Murder, black market sales, former Soviet secret policemen plotting the return of Communism, the realities of post-Cold War Russian economy. The book has mostly long sentences, long paragraphs, long chapters, and lots of description. The author's style is simple and straight forward. The author's intent is to entertain. There is a special and informative background.
Characterization focuses on several characters of different sexes whose lives are intertwined.
The characters are stereotypes we recognize immediately. The book will leave you feeling somber, sad, melancholy. The book is conventional, traditional. The ending wraps everything up. Berlin, Russia .