Scan barcode
jrosenstein's review against another edition
3.0
An engaging, character-centered historical mystery. Morris does an excellent job of evoking 19th century St. Petersburg through just a few key details of place and people. The protagonist, Porfiry Petrovich, is an interesting take on the noir convention of the jaded detective. However, the ending was unconvincing and a bit unsatisfying.
vesper1931's review against another edition
mysterious
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
1866. Petrovsky Park, an elderly woman steals what she can from two dead bodies, one a dwarf in a suitcase, the other hanged. When finally the bodies are reported, the official line is murder, suicide. But investigating magistrate Porfiry Petrovich believes not and so investigates.
An entertaining historical mystery with some interesting characters. A good start to a new series.
An entertaining historical mystery with some interesting characters. A good start to a new series.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
"If I may make one further suggestion, your excellency. I fully accept the disciplinary action that you have initiated against me. However, I would propose that you postpone my suspension."
"That's out of the question. I do not go back on my decisions."
"Do you ever gamble, Yaroslav Nikolaevich?"
The prokuror regarded Porfiry with as much affront as if he had spat in his face.
"I propose a wager--that's all," pressed Profiry. "Delay my suspension for two days. If I have not solved the case, you may suspend me, indefinitely--without pay. If I have solved the case, I ask you to take no action against me. My success will rebound to your credit. My failure will give you a scapegoat."
Prokuror Liputin pinched his lower lip pensively. "I am Russian, Porfiry Petrovich. Of course I gamble."
The Gentle Axe by is set in pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg and features an investigator adept at working the arcane rules and hierarchy of the Russian justice system to see the proper culprits arrested. By working for justice, however, Porfiry Petrovich will never be able to work his way up the career ladder, stepping, as he does, on the toes of his betters. He's still a little haunted by a case he solved a few years ago, that of the student Raskolnikov, and it affects how he deals with some of the people he comes into contact with.
When a body is found hanged from a tree in Petrovsky Park, and a suitcase containing the corpse of a second man, it looks like an easy case to solve. Clearly, the hanged man murdered the other man and then hanged himself in a fit of remorse. But Porfiry demands all sorts of unreasonable things; autopsies for both of the murdered men, for example, the results of which cloud the easy solution. His investigation takes him everywhere from the rooms of a young prostitute to publishing house specializing in philosophic translations.
This book is both an intricately plotted detective novel and an homage to Dostoevsky. It was fun finding references throughout the book to Dostoevsky's novels, although I'm sure I missed most of them.
"That's out of the question. I do not go back on my decisions."
"Do you ever gamble, Yaroslav Nikolaevich?"
The prokuror regarded Porfiry with as much affront as if he had spat in his face.
"I propose a wager--that's all," pressed Profiry. "Delay my suspension for two days. If I have not solved the case, you may suspend me, indefinitely--without pay. If I have solved the case, I ask you to take no action against me. My success will rebound to your credit. My failure will give you a scapegoat."
Prokuror Liputin pinched his lower lip pensively. "I am Russian, Porfiry Petrovich. Of course I gamble."
The Gentle Axe by is set in pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg and features an investigator adept at working the arcane rules and hierarchy of the Russian justice system to see the proper culprits arrested. By working for justice, however, Porfiry Petrovich will never be able to work his way up the career ladder, stepping, as he does, on the toes of his betters. He's still a little haunted by a case he solved a few years ago, that of the student Raskolnikov, and it affects how he deals with some of the people he comes into contact with.
When a body is found hanged from a tree in Petrovsky Park, and a suitcase containing the corpse of a second man, it looks like an easy case to solve. Clearly, the hanged man murdered the other man and then hanged himself in a fit of remorse. But Porfiry demands all sorts of unreasonable things; autopsies for both of the murdered men, for example, the results of which cloud the easy solution. His investigation takes him everywhere from the rooms of a young prostitute to publishing house specializing in philosophic translations.
This book is both an intricately plotted detective novel and an homage to Dostoevsky. It was fun finding references throughout the book to Dostoevsky's novels, although I'm sure I missed most of them.
annebrooke's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fascinating historical crime thriller with a rich and lyrical slow-burn feel about it. The main character Porfiry Petrovich is very interesting and I liked his relationships with his police colleagues, as well as how he handles the suspects in what is a very violent crime. There's a great deal going on and almost everyone is keeping secrets of one sort or the other. The tension begins to mount as the ending approaches and I enjoyed the way the very complex crimes are solved. The final page where Porfiry is standing alone with his thoughts is very powerful indeed. A good start to this series.
lisa_mc's review
4.0
Just on plot alone this is a twisty, juicy mystery. Finding two dead bodies found in a park -- a dwarf with his head bashed in stuffed into a suitcase and a large man hanging from a tree with an axe in his belt -- police in St. Petersburg, Russia, initially think it's a murder-suicide. But a closer examination reveals that they were both murdered, and it's up to Porfiry Petrovich -- yes, THAT Porfiry Petrovich, from "Crime and Punishment" -- to figure out what's really going on, combing clues from brothels, slums and a half-completed translation of a philosophy book. The story is a nice homage to Dostoevsky, tackling philosophical questions without sparing the details of reality. From the damp chill of St. Petersburg in the winter to the colorful assortment of characters and the ins and outs of 19th-century civil service politics, Morris creates an enveloping atmosphere, one that I enjoyed so much I went out and bought the sequel ("A Vengeful Longing") the day after I finished this.
eliendriel's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
gawronma's review against another edition
2.0
I thought it was interesting but not really my cup of Russian tea.
karenangela_1's review
3.0
Not a bad first novel although the killer was to obvious, I prefer a mystery that keeps me guessing as to who the bad guy is.
avitalgadcykman's review against another edition
5.0
Reading and enjoying the prose and the mystery related to Crime and Punishment. It's a literary thriller that makes you believe taht Dostoevsky could have come up with another case for the magistrate to solve.