Customer Reviews

Fall of a Cosmonaut

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Kaminsky writes 3, no 4, series of crime novels. The Toby Peters stories are enjoyable but only that. The Leiberman series has a bit more substance, but still read like the slow second movement of the standard 4 movement symphony. The Fonseca series has just begun. Vengeance was above average (compared to all mystery/suspense/crime/ whatever..writers). Retribution was much in the Leiberman vein--slow, winding down, world-weary ad nauseam. Where Kaminsky SHINES is in his Russian/Rostnikov series. Not all the dozen or so novels have been equally good, but even the weakest presents real, alive, fleshed-out characters, beginning with the truly inimitable Rostnikov ("the washtub") and his vampire-like underling Emile Karpo, probably the most striking and original continuing character in any myster/suspense series of ALL time. But it is the world of Moscow and the world of the highly-intelligent weight lifting Rostnikov that with his Jewish wife, playwright son (seques into detective), the Yak, the silver haired Colonel and all the colorful characters and settings that make this series vibrate with life. This latest novel, perhaps his best (and, sad to say, perhaps his last) is set up with the usual three plots, unrelated, except for Rostkinov getting involved in more than one. The plots involve the film industry, the space industry and the government funded paranormal acitivities research section. If you haven't read prevevious entries in this series, you will be impressed by this novel with its depth and color and unusually well-done dialogue (for a mystery). But having read all the previous novels, save the first, it is not only a good book but a triumph of Kaminsky in creating and forcing the reader to love and appreciate his characters not just as cogs in a plot (e.g. Lovesey's characters), but having a literary quality, a richness that even Faulkner or Camus would have enjoyed. Cosmonaut is an unalloyed triumph of man, of his spirit, and of the vital diversity that makes man what he/she is.
My feeling is that Kaminsky has ended this series, but I would urge him to reconsider--even an average Rostkinov novel is worth two Leiberman's, three Fonsecas, and four Peters. Anyway read this book. It is GREAT.

The economic and political mess of Russia provides prime hunting grounds for Kaminsky's Edgar Award-winning ("A Cold Red Sunrise") Porfiry Rostnikov series. "Fall of a Cosmonaut" opens with a prologue set in the crumbling Mir Space station where Rostnikov's name is mentioned by cosmonaut Tsimion Vladovka in the midst of a major unexplained disaster.

A year later, Tsimion is missing and Rostnikov, head of Special Investigations, receives an ominous order to find him. Meanwhile, brooding Marxist stoic Emil Karpo and his unassuming partner Arkady Zelach investigate murder in a lab for paranormal research and Elena Timofeyeva (recently affianced to Rostnikov's son Iosef) and Sasha Tkach, his habitual depression overlaid by a peculiar euphoria since his life has bottomed out, are sent to recover a a great Russian epic film being held for exorbitant ransom.

The character-driven narrative shifts from case to case, encompassing the points of view of each investigator as well as various witnesses, victims and villains. The tone is a cross between Ed McBain's 87th Precinct (a particular favorite of Rostnikov's) and the Zen practicality of Janwillem van de Wetering. Personal developments entwine with investigations and everything is complicated by the daily difficulties of Russian life and occasional political incursions.

Kaminsky, who also writes the Toby Peters and Abe Lieberman series, delivers another well-constructed, well-written entertainment.

If you have read the other books in this Russian series by Stuart Kaminsky I think that you will agree that this one stands out. It is like getting a letter from home bringing you up to date on what is happening to close friends or even members of your family. The characters are interesting and consistent from beginning to end. I would recommend that you read the previous books in sequence to build the background necessary to grow fully attached to the characters but it is still a good stand-alone story. I certainly hope that this is not the last in the series.

In Russia, the Office of Special Investigations handles those cases that are too difficult to solve or too political to handle by the regular law enforcement types. The investigators are free to do what is necessary to solve the case, but the Director decides what to do with the findings.

Currently, the Office is working three cases simultaneously. Chief Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov and his son Ioset look into the disappearance of a cosmonaut Apparently Vladovka has damaging secrets that force the head of security at Star City to want the man returned immediately.

Sasha Tkach and Elena Timofeyna investigate the stealing of the negative of a multimillion-dollar movie on the life of Tolstoy that is heading to Cannes. The thief demands two million in American dollars.

Emil Karpo and Akarcy Zelach check into the murder of a researcher at the Center for the Study of Technological parapsychology. Someone used a hammer to smack the victim numerous times till he died.

Through the seemingly different cases and the personal lives of the investigators, readers gain a taste of modern Russian society. This enables the audience to care for what happens to the crew of Office of Special Investigations. The story line is entertaining as all three inquiries are fun to observe and ultimately tie together into one stirring plot. Still, the inside look at Russia makes Stuart M. Kaminsky's police procedural a tale worth reading by more than just sub-genre fans, who already know that this is a top-rate series.

Harriet Klausner

Stuart M. Kaminsky continues his Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov series in grand style--grand, that is, if you like suspense, excitement, great characterization, superb plot--in general, great reading.

In this, the 13th of the series, Rostnikov's name is mentioned by a cosmonaut on board the space station Mir (If anything goes wrong, says Tsimion Vladkova as he relates an emergency situation on board, "please inform Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov."). Of course, something does go wrong. Vladkova returns to earth, then disappears. Rostnikov is told to find him, and his superiors are more than just a little curious as to why the cosmonaut should refer specifically to him! However, locating a "fallen cosmonaut" is not as easy as it seems; the Inspector knows that his case has the highest priority. No one knows if the Vladkova is dead, kidnapped, or has simply disappeared on his own. The government is concerned because he possesses valuable secrets!

As usual, Kaminsky has more than one story going on at the same time, all interrelated, and all equally exciting. One sub-plot deals with a movie director working on the life of Tolstoy whose film negatives have been stolen and are being held for ransom; another involves the undertakings at a paranormal research center, where the director is found murdered.

It takes the skill, the intellect, the presence of Rostnikov and his crew (Sasha Tkach, Emile Karpo, Elena Timofeyeva, and Arkady Zelach) to sort out and to solve all these problems. Kaminsky seems to have post-Iron Curtain Russia's "number" and "Fall of a Cosmonaut" only enhances the series! (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

One of the distressing aspects of finding a terrific mystery series is when the author seems to have abandoned the effort. Fall of a Cosmonaut is the 13th of 14 Stuart Kaminsky Porfiry Rostnikov mysteries, and he hasn't written a new one since 2001. Having a mystery series set in Russia could be extremely depressing, but through the eyes of Porfiry Rosnikov, we see the eternal hopefulness that keeps Russians from the depths of despair.

In 1986, a serious problem develops on the Mir space station. While the problem is catastrophic, the cosmonauts land safely and a big hush campaign begins to keep this big secret. But a year later, the cosmonauts on board (along with the three sent to relieve them) are being murdered systematically, or end up dead under mysterious circumstances. Rostnikov and his son, Iosef, are assigned to discover the location of one of the cosmonauts who seems to have simply vanished. At the same time, Emil Karpo and Akardy Zelach are trying to find the person who murdered a scientist at the Center for the Study of Technical Parapsychology. And Sasha Tkach and Elena Timofeyeva are after the person who has stolen an unreleased film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival on the life of Tolstoy.

Kaminsky is always first rate in his plot development, but this book is even more enjoyable than his previous efforts. Some of the most comical moments involve "the vampire," Emil Karpo. The stern Karpo does not believe in emotion, imagination or the paranormal. Yet while investigating the murder of the institute's director, this skeptic is exposed to more than a few examples of visions, telepathy and clairvoyance. Even the slow-witted Zelach seems to have paranormal gifts, and those at the institute are anxious to study him.

Fall of a Cosmonaut is the 7th book I have read in this series, and knowing that I'm now halfway done, maybe I'll try to stretch them out just a little more. It would be a shame to go through them quickly and then not be able to look forward.

As in all previous books, Chief Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov has three cases to solve simultaneously. All the cases have been taken on by the Office of Special Investigation because the Yak (Igor Yaklovev) sees a chance to discover information that will allow him to continue his political agenda to become Minister of the Interior.

The cases are:
1) the disappearance of a cosmonaut;
2) the theft of the final negative of a Russian movie epic on the life of Tolstoy;
3) the murder of a parapsychologist.

What makes the first case so unusual is that the Yak tells Rostnikov to find the Cosmonaut and then call him. Oddly enough the cosmonaut had, in his last message from space, asked that should anything happen to him, Porfiry Petrovich should be called in on the case. Porfiry is not to ask him any questions or to listen to a confession, only to bring him directly to the Yak and then leave. Porfiry decides to take Iosef with him as they search for the missing cosmonaut.

Sasha and Elena are assigned to find the negative from the film and to protect the director whose life has been threatened. There are a myriad of suspects, but Elena is the one who figures out that the culprit is an ardent chess player (not unusual in Russia) based on the way he conducts the negotiations and how he speaks. She also suspects that the wife of the director, who was once an actress is also involved in some way.

Emil Karpo (the Vampire) and Arkady Zelach (the slouch) are assigned to the murder at the Center for the Study of Technical Parapsychology. To his dismay Zelach who has been having 'visions' since he was beaten finds that one of the investigators has discovered his unusual gift and is very interested in researching them (as well as Arkady).

As always, Kaminsky uses a deft hand in the way the stories are brought to closure and who is the culprit is not always who ends up being designated as the 'bad guy'. Over the years, Kaminsky has spent quite a bit of time in these novels, discussing the idea of Justice versus Prosecution. Does the actual crime result in a situation where the perpetrator is more deserving of justice than the victim?

There are also some nice asides about the relationship between Sasha and his mother, Zelach and his mother, Porfiry and just about everyone, and Elena and Iosef.

I have read a number of Kaminsky's Toby Peters' mysteries (and highly recommend them!), but this was my first experience with Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov and his team of Moscow investigators and I found myself quite interested in the mysteries that Kaminsky puts before the reader. Disappearing cosmonauts, murder at a paranormal research facility, and a movie producer threatened with death and worse, the destruction of his movie, all tie together in a neat package reminiscent of Ed McBain's fine procedurals. But you never forget you're in Russia, the cultural aspects and locales are always part of the story. The three mysteries and the characters that take the lead are of varying interest; I can honestly say I felt little concern for Sasha and his marital problems, but Karpov's Spock-like approach was intriguing and Rostnikov is a charismatic character, a wise investigator working valiantly to find justice in the occasionally grey area of Russia's political climate.

Stuart Kaminsky makes no secret that the Inspector Profiry Rostnikov novels are inspired by the "87th Precinct" books by Ed McBain. Indeed, Rostnikov himself can ofter be found re-reading a dog-eared copy of one of the 87th Precinct books. Like their model, the Rostnikov novels usually depict a detective squad working multiple cases, seeking the little clues which eventually will point their way to solutions to the mysteries. The world of Inspector Rostnikov -- the Soviet Union and, in the later novels, post-Soviet Russia -- is even more morally ambiguous than McBain's fictional city of Isola, and Rostnikov often finds himself between serving justice and enforcing the law. I find Rostnikov, the gentle, physically powerful detective whose greatest relaxation is found in repairing faulty plumbing, to be one of the most appealing characters in modern crime fiction, a man both wise and compassionate. "Fall of a Cosmonaut" is another strong addition to the series, with the detectives pursuing three seperate mysteries while the stories of their personal lives advance yet further. I must emphasize that the Rostnikov books really should be read in order for maximimum enjoyment, as the characters and the crises in their lives progress from novel to novel and much would be lost if their futures were to be relieved too soon by reading out of order.

Life goes on for investigators with the Office of Special Investigation, Moscow, former Soviet Union. In his Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov series, Stuart M. Kaminsky has deftly transplanted the Ed McBain police procedural to Russia: individual detectives, each having his/her own serial back stories, investigating different cases. And through the time span of the series, the reader also watches the Soviet Union disintegrate. In this, the 13th installment of the series, Putin is in power in Russia and the men and sole woman of the OSI are tracking down a missing Mir Cosmonaut, the theft of a major motion picture negative on the life of Tolstoy - due to premiere soon in Cannes, and the murder of a research physiologist at the Moscow Center for the Study of Technical Parapsychology.

This is not a "cozy" Jessica Fletcher-type murder mystery series. The brooding of the Russian soul is frequently mentioned. "The Yak," former KGB functionary, is directing Rostnikov, and the one-legged decorated veteran of the War Against Nazi Aggression must "walk a tight-rope" between his conscience and the ever-shifting Powers That Be. The spectre of Chernobyl and the tension and power-struggles in the wake of the Soviet Union loom constantly in the background. Prolific author Kaminsky gives the reader a feel for the people and politics while raconting a riveting tale.