https://kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/2015/04/04/historical-detecting-ru... ( )

Harlequin's Costume is a blend of two of my favorite genres, crime fiction and historical fiction. The time is 1871, the place St. Petersburg, Russia; Czar Alexander II is sitting on the imperial throne. It is a politically-charged time, and after the death of Austrian military attaché Prince von Ahrensburg, Chief Inspector Ivan Dmitrievich Putilin has a tough job trying to a) determine whether or not his murder is the work of some political faction and b) keep his head above water since the Czar's own secret police are also involved with their own agenda and c) maneuver around circles during a delicate time. The story is told looking back, as Putilin is working on his memoirs, "the most interesting material...accumulated over the course of my career,... something like a chronicle of crime in our Northern capital over the last thirty years." Harlequin's Costume is the first of a three-volume trilogy based on the real Ivan Putilin who served as St. Petersburg's chief of police from 1866 to 1892; in Russia his exploits are the subject of a television mini-series.

The novel is rich in period detail, and there is a definite sense of time and place that runs throughout. Considering that Yuzefovich is an historian who taught his beloved subject for some 29 years, this is not surprising. It's easy to envision not only St. Petersburg at this time, but also the multi-faceted political and diplomatic intrigue going on all around poor Putilin as he tries to suss out the truth behind the death of von Ahrensburg. The story is filled with potential suspects who have more than a few motives to want the attaché dead. As it turns out, sometimes even the slightest detail becomes important to the crime's solution. Ivan Dmietrievich bides his time until he finds that "imperceptible thread" to unravel the investigation; Yuzefovich also waits for the perfect moment to reveal all.

My only issue with this novel is that a number of times, with the switch from 1871 to later when Ivan Dmietrievich is discussing his stories with his editor, I did a quick "huh?" at the sudden changes.

This is definitely not a book for crime readers who want a quick solution. The story moves a bit slowly, taking you through multiple suspects and their motives, and the author takes his time to set up the political and diplomatic scene while carefully sketching out his characters. This book would probably be suited more for readers of good historical fiction (not the soap-operaish sort) or historical crime readers who want to immerse themselves in a specific time and place while their armchair detective selves try to figure out the whodunit along with the detective. I defy you to figure this one out - I certainly didn't. I hope the publishers don't wait too long before publishing the next installment -- this one was definitely right up my alley.

read 05/2013 ( )

Leonid Yuzefovich is a Russian historian and an acclaimed writer of short stories, novels, and historical pieces. In his novel Harlequin's Costume, Yuzefovich presents a "locked door" murder mystery that takes place in 1871 St. Petersburg, Russia. Prince von Ahrensburg, an Austrian military attaché assigned to the great Russian city, has been killed in his bed in a locked bedroom with his feet pointing toward the head of the bed. The killers must have known the prince had a hidden bell pull by his pillow that would alert his staff in an emergency, possibly an inside job.

Chief Inspector Ivan Putilin is brought to the scene on the Street of Millions to investigate. The Tzar's secret police, called Third Department, are at the scene because of the international diplomatic implications. Putilin is an interesting character with anxiety-related stomach problems, a lovingly domineering wife, and a mean streak in his relationship with subordinates. He is realistically fearful of the Third Department leaders who want a non-Russian scapegoat to take the blame for the murders. Putilin a man ruled by his emotions, is not convinced of the guilt of suspects who "confess" to the crime, and he looks for a single thread that will lead to the real perpetrator. Then, like a harlequin's costume of rags sewn together with a single thread, he can unravel the convoluted political and criminal garment revealing the naked truth.

The novel requires some additional effort by the reader to understand the complicated political situation in Europe in the late 1800s. This is not an Agatha Christie style mystery that provides all the relevant historical context. The reader should do some outside research on the period to help understand Yuzefovich's historical allusions. This understanding is made more difficult by Marian Schwartz's translation that is a somewhat disjointed, literal interpretation of Yuzefovich's prose. Harlequin's Costume is the first book of a trilogy featuring Inspector Putilin who, near the end of his life, is recounting his most interesting cases to a writer for publication. I enjoyed reading the novel and will read the subsequent 2 volumes for more of Chief Inspector Ivan Putilin's police stories. ( )