Terrorists steal nuclear waste from a remote site in Kazakhstan and use it to make a dirty bomb. Who is the mastermind behind this plan? Who are the perpetrators? And where will the bomb go off? The secret services have no answers, nor does the expert analyst Drongo. But he has the ability to draw paradoxical conclusions from the smallest details. He works out the bomb’s target, but it’s not enough – he has to find the perpetrator. And as he closes in, Drongo himself is at risk…

“Chingiz Abdullayev is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished contemporary novelists, known all over the world… His charm could disarm diplomats at state dinners and enemy agents in dark alleys.”

John Boit, The Christian Science Monitor

“His distinctive style, vision and intriguing plot grab readers’ attention. It really is a cracking thriller.”

Marc Semo, Libération

“His hero… continues to follow the demands of his conscience by single-handedly protecting the values he cherishes: the cohesion and equality of the nations, legal order, categorical opposition to corruption, self-sacrifice, warm-heartedness.”

Christine Mestre, La Russie d’Aujourd’hui