The Circle Closed

“Writing historical detective stories is my hobby, born from ten years of experience in the police and my own love for such literature. In my books, I try to show the work of the imperial detective as seen by a former policeman. And the more I immerse myself in that era, the more I am convinced that in the process of solving crimes, not much has changed in over a hundred years.” — Ivan Pogonin
The collection includes three novellas by Ivan Pogonin, whose main character is the detective Mechislav Kuntsevich. He always finds himself in the right place at the right time, and it is he who investigates all the crimes, visiting various locations, cities, and even countries. “The Circle Closed” is about the murder of landowner Koshelnikova. “Kuntsevich’s Failure” is about the robbery of Monsieur Obyusson's store. “Mademoiselle Laura” is about the investigation of the mysterious murder of Laura Furro in the “Russian Paris” of the thirties. Pogonin's retro-detectives are distinguished by close attention to details, conformity to the spirit of the time, and historical accuracy.
“The detectives of Ivan Pogonin are interesting for their new perspective. His time machine is different from others. Everything is historically accurate — in this the author is a master, but he also adds his own color, taste, and smell. Cheers to our dragoons!” — Nikolai Svechin