Customer Reviews

People Who Walk In Darkness (Inspector Rostnikov)

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PEOPLE WHO WALK IN DARKNESS is the first new entry in Stuart M. Kaminsky's classic Porfiry Rostnikov series since MURDER ON THE TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS was published in 2001. This book brings the Edgar award winning series to volume fifteen.

First let me say that I have been a huge fan of Stuart Kaminsky for nearly thirty years and some seventy novels. Mr. Kaminsky has a way with quirky characters and nearly always manages to eke out some very human elements in his stories regardless of how strangely some of his plots develop. Almost no other writer of mysteries can match him at his best and few can do so even when, as in this book, he's a bit off his game.

The story is a bit complicated to easily summarize but involves diamonds being smuggled out of Siberia for sale in the west and various criminal elements preying on each other to gain control. Toss in a psychopath or two, a couple of murders, the ghost of a little girl killed in a long ago mining disaster and a motley crew of very Russian characters and you've got a story with a lot to offer. As with any Kaminsky book the cast of characters is its biggest strength, this time out it includes miners, diamond smugglers, fashion-models, crazy old men preparing for a long threatened Japanese invasion of Russia, female impersonators, African gang members, weight lifters, criminal masterminds and Rostnikov's usual team of mismatched detectives and their families. The story takes place over a far flung field - from Moscow to London to Kiev to Siberia, with individual plot lines developing in each place involving a large cast of characters.

These elements, the plot and the characters, usually both strong points of a Kaminsky novel, are, this time out, simply too complicated and too far flung to hold together well. Too large a cast, too many places and too many plot lines occupying a short two hundred eighty-seven pages make for a book that is frankly a bit of mess.

That is something I never dreamed I would say about a book by Stuart Kaminsky.

Perhaps if the book was longer and the individual plot lines had more substance this would be a better read. For example one of the story lines takes place in an isolated Siberian mining camp that was once part of the infamous gulag system, this setting is made to order for some interesting plot and character elements that could have enlivened the story but Mr. Kaminsky simply doesn't do anything with it. If it could not be longer, perhaps for contractual reasons, then it could certainly be tighter, more coherently structured such as longer segments on each of the various plot lines rather then having so many shorter passages spread too far apart thus lessening their impact. I'd like to think that both of these issues are the fault of the editor rather then Mr. Kaminsky.

Let me suggest that those interested in the Rostnikov series seek out the recent reprints by the Felony & Mayhem Press of the first two volumes in this fine series, THE DEATH OF A DISSIDENT and BLACK KNIGHT IN RED SQUARE. These books demonstrate why Stuart Kaminsky was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and are available from Amazon.

I'm also a fan who's been waiting for the first new Rostnikov novel in seven years, but I'm afraid I ended up agreeing with the previous reviewer who said "... Too large a cast, too many places and too many plot lines occupying a short two hundred eighty-seven pages."

There's just way too much going on here and not enough space to develop it which results in most of the minor characters feeling interchangeable and redundant. We have two psychopaths, Kolokov and Balta, who seem a lot alike; two scheming beautiful women Oxana, and Rochelle; two determined "everyman" types, James Harumbaki and Luc the Canadian; two eccentric old guys Boris and Gennadi Ivanov.

The two old guys don't get viewpoints, but all the others do as do a lecherous Polish-Ukrainian cop, an English diamond tycoon, Rostnikov's boss the Yak, and a couple of the three Botswanan henchmen involved in the action. For me, it's too much information touched upon so shallowly that it's hard to keep in mind and starts distracting from the story.

The good points: hey, this is a new installment in the Rostnikov series, and we fans have got to be glad that the series is moving forwards even if this is one of the "off" books.

Also good:
1. A suspenseful premise with the possible destruction of Rostnikov's department, and reassignment of all personnel, in nine days depending on resolution of the case.
2. Several examples of Rostnikov's quirky dialog in which he engages with, and pokes fun at, several characters. He comes across as deeply curious about people in a compassionate way which makes him memorable.
3. Space was somehow carved out of the cluttered narrative to focus a little more in-depth on two of the more interesting cops on Rostnikov's staff: Karpo and Sasha. I wish a bit more had been done with Karpo who still seems like a bomb waiting to explode. But Sasha's situation with his ex-wife and kids injected some realism and emotional connection into a story that was becoming too hectic.

Overall, I think fans of the Rostnikov series will find this installment worth getting because it's fairly interesting, it rounds out the series collection, and it advances some character storylines (e.g., Karpo and Sasha). But it's not as good as Fall of a Cosmonaut or Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express: A Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov Novel: two excellent books in which Kaminsky narrowed the focus and deepened the character interactions.

I've very much looked forward to another Inspector Rostnikov book. Maybe that was the problem....My expectations were too high. The very small part that dealt with the inspector was good. It's just all of the other characters (Way too many) that got confusing and in the way. I don't normally go for the hardcover addition, I can usually wait for the paperback, this added to my disappointment at spending the extra to get hold of this book. It is still worth a look. Just wait for the paperback.

Stuart Kaminsky's "People Who Walk in Darkness" brings back Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, Chief Inspector of the Office of Special Investigations in Moscow. Rostnikov's boss, Igor "the Yak" Yaklovev, is a self-promoting apparatchik who hopes to piggyback on Porfiry's investigative triumphs to attain more power and a higher position. The Yak has a new project for his star detective. Rostnikov must travel to a small mining town named Devochka in Siberia where a Canadian geologist died under mysterious circumstances. This case and several others (the torture-murder of two black South Africans, and the stabbing of a prostitute found dead in a train headed from Kiev to Moscow) must be solved in no more than nine days, since General Mikhail Frankovich , Director of the Division of Murder, is planning a coup of sorts. He wants to take over the Yak's office and incorporate it into his own. This takeover will fail only if Rostnikov and his team prove their mettle by bringing their cases to a quick and successful conclusion.

Kaminsky's plot is a bit too complicated, with many disparate elements in addition to the aforementioned murders, including diamond smuggling, corruption, greed, infidelity, racism, and betrayal. The action moves frequently from Moscow to Kiev to Devochka, and the reader will need to focus carefully to keep track of the large number of characters and their incessant double-dealing. For the most part, the novel has a strong and varied cast: Porfiry is a squat man with an artificial leg who is extremely bright, intuitive, inordinately curious, and appreciative of the ironies of life. "Rostnikov addressed puzzles...and, when possible, engaged in the dispensation of justice, something the courts did only on occasion." Sasha Tkach is a detective who is disconsolate after his wife leaves him; a beautiful model named Oxana Balakona is willing to commit heinous acts in order to make her fortune; Elena Timofeyeva, the only female in the Office of Special Investigations, desperately wants to please her superior and future father in law, Porfiry Petrovich. Inspector Emil Karpo, known as the Vampire, is a lonely and morose individual whose one chance at love and happiness ended tragically. Unfortunately, the villains are a fairly predictable lot--uniformly grasping, sadistic, selfish, and conniving.

"People Who Walk in Darkness" is, in some ways, a social commentary. Kaminsky conveys the idea that after the fall of the old Soviet Union, little has changed for the better. There are still a great many people who drown their sorrows in vodka, women who sell their bodies for whatever price they can get, and thugs who kill without compunction in order to get their hands on whatever commodity will make them rich. Altruism is less common than ambition and so-called legitimate businessmen hide their misdeeds behind a veneer of respectability. Kaminsky wisely injects many passages of sardonic humor to lighten up this dark and compelling story of duplicity and death. The author includes a few red herrings to throw the reader off the scent and adds some clever surprises at the end. This is a solid and atmospheric mystery in which Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov and his team valiantly battle the forces of avarice and cynicism.

Rostnikov returns once again with an excellent cast of supporting characters. As an avid reader, I grow weary of villians that I can recognize in the first third of the book as well as the introduction of characters that we do not really care about. Once more the creative genius of the author gives us characters that we enjoy reading about, and in my opinion, are unmatched in fiction. The are different, quirky and we await where the charcters will take us as much as the conclusion to the plot.
The action takes place in Siberia and it is interesting to see how diamonds, not nearly associated with Russia, are interwoving in a who done it that keeps us guessing.

Hats off to the Kaminsky for delivering Rostnokov again and hope that he keeps writing about the Russian policeman

My first Amazon review critiqued Kaminsky's MURDER ON THE TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS, but it's been 410 reviews since Stuart Kaminsky has published another Porfiry Rostnikov mystery.

PEOPLE WHO WALK IN DARKNESS has more holes than a plate of Swiss cheese, but I was so happy to see Rostnikov and his crew that I didn't mind all that much. Kaminsky spends the first part of the book reminding us about the personal lives of Rostnikov, Karpo, Tkach, Elena and the rest. They've hardly changed at all. Elena and Porfiry's son Iosif are still contemplating marriage. Karpo is still his austere self. Porfiry still lifts weights and helps his neighbors with their plumbing.

The only difference in this episode is that all of the members of the Office of Special Investigations are working on the same case, a diamond-smuggling caper originating in a mine in Siberia. Although he hates flying, Porfiry and Karpo fly to Siberia to investigate a murder at the mine. Porfiry's half brother just happens to be the manager of a mine in the area. Elena and Tkach are sent to Kiev to look into the murder of a diamond courier. Kiev is where his wife has relocated after leaving Tkach. Iosif and Zelach pursue a Botswanian gang that's also pursuing the missing diamonds. One of the problems with the book is that there are too many characters to keep them all straight. For instance, there's a character named Balta who seems to be biding his time to swoop in and grab the diamonds. You will not believe the complication Kaminsky throws in involving this character. There's another villain named Gerald St. James back in England who seems to be a puppeteer pulling all the strings. If this sounds complicated, I've only scratched the surface.

Rostnikov is still working for the Yak, but another branch of the investigations unit wants to swallow up Special Investigations, and the Yak has given Porfiry only nine days to solve the case and save the unit. Of course he does, in the nick of time, but you won't believe the ending or that Porfiry would condone such a resolution.

Perhaps the best thing about PEOPLE WHO WALK is the interplay between Rostnikov and Karpo; Porfiry likes to tease the ex-communist who has no sense of humor. Unfortunately there's very little of that in this number. Maybe next time. Sadly, Kaminsky recently died, and there's only one episode left. A WHISPER TO THE LIVING will be available in January,2010.

Many people have a vested interest in keeping the defunct diamond mines of Siberia under the radar, but the murder of a Canadian mining engineer brings Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov to the scene.
The intrigue and status manoeuvring are an integral part of the fascinating series by grand master, Stuart M. Kaminsky. Igor Yaklovev, Director of the Office of Special Investigations gives Rostnikov nine days to solve the murder in Siberia, a murder of a woman on a train, and the death by torture of two Botswanians in PEOPLE WHO WALK IN DARKNESS.
Rostnikov gathers his staff of investigators to begin a search which may lead to his own half-brother.
A profound visit with old friends, sketched for us by a master story teller. Number 15 is as much a must read as number one of this fine series.
Nash Black, author of Indie finalists WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and HAINTS.

I was introduced to Inspector Rostnikov when I was cleaning out my sister's library and found "Death in Red Square". Immediately I was taken by the characters in the novel, and I continually look for the latest work by Mr. Kaminsky. I was not disappointed by "People who walk in darkness". The three stories that run simultaneously keep you on your toes while reading, and the motives of each character are gradually being exposed. I found the humor unexpected, at time incongruous but another aspect of a character revealed.
I read this book in one night, because I was so anxious for the ending, but I missed these characters. Of course, now this book will make its way to my sister's library for her to enjoy also.

Rostnikov is what we hope Russia's soul is really like: intelligent, compassionate, insightful and just. Kaminsky takes us on a journey through the powers that were and the powers that are. It is brilliant revelation.

A Canadian geologist is murdered in a Siberian diamond mine that is haunted by the ghost of a ten year old girl who died there. Later the mine manager is also murdered. The bodies of two Botswanan diamond smugglers are found after having been tortured; and a woman is found murdered in a first class compartment of the Moskow/Kiev train. Are they related (with French accent) but of course.

Though it has been five/six years from the last novel, little time has passed in the Rostnikov world (maybe only a few months). But when the "Yak" calls Rostnikov in to discuss the murder in Siberia, he tell him that they need to solve the murders in nine days at which time the future of the Office of Special Investigations will be decided.

Wow! Could the Yak and Rostnikov be out of jobs, will they solve the crimes in time, will Porfiry Petrovich come to terms with his artificial leg, will Sasha get his wife and children back, will Elena of Iosef finally get married, will Karpo try to smile and die of a stroke from the effort? Some of these will be answered, some not. Your guess is as good as Putin's.

But it's still an enjoyable read. Much like his friend (and Porfiry's favorite author) Ed McBain, many of these novels are straight forward and only the sub-characters and the name change. It's the same procedural and before it starts you know that all will be made whole in the end.

Zeb Kantrowitz