Stieg Larsson? I don’t think so. More like Alexander McCall Smith or closer to author’s home Mikhail Bulgakov (the brilliant A Dog’s Heart came to my Stieg Larsson? I don’t think so. More like Alexander McCall Smith or closer to author’s home Mikhail Bulgakov (the brilliant A Dog’s Heart came to my mind). I liked the tender narrative of this first in three detective fiction. I really liked the Grey Bees by Kurkov so I was happy to get my hands on the Advanced Reader’s copy. The unusual setting (bolshevik revolutionary Kyiv) and the unusual policeman, Samson’s life is suddenly and completely transformed, were both very appealing. I liked the tone of this darkly but gently done satire. I liked the characters and the setting which I think are the strongest points in this novel. And the ear. Why not? ...more