Notes of Provincial Detectives

These sincere, factually accurate stories were written by simple provincial detectives of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. They were then lovingly selected by the best authors of contemporary historical detective fiction. They captivate the imagination, immerse the reader in the atmosphere of antiquity, and impress with astonishing observation, knowledge of psychology, resourcefulness, and personal courage of detectives from a bygone era. In February 1903, in the estate 'Ilmen' near Novokhopersk, the wife of the assistant mill mechanic was brutally murdered. Her decapitated body was discovered by her husband, who returned home at midnight from work. Money and valuables totaling about twenty rubles were stolen from their apartment. Suspecting that the murder was committed by one of the workers, police officer Nikolai Voyutsky decided to inspect their clothing — fresh bloodstains should have incriminated the criminals. However, it turned out that due to the flour dust, the workers at the mill often have nosebleeds… The book contains more than 50 unique photographs, including previously unpublished portraits of the famous Sonka Golden Hand and members of her gang.