From the author of Messiah, set over 100 days of a bitter Russian winter, a tale of vengeance, bloodshed and love as communism crumbles and the mafia gangs seek control
Moscow, December 1991. Chaos reigns after the fall of communism. Muscovites are used to queues and empty shelves, but now they have to cope with a dangerous power vacuum – and a war between brutal mafiya gangs for control of the city. So when a child's body is found beneath the ice of the Moscow river it attracts little attention to begin with. Then a second body is found. And a third.
At the heart of the gathering storm is Red October, Russia's most famous vodka distillery. Alice Liddell, an American banker, has come to Moscow to oversee its privatization – an unpopular move. Alice wants to get going, but faced with the charismatic, ruthless Lev – distiller director and head of one of the warring mafia gangs – a very difficult job is starting to look impossible.
Lev's arch-enemy has vowed revenge on him and it seems that the bizarre child killings might be part of this. The last thing he needs is a determined young woman in the heart of his criminal empire. But will Lev and Alice be enemies or allies? And when the storm has passed, who will be left standing?
‘Suspense is cumulative, with the narrative a kaleidoscope patterned by Starling’s love affair with all things Russian and Moscow in particular’ Chris Petit, Guardian
‘A pulsating and imaginative tale of murder and mafia’ Daily Mirror
Praise for Messiah
‘A real cliffhanger’ Sunday Express
‘Fast-paced, gritty… deserves nothing but praise’ Esquire
Author
About Boris Starling
Boris Starling worked as a reporter on the Sun and the Daily Telgraph and recently worked for a company that specialises in kidnap negotiations. He was also one of the youngest ever contestants and semi-finalists on Mastermind. He used all his skills and knowledge to create this taut thriller.
