Бретёр

"Bretor" is the first novel of a new series of detective stories by Yulia Yakovleva, the action of which takes place in the early 19th century. The author brings the chosen era closer to the atmosphere of a modern "cool" detective: a Russian rotmistr of 1812, who involuntarily becomes a detective, uncovers a crime that looks modern - and at the same time possible in any era.
Autumn 1812, the war is still ongoing, officers occasionally arrive from the active army in St. Petersburg - some on leave, some due to injury. Murin decides to cut his leave short and return to the war. In the morning, the sister of his regimental comrade Proshin comes to him and asks for help: her brother has been arrested in a gambling house for the brutal murder of a woman. The girl does not believe that her brother could do such a thing and asks Murin to find the truth, no matter how bitter it may turn out to be. Proshin himself does not remember what happened and believes that he could have killed in a fit of rage and due to drunkenness. Murin decides to spend the rest of his leave searching for the truth, which turns out to be more cynical than imagined. But the real culprit does not escape retribution.