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The Man Who Walked Like a Bear (Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov Mysteries Book 6) by [Stuart M. Kaminsky]

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Stuart M. Kaminsky

The Man Who Walked Like a Bear (Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov Mysteries Book 6) Kindle Edition

by Stuart M. Kaminsky (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Book 6 of 16: Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov Mysteries

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With his wife in the hospital, Porfiry Rostnikov tries to protect Moscow from chaos.

Porfiry and Sarah Rostnikov have been in love since the end of World War II, growing old together as the Soviet Union lurches towards modernity. Sarah is recovering from a brain operation, her police inspector husband at her side, when a bearlike man staggers into her hospital room. Hulking, naked, and insensible, he is about to leap out the window when Rostnikov talks him off the ledge. But before the orderlies take him away, the giant whispers a secret to the investigator. Someone has been stealing from the factory where he works.

As he puzzles over the colossal madman's clue, Rostnikov must also focus on his colleagues in the Moscow police, as their team contends with a sudden jump in crime. Rebels are planting bombs, teenagers are plotting assassinations, and the KGB lurks in every shadow. Surviving all this without Sarah by his side will be a challenge for the limping policeman, but he has long proven adept at talking down the Russian bear.

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.

"Kaminsky stands out as a subtle historian, unobtrusively but entertainingly weaving into the story itself what people were wearing, eating, driving, and listening to on the radio. A page-turning romp." Booklist.

"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.

Length: 261 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
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Book 6 of 16 in Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov Mysteries

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Inspector Rostnikov of Kaminsky's Edgar-winning series ( A Cold Red Sunrise ) duels for the sixth time with the KGB in this superb mystery-thriller. The novel bursts into action as Rostnikov is visiting his wife, Sarah, hospitalized in their home city of Moscow. The titular "walking bear" is a man who escapes from the mental ward and alarms the women in Sarah's room before the inspector succeeds in calming him (he then hints of thefts at the factory where he had worked). This strange event is but a prelude to crises impelling Rostnikov, with his comrades Karpo and Thach, through intolerable ordeals: a bus is hijacked by rebels conspiring to blow up Lenin's tomb; young lovers plan to murder a government official. Sharing in the overlapping investigations, the inspector joins in celebrating victory with his loyal officers when they prevent bloody deeds. But the triumph is Rostrikov's alone when he outwits the jealous KGB chief--and the reader--in a scene harking back to the walking bear. Kaminsky masterfully balances stories of family life, humorous anecdotes and riveting suspense involving his distinctive characters.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

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. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

ASIN : B00UG92HKG
Publisher : Mysterious Press at Bastei Entertainment (March 31, 2015)
Publication date : March 31, 2015
Language : English
File size : 2023 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 261 pages
Lending : Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #4,838,257 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #167,438 in Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #173,305 in Literature & Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #396,702 in Mysteries (Books)

Customer Reviews:
37 ratings

Customer reviews

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4 star		27%
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W. Kirschner

Another Fine Book in this series

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2019

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It seems like only a short time ago that I discovered the Abe Lieberman novels by Stuart Kaminsky,and when I finished those I moved on to the Lew Fonesca’s and now the Porfiry Rostnikovs and the Toby Peters to follow. I am only sorry that I never told Mr. Kaminsky how much I have enjoyed his writing before he passed away. For anyone who has not tried him, I recommend his books and maybe they will bring you the enjoyment I get from reading them.

Helpful

Dianne Latona

Return to Russia, with love

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2015

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How many Inspector Rostnikov novels--15? 20?--and there will be no more, because the author passed away in 2009, with A Whisper to the Living being published posthumously. I have read these works on and off for the past twelve years or so, after having visited post-Communist Russia twice. It is a haunting place, incredibly harsh and alive. The people are gruff but have hearts of gold. I think of my experiences there almost daily even now. Kaminsky's novels bring it all back so vividly. I recently purchased the rest of the set on Amazon, and read all of them in chronological order. I highly recommend you do the same. No one of them stands out for me--I take them together, as a kind of extended novel, a slice of Russian life,best savored with some borscht, sausage and pelmeni, on a chill winter's evening.

2 people found this helpful

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You'd Think I would've remembered

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2002

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The sixth in Kaminsky's Porfiry Rostnikov series, THE MAN WHO WALKED LIKE A BEAR is a good one to get a sense of what the series is like: Rostnikov draws diagrams of potential plumbing problems and lifts weights when he's not absorbed in a case; Emil Karpo is bothered by migraine headaches and some six hundred unsolved cases he refuses to give up on; Sasha Tkach is having trouble with his mother interfering with his family life.
All of this is a backdrop to Kaminsky's 87th Precinct style mystery. Kaminsky hints at the influence by having Rostnikov carry around an Ed McBain novel as he pursues various leads.
The title refers to an apparent mental patient who interrupts Rostnikov's visit to his wife Sarah's hospital room, where she's recuperating from a brain tumor operation. The man is naked and ranting about devils invading the shoe factory where he works. Rostnikov decides to investigate. A second case deals with a woman complaining that her son is about to assassinate a Politburo member. A third has to do with the disappearance of Bus 43 and its driver Boris Trush.
All of these threads occur prior to the dissolution of the USSR, during the time of Gorbachev and glasnost. Any case involving the Politburo is dangerous territory for Rostnikov and crew. This is exacerbated when the reader realizes "The Washtub" is being tracked by the KGB.
I was so looking forward to another Rostnikov novel that I inadvertently read this one a second time. You'd think I would've remembered that title.

9 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Brilliant writing with such emotive fully fleshed out cast

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2020

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What's so wonderful about this series is that I find myself reading it for the characters I've come e to know and love, as well as for the stories that always make Moscow come alive as a place, and as a people

Helpful

Bogart

Bearer than ever

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2019

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Great characters that keep getting better. Subtle crime lines continue to lead one along with this eclectic group of detectives

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Coach

Different

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2020

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A glimpse into the kremlin through the eyes of an insightful, wounded police investigator. Well worth the time and energy to read.

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Mercury Arts

Great read!

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2018

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Fast moving and complex.
Couldn't put it down!
Kaminsky is one of the true masters
Of the craft. He brings the tale to life.

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TomFromFreeport

The most amazing detective series

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2011

Verified Purchase

As always, Karminsky delivered another highly enjoyable novel with Rostnikov and his team. Everything is not what you think it should be and is only revealed at the very end. All the mysteries fall into tracks nicely. Anther wonderfule read from Kaminsky. Highly recommended.

Helpful

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