I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I still have Death and the Penguin lurking on my shelves to read, so that may be on my TBR next month. Meanwhile... In this novel we are following Samson, a young police investigator, someone who joined the police force to help people, and who has maybe not quite caught up to the barbaric, corrupt world of the new Soviet state. All of a sudden private property is meaningless, no one has rights except when they can provide a big enough bribe or know the right people, and things that were not even crimes, at all, can suddenly become of deadly interest to the Soviet police. So, Samson is set to investigate the now-illegal butchery and sale of a pig for meat, while his girlfriend is tasked with counting things and people who don't want to be counted. Although, considering that Samson seems to think putting his severed ear under her pillow while she sleeps is a grand idea, maybe their relationship is going to take some work.
This book does a great job of capturing the arbitrary cruelty and absurdities that occurred after the Russian Revolution and civil war. And, the story promises it is to be continued, so I'll be watching for the next one.

The Stolen Heart by Andrey Kurkov is the second installment in the Kyiv Mysteries series, set in the politically tumultuous landscape of 1920s Kyiv. The narrative follows investigator Samson Kolechko as he delves into the illegal sale of meat, a seemingly trivial crime that becomes a matter of life and death under the watchful eyes of the Cheka. The plot intertwines with personal stakes, including the abduction of Samson's fiancée, Nadezhda, adding layers of suspense and urgency to the storyline.

Kurkov masterfully blends elements of magical realism with historical fiction, creating a vivid portrayal of a city grappling with chaos and revolution. The character of Samson Kolechko is both relatable and enigmatic, navigating a world where the line between the absurd and the real is often blurred. The novel's pacing is deliberate, allowing for a deep exploration of its themes and characters, though some readers may find the narrative's meandering nature a challenge.

While The Stolen Heart may not appeal to those seeking a traditional crime thriller, it offers a unique and thought-provoking reading experience. Its blend of historical context, surreal elements, and character-driven storytelling provides a rich tapestry that will resonate with readers interested in exploring the complexities of life under an oppressive regime.

Quite an unusual mystery - the suspected homicide turns out to be a butchered pig and the investigation is all about finding out who got the meat without punishing the innocent or running afoul of the higher authorities, a nascent Bolshevik government in Ukraine in the turbulent year 1920. It's a fascinating and often funny story about decent people trying to manage their lives in a system that is both violent and absurd.

We get more of Samson and Nadya and a great blend of the absurdity of Soviet police work (I have to investigate the butcher for illegally selling meat?!) with a detective trying his damndest to just get through the day. We get more character development and the spectre of last book's case raises its head briefly, but all things considered, this was a fairly light early summer read. Definitely worth picking up this summer.

"In the follow-up to The Silver Bone, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2024, Samson Kolechko must rescue his kidnapped fiancée while investigating the illegal sale of meat in lawless 1920s Kyiv - based on a real-life case.

Samson Kolechko and his colleague have been dispatched to investigate the illegal sale of meat. How selling cuts of one's own livestock qualifies as a crime eludes the young investigator, but an order is an order, and, at the insistence of the secret police officer assigned to "reinforce" the Lybid police station, Samson vows to do his very best.

But just as Samson is beginning to dig into the very meat of this case, his live-in fiancée Nadezhda is abducted by striking railway workers who object to the census she's carrying out. Complicating matters, the police station has been infiltrated by a mysterious thief, a deadly tram accident - which may have been premeditated - disrupts the city, and, to top it all, the culprit from Samson's "silver bone" investigation may have resurfaced.

Against this backdrop, it's no wonder the "meat case" takes a backseat. Yet, despite the rising danger, the detective cannot let himself be distracted from his dogged pursuit of the seemingly mundane matter of the meat sellers, for ultimately his fate, and Nadezhda's too, rests on it."

Never forget the heart of the matter!

Following the first book in this series, "The Silver Bone," this story is somewhat disappointing.
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Ukraine, 1920s
Characters: Police officer Samson Kolechko, his live-in partner Nadezhda, members of the Polish and Chekist secret police, and a variety of interesting characters in 1920’s Kyiv
Overview: While young Officer Kolechko has been assigned the menial task of catching meat sellers, he must track down the kidnappers of his beloved Nadezhda and is sidetracked by a thief stealing from police headquarters, a deadly tram accident, and the possible return of the antagonist from the first book in the series.
Recommendation: I rate this book 2 stars
Extras: There are many parallel plot threads going on and, coupled with the foreign names and locations, make this story, at times, difficult to track. Several odd episodes, such as a wedding in the woods, are a distraction from the flow of the story. Reading the first (and better) book in the series so far is almost a requirement.
Thanx to NetGalley and HarperVia for the opportunity to provide this candid review.

I really love these books, which offer a brilliant portrait of a troubled period in Soviet history, during. the wars that followed the Russian Revolution. It was a harsh time, especially in the Russian republics, where the war was fought most intensely: a period of fear and upheaval, with old and new sitting awkwardly side by side, all of which Kurkov captures extremely well. The books have a fabular, magical realist quality that offers an clever tonal contrast to the social history. My only criticism is that they are a bit plotless, but there is a charm in this, too. Highly recommended.