“Outstanding... Yakovleva perfectly balances evoking the terror of living in a police state with her whodunit plotline. Fans will hope to see much more of Zaitsev.” --Publishers Weekly (starred review) The debut of the ultimate noir detective series: set in Stalinist Russia, riddled with corruption, informers, and purges that takes paranoia to the next level Perfect for readers of John Banville, Philip Kerr, and Lara Prescott's The Secrets We Kept, and for fans of the international Netflix sensation Babylon Berlin “Leads the hero (as well as the reader) through every circle of soviet hell, to a bright finale.” --Medusa 1930s Leningrad. As a mood of fear cloaks the city, Investigator Vasily Zaitsev is called on to investigate a series of bizarre and seemingly motiveless murders. In each case, the victim is curiously dressed and posed in extravagantly arranged settings. At the same time, one by one precious old master paintings are going missing from the Hermitage collection. As Zaitsev sets about his investigations, he meets with suspicion at practically every turn, and potential witnesses are reluctant to provide information. Soon Zaitsev himself comes under suspicion from the Soviet secret police. The embittered detective must battle increasingly complex political machinations in his dogged quest to uncover the truth.

“Outstanding... Yakovleva perfectly balances evoking the terror of living in a police state with her whodunit plotline. Fans will hope to see much more of Zaitsev.” --Publishers Weekly (starred review) The debut of the ultimate noir detective series: set in Stalinist Russia, riddled with corruption, informers, and purges that takes paranoia to the next level Perfect for readers of John Banville, Philip Kerr, and Lara Prescott's The Secrets We Kept, and for fans of the international Netflix sensation Babylon Berlin MURDER 1930s Leningrad. Stalin is tightening his grip on the Soviet Union, and a mood of fear cloaks the city. Detective Vasily Zaitsev is tasked with investigating a series of bizarre and seemingly motiveless homicides. MAYHEM As the curious deaths continue, precious Old Master paintings start to disappear from the Hermitage collection. Could the crimes be connected? MISTRUST When Zaitsev sets about his investigations, he meets with obstruction at every turn. Soon even he comes under suspicion from the Soviet secret police. The resolute detective must battle an increasingly dangerous political situation in his dogged quest to find the murderer―and stay alive. “Leads the hero (as well as the reader) through every circle of soviet hell, to a bright finale.” --Medusa

“Outstanding... Yakovleva perfectly balances evoking the terror of living in a police state with her whodunit plotline. Fans will hope to see much more of Zaitsev.” --Publishers Weekly (starred review) The debut of the ultimate noir detective series: set in Stalinist Russia, riddled with corruption, informers, and purges that takes paranoia to the next level Perfect for readers of John Banville, Philip Kerr, and Lara Prescott's The Secrets We Kept, and for fans of the international Netflix sensation Babylon Berlin MURDER 1930s Leningrad. Stalin is tightening his grip on the Soviet Union, and a mood of fear cloaks the city. Detective Vasily Zaitsev is tasked with investigating a series of bizarre and seemingly motiveless homicides. MAYHEM As the curious deaths continue, precious Old Master paintings start to disappear from the Hermitage collection. Could the crimes be connected? MISTRUST When Zaitsev sets about his investigations, he meets with obstruction at every turn. Soon even he comes under suspicion from the Soviet secret police. The resolute detective must battle an increasingly dangerous political situation in his dogged quest to find the murderer―and stay alive. “Leads the hero (as well as the reader) through every circle of soviet hell, to a bright finale.” --Medusa

A Dark-Hunter on a dangerous mission finds his life and love on the line when he meets Dangereuse St. Richard, a beautiful and distracting Dark-Hunter who is out to prevent him from carrying out his duty to destroy her friends.

This book focuses on major changes in punishment patterns during the principal phases of world history, tracing continuities, reforms, and regional differences. Punishment in World History studies the official penalties enacted by governments throughout time, chronicling the limited courses of action in hunting and gathering civilizations, the array of punishments in early agricultural societies, and the various efforts to reform these patterns since the 17th and 18th centuries. There is also discussion on community sanctions and disciplinary patterns applied to children. A secondary emphasis involves analyzing different regional traditions, including the impact of the principal religions, varying definitions of punishable crime, and, in the modern period, differing levels of reliance on physical punishments and imprisonment. The regional analysis also pays close attention to the effects of colonialism, imperialism, and the slave trade. Ending with an assessment of the contemporary period, the book considers the efforts to develop and apply global standards to punishment. With far-reaching coverage of a variety of human civilizations in history, this book is a core resource for students and scholars of the history of corrections, world history, and criminal justice.

Why do we universally punish offenders? This book proposes that people possess a moral punish instinct: a hard-wired tendency to aggress against those who violate the norms of their group. This instinct is reflected in how punishment originates from moral emotions, stimulates cooperation, and shapes the social life of human beings.