Jurij Stebakov

The Crystal Violin

Vasily Pronchishchev and Vasily Chelyuskin were young lieutenants of the Russia fleet, who set out from Yakutsk along the Lena River to the Arctic Ocean on a sailing ship under the leadership of the commander Vitus Bering in the summer of 1735. Contrary to the imperial prohibition, incredible trials and deadly danger lying ahead of all the members of this expedition, a young girl enamored with one of the characters got onto this ship. However, neither storms or severe northern frosts and hunger were able to stop them, since fulfilling of their duty, reaching of the most northeastern point of Eurasia and putting of the vast Arctic territories on the world maps were their main purpose in life.

A mysterious Dark Horseman slays young girls near the village of Dikanka, and he has already butchered 11 ladies. Nikolai Gogol, a scribe from Saint Petersburg has to take charge of the investigation, but the closer he gets to solving the case, the more fits he has, causing macabre visions. When he learns the next victim is his beloved, Liza, he doubts that he can protect her and resist the murderer. Fortunately, he meets somebody who can help him: Khoma Brut, the witch hunter, martial artist and philosopher. Together they spend three dreadful nights in an old chapel reading the funeral service for Ulyana, the witch, and calling upon the ghastly evil spirit Viy.

Я не трус