**A Summer 2024 pick in the Times Literary Supplement and the Financial Times** 'Andrey Kurkov is often called Ukraine's greatest living writer, and it is a gift for crime fiction fans that he writes in this genre' New York Times 'A very intriguing and atmospheric novel by a highly accomplished writer . . . A fascinating read in the light of contemporary events' Alexander McCall Smith, Bestselling Author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Kyiv, 1919. The Soviets control the city, but White armies menace them from the West. No man trusts his neighbour and any spark of resistance may ignite into open rebellion. When Samson Kolechko's father is murdered, his last act is to save his son from a falling Cossack sabre. Deprived of his right ear instead of his head, Samson is left an orphan, with only his father's collection of abacuses for company. Until, that is, his flat is requisitioned by two Red Army soldiers, whose secret plans Samson is somehow able to overhear with uncanny