he lifts weights and has become uncommonly well muscled and strong. He is also, by all accounts, a gifted investigator. However, Rostnikov has no ambition to move up the ranks and become a procurator, an outcome he’s convinced would never happen in any case as his wife is Jewish.
Rostnikov is the father of two adult children. His son, Iosif (“rashly named for Stalin”), has joined the army. Midway through his inquiry into the murders he learns that Iosif has been transferred to the front in Afghanistan. “Iosif was in a place where Russian soldiers were being killed. Visions of his own war, of death, of Rostov, sliced through Rostnikov.” And that will prove to be a complication as Rostnikov’s investigation unfolds.
The investigator’s two subordinates are both intriguing
In what seems a setup for the subsequent novels in this series, Rostnikov works with two subordinates. Emil Karpo is a cadaverous veteran known to many as “the Tatar” for his Asian looks. He “had not a single friend, which suited him. He would tolerate no slackness in others and radiated cold, silent fury toward those who did not devote themselves fully to their tasks, particularly the seemingly endless task of cleansing Moscow.” Sasha Tkach is bright and resourceful though much younger and as yet unproven.
An ironic ending to this murder mystery set in the USSR
In the end, it is Rostnikov himself who deduces the truth about the killings. He “would not, could not accept the simple explanation for murder that one was mad, even madness had its own logic.” That insight proves to be the key. And yet the truth is often an orphan in the Soviet system. “‘There are times,’ his boss explains, ‘when it is best to forget about being a policeman and accept political truth and expediency.'” There’s irony aplenty in the ending.
About the author
Stuart M. Kaminsky (1934-2009) authored four series of mystery novels, including three that ran to at least ten volumes each. (The other two featured a private detective in 1940s Hollywood and a veteran Chicago police officer.) Kaminsky won the Edgar Award for Best Novel for one of the Inspector Rostnikov books. As he wrote in his Introduction to Death of a Dissident, “I knew a great deal about Russia . . . All of my grandparents were born in Russia and I had many a remembered tale to draw upon.” It’s clear from my own reading—and from my two visits to the USSR, in 1965 and 1989—that Kaminsky understood his subject matter.
Set in the USSR not long after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Death of a Dissident paints a savage if all too credible picture of life in Moscow early in the final decade of Communist rule. If you enjoy historical fiction and have a hankering to understand the lies, compromises, and inefficiencies that led to the collapse of Communism, you’ll enjoy this grim murder mystery set in the USSR. The novel is the first of sixteen in a series by Stuart Kaminsky featuring the veteran Soviet policeman Porfiry Rostnikov.
A dissident intellectual named Aleksander Granovsky is scheduled to go on trial the next day for crimes against the state when a lunatic murders him in his home. To Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov, the prime suspect in such cases would be the KGB, but why? Granovsky would surely be found guilty and executed within days. Does it make sense that the secret police would have him killed to save themselves the possible embarrassment of a trial? Well, perhaps. But now that looks exceedingly unlikely since a cab driver turns up dead, apparently by the same lunatic. Suddenly, the case becomes even more puzzling. Yet he knows he can expect no help from either the KGB or Granovsky’s dissident friends.
An engaging homicide detective
Rostnikov is an appealing figure. A police officer for more than thirty years, he is a veteran of the Great Patriotic War. The fighting had left him with a limp caused by shrapnel he caught during the battle of Rostov. To compensate for the appearance of weakness lent by his limp, he lifts weights and has become uncommonly well muscled and strong. He is also, by all accounts, a gifted investigator. However, Rostnikov has no ambition to move up the ranks and become a procurator, an outcome he’s convinced would never happen in any case as his wife is Jewish.
Rostnikov is the father of two adult children. His son, Iosif (“rashly named for Stalin”), has joined the army. Midway through his inquiry into the murders he learns that Iosif has been transferred to the front in Afghanistan. “Iosif was in a place where Russian soldiers were being killed. Visions of his own war, of death, of Rostov, sliced through Rostnikov.” And that will prove to be a complication as Rostnikov’s investigation unfolds.
The investigator’s two subordinates are both intriguing
In what seems a setup for the subsequent novels in this series, Rostnikov works with two subordinates. Emil Karpo is a cadaverous veteran known to many as “the Tatar” for his Asian looks. He “had not a single friend, which suited him. He would tolerate no slackness in others and radiated cold, silent fury toward those who did not devote themselves fully to their tasks, particularly the seemingly endless task of cleansing Moscow.” Sasha Tkach is bright and resourceful though much younger and as yet unproven.
An ironic ending to this murder mystery set in the USSR
In the end, it is Rostnikov himself who deduces the truth about the killings. He “would not, could not accept the simple explanation for murder that one was mad, even madness had its own logic.” That insight proves to be the key. And yet the truth is often an orphan in the Soviet system. “‘There are times,’ his boss explains, ‘when it is best to forget about being a policeman and accept political truth and expediency.'” There’s irony aplenty in the ending.
About the author
Stuart M. Kaminsky (1934-2009) authored four series of mystery novels, including three that ran to at least ten volumes each. (The other two featured a private detective in 1940s Hollywood and a veteran Chicago police officer.) Kaminsky won the Edgar Award for Best Novel for one of the Inspector Rostnikov books. As he wrote in his Introduction to Death of a Dissident, “I knew a great deal about Russia . . . All of my grandparents were born in Russia and I had many a remembered tale to draw upon.” It’s clear from my own reading—and from my two visits to the USSR, in 1965 and 1989—that Kaminsky understood his subject matter.
May 2, 2019
On the eve of a political dissident's trial he is murdered by means of a rusty sickle, left at the scene. Is it a political crime? A crime of passion? Or perhaps a random act of violence which does not occur in the Soviet state… It is assigned to Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov to investigate. But, where to begin… well it doesn't take long for the hammer to drop and now there are two murders on his plate.
This is the first in the Inspector Rostnikov series and I found it to be quite the experience. I felt myself really drawn into the city and its people. The story is peppered with both the broad brush strokes of scenic narrative as well as the pinpoint vignettes of interactions which make the story come to life. For example in a simple act of questioning witnesses we see the psyche of the average muscovite.
“He was a foreigner?” tried Karpo.
“Yes,” went on the old man, “definitely a foreigner, English or American, he…”
“Did he speak?” tried Karpo.
“I…I…,” stammered the old man, anxious to please.
“No,” said the son, hugging the blanket over his vulnerable legs. “He said nothing. He just ran down Petro Street.”
Pytor Roshkov had decided to fix his eyes on the fascinating painting on the wall of the first meeting of the Presidium.
“Then you don’t know if he was a foreigner,” Karpo continued.
“No,” said the son.
“Yes,” said the father.
“If you would try less hard to please me and harder to simply tell the truth, you will get out of here much faster and back to your home or work,” Karpo said.
You can feel the weariness of exasperation coming through Inspector Karpo. The way Kaminsky just drops these little interactions through the novel makes this story so immersive. I really had the feeling of being transported to another time and place.
I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series "A Black Knight in Red Square"
This is the first in the Inspector Rostnikov series and I found it to be quite the experience. I felt myself really drawn into the city and its people. The story is peppered with both the broad brush strokes of scenic narrative as well as the pinpoint vignettes of interactions which make the story come to life. For example in a simple act of questioning witnesses we see the psyche of the average muscovite.
“He was a foreigner?” tried Karpo.
“Yes,” went on the old man, “definitely a foreigner, English or American, he…”
“Did he speak?” tried Karpo.
“I…I…,” stammered the old man, anxious to please.
“No,” said the son, hugging the blanket over his vulnerable legs. “He said nothing. He just ran down Petro Street.”
Pytor Roshkov had decided to fix his eyes on the fascinating painting on the wall of the first meeting of the Presidium.
“Then you don’t know if he was a foreigner,” Karpo continued.
“No,” said the son.
“Yes,” said the father.
“If you would try less hard to please me and harder to simply tell the truth, you will get out of here much faster and back to your home or work,” Karpo said.
You can feel the weariness of exasperation coming through Inspector Karpo. The way Kaminsky just drops these little interactions through the novel makes this story so immersive. I really had the feeling of being transported to another time and place.
I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series "A Black Knight in Red Square"
October 3, 2018
It was something a little different from anything that I have read recently. And then again, not really that different to fiction that I've read which has touched on life in the U.S.S.R. as well as received impressions having lived through the latter stages of the communist era. There were no startling insights in to living with the omnipresence of the K.G.B. the unrelenting drudgery of the vast majority of the countries population, the accommodations made to the vlasti and the regular musings on these matters seemed ponderous.
There was nothing engaging or virtuous about the main characters and Rostnikov was no less ready to make compromises to his benefit than anyone else in the power structure. I had thought that things were going to go very differently; at 81% Rostnikov makes his report to the Procurator and with 19% to go, I thought there must be some clever manipulation to come whereby he forces the powers that be to acknowledge the full substance of his investigation but the book ends at that point and the remainder is the first few chapters of the next in the series. Since these chapers are available, I will give them a read and hope for something which draws me in more than this one did.
There was nothing engaging or virtuous about the main characters and Rostnikov was no less ready to make compromises to his benefit than anyone else in the power structure. I had thought that things were going to go very differently; at 81% Rostnikov makes his report to the Procurator and with 19% to go, I thought there must be some clever manipulation to come whereby he forces the powers that be to acknowledge the full substance of his investigation but the book ends at that point and the remainder is the first few chapters of the next in the series. Since these chapers are available, I will give them a read and hope for something which draws me in more than this one did.
January 24, 2021
I am a big fan of Stuart Kaminsky’s Toby Peters series (he is an LA private eye in the 1940s who has a different movie star client in every book), so I was looking forward to beginning a new series of his. Unfortunately, this book had none of the imagination and dry humor of the Peters novels. Rather, it was a humdrum police procedural notable only for its Soviet setting (it was published in 1981). While I enjoy books set in unfamiliar places, the details of these places have to be interesting for me to enjoy the book. Soviet Russia, however, was a desperately painful place, and the details of daily life there so dire that the book was hard for me to read. There was a bit of a twist at the end, but it wasn’t interesting enough to redeem what had come before.
In fairness, I should say that Kaminsky admits in his introduction, written ten years after the book was first published, that this first effort was not successful and that the series didn’t really take off until the second book. So maybe I should have started there. But with so many other books to read, why persevere with something I’m pretty sure I won’t like?
In fairness, I should say that Kaminsky admits in his introduction, written ten years after the book was first published, that this first effort was not successful and that the series didn’t really take off until the second book. So maybe I should have started there. But with so many other books to read, why persevere with something I’m pretty sure I won’t like?
May 15, 2020
Stuart Kaminsky's "Death of a Dissident" was an excellent novel. The characters were compelling, the atmosphere of Moscow seemed so real you think you are there, and the plot exciting. Not a murder mystery, we learn who did the murder (s) early on, but the excitement comes from the search for the killer and the truth, which is a little harder to find thanks to the system in place. The author had already a successful mystery series concerning a 1940's detective in Hollywood, this book kicked off a series of books concerning the hero of this story, Inspector Rostnikov. The inspector is a middle aged, powerful man but with a weakness (bad leg from WWII), thoroughly professional but forced to toe the party demands. He and his wife live in a small apartment (by our standards) where the toilet is broken and never gets fixed. His aides are very interesting characters as well. The KGB is always lurking in the background as well. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading more of Mr. Kaminsky's novels.
October 2, 2020
Kaminsky doused this book into every bit of Russian-whatever he knew, it seems. To the point the mystery gets lost in dense observations of Russia this and that. Less and a real story could have emerged. Kaminsky does this in his other books but is far more fun to make the slogging through unrelated content at least fun to read. In this case, the density makes the book dreary and depressing as darkness of Russia is over-focused.
The plot is somewhere in all of this involving a killer, which is revealed early on. The rest is trying to find the killer. There are more killings. Otherwise the rest of the writing is more Russia narrative than movement of story.
The characters are very well written and the setting descriptions is all part of the narrative.
I found the ending disappointing as the twist in the story seemed obvious from the start, due to Kaminsky's over writing.
Bottom line: i don't recommend this book 4 out of ten points.
The plot is somewhere in all of this involving a killer, which is revealed early on. The rest is trying to find the killer. There are more killings. Otherwise the rest of the writing is more Russia narrative than movement of story.
The characters are very well written and the setting descriptions is all part of the narrative.
I found the ending disappointing as the twist in the story seemed obvious from the start, due to Kaminsky's over writing.
Bottom line: i don't recommend this book 4 out of ten points.
July 26, 2020
Good read. My wife recommended this author/series after I read Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith. I think I liked Gorky Park a bit better. This one seemed not as deep, not as detailed.
Story was good though and I liked Rostnikov's hobby. The book lost a star due to the lack of editing/proofreading after the publisher created the Kindle version. Way too many errors in quotation mark placement, spelling (bam for barn), attention to detail (female police officer's last name changing within a few paragraphs), lobnoye mseto instead of lognoye mesto, that sort of thing. A huge spacing error at the start really made me question the author: a lack of any space, of any ellipsis, when one scene ended and another began led me to believe, early on in the book, that one of the main characters was the killer.
For the 2020 book expenses, this $7.99 Kindle buy brings the total up to $374.85.
Story was good though and I liked Rostnikov's hobby. The book lost a star due to the lack of editing/proofreading after the publisher created the Kindle version. Way too many errors in quotation mark placement, spelling (bam for barn), attention to detail (female police officer's last name changing within a few paragraphs), lobnoye mseto instead of lognoye mesto, that sort of thing. A huge spacing error at the start really made me question the author: a lack of any space, of any ellipsis, when one scene ended and another began led me to believe, early on in the book, that one of the main characters was the killer.
For the 2020 book expenses, this $7.99 Kindle buy brings the total up to $374.85.
February 21, 2023
Rate: 7/10
Pages:220
My mystery-guru friend suggested this series!
I enjoyed this novel--it really captures that Cold War, USSR, that we grew up hering about. Kaminsky knows how the government works. But I also loved Rostiknov, himself. There were a few far-fetched moments, but you could see it in a gray movie shot. It was a quick read, with side characters that were either perfect for a cast of dissidents or beginning of a series with government following their every move. One forgets how limited it was--few phones, spies, one room apartments. I ate it up. Some of the time period and culture were well laid out and even 40 years later, you can feel like you are right in that cold winter in Moscow, where dinner out is a yearly treat not a weekly luxury.
Returning to Dotty's--grabbing another in the seriies.
Pages:220
My mystery-guru friend suggested this series!
I enjoyed this novel--it really captures that Cold War, USSR, that we grew up hering about. Kaminsky knows how the government works. But I also loved Rostiknov, himself. There were a few far-fetched moments, but you could see it in a gray movie shot. It was a quick read, with side characters that were either perfect for a cast of dissidents or beginning of a series with government following their every move. One forgets how limited it was--few phones, spies, one room apartments. I ate it up. Some of the time period and culture were well laid out and even 40 years later, you can feel like you are right in that cold winter in Moscow, where dinner out is a yearly treat not a weekly luxury.
Returning to Dotty's--grabbing another in the seriies.
June 28, 2024
While I enjoyed the plot and the internal fortitude of Porfiry Rostnikov to persist in his investigation despite the warnings from his superiors that a convenient suspect would take the murder charge and death sentence, the chaotic way the characters were introduced and the real murderer acted as a second narrator made the beginning of this story very confusing. Not to mention my inability to pronounce any of the names.
Basically, this is not an easy read, but it does have some rewards.
I agreed with most of the reviews on Goodreads, whether they were two stars or five. I am reluctant to recommend this to most of my reading friends as I think they don't want to work so hard at entertainment.
For myself, I might want to read more.
I own a copy of this murder mystery.
Basically, this is not an easy read, but it does have some rewards.
I agreed with most of the reviews on Goodreads, whether they were two stars or five. I am reluctant to recommend this to most of my reading friends as I think they don't want to work so hard at entertainment.
For myself, I might want to read more.
I own a copy of this murder mystery.
July 19, 2017
The first book in Kaminky's series about Russian detective Inspector Rostnikov. A dissident awaiting trial in Moscow is murdered with a rusty scythe. The powers that be are convinced when a neighbor who has been seen quarreling with the victim flees from the police and is apprehended by Rostinkov in the metro. Rostnikov is not as convinced.
The long Russian names were a challenge — especially for the reader, but also for the listeners. Politics is always lurking in the background in Russian crime novels and this one follows the pattern.
This was one of our Lutrecia read-alouds, book # 34 on our 2017 Read-alouds List.
The long Russian names were a challenge — especially for the reader, but also for the listeners. Politics is always lurking in the background in Russian crime novels and this one follows the pattern.
This was one of our Lutrecia read-alouds, book # 34 on our 2017 Read-alouds List.
Read
March 27, 2020The first in Kaminsky's inspector Rostnikov books; this is a second-time around read for me; I read the series in patchwork before, but now am going through it in the right order. I really, really love Kaminsky's characters, who are so well described that I can feel them in the room with me; I have an especial attraction to Karpov, trying to be a good Party member and yet with respect for the rather more free-wheeling Rostnikov. His internal struggles are fascinating. And Kaminsky's Moscow is fantastic—he brings the reader into a time and place that no longer exist, yet feel alive through his words. Oh, and the mystery is good, too!
May 18, 2024
The first in a series of excellent police procedurals set in the USSR.
Rostnikov is a police officer in Moscow. He's a wounded veteran, a fan of American crime novels, a weight-lifter of extraordinary strength, and a man of honor.
In this book, Rostnikov is charged with solving the murder of a dissident who was about to stand trial. The powers-that-be are worried the murder will cause international embarrassment to the USSR, as the assumption would be the KGB is behind the killing. So the stakes are particularly high for Rostnikov in this investigation.
I read four of the novels in this series and all were terrific.
Rostnikov is a police officer in Moscow. He's a wounded veteran, a fan of American crime novels, a weight-lifter of extraordinary strength, and a man of honor.
In this book, Rostnikov is charged with solving the murder of a dissident who was about to stand trial. The powers-that-be are worried the murder will cause international embarrassment to the USSR, as the assumption would be the KGB is behind the killing. So the stakes are particularly high for Rostnikov in this investigation.
I read four of the novels in this series and all were terrific.
October 17, 2025
First book of a series with Russian police detective Porfiry Rostnikov. Well, the title tells the story. The author tries very hard to show how dark and gloomy the life in Russia was. I assume the action is happening around 1980. What kills me and almost caused me to stop reading is mistakes and inaccuracies related to the life in Russia of that period. It's difficult to continue reading the novel whose substance is based on a particular time and place, with author showing that he doesn't really possess firsthand knowledge about it. I will will not be reading the rest of the series (even though my original intent was to read it all).
September 30, 2021
This is the first of 16 Porfiry Rostnikov detective novels set in Moscow during the Soviet era. Police officer Rostnikov looks into the death of a former teacher, Granovsky, now an enemy of the state set to go on trial. The man is murdered the night before his trial with a sickle plunged into this chest. Rostnikov walks a tight rope between his police supervisor, the KGB – who have control over where his son is stationed in the military - and the truth of whodunnit. I loved this book and hope to read more of the series.
April 18, 2022
Very enjoyable initial entry in the detective Porfiry Rostnikov series. Rostnikov investigate the murder of a Russian dissident. Despite being viewed as a hero by the Western press, dissident Alex Granovsky is possibly the least likable person in Moscow. At first it appears that the KGB is involved, but after two other Moscow residents are murdered in particularly brutal fashions, Rostnnikov realizes there is a serial killer on the loose. Can he catch the killer before he claims his next victim?
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