Fall of a Cosmonaut

One of the distressing aspects of finding a terrific mystery series is when the author seems to have abandoned the effort. Fall of a Cosmonaut is the 13th of 14 Stuart Kaminsky Porfiry Rostnikov mysteries, and he hasn't written a new one since 2001. Having a mystery series set in Russia could be extremely depressing, but through the eyes of Porfiry Rosnikov, we see the eternal hopefulness that keeps Russians from the depths of despair. In 1986, a serious problem develops on the Mir space station. While the problem is catastrophic, the cosmonauts land safely and a big hush campaign begins to keep this big secret. But a year later, the cosmonauts on board (along with the three sent to relieve them) are being murdered systematically, or end up dead under mysterious circumstances. Rostnikov and his son, Iosef, are assigned to discover the location of one of the cosmonauts who seems to have simply vanished. At the same time, Emil Karpo and Akardy Zelach are trying to find the person who murdered a scientist at the Center for the Study of Technical Parapsychology. And Sasha Tkach and Elena Timofeyeva are after the person who has stolen an unreleased film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival on the life of Tolstoy. Kaminsky is always first rate in his plot development, but this book is even more enjoyable than his previous efforts. Some of the most comical moments involve "the vampire," Emil Karpo. The stern Karpo does not believe in emotion, imagination or the paranormal. Yet while investigating the murder of the institute's director, this skeptic is exposed to more than a few examples of visions, telepathy and clairvoyance. Even the slow-witted Zelach seems to have paranormal gifts, and those at the institute are anxious to study him. Fall of a Cosmonaut is the 7th book I have read in this series, and knowing that I'm now halfway done, maybe I'll try to stretch them out just a little more. It would be a shame to go through them quickly and then not be able to look forward.

Kaminsky writes 3, no 4, series of crime novels. The Toby Peters stories are enjoyable but only that. The Leiberman series has a bit more substance, but still read like the slow second movement of the standard 4 movement symphony. The Fonseca series has just begun. Vengeance was above average (compared to all mystery/suspense/crime/ whatever..writers). Retribution was much in the Leiberman vein--slow, winding down, world-weary ad nauseam. Where Kaminsky SHINES is in his Russian/Rostnikov series. Not all the dozen or so novels have been equally good, but even the weakest presents real, alive, fleshed-out characters, beginning with the truly inimitable Rostnikov ("the washtub") and his vampire-like underling Emile Karpo, probably the most striking and original continuing character in any myster/suspense series of ALL time. But it is the world of Moscow and the world of the highly-intelligent weight lifting Rostnikov that with his Jewish wife, playwright son (seques into detective), the Yak, the silver haired Colonel and all the colorful characters and settings that make this series vibrate with life. This latest novel, perhaps his best (and, sad to say, perhaps his last) is set up with the usual three plots, unrelated, except for Rostkinov getting involved in more than one. The plots involve the film industry, the space industry and the government funded paranormal acitivities research section. If you haven't read prevevious entries in this series, you will be impressed by this novel with its depth and color and unusually well-done dialogue (for a mystery). But having read all the previous novels, save the first, it is not only a good book but a triumph of Kaminsky in creating and forcing the reader to love and appreciate his characters not just as cogs in a plot (e.g. Lovesey's characters), but having a literary quality, a richness that even Faulkner or Camus would have enjoyed. Cosmonaut is an unalloyed triumph of man, of his spirit, and of the vital diversity that makes man what he/she is.My feeling is that Kaminsky has ended this series, but I would urge him to reconsider--even an average Rostkinov novel is worth two Leiberman's, three Fonsecas, and four Peters. Anyway read this book. It is GREAT.

Stuart Kaminsky makes no secret that the Inspector Profiry Rostnikov novels are inspired by the "87th Precinct" books by Ed McBain. Indeed, Rostnikov himself can ofter be found re-reading a dog-eared copy of one of the 87th Precinct books. Like their model, the Rostnikov novels usually depict a detective squad working multiple cases, seeking the little clues which eventually will point their way to solutions to the mysteries. The world of Inspector Rostnikov -- the Soviet Union and, in the later novels, post-Soviet Russia -- is even more morally ambiguous than McBain's fictional city of Isola, and Rostnikov often finds himself between serving justice and enforcing the law. I find Rostnikov, the gentle, physically powerful detective whose greatest relaxation is found in repairing faulty plumbing, to be one of the most appealing characters in modern crime fiction, a man both wise and compassionate. "Fall of a Cosmonaut" is another strong addition to the series, with the detectives pursuing three seperate mysteries while the stories of their personal lives advance yet further. I must emphasize that the Rostnikov books really should be read in order for maximimum enjoyment, as the characters and the crises in their lives progress from novel to novel and much would be lost if their futures were to be relieved too soon by reading out of order.

Stuart M. Kaminsky continues his Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov series in grand style--grand, that is, if you like suspense, excitement, great characterization, superb plot--in general, great reading. In this, the 13th of the series, Rostnikov's name is mentioned by a cosmonaut on board the space station Mir (If anything goes wrong, says Tsimion Vladkova as he relates an emergency situation on board, "please inform Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov."). Of course, something does go wrong. Vladkova returns to earth, then disappears. Rostnikov is told to find him, and his superiors are more than just a little curious as to why the cosmonaut should refer specifically to him! However, locating a "fallen cosmonaut" is not as easy as it seems; the Inspector knows that his case has the highest priority. No one knows if the Vladkova is dead, kidnapped, or has simply disappeared on his own. The government is concerned because he possesses valuable secrets! As usual, Kaminsky has more than one story going on at the same time, all interrelated, and all equally exciting. One sub-plot deals with a movie director working on the life of Tolstoy whose film negatives have been stolen and are being held for ransom; another involves the undertakings at a paranormal research center, where the director is found murdered. It takes the skill, the intellect, the presence of Rostnikov and his crew (Sasha Tkach, Emile Karpo, Elena Timofeyeva, and Arkady Zelach) to sort out and to solve all these problems. Kaminsky seems to have post-Iron Curtain Russia's "number" and "Fall of a Cosmonaut" only enhances the series! ([email protected])

If you have read the other books in this Russian series by Stuart Kaminsky I think that you will agree that this one stands out. It is like getting a letter from home bringing you up to date on what is happening to close friends or even members of your family. The characters are interesting and consistent from beginning to end. I would recommend that you read the previous books in sequence to build the background necessary to grow fully attached to the characters but it is still a good stand-alone story. I certainly hope that this is not the last in the series.