Arkady Renko returns in this tense political thriller about what it means to fight for truth and justice in todays Russia, from one of the undisputed masters of the genre.

When Arkady Renko is charged with investigating the murder of Alexei Volkov a wealthy Russian businessman and the son of Moscows mayor he knows he has to tread carefully. Maxim Volkov is a high-profile politician and has a complicated relationship with Putin. This investigation clearly has Kremlin approval, but, as with everything in Russia, things are not always what they seem.

Already preoccupied with his developing Parkinson’s, Arkady finds he has more to worry about. The war in Ukraine is gaining momentum, and his son Zhenya has become involved with the Black Army, a Russo-Ukrainian group of hacktivists. Moreover, as Arkady digs deeper into Alexei Volkovs murder, he realizes that the man’s death may have been more politically motivated than he first assumed.

Now it seems that the people behind the killing have him firmly in their crosshairs but this time Arkady’s life is not the only one on the line.